26 September, 1971
Remus left just this morning to visit his mother who is very ill, or so he says. The full moon is tomorrow night. He'll be back by the 30th if I'm correct about him. Black looks about ready to attack. Let's see how creative he is.
School is becoming easier. The teachers aren't exactly going any easier on us, it's just that I'm better at focusing on the information we need for tests. Besides studying with Remus is always fun. He is very smart, and incredibly motivated. I hope I can stay as motivated while he's gone.
Annicka Llewellyn
"Are you coming down for supper?" Alice asked as she, Lily, Margo and Mary were leaving the dormitory.
"Oh, no, I'm not really hungry, besides I need to finish my Transfiguration essay. Some peace and quiet is just what I need," Annicka replied with a smile.
"Okay," Margo shrugged. The girls all filed out of the room leaving Annicka sitting alone looking out the window. A few minutes later, with a sigh, Annicka was about to go down to the common room when she saw two figures crossing the grounds; one adult and one student, making their way to the Whomping Willow, a new feature to the Hogwarts grounds. Annicka watched as the tree went strangely rigid and the student disappeared into the roots.
"Full moon," she whispered to herself. That night all of Hogsmeade, a little hamlet not far from Hogwarts, was woken by spine chilling, in-human screams coming from the small abandoned house on the hill on the outskirts of the town. The next day there began to be rumors that some very angry spirits had been awoken in the old house on the hill.
30 September, 1971 As I predicted Remus "came back" today, after a full day's rest in the Hospital Wing I suspect. He still looks tired, and after what he went through it's understandable. Black has been strangely quiet lately, maybe it has to do with the fact he finally told his parents that he's in Gryffindor and not Slytherin, which according to his mother's howler over breakfast brings shame on the entire Black family.
She is a piece of work, threatening to disown him just because of the house he was placed in. I mean, it's not exactly his fault is it? I can tell it hut him. He says it doesn't mean anything, and that his whole family are a bunch of gits, but I don't think anyone could really not care that their own mother hates them. Not really.
My mum and dad seem to be doing fine, things are getting busier for my dad at work, which worries me a little bit, but he says it's nothing, that there is bound to be fluctuation like with any other job. It turns out that my dad and Potter's dad not only work together, but they're related, 3rd cousins or something. I think that means in some weird way Potter and I are related. I really hope no one finds out.
Annicka Llewellyn
6 October, 1971
Second month in and I can't believe how much time seems to be speeding up. It feels like barely a week ago we were arriving at Hogsmeade, but so much time has passed! Black has gotten out of his funk, and began the war again. I need to think of a good retaliation for this last prank. I won't bother to write what it was, because that would distract from the more important memories.
Lily had to reject Potter again. I don't know how his brain has been twisted, but somehow he thinks its okay for eleven-year-olds to date. I don't know what Lily is going to do if he keeps this up.
Annicka Llewellyn
"Annicka, are you paying any attention to us?" Lily asked, abruptly interrupting the conversation in the dormitory.
"What?" Annicka asked turning away from the window. "I'm sorry," she apologized a moment later. "It's just so beautiful outside. The sun is shining for what is probably one of the last times before spring, and we're in here talking about how awful classes are."
"You're right," Mary agreed, "let's go sit by the lake and soak up some Sun." the other girls readily agreed and they all made their way down to the lake. They found a nice grassy knoll and lay back relishing in the feeling of the sun on their skin. "This is definitely the best part of nature," Alice sighed with a small smile of contentment.
"Have any of you seen the Whomping Willow?" a male voice asked nearby, "they're supposed to be really rare." Several of the girls opened their eyes to see Frank Longbottom talking to Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin.
"We've seen it alright," Potter replied.
"Yeah, Peter nearly got his head taken off," Black agreed and the boys laughed.
Annicka stood and approached the boys with a glare. "If I ever hear of you lot risking your lives, or others, by going anywhere near that tree again I will personally tell Dumbledore and get you thrown out!" she threatened.
"What does it matter to you?" Black challenged.
"Death affects us all," Annicka replied turning back to join her friends.
"You are so weird," Mary stated as she rejoined them.
"I know," Annicka shrugged, lying back in her place. Every person who had heard the conversation stared at Annicka for a moment before going back to what they had been doing.
12 October, 1971
Hogwarts is becoming stranger by the hour, stranger and more difficult. The Slytherins are enjoying pestering me that is certain. Remus has come and stopped them a few times, but they keep coming back for more. I don't know what it is about me that screams easy target to them, but they seem to come after me more than anyone else.
Potter and his friends always just fight back, which usually gets them in trouble and looses the house points. No one really seems to mind it because they keep everyone entertained. Well, I have to go, study time.
Annicka Llewellyn
20 October, 1971
Full moon again tonight, Remus is gone once again, and once again I saw a teacher escorting a student down to the Whomping Willow. I don't really need any more proof that Remus is a werewolf, I just hope he doesn't take it too badly when I ask him about it. Tomorrow then, it's almost midnight.
Annicka Llewellyn
Remus groaned as he climbed in through the portrait hole, "Rough night?" a voice asked from further inside the common room. Remus spun on his heel and saw Annicka sitting in the window seat on the far side of the room.
"What are you doing down here so early?" Remus asked nervously.
"Oh, I'm just waiting for you," she replied softly. The room was dead silent for a moment before Annicka continued. "I know what you are Remus."
"What I am?" he asked sounding almost panicked.
"Remus, I know you're a werewolf." There was a long tense moment where Remus debated telling a lie, or the truth.
"How did you find out?" he asked, finally decided he didn't want to lie.
"I suspected it when we talked at the beginning of the year. When I mentioned werewolves you looked so worried, all I had to do then was wait, and see if I was right."
"So . . . what now?" Remus stayed by the portrait hole, looking ready to bolt.
"Now, you have one less person to worry about lying to," Annicka replied with a shrug. It was plain to see that Remus was less than reassured. "I'm not going to tell anyone Remus. That's not the kind of person I am."
"Thank you," Remus sighed. He approached Annicka slowly, still expecting her to scream, or run.
"What are you going to tell the boys?" she suddenly asked.
"The boys?" Remus was clearly confused.
"Black and Potter," she clarified. "They have a decent brain between the two of them; they'll figure it out eventually. What will you do when that happens?"
Remus thought about it for a moment, absentmindedly staring in the direction of the boy's dorms. "I don't know," he finally answered. Annicka smiled understandingly and went to her own dormitory to get ready for the day.
31 October, 1971
The Halloween Feast was delicious! The third years were all gushing about Hogsmeade, apparently it's really something. I have to admit the castle's decorations are much better than my mum's. Floating pumpkins, and bewitched bats, not to mention a ghost ballet, the magic of Hogwarts is not to be matched. Professor Dumbledore was just as determined to enjoy himself as the students were. Classes tomorrow, I should get to bed.
Annicka Llewellyn
1 November, 1971
Everyone, except a few of us, were too tired for classes to go well today. Professor McGonagall, of course, accepted no excuses for doing bad work in her class. Perfectly fair, though rather inconvenient considering we have Transfiguration right after breakfast, I was finally able to show her what I'm capable of since Black and Potter were too tired to dazzle today. I hope that now I won't be eclipsed by their shadows. Well, we'll see . . .
Annicka Llewellyn
15 November, 1971
I'm going to kill Sirius Black! For the past two weeks, since I was able to outshine him and Potter in Transfiguration, McGonagall has been praising my work (as much as a "good" is praise). For some reason this seems to have bothered him because today he put me in McGonagall's bad gooks for at least the rest of the year. There I was minding my won business, trying to get around Black when he decided to trip me. Most of the time it wouldn't be a problem, it just so happened that we were on the grand staircase leading to the entrance hall, as I tumbled down I ran into several students and Professor McGonagall.
She got a broken wrist; I got a leg broken in three places, and two weeks of detention. Now everything I do in class will be over analyzed and I'm sure it will not meet expectations. I'm not going to forgive Black for a very long time.
Annicka Llewellyn
"Is he really going home every month? Just for three days?" Margo asked the group sitting around the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Remus was due to get back from another 'trip', and it was quickly becoming a popular topic of discussion.
"Well, think about it," Annicka answered looking up from her book. "If your mum was sick, and the school told you that you could go see her once a month, but only for three days, wouldn't you do it?"
"Fair point," Margo agreed, "I still think it's odd."
Annicka was about to argue further when she saw the time, "I have to go."
"She knows more than she's saying," Black mumbled to Potter as Annicka left for her detention.
"About what?" Potter asked.
"Remus, I mean, why else would she defend him like that?" Sirius challenged.
"Maybe because they're friends," James suggested.
Sirius contemplated the theory for a moment before dismissing it, "No, she knows something."
Annicka walked slowly through the halls trying to avoid her detention. Remus stopped her as they crossed paths, "Do you still have detention?"
"My last night, perhaps then I can get back to my life. I swear McGonagall is going to think I'm her worst student for the rest of time." Annicka replied with a heavy sigh.
"Why didn't you tell her that Sirius tripped you?" Remus asked, still confused by the whole thing.
Annicka explained with a shake of her head, "I took responsibility for my part; it's up to Black to take responsibility for his. I'm no snitch."
"Golden or otherwise," Remus joked.
"Exactly," Annicka agreed. "I'll see you tomorrow," she added as she continued on her way to the Transfiguration classroom to complete her sentence.
1 December, 1971
I don't think I've ever been so happy for a new month to start. November was a nightmare! After the whole stair incident, and my two weeks of detention, Black decided that I hadn't had nearly enough. Somehow he was able to pull off several truly impressive pranks, and made it seem like they were all my fault putting me on bad terms with not only Professor McGonagall, but also Professors Flitwick, Vestra, Grubblyplank, Slughorn and Binns.
Professor Binns never, ever learns student's names, but he knows mine now thanks to Black. So now, at least for the length of December I have to do everything I can to prove that I'm not the awful student they think I am.
Annicka Llewellyn