Instead of tedious detail rehashing how Canon was changed with this story, I thought I'd give an idea of the next couple of months with the following:

Dear Harry,

Thank you for your letter. It's much less lonesome being here without my brothers when I have someone to talk to. I know I just saw you at Halloween, but there's something about having a pen pal that's wonderful.

I've been spending a lot more time with Luna too. Mum took us out shopping. Luna needed some girl things and with her Mum gone, she was happy that my Mum could help her out.

I was confused when she asked when we would be looking for girls. Seems she misunderstood girl-shopping.

Blackie's getting bigger. He's much less distracted when he helps find the gnomes – which is good because they don't come out as much when it gets colder.

He's very fun to play with. He likes to play with the little fake mice that Dad brought home for him.

He does have a bad habit of bringing back in real mice and putting them next to my bed. The first time it happened I screamed but Mum explained he was just giving me presents. I like presents but dead mice are a bit much.

Anyway, Sirius and my Mum got into an argument. When you wrote that you'd need your broom this year – way to go on becoming seeker! – I was getting help from my Mum to package it up and he stopped by.

He told us not to worry – he was buying a new broom for you. Dad finally forced him to accept some galleons for the Nimbus 2000, even if it was slightly discounted because it was "used."

I've never heard my parents trying to convince anyone to raise their price before. But now I have my own broom and having fun practicing. I want to be on the Gryffindor team too. I accepted it instead of regular Christmas presents. Don't tell Ron, but he's getting a new broom for Christmas. I can't wait to see his face.

Anyway, let me know how your first quiddich game goes. Go Gryffindor!

Love,

Ginny Weasley

Mum, Dad, and Ginny

WE WON!

The quiddich game yesterday was fun. The first years sat with Hagrid and Sirius and it felt like a pro game.

First, Gryffindor got the quaffle. The chasers were passing it back and forth but Slytherin stole it. Flint took a shot but Wood stopped it. Katie Bell took it but got hit with a bludger Another snake took it but was stopped by another bludger sent by one of the twins. We got it back and Angelina Johnson took. We scored first.

Harry did a couple of loop-de-loops …

(A/N: Since Ron would put WAY too much detail because, well, it's quiddich, I'll just say that he gave far too many details to make it a pleasant letter home and it's more like a play-by-play.)

… Harry pulled ahead when the snake seeker had to pull up. Suddenly he fell off his broom and got up and coughed up the snitch! He caught it in his mouth!

Flint tried to protest but it was called a legal play. And so we won 180 to 60!

If only the Cannons could play like that.

Ron

Clan Chief Potter

After the first month of operation, our joint venture has already recouped the initial outlay of capital. Mr. Tonks has proven to be an inspired choice as manager as his previous experience with what the muggles call "classic coins" has paid off.

A detailed report is enclosed, but I should tell you that thirty coins alone with a face value of the equivalent of less than 2 Galleons fetched close to half of the initial outlay.

The Claw and Hook clans have feasted in your honor.

While the most valued coins that were initially available were bought quickly, projected sales indicate that we should see a significant profit for this fiscal year.

There have been no rumours of the success with Gringotts despite Fang attempts to ferret out details. Their refusal to deal with "muggle filth" is now hampering their intelligence efforts.

Ironclaw has been very satisfied.

In the next quarterly report, I shall give details at the planned auction taking place May 1992.

Yours in Business,

Sharpclaw

Dear Father,

As you guessed, the Granger girl has demonstrated her complete lack of understanding of Wizarding Culture. As she is my Potions lab partner and she has been more than satisfactory in this role, I grit my teeth and bear it.

I might not like the mudblood, but I'm Slytherin enough to take EVERY advantage I can when confronted with less than optimal circumstances.

However, any suggestion you might have that might allow me to gently move her off of her crass adherence to her pathetic culture and into the proper mindset would me appreciated by myself.

I have been fairly successful in keeping up my grades. I am hesitant to report this as it goes against some of the lessons that you have taught me but honest requires it:

I have noticed that the pureblood members of Slytherin who spend their time baiting the mudbloods and putting them in their place score far lower than those that just ignore them and just do their studies.

I am aware that you have long advised me that it was necessary to show our superiority. However, I need something clarified.

Wouldn't' my time and effort be more profitable spent being an excellent example of proper beliefs and winning the argument against those of the lower classes by showing them how much better I am than taunting them about it?

I see how the muggle-loving fool that runs this place makes no effort to acknowledge our clear superiority. They don't even allow us to explain to them just WHAT they are so wrong about.

I believe it would be advisable to present an educational reform that would explain to these people proper culture and usages. It would have to be presented in such a way that it would offend the more liberal members of society, but I believe it could be done.

I will, however, bow to your more knowledgeable and experienced viewpoint. Advise me, and I shall act as required.

Your son,

Draco Malfoy,

Heir Apparent, Noble House of Malfoy,

Scion of the Ancient and Noble House of Black

Hey, Pup!

It was great game you played!

Chelsea has gotten a bit tired of all of the bragging – she just doesn't appreciate quiddich like we do. But hey, I can take one small problem in what is otherwise a perfect woman.

Me and Remus have been working hard at scaring up more trust money. I'm hoping that we can get Hogwarts completely off students paying tuition in three years. I've already got three of the four Houses funded for quiddich equipment. I just have to find a Slytherin who isn't a pureblood bigot to fund the last part.

Then we'll have to negotiate with the Board of Ponces to reduce tuition by the amount that they don't have to pay for it before we can actually put it into use.

It doesn't change the fact that the amount already put up is being invested already. Steelclaw and his people are doing a great job.

I have just one question for you: What do you want for Christmas?

Love,

Padfoot

Dear Harry Potter,

Thank you for the lovely toilet seat. It hangs in an honoured place on my wall.

For some reason, Mrs. Weasley wouldn't allow Ginny to hang her own, so I offered to let her hang hers next to mine.

I will follow your request to not let Mrs. Weasley know that you helped to send them. I don't know why you asked, but it's not a problem.

We did go shopping. We didn't buy any girls, but we did buy these muggle sticks made out of wadded cotton and little paper and cotton sheets to put in our knickers to absorb the blood which come out once a month.

I find them so comfortable, I've taken to wearing them everyday.

My father found my supply and for some reason wrapped two of them around his wrists as bracelets. As his wrists weren't bleeding I don't know why he did it, but it looked stylish so I didn't protest.

In looking at possible pets, I did spend a while in Diagon Alley looking at owls, cats, and toads. None of the ones I saw were particularly interested in becoming my friend. I see how Blackie reacts to Ginny and I want a friend just like that. So I will look more.

I look forward to your next letter.

Luna Lovegood

Dear Mum and Dad,

Once again, Harry let me use Hedwig to take this letter to you. And thank you for your letter of Sunday last.

It surprised me too. In Primary, we were so indoctrinated into raising our hand whenever we had the answer that I never paid attention to what the other children thought. Now that such class participation is no longer a part of my grade, it has given me a chance to see exactly what other children thing of a "know-it-all."

I remember all of those times I would come to you crying about being insulted for being a bookworm and never saw that the reason for it was the teachers' insistence that we do things this way. I got so many compliments for having studied so thoroughly that I never saw how it alienated my peers.

I haven't talked to Harry about this. Even though I started looking a couple of months ago and realized it a month ago, I know if I said anything that he'd get that smug smile he sometimes gets when he's proven right.

I love him to death, but I prefer to keep his teasing ammunition as low as possible.

About my classes:

(A/N: I won't bore the fourth wall with tedious details that Hermione wrote because, hey, it educational, so I'll just say that she explains what she learned in each class. In detail. With examples.)

Anyway, I look forward to seeing you both at Christmas.

Dad? I do need a small bit of help. I've never had anyone that was close enough to buy Christmas gifts for and somehow I think that what I might find exciting might not be appreciated by those I wish to get presents for this year.

They're all boys.

Mum? Why didn't you ever tell me that boys were most properly classed as a different species? Here I was, all happy to be a rule-abiding and studious girl, and now I am forced to take breaks from studying to play games. They prevent me from working! I mean, I only read two extra books last week. And I haven't even had time to re-read my books more than twice with only three weeks until the end of term.

Having friends is hard work sometimes.

Anyway, I am definitely looking forward to seeing you again.

Love,

Hermione

Dear Chelsea,

As your boyfriend's godson, I hereby give you permission to smack him when he gets too enthusiastic about my quiddich games.

I like quiddich, but I'm not so fanatical that I need to talk about it all day. I wish my quiddich Captain, Oliver Wood, understood that.

The reason for my letter is that I was thinking about Christmas. It will be the first time that I'll be spending time with Sirius and I want to get him something nice. Something he'll love.

In the house I grew up in, there was far too much fake enthusiasm for crappy gifts from my cousin to his parents that I have no idea what I should get for him.

Do you have any ideas for me? Anything he has expressed interest in but has passed on because of time or something else? I know he's like a big kid with an allowance far too large so I'm not that hopeful that he's ever expressed ANY impulse control, but I am taking a chance that you'll have an idea.

And what would you like?

Anyway, I look forward to hearing back from you.

Best Regards,

Harry Potter