Dear Sirius,
First off, thank you for being so understanding in your last letter; Remus expected you to send a Howler demanding him to come back to Engl-
Then, there was a smudge of ink and the handwriting changed.
I did not. Things are good here, in any case. Beauxbatons is very different to Hogwarts in a lot of ways; for one, quite a few of the students are only here during the day, and Portkey or fly home at night. For another, they don't have Houses. Students that live in the dorms are sorted by age and gender, and that's really it. I thought that was odd, but Madam Maxime thinks Houses incite petty competition, and you know, I think she might be right to some degree. How many times did we hex someone when we were younger, just because of the colour of their robes? On the downside, though, if students don't like each other here, it's often much harder to sort out, because it's not just a House thing.
They're all scarily well behaved, though; there hasn't been one prank, or anyone using anything old Filch would consider contraband. And no Peeves, either! I don't know whether that's depressing or a relief.
Classes are going well. Most of the students speak enough English for me to be able to get my point across, but they've all got Dicta-Quills, that translate everything, just in case, and they don't make too many mistakes.
We've written a letter to Harry as well, but when you next speak to him, could you do me a favour and emphasise that I really am sorry he's wound up with Lockhart? I half expected Dumbledore would ask you, or- well, or anyone but that silly git. On a much more entertaining note, I left Lockhart with my lesson plans, and the Boggart I'd intended to show my third years in their first lesson. Hopefully he's opened it up alone, and it's terrorising him in his quarters as we speak.
The handwriting changed again, to Dora's.
The Auror stuff is brilliant, too! I told you in my last letter about some of the people, but they really are incredible! I hate duelling them, though! In our course, I considered myself to be pretty good, but Tarek just puts wards around himself so I can't hit him, or puts wards around me that reflect my spells back at me, and Joanna knows what spell I'm going to use before I do (and so does Asha, for that matter; I think I might have to learn Occlumency), and Carla makes up all these odd new spells that I can't counter, and Wan's magic is wandless, so it comes from all around, instead of just from his wand. He cast a spell with his nose, when he was duelling Eldar! Who does that?!
Beth, at least, I can keep up with; her potions aren't much good in duels, and Luc's magic is all non-verbal, but there are ways around that too, because he can't speak verbal counter-charms. Eldar's quite weak with his range of spells, but he's bloody good at dodging and he tackled me to win yesterday. I'm still not sure how I feel about that, but Sato made a good point when he said that duels aren't always magical, or fair. I'm trying to work out how I can make my metamorphmagus stuff work for me beyond resisting spells and dodging in a duel, but no luck yet. Any ideas?
Anyway, I hope everything's going well there, and please come and visit if you can get a weekend off! We'd love to see you!
Love from,
Tonks and Remus.
"Good of Flitwick to let us off early, isn't it?" Ron said happily, as the four of them trooped downstairs to lunch.
"I don't think he had a choice in the matter," Draco said, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. He'd said his summer wasn't too bad, but his smell and his behaviour said he was very happy to be back, as far as Harry could tell. "If he'd kept us much longer, my brain would've been dripping out my ears."
"Don't be dramatic," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "It wasn't that bad. Boring, maybe, but-"
"Boring?! We were dong cleaning charms, Granger. They're not interesting, even in the slightest; here I was, hoping we'd be learning to Disarm-"
"You're just grumpy because you were awful at them," Ron pointed out. Harry thought he had a fair point; Draco, who'd grown up with Dobby, had likely never had to dust or mop or wash a dish in his life, while Ron, who'd grown up watching his parents use and pronounce cleaning charms, had mastered it on his first try, before even Hermione.
"I think we're doing that in a few weeks," Harry said. "Moony said his lesson plans on Disarming were meant to line up with Flitwick's-"
"Yeah, but Lockhart's probably just going to teach us how to Disarm the heart of the Witch Weekly publisher and get your face on the front." Ron rolled his eyes. "Next time I see her, I'm going to have a serious word with Mum about the people she fancies."
"Start with your father," Draco said, smirking.
"Malfoy," Hermione said, pursing her lips.
"You're a git," Ron grumbled. "Besides, your Mum probably fancies Lockhart too, you just don't know it." Draco actually stopped, looking horrified by the suggestion.
"You could write to her and find out," Harry added, grinning at him.
"Well," Draco said loftily, catching up with them again, "if you want to talk about writing and letters and all, how's your gratitude letter to Lockhart going- Ow, Weasley!" Ron, who'd just swung his bag at Draco's leg, gave him an innocent look.
They were some of the first into the Great Hall; other than Lavender and Parvati, who were at the Ravenclaw table with Padma and Cormac McGlaggen and Katie Bell, who were arguing about something to do with Quidditch, and some of the older students, it was just the four of them. They picked a spot as far away from Katie and McGlaggen as possible, and Harry checked his watch, hoping lunch would appear soon.
"-see Hagrid tomorrow morning," Hermione was saying, about twenty minutes later. "We've haven't got anything until after lunch, thanks to Astronomy tonight-"
"Brilliant," Ron said. "And we have lunch straight after, so he can't even try to give us his rock cakes-"
"They're not that bad," Hermione said weakly, but Harry just arched an eyebrow at her and she smiled. "Oh, all right, they're awful, but don't tell him-"
"What happened to you?" Draco's comment drew everyone's attention to Ginny, who'd just slouched in with Colin, Kirke, Higgs, and a small Slytherin girl, who looked at them all, uncertain, and then mumbled something about the Ravenclaw table and left.
"Lockhart happened," Ginny said, flopping into the chair next to Draco. Kirke, Higgs and Colin sat down nearby, but their attention was stolen by the twins, who were telling a story involving Filch, a butterfly, and four breadsticks.
"You smell burnt," Harry said, wrinkling his nose.
"Dragon." Ginny scowled and snatched an apple out of the bowl in the middle of the table.
"Dragons?" Hermione said, aghast. "What did Professor Lockhart do?"
"Well," Ginny said, putting a finger up, "first, he was ten minutes late-"
"Who says that's a bad thing?" Harry asked, grinning. Ron and Draco grinned as well.
"-because Professor Lupin left some books and papers and a briefcase behind, and they were taking up space in Lockhart's office," Ginny continued, ignoring Harry. She put up another finger. "So he decided to move them to the classroom, but tripped coming inside and dropped everything, including the briefcase, which happened to have a Boggart in it."
"A boggart?" Harry asked. "As in the-"
"Shapeshifters that change to resemble the thing you fear the most," Hermione said.
"Yeah, yeah, ten points to Gryffindor, Granger," Draco said. Hermione didn't seem to know whether to be pleased or insulted.
"Then," Ginny continued, in a way that Harry thought was reminiscent of Mrs Weasley when she was dealing with the twins, "it turned into a banshee, and she looked so angry… That part was funny, actually; I thought he was going to faint. It's a shame she didn't scream at him, but that might not have ended so well for all of us."
"Lockhart's boggart is a banshee?" Ron asked, looking surprised. "I'd have thought it would be a giant pimple, or tooth decay, or a grey hair-"
"Or a broken nail." Everyone turned to look at Hermione, stunned. She blushed. "What? He's still very talented, just- well, he does like his comforts." Ron snorted.
"Did it eat him?" Draco asked. Harry thought he looked hopeful.
"No," Ginny said sadly. "He ran off, though, saying he wanted to give us all some hands on experience without him interfering. Then that thing turned into a werewolf-" She gave Harry an apologetic look. "-and a dragon, and then it was a vampire, which bit Georgina Trace, and then it was some bloke with green hair and a horrible red, scarred mouth, and- well." She shivered and took another bite of her apple. "Eventually we managed to distract it long enough for Colin to get out of the classroom and find McGonagall, and she came and saved us."
"Professor Lockhart didn't come back?" Hermione asked, frowning.
"He's probably having a bubble bath to soothe his nerves," Draco said, patting her arm. "I'm sure he's fine." Hermione gave him a withering look, but Draco grinned at Harry when she turned away.
"What was yours?" Ron asked. Ginny shifted, looking embarrassed.
"It's silly," she warned, not looking at any of them, "but it was losing my diary."
"That isn't silly," Hermione said at once. Ginny smiled at her, and stole half of Ron's sandwich from his plate. Ron, who'd just taken a bite of the other half, made a full-mouthed, muffled protest, but Ginny just pulled a face at him.
After lunch, they had Herbology, which they spent developing a fertiliser for the mandrake seedlings they'd repotted in their first week of school, and after that, was History of Magic, which was as dull as ever; Hermione and Draco, like usual, were the only ones that paid any attention. Ron, Seamus and Susan all slept right through it, and Harry, Neville and Dean played hangman on a scrap of parchment.
Dean, who was fairly talented with a quill, drew the hanged men with good detail, making all three boys laugh when he deliberately made an arm too small, or a beard to thick, or gave the hangman a happy, smiling mouth instead of a sad or screaming one.
"Bagpipes?" Dean asked Neville, groaning, as he drew the last feature on his hanged man.
"My uncle Algie plays them," Neville replied, shrugging.
"What was that, Lungtotten?" Binns asked, peering at Neville, who'd spoken aloud.
"Nothing, sir," Neville replied. "Sorry."
"Hmph, well… As I was saying, the Medieval Assembly of European Wizards contained Johnathon Fluteworthy, who, in 1270, singlehandedly ended a siren attack on what we today, know as the English Channel, and was, after doing so, awarded the first Bravery Against Fantastic Beasts Award, which is, to my knowledge, still presented to witches and wizards worthy of its honour due to feats of magic or negotiation where magical creatures are concerned…"
Harry didn't know how a siren attack could be made boring, but somehow, Binns had managed it. In an attempt to remember something from the lesson, he quickly wrote Medieval Assembly of European Wizards, Sirens, Award onto his blank parchment, and then pulled the hangman sheet toward him.
Harry struggled to think of a tricky word. He looked down at his notes for inspiration, and then when that yielded nothing, glanced at his school bag. The letter he'd received from Moony and Tonks that morning at breakfast was poking out the top, and Harry grinned to himself.
I wonder if they can guess metamorphmagus…?
Hello, Ginny, I hope you've had a nice day.
Hi Tom. Ginny yawned. She was so tired, and wasn't really in a talking mood, but poor Tom was trapped in there, and if she didn't talk to him, who would? I have, thanks. I went to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch trials with Demelza and Ron and Draco. Fred and George are back on the team, and so is Harry. She sighed. I was hoping to try out next year, but after watching Gryffindor's Chasers, I don't think I'd have a chance.
I've never seen you on a broom, so I'm afraid I can't comment, Tom said, and Ginny sighed again. But if your skills match your enthusiasm for Quidditch, then I wouldn't let yourself be dissuaded. Ginny smiled; over the summer, she'd smuggled the wizarding wireless away to her bedroom, and dictated the Harpies-Magpies match for him.
Thanks, Tom. You're always so nice.
It's hard not to be, when I'm talking to you. Ginny blushed. Can you tell me more about your day, Ginny? I've been awfully bored lately.
I thought you said you were working on a project?
I am, but it's taking a long time, and leaves me very tired. Ginny wondered if it was even possible for a diary to get tired. Please, Ginny. I love hearing your stories.
Well, I had breakfast with Ron and Hermione this morning because everyone else slept in. I really like Hermione; she's so smart and nice, but I really don't know how to have friends that are girls. Luna's great, but she's very different to other people, and I don't know Vivienne very well yet, and Astoria's sort of starting to be nice, but she's still not around much. And Demelza's nice too, but she's good friends with Georgina, who I don't really get along with, so they go off together a lot.
Georgina's the one who saw a mouse and screamed in your first week? Tom asked.
Yeah, Ginny said. I mean, it wasn't even hurting her, it just ran across the dormitory. If that had happened at home, I'd have found it in my bed two days later, or had it thrown at me.
Your brothers can be very cruel, Tom said. I don't know that I could deal with them half as well as you do.
That's why they're my brothers, Ginny told him. Because I know how to get along with them. And what do you mean cruel? They're just having a bit of fun.
At the expense of others, though, Tom said. I remember you telling me about what they did to that Zabini boy after breakfast a few days ago.
It was just a stink pellet, Ginny said, defensively. And he just sort of huffed and walked away, he wasn't actually upset. And I heard Harry talking to them about it, and they said they're going to leave him alone from now on. Zabini's a friend of Harry's, I think.
Ah, so your older brothers have to be told how to behave by a second year…? And what about when you told me they put magical lettering on Filch's cat that said 'Kick me'-
No one did, though! Ginny said.
But she's a cat. Not a student that can hex them back, or a teacher that can give them detention, just a helpless, non magical-
Mrs Norris is awful, though, Ginny said. She didn't usually cry, but she could feel angry tears prickling her eyes. Her writing was starting to suffer for it too, and she thought that might have been what tipped Tom off.
I didn't mean to upset you, Ginny, he said. Ginny wiped her eyes impatiently, and glared at the diary. I just don't think your brothers are as brilliant as you do, and I worry that they'll hurt you-
Ginny slammed the diary shut and threw it at her trunk.
"Fluctus Fieri, Mr Weasley; try to draw out that last syllable, else you'll end up with- well, some sort of mutation." Weasley grunted and repeated his spell until she'd nodded her approval. Then, she turned to Draco. "Mr Malfoy, do try to watch your bat. I'd hate to see you miss and instead hit one of your classmates." Her lips thinned and Draco nodded and mumbled an apology. He'd been up with Severus until curfew, playing with the pensieve again, and was too exhausted to function very well at all.
"Mr Finnegan, unless you want to blow up the classroom, unbend your wrist!" McGonagall swept away, to where the Finnegan was sitting next to Thomas, Smith and Enthwhistle. Smith was – like usual – running his mouth and lost five points for Hufflepuff when McGonagall reached them. Draco – who'd never liked Smith very much – smirked.
"It's all in your pronunciation, Ron," Granger was saying nearby.
"You haven't got it right yet either," Weasley pointed out. Granger scowled at him.
"Sorry for trying to help," she sniffed, and turned back to her own work; all that was left of her bat were two wooden, fanlike wings. She was close, but not – as Weasley had pointed out – finished. Potter, on the other hand, had a simple fan sitting on his desk and was lounging back in his chair. During his stays at Grimmauld Place, Draco had seen Mr Black sitting the same way.
Granger gave Potter a frustrated look and tried her spell again, this time, managing to fix her transfiguration; on her desk, lay a simple blue and white fan and her hand flew into the air to call McGonagall over.
"Fluctus fieri," Draco said, poking his bat with his wand. It opened one eye, glanced at him, and then tucked its head under its wing and went back to sleep. Draco huffed at it.
There was a loud crash, as Potter tipped his chair back too far and landed on the classroom floor. Several of the bats flapped their wings, and Moon's bat actually flew up to the ceiling to hang from one of the support beams instead.
"Here," McGonagall said, nostrils flaring, "lies the reason I suggest my students keep all four of their chairlegs firmly on the ground." Smith sniggered, and – unable to help himself – so did Draco, as Potter flushed bright red, righted his chair, and sat down gingerly.
Draco rather thought the only reason McGonagall hadn't taken points was that Harry had already done his transfiguration successfully.
By the end of the class, Draco, Hopkins and Price had all been assigned extra homework, and McGonagall had looked at Brown's winglike fan and suggested she could benefit from some further reading as well. Draco yawned and tossed his things into his bag, wondering if he could sleep through Charms without Flitwick noticing.
Weasley was up ahead, chatting animatedly with Potter and Longbottom, but Granger was waiting patiently for Draco in the corridor.
Granger opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, there was a shriek and the corridor ahead of them filled with large, billowing clouds of some sort of powder. Peeves' cackling started from a side corridor, as the students caught in the cloud started to burp loudly, and behind them, McGonagall stepped out of her classroom, looking furious.
Draco caught Granger's eye and the pair of them turned around to find another way to Charms.
Tom, are you there? Ginny wiped a tear off the diary.
Ginny?! Is everything all right? Are you crying?
Tom, I'm so sorry I got so angry yesterday! Ginny dipped her quill in ink again, and pressed it to the worn paper. And you were right! Fred and George were cruel today. Ginny's stomach churned horribly. Today, they'd saved Harry from a photograph with Lockhart by turning Colin's camera into a large fish. Ginny'd thought it was all very funny (Harry had somehow disappeared into thin air once Lockhart was distracted) until she realised how upset Colin had been.
They'd changed his camera back, or course, but damaged the film in the process and Colin hadn't been at dinner, nor had he wanted to speak to Ginny when she went up to talk to him. Fred and George had just laughed and told her he'd come around when she suggested they apologise.
Ginny told Tom all of that, and when she was finished, he was quiet for a moment.
It's not fair of Colin to blame you for what your brothers did, either, he said. That's unkind of him.
He's upset, Ginny wrote, defensively.
But now he's upset you.
I just- I'm not sure how to fix it. I mean, Fred and George didn't mean to upset him, but they still did! But the only people who've ever been angry with me are my family, and either we sort it out, or Mum does, so no one's ever upset for long, except sometimes Percy. But Colin's different to my brothers and I don't know what to do-
Let me think about it, Tom said. I don't know that I've ever had to deal with a situation quite like this one. Ginny stared at the page, disappointed. I'd just like to- The writing appeared and then vanished before Tom finished writing. It means a lot to me that you trust me enough to tell me things like this, Tom wrote. Most people wouldn't even think I was worth talking to.
I love talking to you, Ginny wrote at once. You're so clever, and nice, and you're very good at listening. She wiped away the last of her tears. I don't know how people get by with normal diaries.
I'm so glad it was you that found my diary, Tom said. So glad, in fact, that I'd like to tell you about my project.
Really? Ginny wrote excitedly. What is it?
Do you trust me?
Of course, Tom! Ginny double-checked her bed hangings were closed and gave the diary an impatient look.
Then let me show you.
Hi all,
Hopefully you're enjoying Identity so far!
This is just an announcement from me to say that I will be changing my update day from Sunday to Monday.
Until next week,
MarauderLover7.