May – June, 1st year
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Malfoy,
Your daughter, Miss Hermia Jane Malfoy, was found out of bounds after hours last night in the Forbidden Forest. She has been reprimanded accordingly and will be serving detention with myself tomorrow night.
Sincerely,
Professor Neville Longbottom
Head of Gryffindor House
Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
P.S. – It really wasn't as bad as it sounds. I know you're both prone to overreact, Rose and Scorpius, so don't worry too much. She, Alex, and Patrick Finnigan just decided to explore a bit.
Dear Mr. Weasley & Mrs. Carmichael-Weasley,
Your son, Mr. Alexander Harrison Carmichael, was found out of bounds after hours last night in the Forbidden Forest. He has been reprimanded accordingly and will be serving detention with myself tomorrow night.
Sincerely,
Professor Neville Longbottom
Head of Gryffindor House
Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
P.S. – It really wasn't that bad, Fred and Martha. He, Mia, and Patrick Finnigan were just exploring. Fred, I had to write much worse letters home to your parents. Don't worry about it too much.
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Finnigan,
Your son, Mr. Patrick Seamus Finnigan, was found out of bounds after hours last night in the Forbidden Forest. He has been reprimanded accordingly and will be serving detention with myself tomorrow night.
Sincerely,
Professor Neville Longbottom
Head of Gryffindor House
Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
P.S. – Don't worry too much, Liam. Patrick was with Mia Malfoy and Alex Carmichael, his friends, as I'm sure he's written home about them, and they weren't too far in. Just wanted to go exploring, but they were getting near dangerous territory so it's discouraged in the future for obvious reasons.
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Malfoy,
Your daughter, Miss Hermia Jane Malfoy, has had over 50 detentions this year with me, over 90 including those she served with other teachers. She is easily provoked into physical violence by her peers and has been found to be disruptive during class when she gets bored. She will serve another detention with myself tomorrow afternoon, but if her behavior does not improve, a meeting will have to take place between Miss Malfoy, myself, and one of you.
Sincerely,
Professor Neville Longbottom
Head of Gryffindor House
Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
P.S. - It's not as bad as it sounds. People keep provoking Mia and she's doing the best she can, but it's not in her nature to take things lying down. Also, school just isn't challenging enough for her at the first year level. Though her actions are understandable, they really aren't acceptable. I know she knows better and some things are excusable, but my colleagues aren't going to excuse everything.
Mia.
Shape up or I'm going to go down there and ship you out myself.
Mum (and Dad).
"Oh, forget this!" Mia cried, tossing her Standard Book of Spells across the common room. "Who cares if I can levitate an object? How the hell is that going to help me in life?"
"Language," Alex muttered from his position in the arm chair across from Mia's seat, never lifting his eyes from the page of his astronomy textbook.
Patrick was dozing in the third chair in the corner that the three of them had claimed at the beginning of the year. It was cozy, near the fire, and there was a table which the three chairs surrounded that they'd plopped all of their belongings on top of.
"I don't want to do this work," Mia muttered. "I don't even care if I fail the Charms exam tomorrow. I just want summer to begin and school to end."
Alex glanced up from his book. "Feel like taking a break?" he said mildly. Mia didn't have to look over at him to know that his eyebrows were raised.
"So, what do you want to do?" Mia leaned forward, her weight balanced with her elbows on her knees.
Alex grinned. It was an old game they had been playing since they'd met each other way back when in preschool. They'd introduced it to Patrick, too, but Alex didn't think it was such a great idea to wake Patrick up. He tended to get violent if he didn't wake up on his own; besides, Alex didn't want to get near the puddle of drool on the armrest of the chair, growing slowly larger as Patrick slept on.
"I want to see the world," Alex said, leaning back in his chair.
"I want to swim with dolphins," Mia sighed wistfully, her sigh accompanied by the harmony of Patrick's soft snores.
"I want to speak Arabic."
"I want to go skydiving."
Alex made a moue of distaste. Mia giggled at him.
"I want to see America," Alex said.
"I want to grow up, and get away from here."
"I want to be happy," Alex admitted quietly. "Like my mum and Fred. Like your parents," he gestured towards Mia.
Mia's brow wrinkled. "I'd like that, too," she sighed. "Scoot over," she poked Alex until he gave up enough room in his chair for Mia to squish into. "If we aren't married by the time we're twenty-five-"
"-we marry each other," Alex finished. He gave her a smile. "I remember. I guess that wedding we had when we were four doesn't count then, huh?" he guffawed.
"Hey!" Mia cried. "It was a pretty wedding!"
"Mhmm," Alex said agreeably, "'course I wasn't expecting you to actually kiss me after. Or make Cassie perform the ceremony."
"My first kiss," Mia announced.
"I'd hope so. You were four, after all."
Mia laid her head down on Alex's shoulder. "Promise we'll always be best friends."
"I promise."
"Patrick, too."
Their only answer was Patrick's snores growing suddenly louder.
Review, please! This is the last chapter from first year. Second year, coming up next!