30th July

Ten books, nine days I've been told 'make myself scarce', eight nightmares, seven days they spent on holiday without me, six nights sleeping at my Granny's, five pieces of summer homework completed, four letters exchanged, three failed attempts at ringing Hermione, two weeks until I can go buy Hogwarts supplies in Diagon Alley and one whole month of summer left to go...

I got into the car at the train station a month ago today and the first thing my mother said was, "The garden pond needs fixing, since you were smart enough to make it, you can clean up the mess." That is one definite way to feel loved. At least it has given me a challenge though; maybe I could magically dig it a little deeper and bury my family in it? Too bad you can't use magic outside of Hogwarts.

It seems like years since I've been at Hogwarts. The more I think about what happened, the more I doubt its existence. Like, who in their right mind would believe that we were attacked by a mountain troll, and our DADA teacher had 2 faces? The only thing that is keeping me going is the package I opened from George. It was a handmade bracelet that spelt out 'KATRHYN'. There was a note with it which said,

"Kathryn,

I know your birthday is during the summer, so… HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Fred and I came up with an enchantment to make the bracelet feel warm when we are near one other. You never know when we might see each other next.

George"

As for my time spent with Granny, she was now 'too old' to go on holidays with everyone else, I was left behind in England to keep her company. I was more than happy to do so, I told her about Harry, Ron and Hermione and some of the adventures we got up to, I didn't want to worry her too much as she is, indeed an old woman. She was particularly fascinated that ghosts are real. She told me a reminiscent story, "One day when I was walking home from dropping your mother off at school, I saw these figures walking towards me. When I saw them up close, I saw that they were wearing clothes from the Victorian Age, in the middle of Belfast! They were talking in low whispers something to do about 'the day of the dead' and one of them walked right through me." She stopped.

"What did it feel like?" I urged her to continue.

"It felt like my insides were like jelly just out of the fridge! Cold and wobbly! Then Mildred, our neighbour, asked if I was alright, so I explained to her what had just happened, and turned around to point out the two women, who had... disappeared!" she had a look of nostalgia on her face and I left her to her thoughts. I had no idea if what she said was real, but it sounded real. Could ghosts appear to muggles?

Either way, eating ice-cream is the perfect way to spend the humid summers of England. Six blissful days. She noticed the bracelet I had strapped on my arm and asked where I got it. I thanked Granny for the scarf, the chocolate and the letter repeatedly but she questioned me until I told her about Christmas and about George...

"Courting? I suppose I had found your grandfather at your age!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" I blushed.

Granny then gave me the best advice, "Always let him make the first move, you give him all the rights signs and he'll come, if he doesn't, he's missed out, my sweet!"

I had been imagining all summer what it would be like this year with George, how it would be great to talk more and to have a good laugh. We didn't have that 'moment' for nothing, did we? Should I wait for him to decide? What signs should I give? My head was in a scramble of emotions. But somehow I thought a boy like him is never going to think of me in that way, I've been friend-zoned already...

I almost forgot to tell you, in summer 1990 the Pink family moved to England from Northern Ireland. We moved because of Dad's job and so that Peter could go to get a 'higher quality' education. So, we've returned home to visit the aunties, uncles and cousins! (Such fun.) Im writing from NI, at the moment, I'm hiding in the spare room of Auntie Jenny's, we're playing hide and seek you see, and they never find me, but its fine, the 5 of us end up arguing and fighting anyway and I get shouted at, even though I'm the one trying to break it up. My cousin Emily is my favourite; she's at university currently, studying law and is home for the summer. She is the only person, other than my Granny who treats me like I'm human (or is that a strange thing to say?) mum told me not to tell her, or anyone, about magic, so I told her that boarding school was great and I had made lots of new friends. She was so proud of me, as she knows how shy I was but now I've 'changed'. I hope that is in a good way!

The other 23 days, four hours and what... 52 minutes, I've spent in my room, reading, chucking paper into my bin, packing my trunk, even though I've basically got nothing to put in it and making our pond look less like muck and more like... a soggy mess! Peter also managed to get me shouted at, as he came into my room and demanded to take the book I was reading. I told him that he could have it, once I had finished, I was on the last chapter. He went into a strop and mum ran up stairs, snatched the book off me and said, "You should know better." It was in the bin by the end of the night. I will never know now if the savages got off the Island in Lord of the Flies...

22nd August

I finally got a hold of Hermione on the telephone and we went to Diagon Alley together last Wednesday to get our books. It was so kind of her parents to come out of their way to collect me, it's not as if my parents were going to do it, considering it was such a chore for mum to pick me up from the train station. Like seriously, what's her problem with me?

Hermione arrived at my front door, slightly apprehensive but she covered it with an over-exaggerated burst of enthusiasm. Mum gave me the look that seemed to suggest that all witches were loopy. I decided to ignore her, I was much too happy to see Hermione again! I wrapped my arms around her. Mr and Mrs Granger introduced themselves to my mum.

"I'm John, nice to meet you and this is my wife, Elizabeth!" he shook my mother's hand. He then placed his hand in mine. The kind eyes looking down at me we're exactly like Hermione's.

"Liz, please!" Hermione's mum also placed her hand in my mother's. Hermione resembled her in so many ways.

"Helen." My mum said, putting her nose in the air. She handed me an envelope, "Don't spent it all." She pushed me out the front door, and locked it before I could say 'bye!' We walked toward their family car, which was a Lexus; they were both dentists after all!

Hermione filled me in on her summer holidays; they had been to Italy and visited the Colosseum of Rome, made their own pizza and had been to some famous bookstore. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous... Then the inevitable question came from her mum, Liz, "Where did you go this summer, Kathryn?"

"I went back home to Northern Ireland to see some family members," in my head I was thinking, 'Anything but this!'

I think Hermione could sense that. So she asked me to tell her about the books I had read, now that was a question I could easily answer. Conversation flowed from there. We entered Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron and went straight to Gringotts to exchange our money. I handed the envelope over to the Goblin, taking a £1 coin to return to my mother later. She did say, 'don't spend it all!' so I... won't!

As I was talking to the Goblin, I felt my arm burn; it was really, really hot.

"Are you alright, Miss?" The Goblin asked.

"AOWH!" I took George's bracelet off my arm, leaving a red ring of singed skin. It was stinging like crazy.

"Fred, it mustn't be working, my skin is literally burning. It's supposed to be warm and she's not meant to be here, she's a muggle b-" he looked up and saw me.

"Hi!" I said, awkwardly.

"Hey!" he retuned, smiling, "what're you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. School sent me a letter, unlike you, otherwise you might have known."

"You've got a quill?"

"You're the one with the owl." I raised my eyebrows and turned toward the Goblin again who had been watching the mini-argument with a look of excitement on his face, "Thanks, shows over." I took the bracelet, which was now emitting steam and threw it at George and walked toward the doors where Hermione was standing, waiting for me.

"You okay?" she asked, sympathetically. Taking my hand away from the burn on my arm, "You'll need to get that seen to." Blisters and tears were forming. Hermione turned to her parents who were talking to Mr Weasley.

"You're Kathryn, right? I've heard a bit about you!" Mr Weasley said. Then he noticed my arm and asked, "Fred and George?" all he needed was the look in my eyes to know that it was. He took out his wand, performed a silent incantation and immediately the burn had been cooled.

I let out an immediate sigh of relief, "Thank you!"

"Not to worry," he said with a smile, and he went off to scold Fred and George.

When everyone had rejoined in our group, Mrs Weasley suggested that we all meet up in an hour in Flourish and Blott's to buy our books. Mr and Mrs Granger went into 'Obscurus Books' and sort of just, left us to it! In the meantime, Harry bought the three of us ice-creams, chocolate frog flavoured for me! The Harry and Ron looked in the 'Quality Quidditch Supplies' store as Hermione and I went into 'Scribbulus Writing Instruments' to buy new sets of quills, ink and parchment each. I Iove stationary!

An hour passed by quickly and we headed to Flourish and Blott's in a hurry. It seemed that everyone else had the same idea, and then I noticed a sign on the door,

'GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

'MAGICAL ME'

today 12.30-4.30'

"Lockhart!" Hermione said excitedly, "He's written most of our texts for classes this year." There had to be more to that excited look on Hermione's face. This became all too clear in a matter of seconds. Gilderoy Lockhart was a preened man, with shining white teeth, wearing forget-me-not blue robes which were the exact shade of his eyes. His hair was golden and wavy. He looked like he hadn't done a single day of hard work in his life. He was such a pretty boy. I did not see the attraction whatsoever. I took a step back from the over-excited women and stood beside Harry and Ron.

"Why aren't you over there, fantasising?" Ron asked in the tone as if, I am your King, why aren't you bowing.

"Because... eww?" I shuddered as I took a second look. They looked at each other as if there was a little more hope in the world.

Lockhart looked in our general direction, "Harry Potter? It can't be!"

The whole shop went silent. Harry went red. He was grabbed by a photographer and Lockhart held tightly onto his arm, "Nice big smile, Harry! Together, you and I are worth the front page!" Lockhart was seemingly having a field day, taking the chance of the extra publicity he said, "What an extraordinary moment this is! Young Harry here only wanted to buy my autobiography this afternoon, but I shall be happy to present this to him now- free of charge." The crowd of women erupted in applause. Harry soon had a whole pile of books in hand. Then he continued, building up the tension in his voice, "However, he had no idea that he and his school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real Magical Me"

My imagination then kicked in, Lockhart as a teacher. Give me strength. He's either going to be cocky and we'll watch him show off or we'll be forced to listen to him talk for hours on end, or he'll be fake somehow, just like Quirrell last year. I could just see Hermione in an emotional mess, girls in general, emotional states and me who only has one boy on her mind...

I quickly snapped out of it as I saw the boy himself looking at me. The look of worry left his expression as I smiled at him. Harry then walked in front of me, blocking my view to George, just in time to recognise an unwanted figure lurking at the doors beside me.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter? Famous Harry Potter can't even go into a bookstore without making the front page!" it was the voice of Draco Malfoy.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that," came the small, but strong voice of Ginny Weasley.

"Look, Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Draco was proud of his statement as both Harry and Ginny went red and Ron had now come over to add to the entertainment. "I'm surprised to see you here, Weasley; I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for that lot."

Ron took a jump at Malfoy. But Harry and Hermione held him back.

"Don't you ever learn, Draco?" I shouted over to him, therefore gaining his full and undivided attention, "the unconscious, bruised and bloodied-up look really doesn't suit you, and maybe this time I won't hold myself back. You've no Crabbe and Goyle to protect you now." It was at this point that Mr Malfoy came into view.

"Feisty thing isn't she?" he said, in the same daring smile.

"Need to step in? Don't think Draco is man enough to fight his own battles?" I directed to Mr Malfoy, who was trying his best to make me feel uncomfortable, so I turned to Mini-Malfoy, "Draco, Daddy's not impressed. Maybe you should hit me; I'll go real easy on you!" I could hear the snorts of Fred and George behind me. I could also hear a whisper from someone saying 'stand down.' Perhaps I should, before I do get battered, cursed, jinxed or whatever else.

Mr Malfoy turned to Mr Weasley who was standing behind me, "Well, well, well, Arthur Weasley!"

"Lucius." I could literally feel the tension between the two.

"All those extra raids, I hope they're paying you overtime?" he lifted a second-hand book of Ginny's out of her cauldron. "Obviously not." Mr Weasley tightened his fist at Mr Malfoy's words. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr Weasley took a deep breath, "We have a very different idea as to what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly." As if Mr Malfoy's nose could be raised no higher, that millimetre made all the difference as he said, "and I thought your family could sink no lower-"

A fight broke out between the two men. Ron pulled me out of the way just in time. Fred and George encouraged their father as Mrs Weasley yelped. The poor sales man was petrified and was relieved that Hagrid disbanded them.

"So what have you done this summer, in all honesty?" Hermione asked casually whilst we walked back toward her car again.

I started a rant, which I don't think she was expecting, "Mum, Dad and Peter went to Menorca and left me with Granny for a week. That was the highlight of my summer. We went to Northern Ireland where I sat and read for a long weekend, whilst being prodded and poked at by my cousins. I've been forced into slave labour in the garden, making a pond and cleaning around the house, after Peter. You know- normal things."

She shook her head in sheer disbelief, "Come stay at mine? I'll ask?"

"Your parents have already been kind enough bringing me here, I couldn't possibly ask any more of you! Its only 9 days! What's the worst that could happen?"

28th August

So, it was my 12th birthday yesterday and I heard nothing from anyone. Today, it's Peter's 9th birthday. He got new games for his play station, DVDs, a new bike and loads of toy cars; he is having a party with all his friends from school and I have to make myself scarce. No, I wasn't allowed to leave the vicinity of our house; I wasn't that lucky; instead I was banished to the garden shed with mum's precious ornaments to dust.

Lewis, Peter's best friend somehow found me and lifted Mum's prized crystal swans.

"Please, set it back down!" I pleaded.

"Lewis? Your mum's here!" I heard mum call. The idiot jumped and dropped the crystal so it smashed on the floor. Mum came to investigate where the sound came from. I was for it. You could see it in her eyes that once Lewis left that I was going to get yelled at. 'Just three more days, just three more days...' I thought to myself.

"I can't believe you smashed my crystal!" Mum screamed.

"It was Lewis!" I tried to defend myself.

"Don't blame poor defenceless 9 year olds, Kathryn! We both know what you can do."

I was stuck, anger surging through my body, "It wasn't me! You're so blinded by hatred that you couldn't possibly find a flaw in one of Peter's friends."

"So this is what this is about? You're jealous of Peter?"

My heart was pounding, I found myself shouting, "OF COURSE I'M JEALOUS! IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY IF YOU HADN'T NOTICED? NO? DIDNT THINK SO. DID I GET A PRESENT? NO. DID I GET A CARD? NO. DID I GET ANY FORM OF RECOGNITION? NO. DID I SMASH THAT CRYSTAL? NO. BUT I'D GLADLY DESTROY EVERYTHING ELSE-"

She slapped me across the face. A gash formed were her ring tore my skin. I was blinded by pain. I sat myself on the grass, my back leaning against the shed. I brought my legs up to my chest and laid my forehead on my knees. I had to stop myself from shaking.