On Saturday, September 25th, 2021, the now Circle of Twenty met up at Hogwarts on the sloping lawns.
Devon, Hugo, James, Albus, Fred, Todd, Miles, Gary, Gordon, Aaron, Rachel, Roxanne, Rose, Pamela, Penny, Courtney, Stephanie, Samantha, Ainsley, and Lily were all sitting on white lawn chairs all six feet apart from each other.
It was a beautiful eighty degree day with a clear blue sky and a nice light breeze that was quite pleasant against their naked skin.
In front of each lawn chair was a white folding table. Everyone except Todd, Gary, and Miles, the three muggles who didn't own wands, had his or her wand on his or table at the right end.
All twenty tables had refreshments that Lily had provided atop them in their middles. For this meeting, Lily had provided them all with two large heart shaped sugar cookies topped with vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles and a large glass of lemonade to wash it down with.
"Excellent!" smiled Ainsley cheerfully, "Lemonade is my beverage in the world!"
"That's why I chose it, " said Lily warmly, "This is the first time we've seen you since the school year began and I wanted to make it as much to your liking as possible. That's also why I chose to have us be naked today as I know how much you love being naked."
"Thank you, Lily," said Ainsley gratefully.
"Always thinking about others, " said Hugo proudly, "Lily Luna Potter, the GOAT of friendship does it again!"
"The weather cooperated too, " said Gordon gleefully, "Sitting outdoors naked eating cookies and sipping lemonade on an eighty degree day with a pleasant breeze? This is where it's at, baby!"
"So, Ainsley?" asked Lily conversationally, "How are you finding life at The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing almost a month into your career as a student there?"
"If I may be candid, " admitted Ainsley, "My transition from Hogwarts to The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing has been more difficult and challenging than I had anticipated."
"In what ways?" asked James in a reassuring kind of voice, "Is the academic rigor more substantial than you had anticipated?"
"Not at all, " answered Ainsley briskly, "I'm doing really well academically and I'm finding my classes as interesting as I expected them to be. However, from a mental and emotional standpoint, I've had a tough time adjusting to the more serious environment of The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing. Sure, I knew it would be a more serious environment than Hogwarts given what it is, but I wasn't prepared for HOW serious the environment at The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing actually is. There's no humor or light heartedness at all. It's a 1000% serious environment."
"Do you regret transferring from Hogwarts to The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing?" inquired Albus.
"I don't, "said Ainsley confidently, "Remember that I'm not even a month into my first semester there. I think settle in better over the long run. Remember that I know FOR A FACT that I want my career to be as a Healer. That said, meetings like this are a godsend."
"Have you made new friends at The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing?" Devon asked Ainsley.
"The nature of the school doesn't allow for friendships or strong interpersonal relationships, " said Ainsley matter of factly, "First, and I didn't know this beforehand, but The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing is largely a commuter campus. Many students there take Portkeys to and from school every day and stay home for the weekend. Those students who do live on campus tend to more academically obsessed than Percy Weasley and Hermione Granger combined. They tend to spend their weekends in the library doing extra reading, reading ahead, and even reading random textbooks."
"That adds another layer of challenge, " piped up Fred in understanding."
"It does, " acknowledged Ainsley, "But I will say this; having Rachel has been super supportive of me and having her as a meal buddy has helped me keep my morale up at least a little bit through my adjustment struggles. Having mom there has helped as well. It's been invaluable to have two close and trustworthy people around me who I can get things off my chest to. Mom and Rachel have at least prevented my adjustment struggles from devouring me."
"Ainsley, " grilled Lily in an unusually serious voice, "Are you sure it's just adjustment struggles? Or is it possible that The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing is not for you? I imagine that it has to be hard for in an environment where your only friends are the school Potions Maker and nurse."
"Look, it's just not the type of school where classmates are close friends. That's just not the way it is at my new school, and I accept that. "
Ainsley sounded very stiff as she said that.
"Ainsley, " said Lily clearly, "Are you tied to attending The Ultimate University of Wizarding Healing through the end of your academic career?"
"I'm not tied to it, but I'm committed to it, " replied Ainsley in a sterile voice, "Mom did tell me that if things didn't work out that I could go back to Hogwarts after one year. That said, I'm all in on seeing my commitment through to the end of my seventh year."
"Ainsley, " said Lily, looking her eye to eye now, "It's very plausible that you'll settle in better with the passage of more time and I'm rooting for you to have it work out that way. But, if you're still struggling mentally and emotionally come June, I strongly recommend that you transfer back to Hogwarts for fourth year."
"Never!" insisted Ainsley, "I'm not a quitter!"
"Transferring back now would be quitting, " opined Lily, "Transferring back after a year if you realize that changing trails wasn't right for you isn't quitting. Sometimes it's okay to admit things didn't work out. That doesn't mean you were wrong to try something. But, if it turns out that you missed a step, you can either get back or fall down the stairs. Don't let pride keep you on a path that isn't what's best for you. Do give it a fair shot, but at the end of the school year, be honest with yourself about whether it's right for you."
"I understand what you're saying, " said Ainsley slowly, "But remember why I transferred. You have to keep that in perspective."
"You can still become a Healer coming out of Hogwarts, just not at as young an age, " Lily reminded her.
"I wasn't ignorant of the fact that there would be some challenges with this transition," said Ainsley matter of factly, "I knew it would be hard at the start."
"Your determination is awesome, Ainsley," said Samantha approvingly, "Do you think anything you learn could cure Aaron?"
"No," lamented Ainsley sadly, "An incomplete Animagus form is basically the equivalent of spell damage. It is NOT an injury, illness, or medical condition and this there can be no medicinal cure for it. It's really tragic that no one can help Aaron."
"Everyone here has helped me, " roared Aaron with a voice like a bark, "I can't be physically cured, not even the GOAT Healer, whoever he or she might be. But you'll all helped me by providing me with friendship and helping me to see my worth when I couldn't see it in myself. "
"As THE newest member of the Circle of Twenty, " piped up Penny, "I must say that the genuine love and affection that exists in the Circle is palpable. I think Lily was intentionally representing that by prodding us with heart shaped cookies. "
"I was, " confirmed Lily glowingly, "I adore the bond between the people in this group. "
"Hogwarts has been a far better fit for me than Beauxbatons was, and I know Gordon is enjoying having a friend in his own year. There being no magical schools in my homeland of Pennsylvania was unfortunate for me, but there's no question that Beauxbatons was wrong for me, and that Hogwarts is better."
"Sometimes you have to adjust your course,' said Lily in a businesslike voice, "Things are going really well at Hogwarts right now"
"So?" inquired Ainsley, 'What are the notables from the first month of the new semester at Hogwarts?"
"The biggest thing is that we're having a lot more interhouse interaction this term, " explained Stephanie, "In classes that require working with a partner, the teachers have at Headmistress Kirke's orders, paired students from different houses in classes that are shared. That idea was considered and rejected last year, but Headmistress Kirke insisted on implementing it this year."
"How has that gone?" asked Rachel hopefully.
"Exceptionally well, " cried Lily ecstatically, "We have friends in all the houses now. Starting in October, we're going to have groups of four consisting of one person per house that just spend some time together four times a month. Each person in the group gets to choose what the group does once and new such groups are formed each month, lasting one month each."
"Headmistress Kirke is making interhouse interaction a centerpiece of her headship, " cooed Rachel admiringly, "A wise approach from a wise woman."
"It's something that should have been done a long time ago, " said Lily bluntly.
"I agree, " replied Rachel, "Headmistress Kirke has been a breath of fresh air for a school that even in its new era still had a few polluted concepts left over from the past.
""I couldn't agree more, " exclaimed James radiantly.
"Hey, Gary, Todd, Miles, anything notable happening in your muggle world?" asked Lily kindly.
"Our school is typical eighth grade muggle academic stuff, " responded Miles, "But, last week our middle school, Mahomes Middle School, held a carnival with a ten dollar per person admission fee. All proceeds will be donated cancer research. Our Principal, Chelsea Charity, paid for all the expenses of holding the carnival so that all revenue from the carnival will go to cancer research."
"That's wonderful, " smiled Lily, "It's nice when schools get involved with fundraising."
"Next Saturday, " piped up Gary, "Miles, Todd, and I are meet up at Todd's house and of we have wind, we're going to fly kites. If we don't have the wind, we're going to watch the 1999 movie The Mummy and the 2001 movie the Mummy Returns on Todd's DVR."
"It'll be fun either way, " said Todd happily.
The Circle of Twenty then spent the rest of the meeting happily chatting about whatever subjects might come up.
It was pure. It was Beauty. It was friendship.
It was the Circle of Twenty.
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As this will be the last update to Lily Luna Potter and the New Era of Hogwarts before Thanksgiving, I'd like to take this moment to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Much love from Arizona for all the support. Love you all -Michael :)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING HARRY POTTER! :)