The Secret Diary of Stella Elara
October, 1991
Tuesday, October 1st, 1991
Finally, we had a proper Defence lesson! About time, too. We practiced 'Flipendo', the Knockback Jinx. We shoved our desks to the walls to make space- no magic used since we haven't learned the levitation charm yet. Professor Quirrell could've helped, but he just stayed back and watched. He didn't even show us how to do it; he just wrote the instructions on the blackboard.
Tracey Davis and I paired up. It was great fun! We were pretty evenly-matched. I struggled to get it right at first, and she managed to hit me twice. I went flying through the air like I'd been punched and smacked right into the classroom wall. It was hilarious seeing all my classmates getting flung around too. What a handy spell! I finally hit Tracey and it worked- off she flew! We kept going until we nailed it. Loch was enjoying himself way too much, though. He kept hitting Ernie with the spell, and I don't think Ernie got a turn to hit him back at all.
I remembered what Mr. Ollivander said when I got my wand- that it's really good for duelling. If I learn to duel properly, I reckon I could be a pretty powerful witch. Not that I'm expecting anyone to jump me in the corridors, but it's nice to know I've got a spell up my sleeve just in case.
Wednesday, October 2nd, 1991
My first month at Hogwarts has whizzed by! I've made loads more friends here than I ever did back home. I do miss Emily, though; it'd be fab if she could see Hogwarts with me. I told her before I left that she could write letters to me through my parents, but she was puzzled why she couldn't just send them directly to the school. I haven't got any letters from her yet.
Professor Quirrell said we'll have a test in the next few weeks on what we've covered so far. I'm not fussed about it- so far, it's just been basic stuff about vampires and Flipendo.
We've got a History of Magic test soon too. That should be a doddle; it's all about how Hogwarts was started up. Once we're done with that, we're onto ancient Egypt, which sounds brilliant.
In Herbology, both Hermione and Harry drew belladonna, just like me. Hermione's already snagged some mooncalf dung. I need to get on that. She wouldn't tell me where she found it, though. Professor Sprout was well impressed and gave Gryffindor five points.
We would've finished our Astronomy unit on the moon, but Vincent Crabbe- accidentally, he says- knocked over some stands and spilled ink over everyone's moon drawings. Professor Sinistra wasn't pleased, took ten points from Slytherin, cleared up the mess with a spell, and said we'd start on Mercury next week if we couldn't keep it together. Silly boy.
Thursday, October 3rd, 1991
I know I said I wasn't going to write about Cedric Diggory again, but today's his fourteenth birthday. I didn't need Penny to tell me; I overheard his friends wishing him happy birthday at breakfast. He looked so chuffed.
I wish I could say something to him. Nothing wrong with telling him, 'Happy birthday', right? But I'm just a first-year. He probably wouldn't even care.
No, I think I'll just leave it. I'd probably just end up making a fool of myself. I should really start making notes for our Potions test in two weeks about the Sleeping Draught potion.
Friday, October 4th, 1991
After lessons were over, I asked Harry if he fancied coming to the grounds with me to look for some mooncalf dung for our plants. I know we're technically supposed to be competing, but going up against The Boy Who Lived just doesn't feel right. We wandered right up to the edge of the Forbidden Forest when Hagrid came bursting out of his hut and steered us away.
Luckily, Hagrid had some mooncalf dung in his garden and gave us a few sample packets each. He mentioned that a bushy-haired girl had been looking for the same thing a couple of days ago. Harry and I just looked at each other and went, "Hermione."
I didn't mean to, but I ended up sitting near Cedric at dinner. He's usually with his mates, but he was on his own tonight, trying to make his hangman picture move while munching on his shepherd's pie. A few other girls were also eyeing him hopefully, but he didn't notice, lost in his own world. I stayed in my seat long after I'd finished eating, just because he was still there. When he finally got up, I waited a few minutes before I headed back to the common room myself. He must've gone straight to his dorm because I couldn't spot him anywhere.
Saturday, October 5th, 1991
Today was a super chill day in the girls' dorm. Susan and Hannah had pushed their beds together and were doing quizzes from Teen Witch magazine. Penny was doing her homework, but when she finished, she asked if she could braid my hair. I saw Megan was on her own, so I invited her over to sit on my bed. We studied the Sleeping Draught potion together, and I promised to save her a seat at dinner.
When I got to the Great Hall, most of the boys were already there. I sat next to Ernie and took off my jumper, laying it on the chair to show I was saving the seat. Alexander came over and was about to sit down opposite me when Oliver gave him a look and nodded towards the seat. Alexander cleared his throat and said, "Erm, do you mind if I sit there?"
I was so taken aback that I forgot to mention I was saving it for Megan. I just nodded, and he grinned and sat right on my jumper. About ten minutes later, Megan and the other girls got there. I tried to tell her that I was saving the seat and that Alexander had nabbed it, but she just brushed it off and started chatting with a second-year girl.
Back in our dorm, I sat on Megan's bed and explained what happened. "It's okay, I know why Alexander was sitting next to you," she said with a smile.
"Why?" I asked.
She just giggled and kept colouring in the spine of her Herbology notebook. Huh.
Sunday, October 6th, 1991
This morning, I woke up suddenly, like someone had screamed right in my ear, but there was no one there. It was so weird. I couldn't get back to sleep after that, so I got up and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. I was one of the first ones there, so I could have all the toast I wanted. Luke came down just as I was leaving, so I sat with him at the Gryffindor table for a bit.
He's a bit miffed because a first-year got onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team without any try-outs. He wants to be a Beater, but Fred and George Weasley already have those spots. They're in the same year as him, so unless they quit or get kicked off, they'll be Beaters till they leave Hogwarts. It seems a bit unfair. They should have more than one team per House so everyone gets a chance to play.
It wasn't raining today, so after chatting with Luke, I went outside to sit on the grounds. I had some quill and parchment with me, so I drew a picture of the lake and the trees and watched some people wandering by.
When I got back to the common room, Ernie and Justin were playing Exploding Snap and trying to get the girls to join in. Penny asked me where I'd been all day. I probably should've left a note or something.
Monday, October 7th, 1991
We kicked off this week with a little theory test in Charms. Everyone's a bit fed up with tests, but this one was alright. I'm pretty sure I passed.
Harry and I handed over the mooncalf dung to Professor Sprout, and she gave five points each to Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. I sprinkled the dung on my little seedling and watched as the soil gobbled it up with a slurpy sound. Harry placed his tray next to mine so we could work together. Hermione decided to work on her own.
It was really odd- while I was chatting with Harry, I noticed Alexander staring at us. He had this angry look in his eyes and was smashing his pestle on the table instead of mashing his thistle plant. Professor Sprout told him off. "Zarattini, if you can't be mature in this class, you'll have to spend it outside."
Transfiguration was fun. We're still on small stuff, but at least it's hands-on. We turned paper into wood. I managed to make cardboard, which was about the best anyone did.
Tuesday, October 8th, 1991
Our History of Magic test was today. I was right, it was a breeze. I did get stuck on where Rowena Ravenclaw was from, though. I asked Penny after class, but before she could answer, Pansy Parkinson butted in and said, "She came from the glens, everyone knows that."
I frowned as she walked off with her gang of Slytherin girls. "What's her problem?" I asked Penny.
Penny grinned. "Isn't it obvious? She's jealous of you!"
I couldn't help but laugh. Pansy Parkinson is rich and popular, even if she's not exactly nice-looking. I guess Penny saw what I was thinking because she said, "She can't stand that Draco talks to you. Haven't you noticed how she's totally smitten with him? She's always acts like a simpering idiot around him."
That got me thinking about how I act around Cedric. I haven't told anyone about my crush on him, but now I'm worried that someone's caught me staring and thinks I'm just as silly. I need to be more careful.
In Defence, we paired up again and this time Quirrell teamed me with Gregory Goyle to practice the Knockback Jinx. We were graded on how well we cast it. When it was my turn to cast it on Goyle, it bounced off him, hit the wall, and smacked Justin right in the face. I'm pretty sure I flunked that one. But Draco burst out laughing, which made me smile, especially since Pansy looked so annoyed. Even Justin gave me a thumbs-up after he got over the shock.
Wednesday, October 9th, 1991
Flitwick gave us our marks back today. I got 92%! I was so chuffed that after lessons, I dashed up to the Owlery to send a letter to Mum and Dad. They're going to be dead proud. Mum was always top of her Charms class when she was at Hogwarts.
During class, Quirrell pulled me aside and stuttered out that because of my poor aim in yesterday's class, he had to dock points from my practical test score. I just shrugged. I'm not too fussed- it's only Defence, and we've hardly learned anything. Actually, we didn't even properly learn how to cast Flipendo; we just had to figure it out with the little we know about casting spells.
We started learning about ancient Egypt today in History of Magic. The ancient Egyptian wizards were so interesting! They had all these curses on their tombs, and curse-breakers from Gringotts had to go and lift them and found loads of treasure, too. Apparently, Muggles who tried to rob the tombs got cursed and ended up with extra heads and weird stuff like that. Binns showed us some diagrams- it was totally gross, but all the boys loved it.
In Astronomy, I set up my stuff next to Alexander. I usually sit with Loch, but he was already on the other side of the room when I got there. When the moonlight shone on Alexander's face, I noticed his cheeks were red.
Thursday, October 10th, 1991
When I got to breakfast this morning, Alexander accidentally dunked his elbow in the butter dish and Zacharias burst out laughing. Alexander flicked some butter at Zacharias' face, which led to Zacharias flipping a pancake into Alexander's curls. It all turned into a massive food fight and both of them ended up with detention.
In Charms, Penny slipped me a note saying, "Did you see what Alexander did when you sat down for breakfast?" But before I could scribble a reply, Flitwick caught us. He magicked the note off our table and read it quietly to himself before pocketing it, warning us not to pass notes. It was so embarrassing, but at least he had the decency not to read it out loud- unlike some people I can name.
The embarrassment didn't stop there. Penny and I kept the chat going under the desk in Potions while Snape was writing instructions on the board.
P- So, did you notice?
A- Notice what?
P- His mouth dropped open when he saw you. I don't think he knew he did it but everyone saw it.
That was as far as we got before Snape caught us. He snatched the note from Penny's hand and read it aloud to everyone. The Slytherins, including my brother, sniggered the whole time. My face was on fire. Then Snape turned to us and said in a soft, silky voice; "So? Whose mouth dropped open?"
Then Snape, all smooth and quiet, asked, "So? Whose mouth dropped open?" Zacharias and Oliver were laughing so much they had to hide under their desks, Ernie just looked puzzled, but Alexander glared at Snape as if he could take him down with a look.
I used to think I liked Snape, maybe even admired him, but not after today. After making me and Penny scrape frog brains off the dungeon ceiling as punishment and docking ten points from Hufflepuff, we bumped into Alexander in the Entrance Hall. He gave us a sheepish grin, we all muttered apologies, and went to dinner together, trying to shake off the day.
Friday, October 11th, 1991
Hermione is really set on getting top marks in the Transfiguration test. I don't think she'd be shy about it if she does well. Zacharias sat next to her and tried to copy her answers, but Professor McGonagall caught him and docked ten points from Hufflepuff.
Flying is quickly becoming my favourite class. We're now doing laps around the Quidditch pitch, and I managed a pretty good time of 19.2 seconds. Not as fast as Zacharias, though- he did it in 16.5 seconds. Poor Hannah got 25.9 seconds. I wish Harry was in our class. Madam Hooch really likes him; Ron said that yesterday she let Harry take over while she went to coach the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Harry was all strict, marching up and down and shouting orders. The Gryffindors thought it was hilarious, but the Slytherins weren't impressed and booed him. It's funny to think of Harry being so loud. I hope Lochlan didn't boo him.
Saturday, October 12th, 1991
Alexander didn't talk to me today, even though our whole House group hung out in the Entrance Courtyard playing Wizard Skittles and Gobstones. It was really lovely and warm, so I wore a dress. I'm sure he was avoiding me on purpose.
After dinner, we all headed up to the common room to start on McGonagall's essay about Switching Spells. I went over to where the boys were sitting and asked Oliver if I could chat with him privately. He followed me to a quieter part of the room.
"What's up with Alexander?" I asked him.
Oliver gave a nervous laugh. He's so tall, he looms over everyone in our year. "What do you mean?" he said.
"You know, the other day at dinner, you seemed to hint for him to sit by me, and he always looks so cross when other people talk to me. He didn't say a word to me today. Have I done something wrong?"
Oliver shook his head, and suddenly, I remembered I was trying to move on from fancying Cedric to liking someone in my own year, and thought maybe Oliver could be that someone. He's quite good-looking, with dark hair that flops into his brown eyes and a really nice smile. "I don't know what you're on about. I need to get back to my work."
Now he's sending sneaky glances my way from across the room. I'm sure there's something weird going on, and I'm determined to figure it out.
Sunday, October 13th, 1991
Today we all huddled up in the common room, wrapped in our jumpers and pyjamas in front of the fire- it was absolutely freezing compared to yesterday! Hannah quizzed me on Herbology, which she's ace at, and I helped her out with Potions. Alexander plonked himself in the armchair opposite me, but still didn't speak to me at all. Ernie, though, he chatted my ear off and even caught me gawping at Cedric. He didn't say anything, but he definitely noticed. I went beet red and couldn't look up again until Cedric had left the common room.
I absolutely love Hogwarts. I feel like I've grown up so much in the six weeks I've been here. I do miss my parents and my Muggle mates, but it's brilliant having my brothers around. I truly feel like I belong here. I ended up writing a really long letter to Brooke and Shane since I haven't sent them any mail for a few weeks. I wonder if Loch has kept his promise to send Shane updates every week.
Monday, October 14th, 1991
I got my Transfiguration marks back this morning and I scored 82%! I was so chuffed- it's definitely not my best subject. Hermione, though, could do with being a bit less showy. She not-so-subtly showed off her 110% mark before tucking her paper away. Seamus Finnegan chucked his quill at her when Professor McGonagall wasn't looking. Hermione snitched on him right away and he lost five points for Gryffindor. Dean Thomas asked, "You're Head of Gryffindor House, why do you always dock points from us?"
"Would you like me to take any more points off, Thomas?" Professor McGonagall asked, calm as you like.
He sat up straight and replied in a mock soldier's voice, "Sir, no sir!" Everyone burst out laughing. Even McGonagall cracked a small smile.
My plant in Herbology is coming along nicely. Professor Sprout said it's already sprouting little buds along the stem and turner greener by the second. Once the buds are fully grown, it'll blossom into a big, beautiful flower.
We've only got one more wand movement to nail in Charms before we start on the real spells! I can't wait! We chatted to some fourth-years at breakfast and they told us that older students get to go on challenge courses a couple of times a year in subjects like Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration. Sadly, we don't start that until second year. Us first-years don't get many perks. We have to head straight to our common rooms after dinner and can't even go out on weekends.
Tuesday, October 15th, 1991
My twin brother is a bully. I feel sick just writing that.
Today, I saw Lochlan picking on Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan at the Viaduct Entrance. Seamus is small but feisty, so he can hold his own, but Neville is a different story. As I got closer, I heard Lochlan's taunts. "Your Head of House hates you! Maybe that's because you're a bunch of pint-sized dorks." He laughed and Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott, joined in. I stopped dead.
"What's going on?" I frowned at Loch, hoping he wasn't starting trouble.
He looked at me like I was a slug. "Get lost," he snapped.
I was taken aback. He's never spoken to me like that. Before I could snap back, Theodore Nott chimed in, "How embarrassing it must be to have your brother in Gryffindor and your twin in Hufflepuff- the loser houses!"
Crabbe and Goyle started chanting, "Loser, loser, loser." Loch went red. I thought he'd tell them off, but instead, he turned to me and joined in. "Loser, loser, loser."
Seamus stood up for me, bless him. "She's a better person than any of you will ever be, so shut up!" It was lovely of him to defend me, but I wish he hadn't, because it ended with him getting a bloody nose. Crabbe and Goyle grabbed his arms and Loch punched him. Luckily, Professor Flitwick saw everything and gave Loch detention, docking thirty points from Slytherin.
I took Seamus to the Hospital Wing with Neville, who was very shaken up. I nearly cried, apologising for my brother, but Seamus said it wasn't my fault.
What's gotten into Loch? He's always been loud and sometimes rude, but he's never been like this- like he's got something to prove. I need to find Luke and tell him. I know he'll sort Loch out.
Wednesday, October 16th, 1991
I waved Luke over to our table at breakfast. He was chatting with a mate, but must've seen how urgent I looked because he came right over.
When I told him about yesterday's mess with Lochlan, he sighed heavily. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered, shaking his head. Then he leaned in and whispered, "You know he's told all the Slytherins we're Pure-bloods, right?"
I shook my head, feeling fearful. "I guessed he might, but I didn't think he'd actually be so daft. They're going to find out the truth eventually."
"I know," Luke frowned, looking really worried. "He's going to land himself in big trouble. You don't want to mess with the Slytherins."
Suddenly, everything clicked. That's why Draco Malfoy is decent to me, even though I'm in Hufflepuff- he thinks I'm a Pure-blood. He wouldn't bother otherwise.
Also, we got our Defence Against the Dark Arts results back. I got 27 out of 40. It's not brilliant, but I passed. Oliver clapped me on the back at lunch when he heard my score. Turns out I did better than most of the class.
Thursday, October 17th, 1991
I woke up with a horrible headcold this morning, so I popped over to the Hospital Wing to get some Pepper-Up potion from the matron. It made me cough and smoke came out of my ears, but it worked a treat. Just as I was leaving, Cedric Diggory walked in for the same reason. I froze and just stared at him, and he saw me. It was so embarrassing. My face turned bright red and I bolted out of there. I hope he doesn't remember what I look like. Why do I have to be so awkward?
I missed a bit of double Potions because of that, but there was still enough time to brew my test potion. I was super nervous and it was really hard. Penny, on the other hand, breezed through it. Ever since Snape read our note out loud, he's been less friendly. He kept giving me this smirky look as he watched my potion turn bottle green instead of purple. I tried so hard to fix it and it eventually ended up blue.
I've holed up in the dormitory all afternoon, worried Cedric might be in the common room. What if he's told his friends about the weird little first-year gawking at him in the Hospital Wing? They're probably all having a laugh about it. I'm not going down for dinner. I'm staying up here all night.
Friday, October 18th, 1991
Transfiguration was awesome today. Professor McGonagall gave each of us a candle that was lit with a magical flame (they don't go out unless you use a water spell on them). Our task was to change the flame's colour from orange to blue and back. It was tricky, but some of us made progress. Alexander knocked his candle over twice, and Zacharias got so fed up after his tenth try that he chucked his wand down and said, "This is stupid, I'm not doing this." I managed to turn my flame a sort of greenish-yellow by the end.
Madam Hooch told us that at the end of term, we'll have our own Quidditch match, Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw, just for fun. Some of the class didn't know how to play, so she went over the rules with them while the rest of us practiced swerving.
Tonight, we finally got a break from studying and just had fun in the common room. Penny was unusually quiet, just sitting by herself reading a big novel by the fire. I wanted to check if she was alright, but I got caught up building a house of Exploding Snap cards with Susan Bones, who I've really started to like, even though she always talks about the cool presents her dad brings her from overseas. She did share the new lip gloss he got her with us, which was nice.
I had to laugh when Oliver added the last card to our card house and it exploded, singeing off his eyebrows. He had to find one of the older students to magic them back on.
Saturday, October 19th, 1991
Because we're way behind on defensive spells, Penny, Hannah, and I decided to practice some on our own. We started with the Shimmer Shield outside, away from all the noise. It's meant to last three seconds, but an owl flew right through it. Loch was hanging out nearby with his Slytherin mates, and as soon as I spotted him, I dragged the girls as far away as possible. We found the Gryffindors on the other side of the grounds, and they said we could hang with them.
We tried a binding charm on Ron's rat, Scabbers, who is completely useless. Ron doesn't even like him, so I don't know why he keeps him. Scabbers didn't move, but I think he was just asleep. Ron just sighed and stuffed him back in his pocket.
Next, we tried "Peskipiski Pesternomi" on a little pixie in the garden, but it zoomed up and bit my ear. I'm not even sure what that spell was supposed to do. I gave up and plopped down next to Harry, who was sprawled out with his eyes shut, hands folded over his roaming, looking really peaceful. I didn't want to wake him.
Ron mentioned he'd noticed I hadn't been chatting with any Slytherins lately. He tried to sound casual, but I could tell he was curious. I just said, "Yeah, I've been keeping to myself." I haven't talked to Draco in forever. And I'm not speaking to Loch until he says sorry. Seamus chimed in, "You're better than any of the Slytherins, Stella. You don't need to bother with them."
Seamus is right. They're so mean- I can't believe I ever thought they could be okay. But the silver lining is, once they find out Loch's been lying about being a Pure-blood, they'll ditch him, and he'll have no choice but to make it up to me.
Sunday, October 20th, 1991
Oh, it's just horrible, absolutely horrible.
This morning, the Gryffindor boys came down to breakfast looking all pale and scared. They're usually so loud, but today they were dead quiet.
I had to go over and ask what was up. Ron told me everything. Harry had just told them that his aunt and uncle make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs back at their house. It's just so awful! Harry is one of the nicest people I know- quiet, polite, and friendly. I can't believe his own family would treat him like that. No wonder his clothes are too big; he only has his cousin's old hand-me-downs.
I feel so sorry for him. He saved the wizarding world when he was just a baby and lost his parents doing it. He deserves respect from everyone. And to think that's how he's treated! It's just disgusting.
Monday, October 21st, 1991
The post arrived with a newspaper for Ernie this morning. "Look at this," he said, opening it dramatically. "There was a break-in at Gringotts over the summer."
"Really?" I scooted closer to read over his shoulder. "What did they take?" Everyone knows Gringotts is super hard to break into.
"Nothing," Ernie replied, staring at the paper as if it had insulted him. "That's what's odd."
Penny raised her eyebrows at me and nodded towards the door. Once we were out in the Hall, she said, "I can't stop thinking about that dog in the third-floor corridor. Do you know what, I reckon it might be guarding something."
I hadn't told Penny that Ron mentioned the dog was standing on a trapdoor, so I filled her in. "Then I'm right! It must be guarding something really important. That article about the Gringotts break-in said the vault was emptied earlier that same day. What if whatever was in that vault is now at Hogwarts? Everyone knows Hogwarts is the safest place in Britain."
"That's a bit of a stretch, Penny," I replied. "How are we supposed to know what was even in the vault?"
She pouted. "True. Maybe we could ask Harry. If he knows about the trapdoor, he might know what it's guarding."
The bell rang for classes. We joined the Ravenclaws for Charms, but Penny and I cornered Harry in Herbology later. "Penny has some interesting theories about that dog we saw," I whispered to Harry.
"We shouldn't talk about this here," Harry said, looking nervous. "Let's meet after class."
So we met in the tapestry corridor with Harry and Ron later. Penny launched into her theories, and Harry and Ron exchanged looks that told me they were on the same page.
"I actually visited that vault with Hagrid," Harry admitted quietly. "He emptied it before the thieves got there."
"So you know what they were after?" Penny asked, all excited.
"It was all wrapped up. All I know is that it's about two inches long," Harry said.
Ron, meanwhile, hung back, arms crossed, giving me a hard look. "We shouldn't say any more," he said pointedly.
I turned to him. "You don't trust me because of my brother," I said coolly.
"Yeah, pretty much," Ron admitted. "He punched Seamus, didn't he?"
"I'm sorry about that, but I'm not my brother. I'm a Hufflepuff. When has a Hufflepuff ever been a threat?"
"Look, just forget about the dog!" Harry burst out. "Forget what it's guarding. We can't find out more. Hagrid won't tell us, and I doubt Professor Dumbledore would either."
So that was the end of our chat. Penny still wanted to speculate as headed back to the common room, but I've got too much on my plate, what with my brother being the world's biggest prat, Alexander still being odd, trying not to think about Cedric, and keeping up with homework.
Tuesday, October 22nd, 1991
I overheard Oliver and Alexander at breakfast talking about skiving off Defence. I caught them on the stairs and asked if I could join. They agreed, but only if I promised not to tell anyone.
So, while everyone else headed to the third floor for Defence, we joined the fifth-year Gryffindors heading upstairs to their electives. Alexander showed us a hidden corridor behind a tapestry that has a stone slide leading down to the dungeons. He found it his first week here.
We managed to sneak past Snape's class without him noticing. A few portraits gave us disapproving looks; I just hoped they wouldn't rat us out.
Oliver then decided he was hungry and went off to lunch, leaving me and Alexander alone. It was super awkward. I tried to think of something to say but couldn't come up with anything. Eventually, I asked him about his family. Turns out he's an only child from a Pure-blood family, and most of his relatives live in Italy. After a bit, I suggested we head to History of Magic. He wanted to skip that too, but the longer we were out, the more likely we'd get caught and end up in detention.
In History, Binns tasked us with a two-foot-long essay on ancient Egyptian wizards and their tomb curses, due next week. Megan, who's brilliant at History, has already started hers. Zacharias, meanwhile, is trying to bribe her with a handful of Sickles and Knuts to write his essay for him, but she's just ignoring him.
Wednesday, October 23rd, 1991
I woke up this morning with a runny nose and a slight headache. I really didn't fancy getting out of bed and thought about staying tucked in and asking the girls to bring my homework back for me.
I'm glad I got up, though, because I would've missed Herbology, and it was such a brilliant class. We're preparing pumpkins for the Halloween feast! Professor Sprout showed us exactly where to cut by putting a glowing outline on them. These pumpkins were massive, like six feet tall! We used sheets of metal to wedge into the cuts and actually climbed inside! They were dry inside so we didn't get all slimy. We pushed on the pieces until they popped out, then carted them off to the compost pile. Professor Sprout cast a preserving charm on them to keep them firm until the feast. It was really fun.
As I'm writing this, Penny's sitting at the foot of my bed. She just told me she's feeling homesick, missing her parents and little sister. I better put this down so I can cheer her up before we head to Astronomy.
Thursday, October 24th, 1991
It's nearly midnight and I can't sleep. I'm stuck in the Hospital Wing because I've had a terrible, hacking cough since last night that's turned into full-blown flu. The moonlight is streaming through the windows and Madam Pomfrey won't shut the curtains. Damn her.
I stayed in bed all morning. I knew we were getting our Potions marks back today, but I guess I can wait until next week. By lunchtime, I was really hungry, so I put on my uniform and tried to have a decent meal in the Great Hall before crawling back to bed. When the girls came back from lessons, Penny noticed how sick I was and fetched Professor Sprout. It felt so strange having a teacher in our dorm! She was the one who insisted I come up to the Hospital Wing to spend the night. I still have steam coming out of my ears from the Pepper-Up potion. I can't believe I've had to take that stupid potion twice in one week.
Friday, October 25th, 1991
I didn't feel like going to Transfiguration today, so I tried to lay it on thick and told Madam Pomfrey I still felt ill and should probably stay in the Hospital Wing a bit longer. She saw right through me though and said, "That's fine. You'll just have to spend the night again." I shot out of bed and declared I was well enough for class after all.
On my way down for Flying, I passed Loch, but he didn't even glance at me. I was so cut. I wrote a letter to the family, but didn't mention anything about Loch. We've only been at Hogwarts for seven weeks and already it feels like my brother has turned against me, just because we're in different Houses.
Afterwards, I went to the library alone. I didn't study; I just sat there staring at the table, trying not to cry. That's when Draco came in to return some books. I kept my head down, but he sat opposite me.
"Elara."
I looked up reluctantly. He didn't have his usual sneer on. Instead, he looked a bit concerned.
"Yes?"
"You... alright?"
I looked down again. It was none of his business how I was feeling. After all, his mates Crabbe and Goyle had helped Lochlan punch Seamus. Maybe Draco had influenced Loch's actions? It seemed like he was reading my thoughts.
"Look, I know you're upset about your brother, but... he's not really a bad guy. Trust me, I know bad guys. I am a bad guy."
I snorted, and he looked annoyed but let it go.
"I promise I'll look out for him better."
I stared into his eyes, searching for any hint of dishonesty, but he seemed sincere. Draco was showing me a side I doubt he's shown anyone before... and I don't know why. Why should he care about me or my brother?
I'm not sure if we're friends, but we're not enemies, and that's a rare thing with Draco Malfoy. I hope he wasn't just messing with me. I really hope he means what he said about looking after my brother.
Saturday, October 26th, 1991
Mark this day in the history books. Today, this absolutely monumental day, Cedric Diggory noticed me for the first time.
Let me set the scene. It was a super rainy day, the sort that makes you want to stay indoors. And it looked like every Hufflepuff had the same idea because our common room was packed and buzzing more than usual. Justin and Ernie were deep into a chess battle. Penny and Hannah were knitting away. Susan and Megan were finishing their homework. I was sitting with Alexander, who is talking to me again, watching Zacharias and Oliver swap Chocolate Frog cards. Everything was normal.
Then, Jake Flinton, a third-year who once showed us how to sneak into the kitchens and a mate of Cedric's, smiled and waved at me from across the room. Cedric looked up to see who Jake was waving at and our eyes met for what felt like an eternity... and he smiled. It was just a quick one, but honestly, it might just be the most gorgeous smile I've ever seen.
I couldn't even manage to smile back before he looked away and went back to his work. My face turned the colour of a beetroot. I hate how easily I blush! Ernie saw and gave me a cheeky eyebrow waggle. I reckon he knows I fancy Cedric but thankfully, he's too decent to tease me about it- or tell anyone else. Alexander noticed too and spent the rest of the afternoon glaring at both Cedric and Jake. I told him to stop because it was rude, and he just shot me a dirty look and muttered, "Yeah, I'm the rude one."
Oliver noticed the tension and asked with a cheeky grin, "Domestic trouble?"
"What?" I was totally baffled.
Oliver burst out laughing, and Alexander punched his arm.
Boys are so confusing, I swear I'll never understand them.
Sunday, October 27th, 1991
Luke called a family meeting with me and Loch. He sent letters to our tables at breakfast telling us to meet him in the sundial garden after we'd finished eating. I was sure Loch wouldn't show, but arrived just after I got there. He didn't look at me or seem happy at all. Luke grabbed both our shoulders and made us sit down.
"Now, guys. I know you're in different Houses and hang around different people with different values, but have you forgotten you're twins? That family comes before everything else?"
Loch just stared stonily back at Luke and didn't say a word.
"I haven't forgotten about family," I said, a bit icily. "It seems like someone else has, though."
Loch rolled his eyes. "Oh, right. I'm the bad guy just because I'm in Slytherin. I forgot how perfect Miss Goody Two-Shoes here is."
"I am not!" I nearly shouted. "How dare you? Luke's right, you're supposed to be the person I'm closest to. You were, before we came here. Now, it's like I don't even know you." I could feel tears filling my eyes, but Loch just glared at me.
Luke sighed. "Fine, you don't have to make up right now, but at least shake hands and agree to be civil in class."
Neither of us wanted to reach out first- we're both as stubborn as each other. Luke rolled his eyes, grabbed our arms, and forced our hands together. Our hands touched briefly.
After Loch had slouched off, Luke put his hand on my shoulder. "He'll come around. He's just trying to fit in with his Slytherin mates, and unfortunately, that means being a bit of a prat. But he'll get over it. He loves you, he just needs to sort himself out."
It'll be interesting to see how Loch acts in class. I miss sitting next to him in Astronomy, Defence, and History of Magic. I doubt he'll rush to sit by me, but maybe he'll talk to me. We'll just have to wait and see.
Monday, October 28th, 1991
I didn't get to sleep until half two last night, 'cause Hannah and Megan ended up having a massive argument that involved loads of pillow throwing and tears, and lots of shouting about, "Whose side are you on?"
I ended up falling asleep on my Transfiguration textbook and woke up to Zacharias and Oliver scribbling on my neck with their quills. Luckily, McGonagall didn't spot me, or I would've lost points. She did ask why I wasn't in class last week. I told her about my flu, and she told me off for not going straight to Madam Pomfrey. We practiced changing flame colours again in class. This time my flame turned dark green, which was nearly right. Professor McGonagall even gave Hufflepuff a point because I got the closest in the class.
On Friday, we're practicing the levitation charm in Charms. Flitwick made sure all our wands were working. He said he liked my wand and that I should have no trouble with the charm. He showed us how it's done by making a chair and some textbooks fly across the room, but we'll start off with something lighter.
I must still be feeling worn out because I slept right through to dinner time. Susan woke me up. I tried to get up, but I felt really dizzy and asked her if she could bring some food up for me later. I didn't think she would, but when I woke up again, all the girls were asleep and there were some napkins stuffed with chicken and potatoes at the end of my bed.
Tuesday, October 29th, 1991
Well, Loch didn't sit next to me in Defence, but Draco did, and Loch was on his other side, so that's a bit of progress. It was a pretty quiet lesson- we just read from our textbook, The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble, while Quirrell trembled behind his desk. Apparently, the Weasley twins from Gryffindor had the class before us and they terrorised Quirrell by lobbing a dungbomb at him as the bell rang.
We handed in our History of Magic essays. I had a bit of help from Alexander, who copied off Zacharias, who copied off Megan. My essay still ended up being an inch short, even though I made my handwriting bigger than usual. I'm hoping Binns won't notice. He said he'll grade our essays tonight and we'll get them back by the next class.
As we were leaving History, Loch and I reached the doorway at the same time. I didn't see him at first, and we ended up stuck shoulder to shoulder trying to get through the door. I thought he might shove me or something, but he just stepped back and let me go first. He didn't look at me as he walked past, but I watched him head down the corridor with his group of Slytherins.
Wednesday, October 30th, 1991
We got our History of Magic essay marks back today. Professor Binns said I need to delve deeper into the topics. He didn't seem to notice that Zacharias, Alexander, and Oliver had only written one and a half feet of parchment in massive handwriting. They should be the ones getting told off, not me. But oh well, Binns is like an old robot, and those boys are just mischief-makers.
Defence was a total drag. Quirrell was stuttering so much that Alexander actually snapped at him and asked if we could just work in silence. That was a shocker since Alexander is usually the one who never stops talking and can't stand being quiet. We ended up reading our textbook for the rest of the class. Susan said if we have to keep reading the textbook in his lessons, she's going to complain to the Headmaster. "My aunt is Madam Bones, he'll listen to what I have to say," she promised.
In Herbology, my plant is finally ready! I had to slice open the stalk very carefully and collect all the bean seeds into a can. Soon, I'll be able to feed the seeds back to the plant so it can bloom. It's really exciting.
At dinner, everyone was super hyped up because Halloween is tomorrow. Luke told me we always have a fantastic feast and Professor Dumbledore usually arranges some special entertainment. I can't wait!
Thursday, October 31st, 1991
We all woke up to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting from the kitchen. When we trotted into the common room, we were amazed to see how fab the house-elves had decorated it. There were grinning pumpkins everywhere, and cobwebs drooping from the ceiling. Oliver, who's taller than even the third years, walked smack into one.
After wolfing down breakfast, we all hurried to Charms. Flitwick paired us up to practice, and I ended up with Alexander.
"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practising!" Professor Flitwick chirped from atop his pile of books. "Swish and flick, remember, swish and flick. And pronouncing the magic words properly is very important, too- never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and ended up with a buffalo on his chest."
"You go first," I told Alexander.
Clearing his throat, he pointed his wand at his feather, swished his arm grandly and declared, "Wingardium Leviosa!" But the feather just sat there. He shrugged as if that was what he expected. "Your turn."
"Wingardium Leviosa!" I tried, remembering to keep my elbow still as I did the swish and flick. The feather quivered and lifted a few inches before dropping again, but Alexander's face lit up.
"You got it! Try again, go on."
I tried again and sure enough, the feather rose about a foot in the air. Alexander seemed so proud of me, he just kept on encouraging me to keep going until my feather was at least five feet above our heads. He did very well, as well. It took a few attempts, but he was one of the only ones who could manage to keep his feather in the air for more than a few seconds. He seemed so pleased with himself, especially when Professor Flitwick awarded him five points (and me).
I did, and this time the feather floated up about a foot in the air. Alexander was so supportive, cheering me on until my feather was hovering five feet above us. He got the hang of it too after a few tries- he was one of the only ones who kept his feather in the air for more than a few seconds. He was so pleased with himself, especially when Flitwick gave us five points each!
The Halloween feast was brilliant. There was tons of chocolate, and it was hilarious watching Alexander get his teeth stuck in a caramel-coated toffee apple. Cedric wasn't too far away, laughing as Jake Flinton smashed a cake in his face, but Cedric got him back good.
Suddenly, the doors burst open and Quirrell came sprinting in, screaming, "Troll! Troll in the Dungeons!" before collapsing into a dead faint. Everyone started panicking, screaming and the like, but Dumbledore yelled for silence and had the Prefects lead us to our dormitories while the teachers went troll-hunting.
"Hufflepuff first-years, follow me!" Gabriel Truman called out. Alexander nudged me to get moving, then kept his hand on my shoulder as we all shuffled out like a flock of sheep. My stomach was in knots. How did a troll get in? Everyone was whispering about it.
"A troll couldn't have gotten in by itself," Zacharias muttered like he knew it all.
"Who would do such a thing?" Hannah wondered, looking really scared.
"Probably someone like Peeves," Penny guessed.
They ended up bringing food up to the common room, so we continued our feast there, and honestly, it was even more fun squished up together than in the Great Hall. We all grabbed as many sweets as we could and huddled in a corner, gossiping about the troll.
Even with a troll on the loose, this has been the best Halloween ever.