A FanFiction by Arabella

Based on "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except for Gwen,

who wishes that she belonged to JKR.

***

Author’s Notes: This diary was my first HP fanfic.

Thanks to Flourish for getting me to post in the first place, to Honeychurch for the incredible beta reading, to Zsenya for Sugar Quill and marvelous plans

and to Kata for being the very first to understand my obsession.

***

Dear Guinevere,

Miss Vauclain at the Enchanted Stationers sold me this diary today, and told me that the very first thing I must write is my secret password. I chose HQoW. She said that, without the password, the pages will seem blank to anyone else who might try to read my thoughts. I love that no one will ever read this but me! My diary at home had a flimsy lock, and I was always sure my mother would have a look if she could. This is much better.

Miss Vauclain also said that I ought to choose a diary I thought I could get along with. When I saw your name was Guinevere, I just knew you would be mine! I so love the stories of King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, and beautiful Guinevere!

I’m so lucky to have open-minded parents. They agreed to let me go to Hogwarts at once, and they’re so proud of me, too! No one else in my family is magical at all, but I guess I’m pretty powerful. My letter said that I show "exceptional talent for one raised in Muggle society" and that I had already performed "medicinal magical applications of a peculiarly advanced nature." I guess they must have meant when I grew Susie Raviski’s teeth.

That was an accident of course. She was making fun of my overbite, in front of the whole class, and suddenly I just got so mad! And then, just as suddenly, Susie’s teeth were sticking out further than mine. I guess I knew I’d done it, but I certainly didn’t know how. If I knew how, I’d shrink my stupid teeth. I hate them. But Susie deserved it; she was so horrid to me. I’m glad not to be going back to that school anymore. I bet loads of people at Hogwarts will be nice to me.

Anyway, I’m not allowed to grow anyone’s teeth, even if I do figure out how (and I will.) The letter also said that now that I’m aware of my powers, I mustn’t abuse them (and I certainly won’t!)

Oh, Gwen, there’s so much more to say, but I’d better go to bed if I want to get an early start tomorrow. I mean to read every single book I’ve got before I leave for Hogwarts- and that’s in just four weeks! I hope I’ll be able to learn enough in time.

I suppose that’s all for my first entry, then. Miss Vauclain said that this diary would last forever- that the pages would never run out. I guess that means you’re going to know all about me, an all about Hogwarts! I’m going to keep a journal of the whole time. I’m so glad to have you.

Goodnight, Gwen.

Dear Gwen,

I just opened this diary by magic! I did the "Alohomora" charm, and it worked for me! I’m so excited! I’ve been doing quite a bit of reading up on the charms, but this is the first one I actually tried.

Oh, of course! The Muggle way- how funny. My parents are Muggles, of course. Completely non-magical. Dentists. But they’ve been reading a lot, too. I saw a book on Mum’s bed-stand called "Muggle-born: Helping Your Child Make the Magical Transition". They’re being really wonderful about the whole thing. Mum says that the most important thing for the Muggle parent to remember is that witch and wizard children are just ordinary children with extraordinary powers. I don’t know about that. I’ve never really been ordinary. But I love the idea of having extraordinary powers. It’s still such a shock, you know? My whole life I thought magic was just something in storybooks- but it’s real- and I can do it! I feel so special. I’m glad there’s something special about me besides my being smart. Being smart doesn’t count for much at Muggle schools. People just make fun of you- like that awful Susie and her whole gang. Mum and Dad always said she was just jealous, but she wasn’t. She was pretty and popular, and I was... nothing to be jealous about.

Well it doesn’t matter anymore! I’m a witch- HQoW, to be precise- and Susie Raviski can keep all her prettiness. I’d rather do magic! Anyhow, I bet loads of kids at Hogwarts will be smart. I’ll fit right in. I hope.

I’m scared, Gwen. There’s ever so much to learn. I’ve still got five course books to do. I’ll never learn it all in time. Guess I’d better go try, though.

Talk to you soon!

Gwen?

What do you do when I’ve shut you? Is it awfully dull in there?

What?! How?

And I summon you when I do "Alohomora" and write the password?

And otherwise, you visit with your friends?

Do you.... well, do you tell my secrets to the other-- brains?

Well, that’s a relief, then. And I’m glad you’ve something else to do. It would be pretty boring just to listen to me. So, were you visiting just then?

Who’s she?

Well, I’ll let you get back then. I just wanted to ask.

You’re welcome. Goodbye!

Dear Guinevere,

I’m so sorry to have been quiet for so long, but I’ve literally been studying all day long, every day. It’s incredible, what I’ve been learning. I feel dizzy. Out of everything I’ve read through, two things have struck me most.

First- I am most interested in Transfiguration. Turning things into other things- it’s fascinating! It must be really hard, though. I bet I can do it. After all, the letter did say I’m "exceptional".

Second- I read all about the horrible years when the Dark Lord was in power. Can I say his name, or do you prefer I say "You Know Who"? I noticed people in the books seemed not to want to say his name.

Oh, good, I’m so glad you’re not squeamish. I feel like I should be able to say it if I want to.

I won’t, then. But what struck me most about that whole story is the boy who lived- you know- the one Voldemort couldn’t kill.

I guess he’s pretty famous! He’s eleven now. I did the math. I wonder if he’ll be at Hogwarts? He’d be a first year, too. I’d like to meet him. I suppose he’s pretty powerful, and I bet he thinks a lot of himself for stopping Voldemort. But then, I would, too. It is pretty heroic. I wonder if he’s very full of himself. Do you know if Harry Potter is going to Hogwarts?

I guess I’ll have to wait and see, then. I can’t imagine a powerful boy like that wouldn’t get into Hogwarts. It’s the best wizarding school in the world, from what I’ve read. Ugh. If he’s all that good, I just hope he’s not handsome. Boys who are handsome and smart are usually pretty unbearable. But it wouldn’t matter to me. He’d be awfully popular at Hogwarts, with all that fame. I don’t usually get on with popular people.

Well, back to the books. Bye.

August 31

Gwen, Gwen, I leave tomorrow! I don’t know how I’ll ever sleep. I hope we get to start transfiguring right away- and I want to see the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall (it’s supposed to look just like the sky outside!) I’m positively bursting to see some real magic. I’ve tried some other charm work and it’s all been going well, but it’s so simple- I want to see the real thing! I hope I can find that crazy platform at King’s Cross. I’ve never seen it there before. I hope I’ll meet someone nice right off. I hope I’ll be living in a good house- I think I’d like Gryffindor best, and then Ravenclaw. I hope the teachers are really good. I hope the library is open all night- there are so many things I want to look up right away! For instance —

All right. But first- will you let me ask one thing? Do you have any words of wisdom for me?

Oh, thank you, Gwen!

What is it?

Dear Guinevere,

I’ll never be able to write it all down. I’m not even going to try. This has been the most wonderful day of my life. Everything is a hundred times better than I expected. Hogwarts is a dream!

Getting through to platform nine and three-quarters was an amazing trick! A boy’s Gran helped us both to do it. He’s a first year, too, and called Neville. He seemed as much a Muggle as anything, but he says his family is all wizards for generations back. He must be magic, to be coming to Hogwarts. We rode most of the way together, but I wandered around some to help him find his toad, when it got lost. And guess who else I met?

Harry Potter! He is in first year. I didn’t make a fuss over him, except I did say I knew who he was, as he’s in three of our textbooks. He didn’t seem to know about that at all. Neither did his friend, Ron something. Do you know- I don’t think any of them read our course books! I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t want to- it’s all ever so interesting- not like normal school at all (though I always thought those were interesting enough, too.)

But Harry Potter was so... normal looking. Just like anyone, really, except for that scar on his head where Voldemort hit him. And he and his friend just sat there eating Chocolate Frogs and trading the cards like nothing special was happening at all. The one called Ron tried to do a charm on his rat, but it didn’t work at all. I think he made it up. It’s a bit disappointing- a couple of wizards, one so famous- and they’re just normal. I guess that "Muggle-born" book was right. They’re just ordinary children with extraordinary powers.

But nothing else was ordinary in the least! The boats that took us through to the castle (the castle itself! To be living in a genuine castle!) the enchanted ceiling, the giant gamekeeper Hagrid, the feast, the Sorting....

I’m in Gryffindor! So are Harry Potter and Ron and Neville and a couple of girls I met on the train, and two other boys, as well. They all seem... well, it’s really too early to say. But I was a bit surprised not to be put in Ravenclaw. After all, the Sorting Hat said that Ravenclaws are the clever, smart, studious ones. Gryffindors are supposed to be the brave ones. I guess I’m glad to be counted brave, but I always thought of myself as the intelligent type. There must be loads of wizards and witches here who are cleverer than I am, filling up the Ravenclaw House. Not that I’m complaining! I’m happy to be a Gryffindor. (I just hope I won’t have to do anything rash. Brave people always seem to be doing rash things, don’t they?) Anyway, I’m just glad I’m not in Slytherin. All the books I’ve read say that that house is full of dark wizards.

Oh, Gwen, I’m yawning all over myself. We start our classes in the morning and I really want to be prepared, so I need to go back over my notes. Or maybe not. I’m awfully tired.

G’night.

September 2

Dear Gwen...

Last night was a little strange, up in my dormitory room. I’m sharing it with the other two first year Gryffindor girls — Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. They’re very nice, I don’t mean to say they’re not — but it was just a little bit strange. We introduced ourselves and they asked me about my family and my house, so I told them about my parents being Muggles and everything. Lavender and Parvati both looked at me very curiously. Not in a mean way, just... I felt like I was a little bit different. They’re both from wizarding families. There are two boys with Muggle parents in my year — Dean Thomas is Muggle-born, and Seamus Finnigan’s dad is a Muggle. But I’m the only one of us girls.

Parvati asked me, "So, what did you do before you got your Hogwarts letter?" I said, "What did I do? I went to Muggle school, I guess." She said, "No, I mean, what did you do whenever you needed magic?" And I told her the truth, "I didn’t believe in magic until last month."

You should have seen their faces. Lavender said, "You didn’t... you didn’t believe in magic? Mum told me that’s how Muggle-borns grow up, but I didn’t really think...."

Gwen, they weren’t trying to make me feel funny, but they did. I tried not to let on; I just said, "Oh, I know I’ll have a lot of things to figure out, but I catch on pretty quickly and I’ve already read all our texts and I’m perfectly certain that I’ll be okay — and lots of Muggle-borns come to this school, don’t they?" They both nodded and said that I’d be fine, but then they went on talking to each other about some kind of band or something that they know about from listening to the Wizard’s Wireless Network — and I don’t know anything about that.

I wonder if it’s going to take me a very long time to get adjusted to this world.

Were you Muggle-born then?

Oh! Well that makes me feel better. Thank you for telling me that, Gwen.

And now I’ve got to go. I want to tell you everything about my first day of class, but I’ve got my first assignments to do and I’m determined to get full marks right off. I have a lot to learn if I’m going to get really good at being a witch. I have a lot of years to make up for. I’ll have to come back and tell you all about class tomorrow. Goodnight.

September 3

Dearest Guinevere,

These first two days have been really marvelous. The first class for me yesterday was Transfiguration, and Professor McGonagall turned a desk into a pig! Of course, none of us can do anything that big for a long time. And come to think of it, I can’t imagine why it would ever be a good idea to turn furniture into pigs. But it was awfully fun to see!

The best part was that, after a lot of note-taking, I managed to do a little bit of magic! Prof. McGonagall gave us all matches, and we were supposed to turn them into needles. Well, it was awfully hard- nobody could really get the knack of it- but by the end of class I’d sort of caught on, and my match was all silvery, with a point at the end! Prof. M. even smiled at me a little, and as she’s really stern, I took it as a really nice compliment.

I also had Herbology yesterday. Professor Sprout is excellent- she really knows her herbs and plants and fungi. I’m very glad to have done so much reading; it makes class so much simpler, and I learn so much more, because I’m reinforcing the knowledge, rather than just learning it for the first time.

We had our first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, though I don’t know if I learned anything. Professor Quirrell seems quite shaky for someone who’s supposed to be able to defeat mummies and werewolves and things. Every time someone asked him about any kind of ghoul or monster, he jumped four feet in the air. Not to mention that his classroom and his robes reek of garlic- the Weasley twins (Ron’s brothers, by the way- he’s a Weasley) say he stuffs his turban full of it to ward off vampires! But then, I don’t know if I trust the Weasley twins. I hope Quirrell doesn’t teach the class all year; I really want to learn the Defensive Arts (in case the Slytherins decide to attack! They do seem like a moody lot.)

Then there was Professor Flitwick for Charms, which I absolutely adore. I am very good at Charms, if I do say so myself. I have the wrist-flick perfectly, and it’s only the first day. I feel as if I could do any spell they put in front of me! But Flitwick is adorable, the tiniest little wizard ever, he has to stand on a pile of books to be seen over the desk! And when he was doing roll call, and got to Harry Potter’s name, he squealed and toppled over! I almost feel sorry for Harry really, I mean, it’s probably nice being famous and all, but it must be a bit embarrassing to have people fussing around about you all the time.

Tomorrow we’ve got Transfiguration and Herbology again, and then our first History of Magic lesson (taught by a ghost called Prof. Binns!), and Astrology at midnight (imagine an outdoor class at midnight! Isn’t it divine?) and Friday we’ve got our first Double Potions class with Professor Snape. I cannot believe this is my life. It’s perfectly perfect.

Do you know, I’ve been noticing that a lot of first years are getting lost in the castle, so I’ve been drawing little maps for myself wherever I go. I got to the Great Hall for dinner tonight with no trouble at all- and I noticed it took some of the others (even Harry Potter and Ron Weasley) another fifteen minutes to catch me up! I guess I shouldn’t feel pleased, but I sort of am.

Even with my maps, I haven’t managed to find the third floor corridor on the right side. Professor Dumbledore, our Headmaster, said it’s forbidden. We’re not to go there, he says, unless we’re keen to die a very painful death. I don’t think he was joking, and I only want to find out where it is so that I can be sure to stay clear of it.

Goodness, it’s late. I’ve got to get to sleep if I want to be prepared to stay up ‘til midnight tomorrow. I want to be really awake to start learning about the movement of the planets! Goodnight, Gwen.

Oh, Gwen, what a lot of rubbish.

We had Double Potions today with the Slytherins, and Professor Snape favors them so obviously! It was unfair how he treated us Gryffindors, it really was. Harry and Neville and I got the worst of it, but he dislikes our whole house, and it’s very unjust.

First of all, he kept asking Harry all these hard questions. (Well, they weren’t that hard, I knew the answers, but nobody else did.) He kept asking Harry even after it became perfectly clear that he didn’t know any of it- and I had my hand raised the entire time! He didn’t call on me once, even though I stood up and waved at his last question. That’s when Harry said something like "I don’t know, but I think Hermione does, though, so why don’t you try her?" Well I thought that was rather good of Harry (if a bit cheeky) because I was dying to answer. But Snape just barked at me to sit down, and then took five points from Gryffindor for Harry’s back talk. And then Neville added his quills too early to our boil-curing potion, and ended up giving himself boils, (I swear that boy’s a Muggle, even if his family are wizards for twenty-seven generations or something,) so Snape took another point from us because he said that Harry ought to have caught Neville’s mistake- when they weren’t even partners!!!

All in all, it was a good lesson, and I can now effectively cure boils if I should ever need to. But I also had a rotten time, and I don’t much like Professor Snape.

I noticed at dinner that Harry and Ron managed to get to the Great Hall on time. I guess they finally figured out how to do it without getting lost-- took them long enough. I’m starting to wonder if maybe that Sorting Hat ought to have put me in Ravenclaw after all. I didn’t notice any of them getting lost in the castle this week.

That’s all. ‘Night, Gwen.

(Friday the 13^th, by the way)

Oh, those boys! Gwen, are there any boy brains where you visit?

Well I’m sorry you have to deal with any of them. You should have seen the mess of yesterday. Boys!! I’ll have to tell you the whole story, because I’m still fuming.

It all started with the flying lessons. I didn’t like the lesson at all- it was hard for me to deal with the broom, which I can’t understand because I’m sure I read more about flying than anyone. Yesterday morning at breakfast, I was even able to give a lot of tips to the other first year Gryffindors, and I really expected all that studying would pay off. (It usually does.) But I couldn’t even get my broom to jump into my hand on the "Up!" command. Stupid broom, anyway.

That isn’t the point, though.

Neville was having his usual hard time, and ended up shooting straight up in the air, and falling off. Madam Hooch had to cart him right off to the infirmary. But Neville had dropped the Remembrall his Gran had just sent him to help him keep track of all the things he forgets, and this awful boy Draco Malfoy (Slytherin, of course) decided he’d pocket it, just to be mean.

Well, Harry Potter wasn’t having any of that. He stepped right up an said, "Give it here, Malfoy," in this voice that made me believe, finally, that this might be the same person those books were talking about. He has some kind of.... heroic thing. I don’t know. I was glad he said something- poor Neville has enough problems without Malfoy stealing his Remembrall- and the way Harry looked at him, I half-expected Malfoy to hand the thing over.

Well, he didn’t. He shot up on his broom like a show-off, even though Madam Hooch had specifically forbidden us to fly in her absence! (I’m absolutely amazed at the disregard some people have for rules. It’s terrible.) He went up into a treetop and started taunting Harry. And then Harry lost his head and got on his broom, and went after Malfoy and the Remembrall.

Harry had never flown, Gwen! It was horribly dangerous. I tried to stop him, and I hollered the whole time he was in the air for him to come back down, but he’s such a boy, I swear, and so’s Ron Weasley, whooping and cheering as if it were a good thing! Harry chased Malfoy right down, and when Malfoy threw the Remembrall to the ground, Harry dove- hurtled, Gwen, it was really frightening- to the ground, and caught it. Thank goodness he wasn’t injured! What a couple of show-offs! (Though it was rather impressive, for Harry’s first time on a broomstick. But I’m still mad- he should never have flown.) Of course then he got carted off- by Professor McGonagall, who I assumed would punish him pretty badly. I almost expected him to be expelled.

But of all the unfair- he got rewarded for flying against the rules! (Just because he’s Famous Harry Potter, I expect. I can half see why Snape wanted to test him so harshly. Nobody else seems to hold him to the same standard as the rest of us. It’s unfair. ) He’s apparently so good on a broom that they’re going to let him play Quidditch- the wizarding sport- for the Gryffindor house team. (It’s supposed to be a secret, but good try. Everyone in our house already knows.) He’s so smug! The first first year in over a century to get put on the team, and you should have seen his and Ron’s faces at dinner. Gloating like pigs. Granted, it was good of him to fetch back Neville’s Remembrall, but really! He should have let a teacher get it back from Malfoy. But he and Ron- and every other Gryffindor- just think it’s the best thing ever. Nobody cares about rules, Gwen.. I swear I should have been a Ravenclaw.

I wish that were the end of it, but there’s more- so much more.

At dinner last night, Malfoy challenged Harry to a wizard’s duel, to take place at midnight in the Trophy Room. I imagine he was peeved that Harry showed him up at the flying lesson (Malfoy was nothing on that broom compared to him.) Well of course, being boys, Harry accepted and Ron seconded him. When I tried to tell them it was a silly idea, both of them just ignored me. Actually, every single time I ever try to talk to them, Ron Weasley is especially awful to me. He rolls his eyes and mutters snotty comments under his breath. I try not to let it bother me, but Gwen.... I hate it when people treat me like that. Just like Susie Raviski and her group back at Muggle school. Like I’m nobody. Just because I don’t want my housemates breaking any more rules! Honestly.

Anyway, I waited up for them in our common room and followed them out our portrait-hole, trying to talk them out of the whole stupid duel. They didn’t listen one bit. I gave up after that, and tried to go back into Gryffindor Tower. After all, it’s not my business if they want to get themselves expelled. I just didn’t want to lose any more house points because of the Slytherins! You’d think I was an ogre, or something, the way those boys glared at me for "interfering". Well they just don’t care about anybody but themselves, and here’s proof- when I tried to get back into the tower, the Fat Lady who guards our portrait-hole had disappeared for some kind of evening visit, and I was locked out. And do you know what those boys did? Said they didn’t care, they had to get to their duel, and off they went!

So there I was, locked out, in my bathrobe, and I had to go along with their dumb scheme, because obviously I wasn’t going to stand there and wait for Filch or Mrs. Norris to catch me! (Filch is our caretaker and Mrs. Norris is his cat, and both of them have only one goal in life- to catch students and get them into trouble.) As if all that weren’t enough, poor Neville was asleep in the hall, locked out as well. He’d forgotten the password. (Honestly, how hard is "pig snout"?) So he had to join us, too, and we all headed down to meet Malfoy.

Well, surprise, surprise- wouldn’t you know Malfoy wasn’t there? He had never planned to meet Harry at all. Instead, he’d tipped off Filch, who was prowling around with Mrs. Norris, trying to catch whoever showed up. Well, we ran! I didn’t need to catch a detention, I can tell you! But we ran into the wrong thing- Peeves the poltergeist. Ron stupidly took a swing at him (boys!!) and so Peeves started screaming and banging ‘round, so that we all had to duck into a locked closet and hide. (I used "Alohomora" to get us in- lucky I’ve been practicing on you!)

But Gwen!!!!! It wasn’t a closet at all! It was that third floor corridor Dumbledore warned us about! And he wasn’t kidding about the painful death bit- there’s an enormous, fanged, three-headed, mad dog in there, standing on a trap-door, guarding something. It definitely tried to kill us! We got out, of course, but poor Neville- I don’t think he’ll ever recover.

Worst of all was when we got back into Gryffindor Tower (without being caught, thank goodness. I never would have forgiven Harry. I’d have cursed him and Ron right through the roof.) Harry and Ron didn’t seem a bit sorry about any of it. Almost getting Neville and me killed- or (worse, really) expelled from Hogwarts- and not sorry at all. In fact, they seemed rather angry with me.

I’m not talking to them until they get some sense into their thick heads. I’m going to ignore them, starting now. I’ll let you know if they ever mature, but Gwen, don’t hold your breath.

Thanks, Gwen. Ugh. Time for Double Potions again. Just what I need, to see another face-off with Harry and Malfoy. Well, I just won’t even look at either of them, or Ron. I’ll be Neville’s partner, and see if I can’t spare him any of his usual embarrassments.

September 22

Gwen,

It’s not even worth it to try with those two. I haven’t spoken a word to them in what- over a week? And I think they’re actually glad about it. I won’t let it hurt my feelings. They’re just not worth it.

But do you want to know what happened? Because it’s driving me crazy.

Well at breakfast, the owl post came as usual, and Harry got this long, thin package. Nobody seemed to be able to guess what it was. (Well really, Gwen, how difficult is it to spot a wrapped broomstick? Especially when Harry just made the Quidditch team? For Heaven’s sake.) Well, I shouldn’t say nobody could guess. Malfoy guessed it right off, and since first years aren’t allowed broomsticks yet, he told on Harry to Professor Flitwick.

Of course, since Harry’s an exception (unfair!) Flitwick already knows all about the special Quidditch-playing circumstances, gave Harry this big smile, and asked the model of the broom. It’s a Nipper Two Thousand or something, which I guess is pretty good, because right before Flitwick came up, Ron was giving Malfoy a face and poking fun at his old broomstick. Then Malfoy said something about Ron’s family not being able to afford any broomsticks at all (he’s awfully nasty, Gwen, to tease Ron about that). Anyway, that’s when Flitwick walked over, (a good thing, too; Ron looked like he might throw a punch or something dreadful,) and Malfoy tattled.

Harry said something about "Oh yes, it’s my Nipper Two Thousand, and it’s all thanks to Malfoy here that I’ve got it!" Then he and Ron dashed up the stairs hooting, leaving Malfoy looking really angry. I followed them right out — goodness knows I didn’t need to be the one left next to Malfoy at that moment! — and I heard Harry at the top of the stairway saying "It’s true, if Malfoy hadn’t taken Neville’s Remembrall, I’d never have made the team," and so I said to him, "So I suppose you think that’s a reward for breaking rules?" After all, he did fly against the rules, and he hasn’t been made to learn his lesson at all! Anybody else would have been. But he’s Harry Potter.

Well, Gwen, I’m telling you, those boys gave me just the dirtiest looks. I think they’re very mean. Harry said, "I thought you weren’t speaking to us any more?" and Ron gave me the same look he’d just given Malfoy, and said, "Yes, don’t stop now, it’s doing us so much good."

Awful, horrible, sarcastic, mean spirited, rotten boys.

I just marched right by, to show they hadn’t gotten to me one bit!

But they had. Gwen, they really don’t like me. They really are glad I’m not speaking to them. I think.... I think they’d rather I just disappeared. If I just didn’t show up to the Great Hall one day, they probably wouldn’t even ask where I’d gone. They’d be relieved to be rid of me.

But what was I supposed to say?! Honestly. Humph.

Oh, great- the two of them just walked through the common room and looked right through me. What should I do now, Gwen?

Gwen?

Oh, fine. I guess nobody’s speaking to me anymore.

Well, Guinevere, whether you’re going to speak to me or not, here I am. I’ve got another hour before Astronomy class tonight, and I’ve done all the homework and studying I can for the test we’ve got. I’ve made full marks (110 percent in Transfiguration and Charms, actually,) on all my other first tests, and I’m sure I’ll get perfect marks on this one, too. The only one that worries me is Potions on Friday. Snape might fail me just because I’m in Gryffindor. I wonder why I don’t care? I’m so tired.

We don’t speak.

(Halloween. The worst day of my life.)

I just want to go home. I just want to go home. I can’t do it anymore. It’s worse than anything, and magic can’t help.

Oh, Gwen, they’re all going to be back here in ten minutes. I can’t bear it. I’m going to the girls’ room and have a good cry. I can’t even have a cry here.

I mean it. I want to go home, and I never want to see Ron Weasley- or Harry Potter for that matter- ever, ever again.

November 1

Dear, wonderful Guinevere!

Something happened! I don’t want to go home. I do have friends.

I don’t really know how long I was in there because I sort of fell asleep in one of the stalls. I had just come out to the sink to wash my face and go back to bed in Gryffindor Tower, when the door opened, and someone came in. Rather, something came in. Something huge, and reeking, and horrid.

A twelve-foot, fully grown mountain troll, with a club.

I knew right away what it was, as I’ve read all about them, and I even know some good spells for distracting them from coming at me- but I didn’t have my wand, and there was nothing I could do. Where was I supposed to run in there? The troll was absolutely huge- it blocked the whole way out- all I could do was back up against the wall and hope someone would come. Well, someone did come.

Someone came, slammed shut the door, and locked it from the outside.

And then I screamed. Gwen, I really thought I was done for. The troll started coming right at me- of course they’re really stupid, so it was all very slow going, but that didn’t stop it being terrifying!! It was knocking the sinks right off the wall to get over to me! I thought, I’ll crawl under the stalls and make a dash for the door- but it was locked, so that was a useless plan. And just when I thought I was about to get eaten alive, who do you think came bursting down the door?

Harry and Ron!!!!!!!!

Well, I may have said yesterday that I never wanted to see those two again, but Gwen, I’ve never been so happy to see anybody my whole life. Harry yelled at Ron to distract it, and Ron hurled a tap at the wall and hollered, "Oy! Pea-brain!" It would have been really funny, actually, if I hadn’t been so scared. He did distract the troll anyway, so Harry tried to drag me off the wall and out the door, but I was frozen stiff- couldn’t take a step.

After that, it was all chaos. I was up against the wall- too frightened to help them do anything- and next thing I knew, Harry had jumped on the troll’s back and shoved his wand up its nose! It started swinging him around and batting at him with his club, but Harry just hung right on. (There really is something heroic about Harry.) And then Ron pointed his wand at the troll and shouted, of all things, "Wingardium Leviosa!" Sure enough, that troll’s club flew up, fell on its head, and knocked it out cold. (I can tell you, I was glad I’d told Ron how to say that charm properly in class. He said it brilliantly, with the "GAR" nice and long! And his face, when it actually worked- well, it was priceless, honestly.)

We just stood there, dazed.

And then a bunch of teachers came panting down the hall and found us, Prof. McGonagall, then Snape, and even poor Quirrell, shaking like a leaf. (He sat down on a toilet seat and had some kind of attack. I mean, really. Defense Against the Dark Arts, my foot.) Well, Prof. M. was furious- FURIOUS- to find Ron and Harry away from Gryffindor with a giant troll on the loose. She was about to deduct about a thousand house points from them, and they both looked more scared of her than they’d been of the troll.

So I took the blame.

The best part of all, though, was getting back to Gryffindor Tower. The feast was still going on in there. I waited by the door for Harry and Ron to catch me up, and when they came in, we all sort of looked at the ground and said "Thanks" to each other, before going to get something to eat. It was a bit awkward, but really... nice. I guess if you go in together on knocking out trolls and lying to teachers, you end up liking each other.

I saw Harry and Ron already today. They asked if I wanted to do homework together.

Together!!! Oh- here they come. I’ve got to go. We’re going to go over the Transfiguration assignment, and I have a funny feeling that they’re going to need more help than Neville does with Potions.

See you soon!

November 12

Hi, Gwen!

I know it’s been forever, but with studies and Quidditch, I’ve been awfully busy this month.

Well, not playing, but I may as well be counted on the team with all the time I’ve spend on that field watching Harry. Ron, too. Oh, and Harry’s broomstick isn’t a Nipper. It’s a Nimbus. Ron made that very clear. When he heard me calling it a Nipper, he nearly choked to death laughing. Honestly, he can’t remember a thing about how to Transfigure a pebble into a marble, but when it comes to Quidditch he’s even more a know-it-all than I am. He knows every name of every World Cup player for about six thousand years- no kidding. It makes me mad when he won’t apply that brain to his homework! Harry’s just as bad- I lent him "Quidditch Through the Ages" to read, and now he’s spouting off facts like Professor Binns! "Hermione, d’you know there are seven hundred ways to commit a Quidditch foul? Can you believe they were all used during the World Cup Match of 1473? And sometimes, referees disappear for months at a time, and turn up in the Sahara Desert!" I wish either of them would give one-tenth that energy to Charms.

The first match is this Saturday. Gryffindor against Slytherin. It’s a good thing Malfoy isn’t on the Slytherin team- I’m sure he’d use all seven hundred of those World Cup fouls on Harry without blinking an eye. It’ll be a dirty enough game as it is- the Slytherin players are already trying to trip Harry everywhere he goes, hoping he’ll twist an ankle and have to sit out the match (as if Madam Pomfrey couldn’t mend a twisted ankle in two shakes of her wand). Ron and I practically have to bodyguard him in the hallways. Not that that’s any trouble- since Halloween we three have spent pretty near all our time together.

Even if they are boys who won’t do their classwork properly, they’re my friends. D’you know what Harry said to me tonight? "I’m pretty lucky to have you. Don’t know how I’d get through all this work and practice otherwise." And Ron sort of slugged me and said, "Yeah, you’re a regular chum, Hermione."

Well, here they are, double trouble, all bundled up to go out. We’ve got Astronomy in twenty minutes, and the weather is freezing! I’ve got to get my coat-- well would you look at that? Ron’s had Parvati bring it down already, and he’s got it.

Bye, Gwen!

November 14

Harry’s first Quidditch match is tomorrow! I’ve got to calm down and go to sleep, but I can’t! And that’s not the only thing keeping me awake.

Today, the three of us were out in the courtyard at break, and as it was really cold, I conjured up a little blue fire in a jam jar (it’s getting to be one of my best charms). We were all getting warm by it when Professor Snape noticed us. He’s always noticing us. He really has it in for us Gryffindors, especially Harry, and as the Bluebell Flame isn’t technically allowed outside of class, I knew he’d take points off our house for it. We all tried to hide it as he came over. Well, he hadn’t spotted the fire, but he found a reason to pick on Harry anyhow- he took away "Quidditch Through the Ages" and said something about library books not being allowed outside the school- a rubbishy rule, if you ask me. Harry thinks he made it up, and I agree. But Snape took five points off us anyway (unfair!) and limped off with the book. We noticed the limp, and Harry said, "I wonder what’s wrong with his leg?" Ron said, "Dunno, but I hope it’s really hurting him." (Ron can be awfully sarcastic, I’ve noticed.)

I didn’t really think about Prof. Snape’s leg after that- I’ve been much too nervous for Harry, and we had loads of Charms work to get through, too. We’re on Blossoming Charms- beautiful, but much harder than I thought they’d be, though if I really concentrate I can get two or three white blossoms and a twisty little vine to grow on the wall. I won’t let Harry or Ron try theirs anywhere near me. They keep making fungus grow instead of flowers. (I think they may be doing it on purpose, but I hope not. It isn’t very funny.) They asked me to go over written work with them, though, and I agreed. At first they just wanted to copy mine, but how will they ever learn if I let them do that? So they tried it on their own, and then we went through it together, checking answers.

Well, while we were studying, Harry shot up out of his chair suddenly- he’s been so fidgety about this match!- and said he was going to get "Quidditch Through the Ages" back from Snape. Said he didn’t see why he shouldn’t be allowed to have it. Ron and I had the exact same opinion about that, and we said it at the same time: "Better you than me!" (It’s always amazing when Ron and I actually agree on anything, but there you are. I’d rather let Neville make me a Sleeping Draught than ask Snape for anything he’d confiscated. He’s so nasty.) But off Harry went to get the book.

This isn’t really part of the story, but I have to tell you that in the ten minutes Harry was gone, Ron managed to grow a Creeping Fungus all along Neville’s wand, so that when poor Neville picked it up to practice his own homework, he closed his hand around slimy mold, which started twisting up onto his arm. He screamed so loud that half the common room jumped. (Ron swore it was an accident, but I don’t know. He was laughing really hard, and his twin brothers were winking at him.) I had to do a counter-charm on the wand before Neville would quit yelping, and even then he held the wand out from his body like it was about to start sprouting up his arm again. As if he doesn’t already have enough trouble with his assignments. I started to tell Ron off, but before I could manage a good speech, Harry came bursting back in, looking wild.

I forgot all about Neville’s problems when Harry explained himself, because — and this is the part that’s keeping me awake- Harry had found Snape, and overheard him talking. He was with Filch, who was changing the bandages on that limping leg for him. It seems the reason that Snape’s got the limp is that he was attacked by that three-headed dog-- the mad one in the forbidden third floor corridor! Which means he must have gone in there!

Harry and Ron are both sure he’s trying to get past the dog and steal whatever’s hidden under that trapdoor. But I can’t believe it- a Hogwarts teacher might be nasty, mean, ugly and foul-tempered, but he would never steal from Dumbledore. He must have been the one assigned to feed the beast, or something, and I guess it attacked him accidentally. I told them I couldn’t dream of Snape stealing, even if he is horrid, but they just ignored me (as usual, when I’m right. They’re still boys.) Ron gave me his withering voice: "Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something." Well I don’t, but I also don’t think that Professor Snape is a thief. Ron says he wouldn’t put anything past Snape. (Well what does Ron know anyway? He can’t even make a Blossoming Charm work.)

He did have one good point, though. What’s that dog guarding? I’ve never really wondered- I was too mad at them before, after we got locked in that closet and all. I suppose it’s not any of the students’ business, but I am a bit curious. I don’t suppose it could really hurt to riddle it out a little...

Oh, Gwen. You’re starting to sound just like me. But you’re right- I can’t think about this now. Goodnight, then- and here’s to a Gryffindor victory in the morning!

Now that I will certainly support.

Gwen, the match starts in an hour, and we’d better beat Slytherin! I know we can do it with Harry as our Seeker- but he wouldn’t eat any breakfast due to his nerves, and if he faints and falls off that broomstick---!!

Well, it won’t be my fault, anyway. I tried to make him eat some toast. Oh, Gwen! We made a big banner for him and everything; it says "Potter for President" and I charmed the paint to flash all different colors, and Dean Thomas drew a big Gryffindor Lion- we’re all just so excited we could die. I’m going with Ron right now to get good seats. I have my fingers all crossed that the next words I write in this diary will be: "We Won!"

*************************************************************************************

WE WON!!!!! Ah ha ha! Take that, you horrible green and silver snakes! We won, and it was EXCELLENT!!!!!!

Well don’t be blue about it! I’ll give you the whole thing, play by play- at least, I’ll give you what I can remember- I was jumping up and down screaming the whole time, and my brain’s quite tired.

Plus, Gwen, something really dreadful happened- I still can’t believe it. All those things Ron and Harry thought about Snape–

The match, Hermione, dear, the match.

Right. Well. Gryffindor scored first (our Chasers are all girls, by the way. I am glad it’s a co-ed sport. I noticed all the Slytherin players are boys, but my house obviously has a more advanced view of things.) So Angelina Johnson got the Quaffle, and put it right past their Keeper- 10 points for Gryffindor! You should have seen those Slytherins- the "fanged green gits" as Ron kept hollering into the sky. You should see him, too, Gwen. Quidditch isn’t a sport to him, it’s a religion. Honestly. You two’d probably get on well.

Then Hagrid joined us up in the stands with his binoculars- he’d been watching from his cabin, but couldn’t stand to be apart from all the cheering- and I knew just how he felt! When Angelina scored, we all screamed rather than cheered, and Harry did hoops in the sky! He was just gliding over the game at that point, looking for the Golden Snitch- and almost got knocked out by a Bludger! (Those Bludgers are a bit terrifying, I think. I certainly wouldn’t want to be attacked by one fifty feet up.)

And then... Harry saw the Snitch. He and the other Seeker hurtled toward it, and Harry almost had it–but at the last moment, the Slytherin Captain blocked him off so hard that he nearly fell from the sky! He spun off like mad, gripping on- Ron and I gasped together- Hagrid started bellowing- and Dean hollered to give that Marcus Flint (Slytherin captain) a red-card, and toss him out of the game. (But as that’s a soccer rule, and soccer’s a Muggle sport, nobody listened, least of all Ron, who snorted like he couldn’t imagine why anybody’d care about a sport played on the ground.)

Through it all, Harry stayed on that broom, and righted himself. The Slytherins got what they wanted, though. The Snitch had disappeared. Our Announcer, Lee Jordan (a friend of the ever-tricky Weasley twins) had some fighting things to say about that. Prof. M. kept trying to rein him in, but he’s awfully funny, and he just kept telling things his own way- "After that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating," or "Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I’m sure," and so on. We were all yelling back "You tell it, Lee! Gerroff, you lousy Snakes! Foul! Foul!" Just to give you an idea of the tumult.

In any case, we lost the Snitch, but got a penalty shot, and Alicia Spinnet put it right in- Ha ha ha! Twenty to zero, Gryffindor! So much for the all-boy team! After that, Slytherin did manage to score, though- and it was the only fair shot they got all match, if you want to know. The rest were all cheats. So the score was twenty to ten.

And that’s when the horrible thing started to happen. Harry’s broom started shaking and jerking all across the sky. It was dreadfully scary- not even Hagrid was calm about it, staring up with the binoculars and saying that only powerful dark magic could ever affect a broom so badly- and then the whole crowd, even the Slytherins, were on their feet, because Gwen, the broom had thrown Harry off, and he was dangling up there by one hand!

Yes! And Neville dug his face into Hagrid’s sleeve and started shaking. Ron was just paralyzed with fear- he turned totally gray and was swearing under his breath while his twin brothers (our Gryffindor Beaters) circled under Harry, trying to catch him safely off his broom and onto one of theirs- which didn’t work, because his broom just jerked higher and higher. It was like it was being controlled- like it was a puppet. The horrible Slytherins were stamping their feet and cheering him to fall- their rotten captain scored five times without anyone bothering to stop him (cheater, cheater!!!), making it sixty points to twenty in favor of Slytherin- and the whole school was in mass chaos.

And then I thought- if Hagrid’s right, if only dark magic can interfere with a broom, then someone must be jinxing Harry this instant! I grabbed Hagrid’s binoculars and started searching the crowd. And I found him- muttering and starting at the sky- without blinking (and I’ve read all about jinxing, you know, and it’s necessary to have perfect eye-contact, so I’m sure it was a jinx.)

It was Professor Snape.

I didn’t really think about what I was going to do- just quickly told Ron, and shoved him the binoculars, then ran for it- across the seats- to the far side of the stadium- to Snape. I knocked over a mess of people on the way, including Prof. Quirrell, who I smacked right into the next row. (Normally that would really bother me, you know, practically attacking a teacher, but I didn’t have time to care, as Harry was being killed just then. I doubt Quirrell noticed anyway. He had been staring up at Harry too, muttering and looking more scared than Ron and I put together. I cannot believe he’s supposed to fight the Dark Arts- what a coward!)

Right, sorry. When I reached Snape, I took out my wand and set the Bluebell Flame on his cloak. He caught fire, yelped, lost eye-contact, and I ran for it- I mean, RAN for it. But with all the commotion, that evil–that foul–that b... (Well, I won’t say it. Ron does though.) Anyway, he never knew what hit him.

But Ron and I knew what had hit Harry.

Back to Harry. His broom quit acting up; he clambered back on and steered back down as fast as fast as he could- just wanted to be out of the sky after that fright, I imagine. Ron came back to his normal color and yanked Neville’s head out of Hagrid’s armpit, Hagrid started breathing again, and I ran back along the stadium to my seat, watching Harry all the way. When I got close enough, Ron yelled "What’d you do?" And when I could whisper, I told him, "Set him on fire." He laughed and groaned with relief, said "Wish I’d set fire to the stupid prat," and clapped me so hard on the back I thought I’d choke. (I think he’d really go out of his mind if something happened to Harry. It’s sweet.)

But the match????

You are keen on it, aren’t you? All right, GQoQ (that’s Gwen, Queen of Quidditch), here’s the ending of it. Harry was soaring to the ground when he suddenly looked like he was going to be sick- his eyes opened wide and he clapped a hand over his mouth. Then he landed, fell on his hands and knees, coughed.... and can you guess what fell into his hand?

They didn’t carry him off- didn’t have a chance. Hagrid ran down to the field, scooped him up by the arm, and towed the three of us off to his cabin so we could all get our nerves back. Ron’s were just as shot as Harry’s, he gaped at him with a look that said "You idiot, how dare you go almost breaking your neck! Raging great game!" And Harry shot back a look and a head-shake that said "Can’t believe it either. Glad I’m on the ground. Wasn’t it cool?" (Those boys. If they could die for Quidditch, I think they’d happily do it.)

Anyway, in Hagrid’s hut, Ron and I told him and Harry what had happened with Snape. Harry believed it all right. I can’t believe I thought Snape wouldn’t steal from Dumbledore. If he’d try to kill a student, he’d steal for sure. Wish we knew what was under that trapdoor! Hagrid wouldn’t say a thing- told us to keep out of it, none of our business, and is also sure that Snape had nothing to do with Harry almost getting killed up there today. I know I was of Hagrid’s opinion yesterday.... but after what I saw.... I wish he believed us.

Hagrid was a little surprised to find out we knew anything about the trapdoor in the first place. Not happy when he found we knew about the three-headed dog, either. He calls the dog "Fluffy", Gwen.. Fluffy. I’ve never heard of anything less appropriate in my whole life. That dog is about as harmless as Snape. But Hagrid loves big, monstrous creatures, and thinks they’re just sweet little babies. I guess it’s easier to be friends with massive animals when you’re twelve feet tall.

Hagrid did tell us one thing, though, by accident. He said something along the lines of- "This is a matter between Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel." We all three grinned, and Harry said, "Aha! So there’s someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?"

Hagrid did not look pleased with himself. I’m glad he slipped up, though. We will find out about Flamel. We’re going to the library with every spare minute, starting tomorrow. I’m sure the answer is there somewhere. But until then.... I’m going to sleep. This has been a very long day. When we got back to Gryffindor Tower, there were still people waiting up to jump Harry and celebrate his victory with the Snitch, and what with jinxing and cheering and thinking and celebrating and setting people on fire... I’m pretty exhausted.

Ravenclaw?! Never. This is my house, these are my friends, that was my team, and that Sorting Hat must just be smarter than I thought.

Now I’m off. Falling asleep. ‘Night.

December 1

What a Monday. We haven’t found anything on Nicolas Flamel.

Oh- thanks, Gwen. Never mind, I know we’ll find him sometime. There just isn’t anything you can’t get from the library- I’m sure of it. I’m sure we’d have him by now, if Harry and Ron would be a bit more organized about searching, but they both just pull books out at random. I’ve been trying to teach them how to research a thing properly, but I’ve noticed that whenever I try to tell them anything, Harry gets this look, an Ron says "Oi, Hermione, you’re putting us to sleep," or "Whatever you say, Professor," or something like that. He calls me a know-it-all about three times a week. It’s very trying, having boys for friends.

There isn’t much I wouldn’t tell them, though. I haven’t met a girl here I like half as much as Harry or Ron. They might be idiots, but I’d miss them if anything happened to them. And with Snape on the loose, I’ve got to keep a close eye out in Potions, to make sure he doesn’t try and do something else dreadful to Harry.

Hermione... are you sure of what you saw at that Quidditch match?

Positive, Gwen. Positive. Oh, by the way, how’d it go with the other brains? Did you tell them about Gryffindor winning, and the Snitch flying into Harry’s mouth and all?

Not ‘til after the holidays. I wish there were. Quidditch is marvelous.

Things are mostly okay. Hogwarts is completely freezing. I can see my breath in the hallways. It’s warm enough in the common room and the Great Hall, what with the fires and all, but I won’t mind going home for a bit of regular Muggle-style heating over Christmas. It’ll be strange though, to be back in that world. This one feels ever so much more natural to me. And what will I do without magic for two weeks? I wonder if I could get special permission, you know, just to show Mum and Dad a few things...

Or maybe I won’t miss magic. I’ll have enough to do while I’m home. I’ve got so much holiday work already, Gwen. It’s almost three weeks ‘til I go, and already they’ve started piling it on. Tonight, after dinner, Harry and Ron and I have agreed to research our "History of Magical Blunders: Medieval to Present" assignment- three rolls of parchment by Friday! Honestly, how does Professor Binns expect it to be thorough?- plus I’ve promised Neville I’ll give him a hand with Temporary Paralysis Potions. (I’d never let him do that one alone. I’m terrified he’ll paralyze himself forever.) Ron said we can practice putting the potion on Scabbers (his pet rat) which I thought was rather generous of him.

Not to mention that I’m still having trouble getting an ordinary feather to Transfigure into a quill. It looks so simple when Professor McGonagall does it! Someday I want to be as clever a witch as she is. (You should see her turn a regular wheel into a miniature merry-go-round!) My feather will grow a nib, but it always falls off. Harry’s only grows a pointy tip- but Ron’s is the worst; all the feathery things fall off it whenever he tries. But they won’t practice, and it’s their loss. Goodness knows I’ve tried to make them do. But whenever I say anything, it’s "Oh, stuff that, I’m too tired," or "How d’you expect me to concentrate when you won’t shut it?" (Guess who says that.)

Anyhow, I’m hungry. See you later, Gwen.

December 19

Horrible, conceited, badmouthing idiot!

Not Ron. Draco Malfoy.

It’s all right. It very well could’ve been on any other day... but today.... oooh, Gwen, those Slytherins are all just.... wrong. Here’s what happened. After Potions today (where we froze in the dungeon, and where, by the way, Neville managed a Temporary Paralysis Potion that didn’t kill anything,) we found Hagrid dragging an enormous Christmas tree up to the Great Hall. Ron offered to help him do it. Just then, Draco Malfoy came up behind us, and he actually said-- well, let me give you the background.

Malfoy’s said some pretty nasty things to Harry lately. Ever since that Quidditch game, he’s been going ‘round telling everyone that a wide-mouthed tree frog would make a good replacement Seeker (you know, since Harry nearly swallowed the Snitch that time?) But the thing is, everyone’s so impressed that Harry stayed on his crazy broomstick that they don’t really care how he caught the Snitch. So they ignore the rubbishy insults and keep on praising Harry- which only makes Draco even crueler. He’s started taunting Harry about having no parents.

Gwen, you know what happened to the Potters. They were murdered by Voldemort.

Well it’s tragic! And Malfoy doesn’t care at all- he’s so jealous of Harry he’ll say anything to make him suffer. Today in Potions he was bothering him about it, something like, "I feel so sorry for those people who don’t have any parents to go home to over the holidays." Only he wasn’t a bit sorry. Hateful. I was so proud of Harry! He just measured out his powdered spine of lionfish, as cool as anything- and even Ron didn’t give him the satisfaction of saying anything back.

Yes- it just goes to show that by the end of Potions today, we were all completely fed up with Malfoy’s mouth. So yes, back to my story- Ron offered to help Hagrid with the tree, and that’s when Draco came up behind us. I guess he’s not getting enough joy out of just torturing Harry anymore, so he said something really bad to Ron. He saw Ron trying to help with the tree and said- oh, I can’t believe his nerve- "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose- that hut of Hagrid’s must seem like a palace compared to what your family’s used to."

Ron snapped. I don’t blame him. He dove for Malfoy, and Malfoy (coward) ducked him–and Professor Snape came around the corner from the classroom and caught him. Snape took five points off Gryffindor for fighting, of course, even though Hagrid told him that Ron was provoked. Snape’s such a.... well, he doesn’t care what’s fair, obviously; look what he tried to do to Harry. "Five points, Weasley, and just be glad it isn’t more." What a bad joke. We’ve got to find out what he’s trying to steal. We’ve got to prove to Dumbledore that he’s horrible. I wish he weren’t a teacher here. He ruins everything.

When Snape strolled off, Ron was so angry- "I’ll get him, one of these days I’ll get him," and Harry said "I hate them both- Malfoy and Snape." Well I hate them too. It’s not Harry’s fault he’s an orphan. It’s not Ron’s fault he’s poor. Who cares anyway? They’re wonderful people, and they shouldn’t have to put up with that kind of dirty teasing. I guess I’ll enjoy being home for a couple of weeks- just to be away from everything even remotely connected to Slytherin.

Things cheered up a bit after that, though. Hagrid took us to see all the decorations in the Great Hall. They’re amazing- magical bubbles, fairies, crackers that explode and give you actual presents instead of confetti.... my tree at home just won’t compare. Hagrid looked so proud of it. He really loves Hogwarts. I’m so fond of Hagrid- even if he won’t tell us anything else about Nicolas Flamel. He’s rather mad we’re still looking him up. But how else are we ever supposed to find out what Snape’s after?

We went to the library this afternoon. We had a half-hour free. We’re still at square one. It’s frustrating, especially since I’m leaving for the holidays today, and won’t have a chance to look up anything for two whole weeks. Harry almost made it into the Restricted Section today, but Madam Pince caught him. I’ll bet Flamel is in the Restricted Section. Otherwise I’m sure we’d have found him. Too bad we can’t just ask Madam Pince, but we all agreed no grown-ups, since we can’t risk Snape finding out what we’re up to.

I’m going in just a few minutes- back home, to the Muggle world. I told Harry and Ron to send me an owl post if they find anything about Flamel. I hope they’ll send a post anyway.

‘Bye, Gwen. Next time I open you, it’ll be in the Muggle World. ‘Bye, Hogwarts!

December 25

Merry Christmas, Gwen!

I got special permission from Professor McGonagall to exhibit my lessons for my parents. I was so pleased; she said, "Normally, Miss Granger, I wouldn’t let a student practice outside of our world- especially a first year student such as yourself. But you have shown consistent excellence in all your studies, and such dedication to the discipline of witchcraft that I consider you an exception." And then she drew up a list of spells I’m allowed to show them! It’s so funny to use a wand in front of Mum and Dad. They go wild for it, though.

For their Christmas presents, I did a presentation. I Transfigured feathers into quills for each of them, wrapped flowers ‘round Mum’s head, flew Dad’s telly remote over to his hand, and lit a giant Bluebell Flame in our fireplace. They loved it. They’re so proud of me! And as for my own presents, I got some Advanced Potions ingredients, a bottle of Invisible Ink, a music box that plays whatever song you tell it, a membership to the Magical Text of the Month Club (this month’s book: "Tears and Laughter; Practical Applications of Emotional Charmwork") a new robe, and Mum got me this stuff called "Sleekeazy’s Hair Potion" for my big bushy head. (It’s going right in the back of my trunk- I’ll never use it. Who cares about hair? Nice thought, though.) I also got some regular Muggle stuff I needed: good shoes, a thesaurus, and some lovely sachets for my bureau. Dad says I made out like a bandit.

It’s been such a nice Christmas. I hope Harry and Ron’s was nice, too. I got them candy. They got me candy. Guess it’s hard to think of what to get. But Mum and Dad are both enjoying the Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Frogs, so I guess it’s a good present after all.

I sent a note back to Hogwarts with a late owl- one got here during breakfast with my first Book of the Month. Guess it was too heavy. Anyway, my note said:

The reason I said that to Ron, about Flamel and my parents and everything, is that just before I left, he suggested I ask my parents if they knew anything about Flamel. "It’ll be safe to ask them," he said. "Very safe, as they’re both dentists," I said. Sometimes I just can’t resist giving back some of that smart mouth. (Mum says sarcasm is unbecoming to a lady, but then Mum doesn’t have to deal with Ron.)

Oh, I’ve got to go. Dad’s demanding that I fly his dinner over to the couch, and Mum’s giving him a Look.

‘Bye Gwen.

January 2

Dear Guinevere,

The holidays are over, but I don’t go back to Hogwarts quite yet.

I miss the library.

The library???

Yes. The library. And I miss classes- especially Charms. I thought I’d miss Transfiguration most, but it’s that flick of the wrist in Charms- I’m so good at it. And I miss my four-poster in Gryffindor Tower, and I miss the Fat Lady in the portrait hole. I even miss helping Neville with Potions. I just miss....

Oh, all right. I miss Harry and Ron. They sent an owl back, by the way. Here, I’ll copy it down for you:

And Harry wrote,

I didn’t know Ron could play chess. I can play chess. I’m rather good. The only one who can beat me is Dad. Can’t wait to get back to Hogwarts and have a game!

Hogwarts.... urgh, the holidays here are really over. Mum and Dad took the rest of my Cakes and Frogs away. They don’t want me having any more sugar. (Dentists.) That’s all right, I guess- I don’t need any more problems with these giant teeth I’ve got. I’ve already asked them if I can have Madam Pomfrey shrink my teeth by magic, but I got a great big "NO". They’re very open minded, but they want me to use regular braces. Bother.

I’m really looking forward to getting back. I wonder what the secret thing is that Harry got? And what did Ron mean about having one on Filch? I hope they’re not doing anything that could get them into trouble. (Right.)

Guess I’ll go skating. It takes my mind off school. I should do my final assignment. It’s a one and a half foot essay for Snape on "Secretus Potions: The Development of the Spontaneous Sweating Recipes" and we’re supposed to talk about who came up with it and why... but I just can’t. Schoolwork makes me miss Hogwarts even worse. It won’t be long now- it’s Friday and I go back Sunday- so why does it feel like forever?

Talk to you soon, Gwen.

January 4

Dear Gwen,

I am so happy to be back at Hogwarts! I’ll miss Mum and Dad, of course, but nothing compares to school. Nothing. I’m lying in my big four-poster, watching the snow fall out the window, feeling snug and warm as the sun goes down, just killing a bit of time before dinner... lovely. Of course after dinner will be a different story, as I am the only person who finished all of the holiday assignments, and now everybody wants to copy them off before term starts again tomorrow.

Well they can’t. I’m going to have a nice read by the fire, and put on ear muffs so I won’t have to listen to them whine.

I had a chance to chat with Harry and Ron- but barely. I think he and all the Weasleys were trying to throw as many snowballs as they could at each other before the holidays end. The Weasley twins have enchanted a couple of snowballs to follow around Professor Quirrell and hit him on the back of the turban. It shouldn’t be funny, really. (But it is. Defense Against the Dark Arts? He’s terrified of snowballs.) Anyhow, they told me what Harry’s secret present was. An Invisibility Cloak! Isn’t that marvelous? It used to belong to his dad. I think it’s the only thing of his that Harry’s got, and we don’t know who gave it to him. There was a note, but no signature.

Harry used it to sneak into the Restricted Section, late at night. I don’t know whether to be mad or glad- what if Filch had caught him! And he didn’t find Nicolas Flamel, so it wasn’t even worth the trouble. He did find something interesting, though. The Mirror of Erised. Apparently it shows you your heart’s deepest desire. Harry saw his family. (I nearly cried when he told me that. I wanted to hug him. It’s just desperate, his being an orphan. But I was calm. You can’t really go crying and hugging all over the place with boys. They don’t appreciate it.) Ron saw himself as Head Boy and Quidditch Captain. I guess his deepest desire is to be something, be noticed as somebody. I can imagine it must be hard, with all those older brothers to compete with. The thing is, though... I don’t know.... Ron doesn’t have to compete with his brothers. He’s his own person. (Why would he want to be Head Boy, anyway? Percy’ll probably be Head Boy, and Ron can’t stand Percy.)

I wonder what I would see if I looked in the Mirror of Erised? Ron said I’d probably see myself holding up my exam results with full marks. But I don’t know. I guess I have to think about that one. My heart’s deepest desire...

Mmmmmm.... you should smell that. Dinner! I’m off.

January 7

Gwen? Something’s happened.

No, no- nothing like that. Onlyjust.... well, I suppose it isn’t really anything, but....

Oh, hush. It’s Ron. He- he beat me at Wizard Chess. Really, really badly. I don’t think I’ve ever lost that badly. Not even to Dad. It’s... it’s thrown me for a loop.

Sure.

That’s what Harry said.

That’s what Ron said. And I’m not upset. I’m just... shocked. Ron’s so illogical about everything- so incredibly illogical. And all this time, he’s been faking it. He’s really smart. I don’t know what to think about it. I just sat there tonight and watched him play while he beat Harry, and all the time I was getting more and more antsy to play him myself, you know? Because I could see how good he was, and I knew it would be a challenge! I figured we’d be pretty evenly matched, but I knew I could beat him, no problem- I mean, his moves were smart, but they weren’t amazing or anything.

He was holding back with Harry, Gwen. He did not hold back with me. Ron Weasley is amazing at chess.

I don’t think I would have lost quite so badly if I hadn’t been so surprised. I will beat him next time.

That’s the spirit, dear.

Anyhow, it’s late, and I’ve got to get my things together for Astronomy. I can’t believe we have to go out there in this snow. I’d love to crawl into bed.... but the planets await. ‘Bye, Gwen.

January 21

Gwen! We did it! We found Nicolas Flamel!

Gwen!! That is not important! Snape is referee. That means he’ll be able to do whatever he likes to Harry’s broomstick- or he could curse the Bludgers- or anything awful. He’s never refereed a Quidditch match before, and I just know he’s only doing it so he’ll be in a position to murder Harry without any trouble. I told Harry not to play, to pretend to break his leg. Ron said "Really break your leg." Honestly. But Harry won’t back out, because there’s no reserve Seeker, and if he won’t fly, then Gryffindor will have to forfeit to Hufflepuff. Hufflepuff! As if we couldn’t beat them in about five seconds flat.

Splendid! Then he is going to play?

Poor Neville- he gets picked on so often. I told him to go right to Professor McGonagall. She seems stern, but in a situation like this, she can be wonderfully sensitive. But he won’t go- says he doesn’t want any more trouble. Ron told him to stand up for himself, and not to make it easy for Malfoy to be such a bully. But to that, Neville just said "There’s no need to tell me I’m not brave enough to be in Gryffindor. Malfoy’s done that already." Hang Malfoy. What a coward, attacking Neville away from everybody and then trying to make him feel even worse about it.

But if he hadn’t attacked him- oh, I feel just awful for saying this- but if he hadn’t attacked him, we might never have found Flamel. Here’s what went on:

Harry tried cheering Neville up by giving him his last Chocolate Frog and telling him "You’re worth twelve of Malfoy," which I thought was a really nice gesture. Neville tried to smile, but I’m sure he was going to cry because he hurried off a second later. As he was going, he gave Harry back the Wizard Card that came with the Frog, because Harry’s been collecting them all year. It was a Dumbledore card, which Harry turned over in his hand. And that’s when he saw it. The little summary on the back. It says "Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel"!!!!!!

So of course Snape wants it! Who wouldn’t? All the wealth you could dream of and eternal life, in one fell swoop- the Flamels are over six hundred years old- just think of all the damage Snape could do if he lived that long. It’s a nightmare. He just can’t find it. We have to convince Dumbledore, but we’ve got no proof of anything- maybe if we could provoke him into something nasty in Potions on Friday, and we have witnesses–

Yes, why?

Oh, not again. ‘Bye!

February 1

Hi, Gwen. Urgh.

I’m exhausted and sore. Harry’s at Quidditch practice. Every time he goes, Ron and I practice putting the Leg-Locker Curse on each other, so we’ll be ready to use it on Snape if he tries to attack Harry during the match. It happens to be one curse Ron’s very good at, so I’ve been falling over all morning. We always play a game of chess for it, and the winner gets to do the cursing. The loser has to get cursed. I’ve got to get better at chess. My backside is killing me. And Ron’s having far too much fun practicing- I’ve never seen him like this about his homework, but now it’s always "Want to practice, Hermione? C’mon, we have to get it perfect. You’re the one who says practice makes perfect." And if I won’t, he just puts the curse on me anyway, for fun.

The thing is, though, I can do the curse, too. And I’m the only one of us who’s bothered to learn the counter-curse. So right now, Ron’s bunny-hopping all around downstairs, because I refuse to unlock him.

Ha, ha, ha. ‘Bye.

Gwen.... do you know what day this is?

Shall I tell you the short version, or the long?

Well, it was an extremely short game, but I’ll stretch out the details as best I can. Ron and I left Harry outside the locker room, wondering if we’d ever see him again after Snape got through with him. But we were armed. I was so nervous that I kept reminding Ron that the Leg-Locker curse is "Locomotor Mortis", (as if he doesn’t know.) But he just shoved his wand up his sleeve and said "Don’t nag." I think he was still a bit sore about being locked up all last Sunday. But we didn’t need the curse after all. We met up with Neville, climbed into the stands, and saw a silver beard glinting in the sun, which could only mean one thing–

Professor Dumbledore!! He’d come to the match! I knew Snape wouldn’t dare hurt Harry in front of Dumbledore, so Harry was safe. Maybe that’s why Snape looked so extra-mean. All the Slytherins, in fact, were in a rather foul mood. Especially Malfoy. He came along with his two idiot bully friends, Crabbe and Goyle, and poked Ron in the back of the head. He was saying something about placing bets on how long it would be before Harry fell off his broomstick this game. But Ron ignored him, because the game was starting, and we both of us had our eyes pinned on Harry.

First thing, Fred Weasley knocked a Bludger at Professor Snape, (on purpose? We’ll never know), so Snape gave Hufflepuff a penalty shot, which made no sense at all. They put it right past our Keeper, Oliver Wood, who looked like he might have sworn. Ten to zero, Hufflepuff. Harry was circling for a sign of the Snitch.

Then, Angelina Johnson snagged the Quaffle! She cut fairly past the Hufflepuff Seeker, who was circling up to Harry and blocking her way. She passed the Quaffle off to Katie Bell–but not before Snape had blown the whistle and awarded another penalty shot to Hufflepuff! The call was that Angelina’s cut off was a foul block- which it was not. But that didn’t stop Diggory from putting another one past Wood, who did swear this time, so loudly that we could all hear him in the stands. Professor McGonagall took the microphone from Lee Jordan, and called up "Language, Wood!" Lee took the microphone back and said, "Yes, Wood, yes, it’s the best language to describe this travesty!" Everyone cheered but the Slytherins- I even saw Professor Dumbledore grinning over at him. At that point, Prof. M. said something to Jordan that sounded like "Do you want this job?" and Jordan went back to the normal commentary.

Meanwhile, in the stands, Malfoy still hadn’t given up trying to get a rise out of Ron. He is so low. He said, in that sniveling little voice of his, "You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team? It’s people they feel sorry for. See, there’s Potter, who’s got no parents, then there’s the Weasleys, who’ve got no money–you should be on the team, Longbottom- you’ve got no brains."

I’ve never been so proud of anybody as I was when Neville turned around and said, "I’m worth twelve of you, Malfoy." And Ron felt the same as I did, because he said, "You tell him, Neville." Of course Malfoy laughed with his ugly bat-brained friends- they don’t understand what it means to have courage- and then he said "Longbottom, if brains were gold you’d be poorer than Weasley, and that’s saying something." I tell you, Gwen, I am sick of him going on about Ron being poor. Draco’s rich, all right, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a useless, self-centered, bragging, two-faced, pointy-looking–

Right. And Ron was trying so hard not to give in to him- I mean, he was watching Harry play, for heaven’s sake. He just said, "I’m warning you, Malfoy- one more word"– without taking his eyes off the match.

The game had begun again, Hufflepuff in possession- but not for long- George and Fred Weasley each smacked a Bludger into their trio of Chasers, who flew apart and left the Quaffle for Alicia Spinnet–

But there was no need for our Chasers just then! Harry had gone into a sudden and spectacular dive! Everyone gasped and the Gryffindor stands began to cheer like mad--

I jumped up with all my fingers crossed and half of them stuck in my mouth. Ron was whooping beside me. Neville was in a state of half shock. But of course Malfoy ruined the moment–"You’re in luck, Weasley. Potter’s obviously spotted some money on the ground!" It was one insult too many.

Ron was on top of him in an instant, and had him on the ground. And Neville actually jumped over the back of his seat and started to help wrestle him! If Malfoy didn’t have those trolls, Crabbe and Goyle, then he would have been in serious trouble, but they pulled Neville off and started pounding him. At that point, the whole lot of them sort of rolled under the seats, tearing each other apart, and I gave up on them. I was watching the Snitch! I was standing on my seat, screaming "Come on, Harry!" He was shooting right toward Snape! If Snape had reached out his arm even a little bit, he could have tripped the broom and sent it spinning- but Harry was too quick- he bolted past him by inches- and a foot from the ground he stopped, pivoted, and threw his fist up in the air–holding the Snitch!

Five minutes. It was a record, I think. No one’s ever caught the Snitch that fast. The team swooped down on him and carried him off the field, raised high! Professor Dumbledore even went over to him and said something, smiling- while Snape spat on the ground. I was hugging Parvati Patil in the row in front, jumping up and down and yelling at Ron to get up and look, which he finally did. We waved madly at Harry until he was off the field. It was a marvelous victory.

Of course! Tell the world how Harry’s the best Seeker Hogwarts has ever seen!

Once the noise died down, I looked over at Ron for the first time since the game had started. His nose was bleeding all over the place and he looked disgusting, but extremely happy; not only because Harry had won the match, but because Malfoy was limping away from us with a huge black eye. Then I noticed that Crabbe and Goyle had left Neville on the ground unconscious. So Ron got Neville’s head and I got his feet, and we carried him all the way to the hospital wing together. He’s still out cold, but Madam Pomfrey says he’ll be fine tomorrow.

What a great game! Gryffindor is so close- we could win the house cup for the first time in seven years! Harry’s still in the locker rooms, and Ron’s cleaning up his nose, but when they get back we’re going to have the biggest celebration this common room has ever seen- and I’m not going to say one word to them about the "History of Flux: Changeling Goblins" assignment until tomorrow!

Yes, I think so. Wait a minute. Gwen, was that meant to be sarcastic?

Humph. Cheeky.

February 8

Wretched news.

Last night, when Harry went to put his Nimbus back in the broom-shed, he spotted Snape skulking into the Forbidden Forest. So he hopped on his broom and followed him right in. Normally I’d be really furious- that’s so dangerous!- but this time I forgave him, as he found out something we’d never have known.

Snape was meeting Professor Quirrell in there. Harry heard him asking Quirrell how to get past Fluffy- you know, that three-headed dog in the forbidden corridor?- and how to get past some kind of "hocus-pocus". From what Harry heard, and from what we could figure out, it seems that there are enchantments guarding the Sorcerer’s Stone, as well as Fluffy. Quirrell must have done the enchantments- he is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professional, after all- and Snape was threatening Quirrell to tell him how to break through them.

All I can say is, if the only thing guarding that Stone is Quirrell, we’re in trouble. He’s no match for Snape. We simply have to find out how much more he knows... But how, Gwen?

I’m exhausted just from thinking about it. I don’t know what we’re going to do. If Hagrid doesn’t believe us, nobody else will.

What? Oh, that. Thanks. But it won’t matter much about Quidditch if Snape gets his hands on that Stone- or on Harry.

I am. I’m going to bed to think about this. ‘Night.

February 14

Dear Gwen,

I woke up this morning, and Parvati Patil was dressed all in pink under her robes. It seemed like a bit much, even for Parvati–and then I remembered. It’s Valentine’s Day. I hadn’t even thought about it. She was putting little pink heart earrings in her ears and giggling. She had my music box playing "Goin’ to the Chapel." I shut it off, but she just got even gigglier. She said, "What, aren’t you happy it’s Valentine’s Day?" I said, "Why, should I be?" And she said, "Well, I thought at least you’d have cards for Harry and Ron."

Well Gwen, I was just shocked. Cards for Harry and Ron? I can just see it; "Gee.... thanks, Hermione." "Hermione, that’s sick! Get that away from me!" Honestly. How embarrassing.

I told Parvati, "Not a chance." And she said, "Well, what’s the point of spending all your time with a bunch of boys, then?" I said, "They’re my friends, Parvati." And she said, "Fine, suit yourself. I’m giving cards to everyone, and having a holiday of it."

She did, too. And I was right- Harry just sort of stuffed his in a notebook, and Ron drop kicked his out the window. They both looked at me like they were scared I was going to go next. But I just ignored the whole thing. They were relieved, I think, that I didn’t try anything stupid.

We ended up playing chess in the common room all afternoon when Harry got back from practice, because it was too icy to do anything outside. Ron said he’d play winner, so I went ahead and beat Harry, and ended up playing Ron. I’m really getting much better, Gwen. He looked a bit worried, and kept telling everyone around us to keep it down so he could concentrate. I think I’d have beaten him this time, if it weren’t for Lavender Brown.

Lavender came over, out of the blue, and she pinched me! I said, "What’s wrong with you? Can’t you see I’m concentrating?" She said, "It’s Valentine’s Day and you’re not wearing any pink, so you get a pinch!" I said, "That’s for St. Patrick’s Day, Lavender. You pinch people for not wearing any green." She just giggled, dropped cards on Harry and Ron, and skipped off.

They didn’t even open the cards. Ron looked at me and said, "I’m so glad you’re not a girl, Hermione."

I lost pretty quickly after that. I couldn’t think straight. I am too a girl. Maybe Parvati’s right. What’s the point of hanging out with a bunch of boys, anyway?

And the stupidest thing is this- after we’d practiced our Sealing Charms for an hour, and gone over Transfiguring a candle into a thermos half a dozen times, I gathered up all my schoolbooks to go up to the girls’ dormitory. As I was walking off, Ron pinched me really hard on my arm and said, "No pink- hah!" and went off upstairs.

Idiot holiday.

February 28

Gwen,

I’m so sorry. I know it’s been two weeks, but I’m knee deep in studies. Exams are coming up.

It’s March tomorrow. Exams are in less than three months. I’ve been color coding my notes, trying to arrange study schedules week by week. I should have started studying a month ago! All this trouble with Snape and Professor Quirrell- it’s really interfering with my education. Even if Snape does find the Sorcerer’s Stone, he won’t live very long if I find out I’ve failed first year. These exams are so important for passing into second- and I simply have to get the best marks, or I’ll never be able to convince Professor McGonagall to let me add extra classes to my course schedule next term. I’m very busy.

Snape still hasn’t got that Stone- we know because whenever any of us goes by the third floor corridor, we listen at the door. Fluffy’s still growling away in there. I never thought that’d be a comforting sound, but it is now.

Poor Professor Quirrell- Snape must really be digging into him- he looks pale, and tired, and thin, he stutters more than ever (Ron’s started telling off anybody who makes fun of him for it,) and he’s even more jumpy than he was, if that’s possible. I feel just awful for being so hard on him before. I’d be jumpy, too, if I had Snape breathing down my neck.

Now, let’s see. If I put a good study session in four times a week, two being on the weekend, and split them up by class session.... I’ll still have plenty of time for my regular class-work, don’t you think? I don’t envy Harry, having to practice Quidditch on top of all this. I’d better make him a schedule, too, so he won’t fall behind. Come to think of it, I’ll just make one for Ron as well. And Neville. Oh, how will I manage all this in less than three months?

I need all new highlighters, to do this properly. My yellow one is dead. I need to have Flying Lessons really yellow, so I can see them apart from Herbology sessions, which are green. And I can use the blue for Astrology and the pink for Charms... what’ll I use for Transfiguration? Orange for Potions. Maybe just leave Transfiguration blank, and outline it really dark.

Oh, Gwen, on Saturdays do you think I should do Defense Against the Dark Arts, or History of Magic- or should I just do them on alternating Saturdays? But that’ll never be enough- maybe I should do Herbology on Saturdays–

Can’t. Got to start on this Potions essay, or I won’t be done by four, and that’s when I’ve scheduled my first Astronomy Notes Session. I’m going to learn all the moons, and at least twenty major constellations, plus do flashcards.

Talk to you when I can!

March 7

Gwen- in a rush- just an update.

Snape doesn’t have the Stone. Quirrell must be tougher than we thought. Maybe it helps that we smile at him a lot, and try to bolster him up in classes.

Harry and Ron don’t appreciate my study schedules. They say I’ve gone off the deep end. They think ten weeks is a very long time, and they get crabby every time I try to take them to the library.

Neville, on the other hand, loves his schedule, and is following it very nicely. I won’t be a bit surprised if he has better marks than Harry and Ron.

I am keeping up. Barely. Easter holidays are in two weeks, and I’ll really need that week to study. I’m not even going home.

Hope all is well with you?

Great. ‘Bye.

March 17

Just popping in for the holiday, Gwen. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I am wearing a lot of green. There isn’t going to be any pinching of any kind.

Got to study. See you soon.

March 29

Hi, Gwen! Happy Easter!

What?

Oh... well, this past week we were on holiday, and I’ve gotten so much accomplished that I’ve given myself today free. I’ve got my wand movements perfect, memorized the twelve uses of dragon’s blood, completed all my class-work, gotten through all my notes for History of Magic up through the Medieval Period, Transfigured a mouse into a snuffbox without any trouble–

Hermione, if you’ve given yourself a day off, then take it.

You’re right. It is Easter, after all. My Mum and Dad don’t celebrate it, but the Weasleys certainly do- Mrs. Weasley sent an enormous box of huge chocolate eggs- for Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry- and for me! I guess Ron must’ve written home about me, or Mrs. Weasley wouldn’t have thought to send me one, too. I thought it was so nice of her to remember Harry as well, since he’s got no parents to do that kind of thing for him.

Snape still hasn’t got the Stone, by the way. But I’m trying to take a day off from thinking about that, too.

Today was a lot warmer than it has been lately- not really fine, but nice enough. We got outside, and Harry let us each have a turn on his Nimbus Two Thousand. Even Neville. Flying is part of our exams, but I tried not to think of it as practice. I tried just to enjoy it. I’m not a very good flier, but I’ve improved a lot this year, and it’s much easier on Harry’s nice broom than it is on the old Cleansweeps we use for class. Neville even managed a good circle around the Quidditch field before he let me have a turn.

I went up nicely, but hovered. I have a lot of trouble really maneuvering on a broomstick. Harry and Ron kept shouting out instructions, and Harry did an impression of Professor McGonagall that was perfect- I couldn’t help laughing- "I cannot impress upon you enough the importance of leaning forward, Miss Granger! If you do not lean forward, you simply will not see any improvement in your speed!" He had his hands on his hips and everything. Ron sounded more like Madam Hooch- "Up, Granger- up- up! Nice and easy! Now lean left- that’s it, now sit back a bit- there! See how that feels? Now forward, Granger, move! Right!" By the time I came down, I felt like I’d been put through a Quidditch workout.

It sounds like a wonderful time.

Do you know something, Gwen? It really was. Mmmmmm, I’m yawning.

‘Night, Gwen!

April 11

Progress, Gwen! Progress on the Sorcerer’s Stone!

We were in the library, the three of us, doing our Herbology Study Session, (and I had a time of it making he two of them study today, let me tell you It was a perfectly gorgeous day out- just like summer. It killed me to be indoors, too, but Herbology’s going to include a very important practical exam!) Anyway, Hagrid came in. None of us had ever seen Hagrid in the library, so naturally we were curious as to why he was there. He wouldn’t tell us anything- - not about why he was there, or the Sorcerer’s Stone, which of course we asked about. But it was Hagrid’s own fault- he brought it up.

He wanted to know if we were still looking up Nicolas Flamel. Ron started hollering that we’d known about Flamel for ages, plus we know that Fluffy’s guarding a Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry joined him, asking Hagrid about what’s guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy. Hagrid looked panicked- students aren’t supposed to know anything about any of this. Just to hush us up, he told us if we wanted to talk about it, we’d have to come down to his cabin and do it privately. "I’m not promisin’ anythin’, mind," he told us. But I knew I could get him to talk.

We had another two hours of study session before we could go down to see him. Ron was sick of studying- big surprise- so he went to see what section of the library Hagrid had been in. It was all books about dragons, Gwen! He’d been looking up things on dragon keeping, and their care, and all of that. But Ron said that dragon breeding was outlawed at the Warlocks’ Convention of 1709 "everybody knows that". (Honestly. He can’t remember a single date for the Goblin Invasions we’ve got to learn for History of Magic, but he can spout right off about the Warlocks’ Convention of 1709. If these exams were on dragons, chess, and Quidditch, Ron would have the best marks of everybody.) We cut our study session short by an hour to go and see what on earth Hagrid could be up to.

He’s got a dragon egg in his fire, Gwen. He’s tending to it so it’ll hatch properly. I mean, that is so against the law, not to mention that dragons breathe fire, and Hagrid lives in a wooden house. I tried to tell him that, but would he listen? No; he loves his pets too much to care. His pets!! First Fluffy, now this dragon egg. Plus that enormous dog he’s got, Fang. Can’t he just get a cat? He won the egg off some stranger in a pub. I can’t believe he’d actually think of trying to raise it, right here at Hogwarts. Does he think Dumbledore won’t notice? It’s a dragon, for heaven’s sakes. But, well, that’s Hagrid for you.

Oh, yes, we’ve got information about that. Harry asked Hagrid to tell us what’s guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy. Hagrid said not only wouldn’t he tell us, but he couldn’t. Apparently he doesn’t know any more about what enchantments are in the way than we do. But I went about it a different way. I used my most flattering tone of voice. I said to Hagrid that I was sure he knew all about it, because he knows everything that goes on ‘round here, and since Dumbledore trusts him so much, I just knew he must at least have some idea of who set the enchantments that are guarding the Stone. I warmed him right up, and it worked like a charm. Sometimes you just have to be a girl, you know? No matter what certain people might think about girls, we’ve got a whole separate kind of magic. Hagrid told us everything.

There are enchantments guarding the Stone. Here’s who set them: Professors Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell, Dumbledore, and Snape.

Snape. Which means he was in on the guarding. Which means he knows all the enchantments. Quirrell must have set some Dark Arts one that he can’t crack, and otherwise, his way is free and clear! Except for Fluffy- Hagrid says that only he and Dumbledore know how to get past Fluffy. At least that’s something.

All this to worry about- plus Hagrid’s dragon egg- plus exams! I wish there were some way to make more hours in the day. I really need them. Oh, Gwen.

Goodnight.

April 16

Gwen, the dragon hatched!

This morning, when the owl post came at breakfast, Hagrid sent us a note that just said "It’s hatching." Ron and Harry wanted to skip class and go right down, but I said we had to wait ‘til break. "Hermione, how many times in our lives are we going to see a dragon hatching?" But I told Ron that classes are important, not to mention we could get into trouble, which is nothing in comparison to the trouble Hagrid’s going to be in when someone finds out what he’s---

Harry cut me off in the middle of my speech. He’d seen Malfoy listening to us, and Malfoy was grinning. Oh, how I hoped he hadn’t heard anything! Drat Ron for yelling. I didn’t want Malfoy knowing about Hagrid and the dragon- he’ll just get us all into trouble.

Ron and I bickered all the way to Herbology. It’s so juvenile, the way we go at it, but I can’t help it. This is what we sound like:

"He’d never have heard us, Ron, if you hadn’t been shouting."

"I wouldn’t have had to shout if you hadn’t been nagging!"

"It’s not nagging to say that classes are important. They are. Exams are very soon!"

"Oh, exams, exams- I’m sick of you and your exams."

"They’re your exams, too, Ron."

"Oh, shut it."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, OH, SHUT"–

And then there’s poor Harry, trying to stop us:

"Come on, both of you- now, Hermione- oh, come off it, Ron- I’m serious- look, would you cut it out?"

So we did. But then Ron started whining and pouting, which I can’t take.

"Oh, come on, Hermione, let’s go to Hagrid’s? It’ll be fun. I want to see it. Don’t you want to see it, Harry? It’ll be so cool, I swear- I can write Charlie all about it. And Norwegian Ridgebacks are rare, Hermione, really rare- you’ll be glad you went- I know you, you like rare stuff. Please? Please? Please?"

So we went to Hagrid’s, at our first break. And it was rather... cool. Interesting thing to see, really. But I’m sure dragons grow very quickly, and I want Hagrid to get rid of it as soon as possible. Especially since there was someone spying on us through the window the whole time it was hatching.

Malfoy. He knows.

Hagrid’s got to give up that dragon, or we’re all going to get kicked out of Hogwarts, I just know it. But Hagrid thinks it’s a helpless little baby or something. When it hatched, he actually said, "Bless him, he knows his mommy!" He’s mad.

I’ll let you know when something else happens.

April 22

Gwen, the dragon is three times bigger. Hagrid’s calling it Norbert and playing peek-a-boo with it- "Norbert, where’s mommy? Where’s mommy?" Ron says he’s lost his marbles, and for once, we agree.

At least we know what we’re going to try and do. Ron’s brother Charlie works with dragons in Romania. We’ve just sent him an owl to see if he can come take Norbert out of here. It took us all week to convince Hagrid to do this- all our free time has been spent at his hut, trying to make him come to his senses. I’ve lost so much study time, I’ll never make it up.

I hope Charlie writes that he’ll take Norbert. Malfoy could go to a teacher any day now.

More soon, I promise.

April 29

Charlie will take the dragon. He sent a letter. Some friends of his are going to come to the top of the tallest astronomy tower at midnight on Saturday. It’s out of bounds except for class, so Harry and Ron are going to use the Invisibility Cloak to sneak Norbert up there. Hagrid’s already crying about losing him. I’d feel sorry for Hagrid if I weren’t so scared they’re going to be caught. Or if I weren’t so worried that Norbert will get free and scorch them. Or if I didn’t have so much homework to catch up on.

Actually, I don’t feel a bit sorry for Hagrid. I’m mad at him. All this trouble for everybody- why did he have to try and raise a dragon in the first place?

Oh, yes I do feel sorry for him. It’s awful to see Hagrid cry. I’m going down to his hut to see if he’s all right. ‘Bye.

April 30

Norbert bit Ron yesterday. His hand is twice its normal size, which means now I’ve got to help Harry get Norbert up that tower on Saturday night. Ron says his hand feels like it’s going to fall off. Horrible dragon. When it bit him, Hagrid told Ron off for scaring it! Horrible Hagrid. (Well, not really. But this is all very frustrating.)

Even worse is this- Malfoy went to visit Ron in the hospital wing, pretending that he wanted to borrow a book. What he really wanted to do was threaten to tell Madam Pomfrey what really bit Ron’s hand. Ron’s been telling her it was a dog, and she’s already suspicious, so he just shoved a book at Malfoy and told him to get lost.

But Gwen, Charlie’s letter was in that book. Now Malfoy knows all about our plan to meet on the tower. Ron just about lost it when he realized what he’d done- but Harry and I tried to keep calm. After all, Malfoy doesn’t know about the Invisibility Cloak. We still might be able to pull this off. And anyway, what choice do we have? Hagrid can’t keep Norbert, and we don’t have time to send Charlie another owl.

I’ll tell you how we manage after Saturday.

Well, actually it’s May 3^rd. It’s one-thirty in the morning on Sunday. But it doesn’t matter what day it is, or what time, because my life is over. Over.

Oh, Norbert’s just fine. Off having a great time in Romania by now. We dragged him from sobbing Hagrid to the top of the tower, got him into the harness Charlie’s friends had brought, and saw him off safely. Yes, Norbert’s gone. It’s us. We got caught.

Malfoy.

Foul, evil, malevolent. I despise him. He’s ruined my life. Ruined. My. Life.

No, listen. It is. It’s that bad. When we were carrying Norbert up, covered with the Invisibility Cloak, we saw Professor McGonagall dragging Malfoy down from the tower. She was in her hairnet and bathrobe, looking furious, telling him off for being out of bed so late. He tried to convince her about us, and the dragon, and everything- but she thought he was just lying, so she gave him a detention.

It was too good to be true. Malfoy in detention! I told Harry I was so happy I could sing! He said, "Don’t." We laughed about it when we got up there, thought we were so clever, so funny. When Charlie’s friends took Norbert, we were so relieved! We ran back down the tower stairway- we couldn’t wait to tell Ron everything.

Filch met us at the bottom of that stairway.

We’d forgotten to put the Invisibility Cloak back on.

Oh, yes. And he took us to Professor McGonagall’s office. Where we waited. Just waited. Couldn’t speak. Thought I’d faint. How could we have been so stupid? How, how, how? And then- do you think this could get any worse, Gwen?

Guess again. When Professor McGonagall finally came in, she had Neville by the ear. He said, "Harry! I was trying to find you- to warn you- I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, and he said you had a drag"---

Oh, yes. Professor McGonagall, luckily, still does not believe we had a dragon. She thinks we made it up to get Malfoy out of bed and into trouble. She accused us of thinking it was funny that Neville got caught up in it, too. Poor Neville. He was sincerely trying to help us, and now he thinks we were trying to have a joke on him. I feel worse about that than anything.

That’s a lie. I feel the worst about the points.

Ten! I only wish it were. She took fifty.

Fifty each. One hundred fifty points from Gryffindor. Plus detention. Plus the humiliation of hearing her say that she’d never been so disgusted with students in her life. "And you, Miss Granger. I thought you had more sense." After she called me an exception, and let me practice magic at home! Now she hates me.

Everyone is going to hate me. All of Gryffindor. They’ll hate all of us. A hundred and fifty points- gone. We were winning, too. Now we’ll have no hope. Now Slytherin will win. Everybody’s going to kill us.

I’ve never been so scared of tomorrow. I wish I didn’t have to wake up in the morning. I never want to look anyone in the eye ever, ever again. Neville cried all the way back to Gryffindor Tower. I’m going to cry myself to sleep right now. My life at Hogwarts is over. I’ve never been in so much trouble in my whole life. What will Mum and Dad think of me?

No, don’t. Don’t try to make me feel better. I deserve this. I’m going to kill Hagrid. I hate dragons. I hate Filch. I hate Malfoy. I hate... myself. How could we have left that cloak? I’ll never forgive myself. Never, never, never.

I feel nauseated. I think I’m going to be sick.

May 9

Hi, Gwen.

Life goes on, but it’s awful. I’m glad exams are so soon. It doesn’t give me much time to think about the fact that things are miserable.

It’s worst for Harry, because he’s famous. People keep yelling out at him in the halls for losing all those points. Neville and I might not be famous, but they know us well enough not to speak to us- and not just the Gryffindors, either. All the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws are ignoring us, too. Everybody wanted to see Slytherin lose the House Cup. Now they’ll probably win. I can’t even blame everybody for being so mean. I wanted Slytherin to lose more than anybody.

Ron’s standing by us, and people are giving him the cold shoulder by association. He says it should have been him up there. I think he feels really badly that I got in so much trouble. He and Harry don’t seem to mind being in trouble quite as much as I do. He keeps telling Harry not to worry- that Fred and George have lost loads of points since they’ve come to Hogwarts. But they’ve never lost a hundred and fifty in one go, so that doesn’t help much. Harry says he’s resolved never to interfere in anything ever again- he feels just awful about the points- even went to try to resign from the Quidditch team. But their captain said that would only make things worse, because then Gryffindor wouldn’t be in the running for the Quidditch Cup, either. I can imagine practice must just be suffering for Harry, though. He says they won’t even call him by name anymore- just refer to him as "the Seeker".

My one consolation is that, having no social life, I’ve got plenty of time to catch up on my studies. We al three spend hours and hours on our work now. Harry and Ron don’t even complain when I want to haul off to the library. They say they might as well, since they haven’t got anything better to do.

Still, it’s depressing. I wish we could get back those points- do something incredible- but what? We’re never going to figure out what to do about the Sorcerer’s Stone. And anyway, Harry’s right. We shouldn’t ever interfere with these kinds of things again. We should have gone straight to Dumbledore when we saw that dragon egg. I’ve certainly learned my lesson.

I’m off. Time for studies. We’re going to drill all the Charms we’ve learned this year. Harry’s going to get that wrist-flick if it’s the last thing I do. Talk to you soon.

May 17

Hello, Gwen. I’m feeling low. We’ve got to serve our detention in an hour. We got notes this morning from Professor McGonagall saying that Harry, Neville, Malfoy and I all have to meet Filch in the entrance hall at eleven. I can’t imagine what he wants us for in the middle of the night, but it can’t be good. Oh well. Maybe if he tortures us, everyone will feel sorry, and ease up on the silent treatment a little.

Snape’s practically got the Stone, by the way. Yesterday, Harry heard Professor Quirrell sobbing through a classroom door, saying "No, please, not again," and then, "All right, all right," as if he was giving in. So that’s it. Snape knows how to break whatever enchantment Quirrell set up, and now all that’s stopping him is Fluffy. Ron wanted to try and stop him ourselves, and I thought we should go to Dumbledore, but Harry says we’re in enough trouble as it is, plus we’ve got no proof. It’s true. I hate to let it go, when we’ve done so much work... but we don’t have any choice. So Snape will get rich and live forever. A perfect end to a perfect year.

Detention. I can’t believe I’ve got detention. And with Malfoy. I’m never breaking the rules ever again.

May 18

Detention was amazing! I’ll never recover. Oh, Gwen, wait ‘til I tell you!

Well that sounds a bit more like it.

I know, I’ve been a little depressed.

But I’m not now- I’m anxious and excited and... exhausted. Gwen, I was up ‘til five-thirty this morning.

Listen and I’ll tell you. It’s long and complicated. First, we met Filch in the entrance hall and he dragged us outside to walk us to our detention. He was giving us a talking-to, and enjoying every minute of it. He loves to have students in trouble. If nobody ever broke the rules, I don’t know what he’d do for fun. He says he still keeps chains oiled in his basement in case they ever let the old punishments come back. Awful, awful. He told us we’d learn our lesson the hard way, though, because we would be doing our detention in the Forbidden Forest.

There are creatures in there, Gwen. Like werewolves. Neville went ahead and started whimpering. Malfoy looked and sounded very unlike himself- lost his cool a bit, I imagine. But Harry and I felt a lot better when we realized who was to be going with us.

Hagrid, thank goodness! Filch took us to Hagrid’s cabin, dropped us off, and said he’d be back later for what was left of us. Honestly, I think if we’d died, he’d have done a jig on the spot. But Hagrid told him to quit lecturing us and get back up to the castle. And then we found out what we were going to be doing.

We had to go into the forest because something has been killing unicorns, and Hagrid needed help to find an injured one, quickly enough to either rescue it, or put it out of its misery. Malfoy tried to give Hagrid a hard time about going into the forest, saying it was "servant stuff"-- but Hagrid just told him if he wanted to skip detention and be expelled, he was welcome to go back up to the castle and start packing. Harry and I looked at each other. Wouldn’t that be nice? But of course Malfoy didn’t go anywhere. Just kept muttering on about how his father would have something to say about it.

Then Hagrid showed us the unicorn’s silvery blood on the ground, and we started to follow the trail of it. I’ve never felt so terrified in my life. Hagrid said that whatever was doing this must be something powerfully evil and quick to kill a unicorn, and I certainly did not want to meet it. Malfoy obviously agreed with me, because he said, "What if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?" But I was glad he was the one who said it, because he sounded like a scaredy-cat.

We came to a fork in the path. Neville, Malfoy and Fang went one way- Harry, Hagrid and I the other. Hagrid told them to keep to the path, and to send up green sparks if they found the unicorn, red ones if there was any danger. Poor Neville looked like he’d send up red sparks right then and there, and I didn’t blame him a bit- going off into those woods with Malfoy is about the worst thing I can think of. But he grabbed onto Fang’s collar, and let himself be dragged away.

For my part, I tried to wedge myself in between Harry and Hagrid, who told us that nothing would hurt us so long as we were with either him or Fang- but this was hard to believe a moment later, when we heard a horrible, slithering noise right near us. I’d never heard anything like that, and obviously Hagrid hadn’t either, because he yanked Harry and me behind a tree and said "Somethin’s in here that shouldn’ be." Whatever it was, it snaked off too fast for us to figure it out. It was fast, and unfamiliar, and I could tell Hagrid thought that it was what had killed the unicorns.

I know. And then, while we were behind the tree, we heard another noise coming at us, Hagrid fitted an arrow into his crossbow and called out for it to identify itself. For a moment, I thought he was going to leap out and shoot it- but it’s a good thing he didn’t. Gwen, it was a centaur! Can you believe it?

Er- no. We have regular animals where I’m from, not magical creatures. He was beautiful! His name was Ronan, and he had red hair, and a beard, and was a man to the waist, but with the body and legs of a chestnut steed.

Well honestly, Gwen, it might be old hat to you, but I was amazed. What a gallant looking person- or creature?- he was. Anyway, Hagrid introduced us, and Ronan asked if we were learning anything up at school. And I thought, what a funny question. Here I am, a witch, in the middle of a Forbidden Forest, standing next to a wizard, and a centaur wants to know if we’re learning anything up at school. Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to be sure I’m awake, and this is really my life.

But back to Hagrid- he asked Ronan about the strange creature and the unicorns- wanted to know if he’d seen anything unusual lately. Ronan was not very helpful, I must say. He went on about the forest holding many secrets, and Mars being "unusually bright". I thought it was very evasive. And then another centaur named Bane came along, and Hagrid asked him the same questions. But Bane just said what Ronan did- "Mars is unusually bright tonight." What on earth is that supposed to mean? Hagrid didn’t get it either, because when the centaurs left he looked confused, and called them "ruddy stargazers". I think I rather agree with him- but I’m going to look up all my Astronomy notes on Mars and see if I can’t figure something out.

We walked on a little farther, and then I nearly jumped out of my skin-- I grabbed Hagrid’s arm and pointed across the trees-- Neville and Malfoy were sending up red sparks! Hagrid told us to stay put, and ran off to get them out of trouble. I asked Harry if he thought they’d been hurt- more for the sake of making conversation than anything else. It was awful standing there in the dark, surrounded by goodness only knows what, without Hagrid to look after us. He said that he didn’t care if Malfoy was injured, but if anything had happened to Neville.... after all, it was our fault he was out there in the first place. I felt my stomach turn very icy while we waited. What if something had happened to Neville?

Here’s what happened to Neville- Malfoy thought it would be a great joke to sneak up from behind and grab him. He was startled, and sent up red sparks.

Yes. Ha, ha. Wretched Malfoy. How I hate him. Hagrid kept Neville with us after that, and sent Harry off "with Fang an’ this idiot." I was glad he called him that. If Malfoy is anything, he’s an idiot. And Harry is much better equipped to deal with his stupidity than Neville is, so they went off, and I let Neville get between Hagrid and me. Seeing how shaken up he was, I felt a lot braver. I tried to calm him down a bit while we walked on. But after about a quarter of an hour, when we still hadn’t found the unicorn, and Neville’s breathing had gotten extremely irregular, Hagrid reckoned we’d better turn back and try the other direction.

We turned and started back toward Harry and Malfoy. At this point, Neville was repeating "I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay," in a low voice, without stopping, but I had gotten used to the idea of being in the forest and was finally starting to relax.

That is, until Malfoy came screaming toward us with Fang, looking totally white with fear. Normally I’d’ve enjoyed seeing him look like such a baby, but at the moment all I could think of was "Where’s Harry?" Malfoy couldn’t speak- just pointed behind him and started to shake worse than Neville. Hagrid grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him six feet off the ground. "Where is he?" he growled. Malfoy started stammering, "The unicorn-- blood-- revolting-- Harry was behind me-- don’t know where he is-- let go, you great oaf-- get me out of here!" He wriggled away from Hagrid, dropped to the ground, ran to a tree and backed against it, looking around him very wildly. Neville surprised me by going up to him and saying calmly, "It’s okay, Draco. We’ve got Fang. They can go get Harry, and you and I will go back up to the castle."

Hagrid clapped Neville on the back, said "Right," and then he ran to catch me up. I had already started running in the direction Malfoy had been pointing, with my wand out. "Can’t believe he left him," Hagrid was panting. "He’s a coward," I said. "I’m not surprised at all." Not surprised, maybe, but very, very panicked. "Hagrid, you don’t think Harry"--- "He’s FINE," he said. He sounded like he was trying to believe it.

He was fine. Thank goodness, Gwen. We almost ran smack into him- he was on the back of another centaur, looking very strange. He said he was all right. He told Hagrid the unicorn was dead in the clearing behind him. Hagrid ran to find the unicorn, and Harry slid off the centaur’s back. I overheard it say, "Good luck, Harry Potter. The planets have been read wrongly before, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times." Then he galloped away, and we went to get Hagrid.

I tried asking Harry what the centaur meant, saying that, but he just shook his head. I noticed his scar looked so bright it was almost purple, and he had taken off his glasses and was rubbing it. I was really worried, especially when we got to the clearing where the unicorn was lying, and Harry stopped and looked all around like he was waiting to be attacked. I asked him what was the matter, but he just looked–I’ve never seen him look like that before–sick, and scared, and his voice was all croaky. He said, "Tell you when we get back, okay?" I didn’t want to press it.

We went to examine the unicorn. It was certainly dead, but otherwise, it was the whitest, sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. Everything around us was pitch dark, yet it seemed to be reflecting light. Hagrid was smoothing its mane and saying "Second one this week. Who would do it- who could do it? Harry, did yeh see anythin’?" Harry was as evasive as a centaur. "I’m not sure... I was startled... then Malfoy and Fang made so much noise...and then Firenze came and got me out of here." (Firenze was the centaur he’d been riding.) Hagrid nodded and said, "I hate to leave her like this, Hermione." I had gotten down on the ground beside him. I stroked the unicorn for a moment (it was like liquid moonlight, Gwen,) and then I patted Hagrid’s hand, (he looked like he was going to cry,) and he walked us back up to the castle.

When we got back to our common room, Ron was asleep in a chair. I guess he’d tried to wait for us. Harry ran upstairs quickly to check if Neville had gotten back okay, and then he came down and shook Ron, who yelled out something about Quidditch fouls- "Oi- that’s right! Penalty to the Cannons, you bloody cheaters!" (The language he uses in his sleep. Honestly.) Once he was really awake though, he asked what we’d had to do. Together we said, "Forbidden Forest", and his jaw just dropped. We told him about everything- Malfoy and Neville, Hagrid and Fang, the unicorn, the slithering sound, the centaurs.... Ron just got more and more amazed, and I admit, I was pretty proud to be able to tell a story like that. It’s about the most interesting night I’ve ever had in my life. When we came to the part where Harry and I split up, I told them what had happened on my end, what with Neville shaking and Malfoy running up screaming his head off. Ron laughed. "Wish I’d seen that." Then Harry said, "I’ll tell you why he was screaming, and I wish I hadn’t seen it. You won’t believe it."

Gwen, we very nearly didn’t. Harry told us that when he and Malfoy had stumbled across the clearing where the unicorn lay, they had seen a hooded figure there, crawling along the ground toward its body. When it reached the unicorn, it bent and started to drink the unicorn’s blood. That’s when Malfoy screamed and ran with Fang. They made so much noise it attracted the hooded figure’s attention. Harry was frozen to the spot with fear , plus his scar started to burn out of control, so he was half-blind. The hooded figure started to come straight at him, barreled toward him, and just about killed him! That’s when Firenze jumped in- Harry jumped on Firenze- and they rode off.

Well, apparently that was against the stars, or fate, or something, because Harry said that Bane and the other centaurs were furious with Firenze for saving his life. Said it went against what was written in the heavens. I told Harry I think that’s all tosh. Hagrid’s right. Ruddy stargazers. That’s what Firenze must have meant when I heard him talking about hoping the planets had been read wrongly this time. They all think Harry’s fated to die. Ron and I went into a fit trying to convince him that it’s just idiotic- of course he isn’t going to die. Well, I mean, everybody dies, but he’s not going to do it soon or anything. I think centaurs are very beautiful, Gwen, but they’re highly melodramatic.

But what if they’re not? Is Harry fated to die? I don’t believe in any of that... but what Firenze told Harry about the unicorn blood and the Sorcerer’s Stone is enough to make me think that maybe... I’m really scared for Harry, Gwen.

He said that unicorn blood will keep you alive even if you’re only inches from death, but if you kill a unicorn and drink its blood, you’ve slain an innocent thing, and you’ll only have a cursed life after that.

Great. Harry asked Firenze why anybody would want to live like that-- a half-life. And Firenze said normally they wouldn’t- that it would have to be someone with nothing to lose and everything to gain. That if a person were just waiting to get their hands on something else, something that could make them immortal, something that could restore their life completely, then it might be a worthwhile risk. And what’s at Hogwarts right this minute that can make a person immortal?

Right. And then Firenze asked Harry who he could think of that would risk a cursed life to be restored to power- who would steal the Stone from Dumbledore- who would do anything, even drink unicorn blood, to stay alive- who would want to attack Harry in the middle of the Forbidden Forest?

Voldemort.

Hagrid said before that he thinks that’s codswallop- that he didn’t have enough human left in him to die. It was Voldemort in that forest, Gwen. Voldemort under that hood. No wonder Harry’s scar hurt him so badly! No wonder he looked so sick–

All this time, we just thought Snape wanted to get rich-- but he’s helping Voldemort. He’s trying to get the Stone for him, to return him to power. He must be. He’s certainly nasty enough to be on the Dark Side, and we’ve seen that he’s perfectly willing to kill Harry- it all goes together- Gwen, don’t you see?

We don’t know. We can’t think of anything. It was all Ron and I could do last night just to talk Harry down from some kind of fever–he was babbling on about how Voldemort’s going to come ‘round and finish him off, but the centaurs will be happy, because the heavens will have been right after all. I told him that You-Know-Who (Ron gets upset when Harry says Voldemort) will never be able to hurt him while Dumbledore is around. Everybody knows that You-Know-Who is scared of Dumbledore. Plus, all that talk about the heavens... well if you ask me, it sounds like fortune-telling, and Professor McGonagall says that’s a highly imprecise branch of magic. But Harry didn’t look like he felt any better, and we had to sit up and hash it through with him half a dozen times before we finally got off to bed. We none of us got up ‘til after lunchtime today, and we all sound sick now- all that talking made us hoarse.

Besides which, can you even believe this is happening to us just one week before our exams?! A week from tomorrow, they start. Right now, I’m trying to commit to memory all the circumstances surrounding the uprising of Elfric the Eager, and half my brain is off worrying about Harry. Snape could find out how to get past Fluffy at any moment! Voldemort could come strolling right into the castle at any time! It’s enough to make me to want to just forget our Transfiguration Notes Session this evening.

Well of course not. Failing my exams won’t stop Voldemort coming back to power, now will it? What we should do is brush up everything we’ve learned so far in Defense Against the Dark Arts. It’s not much, but at least it’s something. Actually, that’s precisely what we should be doing. Why didn’t I think of it before? I’m going to get Ron and Harry. ‘Bye.

Dear Guinevere,

Exams begin tomorrow. I am through studying, because if I don’t know it by now, I’m never going to know it. I need a nice rest from my notes.... and the library.... and my books.....

Gwen, they made me! They forced me! I want to go to the library- I need to go over my notes- we’ve got Transfiguration tomorrow morning, and I’m dying to have one more look through my textbook. But I’m not allowed.

They tricked me. When I ran upstairs this morning to get my study things, they got hold of my wand. When I got back, they did it. Ron put me in a Leg-Locker Curse, and Harry held up my wand so I’d know I couldn’t do anything about it. I said, "What on earth do you think you’re doing? Ron Weasley, unlock me. Harry Potter, give me that wand, or I’ll scream."

He said, "Go ahead." I looked around the common room. A few people were laughing, but most just ignored us- we’re still getting the silent treatment for losing all those points. "Nobody cares," he said. "You’re stuck." So I said, "Fine then, what do you want?" Ron said, "It’s a really nice day out, Hermione, and we’ve gone over this rot about six million times." "It’s not rot!" I said.

But, "We’re done," said Harry. "And so are you. Let’s go outside. We all need a day to rest our brains before this week starts." And I said, "What are we going to do? Sit around all day fretting about Fluffy? No thanks." Ron said, "We’re going outside. To have fun. We’re not going to think about anything." And I said, "Fine, go ahead. I want to study."

"We knew you’d say that," said Harry. "But really, Hermione, it’s for your own good." Oh, he is so patronizing sometimes! "No books, no wand, and no legs until you promise."

"I’ll hate you," I said. "I’m not kidding. If I get one single point off of that Transfiguration test, I’ll kill both of you."

"Oh, don’t be such a drama queen," said Ron. "Repeat after me. ‘I, Hermione Granger’."

I didn’t say anything. But what was I going to do? Harry had carried off all my books by that time, and I couldn’t get my wand away from them, so I finallyjust gave in. I mean, I didn’t want to sit there all day. "I, Hermione Granger."

"Do solemnly swear."

"Do solemnly swear."

"That I will give it a rest with the studying."

"I’m not saying that."

"Say it."

"That I.... that I will refrain from studying anymore today."

"I also promise not to spend all day whining about it."

"I hate you."

"That’s not very nice. Harry, d’you think we ought to leave her locked up, just for that?"

Long story short, I’m bound by my word of honor not to study, or complain about not studying, all day long. It is extremely annoying. I am going to write down my exam schedule, to make myself feel better.

Monday: 9am Transfiguration 1pm Flying

Tuesday: 9am Charms 1pm Herbology

Wednesday: 9am Defense AtDA 12am Astronomy

Thursday: 1pm Potions

Friday: 9am History of Magic

Well... .actually Gwen, I tricked them. I did do some studying for tomorrow. But I did it without breaking my word. We went out to do some flying, you know, because it "takes off the tension" according to Harry. And I got them to give me some really great tips on take-off. I’m still shaky on landings, but the way I felt today, I’m sure I’ll get an ‘A’, no matter what.

Why? What do you mean by that? Oh, for heaven’s sakes. Ron’s just yelled over "What are you doing? You’d better not be studying!" And I said, "I’m not!" But he came over anyway and tried to peek–at my diary! What a nerve. Guess I’d better shut you before he tries to read anything. Wish me luck on my exams!

One exam to go. Just one. And then a week of waiting for our marks. It’s going to be torture.

Tuesday we had Charms (which I just knew, as we were doing it, that I was passing with perfection. And I was right! Today, Professor Flitwick took me aside in the hall and told me secretly that I got 112%!!!! I guess that will make up for Flying.) Herbology was also fine. It was so nice to see Neville looking confident about something. He’s quite good in Professor Sprout’s class.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was too easy. We didn’t even have to do a practical. Of course, we hardly learned a thing in there all year. Professor Quirrell still looks half-dead- all that mess with the Sorcerer’s Stone must have affected his health really badly. Poor man. I’m trying not to be too angry that his class was a complete waste of time.

Astronomy was lovely- a really lovely practical. We each looked through the giant telescope, and named stars and constellations and planets. Even the written was gorgeous- we had these little individual maps of the heavens that really moved and swirled, and we were given special quills that made tiny points of light, so we could plot the moons and chart the rotations. I hope we get them back once they’re marked. I’d really love to keep mine.

Potions, of course, was simply dreadful. I knew everything on it, and the practical was just a Forgetfulness Potion, which I could just about do in my sleep by now, I’ve helped Neville with it so many times. But just being in the same room with Snape- the way he looks at Harry- knowing what he’s trying to do- I can’t stand it. And Harry’s scar keeps paining him, ever since he saw Voldemort in the forest. It’s awful. At least Fluffy’s still growling away up there. Maybe Snape won’t be able to get past him.

It’s all I can think about, Gwen. Snape, Voldemort..... Harry. It was easy enough to ignore this mess when we had so much studying to do, but now we’ve only got one exam left- History of Magic tomorrow- and I know I’m prepared for that one. Now there’s nothing for me to do for whole week except wait and worry, about Voldemort, and about my exam results. (I know this is terrible, but I think I’m equally worried about both. Deep down, I feel like Harry will always be safe, so long as Dumbledore is around. But just as deep down, I’m sure Snape will give me an unfair grade on that Potions exam, just because... because he’s a mean, hook-nosed, Dark-Sider. So there.)

Oh, Gwen. One more exam. I’ll try and concentrate on that.

Even better idea.

May 30

Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. What are we thinking? We’re going to get killed. We’re going to die.

Don’t you DARE! You go straight to Dumbledore–

Do you have enough time to tell me just exactly why you have to do this foolish thing?

Then suddenly he shot up and started running to Hagrid’s, going on about the stranger who had showed up in the pub with the dragon egg. Ron and I had no idea why this was important, but we followed him. Sure enough, Harry’d had a.... an.... what’s that word, Gwen, I’m so nervous I can’t think.

We’ll be lucky if we ever see the sunshine again.

Anyway, when she was walking off, that’s when we started figuring that Snape must have faked that letter to Dumbledore. And as we were standing there talking about it, Snape came up behind us!!! We know he heard us, too, because he said, in this twisted voice, "Anymore nighttime wanderings, and I will personally make sure you are expelled."

We tried to keep an eye on things, but it was impossible after that. Harry and Ron charged me with watching over the teacher’s lounge in case Snape came out, so we’d know to follow him, while they went up to stand guard outside the third floor corridor. I said, "Why me?" And Ron said, "That’s obvious. You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick." And then he put on this high voice and did this little dance and said, "Oh, Professor Flitwick, I’m so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong!" I told him to shut up, and I’d do it. How Ron Weasley can be perfectly sarcastic in the face of mortal peril is beyond me.

Exactly. But the plan didn’t work anyway. Snape came out, asked me what I was doing there, and I told him "Waiting to talk to Professor Flitwick about the exam." Snape went to get him, and I had to run for it. I mean, I already know I got 112% on that one. In the meantime, Professor McGonagall found Harry and Ron by the forbidden corridor and told them off for thinking they could do better than a pack of enchantments. So we don’t know where Snape is. For all we know, he’s been down there and back already. For all we know, he has the Stone. For all we know, he’s given it to Voldemort. At that point, I thought we’d have to give up–hide Harry in a trunk- wrap him in the Invisibility Cloak- send him to Romania on his Nimbus- ANYTHING.

But Harry decided he had to try it. He couldn’t let Voldemort come back to power without a fight. After all, Voldemort killed his parents. The way he talked about it.... his scar was bright, and so were his eyes, and his voice..... it was like iron, Gwen. He’s going down there and nothing we can say will stop him.

Oh my goodness. It’s almost time. Lee Jordan is the only one left down here. Lee’s stretching.... he’s yawning..... he’s going up to bed. Harry’s gone to get his cloak and a flute to put Fluffy to sleep. He says he doesn’t feel much like singing. Neither do I.

This is it. Through the trapdoor.

‘Bye.

May 30/31?

Hi, Gwen. My, it’s late.

Don’t you ‘oh well’ me! You write down everything.

I see. I see. I’ll bet you feel funny. That stuff could knock out a Giant. It’s the Unimaginable Draught, dear. It makes you forget horrid scenes temporarily, so that you can sleep without nightmares. It also makes you---

And the lady said, "These students today, how I’m supposed to cure anybody I just don’t know!" and then she said, "Accio, Hermione Granger’s diary!"

Well, in any case, this should be interesting.

May 31

Well! I had a complete attack when I woke up and found you wide open like that. I just read that last bit over and I don’t know what I was talking about. That potion had me very confused. Anyway, I’m glad Ron’s not awake yet. He’s just lying there like a dead---

Dead!! Ron! Harry! Gwen, hold on a minute I have to ask Madam Pomfrey if they’re all right--- my memory just came back!

They’re okay. Ron’s asleep with a nasty concussion. I haven’t got a scratch, and the two of us are going to be released when Ron wakes up and Madam Pomfrey can give us the once-over.

Harry’s in another room, because he’s unconscious. I don’t know how he got that way, and Madam Pomfrey won’t tell me. She says she doesn’t know how long he’ll be out– hours or days–oh, Gwen, I remember now, I remember everything.

Ron said "Get away from that hole and don’t be an idiot!" And Neville said something like, "Don’t you call me an idiot, and you’re the one who told me to stand up to people!" And Ron said, "Yes, but not to us.". But Neville didn’t care. He said, "Go on and hit me then, I’m ready," or something ridiculous, and then Harry turned to me and said, "Hermione, do something."

So I did the only thing I could think of. I said, "I’m really, really sorry about this." And then, "Petrificus Totalus!" The Full-Body Bind. He fell over, couldn’t move or speak. It was awful, but we couldn’t have him scream the house down! We had no other choice.

On the way, we passed Peeves the Poltergeist. He knew someone was there, cloak or no cloak, and he threatened to call out for Filch! Luckily, Harry thought to pretend he was the Bloody Baron- the Slytherin ghost, the only one Peeves is scared of- and so Peeves let us alone. We got to Fluffy a minute later. The door was already open. Snape was already inside.

That’s when Harry said to us, "If you want to go back, I won’t blame you." Ron said, "Don’t be stupid," I said, "We’re coming," and in we went.

Harry started playing the flute, and Fluffy went right to sleep, but we still had to go right up to all three of the big, smelly heads, in order to get through the trapdoor. We dropped the cloak and Harry gave me the flute so he could go first. It was a short drop. We followed very quickly- I was last- and in the two seconds of silence when I stopped playing the flute, Fluffy raised its head and snapped at me, but I had already jumped. We were past Fluffy.

Harry said, "Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Hermione," and I thought, it certainly is, but then Ron said "Lucky Harry doesn’t lose his head in a crisis- ‘there’s no wood’, honestly," and I felt troubled. I guess even if I’m the best witch in our class, underneath it all, my first instincts are still Muggle. It’s a bit disappointing. I wonder if that will eventually wear off, or if I’ll always be a Muggle when it counts.

The next enchantment was down a stone passage in a chamber that had a high, high ceiling, filled with birds.

Oh yes, just like Quidditch. Except our lives were at stake!

It was a giant, living chess set. Professor McGonagall must have Transfigured it, because it was amazing. Huge, stony pieces, blank-faced but alive. Harry said, "Now what do we do?" But there was no need to ask. Ron got that concentrated look on his face- the one he got the first time I ever saw him play chess- and said, "It’s obvious, isn’t it? We’ve got to play our way across the room." Well, right there, Harry and I just shut up and let him take over. He made us take the places of three Black Chessmen- Harry a Bishop, myself a Castle, and Ron became a Knight. He was thinking really seriously, and we kept perfectly quiet like he always wants us to when we try to play in the common room, because each move of this game was more important than the last.

I never noticed how tall Ron is until he stepped out on the board, and it’s funny, but when he started directing us, I wasn’t worried. I knew he could get us across all right. Though I have to admit, I got nervous when I saw how the White Chessmen took our players. Each time a piece was taken, it was positively bludgeoned to the floor. A white piece would reach out with a wide, stone arm, and-- CRASH! Awful to see. But Ron was.... well, there’s only one word for it. Awesome. He took almost as many white pieces as they had taken black ones. Once, he saw just in time that Harry was about to be taken, and he moved him to safety. And then, he was about to move me a square, and as I was picking up my foot he suddenly yelled, "No, Hermione! Don’t move! I just about killed you — don’t put your foot down." And then he moved himself instead. That’s when he had to really stop and think. "We’re nearly there," he said. But suddenly he looked very pale.

I’ll never forget what happened next. The White Queen turned her blank stone face to him as if to say, "You know what you have to do." And Ron said, "Yes.... it’s the only way. I’ve got to be taken."

How nice to be alive. I never thought I’d see this dormitory again.

I saw Neville down there, too, and he’s better. I’m forgiven for the Full-Body Bind, now that he’s heard what we were going after. He’s down there with Ron’s audience, listening to the whole story. Speaking of which, I haven’t even finished telling you the whole story.

I’m trying to be patient.

You’re very good. Where was I? The chess room. Ron, lying on the floor, pale, maybe dead. With a last look at him, we stumbled through the next door, and into Professor Quirrell’s enchantment.

It was Snape’s. Immediately after we entered the room, a purple fire leapt up in the door behind us. Before us, in the door that led onward, a black fire was burning. We were trapped. We turned to Snape’s enchantment, which consisted of a line of seven potions, and a parchment. Feeling very small, I read what was on the scroll.

It was a logic puzzle, Gwen! A riddle! I couldn’t help but smile. Some of the best wizards of all time didn’t have an ounce of logic- but I’ve got loads. All the clues were there: two bottles of wine, three of deadly poison, one to move you back, and one to get ahead. The scroll just made a puzzle out of their positions. It took me a minute to work it out, but I did it!! It wasjust my kind of enchantment!

I just lost my head. I flew at him and hugged him- told him he was a great wizard- courageous and brave — I think I embarrassed him. But Gwen, it was just one of those moments.

I couldn’t think about it. I ran back past the troll to the chess room, where Ron was still lying, crushed, on the side of the board. I tapped him with my wand and said "Ennervate," but it did nothing. I checked his breathing, and he was alive, so I picked up his shoulders and shook him. I didn’t know what else to do, so when he still didn’t come to, I slapped him in the face.

It worked. Halfway through the insults, Ron had started swinging a fist in the air with his eyes still shut. By the time I was done, he was awake and ready to fight. I had to bring him to his senses, remind him what was happening, before he’d stop hollering names at me. Even then, he said, "You don’t talk about the Cannons."

We grabbed brooms and flew out of there, past the Devil’s Snare, up the trapdoor, past Fluffy, into the hallway. We could have cared less about Filch. We ran to get to the Owlery and send off a message to Dumbledore, but there was no need. Dumbledore was coming in through the entrance hall, and somehow, he knew. He said, "Harry’s gone after him, hasn’t he?" We nodded, and he hurtled up to the third floor.

That’s when Ron collapsed again. He didn’t pass out or anything, just fell and put his hands to his head where the White Queen had smashed him. I knew it was probably due to a concussion, so I helped him up and told him we were going to the hospital wing. For once, he didn’t argue with me. He just let me help him down the hall while I told him all about the troll and about Snape’s potions.

Maybe it was because he was leaning on me for support, or maybe I’m just a.... girl, but I must have lost my head again because I said, "You were really very brave in there, Ron." And he said, "Well I wasn’t going to let you get knocked cold, was I?" That was a nice reply, I thought. Then again, maybe it was the concussion talking. But I didn’t mind.

After all, I hear he is rather nice looking.

Gwen. Anyway, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

We got to the hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey took a look at his head and took him right in. When I explained about drinking the ice-potion, she said I had to stay the night, too. That’s when I started yelling about getting my diary. And that’s when she Summoned you, and made me drink the Unimaginable Draught. "Accio, Hermione Granger’s diary!" Accio..... very useful. I’ll have to work on that one.

I couldn’t have done it without Harry and Ron.

You know, I can still hear Ron down there telling a very unbalanced version of the events. I think I have to go give him a few reminders. He doesn’t seem to be remembering anything accurately. Think he’ll mind?

June 1

Yesterday afternoon, Gwen, was the last Quidditch match of the season. But don’t get excited.

Harry’s still unconscious, so Fred Weasley had to play Beater and Seeker. Let’s just say it was a short match.

Short, and ugly, and goodbye, Quidditch Cup.

But I’m going to make it up to you, Gwen. When Harry wakes up and gives us the end of the story, I’m giving you permission to tell it.

June 3

Harry is awake, and alive, and well! (Although he looked sick when we told him how badly we lost the last Quidditch match.) We’ve just been visiting him in the hospital wing, and now I have for you, Gwen, the rest of the story about the Stone. Not that you will ever believe it in a million years.

Professor Quirrell.

Which shows you your heart’s deepest desire?

That’s the one. Quirrell would look in it and see himself presenting the Stone to Voldemort, but that didn’t help him to find it. That’s when Harry first heard a voice- a horrible voice that Harry said could just stop your heart- and the voice said, "Use the boy." So Quirrell used Harry- untied him, forced him before the Mirror of Erised, and demanded to be told what Harry saw.

Harry told us that his deepest desire at that moment was to find the Stone before Quirrell did. When he went in front of the mirror, he saw his own reflection reach into his pocket, pull out a blood-red stone, wink, and drop it back into his pocket. That’s when Harry felt the real Stone fall into his pocket with a thud. Can you even believe it? He did it! He got the Sorcerer’s Stone!

Voldemort was sharing his body and his face was coming out the back of Quirrell’s head. Is that not the most horrifying-- the sickest–and that’s why he’s been doing all these things- drinking unicorn blood, skulking around in classrooms after hours and crying- he’s been sharing his life with that evil.... that monster..... oh, Gwen, Harry told us he had red eyes like slits and a high, cold voice–I screamed just thinking about it!

Harry Potter is a great wizard. He’s got powers that just... come out. They came out on Friday, and even he doesn’t understand how.

Voldemort told Harry to give him the Stone. Somehow, he knew what had happened with the mirror, and he knew the stone had fallen into Harry’s pocket. But Harry refused to give it over, no matter how he was threatened, even when Voldemort told Harry he’d die like his parents, begging for mercy. He must be evil- pure evil- to be able to say such a thing.

Harry said "LIAR!" He yelled it out without meaning to as he was telling us the story- Gwen, he was beside himself. I don’t ever want to hear Harry’s voice sound like that again. He told us how Voldemort had described his parents’ deaths, too. "I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight... But your mother needn't have died.... She was trying to protect you.... Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain!"

"NEVER!" he shouted

I’m so proud of Harry for hanging on at a moment like that. Harry said he didn’t think it was too brave- he figured he was going to die anyway, and thought he might as well die fighting. But I’m still awfully proud. Imagine if the murderer of your Mum and Dad were standing there, taunting you, telling you how he’d killed them.... Hagrid says Voldemort hasn’t got enough human left in him to die, but he deserves to die- horribly- and he will one day, I know it.

Nothing Voldemort said, no matter how low and revolting, would break Harry. Finally, he ordered Quirrell to take the Sorcerer’s Stone by force. But Quirrell couldn’t! Every time he tried to touch Harry, his skin would scorch and burn- he couldn’t get near him without howling in pain, Harry said. Voldemort would yell "Seize him!" and Quirrell would sizzle in agony. It held him off, but the downside was that each time Harry burned him, the pain in his own head was so bad that he said he thought his scar would explode from the pressure.

In the end, Voldemort told Quirrell to kill Harry, and be done with it-- just kill him!-- just like that. So evil. And, Gwen, he was really going to do it- a teacher, a Hogwarts teacher- and he raised his wand to strike out at a student with deadly force! That’s when Harry reached up and grabbed Quirrell by the face, which burnt him so badly that he couldn’t perform the curse! But the longer he held off Quirrell, the worse his scar became, until finally he couldn’t hold him another second. It was too much. He said he found himself blacking out to the sound of Voldemort screaming "Kill him! Kill him!"

Yes, without the Sorcerer’s Stone to make the Elixir of Life, they’ll soon die. But Dumbledore says that to the well-organized mind, death is the next great adventure. Ron says Dumbledore’s off his rocker.

Then Madam Pomfrey kicked us out. She won’t have us "ruining his health." Honestly! As if we didn’t save his life!

Tomorrow is the End of Year Feast, and Slytherin’s going to win the House Cup. But it’s all right. We’re all alive, and we’ve had an incredible adventure, and I’m just too tired to care about any old cups.

And that, Gwen, is the whole story.

June 4

Gwen, nothing is impossible–nothing! I’ll pass out from happiness!

GRYFFINDOR WON THE HOUSE CUP!!!!

We had the feast, and Dumbledore read out the points: Gryffindor-312, Hufflepuff-352, Ravenclaw-426, Slytherin-472. The Slytherins were screeching and banging their goblets on the table. It looked to be a rotten kind of party. The hall was all done up in their colors, and Draco Malfoy looked so smug that I leaned across Harry and told Ron I wouldn’t mind if he launched a turkey-leg at Malfoy’s fat head. Ron said, "Right, should’ve thought of that," and rather grimly grabbed a fat one from the platter. He was just about to hurl it, when Dumbledore suddenly said that, in light of recent developments, he had some last minute points to dish out.

Ron’s turkey-leg froze. The three of us were rigid with excitement. I think we all sort of imagined what was coming. But we weren’t prepared for how marvelous it could possibly be. Nothing could have been so wonderful.

"To Mr. Ronald Weasley," Dumbledore said, "for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."

Ron’s face went absolutely purple, and he dropped the turkey-leg on the floor as our table started cheering him like mad. I was smiling so wide I thought my face would split, and I think I cheered louder than anybody–after what he did down there–I was so glad!

"To Miss Hermione Granger, for cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."

Cool logic! I was so proud- I felt my heart grip up in my chest, and all of a sudden everybody was whooping- Ron and Harry were yelling my name- and I put my head down on the table and started to cry. My fifty points! I got them back!

"To Mr. Harry Potter." Gwen, I have never heard that hall so still. The quiet was immediate, and the hush was almost deadly. Everybody had heard about Quirrell by then. Everybody knew what Harry had done.

"For pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."

There was a rush of noise! Stomping, screaming, howling- Harry’s eyes were swimming and he had to duck his face- everyone who could add could see it- we were tied with Slytherin! And that’s when Dumbledore said what I think was the best thing of all.

"There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies- but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."

Dear Neville! He’s never won so much as a point before! I had only just recovered from crying, but one look at his stunned face when he heard Dumbledore’s words and I was off again–Neville was the hero! Everybody mobbed him- I thought the noise would take my head off- the Gryffindor colors suddenly splashed across the Great Hall- Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were hollering, too- people were actually standing on the tables–Slytherin had lost!!!!!

GRYFFINDOR HAD WON!!!!!

The party we had tonight was unbelievable. Everyone was asking us to tell the story over and over- even begging Neville to tell his part. He was giving a rather shy version of events, but Harry said, "No, c’mon, Neville, tell the whole story," and Ron jumped up and said, "Yeah, Neville, move- here’s how it was." The four of us then proceeded to act out the scene in the common room for everyone to see. It was so much fun, Gwen! They all gasped and laughed and booed in the right places–and then came the end, when I pointed my wand at Neville to do the Full-Body Bind!

Well, honestly, it wasn’t as if I was going to do the curse, or anything, and I was just about to tell him so. But before I could explain, Neville had taken things into his own hands. He whipped out his wand and shouted "Wingardium Leviosa!" And my wand flew out of my hand as Neville dived behind a chair. When we’d recovered from laughing, Neville poked his head out and said, "Been wanting to try that all year," with the funniest little grin. We howled! I almost died laughing!

The night in the Forbidden Forest was the most mysterious of my life, the night with Norbert the most miserable, and the night searching for the Sorcerer’s Stone was the most challenging. But tonight, Gwen–tonight was the best.

June 5

Exam results, Gwen! We got them. In the excitement, I’d forgotten all about them- if you can believe that.

June 6

Hi, Gwen.

Go.

June 7

The train ride was nice, and Mum and Dad met me with the car. I’m in the backseat right now. They have so many questions, but I don’t feel much like talking--- talking makes me sad. Mum’s up there whispering to Dad that she read in her "Muggle-born" book about how the first summer apart from school is always the hardest for the new witch or wizard, and how they have to be very delicate with my feelings. And Dad’s saying, "Oh, she’s too much like you. You’ve both got to learn how to take a vacation." As if I can’t hear them. I hate it when adults do that.

Ron’s invited Harry and me to stay. I don’t want to think about them, either. It hurts. I won’t be able to stay with him, I’m sure. Hope Harry will, though. His Uncle Dursley was at the station, and he was extremely rude to everybody. Harry shouldn’t have to live with people like that. Sweet of Ron to ask us, really.

Oh, how will I ever do without them?!

Yes. I can, Gwen. Thanks. I’ll be fine.

Sigh.

Oh, what a marvelous year. I just know it can’t get any better than that.

*FIN*

This work of blatant thievery is brought to you by a person who finished Book Four and thought, "Oh no! How will I ever manage until next year?"

She is still trying to manage.