The Diary of a 4th Year

[notalice]

Sunday August 31st 1975

Dear Diary,

The time has come to begin another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I find it hard to believe that it was only 3 summers ago that I received my first letter to Hogwarts. I still remember the look on Dad’s face as he read it, too. He’d said it was just a joke – and a bad one at that. He sure got a shock when Professor McGonagall turned up at the door with another copy of the letter and a little demonstration of magic. That reminds me, I still haven’t figured out what spell she used… I must find the time to go to the library an research it. It was the most interesting little spell.

I spent all of today with Danny again. What else would you expect from me? It’s the one thing I really don’t like about going back to Hogwarts is how long we spend apart. It’s so faffy having to owl letters to Dad and then for him to pass them on. Then for Danny to have to hand them back to Dad, and for him to wait until the next owl arrives to post them to me.

Part of me wishes that there was a way for Danny to have his own owl so that he could send them back directly, or even if I could send them directly to him. Of course, even though he knows I’m a witch his parents don’t, so it would be too risky to do so.

Oh, Diary! I so wish Danny had received a letter too. He would have loved Hogwarts and seeing all these wonderful things I’m seeing, and learning all these things I’m learning. It must be so hard for him to really make sense of the explanations I send… Words. There’s just no way to sum up Hogwarts or magic in words. How can he ever understand..?

~Leander

[notalice]

Monday September 1st 1975

Dear Diary,

I’m sitting on the train on my way to Hogwarts for the start of a new year. I’m a 4th year now… I think Christmas will mark the half way point of my school life. And that is a rather frightening thought.

Thankfully I’ve managed to find an empty carriage to sit in. I hope it stays empty, unlike last year. I wouldn’t want a repeat! How awful. Though, I suppose people need somewhere to hide then the Slytherin’s start fights on the train. At least I’m pretty sure it was the Slytherins. I have no doubt there was a Marauder or too involved. I’m sure I heard Sirius Blacks’ name mentioned.

I wonder whether there’ll be any more confrontation this time. Madness, isn’t it, dear Diary, that the school year doesn’t even fully begin before the house rivalry causes fights?

Well, at least for now I’m alone. I thought I’d use this time to write to you as I don’t know how much time I’ll have later. The first night back at school is always a bit of a mad rush with everyone trying to get settled back into their dorms and unpacked, and the new first years are always getting lost over which room they should be in. I was the same. Did I tell you how I walked into the 7th year girls dorm room at the start of my first year? I didn’t even realized I’d done it until they all came into the room five minutes later. Not a good memory, I tell you that.

Well, as much as knowing I won’t have time to write later, I also need the distraction now. I’ve only been on this train for about an hour but already I’m missing Dad and Danny terribly. It’ll be ages before I get the first letters back from them too. Oh, Diary, I wish there was another way.

I have to go now. I can hear the calls of ‘Anything from the trolley?’ already. She sounds close.

Thank makes me wonder, what will the feast be like tonight?

~ Leander

[notalice]

Wednesday September 3rd 1975

Dear Diary,

I’m so sorry I haven’t been back before now. These last few days have been quite hectic. The way the dates have worked out the last few years means starting up the school year seems to get quicker and quicker.

By that, I mean that when I started 1st year the 1st September fell on a Friday, so I had the weekend to get to know the castle before I started classes. Then in 2nd year the 1st was the Saturday, so I still had the Sunday to settle in. Last year of cause it fell on a Sunday so lessons started the next day which makes me very thankful that I wasn’t one of the first years.

This year the first day of classes was the Tuesday. A good thing or not? I’m not so sure. I suppose I should be glad that we only have a 4 day week but looking at my timetable I’ve missed my first lesson of Care of Magical Creatures, which I was really looking forward to. I missed Herbology as well. I think I’m going to like Mondays this year. A double period of CMC, a few hours break, then double Herbology. I get to spend a day under the clouds. I can think of nothing better.

Tuesdays aren’t so… ‘yey’ I must admit. I can think of better ways to start the day than two hours of listening to Professor Binns drone on about History of Magic. I swear he’s memorized the whole book and he just reads out a chapter each lesson!

Well, today hasn’t been too bad… Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, and Transfiguration. I would have preferred it without the Transfiguration in there. Don’t get me wrong, Professor McGonagall is a great professor I just… I’m terrible at Transfiguration.

She spent the first half of our lesson telling about how next year is our OWLs year and we need to be preparing now. I’m worrying about it already! I mean, it’s nearly two years till the exams, when you think about it, but I’m just so terrible at transfiguration that I don’t know how I’ll ever pass it… Maybe this is the year I should ask someone for tutoring help in it. Who’s really good at transfiguration around here?

~ Leander

[notalice]

Friday September 5th 1975

Dear Diary,

The first weekend is here at last and I’m coming into it with a mixture of ‘yey’ and ‘ney’. I can think of no better way to end the week than outside where I love the most around here. Care of Magical Creatures. It was great finding out all of the interesting new things we’re going to be researching and studying this year. I actually can’t wait! Apparently, we each get assigned a niffler to care for until Christmas, and we get assessed on how well we look after it. Part of our OWL exam next year includes a case study/practical which is to look after an unknown creature for a set length of time and keep a record of everything we do and see. Again, I can’t wait. I can’t stop wondering what creature we’ll be assigned next year… something good I hope.

On the other hand, I had a double period of Transfiguration this morning which didn’t turn out so well. Okay, truth is, it was awful. Professor McGonagall is giving us an exam during next Wednesday’s lesson covering everything that we’ve covered in the last three years. How on earth am I going to pass? I couldn’t remember any of the stuff as I was doing it never mind now.

Transfiguration really isn’t my thing. I’m already beginning to wish I’d taken Charms or Astronomy this year. Astronomy would have been good. I’d have had a reason to be out at night and it would have been another excuse to spend time outside. If only I’d thought about that before…

I wonder what the prefects think when they do their first patrols? It must be strange to know that they’re actually allowed to be out after hours and have free reign of the castle. That part of being a prefect sounds fun. So does the private bathroom, but… I don’t think I could do it myself. I mean, I’d be terrible if I came across someone out after hours and I’d be too worried about their reaction to take house points away.

Which has me thinking - one of us in our dorm will be a prefect next year. But who? Considering who my roommates are I have to say, Hogwarts is doomed if one of them get the badge. I have no doubt that they’d be taking house point for ‘not being pretty enough’. Ha. If that’s the case I’ll be their favorite victim.

Urg! I just can’t get the thought of this Transfiguration test out of my head. What will I do? I’m so terrible at Transfiguration, theory and practical. I think I need to dig out my old notebooks and read through everything we’ve covered and try to remember it. Try…

~Leander

[notalice]

Saturday September 6th 1975

Dear Diary,

We have had the most wonderful weather today. I’ve spent all the time I could find outside both helping Professor Kettleburn, and also just spending time by the lake.

I wrote my first letters home to Dad and Danny yesterday and I sent them off this morning. I’m guessing that they’ll have them by maybe Tuesday. Hopefully, Dad will have some letters to attach and send back to me from them both. I remember every letter Danny has sent during my first week of school. It’s what I echo back in my letters to him.

I think it just goes to show how well we know each other considering how similar our letters are. It’s the strangest of feelings to read something and feel like you must have sent the letter to yourself…

Dad’s letters are always different. He always has some little story or anecdote to tell – something with a moral to it. I spend so long in suspense when I get to Hogwarts because I just can’t wait for that first letter to find out what fascinating new tale he has thought up for me this time. I love Dad. Even though he doesn’t understand he always tries his hardest to accept what happens in my bizarre new life as a witch.

I feel home sick…

The only problem with spending all day outside today is that I haven’t bothered to start on my Transfiguration revision yet and I really, really should be spending all the time that I’ve got on it.

To be fair, the only bit of homework that I have done is my CMC homework for Sil – but I guess you’d expect that. I need to do my History of Magic essay, but I’m not worried. It shouldn’t take long at all. I’m usually not one to leave homework till the last minute but I’m not quite back into the routine of school yet. Besides, winter will be here soon and that will cut down on how much time I can spend by the lake.
It won’t keep me from Care though!

I don’t know if I’ll have the time to write tomorrow, Diary. I’m going to have to head to the library, to my little corner sanctuary, and aim for a full day of Transfiguration. Oh joy, oh joy…

~ Leander

[notalice]

Sunday 7th September 1975

Dear Diary,

I didn’t go to the library after all. The doors were wide open and I could see almost everyone heading outside to enjoy the weather and…well… I couldn’t resist. You know how much I love being outside and the weather could turn any time now and winter will be upon us. Which I’m not really looking forward to…

Again, I varied between helping over at CMC and relaxing by the lake. At least today I did manage to complete my history of Magic essay which I needed to do. It took longer than I thought it would so by the time it was finished most people had already headed back inside for dinner, making me one of the last few in to eat. Not that I’m complaining though. There’s always so much food on the table that it doesn’t matter what time you get there you can always have your pick of whatever you want.

I don’t particularly like sitting in there when it’s full. I never know who I’m going to end up sitting beside… Either I have to sit beside someone I don’t know and then I end up getting glared at for intruding or someone will sit next to me with their group of friends, and I get funny looks then because I become a nobody who has invaded their space.

Tomorrow I promise I will get my transfiguration revision done. I’m going to hunt out all of my old notes from over the years and I’m going to go sit in the library till I’ve memorized them. Or… at least refreshed my memory a little. I doubt that if I couldn’t learnt that stuff over the last 3 years I’m not really going to be able to learn them in a few hours now. I’m never going to pass this test. Or my Transfiguration OWL next year. Foolish me for thinking that it would be okay and that choosing the lesson with my head of house would be wise. So wrong.

Well, I’ve got a double period of Care of Magical Creatures followed by a double of Herbology to get me through the day. So hopefully after spending the whole day outside I should be able to drag myself to the library on the evening without getting too distracted by the weather. Hopefully.

I’m going to go and find those old notes now I think, and put them in my bag ready for tomorrow. No excuses. Revision time tomorrow. Wish me luck, Diary.

~Leander

[notalice]

Monday 8th September 1975

Dear Diary,

I made it to the library. I didn’t manage a whole lot of revision though. I couldn’t believe it when I opened my old notebooks and saw what a mess I’d made of my notes over the years, but I guess that just goes to show how bad I am an Transfiguration.

Each page had a topic on, and a page number for the book that it was in, and then a load of scribbled words and phrases over the page which I’m sure was just to make it look like I was actually paying attention and taking notes. Problem is, I don’t know if the unintelligible scribble is the important stuff or not…

Today hasn’t been a complete failure though. Can you believe that I actually made two new friends? Or… at least I think I can call them friends. I don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance to talk to them again, but today was nice.

They were Hufflepuff’s in the year above me. I think I’ve seen them around before but today was the first time I got to talk to them and find out their names. Lachlan Parker and Trent Rockwell. What a pair… It’s obvious that they’re really close friends though from the way that they talk to each other. You know, it kind of reminds me of Danny and myself…

How much can you really learn about someone in one day? I mean, I can gather from today that Lachie – that’s his nickname and he’s a muggle born too! – is the more talkative one and that he isn’t the biggest studier, while Trent is really quite intelligent and knows his stuff. I don’t only say that from what they were saying, either.

I met them when they were looking for some misplaced notes. Now I guess I know who else sits in my little hideaway corner of the library. Anyway, they were Trent’s notes that Lachie had been using and had left there, and they were looking for them. I suppose in my haste I didn’t even notice that someone else’s work was there.

Also, Trent organized my notebooks for me so that they made a little more sense. Supposedly. I don’t really know because I never had a chance to look. Lachie wanted to go outside and sit by the lake, and I was invited along. Can you believe it? And honestly? I’ll take any excuse to go outside, even if it does mean that I don’t get my work done…

Well, you know what I’m like for not having a bag with me, Diary and…well… the wind caught my notebooks and scattered them everywhere. I got them all back but a lot of them had got caught in the bushes and were ruined. I guess I’m no further forward with my Transfiguration that I was when I started… And this test is on Wednesday. What am I going to do!?

~Leander

[notalice]

Wednesday 10th September 1975

Dear Diary,

The test was awful! What am I going to do? I’m so sure I’ve failed it. Oh, I knew I was awful at Transfiguration but this only proves it. It was a written test as well, where everyone could go as soon as they were finished, since it was a double period. I was the last to leave and I still missed out at least one question. I can see myself getting that paper back with a big fat ‘T’ stamped on the front of it.

How can I honestly not even finish a full test when I have two hours to do it in? It would have taken me all night to try and finish it off but I can’t decide whether McGonagall took pity on me and let me go, or whether she was just annoyed and had better places to be.

Either way, I feel so embarrassed!

Today just hasn’t been a very good day at all. I was so worried about the test that I hardly paid any attention in my other classes. Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions. Potions was worst. I really messed mine up and sent the horrible, goopy stuff all over the floor. I think I might need a new cauldron…

Well, I think that I’m going to go bury my head under my pillow and hope that I don’t wake up again for a long, long time. I have DADA and Potions again tomorrow… and then Transfiguration on Friday morning. Results. Oh, dear…

At least I have Herbology to look forward to tomorrow, but I’d still prefer it if I could bury myself in my bed and not wake up again.
Goodnight, Diary, and here’s hoping that my result isn’t as bad as I know it will be…

~Leander