《Diary of a Slytherin (Not Tom Riddle's) Pt 1》


 An Introduction

    27th August: I''m 16 today, and I decided to start keeping a diary because my memory isn''t the best. Since the beginning of this summer, I''ve been becoming very strangely forgetful, especially at school. That''s how I''ve gotten around to actually doing this, because it''s something I''ve wanted to do for a very long time. I often like to imagine I''m living life inside a book, and I intend on this diary becoming the book of my own story.


    So, my name is Catherine Alice Carrow. Yes, I know you''ve probably heard that name before. It doesn''t have the best associations, I will admit. I have a certain uncle and a certain aunt that once taught at the very school I now attend, during the time of a certain wizard-that-must-not-be-named''s sudden and violent re-emergence into society - but we shall not dwell on that. It is common knowledge, and the bane of my life, mine and every other Slytherin besides.


    Personally, I believe the reason I am in Slytherin House is because I''m just too honest. A true Slytherin with a thoroughly devious mind would ask the Sorting Hat to place them into a different house, so that no one would suspect them of being the bad guy - because, yes, of course, it''s always us! I wouldn''t be surprised if a lot of people have already done that. There aren''t many of us in Slytherin these days, and we are the ones that are always getting picked on by the other houses - especially those self-important glory-seeking Gryffindors!


    We live in a time of peace right now, and those Gryffindors just can''t seem to content themselves with minding their own business. They need a dragon to slay, and we are the dragons (however harmless).


    Personally, I don''t allow myself to be bullied. I ignore taunts and jeers. I''m not easily offended (most of the time) and I try not to judge others on their opinions (unless they''re actively trying to push their ideas onto everyone else -persistently!) On actions, however, I do judge.


    I have a sister in Gryffindor, and I''ll say this - she gets bullied too. She''s pretty good at ignoring it - most of the time.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Now, I suppose, is the cue to introduce my siblings.


    Jared is a year younger than me, he is in Slytherin too. He''ll be starting his 5th year this September. He''s obsessed with muggle weapons and battle history. Even as I''m writing this, he is in the garden practicing fighting with swords (noisily!) with with a very reluctant Ed.


    That brings me to Ed. His proper name is Edward. He''s in Ravenclaw, though we were all very surprised when he was sorted, as he is the most ambitious out of all of us, and we were certain he would be in Slytherin. He''ll be in the 4th year when we go back.


    Then there''s Charlotte (Lotty), my Gryffindor sister, and the only person in the world I can actually call my best friend. Even though she''s nearly 4 years younger than me (only a second year). Despite the fact we are in completely opposite houses, we share a lot of similarities and have a lot in common. Though there are some differences. Lotty is a lot more stubborn. She is also very upfront about things, if she thinks something is wrong, she will not compromise. I, on the other hand, will seek compromise if it means peace.


    Finally, my youngest sibling, Anita, who will be very soon beginning her 1st year at Hogwarts. She is yet to be sorted - but we shall see! As for Anita, it could take an entire book to describe her! A book as long as her hair (which is longer than she is tall, so she always has to tie it up). She is always up to something!


    I''ve got a feeling that this year in particular is going to be - gruelling! Those Gryffindors, this summer, formed a secret society of some kind. Obviously to spy on us and make sure we''re not up to ''the usual Slytherin shenanigans''. I''ve said a few things, and some people probably have grudges, so I have to be prepared to be on the lookout. One good thing about having a sister in Gryffindor, is the intel. Though she is not a member of their ''secret'' organisation.


    I can play this to my advantage though. It could be terrible, but it could also be interesting. Sometimes I think it''s fun to have enemies. I suppose it depends on how many, and what kind of enemy they are. Some light sparring of words, pranks and a little less-than-friendly competition make life worth living, but things can sometimes get a bit... out of hand.


    So I''ve decided to be prepared for anything.

 September

    I''m writing this in a carriage of the Hogwarts Express. As usual, all of us siblings are in the same compartment. It has become a family tradition. Now Anita is here too. She can''t stop talking! She''s really excited about coming with us to Hogwarts to start her first year. I strongly suspect she is going to be in Gryffindor with Lotty, that kid is always rushing headlong into all the places angels fear to tread!


    "Anita, if you get in Hufflepuff, we''ll have one of us in every single house - we can take over the school!"Jared just joked.


    "Hufflepuff? What do they do in there? Gardening?"Anita is scornfully responding.


    "Oi! That''s not a very sporting attitude!"Jared is just answering.


    "Which house do you think you''ll end up in?"I just asked.


    Anita is thinking.


    "I don''t know,"she says,"but not Hufflepuff!"


    "Ok, then we''ll just have to make do with only having eyes and ears in three of the Hogwarts houses, and have a three-quarters solid invasion plan,"Jared persists,"go on, Anita! Get into Hufflepuff for us!"


    "Don''t listen to him, he''s only joking,"I just said.


    "Of course I''m not listening to him,"Anita is just saying,"you''ve just made me completely determined not to get into Hufflepuff! If the hat tried putting me in there, I''ll punch it into the ceiling!"


    "I''d pay to see that!"Jared is a bad influence.


    Ed is frowning at a book. He does not look happy.


    "Anything the matter, Ed?"I ask him.


    I don''t think he heard me. The problem with Ed, is he''s a perfectionist. He has to be top of the class, best at everything. Before Hogwarts, he used to be a lot more fun, but now he spends all of his spare time studying, and reading books - and I''m sure he doesn''t even enjoy it. He is so bad tempered a lot of the time. I think those other Ravenclaws are a bad influence on him. I know he is certainly competitive amongst them, and competing to be the best amongst the ''wisest'' students in the school can''t be easy.


    Lotty is fast asleep. Her head is tilted facing the ceiling and she is snoring so loudly that you can hear it above the noise of the train. I don''t know how she can sleep like that, it looks so uncomfortable. If we wake her up, she''ll be mad at us for waking her, but if she sleeps through the whole journey and misses the train ride to Hogwarts, she''ll be mad at us for not waking her...


    Later: I''m in my dormitory now. It''s been quite a day! Anita was sorted into Slytherin. I wasn''t completely surprised. I was betting on it either being here or Gryffindor. Coming to think of it, Anita''s courageousness is actually more fearlessness and aggression. She isn''t afraid of anything! Not spiders, not heights, not the dark, not even death itself. I do worry about her sometimes though. The only reason she''s made it this far without coming to an untimely end, is because our parents and us loyal siblings of hers have had to have eyes in the backs of our heads from the very day she was born. My final two years at Hogwarts are going to be exhausting!


    Speaking of exhausting, I can tell you one thing I don''t miss about coming back to school. It''s the snoring in this dormitory! All summer I''ve been practising a Muffliato spell (to use on myself), and I''m going to try it out now. I''ll write again later to say whether or not it worked.


    A bit later: So - I think I might have actually made it worse. There''s still a noise, it doesn''t exactly sound like snoring, and it is quieter, but there is this horrible buzzing which seems to be even more irritating! I wish there was a spell I knew to mute my ears!


    Next morning: Last night, it was a bit rushed. I didn''t have time to write everything down. So, the things I didn''t have time to mention were when I was showing Anita around our common room. She was fascinated by the fact the windows look out into the underwater part of the Black Lake. I remember I was too, when I first came here, but it was so long ago that I realise I''ve taken it for granted for years.


    From what I''ve heard from Lotty and Ed, the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms are nothing special. I''m sure ours is the best! We snook Lotty in ours once last year. She was more adventurous back then, but lately she seems quiet and subdued.


    I worry about her. She is alone in Gryffindor. She doesn''t even seem to have any friends there, though she occasionally hangs out with a girl called Julia Brown - or at least, last year she did. Things started getting a lot worse this summer, when some of the Gryffindors founded their ''secret society ''. Most people don''t know about it actually. I really only know about it because Lotty found out and told me. All of the Gryffindors were asked if they wanted to join. All of them except her. She only knows because Julia asked her if she was going to join it or not. She said she wouldn''t have joined it anyway, because she didn''t like the sound of it, but she was clearly upset about not being asked.


    Anyway, to get back to the point, when Anita was looking out of the windows, I was telling her not to listen to anyone that tries to tell her you sometimes see mermaids out there. It''s a common prank here. People like to tease first years. Probably from ever since the beginning of Hogwarts. Then she said she has a goal to dive down into the Black Lake posing as a mermaid to prank everyone. I was initially horrified at the idea, seeing as she''s always getting herself into dangerous situations, but I know that if I don''t help her do it, she will do it by herself, and that''ll be a lot worse! So, it looks like a mermaid is finally going to show up outside the windows, just, not exactly a real one...


    First class of the day was potions. Professor Park is Potions Master. He is also head of Slytherin House. He''s quite strict, and today I noticed he was making sure to let everyone know he hasn''t gotten soft over the summer holidays. We had this class with the Hufflepuffs, who were somehow managing to get everything right in a competition set between houses to see who could brew the best burn-removal potion. A potion he made very clear we would need this year, because apparently we''re going to be brewing some extremely flammable concoctions. He also told us, if any of us go up in smoke, we''ll get extra detention because he ''hates the smell of burning flesh.''


    The Hufflepuffs won the competition. Professor Park said we would have to use our own burn-removal potions on ourselves if we do get injured during any of the following classes. So I really do have to get that one right!


    I won''t write about all of the classes in here, as they won''t be very interesting to read about. I''m yawning just thinking about some of them. Though Herbology is fairly interesting sometimes, because Professor Longbottom can be quite funny (though not intentionally).


    Defence Against the Dark Arts is the worst! It''s an interesting class in theory, but what makes it so dreadful, is the teacher. Professor Livia is just awful. She hates absolutely everything to do with Slytherin House. She acts like any Slytherins or anyone associated with ancient wizarding families, purebloods or anything of that sort are to blame for everything bad that has ever existed in the world since the dawn of time. She''ll use any and every opportunity to put in some ''lesson'' or judgement about us. The worst thing is, she doesn''t differentiate, she acts like we are all as bad as the worst of us! That us Carrows, in particular, are all as bad as our uncle and aunt who are in Azkaban! I''m sure she thinks we should be in Azkaban too, even though we haven''t done anything. I''m actually disappointed that people take her seriously. She was a Gryffindor as a student, herself, and a muggleborn. I don''t dislike her because of that, I dislike her because of the way she treats us. Any sign of disapproval from any of us is automatically read by her as being dislike of her based on her blood status, not her attitude. I''m pretty sure what she does is just as bad as when people view Muggleborns as inferior. It''s the same logic! I hate when we have that class in the morning, because it ruins my mood for the rest of the day!


    Professor Livia, however, isn''t the only annoying teacher. Things have gotten a lot worse since Professor Wells has been the Headmistress. It''s supposed to only be temporary, but I''m not so sure. Professor McGonagall (the proper Headmistress) was taken ill suddenly in May, and Headmistress Gloria Wells has taken her place since then. There are rumours that Professor McGonagall might retire and not come back, or worse, may never recover from her illness. Things weren''t exactly all sunshine and roses when she was Headmistress, but things were better than they are now, and that counts for something.


    Headmistress Wells, despite being a Ravenclaw, seems to love banning books. I''m sure she has a new book banned every month, and I''m surprised there''s any room left in the restricted section of the library. Though, another thing I''ve noticed, is Professor Livia is always giving permission slips to Gryffindor students that need a book from there... It''s impossible for us Slytherins to get permission from any of the teachers!


    Sometime mid-September: Not sure what day it is, forgot to write for a while. It''s been about two weeks since the beginning of term, and here''s what''s happened in that time.


    First of all, I''ve finally mastered the burn-removal potion. It works just as it should. Not only that, I accidentally created something else, a bit different. I''ve just called it ''Dittany Paste'' because that''s kind of what it is. It seems to work on all kinds of wounds, it helps with healing, and it takes away the pain (apart from the first few seconds where it burns like anything). Even Professor Park said it was a suitable invention and should be safe to use. So I''m keeping that, and I''m keeping the recipe safe.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Anita is still working on her mermaid prank plans. Ed told her about Gillyweed, and all she needs to do, is find out where to obtain that. She''s been secretly making a mermaid costume. I pointed out that if she''s wearing that underwater, it might not be so easy to swim, so she''s going to test it first. I don''t even know if she''s tried swimming underwater yet. She''s determined to do it, though, and I''m sure she will. She always ends up doing things when she sets her mind to it.


    Also, speaking of Anita, we may have discovered something she is actually afraid of. Ghosts. She has been finding the presence of ghosts in Hogwarts very unsettling. Though, strangely, Peeves the Poltergeist doesn''t bother her much, she is most afraid of the Fat Friar and I have no idea why!


    I haven''t heard any updates about the Gryffindors'' ''secret society '', but I do know they''ve chosen a target in particular. Our cousin, Dominic. Dominic is a Carrow too, but we don''t really get on well with him. He''s in the 6th year, same as me. He used to be alright-ish, but for the last couple of years, he has been friends with another 6th year in our house, Antonius Parkinson.


    Antonius is a pure-blood supremacist. He''s always trying to ''reason'' with us and get us to listen to him and agree with him. He manages to get away with it, because for some reason, people like him. Even Professor Livia is sometimes a lot nicer to him - probably because she considers us all to secretly share the same views, and thinks he''s more honest, or something. Also probably, because he''s polite with her, because he''s sneaky! He never shows any signs of dislike or disgust at anything she says, and always responds to her with completely respectful answers. He is also very good-looking, and I''m sure he knows it, and uses it to his advantage. He somehow manages to get people to trust him, but I will never trust him! He is such a fake person! He somehow never manages to show his dark side; always having good manners, being respectful, polite, friendly, seemingly helpful, never losing his temper etc. I don''t know how he can keep it up so well.


    I wouldn''t be so mad at him if he just kept to himself and minded his own business, but he''s managed to completely indoctrinate our cousin. They''re best friends, and ever since they have been, Dominic has been going down a dark path. He never used to be so concerned with pure-blood status and hating Muggleborns and things like that, until he started hanging out with Antonius, that is! He isn''t all polished and polite, like Antonius. He certainly isn''t diplomatic, and he isn''t at all patient. He''s been referring to Muggleborns as ''mudbloods'' often when he''s in the common room, or out of earshot of teachers. Using that term at Hogwarts is now an expellable offence. If he gets caught saying it, or worse, calling someone it, he could get into serious trouble. It''ll be bad for us too, if he does.


    Antonius has just walked into the common room now and is sitting in front of me! He keeps doing that, lately. Sitting next to me, or in front of me - even when there are plenty of other places he can sit. It''s really irritating. I haven''t seen Dominic with him so much since the beginning of this term, maybe he''s finally seen sense!


    Antonius has just asked what I''m writing about.


    "I''m writing about you,"I just said.


    "Oh?"he said.


    "Bad things - I''m writing bad things about you,"I clarified.


    "Why? No you''re not,"he just said.


    "It''s none of your business what I''m writing, anyway,"I just said.


    "Are you planning on doing anything with the extra free time today,"he''s just asked.


    This seems a bit odd.


    "I''m not going to tell you my plans, if I have any,"I just answered.


    This is weird. Antonius never talked to me much before.


    "Aren''t you interested in what those Gryffindors are up to with their gang?"he''s just asked.


    What? How does he know about that?


    "How do you know about that?"I just said out loud what I was thinking.


    "I overheard you and Charlotte talking earlier,"he just explained,"they''ve got some kind of gang to spy on us Slytherins, isn''t that it?"


    "Actually, I''m not sure about that,"I just said,"it''s just rumours."


    This conversation is picking up fast, it''s a good thing I use an enchanted quill, I wouldn''t be able to write all of this down fast enough, if I didn''t.


    "Just rumours? Didn''t sound like ''just rumours'' the way I heard you speaking to your sister,"he''s just responded.


    "Well, I don''t even know if they''re going to do anything,"I said,"what could they do, anyway?"


    "Well, they certainly won''t be minding their own business,"Antonius just answered.


    "They already don''t mind their own business,"I replied.


    "Yes, but if they''re going to be making even more of a nuisance of themselves this year..."Antonius is saying.


    "So long as you don''t have anything to hide, you don''t have anything to worry about,"I just said, angrily.


    I''m getting frustrated with him. I don''t like him, and I don''t like how much attention I''ve been getting from him lately. All I can think is he must have had a falling-out with Dominic, and he''s looking for a new person to attach himself onto - well, I''m not going to let him attach himself onto me!


    "What do you mean ''nothing to hide''?"he''s saying, in a completely calm voice.


    "Maybe if you stop going on about how Muggleborns are apparently a threat to our culture and heritage,"I just said.


    "I don''t say things like that in front of the wrong people,"he''s just said,"and you know it''s true. I''m not afraid of anything. They won''t be able to get me expelled."


    "Well, it''s stupid, and the way you keep on about it makes you look stupid too,"I just answered.


    "Why is it stupid?"he just asked, in a quiet voice.


    "Because,"I just said.


    "Really? You think so? Because I''d like to hear the actual reasons why you think so - you can''t just tell me ''because'' and expect me to be satisfied with that kind of answer."


    I feel like I really don''t have time for this. Why should I have to explain myself to him? But I suppose I have to.


    "There are so many different cultures within the magical world,"I''m deciding to explain,"people have different ways of doing things, and that''s good. Differences make life more interesting. Diversity and new cultures and the fact that Muggleborns come from outside the wizarding world just brings new ideas and fresh perspectives. It''s not eroding our culture, it''s existing parallel. The world would be a much better place if people could just accept their differences. Besides - Muggleborns have magic! Imagine that! Being a random, ordinary person and having magical powers from just nowhere! Surely that''s a more powerful kind of magic than the sort that is automatically inherited through parentage?"


    I''m actually surprised he listened to me saying all that.


    "You say it''s not eroding our culture, but it is,"he is replying,"you''ve seen the way some teachers, Professor Livia for example, are allowed to get away with constantly criticising our House, indoctrinating students to hate us, and even getting some of us to hate ourselves. Pure-blood families like yours and mine are becoming more and more rare, and are valuable parts of our culture, that, if we don''t preserve it, will be lost forever. Bring pureblood is something to be proud of, and yet they would make us ashamed..."


    "It doesn''t really matter that much, though, does it?"I''ve just said, irritably,"what does it matter what your ancestry is? All that should matter is what kind of person you are - and in the magical world, whether or not you can perform magic - or no! I don''t agree with that either, because I have respect for squibs too!"


    "How can you say it doesn''t matter?"Antonius has just said,"so you''re one of those people that would throw away centuries of heritage, our ancient and long-lived culture, traditions that have been passed down since the dawn of time..."


    "Speaking of the dawn of time,"I just interrupted,"I wonder if all pureblood families have muggle origins. Magic had to come from somewhere, I imagine all the wizards and witches were Muggleborns at the very beginning."


    For a moment, Antonius just looked slightly angry. That''s a side of him I have yet to see. Even after 6 years.


    "So you are the kind of person who would marry a mudblood if you had the chance?"he''s just said


    "Personally,"I''m answering, honestly,"I would rather not get married to anyone for a long while, but in the end, when I eventually decide to do that, I don''t care whether that person is pureblood, half-blood, muggleborn or even a muggle! All I care about is what kind of person they are, and what they mean to me."


    Antonius is staring at me in disbelief. Another expression I''m not used to seeing on his face.


    "The way I see it,"I continue,"all this pureblood nonsense is just as bad as the rubbish Professor Livia keeps spouting in Defence Against the Dark Arts."


    "You don''t know what you''re talking about,"Antonius has just said, he seems to have resumed his usual calm demeanor,"you don''t understand, of course. It''s not your fault, you never have been as intelligent as the rest of us."


    "What?"I just asked,"what has intelligence got to do with this?"


    "Yes, you''re not very bright, but then, I suppose, intelligence never was a strong point of the Carrows,"he is saying, and he is getting up.


    He''s just walked off. I was about to chase after him and make some remarks, but I''m too furious for words! I''m glad to be rid of him! I''m unintelligent?! What a cheek! And he insulted my entire family! ''Intelligence isn''t a strong point of the Carrows '' - I''ll intelligence him!


    It''s a good thing Anita has just come up to me now, because, for a moment, I was going to go after him, but I''m saved from that drama now.


    Anita is grinning and showing me some kind of plant.


    It''s Gillyweed!


    "You got it!"I said.


    "Yeah, Ed gave me the idea to ask the House-elves in the kitchens,"Anita said.


    "You''ve been in the kitchens?"I said, impressed.


    "Yeah,"Anita replied,"snook in there with Eric and Martha."


    Eric and Martha are both first-years in Slytherin.


    "You''ve started making friends,"I said, happily.


    "I wouldn''t exactly say they were friends,"said Anita,"I just hang out with them sometimes, if I think it''s worth my time."


    "Oh, why''s that?"I asked.


    Anita shrugged her shoulders,"I''d rather not go into the details."


    "They haven''t been mean to you, have they?"I asked.


    "No,"Anita said,"I just don''t really have anything in common with them. They''re kind of boring."


    "Sneaking into the castle kitchens doesn''t sound boring,"I said,"I remember when I first did that!"


    "Yeah - but they were just going in there for cake,"Anita replied,"I was going in there for a much more interesting reason. Let''s just say, I may not yet have any friends, but I''ve gained some very useful allies!"


    I''m guessing her ''very useful allies'' are the House-elves.


    "So when are you planning on doing it?"I asked.


    "Soon, very soon,"Anita said,"I''m going to practise again, come on!"


    I followed Anita to her practising place. There''s a small beach of the Black Lake, clustered around with large, mossy boulders, overshadowed by trees. There is a jutting, square rock that goes quite far off into the water. If you jump off there, you end up in a fairly deep part of the lake. I called it the ''Underwater Sinkhole'', but Anita calls it ''The Drop of Doom'' which probably suits it better.


    Anita disappeared behind some of the large boulders, and reappeared, rolling and flopping along the sand, in her mermaid costume. It actually looks quite grand. It''s green, silver and black, and covered in scales. It forms a tail and the scales go right up to her neck. There are also some long, black, medieval-looking sleeves. Anita doesn''t like wearing anything shorter than long-sleeves, even in the summer or hot weather.


    She tried to scrunch herself up into a sitting position.


    "Well, does it look realistic enough?"she asked.


    "It does look really good,"I said, pointing my wand at her and transfiguring it a little, to make it look more authentic. I made it look more like it was part of her.


    "Now - for the Gillyweed! You have some too,"she said.


    "Um, Anita, I didn''t come here prepared for a swim,"I just said.


    "Well, sometimes we need to be ready for unexpected events,"Anita said,"consider this a lesson in always being ready for anything!"


    I couldn''t disagree with that. Laughing, I transfigured my robes into something more suitable for swimming, and used the Gillyweed.

 We Discovered Something

    Gillyweed is not nice to eat.


    "Anita, this means we''re going to be practicing for an hour,"I said,"we have to be underwater for an hour, we won''t be able to breathe outside of it - these gills - ugh!"


    We both dove into the Drop of Doom. Anita looked impressive as a mermaid, swimming around. The Gillyweed was a lot more useful than I''d imagined. We could see underwater really well, and swim through with ease. Not having to worry about running out of oxygen was the best part. I watched Anita showing off, and decided she was ready. Her webbed feet worked really well with the mermaid tail she had made, and she was able to swim faster than me. I tried speaking to her underwater, but it seemed impossible, so we both surfaced above water.


    "I''d say you''re ready,"I tried to remark, but I discovered, under the effects of Gillyweed, I couldn''t speak outside of water either. Trying to speak when I had no breath, first of all, and I''m not sure if it was because of the gills on my neck, but came out sounding more like some kind of screech.


    Anita screeched something too, and I realised she was pointing (with one webbed hand) to some reeds close to the shore, in a shallow part of the lake.


    It was now more difficult to see above water, than it was underwater, everything looked warped and blurred.


    We returned underwater. I couldn''t see anything. Anita cautiously swam over there. It was really shallow. When I tried to follow, I was scraping the mud on the lake bed and the cloudy, muddy water was becoming impossible to see through. I popped my head up above water, momentarily. Even though I couldn''t see very well outside of the water, I recognised an oddly shaped rock, and realised it was a familiar part of the shore.


    There was a path going along that part of the shore, that, last Autumn, we''d named Wise Wizard''s Walk. There is a story behind its name. Ed had thought he''d spotted something golden in the water. We''d tried to fish it out, but it had gotten too late, and we had to head back to the castle. We were going to leave the stick with the hook (Accio hadn''t worked and we didn''t know any other spells that might) by the side of the lake, but Ed picked it up, and, as he walked off with it, using it as a cane, and striking a pose like an aged wizard on a pondering walk, he told us, solemnly,"never leave the tools by the treasure,"as he went.


    We''ve called it ''Wise Wizard''s Walk'' ever since. Though we never did find out what that golden thing under the water was.


    I quickly dived back underwater again, as I needed to breathe. The water was still full of churned up mud. Not at all pleasant. Anita was now swimming back towards the Drop of Doom. She was holding something. I swam after her. The water grew clearer as I swam out of the shallows. Anita spun around and showed me what she was holding, clumsily, between two webbed hands. It was a perfectly round, golden ball! Suddenly I wondered if that had been the golden thing Ed, Jared, Lotty and I had seen last Autumn. Maybe it was?


    Anita passed it to me to hold. It seemed quite heavy, even underwater, and it was difficult, as I didn''t have normal hands. I passed it back to her, and as I did so, I thought I saw a suspicious looking creature disappearing into the weeds on the slope of the lake bed behind Anita. I suddenly remembered Grindylows, but didn''t know how to warn her. I waved at her and pointed into the weeds. She shook her head at me and pointed back to the place from where she must have retrieved the object. I realised she thought I was asking her where she had found the ball, and didn''t realise I was actually trying to warn her about something.


    Then Anita swam up to the surface, towards the Drop of Doom''s jutting rock. She carefully launched the ball into a shrub near the water''s edge, then dived back down into the lake. I realised she was planning on coming back for it later. We still had about 45 minutes of Gillyweed left. I kept a sharp lookout for any Grindylows that could be lurking around, hiding in the weeds. Anita then pointed in the direction of the large rock cliff Hogwarts is built on, above the lake. I nodded.


    That was when I realised a problem with Anita''s plan. A little thing that I''d overlooked too. The windows of the Slytherin common room look out into a pool of water in the cliffs above the Black Lake. The water pours down from there in a waterfall into the lake.


    We both watched the great waterfall pouring down, frothing around us. I had an idea. I got my wand.


    "Accio broom!"I tried to say, it just came out as a screech again, but it worked.


    It flew into my hands, and I ducked underwater briefly, for more, I was going to say ''air'', but, well, to get my breath back.


    Anita seemed to realise my plan. I surfaced again, got on my broom (it was more difficult than it sounds), Anita put her arms around me and held on, and we sort of - flew - up the waterfall. It wasn''t a very pleasant experience. At one point, I started to hope I hadn''t made a very big mistake, but we reached the pool at the top. I left my broom on some rocks outside of the water.


    Now we had half an hour. I decided to stay away from the windows, because if anyone saw me swimming around underwater too, it would spoil Anita''s prank.


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    I nodded to Anita. She swam off, her extremely long, Rapunzelesque hair following her in a train. She didn''t look exactly like a genuine mermaid, but she certainly looked very much how people would imagine one to look. Especially if they saw her. I wished I could see what happened when she went up to the windows, but I stayed as far away as I could, keeping over that far side of the pool, trying not to get pulled over the edge of the waterfall by the strong current.


    I started to realise, after she had gone, that this was actually quite difficult... I was exhausted by the time Anita swam back to me. She was grinning, and I could tell just by looking at her, that the prank had been a success! I pulled myself onto the rocks, grabbed my broom. Anita held onto me again, and this time we flew down the waterfall! This ended up being worse than flying up it had been! Though, I''m not sure why. Maybe because I was trying not to go down too fast, being pushed by the water, and because I was feeling so exhausted.


    Soon we were out of the water, the Gillyweed had worn off and we were sitting on the beach by the jutting out rock.


    "How did it go?"I asked Anita.


    "It was amazing!"Anita said,"I got to see the common room from outside the windows, instead of seeing outside the windows into the outside!"


    "Did anyone see you?"I asked.


    "They didn''t notice at first,"Anita said,"I had to keep swirling around outside the windows. It wasn''t until I pressed my face up close, that I managed to get someone''s attention - and it was Jared!"


    I burst out laughing,"Jared!"


    In all these plans, I hadn''t thought of including the others.


    "Yeah, he got such a shock! And I think he recognised me,"Anita said,"then he started shouting - I couldn''t hear him though. Loads of others started crowding round the windows, staring at me and pointing. I was waving and swirling around. I saw Eric and Martha, they were both eating food while watching. They didn''t look very surprised, they were acting as though it was a completely normal thing to see. It was the older ones that were the most shocked!"


    "If it was the older ones that were the most shocked, then your prank has certainly succeeded,"I congratulated her.


    Suddenly Anita remembered the golden ball she had found. I had completely forgotten about it. She began to rummage around, looking for it.


    "Is it still there?"I asked.


    "Yes, here it is!"she said, pulling it out and showing it to me.


    It was a lot easier to hold it now, in proper hands. It was heavy, seemed to be made of gold, though I''m no expert in precious metals. I wondered if it was some kind of magical object. I still wondered if it was the golden thing we''d seen in the autumn.


    I placed it on the ground and drew out my wand.


    "What are you doing?"Anita asked.


    "Accio ball!"


    The ball remained where it was. This answered two of my questions.


    One - yes, it did seem to be a magical object. Two - it very likely was the golden thing we had seen, as it had been found in the same place and we had been unable to summon that with ''Accio'' too.


    "You should be careful with that,"I warned,"it might have some secret magical power that we don''t know about."


    "Then I''ll make it my quest to find out what it is,"Anita responded.


    I cast ''Revelio'' and nothing happened.


    It seemed harmless, but with magical objects, you never can tell.


    "You should keep it outside,"I advised.


    Anita reluctantly agreed. She looked around for a place to hide it. Then we returned to the castle and went down to the common room.


    "Where''ve you been?"Jared greeted us,"there was a mermaid outside the windows, and it looked a lot like Anita!"


    "That''s because it was me!"Anita answered, grinning.


    "I thought it looked like you!"Jared exclaimed,"how on earth did you do it?"


    Anita nodded towards me,"I had a little bit of help."


    "You devious, little swines!"Jared said, sounding impressed.


    "Ed helped too,"Anita added, then she said,"I found something."


    "What?"Jared asked.


    "A golden ball,"Anita went on,"Cathy thinks it''s magical."


    "I''m convinced it is,"I said,"it can''t be summoned with Accio, so it must have some protection spell on it, or some kind of magical properties."


    "Where is it? Can I see it?"Jared asked.


    "It''s outside,"I answered,"it could be dangerous, so I told Anita to keep it outside. We''ll look at it tomorrow."


    All of the students in the common room were talking about the mermaid. They weren''t paying any attention to us. Anita found Eric and Martha.


    "I heard you saw a mermaid?"she said.


    "Yeah,"Eric answered casually,"you know. Nothing I haven''t seen before."


    "I''ve seen loads of mermaids already,"Martha put in.


    "I''ve seen about ten,"Eric went on,"Martha''s seen less."


    "I''ve seen more than you!"Martha argued.


    Anita stared at them, shocked. She walked away while they still quarrelled about how many mermaids they''d seen.


    "Such liars!"she said to me.


    No one, apart from Jared, had recognised the mermaid as Anita. Everyone seemed convinced they''d seen a real one.


    Next day:


    After classes, as soon as we were all free, the 5 of us went down to the Golden Ball Beach (as we now call it) to examine the object.


    Ed tried two types of revealing spells.


    "Any ideas?"I asked him.


    He shook his head,"I''ve never even heard of anything like this,"he said.


    "Do you think it''s made of solid gold?"Jared asked.


    "Some of it seems to be gold,"Ed remarked,"but there is also something strange about it, something else. It would be heavier if it was all solid gold. I might be able to find something out in Alchemy Class."


    "If you do, make sure you tell us,"Anita said.


    "Look what I''ve found!"Lotty called over to us, suddenly walking out from a small thicket of trees, grinning and holding up and old stick with a large, rusty metal hook on the end.


    "I can''t believe it''s been there all this time!"I said.


    "What is that?"Anita asked


    We described to her, in detail, the time we saw the golden thing. She''d only heard a brief account of it before.


    "Now I know why you call that path ''Wise Wizard''s Walk'',"she said,"I never knew it was named after Ed!"


    "What? You thought it was named after an actual wise wizard?"Jared laughed.


    "Ed is a wise wizard!"Anita objected.


    "Yes, Jared,"said Ed,"I am wise. You should heed my councels."


    We didn''t discover anything new about the object.


    People are still talking about the mermaid seen from the common room. Anita tried telling them it was actually her, but no one believes her. Her prank has gone a little bit too well...

 A Few Days Later

    A Few Days Later:


    It''s Lotty''s birthday soon, she''s going to be 13, though she still won''t be able to visit Hogsmeade until her 3rd year. I decided to go into Hogsmeade to get her something for her birthday. On my way there, I bumped into Ed.


    "You off to Hogsmeade too?"I asked him.


    "Yep,"he responded, casually.


    "Good, then we can go there together,"I answered.


    "How long are you going to be spending there, Cathy?"Ed asked me, warily.


    "Well, not long,"I said,"I''m going to get something for Lotty''s birthday."


    "Ah,"said Ed,"that''s one of the things I was going to do."


    "Then we can both look,"I suggested.


    "Yeah, I suppose that would help,"Ed responded,"I''ve no idea what she''d like, do you?"


    "Almost anything from Honeydukes will do,"I said,"have you found out anything about that ball Anita found?"


    "Ah - Anita,"Ed replied,"I''ve just remembered - that''s another reason I''m going into Hogsmeade - and, no, I still have no clue what it could be."


    "Oh?"I asked.


    "Yeah - Anita - for some reason, she wants me to buy a coil of extra strong, enchanted rope,"Ed went on.


    "Whatever would she want something like that for?"I asked.


    "She said something about building a rope-bridge,"Ed continued,"looks like she''s been saving up for it for ages, too. This is no sudden plan, it seems."


    I hadn''t heard anything about this from Anita, I was utterly mystified.


    "Did she tell you why she wanted to build a rope-bridge?"I asked.


    "Nope,"Ed answered,"and I don''t think I want to know, to be honest. She also wants it to be invisible..."


    I don''t know about him, but if I''d been tasked with buying enchanted, strong rope for Anita, I would definitely want to know more than she was ''using it to build a rope-bridge - an invisible rope-bridge''! Knowing Anita, she probably had some reckless, dangerous plans... or was it for another prank?


    I got something for Lotty in Honeydukes. Ed and I had a ''break'' in the Three Broomsticks, where we discussed what we''d done this last month. I started talking to Ed about Anita''s mermaid prank.


    "Those rumours have been going around the whole school,"Ed remarked,"has she owned up to it yet?"


    "She tried to!"I said,"no one believes her! They wouldn''t believe me, either."


    It turns out, Anita has been spending a lot of time with Ed when she''s not in classes. I was surprised.


    "She doesn''t seem to be making friends,"I remarked,"apart from us, that is."


    "Well, friends can be over-rated,"Ed said,"I think maybe we''re too close, as a family. We don''t make friends so easily, because we''re here in our comfort zone, and you know - high expectations. We expect ''friends'' to have the same closeness we have, but no one can compare to that. We''ve got the strongest bond with each other - so when we try to make friends with other people, it seems like they''re not really friends."


    I thought about what Ed said. Certainly some of it makes sense to me.


    Even though I consider myself to be an extrovert, I find it really difficult to make friends. Maybe it''s true that I''m subconsciously expecting a bond as strong as the one I''m used to with my family, and I''m not going to find that easily. All of the connections I have with other students here are shallow. They''re all more acquaintances than friends.


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    During my time at Hogwarts, I''ve had several whirlwind friendships. They began all of a sudden, intense, amazing, and full of drama! The good kind, and the bad. These, however, all ended abruptly in some horrible way. I sometimes miss all of those friends that I made, even though we were only friends for one term, a few months, sometimes only a few weeks; but I''ve moved on, and I''m ok with it. I treasure the good memories I shared with them. Even if they later turned into an enemy (the non-fun kind), I still value the good times we had. I don''t hold grudges, but when I pass them in the hallways, or see them in class, it''s like they''re strangers now.


    Sometimes it can be awkward. One of these friends, in particular, shares a dormitory with me. Amelia Sanding. Amelia has a twin sister (also in Slytherin). Our whirlwind friendship began in the 4th year, and lasted one month.


    It was at a time when her sister, Artemisia, was recovering from a serious Quidditch accident, and couldn''t be at Hogwarts for a month. It was during term-time, and those twins have always been inseparable. Amelia''s parents made her remain at Hogwarts, while her sister recovered at home.


    Usually I''m the one that talks to the other person first, initiates the friendship, but in this case, it was Amelia. I was sitting in the common room, studying, or trying to study (I can never pay attention to anything when I''m bored). Amelia sat down next to me and started talking about a recent Quidditch match. It was the match where we beat Gryffindor for the first time in three years. I''m interested in Quidditch, but sadly dreadful at it. When I first came to Hogwarts, I had dreams of becoming an excellent Quidditch player, and I did try, but no matter how hard I practised, I never could make it into the team. Both Amelia and her sister are in the Slytherin Quidditch Team. Amelia is a chaser, and Artemisia is the seeker. Artemisia is the one that won the match for Slytherin. She caught the Golden Snitch. Unfortunately, it also resulted in the accident...


    As we''d been talking about Quidditch, Amelia invited me on a moonlit broom-flight over the Forbidden Forest, and I joined her readily. We snook outside after dark, flew above the tops of the trees, and had a midnight picnic by the side of the Black Lake. The times I spent with Amelia were amazing, some of my happiest memories at Hogwarts. We used to do broom-races (Amelia always won, but that didn''t make it any less fun), we visited Hogsmeade together, and even sometimes pranked people in class or in the common room.


    When her twin sister was finally able to return, I knew it would impact our friendship, and that we wouldn''t be spending as much time together, but I didn''t expect to suddenly stop being friends. I think it might have been because Artemisia was jealous, and not wholly Amelia''s doing, but shortly after her sister returned, she began ignoring me. She acted like I no longer existed. It was the worst feeling ever, like I was completely invisible to her. Artemisia was particularly hostile, making it clear I wasn''t welcome. It only took a few days for me to realise our friendship was over.


    I don''t dislike Amelia, though it is like she is a stranger to me now. Like there is an invisible wall between us, wherever we go.


    ''Friends'' come in and out of my life all the time, and I''ve come to accept that fact. My closest friends will always be my family. They have always been there, through all of the trouble - and being a Carrow means an exceptional amount of trouble! Especially as my parents aren''t up to Carrow standards.


    After the Battle of Hogwarts, Voldemort''s followers were greatly diminished, defeated and imprisoned. Yet many still remained, retreating into the shadows. Their power in Wizarding society was almost entirely vanquished, but they did what little they could with the power they had amongst their own families. Like our family...


    My mum is pureblood, but she''s from a different country, and that never suited my dad''s side of the family. Dad shares some of the Carrows'' typical ideas about things, but he also disagrees with a lot. He doesn''t like certain types of dark magic, and disagrees with persecution and rejection of Muggleborns. Though he never has, and never will trust muggles. The rest of the Carrows consider my dad to be weak, and at one point, they even tried to take us away to be educated by our grandparents instead (in a dispute over the way we were being raised). We had to move around the country a lot, to avoid the trouble they caused. The irony is, our cousin, Dominic, once ran away from home and lived with us for a while (though that did sort of make things a lot worse...)


    There were so many fights, and so much running and moving. We''d make new friends in one place, and then leave them all behind. Sometimes having to pack up and go on the run with as little as an hour''s warning, or in the middle of the night.


    It wasn''t so bad when I started attending Hogwarts. Our parents still moved around for a few years while we went to school, but Hogwarts had become a place of constancy, like a solid island in the midst of a raging ocean.


    Anyway, they couldn''t kidnap us from school, and in the end, they gave up. For the last three years, we''ve actually been able to live in the same place. I feel more settled now than I''ve ever been.


    Even though my past isn''t exactly ideal, I wouldn''t change it. It has made me who I am, and I''m sure I''m better prepared for whatever life has in store for me, as a result of it. Also, it has created an unbreakable bond between my siblings and I. We are the only constant people in our lives. The most true friends, the most trusted allies. We have something a lot of people don''t have, and for that, I am ever thankful, and grateful.


    However, right now, I''m more concerned with finding Anita and asking her about this ''ropebridge'' project of hers!

 The Mysterious Ruin

    Beginning of October:


    So - it turns out, Anita has been building a treehouse in the Forbidden Forest, of all places! She wants to build the rope bridge up in the trees, connecting two large, old oaks.


    "Anita - the Forbidden Forest belongs to the Centaurs,"I told her.


    "Well, it''s only the edge of it,"Anita declared,"and I haven''t seen a single centaur, and I''ve been building it for ages! It can be our secret headquarters, a hideaway that only we know about! If we ever have to hide from enemies, it''s going to be the perfect place, where no one would ever expect to look! Not even the Centaurs!"


    "Aren''t Centaurs supposed to be incredibly wise and perceptive, though?"I said,"they can read things in the stars."


    "Yes, my secret treehouse is going to be written about in the stars!"Anita responded, sarcastically, then she added,"well, that would be cool if it was!"


    She showed me the treehouse location. It was within a small section of trees that grew somewhat apart from the main body of the forest. It was a very inconspicuous place. The kind of place that most people would pay no attention to as they passed it by. In fact, it could be disputed that it lay outside the bounds of the Forbidden Forest. From a distance, it appeared to be connected, but it''s not. There''s a small meadow separating it from the rest of the trees.


    "What made you think of building a treehouse here?"I asked Anita, as we approached it.


    "Because it seems like a very uninteresting place,"Anita answered,"the kind you don''t take notice of. That''s what made it exactly the right place to build a secret base. Hidden in plain sight!"


    "Well, it''s not exactly in plain sight,"I observed,"though, what happens when all the leaves fall off in the winter? People will be able to see it, then."


    "No, they won''t,"Anita said,"I''ve planned for that!"


    She climbed large old oak tree, I followed. When I was up there, I saw a wooden platform amongst the great old branches, but only when I''d actually climbed onto it!


    Anita noticed my astonishment,"it''s a disillusionment spell,"she explained,"from below, it looks just like the trees, how they were before, it''s only when you''re on it, that you can see it."


    "Ed''s been teaching you spells..."I began,"Anita! This is really advanced magic! How are you able to do this at your age?"


    Anita shrugged,"maybe I''m a genius, who knows?"she said, grinning.


    "So, in the winter, when all the leaves fall..."I started to say.


    "People still won''t be able to see it,"Anita finished my sentence,"from a distance, and nearby, it''ll just look like normal trees, like they looked before I built it. You can only see it when you''re touching it. Like we are now."


    "What about birds and creatures?"I asked.


    "It won''t bother them,"Anita said,"I''m not worried about animals finding our hideout, I''m only worried about humans."


    "What if someone else climbs this tree?"I said.


    "They''ll find it then,"Anita said,"so, hopefully they don''t. I don''t think they will, anyway. People stay away from the Forbidden Forest. I''m sure until now, me and you are the only people that have been in this patch of trees for ages!"


    We sat on the wooden platform while Anita described her elaborate construction plans.


    "And I''m going to have arched windows, and a big, arched doorway going onto the rope-bridge over into a lookout tower in the bigger tree,"she went on,"a lookout tower where you can peek out from the top of the tree to spy out enemies on the approach..."


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    I wasn''t sure Anita''s treehouse would turn out exactly as planned, but I''ve been impressed with her success so far - and she''s only been at Hogwarts for one month!


    We climbed down the tree and decided to explore around for a bit. That was when we found a ruined building concealed within the very middle of this cluster of trees. We ventured into the empty rooms, some still had a roof, some didn''t. Ivy covered a lot of it, which is why we hadn''t spotted it before.


    "Look at this!"Anita suddenly said.


    I went around to the back of the ruin. Anita pointed through a low doorway into one of the rooms at the back. It was full of black water.


    "That water is as blank as ink,"I remarked.


    "Intriguing!"Anita declared, grabbing a stick.


    "No, don''t!"I warned,"who knows what that water is, it might not even be water!"


    We decided we''d done enough exploring, by this point. It was time to get back, before people started to notice we were gone.


    "Can I tell Lotty about this place?"I asked.


    "Of course!"Anita said,"it''s going to be Carrow Castle. Only Carrows allowed. I''m going to tell Jared. Ed already knows. You can tell Lotty, if I don''t tell her first! Maybe don''t tell Dominic, though, he might want to smash it up."


    "I wasn''t even thinking of telling him,"I said.


    One time, when Dominic was living with us for a few weeks; Anita built a ''house'' in the woods near where we lived, and Dominic smashed it down. I can''t remember why, but Anita and Dominic have been enemies ever since.


    A few days later:


    I don''t feel so well. I''ve been having problems with my memory again, and it''s worrying me. Lotty, Anita and I decided to pay a visit to Anita''s treehouse earlier. I remember going there, and Anita showing us the beginnings of her invisible rope-bridge, but something happened. I don''t know what. When I was walking back, I got a deep wound on my arm. I don''t even know how I got it, and it was so bad that I had to go to the Hospital Wing!


    Lotty and Anita didn''t see how I got it either, it just appeared. I feel like I must have blacked out at one point, but Lotty and Anita said they were with me the whole time, and nothing like that happened. Lotty says I probably caught it in a thorn-bush while walking, without realising, but I''m sure I would have noticed that! Those would have had to have been some thorns!


    Weirder still, when I was in the Hospital Wing, Nurse Pamela said it looked like my injury had been caused by magic. Not a rogue branch or thorn. It''s baffling, and Anita and Lotty can''t work it out either.


    Later:


    I found Anita hiding! She was looking the closest to scared that I''ve ever seen her, at least since she was last running away from the Fat Friar...


    "Anita, what''s up?"I asked.


    "Um,"Anita said,"not much!"


    She said it in the exaggerated cheerful way that I''ve learned means there is a lot going on and she is in over her head.


    "It''s not like you to hide?"I asked,"are you playing a game?"


    "No,"Anita answered,"it''s about - potions class."


    "And?"I asked.


    "So, it sort of involves me, and a failed potion recipe..."


    "So?"I persisted.


    "Professor Park said the recipe was really simple, so simple that if any of us got it wrong, he was going to boil us in it,"Anita went on.


    "And you got it wrong?"I said, trying not to smile.


    "Yeah, so - you know, don''t fancy being boiled,"Anita said,"I''m hoping he''ll forget if I avoid him long enough."


    "He''s not going to boil you in your failed potion,"I said, struggling not to laugh.


    "What do you mean?"Anita asked, pushing her glasses up her nose and frowning at me in the way she does when she''s confused or unhappy about something.


    "He was just joking,"I said.


    "Didn''t sound like he was joking,"Anita disagreed.


    "He says things like that to everyone,"I explained,"he threatens all kinds of extreme punishments, but never actually means it!"


    "Oh, so..."Anita began, then she said,"maybe I should go back to class."


    "Anita - what did you do?"I asked, unable to stop myself laughing.


    "I kind of, um, ran out of potions class, and, well, you know, got out of there,"Anita said,"anyway, better - go - back - now. Nice seeing ya!"


    She dashed off.


    Well, that''s another thing she''s scared of. Professor Park!


    Even later:


    We just had Herbology with the Gryffindors. It did not go well. I could have sworn two of the Gryffindor boys were sabotaging everything Dominic did, and Professor Longbottom got really frustrated with us for damaging some important plant. The whole class was just an absolute nuisance, and we lost something like 20 points from Slytherin! Not that I care about the House Cup, anyway. The last time we won it was when Harry Potter''s son was in Slytherin, and we''ve never won it since. Probably won''t ever for a very long time, as Professor Livia basically takes points off us every chance she can get anyway.


    I''ve noticed recently that it seems like the entire efforts of that Gryffindor gang, are all concentrated on trying to annoy Dominic as much as possible. It doesn''t seem a very courageous and noble cause, I can tell you that! They do no credit to their House. Lotty is a better Gryffindor than the lot of them! Irony is, they''ll probably still win the House Cup!

 October

    A few days later:


    Anita has built a lot more of her treehouse. We visited it again, and this time Ed and Jared came with us. We all helped her build more of it. The invisible rope-bridge is finished, and platform has been constructed in the boughs of the Lookout Tree. We''ve also started on the ''Grand Arch'' that leads onto the rope-bridge from the main treehouse, which currently has a floor and two walls.


    After we''d done all that, it was nice to sit up there and talk about things.


    Ed is getting fed up of studying, he says he wants to take more breaks, as it''s driving him crazy. I''m not surprised, he was studying a lot through the summer holidays, never had time to do anything fun.


    It seems Anita has been doing really badly in potions.


    "It seemed really easy at first,"Anita said,"but then, suddenly, I just kept messing them up really bad. Even though I did everything like I was supposed to."


    "Anita?"I asked, suddenly having an idea,"who do you usually have potions class with?"


    "Well, Eric and Martha, and..."Anita began.


    "No, I mean, which other House?"I continued.


    "Oh - that!"Anita said,"Gryffindor, usually always. I don''t think we''ve ever had it with another House."


    "They might be trying to sabotage your potions,"I said.


    "Why, though?"Anita asked.


    "Yeah - why on earth would they do that?"Ed just asked.


    I looked at Lotty.


    "They might,"Lotty said.


    "Why?"Jared and Ed both asked at the same time.


    "They''ve got this gang,"Lotty said,"not all of them are in it, but some of them are, and the goal of the gang is to cause trouble for Slytherins. Especially pureblood Slytherins. Especially Carrows."


    "That''s the most stupid thing I''ve ever heard,"Ed said,"why in the world would they want to do something like that?"


    "I don''t know, you ask them!"Lotty said, sounding irritated,"anyway, it''s not just Gryffindors in their gang now, they''ve got some Ravenclaw members too."


    "WHO!?"Ed demanded.


    "Well, there''s this girl called Hilary Winter,"said Lotty,"and some others. I don''t know their names. I know about her, though, because the others in Gryffindor have been talking about her like she''s of some importance. ''Strategician'' - they called her."


    "Ah, I know who she is,"Ed said,"doesn''t seem like a very nice person from what I know."


    "I haven''t noticed anything strange in my classes,"Jared said, thinking,"or have I?"


    "So, Anita, keep a look out for people trying to sabotage your potions next time,"I suggested.


    "I certainly will,"Anita agreed.


    "Be careful, though,"I warned,"don''t do anything to their potions, or anything that could get you into trouble."


    "There''s no way I''d want to get into trouble with Professor Park!"Anita responded.


    "Wouldn''t he notice if students were sabotaging potions, though?"Jared asked.


    "I''m not sure,"I said,"he might not notice, if the people doing it are being really sneaky. Anyway, they might not be doing anything to your potions, Anita; but keep an eye out, just in case."


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    "Got it! I certainly will be keeping an eye out from now on,"Anita said.


    The next day:


    Anita followed my advice in Potions Class. She had it with the Gryffindors, as usual. Apparently the first thing she did was ask if she could move to a different potion table, saying she was worried the first one she''d been given was ''unlucky''. She managed to get one as far away from the Gryffindors as possible, and she says ''kept four eyes in the back of her head''s - her words. Her potion went well. It wasn''t a particularly difficult one, and doesn''t prove that people have been trying to sabotage her work, but it certainly gives a hint that they might be.


    For some reason, we 6th years have been having all our potion classes with the Hufflepuffs this year. Maybe that''s a good thing. The only class we share with the Gryffindors (apart from Herbology one time) is Defence Against the Dark Arts. Here, I have something to say about our most recent class.


    Professor Livia was supposed to be teaching us how to block fairly dangerous curses. She got us to pair up against each other in duals. Every pairing was Slytherin Vs Gryffindor. She got us to cast curses at the Gryffindors, who blocked, but she didn''t teach US to block any curses! The way I see it, she was only showing the Gryffindors how to block curses! She did kind of explain how to do it, but we didn''t get any practice. Also, getting US to be the ones casting the curses!


    She paired Dominic with a muggleborn Gryffindor boy called Max. I have to mention him, because he''s one of the gang who has been annoying Dominic as much as possible lately. Dominic went a bit over the top in his offensive, and Max wasn''t able to block everything he sent his way. Professor Livia took points from our house, of course. I''m not going to say she shouldn''t have. On that occasion, I can understand, because Dominic went too far. He made it look like he really did want to curse Max, but I suppose that is because he did!


    Another annoying thing, is Antonius seems to have forgotten about the argument we had back in September, and he''s resumed trying to talk to me again. Not discussions, or anything like that, just loads of unwelcome greetings, and sitting next to me. Normally I like that, other students being friendly, but not him. He even sits next to me in class. It''s so frustrating. It''s got to the point where even just hearing him breathing next to me, makes me want to pull my ears off.


    Almost Hallowe''en:


    Professor Longbottom caused quite a scene in Herbology today. He tripped over an empty plant pot, got his foot stuck in it, and fell headlong into a row of potted mandrakes. Fortunately, they were really young ones, not mature enough to cause damage, but my ears are still ringing! Needless to say, the rest of the lesson was cancelled, so quickly, that I don''t even know what it was going to be about. We had it with the Hufflepuffs, and I can tell you, they helped Professor Longbottom get everything back in order really quickly! I have to give them credit! We Slytherins were mostly on the floor, rolling around with our hands on our ears!


    Anita has almost finished building ''Carrow Castle''s with some help from us, and a lot of wise counsel from Ed. Anita has named the lookout tower ''Wise Wizard''s Watch'' after him. Anyway, she reckons we''ll be able to finally finish the whole thing today.


    Later:


    So we did finish the treehouse! Anita says she''s going to continue to add bits here and there to turn it into more of a ''home''.


    Each of us took turns to look out from Wise Wizard''s Watch, peeking out from the top of the tree branches. We didn''t see anything interesting, of course. Anita says it''s for spotting enemies.


    But something strange happened when we were leaving. Lotty and I decided to go and have a look at the ruined, ivy-covered building that Anita and I had discovered a few weeks ago. Jared and Ed had gone on ahead, and Anita decided to follow us.


    Anita suddenly started acting strange. She told us to get away from there right away, so we did.


    She didn''t say anything until we were halfway back to Hogwarts castle.


    "I had a weird feeling,"she said.


    "Like what?"I asked.


    "Of - dread,"Anita responded.


    "Why?"Lotty asked.


    "I think I had a dream or something,"Anita tried to explain,"about something bad that happened there, in that place. I felt that we had to get away from there quickly, or something bad would happen."


    This didn''t seem to make much sense to Lotty, but I understood the unusual expression on Anita''s face. She looked worried, and that''s not a way I usually see Anita looking.


    "What sort of feeling?"Lotty persisted.


    "De ja vous, or something,"Anita said,"but not the normal kind, the bad kind!"


    "Are you just remembering some nightmare you had?"Lotty asked.


    Anita shook her head, looking strangely pale.


    "Maybe we should go back there and check it out?"Lotty suggested.


    "NO!"Anita shouted.


    Lotty and I both looked at her in surprise.


    "Just - let''s not go near there, ok?"Anita insisted.


    "Has something happened there?"I asked, feeling concerned,"have you seen something there? One time when we weren''t there?"


    "N-no,"Anita answered,"the feeling isn''t like something happened, it''s like something going to happen or something that happened in a dream. Anyway,"she shuddered,"let''s just forget about it, please?"


    It was later, when I was trying to sleep, that I remembered the strange wound I got on my arm when we were near that ruin last time. It''s healed a lot since then, though the scar will remain for a while. Maybe there is something weird about that place? What if it''s cursed? Or haunted? I haven''t seen any ghosts there, though.

 Halloween

    Hallowe''en:


    The Hallowe''en feast was brilliant, as it is every year. I got a bit carried away, and after a while, I noticed Anita and Jared were at the table no longer. I glanced over towards the Gryffindor table, no sign of Lotty (she usually sits on the edge, and occasionally waves over at us). So I got up and walked around. Ed wasn''t at the Ravenclaw table. The feast wasn''t over yet, and usually, when the whole lot of them disappear at once, it means something''s up! And I hadn''t got the memo.


    I used a family trick we have - using my wand to call the others. When I do this, their wand glows in my colour (aqua blue/teal). The others have colours too (Lotty''s is red, Jared''s is green, Ed''s is blue and Anita''s is orange) - when the wand glows constantly, it is calling (I vocare te). If it is flashing the colour, it''s an alert "I''ll come to you" rather than "you come to me". So I sent the "I''ll come to you" (veniam ad vos) alert, and was greeted a few moments later by the steady orange of Anita''s wand calling me. I followed... it''s sort of hard to explain how this happens, it''s kind of like being pulled or summoned in a certain direction, it always leads to whoever''s wand it is that is calling.


    It was dark outside. My wand lead me out of the grounds, up a hill towards the edge of a woods (not the Forbidden Forest), where I saw Lotty standing at the edge of the trees, holding up her wand, which was illuminating a small area with ''Lumos''.


    "Who goes there?"Lotty began, then she added,"Cathy - it''s you!"


    "What are you doing?"I asked.


    "Guarding,"Lotty answered.


    Mystified, I walked past her, through the trees, and as I continued following my wand in the direction of Anita''s, I heard my siblings'' voices coming from just up ahead.


    "So are you SURE you tried ''Accio''!?"Ed was saying.


    "Yes - I''ve tried it ten times! It isn''t working!"Jared answered him.


    Anita appeared out of the gloom.


    "Here you are!"she greeted me with a grin.


    "What''s going on?"I asked.


    "Ed dropped his wand down a fox hole, and can''t get it out,"she responded.


    "What on earth is Ed doing dropping his wand down a fox hole!?"I answered, astonished.


    "Well,"Anita said, raising her eyebrows, and shrugging her shoulders,"obviously something."


    "I was collecting potion ingredients!"Ed snapped, overhearing us,"a fox jumped out and gave me a shock, and it just fell out of my hand!"


    "The fox has probably gone off with it,"Anita said.


    "No, it''s still down there!"Ed said,"the fox ran out of the woods, but I''ve tried everything, and I can''t even see it!"


    Jared was using ''Lumos'' to examine the interior of the animal warren, which was large, but not large enough to fit any of us.


    "We could dig it up?"Jared was saying,"anyone know any digging spells?"


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    "I know one,"Ed said,"but I don''t have my wand, do I?"


    "You can use mine,"Jared suggested,"or tell me how to do it."


    "I can''t bother explaining - just give me your wand!"Ed demanded.


    "Alright,"Jared answered, rolling his eyes,"I was only trying to help!"


    He handed Ed his wand. Ed promptly cast a non-verbal spell. The ground around the fox hole began lifting up, but there was still no sign of his wand.


    "Where on earth has it gone?"Anita said.


    "Where IN the earth has it gone?"Ed said, gloomily,"Accio wand!"


    Nothing.


    "It goes quite deep down, but it gets wider here,"Jared observed,"look, I think one of us could fit down there! Maybe Anita?"


    "Anita is not going down there!"I objected.


    "Well, the only other one small enough to fit down there is Lotty,"Jared said,"and she''s guarding."


    "Yes, why IS she guarding?"I asked, remembering that fact,"what is she guarding against? More foxes?"


    "Um,"Ed answered,"I''m not sure exactly, but we heard some strange noises about 15 minutes ago, and there are some rumours that some dangerous creatures might have gotten out of the Forbidden Forest, and it''s dark, so..."


    "Right,"I said.


    "I can guard,"Anita offered,"if Lotty needs to go down there."


    Jared was now further examining the fox hole with Lumos,"just what potion ingredients exactly were you getting, Ed?"he asked, as he was looking.


    "Oh - just some leaping toadstools,"Ed answered, casually,"didn''t find any, though. Think I must have been looking in the wrong place!"


    "You weren''t,"I said,"I saw some over by where Lotty is."


    "Wait a minute,"said Jared,"I''ve got an idea! If we dig up the earth a bit more,"he handed his wand back to Ed.


    Ed dug more of the earth around the fox hole. Now it was large enough to fit someone like me. When I say someone like me, I mean me, they sent me down there!


    There was some rope left over from building the invisible rope bridge. Anita summoned it from the treehouse. We tied it around a nearby tree, I held onto it and lowered myself down.


    I can tell you this, the whole time I was going down, I was thinking about my feet getting bitten off by angry foxes! The fact the rope I was relying on was invisible, was not very reassuring... At one point, it started slanting, and got very narrow. I thought I was going to get stuck, but fortunately the soil was loose and gave way (though it did give me a bit of a fright when I thought the roof was caving in).


    I found myself in a fairly large, empty cavity. It was as big as a cave, so big that I could almost stand up in there. The warren passage behind me went down diagonally. There weren''t any foxes in there, or even any signs that foxes had been in there. I could see a lot of roots sticking through the earth. But in front of me, I saw something very strange. It looked like a stone archway. Man-made and leading into a chamber beyond...


    "Cathy!"I heard the others calling down to me.


    "I''m alright!"I shouted back up.


    "Have you found my wand?"Ed shouted down.


    "Not yet, give me a moment!"I yelled back.


    I felt a bit scared to go under the arch. I approached, my wand, lit by Lumos, lighting the way before me. There, on the floor, in the entrance of the archway, I found Ed''s wand. Weird how they weren''t able to summon it with ''Accio''. I picked it up and put it in a pocket of my cloak. Then I ventured further. What I saw was strange - it was a small, underground chamber. The walls were lined with pots containing all sorts of rare -looking potion ingredients, skulls of animals, bones - also what looked horribly like part of a human skull. There was an old oak table, and on the table was an ancient-looking book. I had a look at the book. It was written in ancient runes, a very old form.


    I have been studying Ancient Runes as one of my extra subjects, and I can read them quite well, but this ancient form seemed quite difficult.


    The first page had a list of potions, it seemed to be an index of some kind. The next page appeared to be an index of spells. I could only read a few of the words.


    "I wonder how old this is?"I thought.


    I crept back out into the fox den,then felt around for the rope.


    "Well, did you get it?"Ed asked, when I''d climbed out.


    "Yep!"I answered, pulling his wand out of my pocket,"here you go!"


    But here is the strangest thing, when I tried to tell the others about the secret chamber with the old book, no words would come out of my mouth. Then I started to panic and try extra hard. I said, and I didn''t even have any control over what I said,"fill over the fox hole now, we can''t leave it like this."


    I was determined to tell them. So I wrote it down, but when I asked them to read what I''d written, they just asked me why I was showing them scribbles.


    I think that chamber has some kind of enchantment on it, to keep it secret, and to stop anyone that might come across it from telling of it.

 Duelling in Defence Against the Dark Arts

    1st November:


    Today, in Defence Against the Dark Arts, I noticed Henry Blaise was sharing our class. Henry is a Prefect, and the only Slytherin 7th year. He sometimes has classes with us, because there are no other members of our House in his year. I suddenly felt more hopeful than I usually am in this class - that''s because usually when Henry is sharing a class with us, it''s going to be something interesting.


    I was not disappointed. Professor Livia started teaching us how to cast the Patronus charm! None of us were able to do much more than produce a small, silvery light; but Professor Livia said it''s very rare to master it, or cast a full-bodied Patronus. She''s going to continue instructing us over November and December, and beyond. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I''m actually excited for DADA classes!


    I wonder what form my Patronus will take?


    Second Week of November:


    We''re still learning how to cast a Patronus in DADA, but in this class today, we did duelling again.


    This time, I was surprised to discover that we Slytherins would be doing the blocking, and the Gryffindors were going to be doing the casting.


    We haven''t had any practise at blocking yet, so I couldn''t help feeling nervous. I was thinking it was a good thing I already knew a bit about shield charms, though I haven''t practised much... at least, not against an actual opponent.


    We were paired into groups of 2 again. Gryffindor Vs Slytherin.


    I was paired with a boy called Silas. He walked up to me and introduced himself. He had black eyes, dark hair and this sort of mischievous smile. He also happened to be very attractive, but I had a really strange feeling about him, and I don''t think it was just because he was good-looking. My heart started racing, and I suddenly felt extremely anxious for no reason. It made me lose track of what I was doing. I must have looked like an idiot, just standing there.


    I briefly heard him say something, but it just sounded like mumbling. I don''t know if I have ever felt quite this way before. I was just staring blankly in his general direction, and I''d completely forgotten what it was that I was supposed to be doing. Then I felt something else. De ja vous. Like I''d seen him before, like I knew him somehow!


    "Surely I''d remember someone like that?"I was thinking, and it was while I was processing all of this in slow motion, that the real world time left me behind, and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor, under a table, with chairs on top of me.


    I heard laughter coming from the Gryffindors, and as I pulled myself up from the mess of chairs, I noticed Dominic was laughing too, the traitor!


    I hadn''t even thought about blocking. Of course - that is what he had been saying, but I hadn''t been listening, his voice had been blurred out by the loudness of my own mind - he had told me to watch out and get ready.


    I noticed he had extended a hand to me, and it took more than a few seconds for me to register what I was supposed to do next. I took his hand, and he pulled me up. I suddenly felt dizzy and sick, but also like I had conflicting emotions churning around inside me.


    This time, I decided to be ready!


    "Focus, this time,"he was explaining to me,"I''m going to give you plenty of warning, so be ready; three - two - one. Depulso!"


    I suppose that was what he hit me with when I flew into the desks and chairs the first time. Unfortunately I wasn''t quick enough. I found myself flying backwards once more. Only this time, I was more painfully in the moment, landing on the bruises I had already obtained.


    "What''s the matter, Carrow?"this time it was Professor Livia addressing me,"this is what you get when you don''t pay attention in class. You should listen to me. If you can''t successfully block a spell by the end of this lesson, I''m taking twenty points from Slytherin! Now get up, and go back!"


    I picked myself up off the floor, and nervously returned to my area of the arena. I faced Silas, but I was scared this time. Being thrown backwards twice does kind of make you not want to get flung backwards a third time. I anxiously tried to remember the blocking spell, but it had gone completely from my head, and panic was rising up like a wall in front of ordinary brain function.


    "Think! Think! Think!"I was telling myself, but I was only telling myself to think, and beyond that, there was no actual thinking.


    "You ready, Carrow?"I heard Silas saying,"I''ll go easy on you, this time; three, two, one!"


    I felt dazed, lost, I realised I was sitting on the floor. This time, he had hit me with a stunning spell.


    "Get up!"that was Professor Livia yelling at me.


    Before I even tried to get up, Silas had lifted me into a standing position.


    "Could you show me again how to do the - how to - how to block?"I asked Professor Livia, fumbling my words, feeling like an utter idiot.


    I could hear the Gryffindors laughing around me, and I could feel my cheeks burning red, which made it even worse!


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    Professor Livia demonstrated the spell. I watched, careful. I tried to listen with all of my brain (though, for some reason, this is never a thing with me, things go in one ear and out the other, and then I remember them 3 hours later). This time, I tried really hard.


    "Just go with the flow,"I told myself.


    This is something I''ve learned helps when I try to focus on something difficult and can''t seem to do it.


    I watched what she did, then I prepared myself. I faced Silas.


    "Three - two - one!"he warned me.


    I blocked his spell this time.


    All the other Slytherins clapped, and I realised this duel had been the last one. Everyone else, having performed adequately, had finished their practise for class and had all been watching me and Silas. I didn''t know whether to feel supported or patronised (especially when I saw Antonius clapping). The Gryffindors weren''t clapping, they were just laughing.


    I looked back at Silas, he was clapping too, but he also had a menacing smile,"see you round, Carrow!"he said.


    I don''t know why, but the way he said it sent shivers down my spine.


    I''ve definitely met him before, even though I don''t remember it. I''ve been at Hogwarts 6 years, he''s been in all the classes we''ve had with the Gryffindors in that time, but I''ve never really paid him much attention until now. I''ve seen him around; in the distance, in the background, but I can''t shake the feeling that I know him from more than just - that!


    Later:


    The 5 of us Carrows siblings met again in our "castle" up in the trees. When we''re in there, we''re invisible too, it''s the perfect hiding place, though there was one flaw. When I was on my way there, I saw a disembodied head floating at the top of the second oak, above Wise Wizard''s Watch - it was Anita.


    I made sure to let her know that her disembodied spectre could be seen floating above the trees, and she instantly turned to Ed for advice.


    While Ed and Anita had gone off to examine the lookout-tower, I realised it was just Lotty and I in the main part of our treehouse.


    "Lotty?"I asked,"do you know a boy in Gryffindor called Silas? A 6th year?"


    "Silas Warren,"Lotty answered, and she didn''t look happy as she said it,"yeah - I know who he is. He''s the one that founded the gang I told you about."


    "Is he really?"I asked, surprised.


    "Yup,"said Lotty,"he''s one of the worst! He acts like some general commanding an army, or something. I don''t like him. Why do you want to know?"


    "I had to duel him in Defence Against the Dark Arts today,"I said.


    "I hope you beat him!"Lotty said.


    "Well, no - he beat me, actually,"I said.


    "I bet he enjoyed that!"Lotty said,"you need to beat him next time, or you''re not worthy of being my sister!"


    "Lotty!"I gasped.


    Lotty started laughing, then she said,"maybe we should practice duelling?"


    I agreed that would be a good idea, just as Anita and Ed were returning from the lookout tower.


    "Practising duelling?"Anita said,"count me in!"


    "Um - Anita, you''ve barely started school..."I began.


    "I built THIS, didn''t I?"Anita said, indignantly,"I disguised myself as a mermaid in the Black Lake, I..."


    "Ah - Anita''s long list of achievements,"I heard Jared saying, peeking up from the trapdoor entrance.


    "You''re late!"I said.


    "Well, I had some things to do on the way,"Jared said, pulling himself up into the treehouse,"you know - things to take care of."


    "What sort of things?"Ed asked.


    "Oh - you know - things,"Jared casually answered,"things I would rather people didn''t know about."


    Jared is like that. He likes to make himself seem mysterious, like he''s living some secret double life and he''s doing loads of interesting, but less-than-above-board things. It must all be completely ordinary, of course, and certainly not secret, or he wouldn''t be telling us ''hints'' like he does.


    We began discussing the idea of duelling practise with each other. Lotty knows some spells that I don''t, and Ed knows a lot - though he says he''s never actually put them into practice, only read about them. Jared claims to be a duelling expert, but I suppose we''ll find out whether or not that''s true soon enough!


    Before returning to Hogwarts, we tested out Ed''s upgrade of Wise Wizard''s Watch. This time, there were no floating heads, even when all of us tried, testing out our different heights.


    We still had some free time, after this. Lotty and I decided to practice flying for a bit. Lotty wants to get into the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. She has always been brilliant at sports, and she''s passionate about Quidditch. I hope she does get in. At least then, when they win time and time again, like usual, I can be pleased about Lotty winning, instead of disappointed about us losing.


    But it was while we were flying around above the school grounds, that we suddenly saw 3 people flying towards us. A girl and 2 boys. One of them was a Hufflepuff, and the other two were Gryffindors. They flew straight at us!


    "What are you doing?"I yelled, dodging out of the way.


    "Pure-blood scum!"one of the boys yelled, and he threw something over us both. I''m not sure what it was, but one thing I know was that I was falling - falling - falling... there was some kind of dust in my eyes, I couldn''t see, I expected to hit the ground, and then...


    "Arresto Momentum!"someone cried.


    I was suspended in the air, a few feet from the ground, so was Lotty, though she was above me. Then the spell wore off, and I crashed onto the soft, muddy ground, as the sound of laughter died off into the distance.


    "What was that?"I gasped, sitting up, I turned to Lotty,"are you ok?"I began.


    Lotty''s broom was broken. Possibly beyond repair. She was on the verge of tears.


    "Why would they do this?"she whispered.


    I saw tears welling in her eyes. I realised, suddenly, how much this means to her. She wants to get into the Quidditch Team, and this will have ruined that - she won''t be able to participate in the Quidditch trials without her broom - unless?


    "Lotty - you can have mine,"I offered,"they probably only targeted us because I was with you, anyway."


    "No,"Lotty said,"you need it."


    "You can have it until you get a replacement,"I said,"mine''s better than yours, anyway, and I''ve never been able to use it to it''s full potential. In the meantime, we can try to fix yours."


    "No,"Lotty insisted,"if I have yours, then they''ll just break that one too."


    "Why?"I said,"they''ve been bullying you?"


    Lotty was looking at the ground.


    "They''ve been bullying you, haven''t they!"I went on,"the cowards!"


    "Shh! No,"said Lotty,"it''s not all that bad. I''ll be fine. Don''t worry about me."


    "You should have my broom!"I persisted,"if they break it, so what? That''s not on you, that''s on them!"


    "But..."Lotty went on.


    "Take it,"I said, giving it to her,"it''s yours until you have a replacement."


    Lotty reluctantly accepted it.


    "Go on, Lotty, get into the Gryffindor Quidditch Team!"I said.


    Lotty blinked back tears,"that''s just it,"she said,"I don''t - they might not let me in."


    "Why? If you practise enough, and I know you can fly well, I''ve seen you!"I went on.


    "It''s just - I don''t think they will, because - because I''m a Carrow,"Lotty said.


    "Well, then you just have to try your absolute best!"I encouraged her,"be so good, that they can''t help but let you in, Carrow or no Carrow, you can show them!"


    Lotty smiled weakly,"I''m not sure that''s how it works, but I can try,"she said.

 The Ancient Runes

    Next Day:


    The weather has suddenly gotten a lot colder. Anita was talking about building a fireplace that wouldn''t damage the treehouse or tree (we were sitting up there, shivering. It''s not such a cosy hideaway now.). None of us know how to conjure that kind of fire, and it could go terribly wrong if we tried... We had to make Anita promise she wouldn''t try it, not at least until we''d discovered a safe way to do it, and practised elsewhere. Because, I tell you this, once she gets ideas, there''s almost no stopping her! I know she''s going to go straight to Ed to ask about conjuring fires, but at least we made her promise to practise them somewhere else first! Otherwise, it would be just like Anita to accidentally burn down the Forbidden Forest!


    Late November:


    It''s been a long time since I last wrote. We''ve sort of abandoned the treehouse for the time being. We''ve been spending a lot of time indoors (apart from Lotty, she''s still practicing flying for the Quidditch trials. She''s been out there working hard, toiling away in all weathers!).


    I''ve been paying a lot more attention in Ancient Runes. I was asking Professor Willow (who teaches Ancient Runes) if he knew about more ancient forms, and he actually did.


    Not much is known about the oldest form, but he was able to present me with some scraps; and some workings done by magical linguists who have tried to decipher them properly in the past.


    "There''s a very strange thing about these runes in particular,"he said, handing me a piece of parchment, and an old book,"whenever we try to decipher them, what should be simple becomes entirely complex. Look at this parchment here, and tell me what you see?"


    I looked at the parchment - it seemed to be translation workings; a lot of symbols had already been decoded, and were listed in a key. They had been using a partial script (which they wrote was traced from a very old stone, and they''d used that to fill in the gaps). It looked very interesting! Languages and codes, all those sorts of things have always been my strong point.


    I pointed out to him the things I saw, but he shook his head.


    "That is not what I see,"he said.


    "Then what do you see?"I asked.


    "I just see random, unintelligible nonsense,"he responded,"and the nonsense I see, you can guarantee, will be different to the nonsense someone else sees. It seems that there is some curse, some enchantment on this ancient language. An enchantment that will prevent people from ever deciphering it. For many years, enthusiasts have tried to break the enchantment, the spell, whatever it is; but it must be so old, so long forgotten, that no one knows how."


    I examined the book I held in my hands, wondering... I remembered the curse on the secret underground chamber in the fox''s den. A curse that had prevented me from speaking about what I had found. How I had written down what I found, but the others only saw it as random nonsense. Maybe that was the same curse that was on these runes?


    But I had been in the chamber, and seen the book. Maybe the curse didn''t prevent me from seeing through the enchantment, because I already knew. Maybe that was the reason that now, this book, and the parchment fragment made sense to me - even though Professor Willow was going on like it was impossible to read.


    "May I borrow this for a while?"I asked.


    "Yes, of course,"Professor Willow responded,"but you won''t get anywhere with it - I''ve tried, and so have many others before me, all to no avail! It is a lost cause, I''m afraid. Make sure you bring it back afterwards."


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    "Of course, I''ll bring it back,"I answered.


    This was exciting! Maybe I could learn to read that ancient language and de-code the runes in that mysterious book? If only I found a way to return to that secret chamber? I''d have to get Ed to teach me the digging spell.


    Imagine being the only person to know an ancient language cursed by an unknown enchantment! But was I the only person who knew? I realised that even if I did successfully translate this old form of ancient runes, I would never be able to show it, or prove it to anyone else. All Professor Willow would be able to see would be random scribbles. Maybe other people have found out how to read them, but they''re the only ones that can, because they can''t show anyone else what they''ve solved.


    In any case, this was a rare secret.


    This is another reason why I haven''t written in so long, actually. Instead of reserving scraps of my spare time to write in my diary, I''ve been studying the book Professor Willow gave me. And I''ve been making progress! So much so that I now have a key that appears to make sense. The only problem is, I don''t have enough sample texts to practise it on. A lot of it is based on theory, and I''m unable to fill in the gaps. However, I know I could make real progress if I could just see that old book in the Foxhole Chamber again.


    Maybe I could take Ed with me? Maybe if we''re both in there, and we''ve both seen it, we''ll be able to discuss the language together and it''ll make sense to us? I know Ed studies ancient runes, too. Though he''s not as dedicated as I am.


    So, other than studying, what else happened? Professor Park threatened to cut off Dominic''s hands when he stirred his potion the wrong way, after being told off for doing it wrong three times already. Regulus Flint (our Quidditch Team captain, he''s in my year) ended up being the first person to blow up one of the ''highly flammable'' potions, and actually set Antonius'' robes on fire! Fortunately, both of their burn-removal potions were up to standard, because they needed them! Especially Regulus! Professor Park was furious. He told them if it ever happened again, he would turn them both into potion ingredients. Antonius was particularly annoyed (in a passive aggressive way), seeing as he wasn''t the one responsible for the disaster, but it serves him right! He''s always managing to worm his way out of trouble, or as far away from it as possible, he needs to be taken down a peg or two, every once in a while!


    December:


    I went to ask Ed about a digging spell.


    "What do you want to use a digging spell for?"he asked.


    "Well, it came in useful back on Halloween, when you dropped your wand down a fox hole!"I said.


    "Yeah, but that''s not exactly an every-day thing to happen,"he replied.


    "But it proves it could always come in useful,"I persisted.


    "Why don''t you learn it yourself, Cathy? You should read more books,"Ed said, irritably.


    Since the cold weather has been keeping us indoors, he''s taken to studying extensively again, and it''s been making him bad-tempered, as usual.


    "You should WORK a bit more, instead of getting other people to do all of the work for you!"Ed was ranting.


    "It''s just one spell,"I said.


    "You''re always asking me ''how do I do this?'' - ''how do I do that?'',"Ed went on,"really, Cathy, you need to put in some effort once in a while!"


    "Ed, I can''t help it that I''m not as clever as you are,"I said,"I try to study a lot, but it''s really hard. It takes me a long time to learn things!"


    "Which means it''s going to take a long time for me to teach you!"Ed objected,"no way! Go and learn it yourself!"


    "You could at least tell me where you learned it?"I insisted.


    "Right then! Listen to me, Cathy!"Ed said, snapping the book he was reading shut with a sharp slap,"GO into the library, and use your brain to THINK! ''Hmm, I wonder where I could find some information about digging spells?'' then, if you HAVE a brain, it should tell you ''gardening - therefore the Herbology section, let''s have a look over there'', and ''yay! A book on Useful Spells for the Magical Garden!'' and what do you know? There''s the digging spell! Right there in the book! Cathy, you need to start learning to think like us people with brains, for once in a while!"


    "Fine!"I said, understanding from this long speech of his, that I had to go to the Herbology section of the library and find a book on gardening.


    Later:


    I found it! I''ve started practising the spell, and it works!


    Pity about Ed being grumpy, I was going to tell him about the runes, but I''ve decided not to. Especially as Ancient Runes is something I''m better at than him. He knows that, and it''ll just make him even more grumpy!


    Next day:


    It''s the beginning of the Christmas Holidays! We''re going home for Christmas.

 Christmas Holidays

    The Christmas Holidays:


    We''re at home now.


    I was playing Wizards'' Chess with Anita, and wondering where the others were. I hadn''t seen them all day. I knew Ed was probably studying in his room. Jared told me he''s been working on some strange invention ever since we''ve been home.


    Anita had just taken one of my knights, when I heard Ed shouting really loudly from his window.


    "You came back! WHY did you come BACK?"he was yelling.


    I ran to the window. The room we were in was below his. Outside, I could see Jared and Lotty trudging through the snow, towards the house, looking tired and gloomy.


    "It''s stopped working!"Jared yelled up at Ed,"we couldn''t tell you because it stopped working!"


    "It works fine, you just don''t know how to use it!"Ed bellowed back.


    "We got your potion ingredients!"Lotty shouted up.


    "I don''t care about potion ingredients!"Ed shouted,"go back, now! And use it correctly, this time!"


    "I''m going in the house!"Jared replied, angrily,"I''m going to SIT DOWN, put my feet up, and have a nice cup of tea!"


    "Me too!"Lotty chimed in,"we''re sick of being your apprentices!"


    "Don''t you DARE come back in the house!"Ed was yelling, as Lotty and Jared deliberately defied him.


    I couldn''t help laughing. What was going on? I ran to greet them as they entered the house.


    "What''s going on?"I asked.


    "Ed''s been testing out this voice-carrying invention of his,"Jared said, showing me a strange, cone-shaped device.


    "Yes, he sent us out to collect potion ingredients,"Lotty said,"he was testing to see how far away it would go and keep on working. But then it suddenly stopped working and we could only hear him, he couldn''t hear us, so we came back."


    "That''s because I MUTED you, you idiots!"Ed''s voice came from the stairs behind us,"you kept on asking loads of stupid questions!"


    "If you already had so much confidence in it''s capabilities, why did you send us out to test it?"Jared asked.


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    "Yeah! We''re keeping the potion ingredients, by the way!"Lotty added.


    "What use would YOU have for them?"Ed raged.


    "You''re not the only one that knows how to brew potions,"Jared answered, indignantly.


    They began arguing, so I decided to return to my game of Wizard''s Chess with Anita, before they tried dragging me into it... but, as is the case with most of our sibling arguments at home, I did end up being dragged into it. Anita too, when Jared accidentally spilled his tea all over the chess board, and there was a whole load of comotion until Dad came in and threatened to cancel Christmas if we didn''t shut up!


    Christmas Day:


    Jared got two real swords for Christmas! They''re both blunt, so not exactly dangerous. He wanted to try them out right away, but Ed was too busy examining some magical gadgets he had gotten, so Jared made me go outside with him instead.


    One of the swords was much heavier than the other one. He gave me the lighter one. I''ve practiced sword-fighting with Jared before, but only with sticks and wooden swords.


    "Now - parry!"Jared began,"no - look - you''re holding the sword wrong! You don''t hold it like that - no, actually, keep it like you are now - parry!"


    Jared whacked his sword into mine, and it went backwards into my shoulder.


    "Ow!"I said.


    "See, that''s what happens when you parry incorrectly!"Jared said,"if that was a sharp sword, that would have cut into your arm and injured you. I''d have sliced you with your own sword in your own hands! Now you need to work on how to grip your sword and wield it in a defensive position - you have to hold it like this, ready to thrust it forward!"


    "Jared, wizard kind don''t need swords to fight,"I said, after a while, starting to get tired of practicing outside in the cold,"even Muggles don''t use them any more."


    "This is an incredibly useful skill to know,"Jared insisted,"it was good enough for thousands of years of Muggle warfare, and there have been occasions where wizards have fought with swords as well!"


    "It''s cold!"I objected,"I can barely hold the thing in my hand! My fingers are frozen solid!"


    After I went in the house, he continued practicing outside by himself, demolishing an old scarecrow down by the vegetable patch.


    Beginning of January:


    We''re going back to school tomorrow. Only I''ve decided I don''t want to go back! I''m dreading going back! Why? Because of something AWFUL that I''ve just found out!


    My parents, and Antonius Parkinson''s parents, have been trying to matchmake me and him!


    Yes! The horror of it! I''ve just had to listen to a long lecture from Dad telling me over and over how important it is that I marry a pureblood, it''s my duty as a Carrow bla bla bla, about how I ''won''t get any better than Antonius'' etcetera etcetera.


    But it gets even worse! Antonius knows! He''s known since before I knew! Since last summer! That''s why he''s been giving me so much unwanted attention; sitting next to me, trying to start conversations, following me around!


    All my siblings know now too! Horror of horrors! They all know because I got into an argument with Mum and there were loud shouts, and Anita and Jared looked delighted! I know I''m never going to hear the end of this!


    Later:


    I''ve been talking to Lotty about it. She is always the most understanding. She told me I need to face my fears and not let embarrassment get in the way.


    "You do what YOU want,"she said,"if you don''t like Antonius, just tell him."


    "But how do I tell him?"I said,"I don''t want to go NEAR him!"


    "You have to face your fears,"Lotty went on,"it''s either that or you hide from them and make yourself miserable."


    I know Lotty''s right. When I next see Antonius, I have to tell him he''s wasting his time. I have to let him know. Otherwise there will be no peace, and I don''t fancy spending the rest of my time at Hogwarts hiding from him.

 Return to the Foxhole Chamber

    First day back:


    Professor Longbottom somehow managed to set fire to a Venomous Tentacular in Herbology... we were evacuated from the Greenhouses.


    We ended up having Care of Magical Creatures class instead. Professor Macmillan is the teacher. She is also Eric Macmillan''s (Slytherin 1st year) mother (it must be so awkward having one of your parents as a teacher at school). She''s also Head of Hufflepuff House.


    I always want to pet the animals in the magical creatures classes, but we aren''t allowed close to them. Professor Macmillan says they need to be protected from us more than we need to be protected from them; though I don''t see how, because some of those creatures can be dangerous!


    In theory, it sounds like it would be an interesting class; but most of it is just learning about which foods certain animals can eat, what kind of habitats they live in, stuff like that. A lot of the time we don''t even get to see the creatures we''re learning about, because they''re rare or belong in a different part of the world.


    It''s still useful information, I suppose. Maybe I''ve always found Care of Magical Creatures disappointing because I remember reading about when Harry Potter was at Hogwarts and had ideas that this class involved flying around on Hippogriffs and things like that.


    Towards the end of the day, I was sitting in the common room, in my usual preferred spot, when I was reminded of something dreadful. Antonius sat down next to me.


    My heart sank, as I suddenly remembered what that impending sense of dread was that had been hanging over me all day; but I supposed now was a good opportunity to do what I had to do, and get it over and done with.


    "Antonius,"I said.


    "Yes?"he answered.


    "Could I have a private word with you?"I tried to say it in an angry way, so he wouldn''t get any of the wrong ideas.


    "Am I in trouble?"he responded, in a voice that sounded very unconcerned.


    "Yes,"I answered.


    He followed me out into the dungeons, I looked around for a place with no people, more particularly, no Anita or Jared to bump into us.


    "Taking me deeper into the dungeons, are you?"Antonius said,"what are you planning on doing with me exactly?"


    I found a quiet corner.


    "Listen to me, Antonius,"I said,"I''ve heard about this plot between our parents, to unite us in marriage, or you know - that general nonsense."


    "I wouldn''t call it nonsense,"Antonius said.


    "I would,"I said,"because I don''t like you."


    There was an awkward silence.


    "I never have liked you,"I went on,"and I don''t need you wasting your time. So I need to be clear now. That''s not going to happen, understood?"


    Antonius was silent for a moment, then he said,"understood,"in a quiet voice.


    As I looked into his handsome, dark eyes, I couldn''t help feeling slightly sorry for him.


    "Look, I don''t want to be mean,"I added,"I just need to be honest with you."


    "Alright,"Antonius responded, quietly, but then he added,"can I ask why it is that you don''t like me?"


    "I just don''t,"I said,"besides, I don''t agree with you on a lot of things. I don''t think we''d ever get along."


    There was another pause.


    "Well, thank you for letting me know,"Antonius said, slowly,"so, goodbye then."


    Another pause.


    "Goodbye,"I said.


    Antonius walked off.


    I thought I''d feel more relieved after this. I thought I would feel happy too, but I don''t feel happy, I just feel weird.


    Next day:


    I remembered the runes thing! How could I have forgotten? That was the very thing I wanted to do before the Christmas Holidays began, and now I finally have a chance to do it!


    However, I couldn''t help feeling a bit nervous about going by myself, so I asked Lotty if she would come with me. I knew I wouldn''t be able to tell her about the secret chamber, so I just asked her if she''d like to go for a walk.


    "There might be something strange at one point,"I said,"I can''t explain, you''ll just have to see for yourself."


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    Lotty looked at me, mystified, but didn''t ask any questions.


    As we approached the small woodland, we suddenly heard the yelp of an injured animal. Lotty spotted it first! She ran towards it, and I ran after her.


    A beautiful red fox had gotten itself caught in barbed wire.


    "What''s that doing there?"I said, referring to the barbed wire.


    Lotty didn''t answer, she ran straight to the fox, she had to free it!


    "Careful! It might bite you!"I warned.


    Lotty had already gotten a hold of the fox and was attempting to carefully untangle it. The animal seemed to calm down, it was as if it knew we were trying to rescue it. I sat down beside it and stroked it''s head and ears.


    "Don''t worry, we''ll get you out of here,"I reassured it, as Lotty untangled it, bit by bit.


    It seemed as though the fox could understand what I was saying. Finally, Lotty had got it all free, and I held it on my lap.


    "Look!"Lotty said, pointing to wounds on its back legs,"poor thing!"


    I knew just the thing for it.


    "Accio Dittany Paste!"my accidental invention was going to come in useful for something.


    I applied the paste to the fox''s injuries. It yelped and tried to get away.


    "It''s going to help you heal,"I said.


    It was as though the fox understood me again, for it calmed down instantly, and allowed me to attend to its'' wounds. Then it lay there for a while, as we both stroked it and spoke to it reassuringly.


    The Dittany Paste worked quickly, after a few minutes, the fox jumped up and ran off down the field into the distance. We were kind of sad to see it go, but happy that it was alright now.


    "Come on,"I said to Lotty.


    We carried on up to the woods.


    "Isn''t this the woods where Ed lost his wand?"Lotty asked.


    "It is,"I answered.


    We got to the foxhole.


    "Fode Terram!"I cast the spell.


    The ground around the foxhole began to lift itself out into piles of earth, like it had done with Ed.


    "What are you doing?"Lotty asked,"why do you want to go back down there?"


    "Accio rope!"I called, remembering we''d need that.


    We tied the rope around the tree. Lotty was firing questions at me the whole time, but I couldn''t answer.


    "Remember I told you something strange might happen,"I said,"I can''t say anything more."


    Lotty followed my instructions without any further questions, but she looked puzzled, and not exactly happy.


    I went down first, Lotty followed.


    "Lumos!"


    Lotty saw the archway now.


    "What?"she gasped,"why didn''t you tell us about this before?"


    "I couldn''t,"I said, as I ducked under the archway and entered the hidden chamber.


    Lotty followed, and looked around.


    "I don''t like the look of these potion ingredients,"she remarked,"what is that? Is that a...?"she was looking at the fragments of a human skull.


    "It probably is,"I answered.


    "What on earth is a place like this doing down here?"Lotty said.


    I opened the book and began copying down the runes, symbol for symbol. I wouldn''t have enough time to study the book here in the underground chamber, but I would have time to copy down the first two pages and bring them back to use as samples for translation workings.


    "I have a bad feeling about this place,"Lotty said,"come on, let''s go now."


    "Wait a minute, I have to copy this down,"I said.


    "Are you sure you should be doing that?"Lotty asked me.


    "It''s fine,"I responded.


    "It could be one of those dangerous enchanted books,"Lotty warned.


    "It is an enchanted book,"I said,"but the enchantment just means no one else can read it, apart from people who have been in this chamber. The same goes for you. Unfortunately, you won''t be able to tell the others about this."


    "Why won''t I!?"Lotty demanded.


    "Same reason I couldn''t,"I said,"I did try telling you about this place! I even tried writing it down, and you said I just wrote a bunch of nonsense."


    Lotty gave me a strange look.


    "There is an enchantment protecting this chamber,"I went on,"keeping it secret."


    "I don''t really like the sound of this,"Lotty said,"we should go!"


    "I just need to finish copying down these runes,"I insisted.


    It only took a few more minutes. Lotty went up first, and I followed.


    As I looked down at the piles of upturned earth, I realised I didn''t know a spell to undo the digging. Last time, Ed had been there, and he''d known - but, I didn''t have to wonder about it for long.


    Without even thinking, I raised my wand and said,"Restituo!"


    The soil around the foxhole began to return to its original setting, as though it had never been dug - it was being undug! Weirder still, I looked at Lotty, and she was doing the same thing. We both filled in the hole. Now it was just a foxhole again.


    Lotty and I looked at each other feeling a bit confused and unsettled.


    "I have a REALLY bad feeling about this place now!"Lotty said.


    "Well, we don''t have to hang around,"I said,"let''s go!"


    Later:


    Defence Against the Dark Arts again. In class, I was sitting by myself for the first time in ages. I noticed Antonius was sitting next to Dominic, like he always used to. The Sanding twins were sitting together, Priscilla Bulstrode was sitting next to Regulus Flint, I was the odd one out. I felt a bit awkward sitting down by myself, but I remembered how irritated I''d been with Antonius always finding a way to be near me, and suddenly I felt less awkward.


    I realised it would be a lot worse if he was sitting next to me now and we hadn''t had that important conversation in the dungeons.


    I suddenly had a feeling like I needed to look around, and I looked over to the side of the classroom where the Gryffindors were. Silas was staring at me. When he saw me looking at him looking at me, he quickly looked away.


    I wasn''t paying attention to what Professor Livia was saying. She wasn''t talking about Patronuses in this class, and I was too busy thinking about everything that had happened lately. The fox we rescued, the underground chamber, the runes I''d copied down in my notebook. I couldn''t wait to study them later!


    Even later:


    Last class of the day was Potions (with the Hufflepuffs again). More flammable ones. Fortunately none of them went up smoke this time, but Professor Park still wasn''t happy with the quality. He walked around examining all of ours intently.


    He took one sniff of Regulus'' potion.


    "What do you call that?"he said, leaning over and sniffing more aggressively,"dropped your brain in there, did you?"


    He cast a disapproving glance over at mine, then went over to Bulstrode''s.


    "Well done!"he said,"I actually believe we have made a record today. You, Bulstrode, have achieved a record!"


    We waited in anticipation. I waited in stifled horror. Was this going to be the biggest insult of the term? Or was it going to be something extremely rare...?


    "Finally, a Slytherin in this year has managed to brew the best potion in the entire class! Not only is this the best potion in the class, it is, in every way, worthy of its name! Unlike all of this other diluted swill; Flint''s melted brains, and that sad excuse for a liquid simmering in Miss Carrow''s cauldron. You should all take note that it is in fact possible to LEARN things in this class! If you actually LISTEN, pay attention and put in some EFFORT - like Bulstrode, here!"


    A compliment from Professor Park is possibly the most rare and valuable reward you could ever receive at present-day Hogwarts!

 Valentines Day

    A few days later:


    I''ve been studying the runes again. The samples I copied from that book have come in really useful. I''ve used them to correct some errors in the ''key'' that I put together. The first two pages of the book, as I had suspected, are indexes. The first one is an index of potions, the second is an index of spells.


    The really interesting thing is, I have not heard of any of the potions listed. Though I don''t like the sound of some of them. There''s one that sounds like it''s intended to cause ''the plague'', which sounds awful, even though right next to it is one that''s listed as ''the cure to the plague''. There''s also a potion that seems to be described as causing people to ''dance until they die''. Some pretty dark potion types in there.


    I have a feeling that book would definitely be in the Restricted Section - or maybe not even allowed at Hogwarts at all, if people knew about it.


    The spells also look interesting. They have strange names, some of them aren''t even in Latin, like spells usually are. So I have no idea what they do.


    I''m curious to go back and copy down more from that old book, seeing as I''ve found a way to translate it! I do feel a bit creeped out by it though, and when I mentioned it to Lotty, she made it clear she wasn''t going anywhere near that place again.


    I don''t want to go back there on my own, but I know I am probably going to go back there at some point.


    Later:


    So Lotty didn''t get into the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, despite doing really, really well in the Quidditch trials. She told me she overheard some Gryffindors talking about her as though she could be a spy for us Slytherins, sabotaging the matches from within, or passing along information about their tactics to us. Lotty was right - she didn''t get into the Gryffindor Quidditch Team because she''s a Carrow.


    There is some good news though. Lotty has a replacement broom now, she says it''s a lot faster than her old one, but she has to get used to it. I''ve got my broom back, undamaged. It''s actually in better condition than when I gave it to her, she has taken really good care of it.


    First Week of February:


    Disappointingly, Professor Livia seems to have stopped teaching us how to summon a Patronus. Every DADA class has been incredibly boring. We haven''t even done any more duelling.


    Professor Longbottom has been extra careful in Herbology, and Professor Park seems to have run out of insults to give.


    As for my siblings; Ed is still being boring and grumpy, Jared is just being his usual self, Lotty has been gloomy since the outcome of the Quidditch trials (and I''m not sure how to cheer her up, though I have tried), but as for Anita...


    I found Anita over by the Whomping Willow. She appeared to be attacking it! She was dancing around it, holding a stick, lunging at it, and dodging the branches as they lashed out!


    "Anita! What are you doing!?"I yelled, horrified.


    "I''m..."she began, breathlessly, as she rolled out of the way of a large branch,"you know... just... training..."


    "Training for what!?"I yelled.


    Anita dodged away from the tree, and ran towards me with an enormous grin on her face.


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    "I''m training my reflexes and fighting skills,"she said,"never know when you might need them! It''s not just magic we should be learning to be good at!"


    "You''re training your reflexes by picking a fight with the Whomping Willow?"I said, in disbelief.


    "And - look! I''ve got a trophy,"Anita continued, showing me a branch from the willow, it was the ''stick'' she had been holding. Even as she held it, it was whipping around in her hands.


    "I was whacking it with a bit of it,"she said,"made it even more mad!"


    "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is!?"I said,"that tree could crush you to death!"


    "I suppose it could, but that just motivates my training,"Anita responded.


    "Anita, if you want to test your reflexes, you need to stop using the Whomping Willow or you''ll have no reflexes left to test!"I insisted.


    "Uh,"Anita said, she looked back at the tree, just as the small willow frond she was holding whipped into her face, knocking her glasses off and leaving a cut on her cheek.


    "Maybe it is a bit risky,"she said, throwing the willow frond back in the direction of the tree,"but we were supposed to practise duelling each other, remember? That hasn''t happened!"


    "Yes, because the weather got really cold,"I said,"also we''ve not got much time, with all of the studying we need to be doing."


    "We have to do it soon, though,"Anita said.


    "We will in the Spring,"I said,"just - no more attacking the Whomping Willow, ok?"


    "Look out!"Anita suddenly warned.


    The willow frond she had thrown back towards the tree was making it''s way towards us! I quickly leapt out of the way as it lashed out.


    The blasted thing followed us into the castle! It followed Anita around for ages, until Professor Longbottom, of all people, ended up taking care of it.


    Anita had better watch out for the Whomping Willow from now on. I''m convinced that thing remembers it''s enemies!


    Valentine''s Day:


    I completely forgot it was Valentine''s Day until I started getting them. All anonymous (could have all been the same person, for all I knew). I ended up with about 6 by the evening. I don''t really care about Valentine''s Day that much, but it''s nice actually getting them. However, I also received something which I can only describe as an anti-Valentine.


    When I opened it, it showed a moving sketch of someone being blasted dead (who I supposed was meant to be me) by another person with a wand. Underneath was written ''Pureblood loser scum''.


    I actually laughed. When things like this happen, there always is that option. Just laugh. It was quite amusing after all. My first ever anti-Valentine. Fortunately, I didn''t have any more of them. One is quite enough.


    I decided not to show it to Lotty, but as I was showing it to Anita (for a laugh), Priscilla Bulstrode was looking over.


    "What is that?"she asked.


    I showed it to her.


    She laughed,"you kept this?"she said,"I''d have torn it up!"


    "Well,"I said, not really knowing what to say.


    She handed it back to me, still laughing,"you''re a weird one, Catherine. Do you have any idea who might have sent you that - hate letter?"


    "I have no idea,"I said.


    "Do you think it could have been that boy that beat you in duelling?"Priscilla suggested,"that boy, Silas?"


    "I don''t know,"I said,"it could have been anyone."


    "I might know a way to find out who did write it,"Priscilla went on,"it could be fun."


    "What does it involve?"I asked.


    "It involves a potion, and a special kind of trick,"Priscilla said,"you see, I have this enchanted paper - it catches people''s fingerprints. It goes well with this Revealing Potion I made."


    "Wait - you invented a potion?"I said.


    "Yeah, sort of,"Priscilla explained,"I based it on a potion that already exists, and I used some spells to go with it. I made it into something that''s a bit more useful for certain things..."


    "So, what would you do?"I asked.


    "First thing,"said Priscilla,"has anyone else, besides you and me, touched this letter?"


    "Just me, you and Anita,"I answered.


    "Well, what I''m going to do is this,"Priscilla went on,"I brew the potion, and as I brew it, I add people''s fingerprints. I can obtain them by getting individuals to touch the enchanted paper. Then I write their name on the paper, then I add it to the potion. I can add a whole bunch of names. Then when it''s finished, I mix it into a paste, spread it over the paper - and there will be revealed all the names of whoever has touched that letter!"


    "That sounds genius!"I said,"but won''t it be really difficult getting everyone''s fingerprints?"


    "You can leave that part of me,"Priscilla said, with a smirk.


    "I think a good place to start would be the Gryffindor 6th years,"I suggested,"I get the idea it was someone who saw how badly I failed in duelling class that time. Though it could also be someone who heard about it, I suppose."


    "Gryffindors in our year are definitely a good place to start,"Priscilla agreed,"but to be on the safe side, I should get as many as possible. I''ll let you know how it goes."

 Detention

    The next day:


    Professor Livia has resumed teaching us how to cast Patronuses! It turns out we were supposed to have been practicing by ourselves, in our own time, and she was testing to see if we had made any progress. I don''t know why I didn''t think of practicing by myself.


    But something really exciting happened! Two students'' Patronuses materialised, though very brief, in their forms. No one else in the class is anywhere near the level they are at!


    The first was a dolphin - Patricia Finnigan''s Patronus, we only saw it for two seconds before it disappeared. Everyone cheered, and I mean everyone!


    The next student to successfully manage a somewhat-bodied Patronus, was Silas. We saw it for about one second, and then it was gone. It was a snake.


    I was thinking that was a bit of a strange Patronus for a Gryffindor to have, and I was expecting Professor Livia to remark on it in a non-approving way, but, instead she just said she''d never seen a Patronus like that before, so it must be rare and special. I don''t think ''rare and special'' would be within her choice of vocabulary had it been one of our Patronuses!


    I still wonder what mine will be. I try to think of what makes me happy when I''m trying to conjure one; but a lot of things make me happy, and none of them seem to be powerful enough. The closest I got was when I remembered my parents telling me we wouldn''t have to live on the run any more; but this memory was marred by the possibility it was too good to be true, and the anxiety that all of a sudden, one night back at home, I''ll hear a knock on my bedroom door and one of my parents whispering,"get up, Cathy! Wake your sisters, we need to leave!"


    A few days later:


    I don''t know how Priscilla managed to get everything done this quickly; but she let me know the Revealing Potion was ready, and she''d added as many people''s fingerprints to it as she could, including all of the Gryffindor 6th Years.


    "If nothing shows up, we can use process of elimination,"she said, as she brushed the potion paste over my anti-Valentine.


    A name was revealed, glowing - Kenneth Brass.


    "Well, well,"Priscilla chuckled.


    Kenneth Brass is a Gryffindor 6th year. He''s one of the boys that always hangs out with Silas Warren. It didn''t come as much of a surprise. In fact, it was so unsurprising that I was actually a bit disappointed.


    "This whole idea of yours,"I said,"it''s absolute genius! And look how it worked!"


    "Never mind that,"said Priscilla, her cheeks glowing red,"how do you plan on getting revenge?"


    Revenge. That hadn''t exactly been something on my mind.


    "I''m not sure getting revenge is a good idea,"I said.


    "Come on! We can''t discover who the culprit is and then not get revenge,"Priscilla said.


    "Maybe something harmless?"I suggested,"something that won''t get us into trouble?"


    "It''s not revenge if it''s harmless!"Priscilla persisted.


    "What if..."I said, thinking,"what if we let him know that he isn''t anonymous? What if he sent other people letters like these too, and we found out about that? Wouldn''t that give him something to be worried about?"


    "It''s something,"said Priscilla, sounding disappointed,"I was thinking of something a bit more - drastic. That could work, though."


    Later:


    It seems I''m the only person that received an anti-Valentine. Either that or everyone else is lying about not getting any.


    Extra later:


    Priscilla is the one that came up with the idea. Sending him an owl.


    I wrote him a message: ''To my secret admirer - From Catherine Carrow. I know who you are, dear Kenneth, and I know a lot more.''


    We ended up including a sketch of him being torn up by the Whomping Willow.


    "Is there a way to do it so it reads it out loud?"I asked,"I would love for all his Gryffindor mates to hear that part about him being my secret admirer."


    Priscilla laughed evilly,"you know,"she said,"there is."


    Priscilla knew a spell to make the letter read itself out in my voice (though not the same way a Howler does, not quite so loud as that). I had to speak the words first. I tried to say it in a romantic way, ending with a sinister whisper.


    We sent it just as we were on our way to dinner in the Great Hall. Hopefully that way, we''d be able to see what happened next.


    Sure enough, we were all sitting down at the tables, when an owl flew over to Kenneth and dropped the letter. Priscilla and I were craning our necks to see what would happen.


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    Kenneth opened the letter. We waited with baited breath. From over where we were sitting, we couldn''t hear the letter read out; but we noticed some reactions from the Gryffindors, and a look of horror on Kenneth''s face. He looked over at me, and I started blowing him kisses. Priscilla nearly fell on the floor laughing. Some of the Gryffindors around him were laughing too. They were looking at the letter, maybe they''d seen the threatening sketch I''d included.


    Next day:


    So today things took an unexpected turn... I was suddenly called up to see the Headmistress. I''ve done my share of rule-breaking in my time here, but until now I''ve never actually been caught... However, I didn''t remember breaking any rules recently. I was shown up to the Headmistress'' office by Professor Livia. It was a silent ascent. The password to the Headmistress'' office is ''Lavender''. Professor Livia left me at the door and disappeared down the winding stairs.


    I entered, half-curious, half-apprehensive. For all I knew, Wells had found out every rule I''d ever broken and I was going to get into trouble for every single one of them, right here, right now.


    "Sit down, Carrow!"Headmistress Wells ordered, in a very worrying tone.


    Worrying to me, that is. She sounded angry.


    "I suppose you realise why it is that you are here?"Wells asked me.


    "No, Headmistress,"I answered.


    "How can you not know!?"Wells barked at me,"you do realise, that at this school, bullying will not be tolerated!?"


    "Bullying,"I said, bewildered.


    "Yes, Carrow, bullying!"the Headmistress answered.


    "Who - who did I bully?"I asked.


    "Seriously!?"Wells bellowed,"and incident witnessed by many teachers, as well as students, in the Great Hall yesterday? Please tell me you remember?"


    "Oh - I didn''t realise,"I said, realising now. I suppose that could be considered bullying.


    "But, he started it..."I began.


    I didn''t even hear what Wells was yelling at me this time. I was realising that I couldn''t easily explain to her how Kenneth had started it first, as the anti-Valentine wasn''t signed by him, and I''d have to go into the details of how we''d discovered it was he who''d sent it; and I''d have to somehow leave out Priscilla''s role (otherwise she would get into trouble too) and all of that was just too difficult, so I decided to let it slide.


    "Is there any excuse for this kind of behaviour?"I heard Wells finish her long paragraph of lecturing.


    "No, Headmistress,"I responded,"I''m sorry. I won''t do it again."


    "You''ll certainly hope you won''t!"Wells continued,"if you do, you''ll be in ten times more trouble than you are now! As for now - you''ll serve detention at the end of the week."


    "What will I have to do for Detention?"I asked, realising I''d never actually gotten detention before.


    "I shall think of something nearer the time,"Wells snapped,"now - go!"


    I left.


    I couldn''t afford to be upset. If you don''t learn to accept the fact the world isn''t fair, you''ll doom yourself to live in perpetual frustration. I''ve learned - just take things as they come. Deal with them as they happen, and don''t dwell on things you can''t undo. Life is all about moving forward.


    End of the week:


    It turned out my detention was cleaning up (without magic) and reorganising a lot of books that Peeves had flung around in the Library. It was when the library was closed, and only the Librarian was around.


    I thought I was going to be doing it all by myself, but I soon realised I was not alone. Someone else was in detention too. Someone I recognised. Sheila Hunter, a Ravenclaw 6th year I used to be friends with.


    Now we are enemies. At least - she considers me an enemy. She began to hate me a few years ago, and it was my fault. She trusted me with a secret and I told someone else, then it got out. It was a horrible, stupid, thoughtless thing to do and I''ve regretted it ever since. I apologised, of course, but was never able to properly make amends (I''m not sure how) and she has never forgiven me.


    It was a strange moment. For such a long time, we have just ignored each other.


    "Sheila?"I said.


    She continued her ignoring act.


    "I see we''ve both got detention,"I went on.


    She continued to ignore me as she picked up books.


    This is one of those times when I''m reunited with someone from a past whirlwind friendship, and, like most of these occasions, it was incredibly awkward.


    I decided to be upfront.


    "I''m still really sorry about what I did,"I said,"I wish I could go back in time and change it, but I can''t."


    Sheila carelessly threw some books aside and, without looking at me, said,"we''ve got a job to do."


    Those are the first words she has spoken to me in all this time, and for me - it was enough.


    We did a lot of book-organising in silence. It was actually quite peaceful organising the books into piles, finding the right shelves. For those moments, it seemed like that was the only thing I had to worry about, and it didn''t matter how long it took to do it.


    Then I noticed some books had had their pages ripped out. We weren''t supposed to use magic to fix anything. The Librarian was holding both our wands hostage until the job was done.


    "What do you think we should do about these?"I asked Sheila.


    "Put the pages in them, and bring them to the Librarian later,"Sheila said,"look, I''ve made my own book pile with ripped pages. I can''t find the pages for this book,"she showed me a book on counter-curses,"pages 157-158 and 301-302 are missing. If you see them, let me know."


    I paid close attention to the scattered pages around me. I found a page in particular that caught my attention, but it wasn''t one that Sheila had asked me to find, it was something else.


    The first thing I noticed was that someone had scribbled down something in runes on the edge of the page, and it looked like they''d used the enchanted runes! There was an arrow pointing to a paragraph which spoke of a lost, ancient potion recipe - the cure to some magical ailment. The writer seemed to be describing how the potion recipe wasn''t actually lost, and ''see old book '' and something about ''Original Magic''.


    Whoever has written this knew how to read the enchanted runes. Maybe they had been in the Foxhole Chamber. The old book was probably the same book I''d seen. I decided to show Sheila, just to be sure of it. I knew she would just see random scribbling.


    "Someone''s written on this page,"I said,"can you make out what it says?"


    She stared at it,"what is that?"she said.


    "It looks like Ancient Runes,"I said.


    "It looks like nonsense to me,"Sheila answered.


    That was enough to confirm it.


    After a while, I found one of the pages Sheila needed, and soon the whole pile of Peeves'' recent wrecking speed was organised. We brought the books with ripped pages to the Librarian who made us repair them with magic.


    All the while, I was wondering. The fact that someone had made that note in that book means that someone else at Hogwarts definitely knew about the secret chamber. They knew about that old book. Who were they? When did they know about it? How long ago? How many people actually do know about it?


    We returned the books to their rightful places in the bookshelves and departed ways.


    "Goodbye, Sheila,"I said, as we went out.


    "Night,"Sheila muttered.


    I felt happy. A calm sort of restful happy.

 Patronuses in Defence Against the Dark Arts

    March:


    I accidentally overturned a table in Herbology earlier, because an enormous spider suddenly ran at me! Professor Longbottom made me stay behind to tidy up. I''d accidentally destroyed the plants that had been on the table, and he wasn''t happy with me. Worst thing was, I didn''t know where the spider went. It was in there somewhere, still lurking among those many untidy plant-pots, tools and shelves and things. I kept looking over in the direction where it had gone.


    "What is the matter with you?"Professor Longbottom said, frustrated and dismayed at the damage,"those plants aren''t going to leap off the shelves and bite you, you know."


    "No, but the spider in them might,"I said.


    "Spider?"he said,"what spider?"


    "There was a huge spider! The biggest one I''ve ever seen! That''s why I knocked the table over,"I said.


    "No excuses,"he said,"you can go when you''ve finished cleaning all this up. Now can any of these plants be salvaged, do you think?"


    "I don''t know,"I said,"I''m not good with plants."


    "This one, maybe,"he said, examining one closely,"pity about the others."


    "I didn''t mean to,"I said.


    "Just be glad they weren''t the dangerous ones,"the professor went on,"you won''t want to be doing anything like this again. I should know!"


    I laughed.


    "Well,"he said, after most of it had been cleared up,"that''s enough for now. You can go."


    "Why are Hufflepuffs always better at plants?"I asked, before leaving.


    "What do you mean?"he asked.


    "Well, out of all the people we''ve ever had classes with, Hufflepuffs are always the best,"I answered,"they''re even better than Ravenclaws, and then there''s you, and..."


    "Me?"Professor Longbottom said, looking confused.


    "Yes, you were in Hufflepuff, wasn''t you?"I said, suddenly feeling confused as well, like something I''d said wasn''t right.


    Professor Longbottom laughed,"I wasn''t in Hufflepuff!"he said.


    "Oh! Then - what were...?"I asked, surprised.


    "I was a Gryffindor!"he replied.


    For some weird reason, all this time I''d been convinced Professor Longbottom was Hufflepuff!


    "You seem like a Hufflepuff,"I said.


    "How''s that?"he asked, smiling.


    "Well, you don''t seem like a Gryffindor, you seem - too nice,"I said.


    "Too nice to be a Gryffindor?"Professor Longbottom said, looking puzzled.


    "Anyway,"I said, feeling like I''d better go quickly, before I said anything more stupid,"I think I should go now! Goodbye, Professor, I''m sorry about the plants."


    Later:


    Potions class was hilarious today. To me, at least. For some reason, Antonius didn''t seem to be concentrating on his potion, and it blew up! Professor Park made him redo it; and as he did so, he stood behind Antonius examining everything he did, just standing there, leaning with one hand on the table, following his every movement. After observing for a very long five minutes, he said,"you know, there was a much easier way to do that."


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    Antonius stared at him blankly. I knew he probably had really bad performance anxiety by this point. He''d been carefully crushing a pre-powdered root in his mortar and pestle for quite a while.


    Professor Park picked up the bottle of powdered root and shook some of it into the cauldron, as you would spices into a cooking pot. Antonius looked utterly miserable. I was trying my best not to laugh. I knew if I did, Professor Park would come up to my potion - which, though not blowing up, was not going well...


    I don''t think I''ve ever seen Antonius like that before. Usually he''s always so - boring! He seemed a bit agitated today, he wasn''t being his usual self. It seemed something was bothering him.


    The next day:


    In DADA, I was happy to see Henry Blaise joining us. I knew this meant we''d most likely be practicing Patronuses again. I''ve been practicing by myself, and I think I''ve been improving. Also it meant I wasn''t going to be sitting by myself, as I sat next to Henry.


    When my turn came, this time I gave it real thought. I remembered my encounter with an old friend who had seemed lost forever - until our unexpected reunion, however faint and vague of a reunion that might have been (Sheila). I thought about how miserable I''d been at getting detention, and it actually turning out not so bad in the end. Yes, we have so many troubles, so many downs, but there are also ups. Life is what you make it. Life can throw what it wants at you, knock you down, but you just get back up. While you''re still alive, still breathing - there is always hope! I thought about everything and everyone I appreciate in my life. The light at the end of the tunnel. Hope. Hope remains where life remains. I thought about the happiest I''d ever felt, and was filled with a surging optimism fuelled by hope and love! The future isn''t to be dreaded, it is how I make it!


    "Expecto Patronum!"


    Then I saw it, just for a brief, fleeting moment, as it glided below the ceiling and disappeared.


    My Patronus is a brown owl.


    "Well done,"Professor Livia said,"I wasn''t expecting that from you, Miss Carrow."


    Did Professor Livia just congratulate me?


    "Owl Patronuses are actually quite rare,"Professor Livia went on,"remember - conjuring a Patronus in a classroom may be one thing, but when faced with a Dementor, it becomes a different thing entirely!"


    Later:


    My wand began flashing orange. I realised Anita was calling me. I followed the call. She was in the treehouse with Lotty.


    "What''s this about?"I asked, as I climbed up through the trap door.


    "Duelling practise,"Anita said, now using her wand to call Jared.


    "How about we start now?"Lotty suggested,"I can practise with Cathy, now you''re calling Jared."


    "We need an arena,"Anita said,"it won''t be proper without an arena."


    "That meadow should do fine,"I said, looking down from one of the arched windows,"come on, Lotty!"


    "I''ll watch your progress from up here and be a judge,"Anita said.


    We went down to the small meadow that separated the cluster of trees from the Forbidden Forest.


    "I''m wondering,"I said, looking into the spooky trees that I knew housed all kinds of dangerous creatures,"is this the safest place to practice?"


    "Probably not, but it''ll do,"Lotty said,"I don''t mind having my back to the forest. If you see anything coming out of there, just let me know, and we can both leg it!"


    "I''ll let you know as well!"Anita shouted, we heard her voice coming from up in the trees. A voice with no body.


    We couldn''t see the treehouse, of course. Just bare trees with their dainty peppering of early spring buds.


    "Do you know any blocking spells?"I asked Lotty.


    "Yeah,"she answered.


    "Then block my attack!"I warned,"three - two - one!"


    Lotty blocked my attack expertly, I was impressed.


    Fortunately I''ve gotten better at blocking now. We took it in turns blocking each others'' attacks. Then we returned up into the treehouse for a rest.


    That was when Jared showed up, late as usual. He was holding a mug of tea, and following him was a large floating tea-tray,"I thought this,"he said, meaning the tea-tray,"was a necessary addition to our lair!"


    We all agreed.


    A few minutes later, Ed joined us.


    "What''s this? A tea party?"he asked, popping his head through the trap door,"I thought we were supposed to be duelling each other."


    "We were,"I said,"but we''re having some tea first."


    "In that case,"said Ed, climbing up and grabbing a mug of hot tea,"wait - is this mine?"


    "Of course,"I said,"there are five mugs of tea, and that''s the last one."


    "Well, then,"Ed said


    Ed and Jared ended up talking about things - then arguing about things; and by the end of all the Duelling practice, Anita, Lotty and I were the only ones that did any. Ed and Jared were up in the treehouse arguing (about different things every time we went up there) and every time we asked them when they were going to have a go, the shooed us out.


    "It''s my treehouse!"Anita said, indignantly, one of the times we returned to the arena.


    "Well, you know what they''re like when they''re arguing,"I said,"we need to be heading back to Hogwarts now. Someone should tell them."


    "I will,"Lotty volunteered,"otherwise they can just stay there! I''m not bothered trying to drag them out!"


    Anita and I made our way back to the castle. Lotty did tell Jared and Ed. They didn''t listen. They got back late. They finally realised they needed to be heading back when they saw that it had gotten dark (even though it had already been dark for ages).