Dear Diary,

As you are my new diary, I feel that I should introduce myself. I’m Emma Lovett, and I’m a fifth year Slytherin student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I get a new diary every year, and I always write in it on the train to school. I meant to continue that tradition this year, but sadly, I was interrupted just as I started writing.

I was sitting with a couple of girls that are in my year, but obviously more popular than I am. They don’t really talk to me, and I don’t talk to them. It’s the perfect arrangement.

So, I was just sitting there, minding my own business and not partaking in their conversation about the latest nail coloring charms or what have you, pen poised at the ready, when Regulus Black and his wonderful friends came in. Note the sarcasm. I shot a deadening glare at Black before I went back to staring at you. I was trying my hardest to figure out what to write in you, Diary, and I was trying even harder to ignore Black and his posse. Let me tell you, Diary, that is not an easy thing to do.

Black is a year above me, and he is the most egotistical, superficial, stupid person I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. He and his friends seem to have nothing better to do but harass me. It’s partially because my mother’s a Muggle, and they’re all ‘pureblooded’. It’s partially because I don’t have any friends that I can depend on to have my back. But I think it’s mostly because I’m the exact opposite of ‘cool’. I'm not the prettiest of girls, I have no figure to speak of, I have insanely curly hair, and I hardly ever talk to anyone unless they start a conversation with me, and generally I just insult them. I also really like History of Magic, even though Binns is so boring. Black, on the other hand, has tons of friends, doesn’t even try in school, and yet he does fine, and he’s really good looking slightly attractive, according to the nutjobs in my dorm.

Black seemed to have laid off towards the end of last year, but knowing the prat that he is, that was only a temporary situation.

So being the arrogant git that he is, Black walked in and sat down right next to me. He smiled in what I suppose he thought was a handsome way, and said, “What, Lovett, you didn’t miss me?” And then, he WINKED at me. Yes, you heard(read?) me, that idiot actually WINKED at me! He is so convinced that everyone should, like, worship him, just because he’s absolutely gorgeous mildly good-looking a Black.

I smiled and replied, “Yeah, I really missed knowing that there actually was a creature stupider than a dung beetle.”

Black laughed. I hate it when he laughs. He has the most adorable annoying laugh I’ve ever heard. He then proceeded to tell me how he had missed my ‘off-beat sense of humour’. He actually sounded rather sincere. I’m absolutely terrified if he was. And what the heck is that supposed to mean anyway? I’m not sure whether I should be insulted or not…

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Aw, thanks, Black, now get away from me,” I demanded, nodding toward the door.

One of the girls in the compartment smirked. “How cute, Lovett and Regulus are flirting,” Rita, I believe is her name, gushed. I blanched. If there is one thing I hate more than Regulus Black, it’s the idea that I might like Regulus Black. Which I might is completely ridiculous.

Luckily, everyone just ignored her comment.

Now one thing you must understand about Rita Mason, is that she has a huge crush on Regulus Black. She will now be out to make my life a living hell, and will most likely succeed. She’s actually rather evil…. And if she thinks I even so much as lend him a quill, she’ll do anything to make me miserable. Coincidentally, I can be evil too.

I looked away from Rita, towards her friends. Bridget Hamlin(pronounced Bri-geet, since she went to France for the summer. Apparently, that’s how all the French boys say it, and it just sounds so much more sophisticated. I still call her ‘Bridget’), who was sitting very close to Oscar Flint, batting her eyelashes and giggling while subtly pushing her skirt up higher, revealing a little more overly-tanned skin with every word he says to her. Marcia James was sitting on her boyfriend, Augustus Rookwood’s lap looking up at him dreamily. I can’t explain why though, because he’s really rather ugly and she cheats on him all of the time… and doesn’t really bother hiding it. Rachael Austin had also been in the compartment, but apparently, she and Mark Rogers needed to go and do something. Three guesses what.

Diary, I am surrounded by complete slags.

Black ignored my command to leave and his eyes flitting to you, Diary and up to his friends. A slight smirk formed on his face. “So, what are you writing about Lovett? How much you missed me over the summer and couldn’t wait to see my face again?”

I smiled pleasantly. “Of course not, I was writing about the best way to kill you and make it look like an accident. How would you like to die- quickly and painfully, or slowly and painlessly? I can do either.” I really could. I could get a note from Slughorn, the potions professor, to go to the Restricted Section, get a book on Advanced Potion making, brew a poison, and slip it into Black’s drink at dinner. I could erase all traces of the poison with a teaspoon of muggle bleach. Yes, Diary, there are some advantages to having a clean freak mother.

Black actually looked a bit intimidated for a moment, but quickly regained his composure, and grabbed you out of my hands. “I’d prefer slow and painful. Much more heroic.”

I snorted. “Yes, because you know that all of your fangirls would love you even more if they thought you were brave and heroic.” I smirked. I’m a little terrified. I think that could have been considered flirting…

He grinned mischievously and stood up, winking at me again and pointing to you in his perfect disgusting hand. “I’ll give it back soon, I promise.” When he said this, he sounded kind of …. Different, like he felt bad about taking you or something, but I know that can’t be it, because he’s Black, and he’s a cocky jerk, and he doesn’t feel bad about anything.

I frowned; I hadn’t had time to put charms on it so that no one could read it but me, since I’m not allowed to do magic at home. I knew there was nothing written in you, but it still bothered me that he had my diary. I gave him a dark look. “I don’t care. Can you even read, or do you just get some of you followers to do your work for you?”

Black let out a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, it’s a challenge, but I usually manage literacy all on my own.”

Then, I wanted to smile. I didn’t really understand why, but I wanted to smile at something that Regulus Black said. Regulus Black. Why would I smile at something an idiot like him said? Instead, I just continued to glare at him, trying to plan how I was going to get back at him. For some reason, I couldn’t concentrate. My mind kept replaying that lopsided smile of his in my head.

After giving me one last fleeting look, he left. All of his remaining friends stood up and followed him out of the compartment. The girls all looked rather sad at the boys’ departure. Rita shot daggers at me through her eyes, and I sensed her hand moving toward her wand to actually conjure and pelt me with real knives. “You know, that was a really stupid thing to do,” she said with a sickly sweet smile on her face.

I try my best to look innocent. “Whatever are you talking about Rita? I haven’t done anything,” I said calmly my voice drenched equally in fake sweetness.

It could be very entertaining if she tried to ‘get revenge’ or something to that effect. She thinks I’m weak and pathetic. Maybe physically I am, but I’m smarter than she is, and better at curses, and a hell of a lot more creative.

She continued glaring at me, all trace of fake charm gone. “You know what you did, you were flirting with Regulus. Regulus Black is mine. Everyone knows that. You should too. Stay away from him and watch your back,” she hissed threateningly.

“Right. I’m terrified. Seriously, I am.” As you can tell, Diary, it’s quite difficult for me to say anything to these people, without it drowning in sarcasm.

I stood up and stretched my back. “We’re close to Hogwarts, in case you haven’t noticed. I’ll be going now. Thanks for the hospitality.” I smirked and walked out of the compartment, dragging my things behind me.

I exited the train behind a couple of Ravenclaw boys from my year, and headed toward the carriages. I got in one that I was pretty sure was empty and dropped down onto the seat. The train ride had been fairly annoying, but not as bad as past years. Still I was confused. I didn’t really get why Rita was so mad that I was ‘flirting’ with Black, its not like he would ever like me, even if I didn’t think he was a jerk. It was like she thought that I had potential to be with him. I was amazed shuddered at the thought.

I sat for a few minutes before most of the people started getting into carriages. Mine was closest to the front, so no one had gotten in with me yet because they didn’t want to walk that far. I didn’t mind at all.

But then, right as I thought that I would have a peaceful ride up to the caste, I heard voices outside that sounded like who else, but Black and his friends.

“It’s fine, I’ll just sit up here in this one alone, I don’t mind, you can all stay there. I need some time to think anyway,” said a voice that I recognized as Black’s. I wasn’t particularly thrilled that he would soon be joining me in my carriage, but I did see that it would be a good time to get you back, Diary.

I heard his heavy footsteps outside my carriage, and then Black got in. He grinned at me, apparently beside himself about his carriage choice. “So, Lovett, we meet again.”

“So we do. What’s your point?” I asked venomously as we started our way to the castle. God, he is so annoying! Even when he barely says anything, he just sits there and smirks. It makes him look sort of handsome like a bloody idiot.

“Now, now, no need to get testy, just pointing out a fact. And um, here’s your diary back.” He offered me you, and I quickly snatched you out of his hands.

“Thanks.” I really wanted to ask what the point of taking it was if he was just going to give it back, but I decided they must have thought there would be something interesting in it, and when they saw that there wasn’t, they decided they didn’t want it.

“Sure,” said Black, still smiling. He seemed nervous when he was giving me my diary back, but he quickly went back to his usual confidence.

I rolled my eyes and got out of the carriage as soon as it stopped.

So that was all that really happened today, and even though it really doesn’t seem like a big deal, it is, because I keep having these weird thoughts about Black. Like about how mesmerizing his eyes are. They’re grey, and I swear, I’ve never see eyes that expressive before… Like how he speaks intelligently, it makes me think he’s actually really smart, but trying not to show it because that wouldn’t be ‘cool’ or something.

I think I might possibly be developing a tiny, miniscule, not-really-even-there crush on Regulus Black, who I should hate, because of obvious reasons, like the fact that he’s a pigheaded moron who thinks he’s better than everyone else, and if I suddenly start liking him, I would have wasted four years of my life hating him.

When we were on the train, the way he said he’d missed my sense of humour and when he said he’d give my diary back, he sounded so sincere… I don’t understand it. He’s been a complete jerk for four years, and suddenly he’s being almost nice? I don’t think I’ll ever get him.

Well, Diary, I think I’m going to turn in for the night. After putting a couple of spells on my bed so Rita can’t kill me in my sleep, of course. She’s been shooting me death- glares all evening.

With Love,
Emma

Dear Diary,

One of the only things I hate about Hogwarts is that you have to live in a dorm room with the same people for seven years. Now, most people bond with their roommates, but regrettably, I’m not that great at bonding. But, even if you don’t get along with your roommates, you do learn their quirks and habits and such. For instance, I know that on the first day of the school year, Rita and Bridget will spend an hour whining over not having anything to wear. We wear uniforms. You do not need to pick an outfit.

It doesn’t make any sense, they always pick an outfit, wear it to breakfast(where they each eat two grapes or some equally nutritious meal) and then return to the dorm and change. How pointless is that? Their explanation is that robes are just so unflattering, and how are they going to get boyfriends if they don’t show that they have perfect figures? Right. Because having a boyfriend is the most important thing that will ever happen to anyone.

Of course, in their perfect little pureblooded world, I suppose that it is the most important thing that will ever happen to them. Sometimes, I wish I were a pureblood, just so people wouldn’t make fun of me for having a mother who is a muggle and I might have half a chance of fitting in here, but then I remember that they’re all going to get married days after graduation to some pureblooded widower twice their age that they’ve probably never even met. Those are the times, Diary, I’m so thankful that I’m a half-blood. At least my parents won’t force me into marriage with someone like Oscar Flint. He looks, smells, and sounds like a troll and has the intelligence of one too. I’m not saying that looks are the most important thing in the world, but personal hygiene is a nice bonus in a marriage…
__________________________________________________

I’m sitting in bed, and I am so glad the day is over. I always hate the first day of classes. All the teachers really do is go over their class rules, and the syllabus for the year, and then go over what we learned last year. I wrote that last bit during Charms, Diary, which by the way, I can’t stand. Flitwick wanted us to practice Cheering Charms today, and I mastered those last year.

I don’t think that yesterday I mentioned my lovely rat, Henrietta. She was asleep in my pocket the whole train ride. She’s pretty fun, for a rat. I actually really hated rats before I got her, but she’s kind of made them seem tolerable.

Okay, so I still can’t stand any that aren’t Henri, but still, it’s an improvement. My mum found her in our garden last summer, and I kind of liked her, so I kept her. My mother thinks that pets help teenagers feel more stable. My mum is rather odd in that way.

Anyways, I did have a point in mentioning Henri. This afternoon, I was in my room to drop off my textbooks and get something to read at dinner. The other inhabitants of my dorm were there changing into the clothes that they wear to dinner- not, though, the clothes they wore to breakfast, because apparently, ‘being seen in the same outfit twice is like, so out.’ Uh huh. Sure. Anyway, while one of them was in the bathroom changing, Rita suddenly started screaming. Like, full on, mass-murderer-in-the-room, I’m-going-to-die, screaming. She got up on her bed, still screaming, pointing at her underwear drawer.

I walked over there, to see what she was being so dramatic about, and guess what Diary? Henri’s decided that sleeping in one of Rita’s bras is quite cozy. She was just all curled up, looking pretty cute, for a rat asleep in someone’s bra that is.

I walked back over to my bed, and grabbed my camera, figuring I would enjoy the picture someday. I snapped a picture of Rita alternating between screaming and whimpering like a kicked dog and I picked Henri up out of Rita’s bra(I tried hard not to touch it), and put her in my pocket, so Rita wouldn’t kill her or something.

I smiled sweetly at Rita, “You really shouldn’t leave that open! She could get in there and get shut in and suffocate!” I have no idea why I felt the need to taunt Rita, but, I did.

She jumped off of her bed, glaring at me. “You FREAK. How DARE you let that filthy THING get near my private things? Do you even know how expensive that bra was? And you let a RAT near it?” She was breathing heavily, and she looked rather insane. She took a few slow, deep breaths, like she was trying to cleanse herself of negative feelings (She does that. Apparently, a monk taught her about it. Right…). “Well,” she said slowly, “At least it’ll wash.”

I shook my head, a look of fake sadness on my face. “I’m not sure you’d really want that bra anywhere near you now. Henri has this really, really dangerous disease. It’s a Muggle thing, with a really long name. There’s no treatment for it. I’m immune, but if you touch anything Henri’s gotten within four inches of, you’ll probably die.” I gave her my best ‘I’m-really-really-sorry’ look. “You might want to throw everything Henri might’ve touched away.”

Rita looked at me suspiciously. “I don’t believe you. I bet it doesn’t have a disease. And what do you mean I wouldn’t get it? Are you calling me stupid? What’s the disease called Miss I‘m-so-smart?”

I smirked. “Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. It’s a very, very real disease. Sorry. Just burn all of your clothes, and you’ll be fine. And of course I’m not calling you stupid. And Henri is a SHE, not an IT. How would you feel if someone called you an ‘IT’?” I glared at her.

The disease I told her Henri had? Bolivian hemorrhagic fever? It is actually a disease, only it only occurs in Bolivia, and only five to thirty percent of the people who get it die. So I lied. Sue me.

I left, after putting my camera into my trunk, locking it, and picking my book off of my bed. Rita was just standing there, looking all blank and terrified. That was fun.

At dinner, I watched as Rita and Bridget whispered and pointed at me, both of them with evil looks on their faces. I could already tell that they were planning something. Luckily, Diary, as I’ve said before, neither of them is really very smart, so none of their plans would be too threatening. Rita glared at me, and I smiled back, taking a bite of my kidney pie.

So, halfway through dinner, when Rita had already left, because apparently ‘some people need beauty sleep’, Regulus Black, who had been sitting next to her, got up and walked around the table and sat next to me. Why on Earth would he sit next to me? I don’t know.

I ignored him, and continued reading. Most people had already left the Great Hall, but I was still there, because I really don’t need to listen to my roommates discuss how beautiful they are. I read for a few minutes before looking over at him and rolling my eyes. “Do you need something?” I asked coolly.

He grinned slightly, not his normal ‘I-know-I’m-better-than-you-so-bow-down’ grin, but a kind of shy, maybe even sort of cute tolerable grin. “Nope, just felt like sitting by you. Heard you have a diseased rat,” he said, sounding slightly amused.

I smirked. “Yes. Henri suffers Bolivian hemorrhagic fever. Very deadly. So sad. Rita informed you, I assume?” I rolled my eyes, I’m sure she had been telling everyone that I had a dangerous animal. I just hoped the teachers would be smart enough to realize that I had lied.

Black frowned slightly. “No he doesn’t. Bolivian hemorrhagic fever only occurs in Bolivia, and there hasn’t been an outbreak in two or three years. As far as I know, not many people actually die from it.”

Insert ‘surprised face’ here, Diary. I know I looked like a total idiot, sitting there with my mouth hanging open. “Yeah, that’s right. Completely right.” I sounded amazed. Oh Holy Salazar. Regulus Black is amazing me. This is bad. Yesterday, I believe I mentioned a tiny-miniscule-not-really-even-there crush I might be developing on Black? Well, I think it may have grown into a tiny-miniscule-possibly-there crush.

Black smirked. “You sound surprised. You don’t think I’m a total moron, do you? God, Lovett, I’m insulted,” he said sarcastically. "Anyway, I told you I'm semi-literate, so when Rita mentioned your diseased rodent, I went and looked it up in the library. I figured you'd lied," he added, grinning knowingly.

This is really weird, and I don’t like it.

Regulus Black is being… friendly? I don’t know. It’s confusing. I hate being confused.

And being the subtle, tactful girl that I am, I said, “What do you want? You’ve been a complete jerk to me for four years, and now you’re acting like an almost tolerable human being. Why? Why do you keep talking to me? And yes, I di- do think you‘re a total moron.”

He looked surprised, and maybe slightly… what was it? Hurt, possibly? Maybe he expected me to say something like that. Maybe he’s not as much of an idiot as I thought. He let out a long, slow breath, and shrugged. “I honestly have no idea what I want, or why I keep talking to you. I think you’re weird. But kind of interesting. And I guess I’m kind of… sorry, for being such a jerk, you know.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m not as dumb as you think, you know. I’ll leave you alone if you want. I just thought… Never mind. See you.” And with that confusing statement, he left. Just got up and walked away.

I really want to know what he thought, actually. (Which is weird, because I’ve never cared what Regulus Black thought before.)

I considered going after him for a minute, but then decided against it, seeing that he might think I liked him or something like that. I finished the chapter I had been reading in my book(The Incurable: Magical Diseases and Ailments Without a Cure), and left. I headed straight to my dorm, instead of reading on the worn old armchair in the corner of the common room.

I’ve been up here for two hours, now. I took a shower, magically dried my hair, and got ready for bed. I wrote a letter to my mum, telling her that I’m ‘thrilled to be back, and really interacting with my roommates this year!’. She’ll be so happy. After I did all that, I climbed into my bed, and pulled my soft green sheets up around me, and started writing in you, Diary.

I think I’ve pretty much exhausted the topic of my day, so now I’m going to bed, even though it’s only nine, so I can get up and get out of the dorm before Rita and co. wake up.

I have a feeling they’re going to try and get back at me more than ever now. Especially if anyone tells them that I was talking to Black at dinner.

With Love,
Emma