October 31st, 1938,
Today is our birthday. Sophie and Marcella remembered and had somehow managed to get Abby to go down to the kitchens and surprise me with four slices of cake: one for me, Sophie, Marcella, and one for Tom. They even remembered to get the candles!
---
"Close your eyes, Miriam," Sophie ordered her. Miriam followed her order as Sophie led her over to a table. "Okay, sit down, now. Marcella, do you have it?" Sophie enquired.
Marcella shook her head. “Hey, Abby! Could we borrow you for a sec?" Marcella asked, yelling over to Abby who was sitting on the other side of the common room helping someone with their homework. She got up from her chair and came over.
“Are you ready?” she asked, smiling. The two girls nodded. With a wave of her wand she tapped the candles and whispered, "Incendio."
"Okay Miriam, on the count of three you can open your eyes. One... two... three!" Sophie yelled. Miriam opened her eyes and gasped! Sitting on the table in front of her were four slices of chocolate cake. Two of the four slices had a candle in them.
"There are four here. What's the extra slice for?" Miriam asked.
"Your brother, silly," Marcella grinned. "We reckoned he might like a slice, too. Those Slytherins aren't likely to have remembered it, even if he told them repeatedly."
"Make a wish," Abby said, patting Miriam on the back. She thought long and hard about it. Finally, she settled on a
wish and blew out the candle.
"What did you wish for?" Sophie asked.
"No! She's not supposed to tell! It won't come true then if she does," Marcella informed them.
After finishing the cake, Miriam got out of her seat and announced, "I'll go take Tom his cake now. Does anyone know how can I get it to him without him noticing? I want to surprise him, but I'm afraid the candle will probably melt by the time I find and get it to him."
"Not to worry," Abby replied. "These are special magical candles that won't melt, even when lighted for long periods. I can put a spell on the flame so you can put a piece of cloth over it and it won't catch on fire."
"Thanks Abby," Miriam thanked. "And thank you so much, Sophie and Marcella. You guys are the best!" Her friends’ faces burned a brilliant cherry colour. Abby lit the candle on Tom's slice of cake and put a cloth over the top. "There," she said. Miriam picked up the cake, headed across the common room and walked out of Gryffindor Tower.
Now the only problem facing her was trying to figure out where Tom was. Classes were over with for the day, but dinner hadn't begun yet. She remembered that he was probably in the library waiting for her. If he was there, she knew that bringing food into the library was against school regulations, but... could she possibly sneak it in? She decided to chance it and bring it in.
Quietly, she snuck past Madam Zuzellam, who was too busy to even notice Miriam and the cake as the librarian was stamping out some library books for a group of impatient students. Looking around, she spotted Tom sitting by himself at the far end of the library.
"Hi, Tom," she greeted. He glanced up from the book he was reading. “Hi, Miriam,” he replied. He shifted the stack of books near him so his sister could sit down.
"Look, I brought you something," Miriam said as she placed the covered-up cake on the table. Tom eyed it suspiciously. He couldn't figure out what was underneath the cloth. "Close your eyes," Miriam ordered him. Once he did, she removed the cloth. "Okay, you can open them now."
Tom opened his eyes and saw the cake, his eyes became as wide as saucers and he was speechless. Living in the orphanage, Madam Westyn never let them have cake, even on their birthday's, which she never celebrated. Many children there resorted to pilfering a piece from the kitchen.
"Where'd you get this?" he finally asked, eyeing his sister and the cake suspiciously.
"If you’re wondering if it’s poisonous, let me assure it’s not. Otherwise I’d be long dead,” she replied indignantly. “Sophie and Marcella surprised me with it in the common room. We each had one slice and they were even kind enough to get one for you. So, are you going to make a wish or not?"
He nodded his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them a moment later, he blew out the candle. Picking up the cake, he took an exceptionally big bite.
“Mmm... good,” he mumbled, his mouth full of cake.
“Eww, Tom! Don’t talk with your mouth full! It’s bloody disgusting!” Miriam said, scrunching up her nose and turning away.
“Nothin’ wrong with a little ABC food,” he laughed.
Miriam rolled her eyes and sighed. Boys are so revolting. Still looking the other way, she noticed that Madam Zuzellam was finished with the students as was glaring around the library with her usual sneer.
"Uh, not to force you to gap-and-swallow or anything, Tom, but eat fast!" Miriam said suddenly. "Madam Zuzellam is looking in the vicinity!"
He took even bigger bites of the cake, causing Miriam to worry he was going to choke on it, but on his last bite, Madam Zuzellam caught them. "You're not permitted to eat in the library!" she screeched at them, wrinkling up her face in a distorted rage. "Get out! Get out!"
Miriam and Tom bolted out of the library as fast as their legs could carry them. They ran all the way through the library and didn’t stop until they were safely two floors above.
"Bloody hell! Did... did you see her face?" he gasped for breath as he collapsed to the ground in a fit of hysterical laughter. Miriam couldn’t fight the feeling either and she found herself on the floor as well, tears of laughter streaming down their faces.
The thought of Madam Zuzellam's contorted face stuck with them as they parted and made their way back to their respective common rooms. Every so often, a small laugh or giggle would escape from their mouth.
November 9th, 1938,
Tom and I attended our first Quidditch match today: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. We were each cheering for our own house to win, but Gryffindor won in the end. Two-hundred to one-hundred and fifty was the score. I just had to rub it in a little when we saw each other after the game.
Quidditch is such an interesting game! It's so fast and exciting that I wish I could try out for the team, but they don't allow First years to play. I'll have to wait until next year before I can even think about it.
I wonder what position I should try out for... Keeper? Seeker? Chaser? Beater? I think I would like to try out for Chaser.
---
Miriam and her fellow Gryffindors headed out to the Quidditch pitch for the first game of the season. It was a cold November day, so many students were bundled up in their school robes, scarves, and gloves. Everyone in Gryffindor House was wearing red and gold to show their support for their team.
"This is so exciting!" proclaimed Sophie as she and her friends found three seats together amid the other Gryffindors.
"I hope Gryffindor wins and beats those Slytherins," Marcella added, pounding her fists together.
Soon, the players began entering the field and cheers went up from the crowd. Marcella pulled out her binoculars to get a better look.
"Look," she exclaimed, "there's Abby!" Miriam and Sophie each took turns looking through the binoculars. Sure enough, Abby Bones was standing in front of the Gryffindor team shaking hands with someone from the Slytherin team.
"Everyone mount your brooms," Professor Luchtig ordered. "On your mark... get set... GO!" Professor Luchtig released the balls into the air and soon the game was in action.
Ten minutes into the game, someone from Gryffindor scored on Slytherin, throwing the quaffle through the left ring. Applause and cheers rang through the Gryffindor side, but Miriam, Sophie, and Marcella cheered the loudest of anyone. Those on the Slytherin side were booing at the score.
The girls remained enthralled throughout the game. They cheered loudly when their side scored and booed with high volume when the Slytherins scored.
"They toss the Quaffle to Abby Bones, who passes it to Maria, who throws it back to Abby... who SCORES! Another ten points for Gryffindor!" the commentator, Patrick Jones, a Third year Ravenclaw boy, announced. "Stephane Lestrange, the Slythern captain, is looking a bit irritated, I might add and... BY MERLIN’S BEARD! Stephane just rammed Abby Bones out of the air with his broom!"
Screams and boos went through the Gryffindor side as they called the game into a time-out. Laughter went throughout the Slytherin section as they watched Abby spiraling downwards toward the ground while gasps traveled through the rest of the stadium as Abby tried to stop herself from crashing to the earth. She forced her broom up and narrowly missed a very painful encounter with the ground.
"Gryffindor will take a penalty shot for the attack on Chaser Abby Bones," Jones announced. "They pass the Quaffle to Abby... she shoots... she SCORES! Another ten points for Gryffindor!"
The game continued uninterrupted and eventually the Gryffindor team Seeker caught the snitch. They were awarded one-hundred and fifty points and won the game.
"Gryffindor’s the best!" Miriam exclaimed. She, Sophie, and Marcella squeezed each other and jumped up and down in their seats with glee.
As they trekked back to Hogwarts Castle, Miriam felt someone tugging on her robe sleeves. It was Tom.
"Well," Miriam chuckled, "Gryffindor won."
"So," Tom replied with a grin on his face. "Slytherin’s gonna come back and win the next game, just you wait and see."
Miriam snickered. "Oh, please! Gryffindor is not going to forfeit the rest of the season just so Slytherin can win. We're gonna win the Quidditch cup... and the House cup, too, while we’re at it!" Miriam said, as if it were a matter-of-fact.
It was now Tom's turn to snicker.
"In your dreams, maybe. Slytherin’s gonna win both."
Before Miriam could come up with a witty remark to throw back at him, Abby came running up to them and exclaimed, "Party in Gryffindor Tower tonight! You're invited!" Abby ran off to rejoin her fellow teammates in celebration.
"I’ll be there! Look, I gotta go, Tom! See you tomorrow!" Miriam said before she ran off to join her fellow Gryffindors.
~*~
The party turned out to be a blast. Someone had managed to sneak in snacks, butterbeer, and even firewhiskey. The celebration lasted well into the night. Around midnight, the students slowly wandered off to bed as they all had classes the next morning and they were exhausted. Miriam couldn't even begin to remember how many butterbeers or sweets she had.
"Wow, that was some party," Marcella said as she climbed into bed.
"It sure was. I can't wait to see what type of party we're gonna throw if we win the Quidditch cup!" Sophie replied excitedly, rubbing her hands together. Miriam agreed with them as she climbed into bed herself.
As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.
December 13th, 1938,
Professor Dumbledore has prepared the lists of the students who will be leaving Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. Both Tom and I agreed to stay here at Hogwarts as neither one of us wanted to spend Christmas back at the orphanage. Unfortunately, both Marcella and Sophie are leaving so I'll have hardly anyone to talk to here, except Tom, but I don't see him all that often anyway.
Even Abby has left Hogwarts for winter break.
---
"We're going to miss you Miriam," Sophie said, hugging Miriam before she and Marcella left Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays.
"It'll just be two short weeks," Marcella said.
Miriam sighed. "I know. I just wish that Tom and I had a family we could go to for Christmas."
"Maybe next year you could come with one of us and spend Christmas with one of our families," Marcella suggested. Miriam savored the idea, but she knew she couldn't leave Tom behind and she said so to her friends.
"He can go with you," Sophie proposed.
Miriam thought about it for a second before replying, "That's a great idea, but Tom hardly knows you two."
"Well, you can at least think about it, I mean, it won’t be until next year, after all," Sophie replied.
They each hugged Miriam one last time before they grabbed their suitcases and walked out of the main entrance of Hogwarts with the other students who were leaving.
This is going to be a long and boring two weeks, she thought.
"It's not the same here, is it?" Miriam whispered to Tom at dinner one evening a week later. Since there were only five total students left at Hogwarts for the winter break, the teachers set up one table in the Great Hall to adapt to the small crowd. For the first time since they arrived at Hogwarts, Tom and Miriam were finally able to eat dinner together.
Tom leaned over to his sister and replied, "Yeah. It's so quiet here."
December 25th, 1938,
Today is Christmas!!! When I woke up this morning, I noticed a small stack of presents at the foot of my bed. Three of the gifts were from Sophie, Marcella, and Abby, and one was from Tom. I decided to open his first.
---
Miriam grabbed her brother's gift first and tore it open. It was a picture of her and Tom standing in front of the orphanage. The image had been taken sometime last winter as they were bundled up in the portrait. Taped to the picture was a small note. It read: Look at other side.
Miriam turned the picture over, and written on the back in her brother's familiar scribble was a small letter.
Dear Miriam,
Thank you for being you.
Merry Christmas!
--Tom
That's the best gift he could have ever given me, she thought. She hoped that Tom (who was currently in the middle of tearing open her gift to him), would like the one she got for him. Before Sophie and Marcella left for the Christmas holidays, she had them help her with a gift for her brother. Her gift to Tom was a scarf she had knitted. On one side of it, she had very carefully stitched in the letters "M.R. 4 T.R."
She then opened up her friends’ gifts and saw they had each sent her ten boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and a handful of chocolate frogs. Miriam had to sample a little bit of both, though she knew it would ruin her appetite for breakfast.
As she sat nibbling on the candy, her thoughts shifted to her friends opening their gifts. Miriam hoped they enjoyed their gifts as much as she had enjoyed hers.