The next day, I woke before everyone else and changed into my robes as quickly as possible. For some reason, I didn’t want Ginny to wake up and come with me. Once I was ready, I stepped out of the dormitory and crept quietly into the common room. The fire was still burning. I looked about, adjusting myself to my new surroundings. Mum had been at Hogwarts, once. I didn’t know if she was a Gryffindor, though. I had to ask as soon I as I wrote my first letter.
The Great Hall was filling slowly when I entered. A few students were already up, but as I sat down and began to eat, more filed in slowly, looking tired but content. I ate slowly, thinking about Misty. What would she do while I was in class?
“Morning,” Colin said, sitting down next to me. I flinched slightly, then recovered.
“Morning,” I mumbled.
“Stay up late?” he yawned. I shrugged and took a bite of toast.
“Well, I expect we’ll get our schedules sometime,” Colin said slowly. He helped himself to a plate of eggs and bacon. I nodded, chewing my toast. I looked up and studied the ceiling. It was cloudy and gray. I sighed and glanced at the door. Hermione was entering it, looking annoyed. She sat down next to me and pulled out a book, titled Voyages with Vampires. It was one of our Defense Against the Dark Arts books. She filled her bowl with porridge and glared at the text.
“Is… something wrong, Hermione?” I asked as Ginny entered the Great Hall.
“Yes,” she snapped. “Harry and Ron nearly got themselves expelled last night. I mean, honestly! How hard is it to send an owl, or at least avoid crashing a flying car into a tree?” I ate more toast, wondering when I would get to officially meet them. Ginny sat down across from me.
“Did you hear about Harry Potter? And Ron?” Ginny said excitedly. Hermione bristled.
“I- yes,” I said. Ginny’s face fell slightly.
“Oh.” She brightened. “But Ron’s really going to get it from Mum!”
Hermione looked up from her book. “I should hope so,” she interjected.
A round-faced boy approached the table and sat down across from Hermione. “Hello, everyone,” he said. “Glad to be back.”
“Nice to see you, Neville,” Hermione said, back to reading her book, which was now propped against the milk jug in front of her.
He turned to me and Ginny. “Are you new?” We nodded in unison. “Welcome to Hogwarts, then.” He reached for the porridge, accidentally knocking over a plate of bacon at the same time. He sighed, fixed the plate, and got himself some porridge.
“Hello, Hermione,” a voice said behind me. I turned. It was the redhead, who must have been Ron, and his black-haired friend, who I knew had to be Harry by the way Ginny was twitching out of the corner of my eye.
“Morning,” she said shortly, eyes glued to her book. The boys looked uneasy, but sat down next to her anyway.
“Hi Harry! Hi Ron!” Neville said happily. “Mail’s due any minute- I think Gran’s sending a few things I forgot.” Ron glanced at Hermione once before quickly filled his plate. Harry followed suit. I forgot to eat as I watched Ginny goggling at Harry.
I was about to start eating more toast when a loud rushing sound erupted over our heads. I looked up to see owl after owl swooping into the room, carrying letters and parcels like the one that had brought me my Hogwarts letter. I sat, staring at the owls, thinking I should write to Mum.
“Errol!” Ron said suddenly, followed shortly by a horrified, “Oh, no…”
I looked down. A thin owl was lying on the table, food scattered around him. I pulled my plate closer to me. “It’s all right, he’s still alive,” Hermione said, touching him softly on the wing.
“It’s not that- it’s that,” Ron exclaimed, pointing to his mail. He held a bright red envelope. For a moment, I thought I saw steam coming out of the sides.
“What’s the matter?” Harry muttered.
“She’s… she’s sent me a Howler,” Ron said softly. Ginny put her hands over her mouth, eyes gleeful. I was going to ask Colin what a Howler was when Neville spoke up.
“Open it,” he said quickly. “It’ll be all over in a few minutes.” He pushed his fingers into his ears and stared at the red letter. Ron gulped and slowly eased the letter open.
An explosion of noise nearly knocked me backwards as the room shook, rattling tables and students alike. Suddenly, the shrieking voice of a woman filled the room. My heart skipped a beat. What was happening? I decided Neville had the right idea and thrust my fingers into my ears. I squeezed my eyes shut.
As suddenly as it had begun, it was over a minute later, I opened my eyes cautiously and removed my fingers from my ears.
“Well, I don’t know what you expected, Ron,” Hermione was saying, “but you-”
“Don’t tell me I deserved it,” Ron said angrily. Ginny opened her mouth, but said nothing. She didn’t look gleeful any more, only worried. Hermione looked like she was about to say something when Professor McGonagall approached the table, armed with course schedules. She handed me one of the pieces of paper, which I stared at, memorizing its contents quickly.
“What do you have?” Ginny asked me as we got up. I showed her my schedule. She smiled slightly. We have the same classes. I glanced down the table. Paige was reading hers, while Colleen and May chattered happily. I watched them out of the corner of my eye, with Paige fidgeting and Colleen giggling. Colin was squirming beside me. He must have been excited about something.
“Susan?” Ginny said, clearing her throat. I coughed.
“Right,” I muttered. “I’ve got History of Magic.” Ginny clapped her hands.
“It’s the same with me,” she announced. “You about ready?” I nodded and stood up, nearly elbowing Colin in the face as he leaned as far forward on the table as he could, staring past Hermione at somebody. I didn’t bother to see why. Ginny and I met at the end of the table.
“I suppose we should go collect our books,” I commented. Ginny agreed. We took a step towards the door, when-
“Hello, Susan,” a dreamy voice echoed behind me. I turned slowly.
“Hi Luna,” I hesitated. What would Ginny think of her? Ginny didn’t say anything. “This is, erm, Ginny,” I added. Luna tipped her head to one side.
“Hello, Ginny,” she hummed. Her eyes were slightly glazed over. Ginny crossed her arms.
“What house are you in?” she demanded.
“Ravenclaw. I thought you said you were going to be in Ravenclaw as well, Susan,” Luna observed. I shrugged, examining the floor.
“Well… nice meeting you,” Ginny said awkwardly. “Ready to go, Susan?” I nodded without looking up. I could feel Luna turning her vacant gaze in my direction.
“I’ll see you around, Susan,” she called, walking slowly in a wavy pattern towards her table once more. Ginny tugged on my arm.
“How do you know her?” Ginny questioned.
“I met her in Diagon Alley.”
Ginny made no comment, only pulled me up to Gryffindor Tower.
Our first classes of the year instantly cut off my misgivings. It was school and magic, two things I’d never thought could come together. Here I was, learning, but also playing a game. At least, that’s how it seemed at first. Then I realized that the teachers were serious. This wasn’t a fairy tale, but a reality, one that I’d been ignorant of my entire life so far. How hard it must have been for Mum, not being able to tell me anything for fear of Eric’s reaction. Magic fascinated me. Reading the books had been informative, but Hogwarts was real.
History of Magic seemed to cause many people around me to doze off, being taught by an aged ghost named Professor Binns. However, I liked the class. It allowed me to learn at the same pace as my classmates, many of whom I realized had grown up knowing all about magic. At least in magical history I could be their equal. I took detailed notes, wondering if I would be tested like I had at my old schools.
We had other classes, among them Charms (taught by Professor Flitwick), Transfiguration (taught by Professor McGonagall), Defense Against the Dark Arts (taught by Professor Lockhart”whom many of the girls in my class goggled over through the entire lesson), Potions (taught by Professor Snape”a grimy, slick-haired man), Herbology (taught by Professor Sprout), and Astronomy (taught by Professor Sinistra). We moved from class to class, and I found that not only did I like History of Magic, but I was also entranced by Charms.
As we sat down to begin our first night of homework, I pulled out my copy of Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart. After the day's pop quiz, I felt I ought to read some more of our teacher’s books. Ginny disappeared after dropping her bag and shortly returned, carrying a small black book. I looked up. She held a thin black book. Opening it, she lovingly stroked the spine. Pulling out a quill, she rubbed the feather tip across her nose. When she noticed me watching, she stopped.
“What is that?” I quizzed.
“Just a diary of mine,” Ginny defended.
“Who is T. M. Riddle?” I asked, touching the golden letters on the book cover. Ginny went slightly pink.
“I- I don’t know,” Ginny admitted. “When we bought my school books, I just… found this little diary. It’s empty,” she offered, opening it and holding it out for me to see.
I frowned at the book. It didn’t feel right. “You haven’t written anything in it?” I asked quietly. Ginny opened and closed her mouth once.
“Actually, I have,” she muttered, scooting her chair as close as she could to mine. She laid the book gently on the table in front of us.
I flipped to the front of the book. “But it’s empty,” I mused.
“That’s just the thing,” Ginny whispered. “I write in it, and the writing disappears.”
“It just goes away?” I wondered, surprised.
“Yes,” Ginny hesitated. “There’s more. After I write in it, the book”it responds. To me.”
I looked from Ginny to the book and back again. Ginny staring fiercely at the book.
“How can that be?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“Magic,” Ginny declared. “But I haven’t ever seen one of these before. It gives good advice, when I have a problem or something. Let me show you,” Ginny said, at last, and dipped her quill in ink. She wrote the words “Hello, Tom” on the page and waited eagerly. I held my breath.
As if a wet sponge had soaked them up, the wet letters dissolved off of the page. I nearly gasped, but before I could say anything to Ginny, an invisible hand began writing in thin script: “Hello, Ginny.” I scooted closer to the book, trying to block out anyone from looking in from behind.
“That’s… that’s…” I stuttered. I couldn’t think of anything to say.
“Incredible, isn’t it?” Ginny emphasized. I shut my mouth tightly and nodded, though I didn’t agree.