Returning to Hogwarts was like greeting an old friend. Ironically, Ginny had stayed at school in my absence and found her diary. Paige told me first; apparently, Ginny had torn up the dormitory searching for it. Paige had been afraid that she’d find it in her original hiding place, so she’d moved it to behind a tapestry in the common room where it was close at hand. Unfortunately, May found it. Colleen had gone away. According to Paige, she’d been on holiday in Germany when May found the diary. Without her friend to respond to, May held on to the diary for three days, until Ginny spied her carrying it to breakfast one day.
“She caused quite a mess in the Great Hall,” Paige confided. “May was looking at the blank pages and running her finger over the cover when Ginny looked up from her porridge. It was awful. Ginny shrieked and lunged for it. Before May could protest, she’d run from the room, carrying the diary.”
“Well, I suppose we did our best,” I said tiredly. “Let me guess: she’s been writing in it not-stop?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’ve tried distracting her. She even wrote in it for hours on Christmas. It’s a little disturbing,” Paige pronounced, glancing around. Colleen was chatting up a storm with May about her trip. From what I heard of their conversation, she’d seen some very old tapestries that had bored her to death in an old castle.
I spotted Ginny entering the common room a moment later. The diary was in her left hand; in her right, she carried a black quill. I sighed.
“Hello, Susan,” she said, her face lighting up slightly. “Look! I’ve found my diary!”
I nodded, exasperated. “Paige told me.”
“I see,” she said, her smile still lingering. Her delight was apparent. For a moment, I considered grabbing the diary and running. However, I quickly rejected this idea. Ginny ran twice as fast as I did when she wanted to.
“Let’s sit by the fire,” Paige suggested, ending our awkward silence. I nodded and followed her to some soft armchairs.
Once we were seated, Ginny leaned towards me eagerly. “So,” she began, sucking in her cheeks. “Any more weird events?”
I frowned. “Like what?”
“Like floating in mid-air?” Ginny supplied. Paige poked her. “Ouch! I’m just curious.”
“Er”I don’t think so,” I replied honestly. “I mean, I haven’t noticed anything like that.”
“Did you tell your mum?” Paige questioned.
“No. I didn’t think of it.”
“Maybe you should have,” Ginny mused. “It might run in your family.”
This hadn’t occurred to me. Maybe it was an actual skill that I’d inherited. “It’s possible,” I said doubtfully.
“Next time you write to her, ask,” Paige put in. “It can’t hurt.”
Classes resumed suddenly, as if there had been no pause in their occurrence. I happily forgot about my weird talent, content to study facts once more. Nevertheless, the issue was forced back into my mind when Mum wrote me her first letter in the new year.
Dear Susan,
Melinda has been a great help, as usual, and has settled everything. I’m scheduled to move into our new home in twelve days. Can you believe it? We’ll finally be back on our feet as a family again. My job at the Three Broomsticks starts the very next day.
I’ve not heard from Eric. If you’re still worried about him, I can safely tell you to stop doing so. He doesn’t seem to want to contact either of us. But, in case he does, let us agree immediately to inform each other if the need arises. Still, I’m not concerned about him at the moment.
I’m sorry I don’t have time to write you a longer letter; I’m busy obtaining furniture for the cottage. It has a name you know: Pagshot’s Nest. We can call it the Nest, since it is no longer the property of Mr. Pagshot. I hope you are as excited as I am about the move.
Love,
Mum
Paige put down her bowl of porridge. “Let’s see it,” she said. I handed it over wordlessly.
I noticed that Ginny was not holding her diary. “Have you lost it again? Your diary, I mean,” I asked.
Ginny shook her head. “It’s my new plan. You see, I think May stole it, or else she knows who did. Now, instead of carrying it around when everyone can see it, I’m keeping it hidden with my school books.” She nodded, pleased with herself. I stared at my hands, which shook slightly. If she only knew who really stole it, she’d have a cow.
A small crease was growing steadily as Paige read about Eric. I realized then that I’d never said very much about him. Fearfully, I stared at the back of the soft role of parchment. Ginny, who was sitting next to Paige, leaned to the left to see better what was written there.
“So you’ve bought a cottage?” Paige said at last.
I shrugged. “My aunt found it for us. We”we had to move out from our old home.”
“Can I read it now?” Ginny insisted. Paige tossed it to her. Ginny caught it, but ripped the bottom accidently.
“Oh!” I cried. It wasn’t an important letter, but I felt a thick sadness bubbling up in my throat nevertheless. Ginny stared at the rip, looking timid.
“I’m sorry, Susan. I didn’t mean for it to rip.”
“I know,” I mumbled. I reached for my letter. “C-can I have it?” Ginny thrust it into my hand.
“I can repair it,” Paige offered. I shook my head.
“No magic in the corridors. Or the Great Hall,” I added. Tenderly, I ran my finger over the rip, which was around three inches long. However, I jerked my hand away a moment later. Ginny gasped and Paige dropped her toast.
A thin white light had run along the length of the tear. As it went, the parchment seemed to sew itself together. In a few seconds, it was over. The parchment was remade as if Ginny had never been handed the letter.
“You did it again,” she whispered.
“How did you do it?” Paige demanded. “What were you thinking at that moment?”
“I don’t think she can control it,” Ginny said slowly.
I shook my head. “You’re right. I can’t. It just happened.”
“Well, now’s your chance to write and ask your mum,” Paige reminded us.
“Yeah,” agreed Ginny. “I’m full anyway, and we still have a few minutes until we have to go to class.”
At first, I could not think of what to say to mum. Starting out with something is terribly wrong with me just didn’t seem right. On the other hand, it was just plain difficult to explain what had been happening to me. I ended up writing a normal letter that went something like this:
Dear Mum,
It’s great to be back at school. Misty doesn’t seem any worse for wear after our trip. I think she’s gotten used to being in the castle by now.
I haven’t much time to write, either. As soon as you move in, could you ask Dumbledore if I can visit you? And what are we going to do about all our things that are still at Eric’s house in Hastings?
Love,
Susan
I showed my letter to Paige and Ginny. Ginny accused me of putting off asking her. I defended myself by saying that I wanted to ask her in person. Paige only shrugged and said that if I didn’t feel like writing it down then I shouldn’t have to. I silently thanked her. As we set off for our first class of the day, I shoved my letter into my bag to owl Mum later.