Christmas presents!

Ok, I should be caught up now with all that happened before Christmas, now onto the exciting part; Christmas Presents! We woke up early on Christmas morning and exchanged gifts. Anne and Elliot loved the gifts I made for them. We all had fun things in our stockings, lots of candies and other treats, including some wizard candy I brought home. Then Anne pulled out a big box from behind the tree with a sly grin on her face. It was for me! I opened it up and inside was a beautiful fairy doll. She had silver wings with a pink dress and dainty pink slippers. Anne explained after I got my wand and it had fairy wings in the core, she came home and saw the doll in the store and just knew she needed to come home for me. I love her and can't wait to take her back to school with me, she'll be a great companion to sit on my bed!

Going Home

December 23rd

I’m packed and ready to go home. I’m excited but sad to go home. I’m looking forward to being home, but it will feel weird to leave Hogwarts. All the other students who are going home for Christmas have already left. They took the Hogwart’s Express back to London where they will meet their parents at King’s Cross Station. I sat in the Great Hall reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and drinking cocoa. (There are always yummy snacks to eat here, I hadn’t sat down more than a few minutes at a table to wait for Dumbledore and a mug of cocoa with marshmallows appeared next to my book!) Soon Professor Dumbledore came down, and asked if I was ready to leave. I said I was and grabbed my valise. He pulled a small silk bag from his robes and threw a handful of Floo Powder into the fire. I knew what to do at this point. I clearly said our address, and then stepped into the flames. I felt a whooshing sensation, and saw many other fire place grates pass by. I thought I even saw one that showed an underwater scene, but it was gone before I could get a better look. After what seemed like a long time, I finally recognized a familiar sight, our living room! I stepped out and Elizabeth was waiting there for me! She gave me a big hug, and said how much she missed me. It feels so good to be home. 

Decorating for Christmas

December 22nd

They started decorating for Christmas today! They’ve been bringing in very large pine trees and putting them in the Great Hall. One of the older students said each one would be decorated differently. The one they decorated first was covered in glittering snowflakes made of ice, but they didn’t melt! I can’t wait to see what the rest look like.

I’m also looking forward to going home! Professor Dumbledore said that they would be connecting one of the school fireplaces to mine just for one day to take me home for Christmas, and one for me to come back to school, allowing me to travel by Floo Powder. I have been missing Elizabeth so much, and am looking forward to seeing her and Adam and having a nice Christmas break. Also Professor Dumbledore told me a secret. Students are not supposed to do magic outside of school, but that while I’m in the United States, there will be no way for the Ministry to know if I’ve done magic. He said I should be careful and use the upmost care, but he also winked so I think he knows I’d like to show Elizabeth what I’ve learned. I’ll just have to be careful to make sure it is only when we are alone at home, I don’t want anyone to see by mistake!

My holiday break.

I have a lot of posting to do to catch up from the holidays, so I'll start with some things that happened before Christmas.

December 21st

The Draught of Peace came out great! It took me all of today to make. I hid away in one of the unused classrooms, and my friend Susan brought lunch to me. Luckily chicken soup and turkey sandwiches were served, so I didn’t make a lot of mess eating. When it was done, we both agreed the potion smelled lovely, like lavender and chamoille. Just the smell of it was relaxing. The book said the potion would be made correctly when it was a faint blue color, like a spring sky. It looked right to me, so we bottled it in a pretty crystal vial I’d been saving and tied a ribbon around it to make it festive. After I cleaned up my potion ingredients and cauldron we went up to the common room to give it to Selene. She loved it! She thought it was a very thoughtful gift, and she said it looked I made it perfectly. She told me that the potion itself was a nice gift, but she was very proud of me for trying such a difficult potion. 

Christmas!

I have been trying to work on Christmas gift in my free time between studying and classes. It has been a little more difficult than I imagined. I wanted to give something to Selene for all the help she’s given me, and I figured what would be better than a potion! She’s been very busy studying for her OWL exams at the end of the year, so I thought she might like a Draught of Peace. Taking it gives the user a sense of relaxation and peace, and can help them through stressful times. Its towards the back of our book, so it is very difficult, but I’m just going to take my time and be very careful.

I already have my presents for Anne and Elliot chosen. I’m going to get an assortment of wizard candy and sweets to take home and enjoy on Christmas day. All three of us are rather fond of sweets and desserts. I gave some of my pocket money to one of the older students, and he’s going to pick me out some things from Honeyduke’s Sweet Shoppe.

Some of the other students and I have been trying to figure out how to use magic to make some of our presents. I found useful spell to turn mushrooms into pincushions, and it only took my two tries to get a pincushion that wasn’t rubbery and free of the mushroom’s spots. Anne loves to sew, so I think she’ll like this for her sewing table. For Elliot I found an old hat in the Lost and Found box, and with the help of a book called “Magical Fashion” from the library I was able to make it look brand new, and even add a smart colored band and a little owl feather. I really hope they like their presents!

Quidditch!

Ravenclaw played its first Quidditch match today! It was our team versus Slytherin! I wore my scarf Anne made me to the match, to help show my support but also because it was very cold. We all left for the Quidditch pitch shortly after breakfast, and all the Ravenclaw’s gathered in the stands under a very large blue and bronze banner with our eagle crest on it. Luckily, there was already a match, Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor, early this month, so I understood the basics of the game already, and was able to pay attention better. Slytherin’s team has a tendency to play dirty, but I was hoping we’d make up for it in skill. It was a very exciting game, our Chasers kept a hold of the quaffle for a good part of the game, even though the Slytherin Chasers kept throwing elbows which are a foul. We had a really quick Seeker, and it only took her forty-five minutes to find then Snitch! We won, we had a big party in the common room tonight. Lots of butterbeer and candy from Honeydukes! It’s a big deal to beat Slytherin, and I hope we can beat the other Houses too!

History of Magic

I think I’m the only one who enjoys our History of Magic class. Most of the students find our professor boring, and I do too a little. He tends to drone on a bit. I like the subject though. Sometimes when I have a hard time paying attention class I read my textbook. Reading it is like reading a fairy tale almost, but with less princess’ and more goblins and trolls.

I’m really glad I’m in Ravenclaw, all of the students like to read and learn like me. I’ve never met anyone who liked reading books as much as I did until I came to Hogwarts. It’s nice to go up to the common room and see so many other reading or working on classwork, even History of Magic!

Potions Tutor- Part Two!

I met with Selene, my tutor, for the first time yesterday. We met in an empty classroom, Professor Slughorn recommended one that we wouldn’t be disturbed in. Selene decided that we’d start back in the beginning of the potion book with the easiest ones, and work our way along as I mastered each one. So I worked on a Cure for Boils yesterday, and I remember it was really difficult in class, so I was a little worried, but it was actually pretty easy, I was fairly surprised. I must have gotten better already and not known! She then helped me make an Awakening Potion, and that one was a little more difficult, but I got through it. She said next time we’d do the Awakening Potion again, and if it felt good we’d move on. She recommended that I go through the instructions for the different potions and try and memorize as many of the instructions as possible, so I don’t have to refer to my book as much while I’m brewing. I definitely need to find some flash cards I think.

Wizard's Chess

Well, Wizard’s Chess didn’t turn out to be much different than normal chess. All the rules and pieces are the same, except for one thing, in Wizard’s Chess the pieces move! They walk to the space you tell them to, and if a piece of the opposing person is in the space they want to occupy, they fight them! I had a set I borrowed from one of the other boys, and the pieces were constantly trying to give me advice. My friend Michael said that if I was going to play often, getting a set of my own would be a good idea since the pieces would get to know me better and question my actions less often. Getting your own set of pieces is quite expensive though, so I don’t see that happening anytime soon. 

Busy Sunday

There are no classes today, but that doesn’t stop there being lots for me to do. I did a few hours of homework yesterday, and got done all my Charms homework and Herbology homework, but I still have Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts to work on. Luckily Potions is just theoretical. I have to write 2 rolls of parchment on the different uses of newt eyes in potions. It seems gross to write about newt eyes, but there are actually a lot of uses for them. I read in one of my textbooks that they are a key ingredient in the Polyjuice Potion, which will allow a person to take the form of another. I have many more, but I’ll save them for my essay. For my Defense Against the Dark Arts we have to research different types of magical amulets that are said to protect one from Dark forces. This has proven harder as most that I’ve found have been fakes meant to fool scared witches or wizards. Luckily, as always, doing homework in Ravenclaw tower is a pleasant time. There are plenty of tables with lots of space for spreading out books and papers and notes. The big windows make everything well lit and easy to see, and there is always some sort of refreshment on the coffee table near the fireplace. Today there is pumpkin flavored hot chocolate, a pot of tea, and a bowl of homemade potato crisps. I have a mug of the pumpkin hot cocoa here at my table with me and it is quite delicious. I guess I better get to work, if I can get my homework done before this evening, one of the other first year boys said he would teach me how to play Wizard’s Chess. I don’t know how that’s different from regular chess, but it should be interesting to learn!

Potions Tutor

I have a tutor for Potions now! I was telling one of the older Ravenclaw students how I was having trouble with my Potions work, and she said she would help me. She said we could meet once a week and practice whatever I was having the most trouble on, and she would help me and give me tips for each one. She said I should order some extra potions ingredients from the Apothecary so I have plenty to practice with. Luckily I have some extra pocket money Elizabeth left me with when school started. I sent off a big gray owl with my order, I think the brown owl was happy to have some time off. 

Halloween

Yesterday was Halloween at Hogwarts. Halloween is always fun, but especially when you go to a school for magic. The morning started off in Potions, and Professor Slughorn had clean cauldrons waiting for us. He informed us that in honor of the day, instead of brewing our normal potions we would be having a contest. The contest would be to see who could brew the best hot apple cider! And whoever did would get a prize. We all got to work, and enjoyed talking and laughing during the class. I had never made hot apple cider before, so I just added some cinnamon and nutmeg to my apple cider before heating it up. Professor Slughorn took a taste of everyone's cider, and in the end chose one of the Hufflepuff girls cauldron. He gave her a whole basket of cauldron cakes from Honeyduke's! She was very happy. We each got given a piece of Honeyduke's chocolate for being good participants.
Later that evening, there was a wonderful feast in the Great Hall. One of the professors had charmed jack-o-lanterns to float in the air. There were so many good things to eat, and more cakes and sweets than I've ever seen in one place! I ate so much I thought I would burst! I finally went back to the Ravenclaw Tower and went to bed. It was a wonderful Halloween.

The little brown owl

I went up to the Owlry this morning. I wanted to thank the little brown owl who brought my package yesterday. It took him over a month to deliver it, I knew he must be tired. I brought him some sausage I got at breakfast, I thought he might enjoy a meal he didn't have to hunt for. By the time I made the long trip up the stairs to the Owlry, I was very tired, but I spotted him right away. He was sleeping peacefully on a low perch. I walked towards him but didn't want to wake him. When I started turning around he opened one eye and gave a hoot. I smiled and patted his head and fed him the sausage. He gave me another little hoot which sounded grateful and went back to sleep.
On my way back I stopped at the top of the stairs to admire the view, I could see over the tops of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. They were beautiful, all various colors of yellows, reds, and oranges. I also saw some creature flying over the forest. It looked like some sort of black horse. I didn't recognize what it was, I'll have to look it up in the library later.

Birthday Presents

It came! I was beginning to lose hope! Early this morning at breakfast, the brown barn owl who delivered my Hogwart's letter showed up with a package for me. I knew my godmother didn't forget my birthday. The poor owl looked exhausted and went to owlry quickly after depositing my package, he probably didn't want another package to take to America.
Inside the package was a letter, a birthday card, a new book, and a scarf! Elizabeth knitted me a scarf in the Ravenclaw house colors, dark blue and bronze! It's very warm. Some of the other wizard children have scarves in their house colors like mine, but I'd never thought I'd get one. Isn't it lovely?

It's starting to get cold here, and the halls are becoming drafty, so this will definitely be getting a lot of use. It will be perfect to wear to the first Quidditch match next week!

I put my gifts in my trunk on my way to class. Luckily the question to get into the common room was easy and I got right in. I wore my scarf all day, except in Potions, I was too worried about getting it dirty. 

I read and re-read my letter from Elizabeth a few time before going to bed. I included it here to remember it:

My Dear Emily, 

 I hope this package arrives in time for your birthday. I don't know how fast these owls can go between here and England. 

I'm so excited you are in Ravenclaw house. From your description it's a perfect fit for you. You've always been a little bookworm. I remember visiting you at your parent's house and you begging to be read book after book till you couldn't keep your eyes open. I know your parents would be so proud of you right now, I know I am. 

You've only been gone two weeks, but the house is so quiet without you. Even your godfather admits he misses you. He is very disappointed he didn't get to see you off to school, but he was needed at work. They are testing a new airplane propeller, to hopefully make planes more efficient and fly longer on less fuel. 

Well its getting late and your godfather will be needing his dinner soon. 

I love you so much and write back soon to tell me about school!

Love

Elizabeth

Potions

I've been loving all my classes. There are so many interesting things to learn. Right now because I'm only in my first year, I have Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, Astronomy, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts and Flying lessons. Charms is my favorite, it comes really easy for me. Charms is where we learn spells to perform with our wands. I've even been able to do a few of the spells from older students. I think potions is my least favorite right now. I feel like it should be easier, you just have to read the book and follow the instructions. I keep getting them wrong though. Yesterday while I was trying to make a Forgetfulness Potion, and  I almost melted my cauldron. Professor Slughorn said that sometimes it just takes practice and experience to get the ingredient amounts and steps correct. I know I just need more practice, but its hard to find time for that. I can't just sit in the library and brew potions, and I don't think they'd appreciate  the smell in the common room.
I think I'll just relax tonight and read my Astronomy book. Wizards know so many more things about the planets than the muggles do!

My birthday

Well, this weekend it was my birthday. I don't feel 11. I didn't really seem like my birthday, being at school and not at home. I was hoping I'd get a present from Elizabeth, or even just a card. I asked Professor Stearns, the Head of Ravenclaw house, if any packages had arrived for me, and he said they hadn't, but not to worry. He said since the owls are coming from so far away it might take awhile for them to get here. I'm sure Elizabeth didn't forget my birthday, I just hope I can hear from her soon.
I don't know how the other students knew it was my birthday, but at dinner they surprised me with presents. They each gave me a chocolate frog! I've never had one before, I was a little scared to buy any on the train to Hogwarts, because I thought they were really frogs. I've been assured they are just chocolate, shaped to look like frogs, no real frogs involved. They come with cards in the packet, with pictures of famous witches and wizards on them. The first one I opened was the card of Rowena Ravenclaw! She was the founder of Ravenclaw house! The other students said it was very appropriate I got her as my first card. I also got one of Albus Dumbledore, our Transfiguration professor! I turned out to be a pretty good birthday overall. There was strawberry tarts at dinner that night, which are my favorite. I ate two they were so good.
I'm still hoping for mail, but its nice to know I already have such good friends.

A little under the weather.

I woke up today with a horrible cold. I can't breathe, and I keep coughing. I decided just to stay in my bed all day. I was laying there wishing Elizabeth could be here to take care of me when one of the older girls came in to check on me. She noticed I wasn't at breakfast, and when Mary told her I was sick she decided to see what she could do. She brought me some toast and bacon from breakfast, which I was very thankful for. She also offered me some Pepper-up potion, she said it would make me feel better. I took some and I could breathe instantly, I was amazed. She told me to still take it easy, plenty of rest would be good. So I sat in bed curled up with some of my school books just reading. Later in the day a little houseelf brought me lunch and dinner. (House elves are little creatures who help out in Wizarding homes.) I hope I feel better tomorrow and can go to class, I'd hate to miss school!

School!

I've been loving Hogwarts so much I haven't even taken the time to sit down and write about everything that is going on.
The most exciting thing that happened was I was sorted! After we got here to Hogwarts, before the Welcoming feast all the first years lined up and were sorted into which house we'd live in while we're here. Each house has different characteristics they value; Hufflepuffs are nice and loyal, Gryffindors are brave and headstrong, Ravenclaws are smart and witty, and Slytherins like to be in charge.We each put a pointed hat on our heads which looked into our brains and decided what House we should be in. I was so nervous. When I sat down the hat noted reasons why I'd fit into most of the houses, but in the end he shouted RAVENCLAW for all the the people in the hall to hear! I'm hoping I can live up to all the studying I'll need to do to be a smart Ravenclaw. I've already met some new friends, there was another first year Ravenclaw girl named Mary that I got to talk to in the common room. She hadn't read Hogwarts: A History even though shes from a wizard family! I told her I was done with it and she could borrow it, it was a really interesting book and she'd like it. Its nice to have someone to sit next to in my classes and at meals with. I'll have to tell more about my new friend and classes some other time, I'm off to finish some homework for History of Magic!

The beginning of something amazing

So much has happened in the last week. I've been trying to remember all the details, I hope I can describe everything well enough.
On Monday, Professor Merrythought came to our house to pick up Elizabeth and I. She threw some sort of powder into our fireplace, she called it Floo powder. She said that wizards sometimes used it to travel. All we had to do was step into the fire, say where we wanted to go, and we'd be transported there. Professor Merrythought said our destination was a place called Diagon Ally. So I found myself standing in our fire place with my suitcase, with a green fire tickling around me. I said "Diagon Ally" as cleary and carefully as possible, which was very important, I didn't want to end up in the wrong place. All of a sudden I felt a whooshing motion around me. I could see other fireplaces moving past me as if they were all lined up in the same hallway, and I was running down it faster than I'd ever ran before. Then the moving stopped and I stepped out onto a busy street. It looked like any normal street in London at first, until I started looking at the items in the windows of the shops. There were shops selling dresses, pastries, and books, but right along side were shops selling potion ingrediants, owls, and even broomsticks! I heard a sound behind me and Professor Merrythought and Elizabeth popped out of the grate. Professor Merrythought took us to the bank, which was run by goblins, to exchange our American money for wizard money. Then the professor had to get back to Hogwarts so she left us to do my school shopping. We went to the inn in the ally first and got a room so we could drop off our luggage. After that we decided to go look at the shop selling robes. Elizabeth had sewn my uniform back at home, but we wanted to make sure that I didn't need anything else. Luckily I had everything I needed, so we only got a few school crests to sew onto the breast of my robes.
The rest of the shops went buy in a blur. We had to get items for my potions class, cauldrons, scales, dragon hide gloves for Herbology, and so many more things. I wanted to get one of each book in the store when we picked up my school books, but Elizabeth laughed and said she didn't have enough money for that. She did let me get a couple extra books though, including one about the history of Hogwarts and one of fairy tales for wizard children. The lady at the shop said they were classics and I'd love them both.
Lastly we went to the most important shop of all, the wand shop! I'd been eager to go there all day. I stepped inside and saw boxes and boxes lining the walls of the shop. An older man stepped behind the counter and asked if I was looking for my wand for Hogwarts. When I said I was he smiled and pulled out a measuring tape. It started taking my measurements, normal ones like my height and around my waist, but it even measured my handspan and the length of my earlobes. He asked me all sorts of questions the whole time, even though it was hard to answer and try not to giggle from the silly tape measuring tape. Finally he took the tape and stepped behind the counter and started pulling out wands. He would hand them to me, and when nothing happened, take them away and replace them. Finally he handed me a wand, and I got this warm glowing sensation. Blue sparks emitted from the wand, and the shopkeeper smiled. "Excellent" he said, "A fine wand, 10 1/2", willow, nice and flexible, dragon hearstring, with the wings from a fairy. I think you'll find that an excellent wand for Charm-work." I paid him for the wand, and I haven't been able to let it go since. I was able to look up some simple spells in my new books and was even able to make Elizabeth's shoes walk across the floor in our hotel room. Having my wand made this feel all so real, not just a dream I'll eventually wake up from.
Elizabeth and I have been enjoying the rest of the week in London. We've been enjoying going around and visiting the sites. She showed me all the places her and my parents used to go visit. She asked if I'd like to go by my old house, and I said no. It'd make me too sad, maybe later on I'd be able to.
Tomorrow we go to the train station to meet the train to Hogwarts. I'm very excited to go, but I'll miss Elizabeth terribly.

My Uniform!

Elizabeth has been hard at work helping me get ready to go to school in about a week. Today she finished my uniform robes!

I think they look great! I'm getting excited to wear them at school! 

I also got a surprise package this week. My friend Jess sent me some vials for my ingredients for Potions class. Wasn't that nice of her?

Lots of preparations!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been doing a lot to get ready to start at Hogwarts this fall. It's a lot of work getting school supplies purchased. Especially since I can't just walk to the corner store and buy spellbooks and potion ingredients. One of the professors from Hogwarts came to visit last week her name was Galatea Merrythought . Said she did something called "apparating" all the way from England. She explained we'd have to go to a place called Diagon Ally to buy my school supplies. Professor Merrythought said its a whole area of London that is off limits to Muggles, non-magical people. Muggles don't even notice it, they just walk by like its not even there. She's going to come back closer to the start of school and take us to Diagon Ally so we can buy my school supplies. She gave Elizabeth the details of my school robes. That way she can work on buying fabric and sewing them for me so we don't have to buy them. Elizabeth said it would save us a lot of money that we could use to get my other school supplies.
I'm getting so excited and nervous, I hope I fit in at Hogwarts.

A Surprise Letter

I was sitting at the kitchen table having a snack today when I heard a tapping noise coming from the kitchen window.

I wondered what it could be?
It was an owl, and he had a letter! I was slightly confused, but he looked tired so I decided to let him in.

The letter was for me! I quickly opened the envelope and read the letter.

It said I was accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! I guess I'm a witch!

The letter came with a long list of supplies and items I'll need to start school. I wonder where I'm going to find a wand or spellbooks?

My letter.

I'm really excited about this. Elizabeth, my guardian, said I should send a reply back with the owl that I'll be attending, and to give the poor thing a snack, flying here to the states to find me must have tired him out.

Elizabeth said we will go shopping for my school supplies soon!