How I Came to be a Time Traveler

So I have a confession to make. I'm a time traveler. I know some of you may have been confused on how I was blogging from 1938. The truth is I wasn't really. So I'm going to fill you in on the details and tell you how I discovered I could time travel.

About 8 weeks ago, the upperclassmen students were excitedly discussing their upcoming Apparition Tests. Apparition allows a person to move between locations quickly, often long distances. Two seventh year girls had sat near a friend and I at breakfast, and were going over their notes with each other. Melinda and I began asking them questions on what apparition was like, and how they did it. The girls explained that you had to firmly think about where you wanted to go, and hold it in your mind, while you did a quick turn. They said it was really difficult to learn, many adult wizards never achieved it. Hogwarts is protected so that no one can apparate into or out of the school or school grounds. Later that afternoon, Melinda and I have finished our classes, and it was a unusually sunny day, so we went to study outside near the Herbology greenhouses. They had moved the Flutterby bushes out of Greenhouse #4 to give them some fresh air, so we sat in their shade and enjoyed sweet smell of the blossoms. We were taking a small break from our reading and Melinda and I were talking about how neat it would be to be able to apparate anywhere we wanted. We were both standing up at this point saying out names of places we'd like to visit and spinning like some sort of silly ballerina. Finally I said, "I know where I'd like to go, tonight's dinner! I'm starving!" I turned around, and as I did, I could picture the Great Hall laid out with the roasted chicken, potatoes, rolls, and chocolate cake I knew were on the menu for that night. And then the strangest thing happened. I heard a crack, and then I was actually standing there at the entrance to the Great Hall and it was full of students. I was starting to get really scared when Professor Dumbledore walked over and said, "Ah, there you are Miss Emily. I've been looking for you, would you join me in my office?" He was just so calm, all I could do was follow him.

He said I had been missing for over 3 hours, and said Melinda had come to him scared when I had disappeared. He asked me to explain what had happened, and not to leave any detail out. I told him all about talking to the older girls, playing behind  the greenhouses, and turning and imagining dinner. He sat there apparently thinking deeply for what seemed like an eternity. I was so afraid I'd get in trouble some how. Finally, said he thought I was a natural time traveler. He said that people who could time travel without the use of a device like a Time Turner were exceedingly rare. The last known one was recorded over 500 years ago, and it was a little known fact that Rowena Ravenclaw was one. He said it was a wonderful gift, and knew that since I was such a dedicated student I would use it wisely. At this point he smiled, and I knew I wasn't in trouble. The idea began to sink in what he was saying. I could travel through time! He asked me not to try it again without him present. We set up times to meet each week so that he could help me learn how travel safely. Professor Dumbledore said he couldn't time travel himself, but had read many detailed accounts, and felt that he would be able to help me learn enough to stay safe.

So far we've just practiced coming to the same day of the year, but moving from 1938 to your present day. I seem to be able to do that jump easily, which Professor Dumbledore finds interesting. We learned how to set up this blog so that I can journal my life, he says thats important to making sure I have good accuracy with my time travel.

Well, I'm sure that was a lot for your to process today, so I'll leave you there for today, but I'm excited to be able to write and tell you more of my time travel adventures!

Busy little bee

Oh my! Where has this term gone? I can't believe I haven't sat down and wrote since February! It has been so busy, I guess I completely forgot about it. I have been very busy in my classes. Final exams are coming up, and the professors have made sure we've had plenty of work to do to study for them. We've had many extra spells to practice for Charms. Many of the Ravenclaw First years have taken to sitting in the common room in the evenings and practicing on each other, under the watchful eye of the upper classman of course. My favorite is the charm to induce euphoria. Its a great one to do at the end of a study session, because you leave feeling very confident and happy.
I've improved quite a bit in Potions. I've learned to read the directions carefully, and take my time. I make very few errors now, and even Professor Slughorn has remarked on my improvement.
Gabrielle and I have still been writing. She has been getting busy preparing for end of term tests at Beauxbatons also. She is looking forward to getting home and working in the garden with her mother. She wants to plant some new roses this year, pink ones, since they already have lots of red ones in the garden.
We didn't win the Quidditch cup. We won our games against Slytherin and Hufflepuff, but lost to Gryffindor. Gryffindor won the Cup overall, having won all their games. Hopefully next year we can win!
Alright, its getting late and I want to go read another chapter of History of Magic before I go to bed. Hopefully I will find a few minutes to update before I'm home from school.

A Letter!

I got a letter from Gabrielle today! It took her a while to write back to me, hopefully my owl didn't get lost. Here is the letter:

Dear Emily,

            Bonjour! Ca va? That is how you ask “How are you?” en Français! I am looking forward to get to know you more! I am also 11, and I attend Beauxbatons Academie de Magique. We do not have Houses here, our dormitories are sorted by age. I am in the Sixième ète, which is what you call the “First Year”. Our rooms are in the ground floor of our Palace. The older students get room on high levels, with the oldest students getting rooms with only one roommate in the towers. These rooms have lovely views and plenty of space to study. I can’t wait to get one of these rooms.

            My family and I live outside Paris, in an old maison that has been in my Father’s family for many generations. He is family have been wizards for very far back in our family tree. My mother is a muggle-born. Her and my father met at school, they are trés adorable, still in love. My mother loves to garden, and when we moved into the family house, she fell in love with the garden. It’s a lovely mixture of magical and non-magical plants. I love to cut roses from my mother’s garden and put them in vases for our dinner table. Working in the garden with my mother has been some of my favorite times. It is no surprise I love my Herbology classes.

            I better stop this letter here for now, I have much studying to work on. I hope you write back soon!

Gabrielle

The First Letter

I got my pen pal. Her name is Gabrielle Montegue. I hope she likes me. I found a nice bit of parchment and my best quill and wrote her a letter.

Dear Gabrielle,

Bonjour! Hello is the only word I know in French, but hopefully you can help me learn more. My name is Emily, I’m 11 and attend Hogwarts here in England. I’m sorted into Ravenclaw house, we’re the smart bookish house. I love to read so it is a perfect fit for me. Charms is my favorite class, and Potions is my least favorite. I like the professor quite a bit, but I just don’t seem to have the knack for Potions, although I got a tutor and am practicing more often now.

In my free time I read, did I mention I love to read. I like all sorts of books, anything with a good story. I’m also starting to collect chocolate frog cards, I only have a few so far, but I think they’re really interesting.

I’m excited to write to you and learn all about your school. Write back soon!

Sincerely,

Emily Bennett

I went up to mail the letter this afternoon, and when the little brown owl saw me he pretended to be asleep. I went up and gave him some steak from lunch, and explained he only had to go to France, not America, and he took the letter and flew off. I hope he flies fast!  

Pen Pals

I've been back at Hogwarts for a few days now. The trip back with the floo powder was luckily uneventful. I tucked my new fairy doll deep in my bag so she'd stay safe and clean on the way back home. I didn't relieze how much I missed being here until I got back. Ravenclaw tower is starting to feel like home. Yesterday was the first day of classes and everything went well. I read quite a few of my textbooks over break, including my potions book. I worked on memorizing the steps for different potions to help me when I brew them. 

This morning a notice appeared on the board in the common room. I got quite excited and cast Gemino to have a copy to save for my journal:

Would You Like to Make New Friends?

Learn about another culture or even a new language?

Then sign up to be a Pen Pal!
Every interested Hogwarts’ student will matched up with a student from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic to correspond with.

Those interested please send an owl with your information to:

Morgana Ilmacoa

Beauxbatons Pen Pall Programme

Department of International Cooperation

                                                                                        

I sent off the Owl at lunchtime. I can’t wait to hear from my pen pal. I hope they’re nice. Anne is always encouraging me to learn French, and this will be good motivation I think. I didn’t even know there were other schools for magic, but now I’m off to the library to research and see what I can find out about them.

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.