Sometimes life can be rough. The biggest and stupidest lie that was ever spewed from the mouth of a man, was “If you wish for something and you truly desire it, then the universe conspires in your favour”, life goes without ever caring about you, or me, or anyone.
And that isn’t really bad, we don’t need to be the centre of the universe, not everyday can we be protagonists. Knowing our place in the grand scheme of things can be liberating, accepting that we are supporting actors in each other’s lives can let us be the best version of ourselves that we will ever be.
After we understand this we can relieve the pressure to fit in, the expectations that are placed upon us by those around us and ourselves. To accept that reality can be harsher than fiction but at the same time it can be more beautiful than the best work of fiction could ever be, because it just happened, without a planer, a painter, a screenwriter, life just happens, and its beauty lays in the chaos of its existence.
After hastily finishing my lunch, I sprinted towards the owlery, once there I wrote to Connor, I asked him to send me as many VHS cassettes he could get before tonight, I needed them before tomorrow’s lunch.
I gave a giant tip to the owl that took my commission and promised him a bigger one if he could bring my package at breakfast tomorrow. The poor bird left the Owlery like a rocket, I didn’t know that owls could be that fast, they’re typically very slow, steady and slow. But this owl in particular changed everything I knew about them, this was truly an “Express” service, not like a certain train that took almost eight ours a distance that almost any other train would have taken half of that time to do the same route.
Anyways, out of sight out of mind. I can’t hammer myself think about those deceptive advertisers. Just like those sea monkeys that Alex my schoolmate in the muggle school bought, those weren’t monkeys, those were underdeveloped shrimps. The poor bloke spent all his allowance in them and their accessories, thinking that he could have an amazing pet. The only thing that he got was a scolding from his mother after he forgot to take care of them and stank the whole house.
Never ever trust something that sounds too good to be true, cause’ more often than not it isn’t true.
After my letter was sent, I took a stroll around the castle, most of my mates went to Hufflepuff, to tell everyone that tomorrow we will see a movie.
At least I had a free period until two and forty when I will have my last Transfiguration class with Prof. McGonagall for the week. Having finished all the homework from the other classes, we just had to finish our self-study of History of Magic, and an essay for Herbology about the Devil’s Snare, a very dangerous plant if you didn’t know about it, or if you weren’t a wizard.
This plant lives in the dark, where it captures its prey and strangles it to death, the more desperate it resist the Devil’s Snare, the quicker the death. But if you are a wizard, a somewhat competent wizard a Wand-lighting charm of a Fire-making Spell gets you free in an instant. Those are its weakness, but I believe that we don’t really need to remember these, because a logical action when in a dark environment would be to light the place up, be it with a simple charm or a torch, in either way the Devil’s Snare couldn’t do anything.
So that essay wrote itself, an appropriate subject for our first approach to Magic Herbology. But I think that we should have to learn some muggle herbology as well, cause’ even if we know every magic plant in the magic side of the world, the non-magic side can still suppose a danger for the unsuspecting wizard. Everyday thousands of people end up in the emergency room after eating the wrong thing.
With this thought in mind, I continued my stroll around the castle, taking a walk for digestion sure helps me clear my mind. I need to get some muggle books, even if I don’t return to the non-magic world, I shouldn’t neglect that side, at the pace in which technology advances if I forgo that side, maybe in the future I will be an alien, just like those old men that were raised without tv.
I can’t imagine the day that the muggles go to the sea of stars, and the wizards remained holed in our little and comfy burrows, left in this world.
I prefer to think that when muggles start wandering in space, the wizards will follow them and help each other, with a little magic and a little technology maybe we can settle in other planets, explore the unknown and go beyond what we could imagine.
Transfiguration class was entertaining, but there was nothing new in this class, just a review of what we learned last class, with a little more participation from us. A little Q&A between us and Prof. McGonagall, today most of the wizards in both houses were capable of turning their matchsticks into needles. Not every needle was perfect, but it was a great improvement compared to last class were the best attempts were mine and Hermione’s, a pin and a blunt needle, not the sewing needle that Prof. McGonagall has asked us.
But in this class I got a perfect needle, not beautiful, but I put a little twist at the base, and engraved my initials, so I think that I’m getting a little more proficient at transfiguration, Hermione did it faster, but it was a textbook example, she still need to loosen up and add her own insight into her magic. Magic shouldn’t be static, magic is and should be an expression of our souls, flexible and everchanging.
Neville couldn’t complete the exercise, but I believe he is making great progress, last class his matchstick didn’t even move, now he turned his matchstick into a toothpick, he just needs a little more practice, and he will surely do it next time.
As for my roommates, Ernie did it, but he didn’t get extra points cause’ his needle wasn’t very practical, he put his family emblem in the needle, so even if he didn’t forget the eye of the needle, his was just a pin. A good demonstration of transfiguration, but a little impractical.
Wayne did what he was asked to do and nothing else, he has a good grasp of transfiguration, not at the same level that Hermione, but enough to successfully accomplish his task.
But what can I say about Justin, I know that he is talented, but he seriously doesn’t like to practice, he barely transformed his match before we finished the class.
Professor McGonagall asked us to write an essay about our understanding of Transfiguration and how that affected our needles.
After class we went directly to the abandoned classroom that was starting to become our base and finished our transfiguration essays.
“How did your Potions class went Hermione?”
“Don’t ask, Professor Snape seriously has something against Gryffindor. Poor Neville had an accident when boiling the Cure for Boils, his presence in the classroom is seriously intimidating. And the questions he made to Harry, I knew the answers, but he acted as if I was invisible”
“Woah, that must have been hard, I was also questioned in our first class.”
“We lost so many points…”
“I’m sorry Hermione, it was my fault”
“Don’t take it on yourself Neville, knowing Prof. Snape he would have found other reasons to deduct your point even if you didn’t have an accident.
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“We have the best Dean” Wayne, Susan, Hannah, Ernie and I couldn’t agree more with what Justin had said.
Prof. Sprout seriously was the best Dean, I appreciate Professor Flitwick, but he come across more like a friend, not so much like a dean, his cheerfulness is good, but you need more to be an excellent dean. While Prof. McGonagall is good, her strict demeanour doesn’t let her students to open themselves to her. We don’t need to talk about Prof. Snape, he has made Slytherin the winner of the House Cup for six consecutive years, but he is more like a boss.
Prof. Sprout is in a league of her own, her sunny, warm and gentleness can let us feel at home. Between a friend, a guardian or a boss, I prefer a warm hand.
“Professor McGonagall is also a good dean!”
“Yeah, Hermione is right.”
“We know, but Professor Sprout is better.”
We spent the rest of the time before Supper discussing about who had the better dean. September Six of 91’ will forever be remembered as the Great Divide, for many years to come there were many discussions trying to settle once and for all who was the better Dean. The Sprout Believers were many, but although McGonagall Warriors were few in numbers, but they compensated it with fervour. Many Years Later some Flitwick Scholars tried to get involved but couldn’t compete with the other groups and abstained from ever participating in the debate, as long as they recorded the “truth” they remained contented. Snape’s Acolytes are another story, they were too divided to truly present an argument, the light faction had him as a hero, but the dark faction almost believed that he was one of the last greatest dark wizards in history and took pride in him and his “teachings”. But all that was for the future.
Now we just had to walk to the Auditorium, and enjoy supper, the discussion could be settled another day.
Dinner was as scrummy and hearty as always, but I think that for Christmas I should send some cooking books to the kitchen elves. We need a little more variety, they can maintain this menu but adding a little variety every now and then wouldn’t hurt anyone. And I wont send overly complicated dishes, some simple dishes like pizza could be done super easily with magic, they have the dough, they have the cheese, the meat and the sauce, they just need to put it together. Or other dishes like curry, that can be made in great quantities, wont add too much burden to them.
But even if they don’t change the menu, I wont blame them. They are already working very hard. Maybe I can just ask them to lend us the kitchen. Although I don’t know how to cook those dishes, my cooking abilities are seriously limited.
After a very fulfilling meal, the group took a stroll around the ground floor the chilling wind of night cleared our minds and gave us time to process our first week at Hogwarts, the beginning of our magic Journey, maybe one day in the future we will get together and remember that night of September, when we truly felt that our journey had begun.
We parted ways with our two Gryffindor friends and went to the Hufflepuff basement before the curfew, my roommates had finished their Herbology essays, so I had to do it alone, but first we started a little review session for history of magic. We slept trough the whole class, and didn’t remember anything.
After the study session, I put on some soothing music and while they chatted I finished my herbology essay, I had a clear idea in mind, so I finished it very fast.
After that we bade farewell to the girls and went to our beds, tomorrow was going to be a wonderful day.
I got relatively early, Ernie, Justin and Wayne didn’t want to get out of bed cause’ today we didn’t have anything to do so early, but I couldn’t laze around like them, Prof. Sprout had helped me with the movie screening, and I needed to wait for the cassettes, so I went to the Great Hall, and waited for my mail.
The Great Hall was particularly deserted, almost no one wanted to wake up this early, maybe just the seventh year students, they had no time to rest, but they were clearly a little more relaxed than the first time I saw them, at least they weren’t eating books today.
After my fourth serving of breakfast, the owl I had commissioned to get my package entered the great hall, he carried a heavy box. The poor thing flapped with all his strength but was almost giving up.
When he saw me, he dropped the box and fell down. I caught him with a pillow I carried for Biggie in my Sling Bag. Gave him his pay and let him rest before returning him to the owlery. Speaking of Biggie, he never left Camille, what a dedicated Niffler. Maybe I should find a way to charm Camille, so he can ride around in her, cause’ for now he almost never goes out of the room.
And the tender at the pet store said that taking care of Nifflers was a very difficult task. But Biggie was different, he never stole things, if he wanted something he asked for it, but he almost never asked for anything, he took care of Camille daily, making sure that she was in her best condition. Sometimes I feel ashamed, Camille was supposed to be my mount, and he was supposed to be my companion, but after coming to Hogwarts, I almost didn’t pass too much time with him, I didn’t neglect him, he got his meals on time every day, and took him out when he asked but we didn’t play as much as in the record store.
But at least he didn’t felt lonely, I think that if I dragged him around he would have felt distressed leaving Camille locked in the room.
Having said that, maybe next week I should ask Professor Flitwick to help me charm Camille.
After I finished my breakfast, I got my daily newspapers, first I read The Quibbler, it always made my day reading about those strange occurrences. Today it talked about a Minister Cornelius Fudge and his latest ploy to bring Gringotts into his control. Even if it doesn’t have solid evidence, it doesn't take the sharpest of minds to see that some wizards truly want to take the control of Gringotts out of the hands of the Goblins, but it said about something about a heist at Gringotts orchestrated by the minister.
After that I took my copy of the Prophet and continued reading about this heist. Apparently the 31 of July, there was a heist at Gringotts, even if nothing was lost it seriously damaged the confidence of the wizards into Gringotts, more so when there aren’t clues to the identity of the burglar.
That left me thinking, who could it be. To do something like this, you need to be confident in your abilities or be absolutely crazy. There is a reason why there are spell breakers in Gringotts. Mr. Ragnok, commented me about their security measures, and only someone like Dumbledore could pull something like that.
After a little while the Great Hall was filled with the sound of the students discussing about this shocking news. Maybe Mr. Lovegood was right, and the Ministry wanted to get more control over Gringotts, cause’ if they wanted the wizards to distrust Gringotts, they were doing it.
After almost a week, Radio G. returned, he had a note from Bill, telling me to concentrate on my studies, and to wait for his news, with the note he sent me a colourful feather, it must be from some exotic tropical bird that he saw in South America. It was a bright blue with some red and yellow at the base, it could make a beautiful quill. With that I also got back my pouch, with twenty-one gallons, finally I didn’t have to walk around without money, like yesterday I had to take from Biggie’s snacks to pay the Owl.
Speaking of the owl, I took him in my arms and went to the owlery, I gave him his pay, luckily I asked Connor to send me more Pet snacks.
This afternoon will be recorded in history as the first time ever to screen a movie at Hogwarts, a muggle movie at that.
Professor Dumbledore didn’t arrange the screening at the Great Hall but installed a giant tv in an empty classroom.
Almost everyone at Hufflepuff went to that room, we asked the Elves for some snacks, and arranged the seats, the least we could do was to arrange the seats, the professors had helped us with the equipment. So, we got ourselves busy cleaning and arranging the room, after that, with snacks in hand we got ready.
Some Ravenclaws came to the screening, and almost all the free students at Gryffindor came, almost no one came from Slytherin, but some first years and marginal figures in that house came, hiding among everyone. Everyone was welcomed.
From the Teachers, almost all of them came, maybe only Prof. Snape didn’t come, and Mr. Filch, but the latter one really came, he just hid himself from the students. We arranged for Hogwarts staff to have some seats at the front, but he clearly didn’t like to be with so many students in a room. The room had been magically stretched by Professor Dumbledore, cause’ there was enough space for everyone.
At Two o’clock I walked to the front gave Professor Sprout the VHS and hurriedly returned to my seat. She gave it to Professor Dumbledore, and he stood up.
“Good afternoon everyone, when Professor Sprout told me that some little wizards wanted to see a movie here at Hogwarts, I could believe that I hadn’t thought about it, so I would like to award ten point to Hufflepuff, to bring a little more colour to our daily live here at Hogwarts, believing this to be the first of many occasions to come… I shouldn’t continue with this lengthy and boring speech, don’t you think so? After all we have a move to watch.”
I was super excited, not only I got ten points (it really doesn’t matter, Hufflepuff doesn’t really pay too much mind to the House Cup) but I was going to see one of the greatest movies in a super big screen, it was like seeing it at the movie theatre once again, even though I couldn’t see it when it first came out, cause’ we were about to se [SUPERMAN].
Once the classic score started playing, everyone’s attention was captured by the opening sequence.