The Diary of a Witch, Volume III

THE DIARY OF A WITCH, VOLUME III

CHAPTER 6: FEBRUARY

Tuesday, February 1, Ancient Runes,

Ode To a Gray Day

by Jubilee Johanson

Gray clouds cast the sky,

dreary weather; I sigh.

Snow has melted,

ice has too,

which means

there is nothing to do.

February has officially come forth.

Wednesday, February 2, History of Magic,

If Davies mentions the word Quidditch to me one more time I will not be responsible for my actions!

I want to win this game as much as he does, but I do not want to talk about maneuvers while I'm trying to eat breakfast. Breakfast comes in the morning, right after I get up. Which means no intelligent conversation should take place during it because honestly, who remembers what is said during breakfast? I know I don't, I'm barely half awake then for crying out loud. My friends all know not to say anything important to me until at least nine thirty.

But clearly Davies has not heard about my cave-woman tendencies in the morning because he tried to talk to me about Quidditch over my bacon and eggs. Who can think about Quidditch at eight in the morning, I ask you?

Thursday, February 3, Great Hall,

Wow, Sirius Black better hope he doesn't get caught; check this article out:

BLACK SENTENCED TO RECEIVE

DEMENTOR'S KISS WHEN CAPTURED

by Rita Skeeter

The notorious Sirius Black

has been on the loose since

July. The Ministry of Magic

claims they have been doing

everything possible to hunt

down the murderer.

They've even gone as far as to post

Dementors at the Hogwarts School

of Witchcraft and Wizardry despite

loud protests from Headmaster

Dumbledore and the staff.

Unfortunately it has all been in vain

for Black still remains at large and the

Wizard community still must be on their

guard.

Last night the Ministry met in their

headquarters at London and made

the difficult decision to sentence

Black to receive the Dementors Kiss

as soon as he was captured.

"We try to use the Kiss as a last

resort but Black is clearly

unaffected by Azkaban and he

must be punished for his horrible

crimes," says Minister Cornelius

Fudge.

The Dementors Kiss is the most

severe penalty in the Wizard

World. It sucks out a persons'

soul and leaves them a lifeless

shell afterwards.

Most of the prisoners of Azkaban

do not deserve this horrible fate

but most of them have not done

the crimes Black has.

Okay, GEEZ. Harsh much? I highly doubt Black has done anything worse then what the other prisoners have done. Unless he did something other then just kill thirteen people. I still can't believe there's a punishment like this in the wizard world. Geez...and people in America complain about the death penalty.

Friday, February 4, Great Hall,

We're doomed.

POTTER HAS A FIREBOLT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AN ACTUAL FIREBOLT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like I said, we're doomed. Unless we somehow manage to keep Gryffindor from scoring, score over 150 points and THEN let Potter catch the Snitch but the chances of that happening are like zilch.

Good-bye Quidditch Cup.

Saturday, February 5, Common Room,

Well, at least we didn't roll over and LET Gryffindor win. We put up a pretty good fight.

But we lost.

Gryffindor scored eighty points before us (and Davies told US to practice???) And then we managed to get thirty points (two of which I scored by the way). After that Chang started the shadow seeker technique (at least that's what I like to call it) where she followed Potter every where he went. Potter didn't know what to do and I'm pretty sure he was blushing.

I almost dropped the ball and burst into laughter when I heard Wood shout to him, "HARRY, THIS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN! KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TOO!"

That seemed to wake him up and he faked Chang out and chased after the Snitch. But as he was flying after it Dementors showed up down below us. But instead of fainting this time he shouted some sort of charm at them (he had apparently put his wand inside his robes, pretty smart) and then caught the Snitch winning the game and putting Gryffindor into the final match.

I should probably be more upset about it but I'm kind of not because of what happened after. Those Dementors turned out to be Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Flint in disguise. They were trying to sabotage the match but ended up terrified of the silver thing that shot out of Potter's wand.

I hopped off my broom really quickly and ran to my duffle in the locker room to get my camera. I'm pretty quick when I want to be and managed to get a picture of the four Slytherins struggling to get out of the robes they draped over themselves and a bellowing McGonagall giving them the lecture of a lifetime. The minute it's developed I'm spellotaping it in here. It totally makes up for losing the Cup.

Sunday, February 6, Great Hall, Breakfast,

All this security in the castle and Black STILL GOT IN!

He managed to get into Gryffindor House and attack Ron Weasley in his bed. He probably thought it was Potter's bed or something. Oh, come on. Why else would he go to Gryffindor house? The nostalgic memories (he surprisingly was a Gryffindor)? No. He wants to kill Harry Potter. That's the only possible reason to go to Gryffindor. It must suck to be Potter sometimes.

No one knows how he got into the castle (again) but they do know he got into Gryffindor thanks to a list of passwords Neville made so he could remember them. I feel like this is my fault. See, he mentioned two weeks ago the portrait was always changing passwords and he was having worse trouble then usual remembering them all. So I suggested he go up to the portrait (a substitute for the Fat Lady apparently) explain his trouble and ask him to tell Neville the passwords in advance and then write them down and keep them with him.

He had come back to me a day later all excited saying he tried it and it worked and thanked me like a dozen times. I didn't think anymore about it. Until now. Now you know why I feel like this my fault. I told him to put a Concealing Charm on it though, so Black shouldn't have been able to read it. But then Neville's charms aren't the greatest...

I think I owe Neville an apology. If weren't for my suggestion, he wouldn't be in this mess.

Monday, February 7, Dorm Room,

I just talked to Hagrid and he says Buckbeak's hearing is this Friday. He had been on his way back from Hogsmeade carrying...well, I think it was a suit but I kind of hope not because can we say atrocious piece of clothing? I hope that's not what he's going to wear at the Ministry. I don't follow wizard trends (or Muggle ones for that matter) but still....ew.

Oh well, nothing I can do about it if he IS going to wear it. Granger's been helping out with notes and I've been giving interesting bits to him here and there when I can so he should be okay. He just has to keep a cool head and everything will work out.

I hope.

Tuesday, February 8, Great Hall, Breakfast,

Poor Neville.

He just got a vicious Howler from his grandmother. He grabbed it and ran but I heard enough to know she's pissed.

I tried to apologize to him for the suggestion but he shrugged me off saying it was his own fault for not doing the Concealing Charm properly and losing the list in the first place. I still feel bad though. Plus, McGonagall is being way harsh on the guy. She's forbidden people from telling him the password into Gryffindor so now he has to wait outside the door for someone if he wants to get in. He's banned from all future Hogsmeade trips and got a big fat detention.

I swear that woman is vicious when she wants to be.

Friday, February 11, Great Hall, Dinner,

I tell you, the security around here has been freaking nuts.

None of us are allowed outside anymore without supervision. Flitwick has been training the doors to recognize Sirius Black if they see him. Filch has been going around boarding up every crack and opening in the walls. The mice were all pissed off about it so I went too some of the main mice holes that I know they usually use and loosened them so they could use them like a door. Hey, it's unfair to the mice to board up their mode of transportation. I only did two. Besides I highly doubt Black's getting in through a MOUSE HOLE. Filch was just being paranoid.

Neville mentioned there are trolls guarding the entrance to Gryffindor now who go around grunting all the time. Plants have also complained that the teachers are disturbing them with the patrolling they're doing at night. I had to talk a tree in the forest out of snapping its branches at Professor Lupin and Professor Snape who were arguing loudly as they passed him.

I've tried to explain the situation to the plants and animals and have sent them an image of Sirius Black into their heads so they know to alert me if one of them sees him. I don't know what I'll do if one of them does actually see him. I'll figure it out when the time comes.

Saturday, February 12, Hogsmeade, Three Broomsticks,

Madam Rosmerta just told me security has been tightened here in town too. Every shop now has these shrunken heads in the doors that alert you if someone suspicious comes. Stores also sell them for wizard homes. I sort of bought one for my room. Not because I need one but because I think they're funny. They talk and crack corny jokes a lot.

Owen said they were annoying when I showed him mine and the one I bought said, "Yeah well, no accounting for taste." Then Owen glared at me as if I TOLD it to say that.

Later Saturday, February 12, Dorm Room,

You know, it's still kind of weird not going down to the forest for my lessons.

I've been using this time to practice my shape-shifting liked Firenze told me too and I'm proud to say that I can now shape-shift my clothes as well so no more nakedness when I shape-shift. YAY.

Sunday, February 13, Great Hall, Breakfast,

Jubilee,

You've been asking after Buckbeak so I thought you'd like to no: Buckbeaks going to be executed. Thanks fer yer help.

Hagrid

They're going to execute Buckbeak!

HE'S NOT EVEN DANGEROUS!

That stupid Ministry of Magic. The government sucks.

Monday, February 14, Valentines Day, Latin,

God, I totally forgot that it was Valentines Day. When Padma, Mandy, and Hannah handed me cards with candy attached I was all, "What's this for?" Mandy rolled her eyes at me and said, "It's VALENTINES DAY, Jubilee." She said it like I committed some national offense by not remembering this dumb holiday.

Excuse me for having more to worry about then some stupid commercialized holiday that we don't even get a day off for.

I got the last laugh though because as we started to eat an owl swooped down and dropped a rose on top of Mandy's sausage links. It was a magic rose that changes color every so often and was completely de-thorned. Yes, it's from the same guy who sent her that valentine back in second year. Apparently he's been sending her poems all year long and she never told any of us! She gets about one a month and on special occasions like her birthday, he's sent small trinkets like earrings with them.

When Mandy admired the rose I glanced over at the Slytherin table and spotted Devon Greengrass trying to casually look at Mandy's reaction. He noticed me looking at him and froze. I just sort of grinned at him and went back to my breakfast. I know that was sort of mean but really, he's been sending Mandy love poems a whole freaking year and can't get the guts to tell her it's him? So personally, I say let him worry for awhile that I'm going to tell Mandy who her admirer is. I'm not, because that's his job, but he doesn't know that.

Thursday, February 17, Hallway Bench,

UGH!

What is Peeve's DAMAGE!? Other then the whole being dead thing? I mean, I'm just sitting here minding my own business trying to make sense of The Fountain Head and failing when he dumps WATER BALLOONS ON ME!

Seriously, WHAT IS HIS PROBLEM!?

Sunday, February 20, Great hall, Breakfast,

THINGS TO DO:

1) Clean off desk (can't see top again)

2) Order more owl treats for Gandalf

3) Finish HoM, Potions, and DADA essays

4) Perfect charms needed for exam on Friday

5) Check on Selina the cat mentally. Make sure her newborn kittens are okay.

6) Palmistry reading for Divination

Late Monday, February 21, Dorm Room,

Okay.

Apparently I am now the official owner of a kitten who is only three weeks old. This isn't the first time a animal has given me a gift in thanks for healing them. I've got a whole box full of things animals have given me that include things like feathers, pretty rocks, shells, etc.

But I've got to say, no patient has given me...a pit. Selina has had her kittens like I said and somehow decided she was going to give one to me. She found a way into Hogwarts (she mentioned Crookshanks helped her, though he flirted with her the entire way) and carried one of her kittens to me. I found her wandering the hallway this afternoon as I came back from the library.

At first I was going to say no but she insisted and then mentioned her owner was going to send her (the kitten is a girl) to the pet store because she has no other person to give her too. Seriously, what could I have done? Besides, she's so darn CUTE! Selina is a calico so and so are her kittens. When I was little I had this thing about calicos. The only thing stopping me from getting one was that Dad was allergic to cats.

So I said okay. Now I am the owner of a three week old calico kitten who seems to take great pleasure in batting at Gandalf and making him flap around in irritation. He isn't very happy with me right now.

Tuesday, February 22, Great Hall, Breakfast,

Mandy just made a good point. Are Hogwarts students ALLOWED to have more then one pet? Do I have to clear my kitten with Professor Flitwick first? I guess it would be a courtesy. Owen says to just go up to him now but well...he's talking to the Headmaster and Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall. They look serious and I do NOT want to piss any of them off by interrupting.

I'll ask him later.

Later Tuesday, February 22, Ancient Runes,

Okay, Owen is my best friend and all and I'm happy he's cool with my Wild Mage powers but he needs to respect boundaries. He needs to learn NOT to drag me from the Ravenclaw table (with the help of Mandy) up to the teachers table where the following took place:

[Teachers look up and notice three students: me trying to get away form Owen and Mandy who are holding me in place.]

OWEN: Professor Flitwick, Jubilee got a new kitten and she wants to know if it's okay to have two pets.

[Professors all look at me. I feel my face turn red. Kitten chooses that moment to peek through my loose hair. She's taken to perching on my shoulder in the hood of my robes.]

MCGONAGALL: [raises eyebrow] Where did you get her?

ME: [thinking quickly] She was a gift. From a friend. [Hey, it was sort of the truth, she doesn't have to know it was from a cat.]

FLITWICK: [frowning slightly] You know, I don't think this has come up before. Albus, is it all right? [he turns to the Headmaster questionably]

DUMBLEDORE: [looks at me, I put on my best puppy dog eyes. Owen sees this and rolls his eyes] I don't see any problem with it. Provided she takes care of it of course.

Headmaster D is totally cool.

A complete loon, yes. But he's still cool.

Wednesday, February 23, History of Magic,

Okay, so now that this cat is staying, I'm going to have to name her. I can't keep calling her "it" or "the cat" or "hey, you!" all the time. Her mom didn't take the time to name her so I'm on my own.

POSSIBLE CAT NAMES:

Arwen

Athena

Eowyn

Galadriel

Luna

Cali

Serena

Serenity

Lune

Eilownwy

Undine

Dianna

Hera

Persephone

Morgana

Aphrodite

Venus

Macbeth

Medea

Circe

Rowena

Thursday, February 24, Ancient Runes,

So I read the cat the list of names I came up with and she liked Rowena the best so now that's her official name. Gandalf suggested we call her little nuisance. I ignored him.