The Gryffindor Five: Year 1

Hogwarts

I'm rather worried about Remus. He's been gone for two days. I think I'll try and visit him in the infirmary in a bit. I bet those friends of his never even notice how often he's sick. That Sirius Black has his head so far up his own... I'll take a page from Mrs. Longbottom's book and just say that the end of that sentence would've been very unbecoming to a lady. And James Potter is just as bad as he is! That boy gets so mad just because I have higher grades than he does in Charms. The nerve! Maybe if he opened a book and studied once in a while. He and his friends, those dopey 'Marauders' are always in detention. Melissa said they're there more than she is and I find that hard to believe as our entire group is so well acquainted with the Trophy Room that I can already recite every Head Girl in Hogwarts history and I'm beginning to learn the Head Boys. I suppose I shouldn't have called all the Marauders dopey. I mean, Remus is quite nice actually and, when he's not with those other two, he acts very smart. And Peter isn't so bad, he's just very quiet and shy, even more so than Remus. Maybe I should ask Remus about them, there must be some reason why he hangs out with them.

Love from,

Lily

Gryffindor

Sorry you didn't like the ballet, Alice. I'm off to go visit Remus in the Hospital Wing. I swear that boy is sicker than anyone I've ever known. -L

Gryffindor

Lily? -R

Lil? -R

Guess you're gone. Is something going on with you and Remus? I was under the impression that all the Marauders gave you a headache. Bye. -R

Gryffindor

Nothing like that, definitely not. And only Potter and Black give me a headache and even that's not all the time. Off to work on that Transfiguration project. -L

Hogwarts

Well, Remus has been back for a few days. He keeps brushing off my questions. I'm really worried about that boy! Everyone comes back tomorrow. Thank goodness, I miss them all. I got an owl from Melissa the other day. Apparently her mother loaded her down with girly gifts too. I don't see the big deal, but I'm sure Becca will appreciate her annoyance. Tessa added a post script that said her parents said Alice, Rebecca and I could probably stay for a week or so that summer, so that will be exciting. Oh goodness, the steps just collapsed, I guess Remus tried to get up here for something. I'd best go explain it all to him. Or perhaps he's actually read Hogwarts: A History... I doubt it.

Love from,

Lily

Acid Pops

It's rather late and I should be sleeping, but I hate traveling. Even something as silly as the Hogwarts Express gets my stomach tied up in knots. I guess I'll try and read a book or something. Melody is out cold in the bed next to me. Amazing how she even manages to irritate me in her sleep sometimes. I've been in a right mood for the last couple of days. It's rather unusual since I'm usually pretty chipper. Ugh, my head and stomach hurt again. Definitely time to just curl up in a ball and read.

Always,

Alice

Hogwarts

I had a long talk with Remus tonight. He actually made the Marauders sounds like a decent bunch of guys. What a strange way to think of them! He seemed so surprised to realize that most of the First Years have a crush on one of the Marauders (it seemed kind of mean to mention that it's usually just James or Sirius, but every once in a while I hear someone mention Remus -like that Trixie girl in Ravenclaw- and once I even heard one of the Hufflepuff First Years going on and on about Peter). It was an amusing reaction anyway. Boys. Honestly, I swear they're so dense sometimes. He still wouldn't tell me how they wound up with that dopey name. I bet it's a really dull story and that's why they all swore never to tell it... just so it would seem like more than it is. I did learn some useful information though. The next time Sirius Black tries to torture me, I'm just going to 'moooo' and see what happens. ...Avoids milk, honestly. And poor Peter, they made him act like a chicken! I can only imagine what will happen when they all start to figure out animal transfigurations. Although I think the best realization of the amusing type this evening was that James Potter fell off his broom the first time he tried to fly. Maybe I'll remind him of that next time he's showing off in Flying Class. I really don't like that class. It took me until the second class to even get the stupid broom to obey my "Up" command. Remus himself is actually scared of Boggarts... but I think I can understand that fear.

That was all pretty funny and I tried to think of some funny secret to tell him, but I couldn't come up with any and I blurted out how Defense Against the Dark Arts scares me. I thought Remus would laugh, but he didn't. Instead he told me... other stuff... about the Marauders. Can you believe that Sirius Black actually worries about the other three? Doesn't that seem mad to you? He never seems to have a care in the world! And apparently Remus has some sort of... situation... with his parents. Oh, when he said that I just wanted to jump across the room and hug him, but boys don't seem to take to things the way girls do. The poor boy. And then, he said that James is actually uncomfortable when people know he's helping someone. Can you imagine? It seems to me that the boy would make a banner and advertise it to get more attention. At the end of the night, Remus made this crazy analogy that I can't get out of my head. He said that James is the brains of the group and Sirius and he were the hands and feet, getting things done, but Peter is the heart. I thought that was very sweet.

Oh my, I'm having yawning fits. It's definitely time to get some sleep. I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow!

Love from,

Lily

Gryffindor

I can't wait to see you guys tomorrow! -L

Gryffindor

I officially hate the Hogwarts Express. -A

Gryffindor

Why? -L

Lily! Oh, I just got motion sick again... Madame Pomfrey is going to have a field day with me when I get back to school. Ugh. I've got to go. -A

Gryffindor

Poor Alice. -R

Is she okay? -L

I think she'll be a lot better when we get to Hogsmeade. She just took off for the bathrooms. -R

I didn't know she had motion sickness. -L

Me either. But we didn't exactly ride here with her, now did we? I can tell you though, it's going to be a long trip home in June. -R

Lovely. -L

I'm going to go check on her. Talk to you soon, Lil. In person. -R

Right. Bye, then. -L

Acid Pops

I am so happy to be back at school, even if it does mean tons of homework. I hate Potions so much. Stupid Nackle... three feet of parchment for the day after tomorrow! It's the first day back from holidays! Ugh. Tessa and Melissa got another detention today. Mel was reading the Daily Prophet in Potions and Tessa had Becca's copy of TeenWitch. Nackle caught them. I think they're up in the library reshelving all the books. The Slytherins knew about it and went in there and messed up the books even worse. That house is just horrid. Oh dear, I've got to go. Frank said he'd help me out in Herbology. I think maybe I need to write a little more about Frank later, but I've got to go now.

Always,

Alice

Acid Pops

I just got back from studying with Frank. Rebecca showed up after a bit... I almost wish she hadn't. This is ridiculous. Every time I get near him, I get all giggly. I mean really. I have an eighty something percent average in Herbology, which is perfectly acceptable, but I'm playing dumb so he can tutor me. Whatever possessed me to act that way? I'm such a dolt around him. But he really is so cute. He has this brown hair that looks like it almost needs to be cut, but I really hope he doesn't cut it since it flops into his eyes in the most adorable way. And his eyes... it's like staring into a cup of hot chocolate, they make me feel all gooey. It's insane. He's so slender though... he must think I'm huge. It's hopeless really. Anyway, I have to make sure the other girls don't find out. I think Becca would kill me.

Always,

Alice

Quidditch

I suspect Frank has lost his mind. Today he and I went down to go get breakfast and after we'd been there for a bit, Alice showed up. Well my idiot brother starts sputtering and turning red. He was barely able to string together a coherent sentence. After about five minutes of this insanity, he excused himself and made a beeline for the Hufflepuff table to sit with his friend Rob. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, so later on in the Common Room, I asked him. You know what he said? "She's very pretty." Now, not that Alice isn't pretty, because she is, but since when is my brother noticing stuff like that? Oh, they'd better not start going out. If Mum hears anything about that I just know she'll get on my case about not having a boyfriend. I swear, brothers can ruin your life.

-Rebecca

Hogwarts

Sometimes I am convinced that James Potter is a complete and total idiot. The only reason I put up with him at all is for Remus. Today in Charms he set my feather on fire on purpose. If it had been Peter, maybe I would've believed it was an accident, but Potter, yeah right. He could levitate feathers in his sleep. He's impossible! I can't believe that boy, just because I have higher grades than him in one class. I swear, next year, I'm going to beat him in all of them. Grrrr. He just makes me so mad, that insufferable prat.

Anyway, in far more pleasant news, I aced my Herbology test today. I think it was because of those extra study sessions with Alice. She really knows her stuff in that class. I thought I overheard Frank mention to one of his friends that he was tutoring her in Herbology, but I'm sure I heard wrong. Well, I've got to go. Alice is going to teach me how to play Wizard Chess down in the Common Room.

Love from,

Lily

Hogwarts

Alice just kicked my butt from here to Durmstrang in Wizard Chess. Unbelievable. The only time I even came close to taking one of her pieces was when Frank walked into the room. I really think she might like him. Madness, I tell you. I'm still partially convinced that boys have cooties. They're definitely not worth the aggravation. Tessa got on my case again about biting my nails. Really, who cares if they're all ragged? It's not as though I intend to apply to TeenWitch as a hand model or some nonsense. The other day she was going on and on about applying to be a model when she graduated from Hogwarts. What madness! All this education and all she wants to do is try on different cloaks and smile. I'm convinced she's nutters sometimes. All the while she was raving about becoming a model, Melissa had her head buried in the Daily Prophet until she looked up at one point and said "You know, I think I'd rather like to be Minister of Magic or the Prime Minister. Something more like that." They're both nutters. A model and a Minister, I still can't figure out how a bond that consists only of growing up next to each other hasn't snapped under the weight of two people who are just so different. Oh, Mel is trying to get my attention, I'd best stop writing. Oh my, where did Alice and Rebecca even go?

Love from,

Lily

Hogwarts

Melissa wanted to show me another editorial from one of that idiot's supporters. Oh right, you don't know who that idiot it. Voldemort. I hate him and I've never even met him. He wants to make it near impossible for people like Tessa and I to get jobs in the magic world and he even dislikes people like Melissa for having one Muggle parent. The man is batty. I mean, James Potter is a pureblood and I'm far better at Charms than he'll ever be. Oh, those editorial pieces make me so mad.

I learned something odd from Melissa tonight. Tessa left in the middle of our discussion about Voldemort. She says she hates him and doesn't want to waste any of her breath on such a lunatic. Really though, I think he scares her a bit. If his laws were passed, well... anyway. I pointed out that everyone thinks that her friendship with Tessa is odd. She laughed at me, but our conversation went something like this:

"Oh, everyone asks us that. They say, don't you think Melissa is dull or don't you think Tessa is slow? That just goes to show how little they know about us."

"I wouldn't call you dull or Tessa slow."

"I know, so I guess you know us a bit better than most. But that's exactly it, you know that Tessa is actually very smart then and that she spends as much time reading her texts as she does reading TeenWitch or whatever silly little teeny bopper magazine has her attention this week. And you know that I am queen of the practical jokers, despite the fact that I prefer to read the Daily Prophet or Transfiguration Weekly or The London Times."

"Still, even knowing you both, that doesn't help me understand how you two are so close. You never seem to be at a lack for things to talk about or do together."

"Well, it would be exceedingly dull if everyone were like me. I mean, some weird part of my head likes being the one to point out all the current events to the rest of you. I never have to worry about Cortessa knowing a current event unless some well known celebrity witch or wizards were to go berserk and kill people. You know?"

"No, not really."

"We get along so well because we're so different. I mean, all that beauty stuff she knows, it's a bit interesting. All the political stuff I know, she finds a bit interesting. But we both love to read, so we'll talk about books, if we want to discuss something. Or classes. I don't know how to explain our friendship really, but I'm firmly convinced that we don't kill one another because we both know life would be far more dull if we didn't have the others company."

And that was about all we said on that subject, but as I was mulling the words over, I thought there was a bit of truth to it. I mean, I'm a brainiac, Becca is all athletic and Alice is a daydreamer, but we get on just fine. And perhaps it's because I remind us to study and work hard, and Becca reminds up to go out and have some fun, and Alice reminds us to keep on dreaming. They all balance out well. I think I'll stop questioning people's choices in friendship from now on. Well, that's all I've got to get some sleep. The other three are already sleeping and Tessa snores so loud one she gets going, it's hard to fall asleep. I'd best beat her to it.

Love from,

Lily

Acid Pops

Oh my, it's official. I am madly in love with Frank Longbottom. He ate breakfast with Becca and I for a bit a few days ago and for whatever reason, he was all flustered. He's even cute when he's flustered. Oh Merlin, help me. Today in Potions, I'm going to see if I can get him to work with me. I might chicken out, but if I can get Lily to work with Becca then I'll be the one alone and Becca and Frank usually work together. I'm going to leave her a note right now.

Always,

Alice

Gryffindor

Becca, will you work with Lily today in Potions, I think I'm going to be running late. -A

Gryffindor

Sure Alice, Frank can handle working by himself. -R

Quidditch

Frank is so lucky I love him. I mean, I care for Lily to bits, but I hate working with her in class. This had better not become a permanent arrangement.

-Rebecca

Quidditch

Fantastic, Lily isn't speaking with me since I screwed up out Potion and Frank managed to set his robes on fire somehow. He'll never get Alice that way, unbelievable.

Lily just climbed through the portrait hole. Nope, still not a word, although she did send me a rather vicious glare. Lovely, just smashing. I'm off to the library.

-Rebecca

Quidditch

I'm sitting in the library right now with Sirius and James. They're reading over my shoulder. I told them they wouldn't be able to see any of my previous entries if I didn't want them too, but they didn't believe me. Stupid boys.

They want me to write they don't agree with that last statement of mine.

Would you two stop reading over my should, it's a bit annoying.

Ugh. I'll write more later.

-Rebecca

Acid Pops

Oh my goodness, it worked! I got to work with Frank yesterday in Potions. It was so amazing. My hand actually brushed his when I handed him the pickled newt intestines! How romantic! Then he accidentally caught his robe on fire. I felt so bad for him. I mean, Peter Pettigrew put it out for him right quickly with a stream of water from his wand, but it was still a little scary. Actually, I was pretty surprised that Peter knew how to do that, he mumbled something about his shoes on fire more than once or some other gibberish, but I was just glad that Frank was alright. Rebecca shot Frank such a look when he finished drying off his robe. I wonder what that was all about. He seemed rather sheepish for a while after that, but it really could've happened to anyone... I suppose. But his clumsiness is really rather endearing, in my opinion anyway.

Always,

Alice

Quidditch

Today when we got back from classes there was a notice on the Common Room board for all First Year girls to report to Classroom Eleven for a mandatory meeting with Madame Promfry on Friday after the dinner. Alice and I read it together, but neither of us can figure out what it's all about. All the older girls, even just the Second Years were smiling and laughing at us when we read the message. I really have no idea why. I think I'll ask Lily, Tessa and Mel if they have any idea what this is all about at dinner.

In other news, less that two weeks till my birthday (and Franks too, I suppose, but I have to share just about everything with him, so in my journal, I think I'm going to regard it primarily as my birthday). Although, speaking of Frank, I've got to start his letter. Our mum got us started on that tradition as soon as we were old enough to write, but I think it's a good one. And cheap, which is good since I've rarely got many galleons on me. And, in all honesty, I always like getting my letter from Frank. He always surprises me.

Today I ran into Snape again. It was the first time I saw him while I was alone since... well since that day right before Christmas when Alice, Frank and Peter were in the kitchens. You'd think that after we swelled him up to the size of a small elephant he'd leave me alone, but he followed me all the way to the library like a little puppy dog. I swear, it was the most disturbing thing ever. So I whirled around and looked him right in the eye and said, "Can I help you, Snape?" And I tried to make his name sound as mean as possible and he narrowed his eyes and glared right back at me and said, "You help me? I think not. I merely wished to clear up a misconception. Back before holidays, I only said those things to you as a joke. Lucius and Frederick were watching from nearby, so don't get any ideas, Longbottom." So I glared right back and said, "Then they must've loved seeing one of their own the size of a baby elephant. Whatever happened to those dueling skills you always boast about?" He glared at me and pulled out his wand so fast I could barely blink. "Are you implying something, Longbottom?" He said to me and I pulled out mine. "Only if you are, Snape. I could beat you in a Wizard Duel with my eyes closed backwards." Then he said "Tonight, eleven o'clock by the portrait of Sir Cadogan. Bring a second." Then he stalked off.

Bloody fantastic, Lily's been on me all of this past week for loosing just five points the other day for Gryffindor, now I'm probably going to get caught out of the dormitory in the middle of the night and loose even more points and probably get detention. And so will my second, because I am definitely not going to go duel Snape without a second. I heard last week though that Snape had a falling out with Malfoy, so if that's true, I wonder who he'll get to be his second. Well, I'd best be off. Homework to do, letters to write, seconds to find... this is a fantastic mess. I'll let you know how it went if I come back in one piece. Actually, forget the homework and the letter can wait. I'm going to go find a second and spend the rest of the day in the library researching hexes. Maybe Melissa will do it, she's really fast with a wand, if it comes to that. Oi.

-Rebecca

Acid Pops

Rebecca is up to something and I don't think its good, whatever it is. I saw her and Melissa huddled in the corner of the Common Room a few minutes ago surrounded by books. I'm always a bit worried when Melissa is studying if Lily isn't threatening her with death... maybe she's just reading for fun, but they looked like they were from the library.

There's some strange meeting on Friday, it's making me nervous. I asked one of the Second Years what it was about and she giggled and told me it would spoil the surprise if she told me. What surprise? This isn't going to be good. I can just tell. And somehow, all the boys, even the First Year boys, seem to know what it's about. Why won't they just tell us?? Well, at least it's only two days until the meeting. Tessa just came in, I think I'm going to ask her if she knows.

Always,

Alice