The Gryffindor Five: Year 1

Quidditch

Alice just rushed out of here to meet up with Frank for Herbology tutoring. I wonder if he'll ever think to look through her notes and see that all her tests are near perfect. She may well have a higher average than he does in there. I'd add that to my note, but Alice would kill me.

I've been spending all this free time on this note, trying to sum up all the things of the past year and predict our futures. I'm almost done with the present. I rather like predicting the future, it's always my favorite part to read in my letter too. I'll copy down what I'm thinking of writing for his future and maybe I will, since I don't think he ever lets anyone else see his note anyway:

I think that in our seventh year you'll propose to Alice Smith, who will accept with a very happy "It's about time!" and the two of you will get married shortly after we all leave Hogwarts. Alice will work as a herbologist (no doubt thanks to your hard hours of tutoring her during First Year) and you will become an Enforcer, since your actions of late have shown me that you don't like it when other people get picked on (I'm referring to your spectacular attack on Malfoy last week when he dared to insult Alice). Or maybe an Auror, but as of right now, things are pretty calm and Aurors are just glorified Enforcers. Hopeful the Dark Arts will stay calm and Aurors will remain glorified Enforcers, although one never knows. You'll have a whole bunch of kids, the first will be a girl that you will, of course, name after your dearest sister and Alice's dear best friend. Hint, hint. After that... well, name 'em whatever you want. I'm sure you'll be happy and healthy and all that junk.

Of course, there will be more, but I think I will write just that. And elaborate of course.

Speaking of Alice and Frank, I wonder what's going on with Lily and Lupin. They seems to be "friends" as of late. Maybe Madame Pomfrey isn't completely nutters and all those hormones are beginning to kick in. For them. And then of course for Tessa, who was born in some sort of boy crazed state. Mel and I are the only sane ones, I swear. And I bet that's only because she's too thick to notice that Lupin's been smitten with her since pretty near the first day. I wonder what would happen if I just dragged the other four into a room and sat them down and was like: "Alice, Frank is madly in love with you." "Lily, are you after Lupin?" and "Mel, you do realize that Remus is nearly falling over himself whenever your in a twenty foot radius."

That probably wouldn't be wise.

-Rebecca

Hogwarts

Today is Becca's birthday! We wrapped up her Quidditch players but they were walking around in the box so it just kept moving. Tessa and I couldn't stop giggling, some stuff still just seems so strange. We hopped into her bed and woke her up and made her open it. She seemed to really like it. Then she hopped out of bed... I'd bet you anything to run over and wish Frank happy birthday since she grabbed an envelope off her dresser. I just hope she doesn't loose points for going into the boys dormitory so early in the morning.

Remus is back from the Hospital Wing. He told me he's fine and to just leave him alone about it, but I think I'll go look up illnesses in the library when I've got a moment. We sat together for a bit in Charms until we were put in pairs and that was just dreadful. Before Professor Flitwick began the lesson, Remus told me that he'd had a row with Sirius during Transfiguration, which made sense since Remus got yelled at in there. Professor McGonagall even took five points from Gryffindor because of him. Normally, I'd be rather annoyed, but he looked pretty upset over his disagreement with Sirius. By the time he got to Charms, he and Sirius were avoiding each other and James and Peter were avoiding both of them. But then Flitwick put us in pairs and Remus and Sirius got paired up, oh I felt so bad. Diary, if you could've seen the look on Remus's face when Flitwick put them together... it must have been some row. To make matters worse, he paired me with Potter. He's just a horror in that class. I really don't know what his problem is, I'm certainly not a bad partner, and I'm phenomenal at Charms. Actually, maybe that's the problem. He's top in nearly every other class and the ones he's not top in Sirius, Remus or Peter are. So why can't I be best at Charms? Boys. Honestly. This afternoon has just been a disaster. There's no way it could get any worse.

Love from,

Lily

Hogwarts

I was wrong. It's just got so much worse.

Lily

Quidditch

I'm sitting in the Common Room with the rest of the Gryffindor Five and Frank... I'm so scared. Frank isn't even trying to read what I'm writing but none of us are speaking because it just seems so... wrong... to do so. So I'm writing.

Oh Merlin... and this morning was so good, too. It's my birthday and I got my letter and... I did well in all my classes and Frank and I were teamed up together for Charms, which meant that we just got to slack off a whole lot since it was an easy charm...

And then that stupid unbelievable git prat prick bastard of a teacher tries to teach First Years about a Class Five, at least I'm sure, creature, but goes and drops it instead and now there are only eight First Year Gryffindors.

Here I mean. In the Common Room... ohhhhhh. Poor Peter and poor Remus.

And it's our birthday!! This is just too horrible. I give up, I can't even write.

-Rebecca

Acid Pops

We're up in the Astronomy Tower, the lot of us. Oh, today has just been dreadful. Lily led us up here about forty five minutes ago after screaming at a prefect... Lily screamed at a prefect... and we've all been so quiet since Sirius's outburst. I'm sitting with Frank, and he even has his arm around me, but it doesn't even matter at all and I can't stop shaking and crying.

Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were both attacked by acromantula's today. They had to take Peter to St. Mungo's. St. Mungo's! Students don't have to go to the hospital because of lessons. Neither of them are well. James said, on a scale of ten, Peter was a nine. And Remus was a six. That's how unwell they are. Oh my goodness... I just can't believe...

Poor James and Sirius, I don't even know what I'd do if anything happened Rebecca or Lily. Or Cortessa or Melissa for that matter. Oh, it must be horrible.

James wants us to talk about something... I really can't think of anything else at the moment...

Always,

Alice

Quidditch

Remus and Peter are still unconscious. Professor Kettleburn is being examined by the Ministry. Hogwarts is in a bit of an uproar. They kept it really quiet until this morning. I noticed that the Gryffindor hour glass had one hundred more points in it and I couldn't figure out how they'd gotten there until some Fifth Year told me that some First Year had nearly died trying to save his friend and Professor Kettleburn had quietly awarded the points to him after talking to the Ministry last evening. I really didn't know how to respond to that. It could very well be a rumor.

Last evening while we tried to cheer James and Sirius up, and, in all honesty, get our own minds off of what happened, Melissa made a comment that I haven't forgotten, so I need to find out from Alice what on Earth they were talking about.

The Venemous Tentacula tried to beat up Frank today in Herbology, which was pretty amusing.

Well, being twelve sure hasn't been dull so far.

Actually here comes Alice now, I think I'll go ask her.

-Rebecca

Acid Pops

Oh my goodness, I'm going to kill Mel. I had to tell Becca what we were talking about the other night and it was Frank and that I... well, I like him. No point really in lying to a diary. I was so worried she'd be very mad, but she just walked away shaking her head mumbling about both of us being nutters or something. I can deal with that. As long as she doesn't tell him... I'm so sure he doesn't like me.

I asked James Potter how Remus is doing while we were in herbology. He said that he's still unconscious and he doesn't know anything more about Peter either. He looked so sad I just wanted to give him a big hug. Both he and Sirius Black seemed rather happy that Professor Kettleburn was being investigated, but clearly it was an accident. I mean, Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone dangerous. It's not like he's a giant or something. Now they're vicious... but that doesn't apply much to the current situation.

Always,

Alice

Gryffindor

Nothings new, just checking messages. -L

Hogwarts

Several Ravenclaws are trying to starts a school newspaper. Mel's just gone mad over the idea and told Trixie McGonagall during Transfiguration that it almost made her wish she was a Ravenclaw. So at dinner Mary Ollivander and Josephine MacDonald came over and said that one of the Ravenclaws was going to be editor in chief, but they'd decided to open all other positions to people in other houses to apply for also. I thought Melissa was going to fall over when Mary said that they'd discussed it with the current people involved and they all thought Mel might be the person to keep Hogwarts up to date with what's going on outside. She just jumped at the offer, but what really surprised me was when they asked if every once in a while I might like to contribute an article about various Charms. Josephine said that the Charms editor (apparently there will be a regular article about a different charm each edition) asked Flitwick who he would advise he asked and Flitwick recommended me very highly! And I was the only First Year he recommended at all. Apparently Otto Bagman is going to head the column. They're thinking of asking his older, Ludovic (whom I've always thought was a bit of an airhead) to work on the sports column. I asked them to pass on Rebecca's name if he needs any help. I think he's on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team... anyway, I think it should be an interesting endeavor. Mel's already run off to the dormitory to start her first column. Odd to see her so focused on something that won't result in detentions, lost House points or demerits of any sort.

Love from,

Lily

Acid Pops

That's it, I agree with Tessa about Melissa. We need to teach her some ladylike qualities. When I said that to Becca, she nearly gagged, but she wasn't in the library with us!

Today Mel, Tessa and I went to go work on our homework in the library. Well Tessa and I worked, Mel worked on some column about the American McCarthism Era or something and how its early stages resembled something going on in the Ministry... I'm not really sure, it was dreadfully boring to me, but Robert Cage from Ravenclaw came over and talked with her about it for a bit. He seemed to find it interesting, so perhaps it's just me.

Anyway, after he walked away we all went back to what we were doing and Mel was mumbling under her breath in that weird way she does when she's actually serious about writing or studying something (which is a rare occasion), when Bellatrix Black and Isabella Zark, both from Slytherin came in.

At first Melissa didn't even notice them, but both of them walked over to a stack of books right behind where we were and started bad mouthing Gryffindors and Muggle borns and just about everything decent. Well, we all ignored them at first, which wasn't hard. Tessa can get very riled up, but even she seemed to think it best to just try and ignore those two prats. Melissa is just as cool as a cucumber most of the time anyway and I just tried to work on my project. This worked well until Black and Zark walked out into plain view where we could see them and suddenly Bellatrix started reliving the duel from the other night, not most of it, which would've just proven that she was an abysmal duel, but Mel's reaction when she... when she'd put the Cruciatus Curse on her. She even told Zark that she'd imitate her scream, but Madame Pince would probably kick her out of the library.

Now, like I said, Melissa is really hard to bother, so I figured she'd just ignore it, but quick as lightening, Melissa was up across the room and had shoved Bellatrix up against the shelf of books. She had her arm pressed up against Black's neck and was cutting off her air supply and had her wand pointed at Bellatrix's forehead. Tessa and I had no idea what to do. Then she leaned over and started whispering to Black, who slowly got paler and paler until, out of nowhere, Sirius Black shows up and pulls Mel off of Bellatrix, who made a foul comment and stalked off with Isabella.

And oh Merlin, when Mel turned around she even looked scary to me. Her jaw as set and her lips were so narrow you could barely see them and there was something in her eyes... she looked like a full fledged witch out to kill or something. It was just horrible. She grabbed her stuff and walked out of the library with Sirius chasing after her wanting to know why she tried to kill his cousin, not that he minded much, but he'd rather like to know... something along those lines.

Sometimes Mel scares me, for someone who wasn't even raised in a magical family... she's learned a lot very quickly. I'd definitely never want to duel with her.

Tessa reckons we should go check on her. I agree.

Always,

Alice

Hogwarts

Oh, if that James Potter didn't have two very sick best friends, I swear I'd kill him! Why does he have to pull my pigtails every chance he gets? Oh I hate him sometimes. He dipped the tips of my hair into his ink bottle today in Defense Against the Dark Arts, my robes were soaked in ink and my hair has blue tips! Argh! I hate that boy, I really do. I'd avoid him completely if it wasn't for Remus, speaking of whom, I think I'll go visit him.

Love from,

Lily

Quidditch

Oh man, I think that duel may have started something really not good. Mel and that Black hag got into some sort of dispute in the library. She stalked into the library and sat down on the couch next to me and pulled out some book and hissed, "I hate that hag." And I had no idea who she was talking about until Sirius came barging in and sat down across from us on the table and asked "What was that all about?" And then Mel stalked off up into the dorms and Sirius told me what happened in the library. I just played stupid and then followed Melissa up here. She's sitting on her bed reading some book about advanced curses and counter curses, which is a really scary concept as she already knows more hexes and curses than all the Slytherins put together.

Stupid old Bellatrix she makes Melissa act... not like Melissa. Thank goodness tomorrow is Saturday, maybe I can get Frank to come and sign out a school broom to practice Quidditch for a bit in the morning.

-Rebecca

Quidditch

Remus is awake! And he's going to be fine! Lily stopped into the Infirmary this morning for something and when she got back into the Common Room, she ran up to tell James and Sirius but they were gone, so she grabbed me, Frank, and Mel and we all rushed off to visit with him.

Frank decided to be a regular old ham and imitated all of us up in the Astronomy Tower talking about the boys. Remus seemed amused and towards the end of his tirade, James and Sirius came rushing in. They both looked so happy and began apologizing about not being there when he woke up. How ridiculous, the only reason we were there was because Lily happened to be in the Hospital Wing.... what on Earth was she doing there? I'll have to ask her later. But we could all tell that the Marauder's could use some time to themselves, so the three of girls went off to meet Alice and Tessa in the library.

I still think there may be something going on between Remus and Lily. But that's neither here nor there. And Frank joined us a little later in the library, I'm pretty sure he was going to come and sit with us, but Rob Davis and Peter Neder from Hufflepuff called him over to work with them. He kept staring over at Alice the entire time though. They're both mad. Really.

-Rebecca

Hogwarts

Oh diary, today has been wonderful and horrible. Remus is awake! Oh goodness, that just makes absolutely everything tolerable. I've missed him so much. It's so different having a friend who's a boy, they're so sensible when girls go all emotional and I've missed talking to him so much.

I think Becca is suspicious as to why I was in the Hospital Wing when Remus woke up and I know I should tell her... well both of them, especially Alice since she seemed to feel all alone, and she might even be able to help, since she's already been through this a few times, but... it's just so embarrassing. And Madame Pomfrey made me send an owl home to my mum. And then she just gushed about becoming a woman and how we all grow up so fast around here and I just wanted to melt into the floor. Or curl up in a little ball, holding my stomach and crying, because what they ever so conveniently forget to tell you is that "becoming a woman" hurts! And they tell you it doesn't. Bull. Complete and total bull. Madame Pomfrey said they're just cramps and gave me a potion that really did help a lot, but it's just been a dreadfully trying day. I'm going to have to learn how to brew that potion because I don't want to have to go announce it to her every month. Every month... oh this is just dreadful. Alice was spot on, I'd just rather never have children than endure this. And I still don't see at all how they're connected.

We were all studying for a bit in the library but the potion started to wear off and I just wanted to sleep, so I told them all I was tired and made my way back here to the dormitory. James was playing Exploding Snap with a Second Year, Doris Crockford, I think, and the blasted thing went off when I walked by and I've just got such a headache... well, I'm afraid I was rather short with him for no real good reason. I should apologize. Perhaps later, I really just want to take a nap now. When Alice gets back I'll ask her if she knows how to brew that potion.

Love from,

Lily

Acid Pops

Poor Lily, she's ill or something, asleep in the middle of the afternoon when there's still work to do... I hope she's not dying. Just kidding, really, but Lily never leaves homework to the last minute. Even when Nackle poisoned her a few weeks ago to test antidotes and Malfoy screwed his up on purpose and she had to drink it and she spent two days in the Hospital Wing, she somehow managed to get all her work done. Oh, she's stirring, I'm going to go check on her. Be back in a moment, diary.

-

Oh my, really poor Lily. Well, as it does happen, I do know how to brew that potion, so I'd best get to it for her. I'll teach her how to do it herself when she's feeling more human. Although, as much as I hate to condemn anyone to this torture, it is nice to not be the only one going through it anymore.

Always,

Alice

Quidditch

How odd is this? I never want to do anything girly, and Alice and Lily have both thoroughly convinced me that there really is nothing friendly about this "friend" but... I feel rather left out. I'm sure as soon as I'm afflicted I'll look back on this and want to knock myself on the head, but... oh how stupid.

I'm going to go out and play Quidditch with Frank, Sirius and James said they wanted to come along too. James is actually trying to talk Tessa and Melissa into coming. If he succeeds I'll eat one of the school brooms. Tessa hates Flying lessons, she thinks they mess up her hair and, although Melissa, unlike Lily, will never admit it, I suspect she's scared of height also, which is an absolute shame. She was explaining football to us and she sounds as though she'd make a smashing Keeper... if Quidditch were on the ground. Which it's not. So never mind all that. Well, I'm off.

-Rebecca

Quidditch

James was complaining about Lily on the way out to the equipment shed. He wanted to know what her problem was. For some reason I just couldn't stop laughing. I'd never stopped to think of all the crazy things the boys have to deal with when we're in a snit. Of course, I didn't tell him. Lily would skin me alive... she probably actually knows a spell to do that, and if she doesn't Mel does, so... I just feigned ignorance.

Anyway, the boys did get Mel and Tessa to come out but neither of them played, they sat in the stands talking. I have no idea what, but Mel refereed a bit for us whenever we needed it, she seems to understand the rules well enough. And I was wrong, she did admit that she doesn't like height. When Sirius started pestering her to go get a broom and referee from the air she just flat out told him, "I've got far more spectacular plans for my own demise than falling fifty feet from a broom, thank you very much. I am not a fan of heights." Tessa laughed at her but Sirius just shrugged and said she'd better not mess up the calls from the ground then.

The two of them were very giggly on the way back in (James and Sirius beat Frank and I... oh the shame of it all). So I felt left out of being a girl again, I mean, Mel is just about never all giggly. Oh, I bet both of them have got it too, and I'm the only one who's still just a little girl. This is unbelievable. I need to go do... something. Alice is setting up a chess set, I think I'll go ask her to play winner. Who is she... oh... Frank. Well, never mind that idea then. Fine, fine. I'll just go to the library. Silly little Rebecca will just go study. Fine. And those two are still giggling in the corner and I swear they just looked over at James and Sirius sitting in the other corner studying. Oh Merlin, they've pulled Melissa to the dark side. I give up.

-Rebecca