Hannah Abbott

Anne Cadwallader's cat had a litter, and they're old enough to leave their mother now, and so now I have the most darling little grey cat with white socks. I love her so much. She's very active, always batting balls of crumpled parchment around and stalking the dangling tassles of the bed curtains and pouncing on Megan's slippers when we get up in the morning (those pompoms on the slippers are just irresistable). But she's also happy to be a lap kitty when she collapses, worn out from all the play. There's nothing as cosy as a purring kitten on your lap when you're doing revising. I've put out a little basket on top of my trunk for her, but she prefers to sleep right at the foot of my bed.

I'm still trying to decide on a name for her. My roommates all like her, which is a relief. Eloise grumbles that we'll all get cat hairs over everything, but she snuck up a saucer of milk for her last night, so I know she doesn't mind too much.

Who can think about schoolwork this week? (Sorry, but it's true. I did do my essay for Potions class for tomorrow, but I'm afraid I wrote a LOT larger than I usually do, to make it come out to the right number inches.) Besides the extra rehearsals, some of us are busy getting costumes ready, which turned out to be a much bigger job than I think we all realised it would be. Well, perhaps it's because I think Karoline Moon started with a simpler vision of what the costumes would be like at first, but as the play has developed we've gotten rather ambitious! We want it all to look as life-like and realistic as possible, especially since we're depicting so many real life people.

Some of those charms we learned about in the Sisters of the Protectorate (about altering clothing and so on) certainly are turning out useful. I think I really have the hang of dying charms now, since Megan and I had to fiddle so long to get that rich purple colour of the robes exactly right. It started out more like a burgundy, and then it was lavender and then fuschia, and Megan was almost screaming with frustration before we were done, but they all look perfect now.

(Can you BELIEVE that some people still don't quite know all their lines? I won't mention any names, but they'd better buckle down and LEARN THEM! The big day is Saturday!)

Everyone is ever so cross and tired of winter. Even the play rehearsals seem like a tiresome slog (sorry Moon and Clearwater, but it's true). I keep lingering behind in the greenhouses after Herbology class, because it's such a relief to see something live and green, even if it's just Venomous Tentacula or fretful baby Mandrakes. I actually used one of my free periods this week to help Professor Sprout set out seedlings, just because I'm so sick of bare earth and mud and wanted to do something to help the flowers come faster.

Susan and Megan, anyone up for Exploding Snap? Eloise isn't interested.

Sue and Megan, after you left for breakfast, I found Eloise crying in the loo. She'd tried a potion for her spots, but she must have done the formula wrong somehow, and oh, her face is such a mess! It's sloughed her skin off entirely in polka dots and it's oozing this icky purple--well, take my word for it. It's awful. She's crying so hard but she's afraid to be seen, and it's going to take awhile to calm her down and get her to the hospital wing.

Megan, could you please put wrap some toast and maybe some sausage in a napkin and sneak it into your bookbag for me and bring it to me before Divination?

We'll all have to be especially nice to her tonight.

I could just hex whoever did those lists.

Happy birthday, Ernie! All your housemates wish you very happy returns of the day.

Well, I was going to say we're here in New London, but of course, I live here anyway. When I'm not at school, I mean. But I mean we're here for our turn at the YPL week. It's wonderful to see my roommates again.

They're not having us room together, though. Just like last year's camping trip, they're shuffling people around so we're not going to be sharing rooms with our roommates from our own House. I've been put with Katrina Bundy and Mandy Brocklehurst. Our suite at the Horseguards in Whitehall is ever so posh! After we had put our things away, we went to see the inspection of the guard, which is held every day at 4:00. They explained that the muggle queen Victoria once came to the gate but none of the guards were there as they were supposed to be because they were all drunk! (Which just goes to show you how undependable Muggles are, I suppose). So she ordered that the guard hold an inspection at 4:00 every day for the next 100 years. Well, the hundred years has come and gone, and of course we don't have kings or queens anymore, but the guard still holds their inspection at 4:00 every day, except that now it's to honour the Lord Protector instead. And of course, since the Lord Protector is charged with protecting the Realm, and all His citizens, it's symbolic to continue the tradition, do you see? It was ever so impressive to see the ceremony and to think that it has been done exactly that way for years and years! Su Li said that it must be very difficult for the guards to wear those uniforms in the summer heat, but they stood straight and still as anything, and you couldn't tell at all that they felt the least bit uncomfortable.

We had a lovely welcoming Feast, quite as nice as the Welcome Feast at Hogwarts, and we were supposed to have a walk along the Thames to see the fairylights, but unfortunately, it's raining rather hard, a perfect downpour. So we're staying inside instead, which is a bit of a disappointment, but Professor Sinistra is telling us about all the treats we have in store this week. And of course, we've read everything that the last group had to say in their journals. We're all so excited!

They're telling us lights out now because we have a big day tomorrow, so I'll close for now.

There's an extra early edition of the paper this morning! Did everyone see?

Sirius Black has been CAPTURED!

Well, I just met the famous Moaning Myrtle. She was alright. But she was crying most of the time and when she wasn't crying she was yelling at me for disturbing her peace. Weird.

I know you lot are going to ask me a lot of questions, but please don't. Yes, I was sitting right next to Wayne, but I didn't really hear what he said to Professor Carrow, because I was digging in my book bag. And then suddenly, Wayne was down on the floor. He was jerking, and when I looked into his eyes--he was looking right up at me, it was . . .

He was making these choking sounds. I can still hear them.

And then Professor Carrow stopped. And he just continued with the lesson, like nothing had happened. Megan was crying. I was too scared to even cry. Wayne's nose was bleeding, but he just lay there on the floor. Nobody knew what to do. The Professor asked a question--don't even remember what it was. Nobody said anything. The Professor looked around, and he didn't even get angry that no one was trying answer. He was just smiling.

And then the bell rang, and Ernie helped Wayne up off the floor. And we all filed out. Just like every other class.

Hey guess what! I got the Weird Sisters' latest: "Fire Inside the Dragon."  Susan didn't want me to put my Weird Sisters poster up, but Eloise totally loves the Weird Sisters, too, and so us two persuaded Susan to let us put it up between our two beds.  (Megan didn't really care, because she collects Quidditch posters instead.)  The room is starting to feel like home now. 

I want a familiar--maybe a cat.  Then I could have cat hair on my bedspread, like Eloise does.