The snow has finally melted (hitting many owls as it fell off the owlery) and our courses have picked up their pace to the point where even Dian is avoiding getting into too much trouble! In Charms we have a constant journal which I’ve been updating every few days. Herbology has seen an increase in homework as we begin learning about more dangerous plants. Transfiguration has veered away from the theoretical side of things, and taken on a nice practical side. Although when I say nice, I should really be saying “Incredibly Complicated!”. Professor Balog dozed off whilst teaching our class the other day and Dian got detention for turning his hair green whilst he was asleep! Potions saw us given the opportunity to brew a Wiggenweld Potion. Professor Nivera said mine had a perfect green hue but had to run and help Quinn Thanatos after his cauldron melted along the floor and turned the stones into mice! I’ve never seen Beckii Smith from Hufflepuff so frightened before! Professor Mae had to take care of some urgent business at the Ministry of Magic and so the Headmaster decided that we could all be exempt from Defence Against the Dark Arts for now! (But not before I learnt a couple of nifty spells!). Astronomy saw a big change too after our first professor was dismissed. I heard a rumour from Aldana Suasnabar that Professor Balog hexed him and made him jump off the Astronomy Tower, where he was then eaten by a dragon! I don’t think this is entirely true though, as I haven’t seen or heard any dragons yet!

With the Easter break swiftly approaching, tensions have been mounting between students. Sam Phillips and Joshua McSweeney both received detention after they had a fist-fight in the Transfiguration courtyard. I’ve never seen Professor Mae move so quickly! They’d barely each landed a fist on each others face before she came sweeping in swirling her wand causing them to fly back from each other. She then proceeded to lead them off to the Headmaster’s office whilst half the school stared on. A week after this, Abi Taylor had to leave Potions after she got stressed out and added to much Powdered Fig into her potion, causing her eyebrows to burn off and her tear ducts to over-react! Finally, just last week, Draconus Nex from Slytherin was sent to the Hospital Wing after he was thrown from his broom during Quidditch Practice! It has certainly changed the mood around the school and most of the first year is banned from the library for being too rambunctious! But with midterms swiftly approaching (and my Transfiguration and Potions Practicals looming on the horizon) we all found an abandoned classroom on the seventh floor, in which we practice and do our homework.

I awoke early this morning and seeing as it’s a Saturday, decided to head up to the Seventh floor and begin my studies early! My Transfiguration MidTerm is only two days away at 9:00am on Monday morning for the Theoretical, and then 11:00am for the Practical! After this I have Potions at 2:00pm and then it’s practical component from 4:00pm to 8:15pm! I daresay that Easter next weekend will be a welcome break! As I walked into the classroom, rubbing sleep from my eyes, I was pleasantly surprised to see 3 or 4 of my fellow students already here. Sam and Charelle were seated in the front far corner, working on their Charms homework, causing objects to Levitate. A few seats behind them sat Arno Plas who had his cauldron out and was attempting to make the “Cure for Boils” potion. Closest to the door however was Shweta Night, who had fallen asleep in the middle of reading her History of Magic textbook. The others greeted me as I walked in and I went and placed my bag on a desk before pulling out my copy of “Alterations to Altercations: The Transfigurative Guide” so that I could work on my Transfiguration homework. For the next few hours I worked away, Transfiguring objects around me and changing them back (and stopping to help Arno after his potion shot at the ceiling). I scooped my belongings into my bag and headed to the Great Hall where I found Anne, Quinn and a new girl Luna Carter all eating  whilst Melissa was quizzing Marilyn Huang and Cosy Malfoy. I sat down between them and pulled a plate of hash browns towards me as I watched the quizzing.

“Next Question” Melissa began, holding a magnificent volume of the Transfiguration textbook in her hands, “In what ways does Fera Verto differ from the other spells?”

“It’s the opposite kind of magic!” Cosy called out, “It turns animate to inanimate as opposed to the other way around”

“Correct!” Melissa responded, making a mark on a tally chart sitting on the table in front of her.

I chuckled and turned my attention to others who were huddled together whispering. Unbeknownst to Quinn, his tie was sitting in his cereal bowl and I tried to make it known but he was too warped in the conversation.

“I heard” Anne was saying, “That Rosie Woolgar got eaten by an Acromantula out in the Forest last week and that’s why she hasn’t been at class!”

“No, that’s not true!” Luna retorted, “Shweta Night was eaten by the Acromantula, Rosie got carried away by Doxies!”

“You’re both wrong” Quinn said, as he leant back, his tie finally coming out of the bowl, “It was Professor Nivera who got eaten by the Acromantula, and they say she broke her way out with her bare hands! Shweta Night was then carried away by the Doxies and Rosie was transfigured into a pocket watch by Mr Ollivander because she decided to open up a wand store in Hogsmeade and he didn’t want competition!”

I chuckled at the silly rumours they were making. I’d seen Professor Nivera and Rosie both this morning. They, along with Ashton Hott, Beckii Smith and Holly Higgins had been down to the forest to collect potions supplies. As for Shweta Night, she was spending a lot of time in the dungeons working on her potioneering. I packed up my bag and headed back out into the Entrance Hall. On the far side, Professor Merila and Professor Quilmane were emerging from the staff room chatting to each other and carrying mugs of coffee. Dian was coming down the staircase and I walked over to greet her. But even before I could greet her, she was talking,

“I can’t believe it!” She cried, flailing a blue piece of parchment, “Library Clean-Up in the holidays, as part of my detention from Professor Afolayan!”

“That’s unfortunate for you” I responded, trying to hold back a chuckle.

“All I did was put bubotuber pus on the eyepiece of her telescope!” She cried out, “And of course one of the Gryffindor tattletails decides to tell her so that she explodes into a fit of rage at me”

“Be careful I don’t explode again then” Said a voice from behind her and we both watched as Professor Afolayan walked down the stairs, gave Dian a stern look and proceeded into the Great Hall. Dian sighed angrily and turned on her heel.

“I’m going to Professor Darkstorm about this” she cried as she walked away. She threw her hand up waving goodbye as she walked back up the stairwell. I turned and walked out the main entrance to where Charelle Bryant was standing with her wand drawn facing a group of Slytherins who were picking on another Ravenclaw student.

“Leave her alone!” Charelle was saying to them as I hurried over.

“Oh look Stephens” One of the Slytherin Girls was saying, “The pigeon wants to play”

“Pigeons eat worms” Charelle spat back, “Just as Eagles eat Snakes!”

The Slytherin girl pulled out her wand and pointed it at Charelle, her face twisted into an angry sneer as the girls glared at each other.

“Well let’s see if this worm can beat the pigeon!” She yelled, before she spun around and sent a jet of yellow light flying from her wand at Charelle. Charelle gave a little cry and ducked down as the light soared over her head and crashed into a bench cracking it in half. She jumped back to her feet and pointed her wand at the girl.

“Verdimillious!” Charelle cried, causing bright green sparks to fly from her wand and crash into the Slytherin girl. Shocked, she stumbled backwards and tripped over her shoe laces crashing into the ground. She sat there stunned and glared at Charelle.

“You’ll pay for that!” She screamed, pointing her wand at Charelle from the ground. Suddenly for some unknown reason, I pulled out my own wand and turned to the dragon fountain next to me.

“Draconifors!” I cried, as I pulled my wand upwards from my knees. A low rumbling came from my wand and a jet of orange light spiralled out of my wand and swirled around the fountain. Frightened by what was happening, the Slytherin’s all leapt to their feet and ran off just as the magic fizzled and dissipated. Charelle pocketed her wand and dashed over to help the Ravenclaw girl up. Her robes were slightly torn and there was a cut on her knee.

“Are you okay?” Charelle enquired as she dusted off the girls robes.

“I’m fine thanks to you guys!” She responded, her voice slightly croaky, “If it wasn’t for you, I dread to think what would have happened”

Charelle was just adjusting her robes when through the silence a voice called out,

“Miss Bryant, come with me!”

We all turned and saw Professor Balog standing there with the Slytherin girl. She had obviously made herself cry and Professor Balog looked very angry.

Charelle quietly stumbled over and followed the Professor back into the castle.

Until next time, A very concerned friend,

Genevieve Greenburg.