Closed Exchanging Experiences

[Ivy Ashworth]

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[Daithi Dawley]

Daithi had found out about the penpal project between the other schools, and had immediately signed up. He didn’t know who the person he had been paired with was, just that they were at Hogwarts New Zealand. That was so cool! He knew that he would’ve liked to go there but he wasn’t. The young beauxbatons boy knew it would be good to just have someone to speak to in English. He didn’t have that many so far and he knew that his roommates were talking about him behind his back. He couldn’t understand a lot of it, but enough to know that they were being very nice towards him. He on the other hand was trying his best with them, and always greeting them warmly. He had been in the dorm when he’d taken the time to write the first letter to his new pen-pal.​

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Dear Pen-pal,​

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I was told that I needed to first introduce myself , so that is definitely a good place to start.​

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Hi! Hey! I’m Daithi Dawley, I’m a first year at beauxbatons school of magic. I think you can probably gather from my name i'm not french, I’m Irish! I’ve been told that you are at Hogwarts New Zealand, that must be so cool! What house are you in? I was almost sent to Hogwarts New Zealand, but my step dad insisted that I go to Beauxbatons. What is Hogwarts like? Is it nice? Is it a castle or is it a palace?​

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Beauxbatons is a palace in the south of France. It’s in a very beautiful location and the school itself is very grand. Not grand as in good but grand as in GRAND.​

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How are your first days at school going? Do you have a favourite class yet? I’m sorry for all the questions, I’m just so excited to be able to write and learn about someone in a completely different school from me. It’s neat as right!​

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Hoping you’ll write back soon.​

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Daithi​

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[Ivy Ashworth]

Ivy had been eager and excited to go to Hogwarts, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious about other schools. so the pen pal project was perfect, and Ivy had been very excited to get her first lesson. She had managed to finish her homework and extra studying before she started on a reply. But she made herself comfortable in the Gryffindor common room to reply to the letter she had received.

Dear Pen-pal Daithi,

I'm glad you introduced yourself, it's nice to meet you! My name is Ivy Ashworth and I am also a first year at Hogwarts in New Zealand. I'm in Gryffindor, do you know much about the houses? Too bad you didn't go to this school, it would have been nice to meet you in real life. but then you couldn't be my pen-pal, I suppose. Hogwarts is a castle, not a palace. It's really cool and has a lot of hidden corridors and shortcuts. The Gryffindor common room is up in one of the towers, and its very red and cozy.

My first days are great. I'm learning a lot. My favorite class is Charms, but I also like all the other classes. I just want to learn everything. What about you? It is very neat. Do you have Charms as well?

Hope the owl finds you well,

Ivy

 

[Daithi Dawley]

Daithi had been eagerly awaiting to hear back from his penpal. He had started his semester well enough, french was hard, and his essays were pretty poor but he was managing and things were slowly getting easier. He still would’ve much rather go to a Hogwarts, any Hogwarts but he could live that through his penpal. So, when the letter arrived Daithi was overjoyed. It was someone called Ivy, who seemed nice enough by her letter. Daithi did have to wait a little bit before being able to reply, but he did at the moment he could and sent a letter back. ​

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Hi Ivy!​

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It’s so nice to “meet” you! Ivy’s a nice name too. Do you like it? ​

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I know a little, both my parents went to the Hogwarts in Scotland, my mother was a Slytherin and my dad was a Gryffindor. I think I would’ve been a hufflepuff if I’d gone and that would’ve suited me perfectly! I always thought that hard work was something I could do. I’m not overly studious but you know, I’ll work hard. ​

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It would be cool to go to another magical school, you know, even to just compare. Beauxbatons is so grand and regal, which is always a little jarring when stuffing your face with toast and marmalade, I always think my pinky should be in the air when I eat or drink, so if I was to go somewhere else, I wonder if I’d feel the same. Hows breakfast for you?​

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I don’t think Beauxbatons has any hidden corridors, but that would so cool! Do you not get lost? I’ve always liked red as a colour, but I like yellow better. The blue’s of Beauxbatons are very light. They feel a little cold? ​

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I like Potions most, I like them because you make something, I’ve always liked making things and that’s a class where I get to do that. I do have charms but it’s less interesting to me, spell casting is just spell casting, you know? ​

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Halloween is almost here for us, I think we just get a dinner, does Hogwarts have a feast?​

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What other things does Hogwarts have?​

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Study hard! Speak to you soon!​

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Daithi​

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[Ivy Ashworth]

Because Ivy wasn't making friends at Hogwarts as quickly as she had assumed she would, she was happy that she had her pen pal to talk to. It was also just very interesting to hear about Beauxbatons, though Ivy was certain that Hogwarts was the best school out there.

Hi Daithi,

No one has ever asked me if I like my name before, but I do. I like it better than my middle name, which is Valentina. That's a stupid name, honestly. It's cool that your dad was a Gryffindor, though Slythern is nice too. I'm sure you could have made either of those houses instead of Hufflepuff, if you came here. I work hard too, and I'm in Gryffindor. My mother actually went to Beauxbatons, but I don't know a lot about it. Regal sunds a little boring, I'm glad you're making it more lively by stuffing your face with marmalade toast. Do you want to be a Hufflepuff just because you like yellow? Gryffindor has gold as a secondary color, which is basically yellow but better.

I like potions too, it is very interesting so far. But we have only learned about ingredients in our first year. Have you really already made potions? I don't get why spell casting isn't exciting to you, though! It's the best! It is the whole point of having magic. Potions are good too, but spells are faster and often more powerful.

Hogwarts does have a feast, but its more of a party really. I went and it was pretty cool. There was a tent which was basically a spooky funhouse. I went dressed as a hippie, did you dress up for your feast?

Hogwarts has a lake and a forest that is forbidden on the grounds, as well as very confusing dungeons where its easy to get lost in.

Does Beauxbatons have anything like that?

Ivy

 

[Daithi Dawley]

Daithi enjoyed having someone else to talk to, he had formed a few friendships but it just hadn’t been in the way he’d hoped, of course he he had known it would be more difficult, though Elsie had called his french pretty good, he knew he was slow at it and this was something that people didn’t like, that turned them off and it was affecting things, so he was really happy when he got a new letter from his penpal. He had planned to reply to it straight away but had gotten a little wrapped up in his homework to be able to. Daithi eventually remembered to reply.​

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Hi Ivy!​

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Valentina is nice! Why don’t you like it? My middle name is Mai, so I’m Daithi Mai Dawley. It’s a good name I think, it’s certainly in my mind pretty good name. I’ve got most people here calling me Dai, since that’s a little easier to pronounce than Daithi.​

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I think I’d make an okay gryffindor - not a slytherin - but I always though hufflepuff sounded the best for me. Before school I spent most of my time taking apart muggle things and then rebuilding them, i just like working with my hands. Your mother went here? That’s cool! Why didn’t you come to Beauxbatons like her?​

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I make sure to stuff my face with marmalade toast until someone tells me to stop being gross! But I think everything that Beauxbatons does is regal, apparently for their christmas meal they had ice sculptures that sing. Which seems INSANE. I had hoped to be able to go home for Christmas, but i’m thinking I’ll just stay at school this year. Will you head home for christmas?​

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We’ve made one potion so far, but it was supervised, like super-supervised. It wasn’t too hard and I hope we get to do more because potion making is fun! I just like making stuff and potions is that, magic is so simple - though of course I do love being able to have magic.​

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Wow! That sounds really fun. We didn’t have as big a celebration and I did dress up but I was one of the few too, Hallowe’en is a big celebration back home, but this was just quite polite. I went as a demon! It was fun though - not what I expected but fun.​

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We’ve plenty grounds - no forbidden forest. I’m just happy it’s almost winter, can’t stand hot weather, just makes me feel like laying on cold stones all day.​

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New Zealand will be heading into summer right? That’s so wild. Do you like summer?​

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Your friend​

Daithi​

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[Ivy Ashworth]

After Ivy had finished her homework, she stayed behind in the library and grabbed the latest letter from Daithi our of her bag. She read over it again, smiling a little. Then she started writing a response. She was happy that she had replied to the pen pal thing, it was nice to have a friend she could talk to when she had some time. She spread out the parchment and started to write.

Hi Daithi,

I don't know about my middle name, but thanks for saying you think its nice. It just sounds so formal and boring to me. It's a name from my mother's family. If you have people call you Dai and your middle name is Mai, does that mean you're Dai Mai? Haha.

I bet you would be in Gryffindor with me. Hufflepuff is okay, but none of the kids in that house really stand out. If you want to accomplish something great, I think Hufflepuff isn't really the right house for that. I didn't come to Beauxbatons because I live here in New Zealand, and my dad decided my schooling.

Even if someone tells you to stop being gross, just keep going. Be a rebel! Or you'll really be a Hufflepuff. Kidding! Singing sculptures sound kind of creepy, but I do wonder what sort of spells are used for that. Do you know? Is there anyone you can ask? I don't know what they do here, but I definitely don't think ice sculptures are involved. I heard there is a ball, at least. My mother already sent me a dress. And yes, I'm heading home. Aren't you? I need to show off everything I learned at school, of course!

I'm so jealous that you made a potion already. I don't think we're actually brewing anything this year, which is so unfair. I know not everyone would be mature enough to handle it, but surely some of us can prove ourselves. It's really been too easy so far. I prefer Charms, at least there we're actually using spells.

Sorry that Halloween didn't have a big celebration, but maybe its a good thing. Imagine if they attempted to have singing jack-o-lanterns or something? Too creepy. And yes, it is almost summer here. I love summer, and I'm very excited that its finally getting warm enough to have some adventures outside. After I've finished my homework of course. But a snowball fight would be cool too, so maybe that's something you can do over there in France!

Please give me an update on the Christmas celebrations, I want every strange detail. I'll try to do the same.

Your friend,

Ivy