Hollie

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie trudged up to the owlery. Snowie had been gone ages! She knew it would take her a long time to get to England and back, but it was beyond realistic now! Hopefully she'd come back soon.
As soon as she'd arrived she saw a blur of white before the large owl had flown over to her.
"Hey!" she giggled, happily, taking in her beautiful owl's appearance. "Finally got back, have you? Any news?"
As if the owl had heard her, she hooted, and extended a leg on which an envelope was attached. It was so plainly muggle, with an address written on the front. Hollie laughed.
"Cheers!"
She walked over to a ledge, and Snowie hopped down from her arm onto it. Hollie handed the owl a few treats that she kept stored in her pocket before detaching the letter from Snowie's leg and ripping it open eagerly.

My dearest Hollie,

It's so good to here from you! We've all (well, me and Madi) been really anxious about you, so it was a great encouragement to hear that you are settling in well.
No, you're right I'm afraid, I have no idea what you're talking about! But never mind, my dear, tell me in your next letter. What on earth are Gryffindor and Hufflepuff? They're clearly houses, but I'm afraid I have no idea what for!
I'm very glad that your magical friends are friendly; you've no idea how concerned I was that you would feel lonely. Wow, your wand sounds incredibly exciting; when you come home for Christmas (which i very much hope you will!) then you can show me - I'd love to see it.
A hat? My gosh, sounds extraordinary. But so does you method of sending letters - owls, I ask you!
10 galleons? Sounds great, but how does a galleon relate to english money? No, sorry, I mean non-magical money. But english non-magical money, if that makes sense!
I just want to let you know that I always worried about you, even if your mother didn't. Madi is loving school, but she misses you terribly. You probably won't believe me, but Shelby is actually quieter and more subdued since you left. When I told her that you sent your love, she mumbled an 'ok' and went bright red. I think she misses you, though you probably disagree.
I am missing you loads! Promise me you'll write, every day!
I'll try and write as much as I can, considering work is very tight.
Your owl is so beautiful, what is her name? She is a wonderful sight.
Write back soon, and don't forget to explain what galleons and those houses are about!

Love you lots and lots,
God bless

Dad xxxxx


PS you'll be pleased to know that I'm now attending Church. You were the only one who ever did in our family, and something, some presence is definitely missing. Probably you, but when I went to your Church for the first time, some of it came back. I think you're right; there is a God up there. I hope that with Church I can discover Him for myself and become a Christian like you. We'll see.

All my love, sweetheart xx

Hollie re-read it again and again. A warmth was flooding her entire body. Her dad was going to Church! Wow! And she was so glad to hear about Shelby. Perhaps they could build a more sisterly relationship when Hollie went back for Christmas. And Madi was enjoying school.
I miss them so much! she thought, dreamily.

After patting Snowie on the head, she then left with the letter clutched tightly in her hand, and went back to her common room to try and answer it.

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie ran up the stairs to the owlery. She really needed to deliver the message to her father; she hadn't replied in ages!
Finally she got there, and saw Snowie sat as faithfully as ever on one of the many ledges.
"heya, i've got a mission for you!" she said, reaching over and tying the letter to Snowie. She had written the letter in the shelter of her common room.

Dear Dad,

It's great to hear from you, I'm missing you both loads!
Lol... you're correct; slytherin and gryffindor are indeed both houses. There are four in total at HNZ; Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. They each represent the four founders of Hogwarts, and each prize a certain quality. I'll explain all that later though, in the holidays!
Thank you, my friends are awesome, although they've changed a bit. Laura is now probably my best friend; she's awesome. And then there's Harri, who's a second year Gryffindor, and all the gryffindor quidditch team, and Kate... well, loads. You get the idea. Keep Laura in thought though; her parents died about a month ago, poor soul.
Sure, I would love to show you my wand! It is a bit grubby, with fingerprints all over it, but I intend to clean it before coming home.
I'm really really sorry, but I have no idea how english money relates to wizarding money. I would think though that a galleon is similar to a pound/euro/dollar - that kind of thing. A sickle is probably like 50p or something, and a knut like a penny. It's all very confusing still!
I still can't get my head around the fact that Shelby's missing me! It seems unbelievable! I hope Madi's well and please tell lauren that I want a sleepover with her asap once I get home.
My owl is called Snowie, because of her beautiful colour!
I'm sorry I haven't written in ages, I can't wait to see you though!
I'm so pleased to hear about you attending Church - that's fab! Keep it up.
Give my love to everyone, including Muffy.

Love you lots and lots,
God bless,

Hollie xxxxx

PS Don't bother writing back, I'll be seeing you soon and it'll only wear poor Snowie out! xxxx

Hollie stroked Snowie a few times before sending her off; it felt like a bereavement watching her owl fly away from her.
"Don't bother to come back!" she yelled, after Snowie. "I'll see you at home!"
But then again, he probably didn't understand.

 

[Kate Johnson]

Kate was walking up to the owlery to check for some mail when she saw Hollie up there. "Hey Hollie!" She exclaimed, "Have you got any mail?" She asked inquistitably. "Have I got any mail?" She asked. Checking her hole where her tawny owl lived, she sighed. There was no mail. Stroking her owl she turned to Hollie, "What do you think i should call it?" She asked inquistitably.

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie smiled as Kate entered the owlery.
"Hey, Kate," she said, smiling. "Urm... well, no, actually, I don't. I just sent Snowie back home, to deliver a letter to my family." She watched as her friend looked at an owl that could only be her own, and sighed. Then she was asked what Kate should call the owl.
"Urm... well, I dunno. Anything you want, really. Is it a boy or girl?" She was rather alarmed at being given such an honour.

 

[Kate Johnson]

Kate smiled at Hollie, to Kate she seemed very tired. "Um, well i am not sure. I think it may be a girl because it is rather quiet and i was told that girls are quiet." As she was speaking her owl stuck out his leg. A letter was tied to it and she smiled as she took it off. It read,

Dear Kate,

I will be coming back to school tommorow and will meet you in the entrance hall. Please bring a blanket as it will be cold when i arrive and please tell people if at all possible The splattergroit has cleared up with a lot of TLC by my mum!!!!

Lots of love,

See you tommorow,

James
xxxx

P.S Remeber to get me some food!!

Kate smiled and showed it too Hollie as she fed her owl a couple of treats. "he has been away with a bad dose of splattergroit. But he is coming back now!" She explained calmly. She was shattered and felt a little bit queasy.

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie looked at Kate in surprise.
"Oh my gosh, really?" she said, pretty amazed. "I thought the girls seemed noiser! But yeah, your owl does look pretty feminine. I guess the way to tell is if she has any PMSs!" Hollie laughed. "That tends to give you a very good idea!"

She read the letter Kate showed her.
"Ahh, that's too bad. I mean, I've read a little about spattergroit, and it sounds horrible! James is your cousin, right?" She remembered back to how she'd thought James was a real show off. Perhaps he would deflate his head a little once he came back, but then again, fat chance.

 

[Kate Johnson]

Kate nodded patiently, "So what do you think i should call her? Yeh James is my cousin. I am a bit worried that people saw the wrong side of him before. When he was born he had problems and that made him show people who he was not. He is a really nice and caring boy. The splattergroit i think has sorted his problem out. I am not meant to tell people this but i am sure that as my best friend, you won't tell anyone and you will help him make his friends again. Will you?" She looked pleadingly at Hollie.

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie cocked her head to one side and thought. She didn't know if she should be given the honour to name such a beautiful creature.
"I truly have no idea," she admitted, biting her lip. "I guess you could call her tawny, but that's rather naff. What about... Tilly, or Trish? Oh I don't know!" she said, getting agitated. She didn't really want to suggest something Kate didn't like.
She pondered over what Kate said about James.
"A problem? I didn't know such thing existed. Poor kid. I won't tell anyone, I promise. But it'll be hard for me to help him get his friends back, because I wasn't really his closest mate and don't really know the hufflepuffs he hung out with. You're better equipped for the job than me." She said, apologetically. "I would try and help, but I don't really see what I can do." A sudden thought came to her. "Does he know that Bianca's found a new boyfriend? 'Cause he should... or it'll tear him up."

 

[Kate Johnson]

Kate laughed, "Yeh, I will call her Tilly, that is such a great name!! You really rock Hollie!" Kate listened to Hollie talking about James and nodded, "Yeh i know, its really awful. Well maybe you could still be friends with him and then his other mates would follow. He definetly knows about Bianca, he asked me how she was doing. It was a good job he was at home when he found out." She smiled at Hollie and stroked Tilly again.

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie smiled with relief when Kate named her owl Tilly. She tried to look modest as Kate said 'she rocked'.
"Thanks, but I don't think I do," she said, though the smile on her face said the opposite.
"Ok, yeah, I'll try be friends with him, and people will definitely follow. Alright, well I'll try my hardest." She sighed when Kate mentioned Bianca. "Poor soul. Your cousin, I mean. Bianca can't have been in love with him if she did that! Yeah, it was good he was at home and didn't have to be 'dumped', although she practically did that, but gutlessly. I suppose she didn't even write him a letter?"
She continued talking about James, and then heard footsteps.
"And speaking of the man, here he is!" she said, laughing, as the door swung open.

 

[James Hill]

James walked slowly up the steps of the owlery and heard voices as he approached the top. Reconising it as his cousin Kate's voice he carried on up the steps. When he arrived he saw Hollie and Kate talking. He smiled, Kate never had any difficulty making friends, unlike him. He was really sad at the moment and was trying to find Kate to tell her the awful news. He was just feeling really down and needed her to comfort him. After being told that someone had seen her in the owlery he decided to head that way, so after walking around the grounds getting some fresh air he had climbed up. He couldn't make out what the girls were talking about but as he entered he caught Hollie calling him the devil, laughing with her he hugged Kate and stoked her owl which had been the unfortunate thing to have to carry around their messages to each other! "Hey I am not the devil!" He joked as he nodded his head in the direction of Hollie rather than hugging her which he was sure she wouldn't want! "What you guys chatting about?" He asked in a jokey voice. Since he had been very ill he hadn't had it in him to make jokes but suddenely being around these girls he felt uplifted again. Assuring himself that it was just Kate he smiled although that thought didn't settle his awareness of it that was bothering him. Suddenely Kate's owl nibbled at his finger and he leapt away clutching it laughing. Explaining he laughed, "Oh it must have taken a fancy to the 4 full breakfasts i have just had. What i was hungry! Your parents really didn't feed me enough Kate!!" He said in a jokey way.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

Aiden walked up to the owlrey to send a letter to his god sister and cousin, Lily. When he got there he heard people laughing and talking just as Harri and Ellie had. Aiden sighed and walked onward. When he reached the Owlret he saw Kate and Hollie with some boy, he figured he wouldn't interrupt so he started to write a letter.


[Hey James...I was wondering if you could put your posts in paragraphs..its much easier to read, sorry]

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie smiled as Kate's cousin came in, and, remembering what her friend had asked of her, joined in with conversation.

"I never called you the devil!" she protested, indignantly. But with a smile on her face, of course.
Then James asked what they were chatting about. Hollie looked awkwardly at Kate.
"Urm... well, not much, really. Just a bit of this and that..." she looked away hastily. "Actually, we were discussing what name Kate's owl should have. I suggested Tilly, and we both really like it. What do you think?"

Aiden then walked in and Hollie smiled. She hadn't sussed this kid yet.
"Hey Aiden, you ok?" she asked, wanting to make him feel welcome and part of the conversation. After all, he hadn't interrupted anything.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"Oh Hey Hollie, Kate, how are you?" Aiden asked with a little bit of surprise when Hollie was the first one to speak to him. Aiden gave her a kindly smile feeling bad that almost everytime they saw eachother he was mad or had some seemingly bad news.

 

[Kate Johnson]

[ Soz guys! I haven't been on for AGES!!!]

Kate smiled at James. "Well when i go my parents feed me fine! It must be that you have to eat so much all the time! I am not surprised if there isn't any food left!!" She laughed trying not to hurt James' feelings. "Oh, Hey Aiden. How are you?" Gasping she suddenly said, "Oh, sorry! Slip of manners! Aiden this is my cousin James Hill, Hufflepuff 1st year as well! And James this is my new mate Aiden, Griffindor 1st year!" She blushed slightly and let the men meet each other while she peered at James' wound where Tilly had bitten him. "James, i really think that you should get that seen to. It could get infected!" She backed away with her ears going red as she thought that she was interupting to much!!

 

[James Hill]

[ Sure. soz!!! ]



James raised his eyebrows at Hollie. "Oh, i thought you did." He said looking very puzzled.

Changing the subject he replied, "Yeh i do think that is a good name. Bad Tilly. Bad Tilly. If you bite Uncle James again then you will be a Bad Tilly!" He said in a very jokey voice causing even himself to laugh.

Just then someone else joined them. He didn't reconise them so he didn't respond but after Hollie said something and so did Kate he smiled at the boy who was introduced as Aiden. Holding out his hand for Aiden to shake he smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Aiden. How are you?"

He looked down at his hand as Kate spoke to him. "No it will be fine. Do any of you know a spell to stop the blood? I really don't want to go to the hospital wing over a bleeding finger!" He joked.

Sucking it he looked at everyone and then stopped when it seemed to stop. Bringing it out of his mouth he looked at it and sighed as even more blood poured out. "Maybe this is my punishment for never paying attention in lessons!"


Shrugging he sucked it again and brought it out AGAIN to find it still pouring out with blood!

 

[Aiden Mauven]

[Thanks tons...]

Aiden shook the boys hand firmly, perhaps a little to firmly, he never knew his own strength, one of his problems and he said, "Like wise James, I'm good and yourself?"

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie smiled at the turn of events and laughed at James when he spoke to Tilly. He really was a muppet, but in a good way. He had definitely changed from the arrogant kid he used to be.
Hmm... maybe spattergroit was a good remedy for James, she thought, smiling slightly.

"Fine thanks," Hollie said, in reply to Aiden's response. "What brings you here at this time?"

She looked pityingly at James.
"No, sorry, I don't," she said, biting her lip. "I think I've read it somewhere, but I've never used it. I think it's something like 'episky' - but I don't know the method, and that might even be the wrong spell!" She frowned. "Nah, it's not a punishment. We haven't been taught that spell yet, I didn't think."
The flow of blood continued and Hollie's frown deepened; she had never seen something bleed that long, especially a finger.

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"My cousin sent me a letter, and I figured I should write her back." Aiden replied then looked at the boys hand and said, "You probably should go to see Nurse Coodegan(sp?)."

 

[Kate Johnson]

Kate shook her head sighing, James was such a mad but funny thing sometimes.

She frowned at his finger in dispilfe.(sp?)

Agreeing with Aiden she nodded and said, "Yeh i definetly think that should go to the hospital wing even if it is only a bleeding finger."

Thinking about what James had said about it being stupid for a minor accident. "Or i could go and fine out what the spell is in the library. Hang on, i think it is Episky. Why doesn't someone go and ask in the hospital wing."

She thought about it for one minute and then decided, "Yeh, we will go to the hospital wing.??"

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie rolled her eyes at the fuss.
"That's what I just said, Kate!" she said, laughing. "But I don't think we should use episky, just go straight to the hospital wing. Like, now! No hesitation!" She made a gesture towards the door. "Kate, you go with him, seeing as you're his cousin. Owl bites shouldn't be that bad!" She concluded, frowning.

She smiled at Aiden.
"Cool," she said, in response to his statement. "Are you and your cousin close then?"

 

[Aiden Mauven]

"We are pretty close, I haven't seen Flower, I mean Lily, in a little while though," Aiden said forgetting that Lily was her real name, everyone had called her flower as a child and it just caught on.

 

[Kate Johnson]

Kate nodded at Hollie and turned to James, "Come on we had better go. You might be badly hurt or something." She placed her hand on his and turned to drag him out.

 

[James Hill]

James grinned at Hollie and then wipped his hand away as Kate grabbed it. "I can't believe it. My finger is bleeding and you guys are telling me to go to the hospital wing. Get a life!" He sucked his finger again and again and then afer a while the blood stopped. "See, it has all gone! What did i tell you?!" Just as he was saying this the end of the blood came out and he screamed in annoyance in a funny way. Talking to his finger he asked, "Does anyone have a saw. I am going to chop it off. Can anyone help me?" He laughed and then left his finger alone as he listened to the conversation.

 

[Hollie Ridley]

Hollie nodded.
"Awesome," she said, smiling. "Lily - that's a pretty name. Do you call her Flower as a nickname then?" She hadn't missed the slip of the tongue.

She watched as James sucked his finger until it healed. Laughing at his joke about the saw, she shook her head.
"No thanks, that would probably cause more blood than the bite, and I hate blood!"
Her mind quickly flashed back to the day Lauren had gotten hit by a car. There had been blood everywhere. She shuddered at the memory.