Frankie sent me the best present for my birthday ever. Do you remember that little publisher on his campus that I mentioned? They made a book of one of my stories! They actually printed one hundred copies, which isn't terribly many, I know, but it means that one hundred different classrooms have my book and are reading it to the children!

Congratulations Ravenclaw! You played an amazing game and you deserve the win.

This story isn't a fairy tale, and it's not at all like other stories I've written, so I don't know if it's very good at all. I'm not even sure it's properly a story. It might just be a bit of a scene. But it wanted to be written, and it just poured out into my brand new blue marbled notebook (which is quite lovely).

The Boy Who Wasn't As Invisible As He Thought

Once upon a time there was a boy who was very tall, and you'd think he would be very hard not to notice, but truthfully, everyone somehow managed to look right past him. He was very quiet, and gentle, and sweet, and he didn't mind not being noticed. Sometimes, he thought, it was easier to figure things out if people weren't looking right at him saying oh there's that super tall bloke. Then no one asked what was happening inside his head and he didn't have to worry what they saw. If they were laughing at him, or whispering about him. He could work things out in peace and quiet.

Except for Cassandra. She had been his friend since he was very wee, smaller than her even, long before he reached his current height that towered over her. She always saw him, and she always saw when he was more quiet than ever, which meant that there was something in his mind that he was chewing over. So when she sat next to him as they had pints in a favorite pub, and she nudged him under the table and said, "Peter," he sighed because he knew what was coming next.

"Yes, Cassandra?" His voice was low and gravely, and he didn't quite look at her when he spoke. Maybe if he didn't look at her, she wouldn't see what was in his eyes.

"Isn't that the bloke you told me about?" She nudged him again, directing his attention to the bloke behind the bar. He was a good deal shorter than Peter himself, and Peter rather liked the bloke's smile. It had a sardonic twist to the end of it, but that didn't stop his eyes from being lit by humour as he spoke with the customer sitting at the bar.

( cut for length but open to all to read )

[private to Ravenclaw sixth year girls]

I had such a lovely time in Hogsmeade this afternoon. Abby is terribly sweet. It was so nice to get to talk to her.

Did you have a good time? Wasn't the weather wonderful? I've a brand new robin's egg blue notebook that I'm going to user to work on a story I just have to write tonight. And I have dark chocolate sticks to nibble on while I write. Oh! I bought some chocolates to share, if you'd like. They're on top of my trunk.

[/private]

I don't see why everyone's so upset about all the singing. I think it's had some quite lovely surprises come about because of it.

[private to Andy]

I kept thinking last night. And thinking and thinking even more.

Every story needs a device. Most fairy tales have things like evil stepparents or dead parents which change the children in the story so that they have to learn something. I suppose in this one her parents are that device. They meant well, but maybe they didn't get it right. Which is why she was so horribly lonely.

But I think she might have been lonely anyway even if she had played with the other children because there are different kinds of love and she still would have been looking for her prince and she didn't know what a prince really was.

But I don't feel sorry for her at the end of the story because she is starting to learn and that's always a good thing in a story, that the character grows, isn't it?

[/private]

The Girl Who Found Her Prince

by Liliana Moon

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Flora and she was terribly lonely. She lived in the high house on the hill, and her parents told her often that someday she would meet her prince and live happily ever after. She asked if she could play with the other children she saw down in the village, when she watched them wistfully while they had so much fun. But she was told that those children were terribly jealous of everything nice that Flora had in her house on the hill, and under no circumstances should she ever ever invite them back, or they might steal her most precious possessions.

One day, Flora went for a walk through the woods behind the house, slip-sliding on the paths that led down the hill, until she found the place where water fell from the rocks and crashed into the river below. It was her favorite place to sit quietly and think to herself about the prince that ought to've come by now, as she was at marriageable age and soon would be past that and becoming an old maid.

She carefully took off her shoes and stockings, and dangled her toes into the chill water, splashing them back and forth and watching the small eddies that they made. When a sudden much larger eddy stirred the water, and a figure broke through the surface, she scrambled backwards in shock. "Who are you, come up to my house on the hill?"

( cut for length, but open to all to read )

[private to Healer Pye]

I hit my hand on Luag's cheek something and it hurts. A lot. Do you have something that might help?

[/private]

[private to Maisie]

Luag is utterly awful.

[/private]

When is the next Ravenclaw match again? I can't WAIT to see my roommates and my boyfriend win again. I'll be there cheering!!

Frankie sent me a letting from university that the children he's teaching love my stories. There is a professor at the university that works with a small press for children to publish books and Frankie wants to know if maybe I would like to have her (the professor) look at some of my stories and see if they could be made into books for children. I said yes, of course! Would that be AMAZING to know that little children ANYWHERE could be reading my stories?

[private to Maisie]
Maisie? I did something. Well, twice I did something, that I can't really decide what I think about it. I mean, it was nice and all. And it was very INTERESTING. But I feel horribly guilty, too. And Papa would KILL me if he found out.
[/private]

I know other people have said this already, but Hogsmead weekend was absolutely wonderful. I spent part of the morning shopping and I bought three new notebooks and some quills. Then Madame Puddyfoot's was just lovely for lunch with Luag, and he spoiled me terribly at Honeydukes. I have ice mice and chocolates, and they are just so delicious. He really is the sweetest thing!

I spent the afternoon having a butterbeer with friends, and I bought a few things for Cherie.

I'm so excited for the match this weekend. I'll be cheering for you, Ravenclaw!

Luag
Have you finished your studying for the evening? Would you like to meet in the common room?

Pugnacious and Pygmalian

Once upon a time there was a piglet named Pugnacious. He was the smallest of his litter, but he was feisty, which was how he got his name. His friends called him Pug, for short, because Pugnacious is a terribly long name for such a little piglet.

One day, Pug paced back and forth and back and forth, feeling the mud squish between his toes. He was terribly bored. The food in the trough was good, but it was the same food he ate every day. The mud was utterly lovely to roll about in, but he had done that already today, and had lain baking in the sun until it caked and fell from his skin. He had drunk the water, he had rooted about looking for buried treasure. The pen was stifling, filled as it was with his mother and his three brothers and sisters, all of whom were much larger than himself.

He stood at the edge of the pen, snuffling at the ground beneath the fence, pushing and digging at the mud to make a hole. Perhaps, he thought, life would be different on the outside.

( cut for length, NOT warded, open to all )

[6th year Ravenclaw Girls & Cherie]

I HAVE A BOYFRIEND!!!

[/private]

I am in such a good mood tonight. And I can't wait for Hogsmeade this weekend. I'm so excited!

[private to Maisie]

I've had the absolute sweetest, most lovely time with Luag today. He was so nice. We went walking up to the Astronomy tower, and we talked, and we kissed, and he didn't try anything I didn't want.

[/private]

I am in such a good mood today.

Dance! Oh, this is lovely. Did everybody see the posters? Has anyone asked someone to be their date yet? It's going to be so wonderful!

[private to Ravenclaw 6th year]
I need a date for the Valentine's Day dance. Help?
[/Ravenclaw]

[private to Seamus]
I do hope you are feeling better. Would you still like to go for a walk Friday night, perhaps? There's still enough of a moon that it ought to be lovely over the lake.
[/Seamus]

I suppose there isn't really enough time to plan a social event for this weekend, but I think we need one. Wouldn't it be fun to get together with music? Or games? Or poetry readings? I should like to dress up, or dance. Or both!

[private, readable by Ravenclaw 6th year girls]

I have decided that I should like to be kissed for Valentine's Day. Of course, this means that I should also like to find someone who should like to kiss me. And court me properly. Doesn't every girl dream of a rose on her pillow and a heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine's Day? Or a chocolate rose, I'd love that too.

I think the boys here in Hogwarts are lacking in courtliness and imagination. Except Zahavi. He has it in spades. I had thought Luag was sweet, but then he used that word when we were speaking and he was so crude. He's still terribly sweet otherwise, though. Zahavi is a little wild, isn't he? Oh, and Sebastian is a darling, but I'm not sure he really looks past his poetry?

Do people still believe in love? Real love, the kind that warms you down to the toes and conquers everything and it doesn't matter who the person is because it's right just because ou love them. The kind of love you can taste and that you can rely on forever. That kind of love.

[/private]

The Boy in the Box

Once upon a time, there was a boy in a box.

It wasn't a simple box made of pasteboard, but rather an elaborate box with an oaken frame and glass walls, and a shimmering crystal ceiling so high overhead that he couldn't quite see when he tried to look at the sky hidden beyond.

The story, of course, isn't that he was in a box, but how he came to be in the box. For it was a magic box. Whatever he needed for warmth, food, or comfort was provided. Whatever needed to be taken away disappeared as soon as it was created. But the box remained closed, and the boy remained stuck.

You may find it odd that he is only the boy.

Once, the boy had a name. He was terribly proud of his name, to the point of arrogance. "I am a Jones!" he would proudly declare. "And I am better than you. My name is Zebediah and you ought to remember it."

( cut for length, NOT PRIVATE, readable by all )

[the wards were changed after posting to be readable by Luag. Also, all instances of his name were hastily crossed out and replace, but are still readable as his name through the crossout]

( private, readable by Luag (Story: The Boy Who Spoke to Dragons) )

Oh, I just love when a story comes together! I've sent a long owl to Frankie, and he sent me back pictures of the children he is teaching this semester! He is having such fun with it.

Luag, would you be willing to tell me some Scots Gaelic phrases? I would like to be able to use the words for "mama" and "papa" and also "hello." I might need a few others, but I would have to think before I decided if I could incorporate them properly because terribly long ones might confuse the little ones hearing the story.

We're back! It's so good to settle back in the sixth year girls dorm in Ravenclaw. I've missed this so much. And classes start tomorrow! I've a full slate on Mondays, so it's going to be a terribly busy day. I'm going to ask the house elves to bring a note round to Cherie to wish her well in the morning. She was sorted Ravenclaw! Mum and Dad might be a wee bit upset that she's not a Hufflepuff either, but I'm terribly pleased. It seems like the right place for her, with all the questions she asks and opinions she has. I'm quite certain she'll keep her roommates on her toes.

[Luag]
Luag! I forgot to send you a note, but you ought to see my room now. I've used sticking charms and I've words on the wall behind my bed. I absolutely love the puzzle box, but the words wanted to be free and so I've let them out. It's such fun to see what they want to say. Thank you so much.
[/Luag]

I love Christmas. Waking up early to the scent of fresh toast and eggs, and Mum bringing out the best of the marmalade and pumpkin juice. Cherie squealing over the gifts Father Christmas has left beneath the tree, even though she knows the truth by now.

Frankie brought home Muggle toys to play with and show off. He tried to explain them to Mum and Dad, but neither of them truly understood, and I'm not entirely certain I did either. I just trust that these things work; I don't need to know how. And they make Frankie happy.

I'm thinking of going to Edinburgh for the new year. I haven't any other plans just yet, so going to University with Frankie sounds lovely, then Mum'll take me down to London a few days later to catch the train to Hogwarts. I've little gifts for everyone in the house to celebrate our return back to school.

Gifts! Mum and Dad gave me several new notebooks and an entire box of quills. Three colours of ink: black, a dark blue, and a bright peacock blue. Also one tiny pot of gold, which I shall use quite sparingly. Franklin brought me lovely tins of eye creams and other makeup, as well as an owl! She's a tiny bit of a thing, can sit on the palm of my hand, and her name is Sweetpea. He brought a wee little mobile phone for our Mum and Dad, and it was terribly funny watching them try to understand it. He said he would have brought one for me, but it shouldn't work at Hogwarts, so Sweetpea shall have to suffice.

What does everyone else have planned for the new year??

( zeroing in on Liliana Moon )