School Stuff

[alt_ron]

I don't know about any of you lot, but I'm ready for school to start. Well, not ready ready, but now the camping's done, I'm really looking forward to being back at Hogwarts, cause mostly there's just chores to do here, and staying out of range of Mum's yell, and Not Pestering Percy (the pustule), and wondering what the twins have got up to since they've always got their door locked. And telling Ginny stuff she wants to know about school--and certain people who go there.

But the good thing is that this afternoon I've got a break from answering all her questions about the marvelous, mysterious Harry Marvolo. (I'm pretty sure she'd rather I'd got her his autograph on a picture instead of the pixie I brought her from Cornwall for her birthday. Especially after it got out in her closet yesterday. Ooooh, that wasn't pretty!) Right now she's stood on a stool in the middle of the kitchen with Mum taking in and doing up some old robes for her to wear for school this year. I think they were Mum's Aunt Mirelda's robes, but I guess she was a bit bigger than Ginny when she wore them. Ginny says they smell like Mustbunnies have been nesting in them for years, and they've got funny pleats in them--or maybe those are just creases from being folded up so long, I don't know.

I'm staying as far away as I can because Mum's got a mouthful of pins, and it wasn't going so well when I looked in earlier. She was muttering about just knitting Ginny some new robes--'cause I guess Mum's better at knitting than sewing--and Ginny looked like she might cry at the idea of that, 'cause-- Well anyway, she wants to have robes like everybody else, and you can't really blame her. And Mum's about spitting pins because every time she casts the hemming charm, it seems like one side or the other hikes up. I thought at first that maybe Ginny was doing it--y'know, twitching her elbow up at just that moment, but then Mum Petrified her and it still happened, so maybe it's just that sewing's tough to do.

Anywiz. I guess on Wednesday, we're going to Diagon Alley, all of us, to get our books and supplies. Mum's all excited about it, cause she won some kind of contest that means she can queue up at Flourish and Blotts to buy a signed copy of Professor Lockhart's new book. Can you imagine entering a contest for that?! I mean, it's not like she won the book, just the chance to stand in line for him to sign it!

So. Any of you lot going to be there on Wednesday? We could try to meet up.

Comments

[alt_padma]

She won a contest? Hm.

My mum already has a place for that. She's talking with him about endorsing some of her designs for men.

So I suppose we might pass you in the queue.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, I guess some people won't even be allowed to queue up. I can't even imagine how many people they think are going to be there.

I mean, it's Lockhart is all.

D'you mean your mum makes those fruit-coloured robes like he wears? Aren't they awfully, I don't know, pretty for men to be wearing?

[alt_padma]

No, most of his robes come from Gladrag's don't you know that?

Mum has some shoes and accessories though and those are for boys.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, I don't pay a lot of attention to that sort of stuff I guess. Accessories and all. D'you mean like those little handkerchiefs you can stick out of the pocket on the chest of your robes?

[alt_padma]

Yes. Stuff like that.

[alt_sally_anne]

Mrs Wood is taking Oliver on Wednesday but she's been owling back and forth with someone from Halfblood Affairs, they haven't sent the money for my books yet so I'm not sure if I'll be able to buy them that day or not. She said today she's going to try owling the Headmistress next and she might be able to feed an extra child but that doesn't mean she can buy two complete sets of Professor Lockhart's books.

We'll be there though because she has to buy Oliver's books.

[alt_pansy]

Don't you already have most of them from last year?

You can share mine if you don't get your allowance, though.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well I have the ones he required last year but haven't you seen the list? Except I think Mr Weasley's right and some of them are the same books with different titles, I'm going to check before I buy them. The money for my books and robes and all is supposed to come on Monday.

[alt_pansy]

Oh, I hadn't looked before you said anything. There are a lot of new ones! I suppose perhaps he's made some changes, so maybe they're new editions?

Anyway, mum still hasn't said. But maybe if I can get my money I can go by myself? Maybe Mrs Wood could take me so Mum doesn't have to go?

[alt_sally_anne]

Mrs Wood says if you floo to Diagon Alley and meet up with us she supposes she can keep you out of trouble. I said you weren't going to get into trouble and she sighed and then Oliver interrupted to talk to her about broomsticks before she could say anything else.

So I think that's a yes. You could tell your mum she said yes, anyway. I mean, we're twelve years old, it's not like we need to be led around by the hand anymore anyway right?

[alt_pansy]

Wizard!

Tell her I said thank you. Actually, better yet, don't tell her; we'll just remind her she said Yes when I see you on Wednesday.

And I'll owl Lucius so he knows he doesn't have to worry about seeing Mum. Honestly, you'd think they're going to challenge each other to a duel the way Mum talks about him.

[alt_pansy]

Not that it wouldn't be brilliant to see you.

[alt_ron]

So are you going to be there on Wednesday, too? That would be great!

You're not coming because of Lockhart, are you?

[alt_pansy]

I'm not sure if I'll be there or not. I mean. I'd like to go and see everyone, but mum hasn't said for certain yet.

[alt_sally_anne]

We are. Mrs Wood was in that same drawing as your mum and also got a place in line. Do you suppose there were people who didn't? Oliver's dad said maybe everyone who entered 'won' and it was all to sell more books.

Anyway the money from the Ministry's supposed to come on Monday so I should be able to buy my books too!

[alt_ron]

That sounds just like something Lockhart would do, doesn't it? I bet you're right.

[alt_ron]

I'm glad you'll be there, too.

Yeah, my dad was pretty shocked when he saw how many books were on the lists this year. I don't think he realized how many books Lockhart's written. I mean, who knew we hadn't bought them all last year? Dad said he thinks Lockhart just puts new titles on the same old rubbish and sells it again. Mum got pretty cross about that and said the only rubbish is what passes for brains in Dad's head sometimes. And you should have seen the look Dad got on his face then. Before they both started laughing at each other. And then it was all right.

Mum doesn't usually stay cross for very long. Which is a good thing because

[alt_sally_anne]

You know I think your father might be right. I'm going to look at the books before I buy them, I don't think it should matter if I have the one with the old title so long as I read it, don't you think?

[alt_ron]

I don't know. Mum says we absolutely have to buy all the titles on the list, and she won't listen to anything Dad says against it. So I think she's going to win this one, even though it's going to cost a fortune to get them for all of us.

D'you think you can tell by looking at them if they're the same as last years? I guess you read them, then?

[alt_sally_anne]

Of course I read them. They were assigned.

I don't know why your mum bothers with buying you any of your books since it's not as if you ever open half of them!

[alt_ron]

There's no need to get worked up about it! Of course I looked at them. But he read them all to us in class, so there wasn't any point spending a lot of time sitting around with a nose in his books. And anyway, now I couldn't tell you which one he chased the bugbear off the cliff in and which one it was where he fought the banshee or poisoned the lethifold or snuck up on the razor-jawed raptor or bagged the raging watsit or whatever. Honestly, it's all the same story over and over with the blanks filled in differently.

But, yeah. Mum said she was working on a hex to put on our books--the twins and mine--that would make them whack us if we didn't do our assignments. But I don't think she really knows one.

[alt_sally_anne]

That is a wizard idea for a hex.

[alt_ron]

Oi!

Well, if you see me come to lessons all black and blue some day, you'll know she figured out how to do it!

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh and your mum should talk to Mrs Wood sometime, she's dead good at sewing spells, especially when she has to make something smaller. You remember that swimming costume I wore when Mrs Longbottom took us all to Blackpool? It belonged to a fat grownup before Mrs Wood adjusted it for me. And it didn't fit me too badly in the end, I mean it didn't fall off at least.

[alt_ron]

Huh. I didn't think it looked like it had been fixed at all. Er, I mean, it looked like it was your size and everything. So you must be right that Mrs Wood is pretty good at sewing spells and charming stuff to look right.

Mum's better at other stuff, I guess. She gets kind of distracted and then stuff doesn't turn out quite right. Like the stew last night. But usually she's really good at cooking. Just if something else happens at the same time--and sometimes it does around here, y'know. Last night it was the twins. And Percy banging in after them, shouting.

[alt_draco]

Knitted robes? Like a giant, robe-shaped jumper? No wonder your sister was practically crying.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, well. Mum likes to knit. What can I say?

Anywiz, I think they got the robes sorted. Mum and Ginny were laughing again by supper. Course that might have had something to do with the fact that the twins charmed my dad's chair to levitate. It went a little higher each time he said the word 'and', but it'd drop back down a notch or two if he happened to say 'Molly'. It was pretty hilarious watching him try to figure it out! He was totally pressed up against the ceiling at one point!!

[alt_seamus]

Well I won't see you, Mr Rosier said he'd rather have his leg hair plucked out by pixies than put up with the crowds Professor Lockhart attracts. He doesn't know which day yet we're going but definately not Wednesday.

[alt_ron]

Hahahaha! I reckon Mr Rosier's right. That there'll be loads of people there. Not so much about thinking it'd be better to have his leg hair pulled out by pixies. Ow! You know that'd have to hurt!!!

Sorry we won't see you. First of September, then!