the second last ending

one - marlene hits me with a book

-- 1975 --

There is literally one day before Hogwarts begins, and my room looks as if someone set a Niffler loose in it.

I have my robes, button-ups, tie, skirt, socks, and just about every aspect of my uniform either strewn about or sitting casually on a chair.

I don't understand how that happened. I never wore any of them throughout the summer. Come to think of it, I don't recall tidying up since the beginning of summer, so that must be it. My God, I am just pathetic.

The most I've done is stack my books in alphabetical order, but that's about it.

I look over to Cross, my ginger kitten. She's an evil little demon that scratches everybody, even me. I have a theory that she's half Kneazle.

"What do you think, Cross? Is this underprepared?"

Cross lounges across my pillow and tilts her head at me as if to say, Why the hell are you talking to me?

Good point. I think I've gone mad after not interacting with a human for so long.

Although, I'm the only child in the house, so I've got nobody else to talk to. I do have a brother, but he's gotten into some Auror training program, so that's all he does now. His name is Benjy, and he's in his seventh year at Hogwarts.

I'm in my fifth year. My heart and soul belong to Gryffindor, but the hat insisted on Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I don't see how or why, because I don't think I'm particularly bright or cunning, but I suppose the Sorting Hat is never wrong.

My best friend is Emmeline Vance, one of the most amazing humans to ever exist.

She's in my dorm room, which is how I met her, along with Marlene McKinnon, Lily Evans, and Dorcas Meadows, whom I all love dearly. Did I use whom correctly? Probably not.

Marlene is really fun to be around, but when she's angry, nobody is stupid enough to cross her. I haven't done anything of the sort to set her off completely yet, and I don't plan on doing so in the future.

Everybody thinks that Lily and Dorcas are similar, but I don't see it. I'd have to admit that they're both very kind and caring, but that's where the similarity ends.

Lily glows of kindness and whatnot, and she's just genuinely a good person. That, I can give. However, she will kill you if you offend her friends or just about anybody she cares about. Once you're on her bad side, she is a nasty, nasty person.

Marlene once made the mistake of joining in one James and Sirius' regular Snape-teasing and she didn't speak to her for a week. Their beds are right next to each other! I cannot stress how awkward and terrible that week was.

Dorcas is nice as well, and she's more on the gentle side. Even when she's angry with someone, she doesn't show it.

We're one of the most tight-knit dorms in Hogwarts. Aside from James and his friends of course. They really are something else.

James and Remus are also some of my best friends, but for different reasons.

James can be very loyal and comforting when he wants, but he can also be such an arrogant dickhead, especially to Snape. I don't like Snape at all. I think he's very creepy. At the same time, he doesn't deserve all the bullying James and Sirius do to him.

I suppose I try to ignore them when they do shit like that and focus on the good things. I'll admit that it is difficult to do so at times, but I try my best.