A Gaunt Diary

Dear Diary

...

Or whatever...

So, I've attended Hogwarts for a year, just started my second year. And though I'm not the first person in the world to have a diary, I've realized that with everything happening, I think I might just have to write it down.

And the first that comes to mind is my first detention. Hmm... I wonder what it'll be like. Professor Henley seems like an all right person, possibly not of the strictest types, but I can honestly say that plants have never been my fascination, and the fact that I have to pluck a manata... What is a manata anyways? I tried looking it up in a standard herbology book that I found in the library, but I couldn't find it.

Talk about the library. I recently met a Ravenclaw there. Penelope Franklin. She seemed nice. A bit off, though. Probably because I am a Slytherin and I was so nice to her. Come to think of it, I don't really get why I was being so nice. Maybe she's one of the people who simply brings out the best in people...?

During last year, I managed to get myself a job in Hogsmeade, working at the local branch of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. I've met a lot of students from Hogwarts there, amongst them James, Lucy, Sydney and Aylee, four people I've really started to respect. I also met a co-worker of my father there. Not in the same division, of course, but from the Ministry. Seems that he might be one of the few people who actually doesn't mind my father's brutality.

Speaking of which, my father just bought me a cat! Honestly, I thought cats weren't my thing, but, like this diary, I think I really like having one. I've called the cat Shere Khan, considering the tiger-like fur it has. A toyger cat, according to my father. If I remember correctly. Which I think I do.

Right now, I've finished the year's first lesson in DADA, and I really enjoy the subject. Professor Umbranox seems to know precisely what he's doing, and he keeps the attention of the class. I remember meeting him for the first time. He's a bit ... different. But I didn't feel frightened, though I did, for a second, wonder if he was some kind of unearthly creature the headmistress had pulled out of her hat. Even so, DADA is definitely my favorite subject, and he's definitely one of the reasons for that.

Other than this, nothing eventful has happened, but I'll get back to ... eh ... you? ... when it does.

-Morgana

I have decided that, for lack of better creativeness, I will start entries with 'Dear Diary'. Honestly, it's weird saying that... Dead Diary. It's not like you're a living thing.

Not much has happened since my last entry, but something has made my mind mull about the importance of friendship. Because I don't see it. I can't grasp the need others have of having friendships. I don't mind having friends, which I figure I somehow do, but I don't really think I'd loose my way if I lost my friends. Maybe they're not important enough for me...

I don't know what makes me say this, maybe it's due to my blood line? I really can't tell, and I find it sort of stupid of me to blame my lineage for my lack of emotions. But from what I've learned of my history, I see a certain degree of madness within the House of Gaunt. Marvolo Gaunt and Morfin Gaunt are great examples of this. They were clearly mad and obsessed with blood purity.

Maybe that's one of the good things that have come of our lineage? The fact that the psychopathic craze has toned down to a merely sociopathic craze might be one of the reasons for why I just couldn't care less about whether a man comes from a pure blood line or a muggle one. It really doesn't matter...

I wonder how bad it is for my father though... But maybe he doesn't notice anything like that, due to his predicament. It wouldn't really surprise me. Nothing does, really... Surprise me, I mean. But he honestly doesn't consider anyone his friends, and I'm pretty sure there's only one or two people he dares to trust, even though he might not even do that. I guess I worry a bit about that...

I met a couple of new people by the forest, Ryland Marcotte and Auden Mayer. I'm not quite sure what I think about those two. They seem nice enough, but I'm still not sure if I like them or not... And do I really need them? No. Would it hurt to get to know them? No. And I suppose being nice is a more preferable thing for others.

Either way...

Later

So life has been treating me good. At least a bit. I mean, it's been a long time since I last wrote here. Actually almost half a year. And a lot has happened. I haven't said anything about the points I lost due to being too close to the forest. I wasn't even in the forest, and still, this crazy hag of a woman deducts 20 points from my house! I mean, how is that fair?! But I don't want to think about it. I mean, if it still makes me angry, then really... I gotta get over it.

I've met some more people as well now. Auden is, by the way, a great person, so I've decided to be a friendly person towards her. And Ryland as well, I suppose. But I haven't talked much more with him, other than the fact that he came to the Ice Cream Parlour not long ago along with Lucy. And while on the subject of my job, I really like it there. There's almost always people there, even now when the weather is getting colder. I meet people from the school almost all the time and it's rather pleasant.

I've been talking more with Aylee as well, lately. She's a wonderful person. I think she underestimates herself and her importance. I wish she'd stop doing that, because she's great. But she asked me a question the other day that really got me thinking. I just can't shake it out of my head. She asked me if I felt as if I had changed since I was a first year. And I have. A lot really. In a lesson, I don't remember which or why, but I found myself thinking that I wanted to know much more about Voldemort than I always did. I want to find out how he did what he did, what made him who he was and stuff like so.

Also, I've become very interested in the Dark Arts. I find it absolutely fascinating, and though it might just be a healthy interest, I don't think it is. I'm becoming ruder towards people, I don't really care anymore. I met this guy, Wade, and he's just a pain in the ass, and I don't like him. Even though he's a Slytherin. Then again, I never really cared about houses. But seriously, he's just annoying. And now, professor Vega has set me up with him to find food for the Christmas party we're going to have in the common room, only for Slytherins. I will rue the day...

I've met another girl as well. Cassandra Periwinkle. She's a Gryffindor, but her personality pretty much screams Slytherin. However, maybe she's just exceptionally brave and her braveness trumped the slyness? I don't know. What I do know is that she could very easily become someone I don't like, but she could also become a friend. I dunno. I'll have to figure it out.

Well, that's probably it. I'll be getting back to you if I've forgotten something.

-Morgana

1st of September, year 4

It's been ages since I sat down to write in this book, and I figured now was the time. School has just started and I am now in my fourth year, meaning it's been at least a year since I wrote here. I suppose the reason for this is because I forgot about this diary, and I didn't have much want for writing down what I experienced. But for my own amusement, I will write it now.

There was a Halloween party in my third year where the first exciting thing happened. No, the party wasn't all that exciting, not at all, really. But I overheard Lucy talking to one of Hogwarts ghosts, and I was pulled into something I hadn't expected to hear about. Of course, I'm not stupid enough to write this down in my diary, as people could easily get a hand on it. So, yeah.

Anyways, we talked about it for a while, but now it's been really silent on the theme. I'm curious as to how it's developing, and I've tried to do a bit of research on my own. My father won't help me, of course, as he only wants me to be safe, so I haven't even bothered talking about it with him. But I'm sure that if I did, he'd figure it out pretty easily. That guy has got too much brains for his own good. And he remembers way too much…

Either way, something I also noticed at the Halloween party was that Aylee seems to be … not so comfortable around me. And now that I'm back to school, I intend to talk to her about it. In fact, I'm going to send her a note right now, and ask her to meet me somewhere so we can catch up. Not that I'm really interested in catching up, but she's one of the very few people I feel an obligation to be friendly towards, and the fact that she looked at me in some sort of fright at Halloween… Well, it could've been the costume, right?

Or, maybe it's due to the fact that I am changing, and I am caring less and less by the day. I can't wrap my head around it, but I am more interested in knowledge than ever, and I know I'll need it. I will become powerful, and I will be remembered as a great witch, just like my name sister from the Arthurian age. Question is, will I do it in the same way as her, or will I join my father's footsteps? Hm… Neither. No, I'm going to do this my way. And my way alone.

-Morgana