Letters from Home

Dan and Emma Granger were eating breakfast Monday morning when they heard a tapping on the window. They exchanged glances, then Dan got up from the table and opened the window. They had just about grown accustomed to owls delivering letters, so it wasn't out of the ordinary.

The small, brown owl swooped in and dropped the letter on the breakfast table. Dan broke off a piece of bacon and fed the owl. It hooted happily and flew out the window, clutching the bacon in its talons.

Dan was just about to close the window behind the owl when a not an owl, but a blue, winged ferret flew inside and dropped a second letter on the table. While the first letter was addressed in his daughter's handwriting, this one was addressed with a very over-the-top handwriting. It was loopy, almost erratic, like someone had simply scribbled something on the front of the letter, while maintaining the slightest hint of legibility. There was no return address, but instead had the phrase "Read Me Last", and the phrase "Follow That Owl!" in place of the address.

Dan started to close the window when yet another owl flew into his house. It dropped a third letter that was addressed in a far more legible script, in an official looking envelope. Its return address was "Professor Minerva McGonagall".

Emma and Dan exchanged glances again, then began to read the first letter.

Dear Mum and Dad,

A lot has happened this week, and it might be hard to read all of this. I'm not sure how well I'm going to do with explaining it all, but I'm giving it my best shot. It's been a very long week, and I'm relieved that it's finally over. Please try to reserve judgement on me, my friends, and Hogwarts until you've read all three letters.

Everything started on Sunday. We had another run in with Malfoy, who always manages to find us when we go into the Dungeons. Sally-Anne joined us this time, and of course Rose was there to chase him off. He still managed to get under my skin, and I ran off to the Room of Requirement to be alone. Rose found me shortly after that, and told me about her time at her imaginary school.

There was another incident Thursday night, which included Malfoy, but he was the least of our worries. A creature called a mountain troll broke into Hogwarts. A mountain troll is about ten feet tall, with skin like that of a rhinoceros's or elephant's. They're also rather destructive, as Sally-Anne and I learned first-hand.

Before you start panicking, I want to repeat that I'm fine. We're both safe, and I have had several reassurances that this is not a common occurrence at Hogwarts. To further reassure both of you of this, Professor McGonagall has also written to you.

Thursday evening, Sally-Anne and I were on our way to see Rose, who had found herself once again in the Hospital Wing. She was hearing voices again, but it seemed to annoy her more than panic her this time. Draco Malfoy found us, and cursed me in the back. He hit me with a leg-locker curse, which, as its name suggests, immobilizes the legs of the victim. Sally-Anne stood up to him, but almost got herself hit with a curse for her bravery. The only thing that stopped him from attacking her was the troll itself. Malfoy shrieked (which, all things considered, was really funny), and ran off, leaving us to fend for ourselves.

Earlier this week, Rose gave me something else from her picnic basket of tricks. This time it was a blue seashell, which she claims works basically like a telepathic walkie-talkie. I just need to hold it, and direct my thoughts at her, and she can hear them. Luckily for Sally-Anne and I, it works. If not for Rose, I would probably not be writing you this letter right now. I honestly don't know what would have happened to me without her.

I used the seashell to call for help, and Rose heard me. She just sort of appeared in front of me. In the Magical World, there's something called 'apparition', which is sort of like teleportation from science fiction. It's not supposed to work inside Hogwarts, but Rose can do it anyway (I don't know why). She grabbed the troll's club and held it at bay, then threw this sort of powder grenade at the troll. The grenade blinded it, and Rose fixed my legs so that Sally-Anne and I could escape. I'm not sure what she did next, since we were too busy running for our lives, but the end result was a dead troll.

After that, we ran into Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, who were coming to find us to make sure that we were okay. I was really surprised, actually, that Ronald of all people was coming to help us. He said it was Harry's idea, but it was still really nice that both of them came to find us.

Everything after that was a bit of a whirlwind. Another monster got into the castle, this one some sort of dragon-snake. Rose took care of that one too, this time using this sort of double-ended sword. That was actually really gruesome, even if she did evaporate the remains of the beast afterwards. Rose said she has problems with dragons, which I believe, since unlike everything else, she won't talk about it. I mean, she'll talk for hours about almost anything else, except for dragons. She dances around the subject, changes it if at all possible, and if it isn't she has this sort of growl that she gives people until they stop talking about dragons. Sally-Anne and I think that maybe a dragon killed her parents, and that's why she doesn't like them.

As I mentioned, Professor McGonagall wrote you two, but Rose also insisted that she write you. I think she's worried that you're going to pull me out of Hogwarts. As strange as it may sound, I really do want to stay. Even with the troll and snake-dragon, I finally feel like I fit in. Even back at home in a normal school, I always got picked on and laughed at. Sure, I still do here, but people are a little more hesitant to go through Rose and the Weasley Twins to get to me, especially now that word has got out that Rose took on a troll single-handedly. Even as pig-headed as Ronald can be, he's still willing to stand up for me, and Harry's really nice too.

I think Sally-Anne was the most amazing off all. Unlike me, she had two good legs when the troll attacked us, but she wouldn't run away and leave me behind. She even tried to pick me up and carry me, which didn't go nearly as well as planned, but she still tried. She even stood up to Malfoy when he was harassing us. I've never seen him so angry with anyone except Rose. Sally-Anne saved me before Rose even got there, and kept us alive long enough for me to remember that I had the seashell.

It was also something that Sally-Anne said that made me want to stay. I don't remember exactly what it was (Rose might, she wrote it down), but it was something like 'If we leave, then it just proves that people like Malfoy are right in that we don't belong here'. Malfoy's wrong; I do belong here. So please, PLEASE don't make me leave.

Lots of Love,

Hermione

P.S. Rose isn't letting me look over her letter first, so just remember to take anything she says with a grain of salt.

Dan and Emma took turns reading the letter out loud, switching whenever one of them had to stop. After they finally reached the end, they sat in silence for a moment.

"Of all the things that would make her want to stay," Emma said. "I wouldn't think an attack on the school would be one of them."

"It's like a wild animal getting into the school," Dan said.

"Two wild animals," his wife added.

"I don't think anything can convince me to let her stay."

"Me either, but we should listen to her. She wanted us to wait until we'd read all three letters."

Dan nodded, and opened the second letter.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Granger,

If you have not already read your daughter's letter, then I suggest you do so now. I would rather you hear of what happened from her perspective than from mine.

As the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies for the events of this past Thursday. I want to assure you that fatality is rare at Hogwarts; we have had one incident in the past 50 years. Thursday's situation cannot happen again, as two of the leading experts on defencive wards have verified that the castle is once again secured. What happened was Professor Quirrell, the professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts, accidentally left one of the wards down while allowing a troll in for one of his classes. A second troll from a colony a few miles north of the school got in after he forgot to reseal the wards.

Before you pass judgement on the staff, let me also assure you that Professor Quirrell's incompetence, for lack of a better term, does not reflect the norm amongst the staff. He is still continuing to teach at Hogwarts, but only until we find a suitable replacement. Further, I saw to it personally that the young Mr. Malfoy, the boy who cursed your daughter in the back, received adequate discipline as well, despite his threats to abuse his father's influence. We do not condone his behavior either.

Instead, it is students such as Mses. Perks and Peta-Lorrum, students who selflessly risk their lives for others, that are rewarded. While for the staff, older students, and apparently Ms. Peta-Lorrum, a troll is not difficult to handle, for younger students, it is a challenge. The moment the staff were alerted to the presence of the troll, the rest of the students were escorted to their rooms by their prefects. The rest of the staff and I moved through the castle, looking for any students still in the castle. Ms. Peta-Lorrum notified Headmaster Dumbledore of the whereabouts of the troll immediately, who then alerted the rest of the staff.

I tell you all of this so that you may not see Hogwarts in a negative light. I understand how difficult it can be for Muggle parents to understand our culture, but I assure you that we have taken several precautions against incidents such as this one. We hold the safety of our students in the highest regard, and I want you to feel that your daughter is perfectly safe in our hands. Hermione is incredibly gifted, possibly the most gifted witch I have ever had the pleasure of teaching. She grasps what I know to be difficult concepts as easily as you or I breathe. She receives top marks in all of her classes, and continues to be a model student, even at the worst of times.

It has been my privilege to teach your daughter, and I hope that you will allow me to continue to do so.

Truly Yours,

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Professor of Transfigurations

Deputy Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"Wow," Emma said.

"I'd certainly like to give that Professor Quirrell a piece of my mind," Dan said.

"What does 'suitable replacement' mean?" Emma wondered. "I don't see how someone that supposedly teaches defence can make such a big mistake about it."

"Me either," Dan said. "And how does the staff let that Malfoy kid get away with that?"

"Professor McGonagall did say that he had received 'adequate discipline'."

"Because of that boy, Hermione was almost killed!"

"But she's okay right now," Emma said. "We can't really do anything else about it. Should we risk the third letter?"

"Might as well," Dan replied, opening the third and final letter.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hermione's Parents,

Salutations! My name is Rose Peta-Lorrum, and I'm Hermione's best friend! If you followed the instructions I left for you on this letter (The bit about reading this last, not the bit about the owl. That was for Intelligencer.), then you have already learned of the events that befell Hogwarts Thursday evening. Hermione's worried that you're going to pull her out of Hogwarts. I've never been responsible for anyone, as I only have older siblings, but I still worry about them, so I guess you're probably worried about Hermione's safety. So, I hope to put your minds at ease.

First, I did in fact take out both the troll and the abomination of nature. I can move about the castle almost at will, and as long as Hermione holds onto that seashell I gave her, I can pinpoint her exact location and determine how she is doing. I remember how scary it was walking around Arcrel all by myself, so I know how hard it can be for someone like Hermione at a place like Hogwarts. I've always got Hermione's back, and if something goes very wrong, then Intelligencer, the expeditious messenger that delivered this letter, can go alert a staff member.

My best friend back home is the most paranoid person that I've ever met, and my brother is the smartest person I've ever met. Between the two of them, I've got contingencies for almost any scenario. It was also from them I learned the word 'contingency'. So I promise that I will keep Hermione safe. She's my best friend here, and I learned from my big sister not to let anyone mess with my friends. I've already told off Professor Quirrell, and Draco is too terrified of me to come anywhere near them while I'm around.

I hope that you will let Hermione continue to go to Hogwarts. I'm new to this plane too, so having someone else not familiar with everything has been great.

Sincerely,

Rose Peta-Lorrum

Dan and Emma exchanged glances again.

"That wasn't so bad," Dan said. "Although, I almost lost it at 'Salutations!'. Who says that?"

"You made it that far?" Emma asked. "She had me on 'Mr. and Mrs. Hermione's Parents'."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Emma said, "Everything Hermione has said about Rose makes it sound like Rose really does scare Malfoy away."

"But if she's subject to these fits, then how is Hermione supposed to rely on her?"

"Why is she relying on another student to keep her safe?!" Emma exclaimed. "Where are the teachers?"

"Didn't Hermione say it was against the rules to use magic in the halls?"

"I think she did."

"You'd think the professors would have some sort of system for that."

"They can't be everywhere at once, Dan."

"Neither can that Malfoy kid, but he still seems to find her."

For a few minutes, neither said a word. Emma glanced at the clock.

"We need to leave soon," she said. "Maybe we should talk about this tonight after we've both had some time to think about it."

"Sounds good."

At the same time, Sarah and Wilfred Perks were reading similar letters.

Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm not really sure what the best way to say this is, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it. Thursday night there was an attack on the school. A mountain troll, which is a big, BIG creature with gray skin, broke into the school and found me and Hermione. We were on our way to see Rose, who was in the Hospital Wing again, when Malfoy attacked us. He froze Hermione's legs, but the troll scared him off.

That left us alone to face the troll. I tried dragging Hermione off, but I couldn't lift her. The troll was going to smash us with its club, but Rose just appeared out of nowhere. I don't know how she did it, but she just grabbed the troll's club like it was nothing. She was like a knight from a fairy tale!

She threw a bomb at it that exploded with dust. It blinded the troll so we could escape (Rose fixed Hermione's legs too). I tried to think of spells that could stop the troll, but blinding it never even occurred to me. I thought that was really clever of her.

We ran right into Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who were coming to make sure we were okay. I thought it was very sweet of them to check on us like that. It was good they did, because another monster got into the school. Don't worry. Professor Dumbledore said that monsters don't break into the school a lot.

The other monster was a dragon, also like the fairy tales. It even breathed fire. Then the boys threw some rocks at it to get it to leave us alone so we could run from it, but we didn't want to run back to the troll. It swished its tail at the boys, and they were thrown into the wall. Then Rose appeared again, this time holding a double-bladed sword! It was really cool, until the part where she slaughtered the dragon with it. I don't want to write about it more, since thinking about it makes me sick.

Rose says she doesn't like dragons, but won't say why. She doesn't have any parents, so I keep wondering if maybe dragons took her parents from her. Me and Hermione and I were talking to Professor McGonagall about it on Friday while Rose was talking to Professor Dumbledore about what happened. Rose wanted to write you, since she doesn't want us to "split the party" (Still not sure what that means), but I told her that you probably wouldn't make me leave.

I think it was really bad luck that the troll found us. It was really scary and a little exciting. It was hard to talk about at first, until I realized that it was just like a story! And I also finally understand why the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor. When I was there, and the troll was going to kill us, all I could think about was that Hermione couldn't escape. Even though I was really scared, I wanted to help her instead of me. Professor Dumbledore even awarded me house points for being brave!

I'm still worried, but I think I'll be alright as long as Rose is here. She was really brave, like she'd done this sort of thing before. Even Malfoy thinks twice before picking a fight with her. And now that Harry and Ron have started hanging out with us, I think we're going to be okay.

Love,

Sally-Anne

For a few minutes, neither of them spoke.

"That's some school," Wilfred said finally.

"I'm not sure what worries me more," Sarah said. "That a troll broke into the school and nearly killed Sally-Anne, or that she thought the whole thing was exciting."

"Scared," Wilfred said, pointing at the letter. "She said 'scared' too."

"And I guess it's good that she's learning to be brave," Sarah said. "I was a little worried that she was going to be timid forever."

"Speaking of bravery," Wilfred said, grabbing the second letter. "Why don't we read the one from Professor McGonagall?"

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Perks,

If you have already read your daughter's letter, then you know that a mountain troll breached Hogwarts on Hallowe'en night. As Deputy Headmistress, I want to extend my sincerest apologies for these events. This is not typical of Hogwarts, and in fact two of the leading experts on defencive spells and wards have personally verified that the castle is now safe. Professor Quirrell, who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts, mistakenly left one of the wards down while bringing in a troll for his class. This allowed a second troll from a colony a few miles north of the school to enter the castle.

Unfortunately, this troll found your daughter and her friend, Hermione Granger. Fortunately for them, Rose Peta-Lorrum was able to get to them in time, and Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster, found them shortly after that. Fatality at Hogwarts is rare; indeed we have had one case in the past fifty years. Professor Dumbledore has put emergency protocols into place to get every student to safety during such an emergency.

Your daughter was in danger before we were even aware that there was danger. For putting her and Ms. Granger in that position, Mr. Malfoy has been disciplined. We do not condone his behavior at Hogwarts.

I understand that this is a lot to process, but I believe one fact should shine above the rest. Your daughter displayed outstanding bravery when facing down a mountain troll. I rarely see the kind of bravery and loyalty displayed by Sally-Anne in any of my students, despite being the head of house of the house known for its bravery. She handled the situation the best she could, and I believe you should be proud. I certainly am.

Truly Yours,

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Professor of Transfigurations

Deputy Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Minerva sat in her office, relaxing after writing two letters to parents. Explaining incidents to parents was certainly not her favorite thing to do. Especially Muggle parents. It was more difficult to earn their trust after something went wrong, since none of them had ever heard of Albus Dumbledore. Most of the Wizarding World had respect for Albus, which made things go much more smoothly.

"Thank Merlin I don't need to write one to Peta-Lorrum's parents," she muttered. "I can just imagine how well that would go."

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Peta-Lorrum, or Whatever Your Names Are,

Unfortunately, a troll broke into Hogwarts Thursday night, but don't worry, because your daughter killed it. For some reason, Merlin knows what, she carries a concealed, lethal weapon on her person. She used this weapon to butcher a troll and possibly a dragon.

I apologize for these events, but I have the strangest feeling that I don't need to. I would assure you that this is not typical for Hogwarts, but I think that might disappoint your daughter, who seems to have gotten a kick out of the whole thing. Not like a normal eleven-year-old girl, who would be terrified by these events. No, she was thrilled.

On the one hand, she saved two of her classmates' lives, and possibly the lives of two other classmates. I am unspeakably grateful for this, as I believe are the parents of at least Mses. Granger and Perks. Rose notified the Headmaster when things were getting out of hand, which was actually the right thing to do. I'm still a little shocked by that. On the other hand, YOUR DAUGHTER IS MAD!.

Truly Yours,

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Professor of Transfigurations

Deputy Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, although lately it seems more like the Loony Bin.

"Definitely glad I don't have to write that letter," Minerva said, taking a sip of her tea.

The next morning at breakfast, three letters landed on the Gryffindor table; one in front of Hermione, Sally-Anne, and Rose.

Hermione glanced over at Rose's letter, immediately recognizing her parents' handwriting.

"Rose, what did you tell my parents?" Hermione asked.

"That I've got your back!"

"How did you tell them?"

"Shh! It's a secret," whispered Rose.

Hermione opened her mouth, but decided against trying to argue with the now-grinning, crimson-haired girl. She opened up her letter and began to read it.

Dear Hermione,

We aren't going to make you read this entire letter to learn of our decision. You may remain at Hogwarts, but there are a few conditions. We worked these out after a long discussion Monday night.

First, you are not to go anywhere on your own. We know you like your personal space, but it's become apparent to us that the halls of Hogwarts are not safe for a Muggle-born girl. Therefore, you are to have one of your friends, preferably Sally-Anne or Rose (Your Father doesn't trust the boys), accompany you whenever you are in the halls.

Second, if you ever feel uncomfortable with anything, whether it be something the other students are doing, or the way the teachers are acting, go to Professor McGonagall immediately. If there is a problem with her, then try taking it to Professor Dumbledore. He seems willing to listen to your problems, and you mentioned that he even seems to take Rose seriously.

Third, we are to remain informed at all times. You have been doing just fine with this so far, and we trust that you aren't keeping secrets from us. However, if we begin to feel as if you are keeping secrets from us, then we will reach out to your professors and friends.

We don't want you to feel like we're treating you like a child, since you are growing up. We're just worried about you. We didn't expect to be worrying whether we'd see you again when we sent you off to Hogwarts. It sounds like you've got some good friends at the school. Take care of yourself, Hermione. We can't wait to see you at Christmas.

Love,

Mum and Dad

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. Her parents' rules weren't exactly an overreaction. She had been almost killed after all.

Hermione made a note to thank Professor McGonagall for whatever it was that her teacher had told her parents. Between her and Rose, Hermione's parents had actually agreed to let her stay.

Dear Sally-Anne,

That's quite a tale. Hogwarts is certainly very different from a normal school. We're glad that you're excited, but remember that situations like that are very dangerous. You could've died, but we both think that you know that. Of course, surviving is the important part, so we are both glad that you're safe, and very proud of how brave you were.

You're right about one thing: We aren't going to try to pull you out of Hogwarts. This is only one incident, and we are confident that it doesn't reflect the norm of Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulders, and takes the safety of his students very seriously. We trust that he's handling the situation to the best of his ability.

It sounds like Rose is alright, despite her quirks, and you and Hermione seem to be becoming good friends. We're happy that you're making friends, but please do try to be careful.

Love,

Mum and Dad

Hermione glanced over at Rose, and wondered if her parents were going to be using Rose as an alternate source of information. She shuddered at the thought.

Dear Rose,

We appreciate everything that you've done for our daughter. You've been a good friend to Hermione, and most importantly, you saved her life. We are indescribably grateful. If there is anything we can ever do for you, just let us know.

Sincerely,

Mr. and Mrs. Hermione's Parents

"I like your parents, Hermione," Rose said, grinning.

"Yeah," Hermione said, smiling. "They're pretty great." She turned to Sally-Anne. "What about you, Sally-Anne? Good news?"

"Mum took it a lot better than I thought she would," Sally-Anne said. "Dad's laid back about… just about everything, so I wasn't too worried about him."

"You think your mum's overbearing?" Ron asked. "My mum acts like the world's ending whenever one of my brothers gets so much as a papercut!"

"That sounds like my dad," Hermione said.

As Hermione, Ron, and Sally-Anne began to compare notes on overprotective and overbearing parents, Harry sat quietly and ate his food.

"Cheer up, Harry," Rose said. "We're your family now, and we're all very worried that you were involved in such an incident. You've given us no choice but to force you to stay at Hogwarts, far away from your aunt and uncle."

Harry gave a halfhearted laugh.

"I'll get right on that, Rose," Harry said.

Dear Mum and Dad,

I'm not sure how I'm going to get this letter to you, but everyone else was writing letters to their parents, so I thought I'd write one too. You would be proud of me. I saved the lives of two of my classmates Thursday night. Hermione used the seashell I gave her to call for help, and I used status to determine her location, and dim door to get to her. Once there, I found that a giant was about to smash my friends Hermione and Sally-Anne with a club. I deflected the club, used a dust eggshell grenade to blind it, then fixed Hermione's legs. This bully named Draco Malfoy used a spell to freeze them.

After Sally-Anne and Hermione had run off, I cut off the giant's forearm, then tripped it, and went for the kill strike. I know you don't like it when I kill anything. I just wanted to make sure that the girls were safe. Everything was only made worse by the presence of a dragon. The good news was that it was only a green dragon.

I miss you a lot. I have to keep telling everyone that you're dead so they won't try to find you. It was Sk'lar's idea, but it makes sense. It's starting to feel like you two really are dead again. I'm so sorry that I didn't get the seashells finished sooner.

I think you'd like Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He's really nice. He's also the only one who has figured out that I'm actually from another world. I don't exactly keep it a secret, but he's the only one who considered the possibility that I'm actually telling the truth. He reminds me a lot of Uncle Oz, and Professor McGonagall reminds me a little of Carolina. She's really strict, but she's really nice when she needs to be. I've also caught her looking at the Headmaster as if he's crazy. It's almost the same exact look that Carolina gives me sometimes!

There's also Professor Snape, who dresses and acts almost identically to Shadow. Naturally, I've decided that I'm going to become his friend! So far, I think it's going well. He even agreed with me on Friday during class! It might have been to get me to stop bothering him, but I think it's because he's starting to like me!

Professor Quirrell is evil, unfortunately. I'm not sure if Professor Dumbledore knows yet, but I think he might. The Headmaster has this aura of… whatever that word is that starts with an 'o' that means knows everything… about him (Again, just like Uncle Oz). Professor Quirrell was the one that most likely let in the giant on Thursday, then tried to kill Harry on Saturday. Naturally, I confronted him about it shortly afterward, and told him to stay the Hells away from my friends. I'm not sure if he's going to listen, though.

I miss you both and can't wait to go home.

Love,

Your Little Rose Blossom

Rose put her pen down, then reread her letter.

"I'll be home soon," she whispered.

After putting away her notebook, Rose laid down in her bed. Instead of simply humming her mum's lullaby as she usually did, Rose decided she wanted to hear the words again, so she sang to an empty room.

Red like Roses

Gold like the Sun.

It goes down to let us know

That now, the day is done

Red like Roses

Silver, how it gleams

Don't worry, little one

You're sure to have sweet dreams

Red like Roses

Black as the night

And now it's time, my dear

For us to say good night