Welcome to Charming, where swirling petticoats, the language of flowers, and old-fashioned duels are only the beginning of what is lying underneath…
After a magical attempt on her life in 1877, Queen Victoria launched a crusade against magic that, while tidied up by the Ministry of Magic, saw the Wizarding community exiled to Hogsmeade, previously little more than a crossroad near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the years that have passed since, Hogsmeade has suffered plagues, fires, and Victorian hypocrisy but is still standing firm.
Thethe year is now 1894. It’s time to join us and immerse yourself in scandal and drama interlaced with magic both light and dark.
I hope it isn’t too presumptuous to pester you during the holidays – I suppose you’re taking well deserved time off from studying – but I’ve been trying to recall the title of that neat little library book you were revising from at the end of last term (green cover, useful diagrams, had a broken spine?) and for the life of me, it’s gone from my head. Do you remember it? I’d be much obliged if you do, I’m trying to track down a copy of my own before seventh year.
How has your summer been so far? Not missing the Hogwarts library too much, I hope? (I am joking, though I expect it probably sounds like I do.)
It isn't presumptuous at all. I never mind hearing from a friend over these slow summer months.
I believe the book you're inquiring after is One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Headmistress Phyllida Spore. My copy of it is quite worn with a similar crack in its spine, I would be happy to show it to you come the school year. Sending it on with the owl seems a bit risky given its already fragile condition.
It seems impossible to not miss the Hogwarts library after how much time spent there these last few years. I most certainly long for the silence of the stacks. How is yours? Do you see much excitement over the summer holidays?
That’s the one, thank you! And that’s kind of you, but I would never have wanted you to bother sending it to me, I would hate to steal your copy for the summer! I meant to order myself the book anyway, to brush up on my Herbology this summer because I’m thinking of – but for some reason I was mixing it up with something by Selina Sapworthy so didn’t find it on my last trip to the bookshop.
That is, if I can find any time to study at home, because there’s rarely any silence here. My older brothers make up for my lack of noise ten times over, and that’s only between three of them. And not even counting the racket my mother can make, if she tries. But I think your family is bigger than mine? So perhaps I’m lucky, and don’t know what I’m talking about! Do yours find ways to pester you at every opportunity?
So I wouldn’t say excitement, but it’s been busy enough. I’ve spent most days out roaming the park by the house, Hampstead Heath – but I’ve heard about a chess tournament in Hogsmeade and some garden exhibition later this month, so might see about those. What about you?
Oh! I know the book you're speaking of, they have similar covers and easily mistaken for one another. I wish you the best of luck finding it on your next trip to the bookshop!
It's a pity we're not permitted to use magic outside of school. A simple silencing spell would make it easier for both of us to study. And yes, I do indeed have more siblings of the two of us coming in with three brothers and four sisters. You might know of two of them, though possibly not. Bridget and Callum are both attending school, albeit both of them are in younger years. Three or seven or even fifteen are all noisy, though, so you have my sympathies on the lack of quiet.
My grandmother sponsored my fee for the chess tournament, so perhaps I'll see you there! Otherwise, I don't foresee many ventures away from the rural fields of Ireland. What is the park like?
Maybe I will see you at the chess then! Oh, the park is nice enough – it’s bigger than you’d think, though, bigger than Padmore or the Hogwarts grounds. There’s always something to see – I’ve been foraging around and trying to learn more about muggle plants, to supplement my herbology – but also people playing sports and flying kites and a menagerie and there’s a whole stretch of woodland... but it is still London, so you do have to look out in case you end up getting mugged. I suppose that’s less likely in the fields of Ireland, at least?
I accept your sympathies – and return them. I know of those two, but does that mean you are the eldest in your family? I’m the youngest in mine. So I bet you’re good at keeping all your siblings in line... or that you’re excited to get away from them all again; are you looking forward to fifth year much?
Mugged! I do hope you will remain safe, Mr Higgs. The thought of you facing such a vicious assailant is a dreadful one indeed. The rest of the park sounds lovely, I suppose, though if it were me I wouldn't think it worthy of exploration in such a state.
Ireland is far quieter. There are thieves and cons like everywhere else, but they're more likely to plan a long game than go for the immediate satisfaction of mugging. Does that count as more dangerous then? I'm not sure which is worse.
I am the eldest of my siblings. It's as much of a burden as a blessing, as I'm constantly stressed over their wellbeing. And yes, I'm quite looking forward to fifth year. Do you have any advice having just survived it?
Oh, please. Living with my brothers over summer makes a mugging almost preferable, I’ll be honest. It’d be a much more peaceful experience! But I hope your summer doesn’t involve any of your targeting by thieves playing the long con. (...Merlin, this is a cheerful topic.)
On a not-much-more-cheerful topic, I suppose the only advice I have is not to burn yourself out too badly at the beginning of the year, or cram all the work in at the end. Slow and steady is the way with OWL studying, I think. I expect you know this well enough already, hence all the library time.
That and it helps if you know what you want to do in the future, when you’re thinking about choosing your best subjects for NEWTs and a career. Some of us (cough) didn’t work that out early enough – or at all – and are fast running out of time to scrape together some ambition and a plan. That might be a muteme Ravenclaw problem, though. I suppose you already know exactly what you’d like to do for NEWTs?
It has quieted a bit now. Well, not completely quiet – I’m growing my own Screechsnaps this summer, and they’re pretty noisy.
And you’re welcome to tell me anything you like, if it helps. It doesn’t cost me much to keep them – but most people don’t think to ask first either, so thanks. (Obviously I wouldn’t breathe a word, even if I could.)
Screechsnaps are miserable plants to be around. You have my sympathies.
Due to an unfortunate turn of events I won't be returning to school after this upcoming year. It's a fact that I've come to terms with, but the thought of telling my friends is overwhelming. They all stem from a more successful station in life, one where their education is all but guaranteed so they won't understand my reasonings. Although I've accepted this to be my fate I have limited patience in arguing the point. Should I simply not tell them? It feels almost deceitful to avoid the subject when the future is so commonly discussed.
And you have my sympathies. I’m really sorry. And sorry for asking about your NEWTs, too. I didn’t think
That’s difficult, either way. But I think not telling them would be hard – on you, mostly. Keeping things to yourself for that long can be pretty terrible. And the real problem is that they’ll find out eventually anyway, and it’ll be worse for them if they don’t know until you’re already leaving.
But they’re your friends – so they’ll understand, and I’m sure they’ll adjust. And they’ll still be your friends, whatever you do, or wherever you are.
It's okay. You didn't know, and if I do decide not to tell my friends it's a conversation I'll have to get used to having.
One of my friends found out this past week and he reacted ridiculously. He refused to accept that I wasn't going back to school and was adamant that there had to be something else that could be done. There isn't, of course. I have thought of little else for over a year now, working out all paths and avenues so that I might remain in school. It simply isn't tenable for my family. Why is that so difficult to understand?
I don't believe school friends are so emotionally connected that the friendships extend far beyond the reach of school. Another friend of mine lives within walking distance of two others and has spent little if any time with them this summer. Why? Because working out a time is challenging. You would think if the friendship is that important that you would put the effort in regardless of challenge, right? Perhaps we're all only friends because we've been in such close confines for years. Perhaps once we're in the wider world and the convenience of being so close is gone we will all cease to be friends.
Forgive me, Mr. Higgs. I'm feeling rather morose. I do hope your last few weeks of summer are going well!
I’m sorry about your friend’s reaction. It’s new for them, but it’s not new for you: so of course you’ve thought of every possibility already. They must not see that yet – but in the end, it’s your life. You know best what to do.
It does sound like he’ll miss you, though. And I hope what you say isn’t completely true, that Hogwarts friendships won’t last once we’re out of school. If only because I have few enough friends already, so I don’t think I can afford to lose any when I finish in May. I’ll have none left!
(Now who’s morose?)
I hope you’re feeling better about things today. I’m looking forward to being back at Hogwarts anyway, last year there or not. And – it’s not much help, I know – but if it all goes terribly and none of your friends put in the effort to see you (I think they will), I’ll be out of school in a year too, so I’ll come visit you any time you like and we can pretend to be studying in the library again.
(Besides, if you’re right, it sounds like I’ll need the friends.)
Friendships, in my opinion, are entirely about the effort put made to maintain them. If your friends mean that much to you then you will find a way to make them last, I'm sure. It might just take a little work, that's all.
We'll see one another in a few days, at least! And I will definitely take you up on your offer of visits. Perhaps we can visit the library in London — what's the name of it? Crowdsbury?
I suppose you’re right, and that most things worth having probably take a fair bit of work. In any case, I’ve had some letter writing practice now (thanks!), so that can’t hurt my chances when it comes to keeping old friends.
Crowdy Memorial, you mean! Yes, that’s a good idea. I’ve been there a few times in the summers before, and if you think Hogwarts has a good library, you’ll be amazed at the size of that place – maybe neither of us will end up missing the castle at all.
In the meantime, I’ll see you in the Hogwarts library soon enough, I’m sure! (You can tell me what your plans are after OWLs. Are you going to be working on the farm?)
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