21 May 2020, 12:29
Love from Home - you wish
Ileen yawned, the open mouth covered with her hand, and stirred thoughtlessly in her cereal. It was still early in the morning and only a few other students were already here to have breakfast. The Slytherin table was almost empty. The faint rays of the morning sun bathed the hall in a warm golden color.
Although lleen herself was still very tired, she had gotten out earlier than necessary every day. She loved the time when the whole castle was still asleep and only slowly started to awake. Ileen had made herself comfortable at the side of the Slytherin table nearest the door and flipped through “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” without really reading anything. Sometimes she paused to look at a picture more closely, then she let her thoughts wander again. She had picked the book to distract herself - but it wasn’t really working.
She missed New Zealand with the huge house and the animals. In Hogwarts she felt much better than in London. Last night she actually had realized that she was happy in Hogwarts. But still something was missing. Something that truly made her feel like being at home.
This was a thought she had been carrying around for a while and she had thought several times that she was acting childish and ridiculous. After all she had more here than she could have ever wanted.
But this other thing was important to her. It was crucial to her. A piece that was missing from the whole puzzle. She wondered once again how her parents were doing back in London. For them, crammed into the narrow city, it had to be much harder. For sure, they were missing New Zealand much more than Ileen did, since she was at Hogwarts with its wonderful grounds.
I still wonder what they did during their time at Hogwarts that they regret so much.
she was still lost in indignant thoughts when one of the school owls floated silently through the room and landed elegantly in front of her between the muesli and the milk can.
It took a little while before ileen noticed that the owl wanted to go to her. It was the first time she got mail. Only when the owl demonstratively rushed its wings and clacked its beak angrily, the young girl looked up. A large barn owl sat in front of her and impatiently stretched out a leg to which a small letter was knotted, bearing her name. As she recognized her dads handwriting she hurried to take the letter off the owl's leg. In her haste she shook the owl lightly, which then ejected an unwillingly loud. As soon as Ileen as released her leg, she flew away in disgust.
Ileen did not pay attention to it, but curiously unfolded the letter. This had to be the answer to the Letter she had written to her parents the other day.
She was a little disappointed when she saw how short the letter was.
Ileen read the letter several times and each time her incredulity and disappointment grew. They were going back home?! Disbelief and disappointment mixed to horrified rage. At first, they had forced her to move to London and spend two lonely years there, only to run away back home as soon as they got rid of her. Weren't those the thoughts her parents had drilled into her all those years? You never know where someone is setting a trap or is trying to get rid of you. Well - her parents took the first opportunity to leave her behind.
With trembling fingers she crumpled the letter in her fist. Why does that surprise me?, she asked herself bitterly. He parents had never told her more than what they had felt was absolutely necessary. They never told me the truth. They don't even trust their own daughter.
Ileen felt the urge to run away and let out all the anger and disappointment. But she didn't.
Instead she tried to calm down and sort out her thoughts and feelings.
So she would stay at Hogwarts for the whole year. Fair enough. She wouldn't have wanted to go to London anyway. But it did hurt to know that her parents were in New Zealand without her.
A thought crystallized in her eleven-year-old head. Now was the right time to ask for the missing part of the puzzle. She wanted to feel at home at hogwarts, more than ever before. And she had shied away from it long enough.
Although lleen herself was still very tired, she had gotten out earlier than necessary every day. She loved the time when the whole castle was still asleep and only slowly started to awake. Ileen had made herself comfortable at the side of the Slytherin table nearest the door and flipped through “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” without really reading anything. Sometimes she paused to look at a picture more closely, then she let her thoughts wander again. She had picked the book to distract herself - but it wasn’t really working.
She missed New Zealand with the huge house and the animals. In Hogwarts she felt much better than in London. Last night she actually had realized that she was happy in Hogwarts. But still something was missing. Something that truly made her feel like being at home.
This was a thought she had been carrying around for a while and she had thought several times that she was acting childish and ridiculous. After all she had more here than she could have ever wanted.
But this other thing was important to her. It was crucial to her. A piece that was missing from the whole puzzle. She wondered once again how her parents were doing back in London. For them, crammed into the narrow city, it had to be much harder. For sure, they were missing New Zealand much more than Ileen did, since she was at Hogwarts with its wonderful grounds.
I still wonder what they did during their time at Hogwarts that they regret so much.
she was still lost in indignant thoughts when one of the school owls floated silently through the room and landed elegantly in front of her between the muesli and the milk can.
It took a little while before ileen noticed that the owl wanted to go to her. It was the first time she got mail. Only when the owl demonstratively rushed its wings and clacked its beak angrily, the young girl looked up. A large barn owl sat in front of her and impatiently stretched out a leg to which a small letter was knotted, bearing her name. As she recognized her dads handwriting she hurried to take the letter off the owl's leg. In her haste she shook the owl lightly, which then ejected an unwillingly loud. As soon as Ileen as released her leg, she flew away in disgust.
Ileen did not pay attention to it, but curiously unfolded the letter. This had to be the answer to the Letter she had written to her parents the other day.
She was a little disappointed when she saw how short the letter was.
Darling,
it was very sweet of you to write to us. Even though we didn't expect you to end up in Slytherin, we are sure you'll do fine. Just take good care of yourself, study hard and make us proud.
Your mother and I will be on our way back to New Zealand by the time you read this letter. We have to go back there for another year because of our jobs. You'll love Christmas at Hogwarts. We're pleased to see you've already made a friend. We'll see you in London when you come home for your summer holidays.
Your mother and I love you. Take care of yourself! Write as soon as you can!
Dad
Ileen read the letter several times and each time her incredulity and disappointment grew. They were going back home?! Disbelief and disappointment mixed to horrified rage. At first, they had forced her to move to London and spend two lonely years there, only to run away back home as soon as they got rid of her. Weren't those the thoughts her parents had drilled into her all those years? You never know where someone is setting a trap or is trying to get rid of you. Well - her parents took the first opportunity to leave her behind.
With trembling fingers she crumpled the letter in her fist. Why does that surprise me?, she asked herself bitterly. He parents had never told her more than what they had felt was absolutely necessary. They never told me the truth. They don't even trust their own daughter.
Ileen felt the urge to run away and let out all the anger and disappointment. But she didn't.
Instead she tried to calm down and sort out her thoughts and feelings.
So she would stay at Hogwarts for the whole year. Fair enough. She wouldn't have wanted to go to London anyway. But it did hurt to know that her parents were in New Zealand without her.
A thought crystallized in her eleven-year-old head. Now was the right time to ask for the missing part of the puzzle. She wanted to feel at home at hogwarts, more than ever before. And she had shied away from it long enough.
"Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light."