A few days later:

I've been studying the runes again. The samples I copied from that book have come in really useful. I've used them to correct some errors in the 'key' that I put together. The first two pages of the book, as I had suspected, are indexes. The first one is an index of potions, the second is an index of spells.

The really interesting thing is, I have not heard of any of the potions listed. Though I don't like the sound of some of them. There's one that sounds like it's intended to cause 'the plague', which sounds awful, even though right next to it is one that's listed as 'the cure to the plague'. There's also a potion that seems to be described as causing people to 'dance until they die'. Some pretty dark potion types in there.

I have a feeling that book would definitely be in the Restricted Section - or maybe not even allowed at Hogwarts at all, if people knew about it.

The spells also look interesting. They have strange names, some of them aren't even in Latin, like spells usually are. So I have no idea what they do.

I'm curious to go back and copy down more from that old book, seeing as I've found a way to translate it! I do feel a bit creeped out by it though, and when I mentioned it to Lotty, she made it clear she wasn't going anywhere near that place again.

I don't want to go back there on my own, but I know I am probably going to go back there at some point.

Later:

So Lotty didn't get into the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, despite doing really, really well in the Quidditch trials. She told me she overheard some Gryffindors talking about her as though she could be a spy for us Slytherins, sabotaging the matches from within, or passing along information about their tactics to us. Lotty was right - she didn't get into the Gryffindor Quidditch Team because she's a Carrow.

There is some good news though. Lotty has a replacement broom now, she says it's a lot faster than her old one, but she has to get used to it. I've got my broom back, undamaged. It's actually in better condition than when I gave it to her, she has taken really good care of it.

First Week of February:

Disappointingly, Professor Livia seems to have stopped teaching us how to summon a Patronus. Every DADA class has been incredibly boring. We haven't even done any more duelling.

Professor Longbottom has been extra careful in Herbology, and Professor Park seems to have run out of insults to give.

As for my siblings; Ed is still being boring and grumpy, Jared is just being his usual self, Lotty has been gloomy since the outcome of the Quidditch trials (and I'm not sure how to cheer her up, though I have tried), but as for Anita...

I found Anita over by the Whomping Willow. She appeared to be attacking it! She was dancing around it, holding a stick, lunging at it, and dodging the branches as they lashed out!

"Anita! What are you doing!?"I yelled, horrified.

"I'm..."she began, breathlessly, as she rolled out of the way of a large branch,"you know... just... training..."

"Training for what!?"I yelled.

Anita dodged away from the tree, and ran towards me with an enormous grin on her face.

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"I'm training my reflexes and fighting skills,"she said,"never know when you might need them! It's not just magic we should be learning to be good at!"

"You're training your reflexes by picking a fight with the Whomping Willow?"I said, in disbelief.

"And - look! I've got a trophy,"Anita continued, showing me a branch from the willow, it was the 'stick' she had been holding. Even as she held it, it was whipping around in her hands.

"I was whacking it with a bit of it,"she said,"made it even more mad!"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that is!?"I said,"that tree could crush you to death!"

"I suppose it could, but that just motivates my training,"Anita responded.

"Anita, if you want to test your reflexes, you need to stop using the Whomping Willow or you'll have no reflexes left to test!"I insisted.

"Uh,"Anita said, she looked back at the tree, just as the small willow frond she was holding whipped into her face, knocking her glasses off and leaving a cut on her cheek.

"Maybe it is a bit risky,"she said, throwing the willow frond back in the direction of the tree,"but we were supposed to practise duelling each other, remember? That hasn't happened!"

"Yes, because the weather got really cold,"I said,"also we've not got much time, with all of the studying we need to be doing."

"We have to do it soon, though,"Anita said.

"We will in the Spring,"I said,"just - no more attacking the Whomping Willow, ok?"

"Look out!"Anita suddenly warned.

The willow frond she had thrown back towards the tree was making it's way towards us! I quickly leapt out of the way as it lashed out.

The blasted thing followed us into the castle! It followed Anita around for ages, until Professor Longbottom, of all people, ended up taking care of it.

Anita had better watch out for the Whomping Willow from now on. I'm convinced that thing remembers it's enemies!

Valentine's Day:

I completely forgot it was Valentine's Day until I started getting them. All anonymous (could have all been the same person, for all I knew). I ended up with about 6 by the evening. I don't really care about Valentine's Day that much, but it's nice actually getting them. However, I also received something which I can only describe as an anti-Valentine.

When I opened it, it showed a moving sketch of someone being blasted dead (who I supposed was meant to be me) by another person with a wand. Underneath was written 'Pureblood loser scum'.

I actually laughed. When things like this happen, there always is that option. Just laugh. It was quite amusing after all. My first ever anti-Valentine. Fortunately, I didn't have any more of them. One is quite enough.

I decided not to show it to Lotty, but as I was showing it to Anita (for a laugh), Priscilla Bulstrode was looking over.

"What is that?"she asked.

I showed it to her.

She laughed,"you kept this?"she said,"I'd have torn it up!"

"Well,"I said, not really knowing what to say.

She handed it back to me, still laughing,"you're a weird one, Catherine. Do you have any idea who might have sent you that - hate letter?"

"I have no idea,"I said.

"Do you think it could have been that boy that beat you in duelling?"Priscilla suggested,"that boy, Silas?"

"I don't know,"I said,"it could have been anyone."

"I might know a way to find out who did write it,"Priscilla went on,"it could be fun."

"What does it involve?"I asked.

"It involves a potion, and a special kind of trick,"Priscilla said,"you see, I have this enchanted paper - it catches people's fingerprints. It goes well with this Revealing Potion I made."

"Wait - you invented a potion?"I said.

"Yeah, sort of,"Priscilla explained,"I based it on a potion that already exists, and I used some spells to go with it. I made it into something that's a bit more useful for certain things..."

"So, what would you do?"I asked.

"First thing,"said Priscilla,"has anyone else, besides you and me, touched this letter?"

"Just me, you and Anita,"I answered.

"Well, what I'm going to do is this,"Priscilla went on,"I brew the potion, and as I brew it, I add people's fingerprints. I can obtain them by getting individuals to touch the enchanted paper. Then I write their name on the paper, then I add it to the potion. I can add a whole bunch of names. Then when it's finished, I mix it into a paste, spread it over the paper - and there will be revealed all the names of whoever has touched that letter!"

"That sounds genius!"I said,"but won't it be really difficult getting everyone's fingerprints?"

"You can leave that part of me,"Priscilla said, with a smirk.

"I think a good place to start would be the Gryffindor 6th years,"I suggested,"I get the idea it was someone who saw how badly I failed in duelling class that time. Though it could also be someone who heard about it, I suppose."

"Gryffindors in our year are definitely a good place to start,"Priscilla agreed,"but to be on the safe side, I should get as many as possible. I'll let you know how it goes."