(HOGWARTS MYSTERY) Janelle Morgan -- Year 1: The Forbidden Corridor

Chapter 8: The Tyranny of Merula Snyde

Dear Mum,

I hope you're alright. It has been a few weeks, and I've been away from you long enough to already miss you. I would've written sooner, but so many things have been happening that I haven't had the time, so I'm writing now.

Hogwarts is amazing! It's just as amazing as you described. The castle is just beautiful, especially at night. I love sitting by the Black Lake, reading my books and watching the Giant Squid's tentacles rise over the surface of the water every now and then.

Also, you'll be proud to know I've been Sorted into Gryffindor House, just like you. I was originally thinking of Hufflepuff, but I ultimately chose Gryffindor. I'm honestly not sure why. Maybe deep down I wanted to be viewed as courageous and chivalrous and not anything like Jacob. I understand he made terrible mistakes at Hogwarts before he disappeared, but it seems like now that I'm here, people expect me to be just like him and get into the same trouble he did, which is not true at all. It's hard to prove to people that I'm not like my brother in any way, and I don't wish to be like him in the future either. I do, however, want to find out what happened to him and what led him to making these terrible choices, but people don't seem to trust me to approach them even to ask for help, like they think I'm going to curse them or something. Even my professors seem to think the same way about me, especially Professor Snape, who teaches Potions. I'm assuming he's new since you never mentioned him. He's the grouchiest professor in the school, in my opinion, which, I guess, is fitting for the Head of Slytherin House.

Luckily I've got a few amazing friends who support me greatly. Rowan Khanna (also a Gryffindor like me) has been the greatest friend anyone could ask for. She is very intelligent and loves to read just about anything she could get her hands on. Her favourite place in the castle is, of course, the Library, much to Madam Pince's displeasure. Ben Copper is another very good friend, but very cowardly as well, especially for a Gryffindor; although, I believe he'll grow out of his cowardice in the near future. I guess his cowardice makes sense, what with him being Muggle-Born; magic seems like an otherworldly thing to him, but he's quite good at it, especially Charms. I could see him becoming a brilliant Charms professor one day, should Professor Flitwick decide to retire.

Classes are going great. Charms is also a class I have a knack for, as well as Transfiguration. Flying is also quite fun, at least from observation since we haven't had a chance to properly fly yet. I hope we get to properly fly soon, as I may be thinking of joining our Quidditch Team in later years. Potions is another class I like, but I would've liked it a whole lot more if Professor Snape weren't teaching it. He's so intimidating, but I'm not going to let this distract me from reaching my goal of succeeding in my first year and future years as well. History of Magic is interesting, at least when Rowan is teaching the subject instead of Professor Binns. If I had my way, I'd just let Rowan teach from now on, since she at least keeps the class alive (oops, sorry, Professor Binns). At least Defense Against the Dark Arts isn't a snooze-fest like History of Magic. The class would've been more interesting, had the professor actually had the nerve to teach. The professor is scared of literally everything, including her own shadow. I don't know how she agreed to take the position (they obviously don't call it "Defense Against the Dark Arts" for nothing), but, then again, they say the position is cursed, and those who teach it don't typically stay for longer than a year, if even that. Who knows, maybe we'll get a decent DADA professor next year.

Obviously, you can't attend school without dealing with some kind of bully. One—if not the—biggest bully in my year is a Slytherin girl named Merula Snyde. You have probably read in the Daily Prophet about her parents being sent to Azkaban just before the school year started. Rowan told me about them, and we are under the disturbing impression that Merula could be just like them. Not that she's murdered anybody (yet), but she does like to terrorize anyone and everyone who crosses her path. She seems to have made me her primary target, teasing me and claiming she's a better witch than me. She sabotaged my potion on my first day, and I ended up being punished because of her. She even faked a note and sent Rowan and I to a storeroom filled with Devil's Snare that almost killed me. I honestly don't know how I am going to survive with her tyranny, and my friends and I have thought of everything we could think of. Going to a professor doesn't seem to work, nor the Prefects. One of the Gryffindor Prefects in particular, Angelica Cole, is the worst, telling me to stay out of trouble and whatnot; but how can I "stay out of trouble" with Merula always causing it and then blaming me for it? I figure that the only way to end her tyranny is to join the Dueling Club, which is also something I originally planned to do as an activity outside of class. Of course, I'd have to learn some dueling spells first.