Charlotte Weasley

Chapter 23 - International Correspondance

In the days after Lacey's accident she was treated very delactely by other students as though she were a porcelain doll, breakable and fragile. 

I could never get her to tell me what she had seen in the woods and I decided to drop it but a part of me was very curious as to what had shaken her so much. 

I went up to the Gryffindor common room by myself, everyone else was nowhere to be found. I figured the common room was my best bet as to where they were. 

I told the fat lady the password and stepped into the common room. It was packed, they were all congregated around the notice board, many talking excitedly and pointing at the sign pinned to the board.

I walked up to it, pushing past a few people. 

There was a crisp sheet of white paper stuck to the wall; 

FROM THE OFFICES OF KINGSLEY SHAKLEBOLT, MINISTER OF MAGIC

At Hogwarts, we are instituting a new program to promote international relations among the young generations and forge important friendships that may benefit us in the future. 

In the next few weeks or so, all students at Hogwarts minus NEWT students, will be matched with a student their age and gender from the two schools, Beauxbatons in Frace, and Starkkappa in Scandinvia. We hope by including a class in your curiculum to teach you how to communicate appropropriatly with foreign countries and a time to write your letters and send them. 

By the end of the year, the ministry hopes that you have become friends with your correspondants and remain in contact over the summer. 

This new International Correspondance class will be obligatory for students years 1-5 and years 6 and 7 are of course invited to partake in this but are not forced. 

Yours Sincerely, 

Kingsley Shacklebolt,

Minister of Magic

Britt siddled up next to me, "Isn't this so exciting!" 

"Yes!" I grinned, "I wonder if I will have a Beauxbatons student or a Starkkappa. I never really thought about other wizarding schools. Of course Fleur went to Beauxbatons and the other school in the Triwizard Tournament was Durmstrange, but I've never heard of Starkkappa."

"Hmm. Well no, Starkkappa was pretty secluded for a while but now they are beggining to form connections with Hogwarts. I think its amazing!" Britt practically jumped in the air. 

The Gryffindors began to filter out of the common room and soon Britt and I were one of the few left. 

We sat in some of the chairs next to the fire and chatted for a while. I couldn't wait for the International Correspondance class to begin. 

And it did, within a few days of the notice being posted in the common room, they recieved a revised schedule with an International Correspondance class added to mondays after DADA. 

They days prior to Monday went by achingly slow and I was waiting on tenderhooks for the class. 

When Monday finally came and Professor Lutterworth was soon clearing up after their lesson with a few defensive spells that had resulted in broken objects scattered across the room. 

We walked in a pack to the classroom on the third floor where their class would be and stood waiting outside the door a full five minutes before class, a record. 

A young woman, in her early twenties,  opened the door and ushered them inside. She had long, wavy golden brown hair and soft brown eyes. She wore a fashionable little dress with a jean jacket and had her wand stuck in belt. 

"Please, come inside. When you all settle down I will announce your pair." The first years all obliged. We would be having this class with the Hufflepuffs. 

Britt and I snagged seats in the front and when everyone finally got seated the professor walked to the front. 

"Hello!" She smiled, "I am Professor Ravensdale and I will be teaching you a class in International Correspondance. I would tell you a little about myself but I doubt any of you will listen because you are all to excited to find your penpal," a few people chuckled and others smiled, "So I won't beat around the bush:

I am going to start out with the Starkkappa pairs;

Grace Barnes, Agna Ahlgren

Lacey Fogg, Elisabet Blomgren

Britt Woods, Zara Lindgren.."

Professor Ravensdale went on and said more and more pairs, 

"Jacob Wright, Finn Leifsson

Peter Godfrey, Gustav Svenson"

Professor Ravensdale finished with the Stakkappa pairs and went on to the Beauxbatons pairs:

"Valery Hooch, Emelie DeJardin

Charlotte Weasley, Ophelie Castien

Arnold Groby, Clovis Lafayette" 

She finished and everyone started talking. 

"Wow! I have a penpal from Starkkappa! Zara Lindgren.. I wonder what she is like!" Britt exclaimed. 

I was excited as well to learn more about Ophelie Castien who coincidentaly had the same name as my owl.

"Okay, okay, settle down!" Professor Ravensdale signaled for them to quiet down, "So today we will begin by writing our first letter.."

During the class, we wrote our letters, sent them and Professor Ravensdale told us a few subjects that we should never bring up with foreigners. She also told us that their owls from the schools will arrive in a few days, the Beauxbatons ones sooner than the Starkkappa ones.

All in all, it was a very exciting affair and  I was anxious to get my letter from Ophelie. 

As I fell asleep that night, thoughts swam through my head about what she might be like and what she might be thinking about Hogwarts so many miles away. 

 A PRETTY SHORT CHAPTER, HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! AND REMEMBER TO VOTE AND COMMENT!