Kaitlyn's Martch

Merry Christmas!

When I stepped foot at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,
I have been overwhelmed!
By all the magic, all the stories, all the people that have walked these hallowed halls!
All the houses have exciting traditions!
I was proudly sorted into Slytherin!
As a shy, quiet, lesbian muggle-born.

And I’ve made so many amazing friends!
I’m honestly surprised by the number willing to be my friend.
I’ve befriended other muggleborn students, just like me!
But, that’s not all. I’ve also befriended half-blood students,
And I even befriended pure-blood students.
All of us interacting, sharing ideas and thought processes,
Study habits, note-taking procedures.
Forming study groups and spell-casting sessions.
Slytherin! Hufflepuff! Gryffindor! Ravenclaw!

Even amongst these differences, I enjoy learning about different cultures.
Different customs, traditions, food.
I love learning about my fellow students who aren’t just like me.
While we can talk until we’re blue in the face about what is different,
I love to teach my friends about what I like, what I like to do, what my customs are.
For my friend group is a melting pot. Sharing, caring, helping, listening.
Actively applying our differences to make our lives better.
This is why I love my friends, I love hanging out with them.
And I hope we can foster a rich friendly atmosphere.

I'm pleased to introduce my Ilvermorny iNPC:

First-year, Horned Serpent, muggle-born from New York City

"My Destiny ... Funny, I never really gave thought to it before. But, I like to help others. So ... maybe ..."

What is a superhero, really?
Is it someone who runs around fighting crime in tights and a cape?
Is it someone who stands for justice?
Is it someone who looks to save humanity?
Superheros of that nature are fun to read
in comic books, manga, and graphic novels.
To see in movies, to dream sweet memories at night, to write fanfiction about in our spare time,
to visualize saving us from our current boredom

Those are not the only descriptors attached to a superhero.
“A role model.”
“Someone to look up to.”
“Someone to give hope.”
“Someone that gives inspiration!”
All such righteous descriptions.
They fit superheroes like a glove.

To me, a superhero is more than a cape, more than tights,
More than a strange-sounding name to conceal an identity
Known to so many like a household name.
It is more than just a strange person doing strange things.
An ever-expanding definition to include more and more people,
Maybe even some closer to home.

To me, you see, a healer meets that definition.
A healer is a role model, someone to look up to,
Someone to give hope, and someone to give inspiration.
They save lives, keep us safe, and are one note away.
Healers come in different types for different ailments.
But, they all have the same goal: to keep us as healthy as possible.
To me, a healer is just as important, if not more so, than a superhero.

Kaitlyn sat by the black lake, on her yoga mat, in the middle of a tree pose with her eyes closed. Just as she was about to move poses, she heard splashing in the lake. When she opened her eyes, a tentacle pierced the lake’s shimmering surface and grabbed hold of her arm.

“EEEK!” Kaitlyn shrieked, seeing the head of the squid bob near the surface. She felt a tug of the tentacle, lost her balance, and crashed down against the ground. Shaking her head to relieve the momentary stun, she found the squid had moved her arm into … almost … no wait! It was! An arm-wrestling stance.

The squid tried to force down her arm. It was very strong! ‘No, no, no, no,’ she kept repeating in her mind. Struggling at first to keep her arm from moving. ‘Ah, I haven’t been training my arms nearly as much as the rest of my body. Maybe this is a sign I need to do better?’ She thought.

But Kaitlyn got her bearings and started to move her arm in the other direction, gritting her teeth in the process. Back and forth, back and forth, Kaitlyn and the squid went. In a brief splurge of strength, the squid pushed Kaitlyn’s arm against the ground and won.

“Ah, boo!” Kaitlyn sighed. “Good game, though,” she called out to the squid, as it released her arm. “We should do this again sometime? I’ll have to train my arms more,” she giggled.

The squid moved its tentacle, which Kaitlyn interpreted as ‘Yes,’ she giggled. “Thanks again,” she smiled. She picked up her yoga mat, and slid her feet into a pair of sandals. She waved once more to the squid and skipped back to Hogwarts.

Walking through the grounds at Hogwarts is always exciting.
Watching the shimmer of the black lake,
With its eventual sighting of the giant squid.
Observing the garden at the Gamekeeper’s hut
And the produce being grown.
Catching a glimpse of the plants in the Herbology greenhouse.
Watching the edge of the forbidden forest,
Hearing all sorts of noises.
Gallops. Screeches, flapping.
All sorts of magical and mystical creatures hide just mere feet away.
As the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat.
In this case, curiosity kills the student.

As interesting as all of that is, and not to mention the amazing architecture.
Sure, the inside looks lovely, but the outside of the castle is just as nice.

All of that pales in comparison to the Whomping Willow tree.
It’s gentle sway in the wind makes it look so innocent.
But, you get too close, and it attacks!
Its hard and heavy branches swing wildly at its target, ready to knock you off balance.

And yet, it is amazing dancing practice.
Feeling the gentle wind in my hair as I predict where the Whomping Willow will hit next.
A slide here … a slide there.
A twirl, and a duck.
A dodge and a pirouette … a moving pirouette.
A twist and a spin.
Locking my eyes on that troublesome tree.
Seeing it’s movements in my periphery, and accurately dodging it, as I spin and pirouette.
My movements as graceful as ever, as I cannot afford one slipup, or the hospital wing will call my name.

Kaitlyn walked down the cobblestone path in a hurry. She had used a fake slip to get into Hogsmeade. No doubt her puppy-dog eyes played a part of that. She had just narrowly missed being spotted by a Professor, as she left Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop. She quickly darted into Zonko’s joke shop. ‘I had heard rumors about this place … a lot of the older years go here to purchase pranks. I hope they have what I’m looking for,’ she thought.

Kaitlyn’s blue eyes grew big, as she saw the plethora of jokes, pranks, and other good natured fun. A flush passed over her cheeks. ‘No wonder Minnie likes this stuff … some of these look pretty cool. If she lets me see any, maybe I’ll be more enthusiastic about them,’ she thought, as she slowly walked around the shop. It was busy, so she would have a while before she was questioned by the shopkeeper.

While she was able to gracefully walk around, the young Slytherin came to a stop at a display. Kaitlyn’s eyes grew big again. ‘Dungbombs,’ she read in her mind. Suddenly, the shop keeper appeared next to her. “What can I do for you, miss?”

“I … um … c-can I g-get o-one dungbomb?” she stammered.

The shopkeeper laughed. “Just one? Why not make it five?”

Kaitlyn glanced at the price. ‘Maybe I hadn’t just bought a bunch of multi-colored ink,’ she thought. Doing some quick math in her head, she turned back to the shop keeper. “I’ll t-take t-three,” she confirmed.

Within minutes, Kaitlyn left Zonko’s Joke shop with a bag filled with dungbombs. ‘Now I just need to make Minnie a charm for her bracelet. I think she’ll like it,’ she thought gleefully as she navigated gracefully around other witches and wizards, keeping an eye out for professors.