Hermione Jane Granger

Harry Marvolo is in the library right now. He wanted to look up a lot of things. I helped him find books about the Lord Protector's rise to power, but he kept saying that they didn't make sense, and I wanted to tell him that he was right, but I'm not sure if he meant that they really didn't make sense or if he meant that he didn't understand them. Some of them were written for adults and all. So now he's sitting across the table from me and Madam Pince told me that I should make sure that he has anything he needs. Only he seems not to need much.

Someone left out an advanced Charms textbook and I've been reading it instead of talking to Marvolo. I wonder if the Protean Charm is what makes the Dark Mark go? It seems like a useful thing to know how to cast. I think that the seventh-years are doing it maybe. It mustn't be what makes the Dark Mark go, then, because they wouldn't teach students that, would they?

Work in the library is back to the usual. My word of the day is numinous, which sort of means "holy," but not really. It also just kind of means the feeling that you get when you go into a church. I can't remember ever being in a church so I don't know if that's true or not.

Today Neville was in looking for Transfiguration books, but I didn't want to talk to him in case we got in trouble. Neville, if you read this, I might have some ideas for you! There are a lot of different kinds and I don't know what you need. Madam Pince told me I was being silly not to just talk to you, but I think she doesn't know how people can be. She doesn't really leave the library much.

Terry has been awfully antsy lately. I don't know if he's been going to his work in the hospital wing or not. Madam Pomfrey has been very nice to me, though. Yesterday I even got to mix some potions - just mix them, mind you, not make them. But it was still loads of fun!

Today was a good day! I got to meet some of the students who came into the library, which means they are probably the smart ones, who study a lot. Professor Slughorn brought in a really interesting copy of Moste Potente Potions to be re-bound, and I had to do it with special leather because otherwise the potions ingredients wear away the cover, and that was new! I messed up a little bit on the sewing but Professor Slughorn said it was all right because no one would see it but him.

And I met Mr Lupin the gameskeeper, who's very nice, and I think he's going to come and bring me scones, which is very nice!

My vocabulary word of the day is niche. Madam Pince told me what it means. It means "a recess in a wall, for holding a statue or an urn," but it can also mean "your place in life," or "a hollow in a rock."