Silvia Moonberry liked shopping in Diagon Alley and all, but it got to be a bit too crowded this time of year. It wasn't that Silvia minded crowds. She liked being around people. People fascinated her, each and every one of them. Every wizard, witch, Muggle had a different story, different things they had been through, and Silvia wished she could learn about each and every one of them. However, the crowds had even gotten to thick for one of her interests and it was difficult being able to properly check out every item for school before making the final decision to purchase it. Plus, crowds in Diagon made her mum, Lotus Moonberry, nervous too, both because she was a Muggle and because she was a werewolf. Even in 2023, many in Diagon were not happy to have either around.

Hogsmeade wasn't nearly as bad crowd-wise and it had many of the things Silvia needed available to her. So as school came up soon, her family and she (along with the gentle family Rottweiler, Buttercup) traveled there via the apparating ability of her eccentric father, inventor Merville Moonberry. Truth be told, Silvia and Lotus were quite eccentric too, but they delighted in it. Such a mindset made life more interested after all.

Silvia had just gotten her books at Tomes and Scrolls, and while her mum and dad went to the Magical Neep to grab some things for a picnic near the woods, Silvia swung upside down from the branch of low a tree as she read a book that was purchased in addition to her textbooks. The book was titles The Witty Ramblings of Uric The Oddball. Uric was one of the most famous and unusual wizards in history and Silvia was a big fan.

CORALINE BEATRICE TOWLER

The year was just about to begin, meaning it was time for shopping. However, that also meant having to follow her grandparents around everywhere while they basically ignored her and just bought everything without asking for her opinion. Sometimes she wanted to believe they were trying. Other times, she knew they wanted to make sure she turned out the way they wanted. Maybe there was an underlying reason that Coraline wasn't aware of. Either way, most time spent with them gave the young Ravenclaw a headache.

Fifth year. Time was going by so fast. It felt as though it was just yesterday that she had started Hogwarts. But no, she now only had three years left at Hogwarts and then she'd be out on her own. At least, she hoped to be on her own. Merlin forbid she'd have to spend another year cooped up in her grandparents home. Of course, with Hogwarts she only had to spend holidays with them, but those periods of time were still too much. Don't get her wrong, Cora was grateful that they took her in after the murder of her parents. She just wished they would lay off a bit and learn to relax. They were both so overbearing and controlling. Cora was young and just wanted to have fun and live her life. Was that too much to ask?

Bored for too long, the blonde turned from her grandparents and started walking in a different direction. The funny thing was, they were oblivious to the disappearance of their grandchild. They'd be fine though. As she walked along, Cora spotted a girl hanging upside down in a tree. A smirk came to her lips as the name immediately rang through her mind. Silvia. The girl was strange, but Cora enjoyed her company. Her feet carried her until she was standing beneath the tree looking up. "Uric, huh? You're completely obsessed Moonberry." Cora teased the girl who was not only in the same year as her, but the same house as well.

@silvia

Silvia had pondered a great deal about the upcoming year as she swung there and read. She particularly wondered how it would be significantly different from her Fourth Year. True she would be taught new things and have a few new classes, but she was quite used to adjusting to all that by now. Aside from that, much would the same though. She would be sleeping in the same bed in the same dorm, eating in the same Great Hall, studying in the same Library and Common Room, and going to classes with the same people. But even though this was the case, she would ready herself for the possibility of a surprise or potential for great calamity.

Silvia bit into the piece of taffy that she bought at Honeydukes and chewed on it when Coraline came up. Many called the girl Cora, but Silvia liked Coraline. It sounded very poetic to her, and Silvia was never one to engage in calling most by their nicknames. She looked down at the girl she had known well for the past four terms. She liked Coraline, but it was remarkably easy for Silvia to befriend most people. Buttercup smiled happily at the girl's approach. The Rottweiler liked pretty much anyone Silvia did.

"Good day, Coraline," said Silvia, her voice not all that emotional, but with a sweetness to it. "I see you decided to come to Hogsmeade as well. I find it so much more pleasant here than in Diagon. The air is more breathable. Lots of loose Floo Powder in Diagon during school preparation. It makes my father sneeze a lot." She then made her way down and placed a bookmark (actually a loose feather she had found) in her book.

"I wouldn't say I'm obsessed with Uric," she said. "More astonished by his level of eccentricity I think. Uric was known to have slept in a room with fifty pet Augureys. The Augurey's distinctive low and throbbing cry, was once believed to foretell death, although the bird actually cries at the approach of rain. On a particularly rainy winter, the moaning of his Augureys convinced Uric that he was dead, and had returned as a ghost. He attempted to walk through the walls of his house resulting in a ten-day long concussion." Silvia told the story as if she were telling Coraline about a common trip to the bookshop. "So how was your summer, Coraline?"

(Note: the Uric info was taken from the Harry Potter Wiki)

CORALINE BEATRICE TOWLER

Coraline had noticed the dog's smile first before the greeting from Silvia. Bending over, she scratched behind the dogs ears. "Who's a good boy? Who is? You are!" She spoke to the dog in a tone someone would use for a baby. Coraline adored animals and Buttercup was no exception. The fact that it was her friend's companion made it even better because she knew the animal well enough to know what she could and couldn't do. An added bonus was they were the same year and house, so the dog was practically always around. Stopping, she patted the dog on the head with a smile before she gave her attention back to her upside down friend.

A chuckle escaped her lips when Silvia spoke of the difference between the two towns and then her poor father's sneezing. "Well, that sure does sound uncomfortable. Especially if it happens the whole time you all are there." She said in reply as she watched the girl climb down from the tree. "I do have to agree though. Hogsmeade has a certain air about it that makes it more enjoyable. It's probably why our trips are here and not there."

Cora listened as her friend decided to rant about the man. Her eyes stared, not being able to understand how the girl knew so much about the man. Of course she read, but Uric wasn't one that people studied much. At least, if they did, Coraline had no recollection of it. The story was interesting nonetheless. "Wow, I would have never known had you not told me. That's pretty cool though!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands behind her back as she smiled brightly. Until she had asked about her summer. She wasn't upset about it. On the contrary. Cora just didn't care for summers like most did. "Eh, it was just a normal summer with the grandparents. Nothing interesting to tell. How about yours Silvia?"

@silvia

Buttercup relished the pets and hearing Cora's kind voice, always enjoying the mass amount of affection he received from others. He didn't jump on Cora to try and play with her to show his appreciation. He was trained not to do that given his size. Instead, he gave her hand a single lick to show he enjoyed her company. When she stopped petting him to talk to Silvia, he returned to his spot in the shade and laid down, watching the two as if he were in on whatever conversation they were going to have.

Silvia nodded about how nice the air was. Being half-werewolf, it made all the more difference to her given her enhanced sense of smell. She knew Cora was a half-werewolf as well and no doubt felt the same.

"Hogsmeade is a nice place in general I think," she said. "It's very open here, and there's a lot to explore. Hagrid says there's a Diricawl family in the woods nearby. I've been meaning to visit them, but they're a tad nervous and tend to vanish when people get too close. That's why Muggles think they're extinct, you know? Only Muggles refer to them as Dodos."

Silvia was glad that Cora was interested in her goings on about Uric. Most were a bit put off by them. Cora was a sweet person, and the fact that she was a half-werewolf like her made their bond as friends all the stronger. It also didn't hurt that the two were in the same House and year.

"Yes, Uric led quite an interesting life," she said. "I heard his ghost is somewhere at Hogwarts, but I've yet to find him."

Silvia smiled a little when Cora spoke of being with her grandparents. Her maternal grandparents had passed on, but her paternal grandparents were still alive and she saw them often and enjoyed the visits.

"That sounds lovely," she said. "I bet they had interesting stories to tell you. Mine always do." Silvia was then asked about her summer. "Mine was nice. Dad and I attended the Fifty-Third Annual Magical Inventors Convention in Scotland. He brought his Fire and Ice Box, which can heat or cool food depending on your needs. He won second prize." Silvia then pulled out some of her taffy. "Would you like a piece? It's Butterbeer flavored"

CORALINE BEATRICE TOWLER