"Thanks Nope i don't know Jory I haven't met him yet, though I'm sure I will soon!" said Nessie remembering a boy talking to Oakey maybe that was him. "oh I'm just visiting I have already sent a letter last night. Well You can tell her it was great and that you are enjoying it I guess" said Nessie patting Aya again.

Emily looked up again and gave both of them a hug. She really did have the best friends. "T-thanks..." she said slowly standing up again. They were both right of course, and she was just being silly. She felt guilty for tearing up the letter now.

"I know. It's just..." she glanced around the room to try to spot her owl. "I don't know what to think. She abandoned me, then 12 years later wants to get to know me?" Why should she give her a chance now? She'd have 12 years to find her, why now?
She hadn't even mentioned the other bit yet.

"I love you guys ya know that?" she managed a weak smile, then noticed Happy hop over to her followed by her own smaller-than-average tawny owl Sunny. "This is Sunny guys." she said throwing two owl treats to Happy and Sunny and stroking her feathers. This would help her brake the news.
"Umm, in the letter there was something else..." she kept her eyes on the two owls. "S-she said... since she'd l-left me... she's had..." gulp. Breathe slowly. "She's got other kids..." Her half siblings?

'Oh, I'm sure you will. He's really nice, and sociable, no wonder he's in Hufflepuff. I was planning to explore the castle with him at the weekend, you can join us if you want.' Ariadne offered, not sure if Nessie was as adventurous as herself and Jory, but nevertheless.

'The hard part will be explaining why I asked the Sorting Hat to put me in Gryffindor when all my family has been in Ravenclaw for generations.' she chuckled. 'But I'm sure she'll be okay with it.' Ari added. 'Did your parents attend Hogwarts too?' she wondered.

Nika gave her a whole-hearted smile. She didn't know what to tell her. Why would her mother contact her now...? She waved at the brownish whiteish owl dubbed as "Sunny". "Hi Sunny. I'm Nika!" Then she turned back to Emily.

SAY WHAT? O.o

More kids?! Huh? "So you've got more siblings?" This just gets weirder and weirder doesn't it. "So are you ever planning to meet them?"

"Yeah sure! That would be great!" said Nessie happily "Oh I see well you don't have to really tell her why just say you wanted to be in Griffindor. Yeah bith my parents were. My mom was a Griffindor and my dad a Huffie." said Nessie wondering what her parents were doing right now.

Elaine remained quiet through Emily's questions, what could she say anyway?

She sighed and smile at Emily and said:
"You'd had better!" She felt Happy land on her shoulder and nibble her ear. "Yeah, well done. Here!" she laughed giving him a treat.

"Nice to meet you Sunny," Elaine smiled. But that smile was short lived, as Emily broke the news once again she was rendered speechless.

Elaine tried to think of how she, herself, would feel being in Emily's shoes. She felt nothing though, because... well, she felt nothing for that woman. Sighing she looked at Emily.
"Like Nika says, talk to her, and if you want to, talk to these 'other kids'" Elaine petted Happy hoping her word were reassuring.

She stroked Sunny as she nibbled on her treat. Her old self hadn started to kick in again and she'd stopped crying and tried to think things through logically.
She didn't know this woman, she just found out she had a half-brother and sister and term had only began. Great. This year was gonna be great.

She gulped and shook her head. "I'm gonna sleep on it..." she mermered and rumaged in her pocket for some spare parchment from last year. "Do either of you have a quill?" she asked slowly standing up. "I'm gonna write a quick note to my sister and ask her if she's also had a letter from her. If she want's to no me but not my sister I'll know what to do..." If she had, then she guessed she'd have to write back.
As for her new siblings... she didn't really want to meet them. And this showed on her face at Nika's question. Sigh. She just wanted to have a hug from her sister, but she guessed Nika and Elaine would have to do

Nika nodded her head. "Yeah.... sleep would be good for you." Nika replied. She wasn't really sure what else to say. "Remember we're always here." She gave her friend a well needed hug.

Elaine nodded in agreement with Nika. "Always," She fished in her pocket and pulled out a quill. She handed it to Emily, she had it in her pocket because she planned to send a note to her Aunty to see if she was ok. But that could wait, she was fine anyway.

"Thanks guys." she gave a weak smile and took the quill from Elaine. She scratched a quick note to her sister.

Hey Rach,
2 things. First I was wondering if you'd had an owl from our mum. Our BIRTH mum - Helen Smith. I got one today and she basically want's to come back into my life. Second, she has two kids of her own. Our half-brother and sister?
Should I reply to her? And should I tell mam and dad (Greg and Shannon)?
Hope your work is alright, Love Emily xxx

She folded it in half and tied it to Sunnys leg. "Take it to the Ministry. Auror department. That's where you'll fin her." she nodded and stroked her little owl. "Happy flight." she watched her fly out the window and into the distance, then turned to her friends.
"Sorry for bringing you two down, but thanks for being here for me! Your the best friends ever!" she smiled and hugged them both. Now for a treat for them both.

She walked over to the door and looked at the many stairs they would have to climb down. Would have to. She though some fun was in order!
"Glisseo!" she said and the stairs bent over and became a slide all the way to the bottom. "Ta da!" she laughed showing them both the new slide to the bottom of the owlery. "To say thanks!"

"It's fine, we're your friends that's what we're here for," Elaine smiled and watched the small owl fly away.
She followed Emily over to the stairs, now a slide and grinned.
"That is so cool! Bagsie me first!" Elaine said already at the top of the slide.
"Fly down to the bottom I'll race you!" she told Happy, just before sliding down. "Later!" she called up to her friend already half-way down.

Nika smiled at Emily and waved her hand in the air. "Elaine's right Em, we sort of have to help you get through this stuff. It's our job. Besides I know you'd do the same for me." Nika gave Emily a small squeeze. "Plus, nothing could ever bring me down! I'm happy for life! Call me little miss sunshine!" Nika laughed as she did a small jump in the air and waved her hands

*GASP*

"A SLIDE!" FUN! Nika wanted to be the first one, but darn Elaine had already beat her there. Oh well. She'd let Emily go next because of her state. "Hey Em you next!"

Emily smiled at both her friends. "Of course I'd do the same for you!" she said to both of them, then turned to Nika. "Little miss sunshine? Is that your new nickname?"

She then laughed at her friends reactions to the slide. Elaine was already down! "Um, later?" she called down to her still laughing.
Her next? ok then! "I just hope I remember how to but it back again!" she laughed pushing her self off "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

'Gryffindor is a very good house, they all are. I already love my house, I can't wait to earn a few house points, looks like we're really behind now. Minus 15 points.' she sighed, remembering the hourglasses.

'Cool, I'm sure your dad is proud of you, following his footsteps.' Ariadne said. 'Do you miss your parents? I miss my family a bit, but Hogwarts is amazing! And anyway, they're not that far, just in Yorkshire.' she explained. 'How about you? Where do you live?' Ari asked.

"I don't know... maybe?" Nika said laughing. Little Miss Sunshine wouldn't be that bad...

And then there was one.

"HEY GUYS WAIT UP!" Nika called as she ran towards the slide and went down head first. "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Caramel batted the owl and it let her go. She flew through the air and landed safely on Connor's shoulder.

Connor wrinkled his nose. "Blegh." He replied. "I'm not sure I want to know, ugh I bet there's fungus and mold and all sorts growing in and around there....."

Penny climbed the steps up to the Owlery, she hadn't visited 'Dora' since she arrived to the school..it was empty, apart from a lot of owls... Feeling very guilty now, Penny put her hand into her pocket and withdrew a large handful of owl treats..

Having spotted Dora up near the roof on one of the highest perches, began calling her down.."Come here, pretty girl..." with her arm outstretched..."Dora, come down for some treats.."

With that, Dora fluttered down on the Pennys arm and nipped her ear affectionately...Penny opened her had, so the owl could eat the treats on offer...

While the owl was eating, Penny took the opportunity to give Dora a quick check over.... and the owl looked absolutely perfect, not a feather out of place !!..... then walking over to the glassless window, sitting on the ledge with her beautiful owl beside her, still eating treats..

The view from up here was amazing, the school, the lake, the forest - and it stuck Penny that this had to be the most stunningly beautiful place in the country - if not the world !!!

Heather went up to the owlery to visit her snowy owl, Sythe. Her pocket was full of Sythe's favorite treats and she was really ecstatic to pet Sythe again.

"Sythe...you here? I'm here!" she squealed. She was just so excited to see her owl again. Quickly, Sythe fluttered graciously down, not to Heather's arm, but on top of her head. Sythe just loves to land on her head rather than on her arm, unless Heather wants him to perch on her arm.

"There you are, that's a good boy, treats?" she gave him some treats to which the owl gobbled and enjoyed. "I've been thinking of bringing you with me to the common room now so Kurumi and Zara can meet you..." she said. "But i guess we can stay a little longer for you to enjoy your treats...come on, off to my shoulder now, Sythe." the owl then went to her shoulder and enjoyed another treat she handed to him.

As promised, Jeanne has decided to come visit her own owl, Hermes. She fed her yesterday but the poor owl needs it's energy if she's going to send some letters to her parents. She brought her brush and some food of course. Everything special for Hermes.

Hermes came up to her. She knows who her owner is, thankfully! While feeding her with food she started to clean her feather with the brush. "Sweet Hermes, you're such a pretty owl" Talking to her own owl... NIIIICCCEEE!!!

Heather turned round to see a familiar face-it was Jeanne. She met her on the train. Sythe, perched on her shoulder at first went up to perch on her head againand did a little dance. He recognized her as well. She smiled and approached Jeanne.

"H-hi." she said.

Interrupted by the voice Jeanne stopped talking to Hermis. Shoot! Did she hear her talk to her owl? Was that awkward? It feels certainly awkward to Jeanne.

Familiar face. Now where has she met her again?

Train! Jonathan introduced them... "Hello... uhmmm" trying to find her name "Heather right?" she smiled looking at the little girl.

Jeanne stared at her owl.

Heather nodded her head, and realized Sythe was perched on her head and was making a racket. "oops, sorry Sythe." she said and handed another treat to calm down the owl. she Looked at Jeanne and noticed how pretty her owl was. "Your owl is so pretty..." she said, admiring the owl, and then back up a bit, blushing. "Oh...uhm...Jeanne, right? You h-have such a pretty owl." she said, giving her a smile.

"Yeah I guess he is" said Nessie trying not to think of her best friend. "Kinda but I miss my best friend more" Nessie didn't think it was nesecary to tell her that her friend had died in a car crash over the holidays. "Oh thats cool! I come all the way from South Africa" said Nessie smiling.

Jeanne loves owls thats for sure. It's the only pet she has ever had. That, and the fact that her father is allergic to any furry animals. Owls were an exemption since obviously, it's the only means for sending messages.

"So your owl's name is Sythe?" Jeanne asked "Really adorable" still brushing the feathers of her owl. "This is Hermes" her snowy owl. Hermes grew up with Jeanne and she'd be devastated if ever Hermes die or ran away.

Jeanne nodded to her when she called her name. "Thank you. Hermes loves me to brush her feathers every now and then" smiling to Heather.

"How are you?" she asked. Being a Gryffindor and all that. Heather must have had a splendid time at Hogwarts.

"Yep. Sythe. M-My sister used to own him, but he's a picky owl and liked me best, so she gave him to me." she said. "t-thanks...he likes adorable things and being called adorable." she added, beaming.

"you're very welcome. Hermes is really pretty, you must take good care of him so much...I'm just starting with my own owl...so i hope i'm doing a good job taking care of him."

she gave Sythe another treat since he started to fuss about again and she got back to Jeanne's next question.

"I'm doing j-just fine. Been meeting people here and there...there were a couple of first years who thought i was a first year as well." she blushed red. That took out the fun bit in her part, but she couldn't blame for the freshmans' honest mistake. She was kind of...you know...too small for her age.