Nicolas Flamel

Hi everyone :) Universal Studio Japan opened The Wizarding World of Harry Potter on 15th of July! I want to go there as soon as possible;))

Dumbledore had convinced Harry not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again and for the rest of the Christmas holidays the Invisibility Cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his trunk. After Christmas holidays, Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept looking for Nicolas Flamel in a library book. However  Harry had even less time than the other two, because Quidditch practice had started again. One day, thanks to Neville, Harry remembered where he had seen the name Nicolas Flamel before—on the back of the Albus Dumbledore Famous Wizard card that Ron gave him on the train trip to Hogwarts. Hermione ran to her room with Harry and Ron and picked up a book informing them that Nicolas Flamel, once Dumbledore’s partner, was the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone. Then, they concluded that the three-headed dog must be guarding Flamel's Philosopher's Stone.

After the Quidditch match, Harry saw Snape enter the Forest at a run. He followed and heard Snape and Professor Quirrell talking about the Philosopher's Stone. From their talks, Harry thought that Snape was trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone and force Quirrell to help him get it.

I googled about Nicholas Flamel. Then I was surprised to know that he was a real person and the person who actually made the Philosopher's stone! Did you know that??

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The Mirror of Erised

Hi everyone :) Our family has welcomed a new dog called Juno. She is a Italian Greyhound and three months old. Also she is an active girl and likes playing. I want to get along with her♩　

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. Harry was not going back to Private Drive for Christmas, but this would probably be the best Christmas he had ever had. Ron and his brothers were staying too, because Mr and Mrs Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie. The day before the holidays, Hermione told Harry and Ron  that they would keep searching books about Nicolas Flamel while she was gone.

Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel. Ron also started teaching Harry wizard chess. This was exactly like Muggle chess except that the figures were alive, which made it a lot like directing troops in battle. On Christmas Eve, Harry went to bed looking forward to the next day for the food and the fun, but not expecting any presents at all. When he woke early next morning, however, the first thing he saw was a small pile of packages at the foot of his bed. Harry received a roughly cut wooden flute from Hagrid, a fifty-pence piece from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, a thick, hand-knitted sweater from Ron's mother, and a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione. Harry also received an Invisibility Coat accompanied only by a note that the cloak once belonged to Harry’s father.

That night, after a satisfying Christmas dinner and after Ron had fallen asleep, Harry tried on the Invisibility Cloak. Then, he was able to go to The Restricted Section in the library. However, one of the books started screaming when he opened it, so he quickly left. He passed Filch and hided in a disused classroom. There was a magnificent mirror with an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Harry looked in the mirror and saw not only himself but a whole crowd of people standing right behind him. But when he turned around the room, no one was there. Suddenly, he recognized that two of the people in the mirror were his mother and father. He looked at his family, for the first time in his life. How long he stood there, he did not know. The reflections did not fade and he looked and looked until a distant noise brought him back to his sense. He could not stay here, so he whispered that he would come back and hurried from the room.

The next night, Harry brought Ron with him to the mirror room. Ron could not see Harry’s family in the mirror, but he saw himself holding the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup instead. However, Mrs Norris noticed them, so Ron pulled Harry out of the room. That third night, Ron was afraid of being caught and did not want to go back, so Harry returned alone. Harry sank down to sit on the floor in the front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him staying here all night with his family. However, He was found by Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore told Harry that the Mirror of Erised showed them nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of their hearts. He also said that The Mirror would be moved to a new home tomorrow and asked Harry not to go looking for it again.

I like this scene the best!!! If I stand in front of the Mirror of Erised, what can I see?;)

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Quidditch

Hi everyone :) Recently, I am really into eating Kouign Amann which is a round crusty cake. Do you know it? It is very delicious. If you have not eaten it yet, you definitely should try to eat it!;)

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. And, The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Harry would be playing  in his first match after weeks of training: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, they would move up into second place in the House Championship. The next morning dawned very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match. By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around Quidditch pitch. Harry followed Fred and George out of the changing room and walked on to the pitch to loud cheers. Madam Hooch was refereeing. She stood in the middle of the pitch and gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. the Quidditch match began. Harry played the position of Seeker, so he must capture a little object called the Golden Snitch. 

However, later in the game, Harry’s broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. His boom was completely out of his control. Hagrid said that only powerful Dark Magic could make a broomstick so hard to manage. Hermione noticed that Snape had his eyes fixed on Harry and was muttering non-stop under his breath. Then, Hermione rushed over to Snape, crouched down , pulled out her wand and whispered a few, well chosen words. Bright blue flames shot from her wand on to the hem of Snape's robes. It took perhaps thirty seconds for Snape to realize that he was on fire. Up in the air, Harry was suddenly able to clamber back on to his boom. He started speeding toward the ground and landed, catching the Snitch.

Harry was being made a cup of strong tea back in Hagrid's hut, with Ron and Hermione. They told Harry that Snape was cursing his broomstick. However, Hagrid did not believe and asked why Snape did something like that. Harry decided to tell on the truth  that Snape tried to past the three-headed dog to steal whatever it was guarding and got injured at Hallowe'en. Hagrid involuntarily revealed that the three-headed dog, Fluffy, was his, and that what the dog was guarding was a secret known only to Albus Dumbledore and a man named Nicolas Flamel. Hagrid looked furious with himself.

I wonder who Nicolas Flamel is. I have watched the move before, but I cannot remember. I want to know about him or her more!!!

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Hallowe'en

Hi everyone :) In June,  I had many fun events, for example, I went to Arashiyama with international students and joined Takoyaki Party which was held at a guest house. I had so much fun!:) However, I neglected contributing my blog for a while… sorry. From now on, I will update articles one after another, so I hope you to enjoy reading them♩

The next morning, Harry and Ron were discussing what the three-headed dog could be guarding when the mail arrivesd Harry received a first-class broomstick called Nimbus two Thousand, along with a letter from Professor McGonagall summoning him to Quidditch practice. At seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the class and set off toward the Qudditich pitch. He met Oliver Wood and learned the basics of Quidditch. Olver told Harry that it was the Seeker's job to catch Golden Snitch. Pehaps it was beacuse he was now busy, what with Quidditch practice three evevnigs a week on top of all his homework, but Harry could hardly believe it when he realized that he'd already been at Hogwarts two months. The castle felt more like home that Private Drive had ever done. His lessons, too, were becoming more and more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

On Hallowe'en morning, Professor Flitwick taught his students how to make things fly. Only Hermione succeeded. Ron who was offended by her air of superiority made a nasty cooment on Hermione. Then, someone knocked into Harry as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry caught a glimpse of her face - and was startled to see that she was in tears. Hermione did not turn up for the next class and was not seen all afternoon. On their way down to the Great Hall for the Hallowe'en feast, Harry and Ron overheard Parvati Patil telling her friend Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girl's toilets and wanted to be left alone. Ron looked still more awkward at this, but a moment later they had entered the Great Hall, where the Hallowe'en decorations put Hermione out of their minds.

However, Professor Quirrell came spinning into the Hall and gave a terrifying announcement about Troll in the building. As the prefects leaded their houses back to their dormitories, Harry realized that Hermione did not know about the troll. They headed off to warn her and came across the troll. It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It was also holding a huge wooden club. Then, Harry and Ron saw the troll came into the girls' toilets where Hermione was. She was very surprised and was about to faint to see the troll. However, Harry and Rome came into the room to save her. Using teamwork and magic, they managed to knock out the troll. Professor McGonagall found them and began to scold Harry and Ron. Hermione interjected that they were looking for her. She added that she could deal with the troll on her own and that Ron and Harry had been trying to save her from it. From that moment on, Hermione became their friend.

My childhood dream was to fly in the sky on a broom like Nimbus two Thousand! What about you?;)

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Flying Lesson and The Midnight Duel

Hi everyone :) These days, there has been a lot of rain, so I feel depressed. I hope the rainy season will over immediately!

Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday - and Gryffindor and Slytherin would be learning together. Harry had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else, but  he was fed up with Draco Malfoy who was Sytherin's student.

At breakfast on Thursday, a barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke. It was Remembrall which told a person if there was something he had forgotten to do. Neville was trying to remember what he had forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand. Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. They were half hoping for a reason to fight Malfoy, but Professor MacGonagall appeared, so Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front step into the grounds for their first flying lesson. The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Their teacher, Madam Hooch arrived and started to teach them how to fly off the ground. However, Neville had an accident and broke his wrist. Madam Hooch took Neville to the hospital wing, telling everyone to stay on the ground while she was away. Malfoy picked up the Remembrall which Neville left. Then, He had leapt on to his broomstick and taken off. Harry also grabbed his broom and flew after Malfoy, who threw the glass ball high into the air. Harry catched it spectacularly and landed safely. Just then, Professor McGonagall was running towards them and told Harry to follow her. Instead of punishing him, Professor McGonagall introduced Harry to Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and told them that Harry would be an excellent Quidditch player like his father.

At dinner, Harry told Ron that he was chosen Seeker. Ron was so amazed, so impressed, he just sat and gaped at Harry. Harry added that Wood wanted to keep it a secret. Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle came over and teased Harry about getting in trouble earlier. The tension grew and Malfoy challenged Harry to a wizard’s duel. Harry accepted, in spite of Hermione’s attempt to dissuade them from breaking the school rules. As Harry and Ron sneaked out later that night, Hermione tried to stop them but got locked out of the dorm, so she decided to go with them. Neville, wandering around lost, also joined them. They arrived at the trophy room, the site of the duel, but Malfoy and Crabbe were not there yet.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry had only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak - and it was not Malfoy. It was Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts, speaking to his cat called Mrs Norris. Hermione said to Harry that Malfoy tricked Harry and Malfoy was never going to meet Harry - Filch knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Malfoy must have tipped him off. Harry thought Hermione was probably right, but he was not going to tell her that. Then, they began to run away. Not sure where they were going, they accidentally ended up in the forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden. They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog which filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville managed to get back to their dorm safely, though they were terrified. Hermione reprimanded Harry but stirred his curiosity by pointing out that the dog was standing on a trapdoor and they were obviously guarding something.

Many strange things and creatures appear in this book!! I like dogs, but if I look a three-headed dog, I will probably faint…

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The Sorting Hat and The Potions Master

Hi everyone :) Last week, I went to Nara Park. There were a herd of deer, so I gave Shika Senbei, a kind of cookies, to deer. I took a lot of pictures because they were so cute!! I had an awesome time with deer♩

The first-yaers were greeted at the castle door by Professor McGonagall. She told them that before they took their seats in the Great Hall, they would be sorted into their houses. There were the four houses called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Professor McGonagall added while the students are at Hogwarts, their triumphs would earn their house points, while any rule-breaking would be lose house points. Also, she said that at the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honor.

The first-years students were led to the Great Hall by Professor McGonagall. Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was a lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the student were sitting. There tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the Hall was another log table where the teacher were sitting. Professor McGonagell led the first-years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. She silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first-years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. She said that when she calls the first-years' name, they would put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Harry became very nervous. Most students including Hermione and Malfoy were called and sorted. Finally, it was Harry’s turn to wear the hat. After a brief mental discussion with the hat in which it tried to suggest Slytherin to him, the hat placed Harry in Gryffindor. Harry was pleased to find that Ron and Hermione also were sorted in Gryffindor.

Albus Dumbledore, the head of Hogwarts, made his welcome speech, and a banquet was began. Harry's mouth fell open because the dishes in front of him were now piled with food. Nearly Headless Nick called Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington, the resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower, introduced himself to the first-year students and told them he hoped they would win the house championship this year. Harry glanced around the room and noticed teachers talking to one another. It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Professor Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes - and a sharp , hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead. The pain had gone as quickly as it had come, but Harry knew the man was Professor Snape, who taught Potions. After banquet, Albus Dumbledore warned that the forest in the grounds was forbidden to all pupils and the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death. Then, everyone sang the school song and went off to his or her house.

Harry found life at Hogwarts unfamiliar and strange, but he thought all the classes except History of Magic were interesting. At breakfast on Friday, Harry’s owl called Hedwig delivered a letter written about a tea invitation from Hagrid. Later, in his Potions class, Harry discovered that Professor Snape really did not like him because Snape mocked Harry as “our new celebrity” and humiliated him for his ignorance of herbs. At five to three they left the castle and went to Hagrid's house. Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson, but he told Harry not worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie who was Ron's brother, Harry picked up an article from the wizard newspaper. The article was written about a break-in that occurred at Gringotts bank in a vault that had been emptied earlier in the day. He realized that it happened on his birthday, the day he and Hagrid went to Gringotts. Furthermore, he remembered that Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, taking out that grubby little package. Harry left Hagrid’s house, his mind filled with questions.

Harry's life at Hogwarts started!!! If I were the student of Hogwarts, I would like to join Gryffindor. How about you?;)

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The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Hi everyone :) I am pretty busy recently because I have to do a lot of homework. I want to spend it slow and easy♩

Harry bought books and things for school, then he went to a wand store called Qllivanders with Hagrid. A magic wand… this was what Harry had been really looking forward to. The store owner called Ollivander made Harry try a number of magic wands, telling him that it would be clear when he had the right one. Harry tried many wands out. Finally, Mr Ollivander gave him a wand which was made of holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Harry took the wand. He felt a sudden warmth in his fingers. He raised down through the dusty air and a stream of red and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. Ollivander told Harry that it so happened that the phoenix whose tail feather is in Harry's wand, gave another feather - just one other. Ollivander added that it was very curious indeed that Harry should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave him that scar.

Harry’s last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun because they didn't speak to Harry at all. Harry kept to his room, with his new owl for company. He had decided to call her Hedwig, a name he had found in "A History of Magic." On the last day of August, Harry asked Uncle Vernon to take hime to King's Cross station next day. Uncle Vernon agreed but ridiculed Harry because he said he would take the train from platform nine and three-quarters at eleven o'clock. The following day, Harry arrived at the station at half past ten, but he had to find the train from platform nine and three-quarters. At that moment a group of people passed just behind him and he caught a few words of what they were saying about Hogwarts. Harry asked the woman for help, and she told him that all he has to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Harry did so, and he could find the train called Hogwarts Express.

On the train, Harry met Fred and George Weasley who were the red-haired twins. He also met Ron who was the twins' brother. Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the trolley, dears?" What she did have were many strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything, he got some of everything and paid the money. Ron who came from a poor family could not afford, so Harry shared them with Ron. Ron told Harry about details of wizard life such as Quidditch, Famous Witches and Wizards cards and Every-Flavor Beans. One of the cards that Harry got was the picture of Albus Dumbledore. Then, Harry met a somewhat annoying, overachieving girl called Hermione Granger. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth. Harry also met again the boy called Draco Malfoy. He and Draco had met in Diagon Alley before. Harry and Ron took off their jackets and pulled on their long black robes. Arriving at the station, there was Hagrid and the first years including Harry and Ron were followed into boats in which they sailed to the castle of Hogwarts.

Ron, Hermione and Malfoy finally appeared in the chapter!! Their life at Hogwarts will start form next chapter, so I'm looking forward to it;)

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