Reading the Classics (Katie)

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

It was saturday afternoon at Hogwarts, and a late winter snowstorm had hit the castle the night before, crating a fresh blanket of powder white outside. To most of the students, that meant a day full of snowball fights, snowmen, and other such activities. For this little Hufflepuff through, it meant she would have some quiet time in the library. She had managed to finish most of her homework durring the week, meaning that this trip was for fun. She had recieved mail from her mum three days before, and she tucked the package, which had been ripped open, and then carefully re-wrapped under her arm as she made her way across the nearly desreved room towards a back table, near a window. Once she settled down, she peeled the plain brown paper away once more, pulling out a thick book with a simple tan covered the words "Classic Stories of Horses and Riders" written across the front. She smiled to her self as she leaned forward ont he table, and opened the book to its first page.

[kaitlynrobbins]

Katie Robbins yawned and rolled over letting her face come free of her silk covered pillow. It was Saturday and she was ready to start the day. She jumped out of bed and took a nice warm shower, basking in the warmth. Afterwards she brushed her teeth and dried her hair before placing in it a black headband studded with rhinestones. Katie then proceeded to put on her usual amount of makeup which consisted of foundation, blush, mascara, and lip gloss. Then came the tough part deciding what to wear. Looking through the many casual clothes she brought to Hogwarts, Katie finally decided on a pair of light denim, faded blue jeans and a apricot colored sweater.

Now to decide what to do. Katie picked up her copy of the Man in the Iron Mask and her sketchbook and placed them inside her cream colored hibiscus shoulder bag, which she carried with her everywhere. Then she head off down the stairs to the Great Hall. She ate a quick brunch, all the while thinking of what it was she would do that day. A short glance out the window helped her to quickly rule out going outside. There had been a snowstorm last night and the wind was still howling like mad. Katie contemplated going up to the common room, but she had seen enough of that lately. The same went for the student lounge. The only place she could think of was the library.

By the time Katie actually arrived there it was a little past noon. She spent a while searching through the many shelves of Hogwarts’ library, but oddly enough with all the books that they had, none seemed to fit her mood. Today she wanted to read about horses. Actually she would love to ride horses today, but that would be impossible. So, she was going to settle with a horse book, but unfortunately none could be found. Admitting defeat, Katie went in search of the perfect table to sit and read the novel she was currently into. After passing a good many tables Katie passed one with a small girl whom she recognized as someone from her own house. She made to walk on past her as she looked intent in her reading, but did a double take at the cover on her book, “Classic Stories of Horses and Riders.”

Katie smiled. ‘What a coincidence,’ she thought. The girl looked to be about 2nd or 3rd year. The name was something with an “N”, something different, something she didn’t hear often. Natalia . . . Nadia . . . something like that. She was sitting by herself, so Katie saw no harm in taking a seat there. “Hi,” Katie said, taking the seat beside the girl, “I noticed that you were reading a book on horses. I’m Katie Robbins. I’m a fifth year. And you’re Nokomis, right?”<br>

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

From the moment she had turned to the first page of her new book she was lost in the story of Black Beauty. It had been her favorite book as far back as she could remember. She was leaning over the table, one hand on the book to hold it open and the other one holding her chin legnth mouse brown hair back away from her face.

She wasn't expexting an interuption, and she jumped slightly when she heard the voice of another girl. She looked up to see a blonde girl she reconized from her own house. She managed a smile, trying to fight off every urge she had to make an exuse to grab her book and find some deserted spot where she wouldn't have to face anyone.

"Um...Hi Katie. Yeah, I'm Nokomis."
She bit her lip and looked down at her book for a second, her hand still marking her page.
"My mum just sent me this book from home. I really like horses"

[kaitlynrobbins]

Katie gave Nokomis a sweet, reasurring smile. Her new Hufflepuff friend seemed like she was put in an awkward situation, but Katie would have felt the same way had she been placed in the same situation. "I've already read every book I have that's about horses and now I've come to the library to look for one, but I can't seem to find any. You would think that this library being so big and all would at least have one book on horses. I guess that's not a very popular thing in the wizarding world, though. So, what exactly is it that you're reading there? I really like horses too. I take lessons at the stables where my mum works. She's a veterinarian, for horses only. Do your ride horses? Do you have a horse?"

Katie shifted a little in her seat. Her cheeks were steadily becoming more red by the second. She never talked this much. Why was she making such a fool of herself. "Sorry. I don't usually talk this much. Honest. I usually don't talk very much at all. I don't know what is wrong with me. Really I don't. I promise. I'm doing it again." Katie laughed unsteadily and cleared her throat. "Okay, I think I'll be alright now. I just have a lot of pent up energy."

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

He listened to the older, rather bubbly girl. She seemed to talk quite a bit, and be very happy about it as well. It vaguley reminded her of one of the Moore brothers. She couldn't really remember which one, but there was one of them that seemed to talk a lot.

She glanced down at her book again, closing it partly so the other girl could see the cover.

"There is a barn up the road from me a mile. I walk there almost every day and the owner lets me ride one of her horses. I wish I could have my own horse, but mum won't let me."

[kaitlynrobbins]

Katie nodded. She made a mental note to calm down a bit. This was highly irregular for Katie to act so bubbily. That was not her normal personality at all. Once she had gathered herself she began to speak calmy and quietly. "I see. I don't have a horse either. I wish I did though." She glanced over and read the title of Nokomis' book. Surely she must have read some of the stories that were in there. Out of all the stories Katie had read there had to be one in there. Black Beauty most definently would be. If Black Beauty wasn't a classic then she didn't know what was. "That book looks interesting. Is Black Beauty in there? That's my favorite book. I have read it so many times the cover is practically falling off. Here let me show you."

A copy of Black Beauty had been her shoulder bag since she had received the bag for Christmas during her second year at Hogwarts. Katie dug through her bag and pulled out her old, worn out book. She had written loads of book reports and other such things on it, and therefor she had tons of marks all through it. "I love this book so much. I got it in elementary school and I've read it at least once a year since. I tried watching the movie once, but it just wasn't the same."

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

She smiled and nodded to Katie's question about Black Beauty. She glanced down at her book. It only had a few chapters from it, but that was okay. She had almost memorised the entire thing by now.

"I am actually reading part of Black Beauty right now. It has been my favotire book as far back as I can remember."

She smiled again, then blushed slightly as an embarashing thought crossed her mind. Normally she would keep such things to herself, but she had told herself that this year would be different than last year, that this year she would say things that came to mind. Besides, Katie liked horses. She would understand.

"I really like the last part of it, but it always makes me cry. The last sentence when Black Beauty says he fancys himself with his old friends again, before he is really awake"

[kaitlynrobbins]

Katie nodded, listening to Nokomis speak of Black Beauty, her most treasured book. And when Nokomis mentioned the last sentence of the book she smiled in agreement, "Oh I know, it is so sad, but so happy at the same time. You know, I can't help but wonder what other things Anna Sewell might have written had she lived longer or started writing younger. Black Beauty was such a wonderful book. I wish she would have written more stories. Just how she really got into the horse's personality amazed me. I mean, it can't be too easy to write something from an animal's point of view."

Thinking back, Katie could remember all of her favorite parts of the story. All of the adventures. All of the disappointments. All of the joys. It was just such a great book. "You know, I just finished reading a horse book. It's called Misty of Chincoteague. I think the author is Bruce Coville . . . no Marguerite Henry. Yes that's it. Have your ever read it, or even heard of it?"

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

When Katie meantioned another horse related book her smile grew. Finally there was someone who seemed to understand. She loved to ride, but she really loved reading too. Back when she thought she was a muggle all the kids in ther school would laugh at the fact she always sat by herself and read books about horses, and it seemed like Katie really understood.

"I love Marguerite Henry. She is probably my favorite author. I really like Anna Swell too though..maybe they are both my favorites. I think I have read every book Marguerite Henry wrote. I read Justin Morgan for the third time over the summer."

A hint of color came to her cheeks after she spoke. Normally she was too embarased to say anything, but sometimes, when she got excited, she felt like her tongue got away from her.

[kaitlynrobbins]

Katie smiled. Finally someone who appreciated a good book about horses. "You know Marguerite Henry? I haven't met a single person who has heard of her! Much less read any of her books. I read Justin Morgan last winter I believe, but I haven't gotten around to re reading it. I just finished reading the Man and the Iron Mask, which was quite good. Now I'm reading Little Women again. I really like that book. It's not really horse related, but it's rather good."

Katie thought back to what Nokomis said earlier, about having a horse of her own, "I don't have a horse of my own because I couldn't exercise it everyday, seeing as I'm at Hogwarts. There is this one horse though, his name is Shadow. I love him to death. If I were to have any horse it would most definently be him. The stable that I ride at owns him and I ride him everytime I go down there. I can't wait to see him again," Katie smiled as she pictured every detail of the Thoroughbred in her mind, "Why won't your mum let you have a horse?"

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

Her smiled faded slightly when Katie asked about why she didn't have a horse, and she shrugged slightly. Her mum had always avoided really answering that question, but she was pretty sure she knew the real reason.

"Partly for the same reason I guess. It is hard with how much time I am at school. We don't have much land either so I would have to board it somewhere...and besides that its probably the money."

She was quiet for a moment, noticing that her gaze had dropped down while she spoke she forced herself to look up at Katie again, and making a rather weak smile cross her face again.

"There is a horse at the barn near my house I like too. Her name is Pepermint. She is grey, and I always get to ride her when I go to the barn. I have to work off my lessons cleaning stalls though."

[kaitlynrobbins]

Katie smiled, "Peppermint sounds like a really cool name. And if you ever want to ride for free sometime during the holidays you can come with me. My mom works at the stables where I ride so my sister and I get to ride for free and any guest that we have also gets to ride for free. My mom is the veterinarian there. She loves horses just as much as I do, but she doesn't ride much anymore because of her back. She hurt it a few years ago and it's never been the same." Katie looked out the library window at the snow covered ground. She remembered times like that before she went to Hogwarts. She would sit inside by the fire with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa while Jane went outside and played in the snow with her friends. Then when Katie's younger sister would come back inside she would join her by the fire and they would talk and laugh about anything that came to mind.

She really missed Jane, and the rest of her family and friends back home. "My dad isn't a real horse person though," she began to talk more about her family to Nokomis, "he works with computers, do you know what those are? I'm muggle born so both of my parents have muggle jobs and both of my sisters go to muggle schools. My oldest sister Amelia used to ride horses. She was the one who first got me interested in them. Then she moved on to other things like ballet and piano. My younger sister Jane still enjoys riding horses, but she plays football ((soccer)) so she doesn't have as much time for them anymore. What is your family like? If you don't mind my asking of course."

[Nokomis Astarra H5]

She smiled when Katie said that she could come home with her over a holiday or something and they could ride. It would be really fun to go riding with someone else. She normally just rode alone when she was at home.

The topic slowly driften to family life, and she couldn't help but envy Katie a little. She loved her Mum and she had a great childhood, but it wasn't the life most people had. She shrugged when Katie asked about her family.

"Now, we can talk about it. I'm a half blood, my dad is a wizard. My mum didn't like it though, so they seperated when I was a baby. Its basily just me and my mum all my life, though I saw my dad for the first time over the summer."