30/03/1990
Friday, 30th March
Dear diary,
Before going on our final trip to Norway, we made a quick stop at home to pick up Theo and Mir. Theo is super excited, his family comes from Norway and he’s been telling us interesting things about the country. Mir finally managed to convince her overprotective parents to let her join us, at least for the final destination of our journey. I’m so excited that she can travel with us!
Norway is beautiful, with its majestic fjords and snow-covered mountains. We have been exploring the natural landscapes and encountering some incredible magical creatures.
For instance, one day we saw a Fossegrim! Luna was the first to approach him, and I couldn’t help but follow her closely. The Fossegrim was sitting by a river, playing a beautiful Hardanger fiddle, a traditional Norwegian instrument with a unique and enchanting sound.
We were surprised to see him there, with his humanoid appearance and long green hair that seemed to be made of shimmering seaweed. His music was so beautiful and melodious that we were mesmerised. We approached with respect and curiosity, and the Fossegrim invited us to sit with him, as we had been brave enough to come closer.
With patience and kindness, he taught us how to play the Hardanger fiddle. He gave us fiddles carved from wood and showed us some simple melodies. It was an incredible experience to make music alongside such a magical creature.
While we were playing, I thought I heard Dad muttering something about Gryffindor and using our heads. I suppose he wanted to make sure we were being cautious and not getting into trouble.
The Fossegrim told us about his life in the rivers and lakes of Norway, and how his music had the power to heal and bring peace to those who listened. We felt very fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet him and learn from him.
Also, when we were exploring a forest, we encountered a troll! At first, we were a bit scared because we remembered our experience with the troll in Sweden, but this troll turned out to be very different.
The troll was enormous, with grey, wrinkled skin, and a long, pointed nose. His eyes were big and friendly, and he had a shy smile on his face. He was a bit clumsy in his movements, but it was clear that he had a kind heart.
We approached with caution, but the troll greeted us with a big smile. He told us, in a halting and somewhat clumsy voice, that his name was Olaf and that he had lived in the forest for many years. He explained that trolls in the area could be of different types; some were evil, but others, like him, were kind and peaceful.
Olaf showed us his home in a nearby cave, which was filled with glittering treasures and curious objects. He said he liked to collect things he found lost in the forest and surrounding areas. He also told us stories about life in the forest and the importance of caring for nature.
We spent a very pleasant time with Olaf, who turned out to be a great host. He taught us some words in his troll language and showed us how he carved wooden figures with his large knife. In the end, we said our goodbyes with sadness but were happy to have met such a kind and unique troll.
Another impressive place we visited was the Trolltunga, a rock formation that extends over a cliff. It was a bit scary to walk to the edge, but the views were worth it!
One day, while we were walking near Olaf's cave, we encountered a group of Hulder. These are magical creatures with a human appearance but with a long tail that they can hide to appear as normal humans. They are very peaceful and like to mix with humans, whether Muggles or magical, although they prefer to live in the forest and take care of nature. They seem to get along well with Olaf and help him protect himself from the bad trolls.
We also had the opportunity to see the famous Northern Lights, the aurora borealis. It was an impressive spectacle, with bright colours dancing in the night sky.
Additionally, I found some souvenirs for Anna. I found a handmade necklace with Viking symbols that I know she will love.
But one of the most important things was that we managed to enter Norway's private reserve of magical creatures! Apparently, the owner of the reserve owed Dad a favour, so he let us in for free!
The reserve was the smallest we had seen, but it was equally spectacular. We saw a Norwegian Ridgeback, which is a small but very brave dragon. It had bright green scales and eyes that shone like jewels. So far, this has been the dragon that let us get the closest; it was great!
Next, we found a Selma, a creature similar to an octopus with a silver and shiny body. It was very curious and watched us with its big black eyes, but when we tried to approach, it fled.
We also saw several Bowtruckles, which are small creatures that look like tree twigs. They were very fast and camouflaged perfectly with the trees. I found them very cute.
But the most surprising thing was seeing a pair of Graphorns. They were enormous, with long and sharp horns. Their skin was thick and rough, and they moved with impressive grace despite their size. The owner told us they were his pride, as they were said to be domesticated, and he even let us ride them! It was magnificent!
Afterwards, we encountered a small herd of Hippogriffs. They were majestic, with horse bodies and eagle wings. They allowed us to approach after we bowed to them, looking them in the eyes without blinking, and even let us stroke their soft feathers. The owner said he was still training them, so we couldn’t ride them yet, but it was still amazing to see them.
But the most magical thing was seeing a family of unicorns. They were as white as snow, with golden manes and tails. Their eyes were gentle and full of kindness, and they looked at us with curiosity. They were very cute, but I couldn’t help comparing them to the unicorns from Vegas; these seemed to be the unicorn version of my Draco, while the ones from Vegas seemed to be the unicorn version of the Weasley twins, so different.
Dad managed to collect potion ingredients from the unicorns, but the most surprising thing was when the female unicorn made a slight cut with her hoof and let Sev collect some of her blood. Dad did it quickly, healed the wound, and then made a deep bow.
According to Dad, it’s quite rare for unicorns to let men approach them, but it’s extremely rare for them to allow someone to take even a drop of their blood, and this unicorn had let him take a whole vial! Incredible...
Anyway, it was a fantastic and fortunately calm trip, and with this, we return home, back to classes and to see the rest of our friends. I’m 100% sure Dad will lock himself up to experiment with all his new potion ingredients and instruments, so I’ll have to drag him out to eat, sleep, and take care of himself, especially the latter, because if Dad doesn’t take care of his skin, teeth, and hair, I’m sure Cissy will kill us all...
I’m very excited and somewhat impatient to read all the books I’ve collected. What I’m not sure about is how to give Anna the souvenirs. If I send them by mail, James might confiscate them, and it feels a bit impersonal, but if I go to Potter Manor to give them to her, I’ll probably run into James again, and I don’t want to see him ever again.
I’ll ask Dad and decide when I get back. By the way, both Celty and Kunapza went into brumation for most of the trip, so I’ll have to make it up to my familiar with something, maybe several mice? I don’t know; I’ll have to think about it.
See you!
Goodbye!