Hello, hello. It's the youngest Appleblossom sister's turn to take over the Hobbit Library again, and we aren't focusing on books exactly this month... rather something called a Slug Club and, no, I don't mean the kind that lives in Gardens, I mean some kind of Istari... wizards and female wizards like the Lady Galadriel is.
I'm not sure how it happened, but I was in the Hobbit Library up at Bag End at the invitation of Samwise, and then something happened, and I found myself in a world that most certainly was not the Shire... in fact, I don't even think it was Middle Earth. It was a strange world that I had no idea about. I was glad to be wearing a long dress as it covered up that I didn't wear shoes, or else that would have led to a lot of explaining.
Some man came up to me wearing a bright purple suit with robes, and he asked me if I was OK and asked where my parents were. I didn't say I was a Hobbit, of course, but that I was just very short. He then said his name was Slughorn, and my attention was pricked. He said he was on his way to meet a member of his Slug Club and that it would be better if I went along with him. I didn't say no, of course... after all, I'd have something to discuss for Book Club.
Now I must confess that this person doesn't write books but newspapers, which are kind of like books but non-fiction and are published every day. We walked through a wall into a busy shopping street that reminds me of Minas Tirith in a way, and Slughorn said that we were heading to the Newspaper's office to catch up with someone. I didn't understand most of this.
The person Mr Slughorn was meeting, politeness in a world I don't know comes in handy, was the Editor of this Daily Prophet. My eyes widened as I looked around the writers' office before we were shown into Barnabus Cuffe's office. I looked around again before introducing myself as Ellie... I think that was a normal enough name for me to go by.
I listened as the two caught up on things. It appeared they were having a casual catch-up, and then they got onto the subject of the Slug Club. I couldn't help but ask what it was, as I'd never heard of it. The two looked at me funny before I explained that I wasn't from England as I grew up elsewhere.
"The Slug Club is made up of chosen students that Horace taught who he wanted to... well, collect in a way, I guess," Barnabus told me, "I'm a member, and there are lots of us. Some of us have gone to make names for ourselves as adults. Be it creating potions or Quidditch Players," he said, "I give Horace here slots in the Daily Prophet should he need to get something in the paper on a particular day."
I just nodded as I drank my water that had been offered to me. We do drink water in the Shire, so I figured to just stick to water. So Mr Slughorn collects people as if they were trophies, and Mr Cuffe was one of them. Some things I will never understand. This new world seems funny, and I wondered if I shall ever return to my sisters and the Shire or if the same mysterious thing that brought me here would take me back.
"I can see why being in a club is nice... but it doesn't feel right. A club where you're collected like a trophy because of something you did," I said before finding a few newspapers placed in front of me, and I began to look through them. It was then that I realised I was in another world where there were different Istari from Eru Iluvatar's, and that set me on edge, but I managed to hide it.
The newspapers showed most of the Slug Club members and their achievements, and I could see why people wanted to be in the Slug Club. It was rather like an exclusive club, and that was something that I could see the appeal with. It was like a badge of honor in a way, and that is something everyone dreams to have.
Eventually, it was time for me and Mr Slughorn to leave, and we headed through the shopping street and back through the wall to the spot we'd first encountered each other. I looked at the Istari and said that I would be able to make my own way home. What I didn't say was that I didn't know how to get home.
It happened before I knew it, but my feet were suddenly off the floor, and I was somehow back in the Hobbit Library in Bag End. I was relieved to be home but wondered how in Eru's name, I was going to explain myself. I'll leave you to ponder that one, and Cissarose will be, hopefully, back to normal next month.
Lots of love,
Ellieanarose xx