English Library Lesson

Matilda meets Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) by Lydia – Year 9

It was a cold winter’s day when Hermione set out for the day. She wore a woolly hat and her pretty red coat, just like Goldilocks. As Hermione was reading a book, the Headteacher walked in and made an announcement: “We have a wonderful new student joining us today.” Everybody turned around. It was a young, sweet girl with short black hair, freckles all across her nose, and a breath-taking red bow. Everybody applauded and welcomed her in.

After the crowd surrounding the young girl had dispersed, Hermione ran over to her. They chatted for ages; they had so much in common, I’m surprised they weren’t sisters. Matilda and Hermione set off to the library to find some books. Matilda’s face was a picture when she saw how many books the library had. They both ran straight to the same section—non-fiction. They grabbed the same book and sat in front of the crackling warm fire. They sat there reading for hours and hours.

When it was time for the magic lesson, Matilda was given a wand. After a couple of minutes of practice, Matilda was a pro. Hermione was so proud of her, and they both knew they would be best friends forever.

It was bedtime at Hogwarts, and everybody’s lights were out, ready for another exciting day tomorrow. Matilda and Hermione had learned so much about each other; they felt like family. Neither of them had a family who loved or believed in them, which is why having each other’s backs was so special.

A few years later, Hermione and Matilda were still the best of friends. They graduated together, went on holiday together, and Matilda was even Hermione’s bridesmaid at her wedding to Harry Potter. These two best friends did everything together.

Who knew a duo could be so perfectly meant for each other? Just imagine if these two had never met at the library—would they have ever been friends.

Rapunzel meets Peter Pan by Rocio – Year 9

Rapunzel lived in a distant town along the stream. She often wondered if she would ever meet "the one." All alone in the tower, with no one to take care of her, she dreamed only of being with her true love. Her fantasy could continue, or she could choose to live in the real world. Who knows which path she’ll take? Is true love real? Everyone seems to rush things and forget to live in the moment.

She couldn’t exactly wish upon the stars to make her dream come true. It wasn’t possible. How could Rapunzel be so intrigued by her future if she might not even have one?

Rapunzel was perfect—long blonde hair and beautiful emerald eyes that seemed as if they were made from real gems. Though she knew how to grow her hair and make injuries disappear, she really didn’t know how to interact with people. By "people," I mean boys.

The sun was slowly sinking, casting its beautiful colours across the sky. It was like a mask in disguise—you have to be patient to see who it really is. As the sun set, the moon took over. It was sad how they never united. They were like star-crossed lovers. Rapunzel had always been intrigued by how the moon and the sun could love each other even though they had never met. How could that love never die?

Rapunzel stared out the window, the moonlight shining upon her face when, suddenly, a man started screaming and barged through the window.

I questioned myself. Who is this man? Is he going to hurt me? I pinched myself to see if it was a dream. It wasn’t.

I walked around him, admiring his appearance. His blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight. I couldn’t see his eyes, but by the way his skin glowed, I could tell he had beautiful eyes. He was dressed in ragged clothes. His brown shoes had holes in them, and his green shirt and trousers were made of leaves. It was quite a unique, fashionable look, in my opinion.

He slowly opened his eyes. They were wide and filled with fear. His big black eyes startled me—they were as dark as coffee. He quickly stood up, catching me off guard.

His name was Peter Pan. What an extraordinary name!

Dobby from Harry Potter meets Gollum from Lord of the Rings by Toby – Year 9

In Hogwarts, during the off-season—meaning no young wizards—Dobby needed to practice his magic. He felt lonely during this time and knew that everyone else was more advanced with their skills. He wanted to improve. Dobby’s plan was to cast a spell that would create a creature just like him: another house elf. The only problem was that Dobby’s magic was still very amateur at this point. However, his determination was vast.  Dobby equipped his wand and flicked through a spell book. He began to say, “Abracadabra, give Dobby a friend!”

The room shook, and the lights flickered. Dobby was hoisted into the air, and in front of him stood a rather hideous creature. It looked like an alien, with wrinkles everywhere and wide eyes. It was about the same height as Dobby. Dobby asked who he was, and the creature replied in a mysterious, unknown accent, “Gollum is my name.”

The new duo shared a conversation for a long period of time, getting to know each other very well. Gollum was warm-hearted and generous. Was this the same Gollum from the book, or had Dobby summoned a new version? They quickly became close friends. Dobby even showed Gollum around the famous historic school. They bonded so well and so quickly that Dobby taught him how to play Quidditch. Dobby won. Together, they became the duo no one thought they would.

Days, weeks, and months passed with the two playing countless games and going on hundreds of walks together. Dobby finally had a best friend, and his life was brilliant. But this all changed when the wizards returned. School resumed, and the Sorting Hat arranged the new students accordingly. The young wizards were allowed to wander the grounds until their next lessons, but it didn’t take long before they spotted Gollum. Without hesitation, a group of ten or so children began laughing and picking on him. Then things turned violent. Gollum became enraged, biting one of the wizards, and this sparked a full-blown conflict. The wizards started kicking Gollum, seriously injuring him.

It wasn't until Gollum lay on the ground, covered in blood, that Dobby rushed him to a doctor. But the doctor said, “We can’t treat someone who doesn’t attend the school.” Would Gollum survive?

Dobby broke down, knowing he might lose his best friend. Then, suddenly, Gollum’s wide eyes opened. He was alive. A few weeks later, the wizards apologised, realizsng Gollum was kind, and he lived happily ever after at Hogwarts.

Harry Potter meets Ougie from the book ‘Wonder’ by Yaren – Year 8

Ougie was in Harry Potter World, and he was having the time of his life. He went on all the rides, and there was just one left that he hadn’t tried yet: The Magic Space Wand. He had waited in the queue for half an hour, and finally, he got on the ride. Seconds later, he saw a portal appear, and all of a sudden, he was sucked through it. When he looked around, he saw Harry Potter in the distance. Ougie had to go through an obstacle course to reach him, so they put him on the magic broomstick, and he fought his way through.

As he got closer to the end, excitement rushed through his veins. There, in front of him, was the one and only Harry Potter. His dreams had come true; he had always wanted to meet him and see all the tricks he could do. Maybe Harry could even perform a special spell to get rid of the scars on his face. He couldn’t stop thinking about what they could do together. All he ever wanted was to be treated equally, like the other kids.

Harry then said to him, “I can try to fix this, but I’m not sure it will work.”

“I’ll take a chance,” Ougie replied.

Harry grabbed his wand and cast the spell. A few seconds later, Ougie couldn’t believe it—he looked like a completely different person. He was overwhelmed, and all his life choices felt validated. It was hard to believe!

The first thing he did was jump up and down with excitement. He ran over to Harry, hugged him tightly, and said, “You are the best person I have ever met in my entire life! Thank you so much; you are my hero!”

“No problem,” Harry said, smiling. “I’m happy to help any day.”

With nothing else to do, they hung out together. Harry showed Ougie all of his tricks, and he even taught him how to do some of them.

From that day on, Harry and Ougie became best friends and were inseparable. They did everything together—until one day, while flying on his broomstick, Ougie fell and broke his leg and arm. Harry rushed to him and cast a spell. In an instant, Ougie was back on his feet.

Everyone in this world needs a Harry in their life. He is the best person in the world!

Scrooge from A Christmas Carol meets Fagin from Oliver Twist by Alex - Year 8

Scrooge was out and about in London, picking up a few bits at the market. All was peaceful and silent, just the way he liked it. That was until, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a tall staircase leading to a mysterious place he'd never seen before. Driven by curiosity, he climbed the stairs and found a door.

He peeked inside and saw the back of an old, fragile man—Fagin. "What a horrible-looking old man this bloke is!" Scrooge muttered to himself. His interest in the place quickly faded. "I fancy a drink; why is there nowhere to drink?"

Just then, he noticed a pub nearby. He went inside and ordered a bottle of gin. "This is more like it. Why don't I come here more often?"

Just as Scrooge thought he was finally calm, Fagin entered the pub. "Why is that old man in a pub getting drunk?" Fagin wondered to himself. He approached Scrooge and asked him what he was drinking.

"What does it look like, old man? Gin, of course," replied Scrooge.

"So, what do you do for a living?"

"I'd rather not say, but for you, I'm in business—making children work for me!" Fagin said to Scrooge.

"What about you?"

"I don't work," Scrooge replied. Fagin looked shocked. "Why do you look so surprised? You make kids work for you!"

"I train them, though."

The two of them stared at each other.

"Are you doing anything today?" Fagin asked.

"Obviously, I'm at a pub, drinking!" Scrooge replied. He then offered Fagin three shillings to teach him the work he teaches the kids. When Fagin agreed, he told Scrooge to bring back the wallet of another elderly-looking man.

"Why?"

"You wanted to know the work I make the kids do for me! I'm getting old, and I need a lot of nice things," Fagin replied.

Scrooge was about to do the job but then turned it down. "Cor, you are really afraid, aren't you?"

"You know, I'm always miserable, and just when I thought I found a friend, he's a thief! Good day, Sir!"

"Good day, Sir. Who said we were friends? Never!"

Scrooge left the pub and never saw Fagin again.