Hello, my name is Liz Ann Merelda. I am 10 years old, and live with my mum and papa, in Paris France. I am hoping to get my letter for Hogwarts this summer! I will be 11 next month! I am so excited!

I am a witch, and have always known that I was a witch. You see, I am a pureblood, both of my parents come from pureblood families, too. My magic didn't actually turn up until I was almost 8!

My family has a large garden at the back of our house. It has a very large amount of Gernumbli Gardensi! At least once a year though, we have to do a degnoming. It tends to get over run at times! Today in fact is our degnoming day for the year! Make sure to come and join us, and watch your fingers!

Actually my papa says that a Gernumbli Gardensi bite, is very beneficial. I, however, may agree, but I really don't like the feeling of them biting me. My papa had a Gernumbli Gardensi actually bite the tip of his finger off! I wonder if they actually kept it, because we never did find the tip of his finger.

How about if I tell you a little bit about my mum and papa. My mum was in Hufflepuff at Hogwarts. She is a great charmer! She loves to put charms on things in our house, like our dish pan, will wash any dishes, by itself, that are put into the water or our drapes in the house all open by themselves when the sun comes up in the morning and close when the sun sets. Unfortunately I don't like that so much, because I like to sleep in, in the morning!

My papa was in Gryffindor at Hogwarts. He is excellent in potions. And working at the French Ministry as an auror, he really uses potions a lot! He is currently looking for a werewolf, that has been attacking children, and doesn't want me to go anywhere, without an adult. I don't like that much either.

My aunt Liz, shares my name, except her full name is Lizbeth, where I am just Liz. She is my papa's twin sister, and she is so much fun!!!

Finally we have a house elf named, Mika. She is really sweet! She is like one of the family. She gets any weekend off that she wants, which isn't very often. We also give her a sickle a week, so if she wants anything, she can buy it! We don't believe in using house elves as slaves. My great, great aunt Hermione Weasley, started S.P.E.W. and we fully believe that, that is a great law, that everyone should live by! My Great, Great Grandfather Teddy and Grandmother Victoire both got very involved in S.P.E.W.

Come join us in our annual Gernumbli Gardensi degnoming!

Liz Merelda
Jacques Merelda - Liz's papa
Francoise Merelda - Liz's mum
Mika - House Elf
Lizbeth - Liz's aunt, Jacques twin sister
Gernumbli Gardensi

"Hi, Papa", Liz calls, coming from the house and heading toward the garden. Liz is all dressed up and ready for the annual Gernumbli Gardensi degnoming! She is wearing all yellow, with a red belt around her waist, and barefoot.

"Mum will be out soon! I wonder if any of our friends are coming papa..."


"Hello Lizzie", Jacques Merelda calls back. "I'm not sure if anyone is coming, I sure hope so! It was so much fun, last year. We've got plenty of food for everyone, anyway."

Walking up to the gate, Lizbeth, sees her twin brother Jacques and her niece Lizzie in the garden. Jacques has started setting up tables.

"Hi, Jacques and Lizzie! Lizbeth calls, as she opens and steps through the gate. Where's Francoise? I brought a dish of my sweet potato and chives."

Looking around Lizbeth asks, "Am I the first one here?"

"Hi, Lizbeth", Jacques calls, and heads over to her.

Giving her a hug, he responds "Francoise is still helping Mika in the kitchen. Go on in, she'd be thrilled to see you!"

Melinda couldn't believe she had finally mastered to use the Floo Powder. She was so excited to arrive at Paris for a few hours to visit her fellow house mate and good friend, Liz. She actually smiled and walked towards the gate of Liz's house. She could see it was surrounded by flowers, Gernumbli Gardensi, by the most. She rang the bell and waited outside to wait for someone to answer the door.

Melinda smiled at the woman who opened the door. She must be Liz's mum, she thought. "Thank you, ma`am..." She told her and greeted her with a handshake. "My name is Melinda Black...and yes, Liz is my friend..." She said and simled.

Melinda followed Liz's mum to the backyard so she could see Liz with her father. She approached slowly and said, "Hey, Liz..." She smiled.

Squealing, Liz runs over to Melinda. "You came!" she exclaims, giving Melinda a hug.

Looking up at his wife leading another girl out of the house, and seeing his daughter's reaction, Jacques smiles and continues talking with his sister Lizbeth.

Heading back inside, Francoise decides maybe a nice sign on the gate would direct everyone to the backyard, it will save Mika trips to the front door...

After going inside and making a sign, she hangs this up on the front gate.

Melinda hugged Liz back. "Of course...an invitation...should always be taken..." She said, smiling.

She saw the sign put up at the front gate. "What will happen at this...degnoming...?" Melinda asked, having trouble saying the word.

Rian smiled as she skipped up to the door of her cousin's house. She grinned as she knocked on the door, casting a glance around at all of the flowers.

"At our degnoming we catch as many Gernumbli Gardensi or Gnomes, if you'd like to call them, as you possibly can. Then you try to throw them the farthest. We always try to aim toward that really tall tree way out there." Liz says pointing to a tree about 100 meters away.

"Oh, look, papa's got one!"

Jacques spotted a gnome popping out from under the table near their pies. "Oh, no you don't!" he says catching it by its feet. Holding the little gnome out in front of him he steps away from the table.

After spinning around one and a half times he lets it fly. Then raises his hand to keep the sun from his eyes, and smiles at how far it went.

"Great Toss papa!" Liz calls

Smiling at Jacques toss, Lizbeth walks toward the house to see if she can be of any help.

The gnome staggers after landing, and sits back down. Looking back at the garden, he says as loud as he can "But you had the pies out for me!"


Looking out the window as she picks up the tray with the pumpkin juice and glasses, she hears the a knock on the door.

"Mika can you please answer that, she calls as she walks out the back door."

Walking to the front door, Mika goes to answer the door.

Seeing a young girlsie, she gives a small smile and greets her. "Welcome to the Mereldas'."

"Catching Gnomes...it seems...cool, but I rather not do that...I have my own house elf and Jade has taught me to always treat well any magical creature there must be on this planet, no matter how dangerous or not it is..." Melinda said, watching Liz's dad catching one.

She turned around to notice someone was at the door. Who could it be?
She thought and waited for the door to be answered and the visitor to come in.

Melinda looked in a lot of amazement to Liz and her tales about the gnomes around the garden. "Oh, I see..." She said and sighed.

She smiled and then sat on a chair nearby. She felt a little tired from the trip she took, all the shaking inside the chimney and Floo Powders.

"So...this is what you do...every summer...interesting..." She said, saying the complete truth about her wonder.

Melinda stood up when she heard the word Food from Liz. "Oh...yes...I want to go...I have this tradition...habit...of being curious about other families' kitchens..." She told Liz. "I hope you don't mind..." She said, laughing.

With a small giggle, "Not at all! I think you'll find it fascinating!" Liz says as she heads toward the house.

ooc: go ahead and say what ever you'd like that you see

As Melinda walked in, smiling and thanking Liz about letting her in, she saw the stove. An amazing cooking oven, red and blue. It was amazing. "I've been trying to track down one of this my entire life at London...but since my foster mum is the one who decorates, she makes them disappear, I think..." She said and laughed.

Then, looked around, for the amazing oak wood counters, that still smelled like it.

"Your kitchen..is amazing...I would be thrilled to cook here..." She said, showing a very, very wide smile on her face.

"I think it's really cool. It has the self cleaning dish pan, though I like to do them myself, sometimes. But my mums favorite is the fridge, that keeps us from taking items that she is trying to save for later." Liz says with a grin.

"Self cleaning dishing pan?" Melinda asked with amazement. "Well, I do my cooking muggle way...I just think magic has to be out of that...for some time..." She said with a surprised face.

"I personally love to do dishes, but my mum always says it's a waste of time. I don't really know why, because it's fun!"

"It's cool how the food just comes off without much work..."

Melinda nodded. "Me too...I think that if you use magic to do chores...you never know..what muggles really do...without it..." She said and laughed.