Heather Hardin

*"Maybe it was just luck that I found the gold key in the snow outside Ellie's old house. We had no idea what the key would unlock. After our adventure, everyone loved my suggestion to call ourselves the Magic Attic Club-the attic is magic, and we're going to be best friends forever!*

*My friends are more important to me than anything else. Maybe it's because my family has moved so often and I've always been the "new kid." With the Magic Attic Club, I'll never feel left out again.*

*I'm always planning parties and fun for the Club-after school meetings, sleepovers, even special holiday celebrations, like the time I shared my menorah with the other girls.*

*Art is my favorite subject in school. I also love my dance class. I want to be a ballerina or maybe a fashion designer. I bet you can tell pink is my favorite color. Do you like my fancy knapsack and fun hat? I made the hat with my Mom. She's the greatest!"'*

**Introduced through Georgetown in 1994 in a test catalog, she was initially supposed to debut in the book "The Secret of the Mirror" by Elizabeth Kelly. That book, along with others, is very rare and was completely scrapped.** Her character and personality were fleshed out in the official book "The Secret of the Magic Attic" by Sheri Cooper Sinykin.

## Appearance

Heather is most known for her long brunette hair, brown eyes, and light skin complexion. She is most often seen wearing pink. Heather is often depicted as the shortest of her friends.
Despite her interest in fashion, not much emphasis is placed on her being fashionable throughout the series.

## Personality and Interests

Heather is outgoing and sensitive to the feelings of others. She is generally sweet and friendly. She treasures her friendships because her family has had to travel a lot. Being the new kid, she often finds herself trying too hard to fit in, resulting in embarrassing or uncomfortable moments. Heather wants to be accepted, so she dislikes being different in any way. Being a social person, Heather also dislikes serious competitions, especially when she has to compete against her friends.

Heather often wants to be admired and loves the limelight. At times, she has the tendency to be dramatic or to exaggerate for attention.

Heather's pride is strong and she has a fierce determination.

Heather is imaginative, fanciful, and romantic. She is in awe of celebrities and glamorous lifestyles. Heather admires classical movies due to how glamorous the movie stars appear.

Some of Heather's other favorite movies involve horses, such as *Black Beauty*. She loves horses and horse stories.

Heather likes to plan events and parties with her friends. She's very creative, artistic, and known to come up with really good ideas.

Heather enjoys drawing, painting, among other forms of art, fashion, and ballet. She either wants to be a fashion designer or ballerina when she grows up.

Though Heather isn't very good, she joined the basketball team at her school.

Heather's favorite snack is popcorn.

Heather is afraid of heights and isn't very good at climbing.

Her favorite color is Pink.

Heather, like all her friends, enjoys visiting with her neighbor and good friend Ellie, as well as her magic attic. She was the first to discover Ellie's key and the first member to have a solo adventure. Heather also takes ballet lessons from Ellie. She often visits with Ellie when upset or seeking advice.

Heather formed and is a member of The Magic Attic Club. The other members are Alison, Keisha, Megan, Heather, Rose, Jane, and Chloe. They share secret attic adventures and are best friends. Though Heather considers them her best friends, she's always open to making new friends.

At the start of the series, she was the new girl and hadn't known Keisha, Alison, and Megan for long, but quickly formed a close bond with them. Heather cherishes her friendship with the MAC and she tries not to offend or hurt them. She gets along best with Keisha. She gets along least with Megan, finding her to be critical and intimidating. Yet, they both share a love of horses. Heather showed great sympathy towards Rose, knowing how it felt to be the new girl. She's only had one argument with Alison, which they quickly resolved. Overall, Alison has tried to be a supportive friend to Heather. It is unclear her relationship with Chloe or Jane.

## Family & Background

Heather was born August 5th. Heather is of Spanish-Jewish heritage from her father's side and Polish-Jewish heritage from her mother's side*.* Heather attends Hebrew school. Her Hebrew name is Haya. Heather is apart of the Hardeen clan, a clan that settled in a Southern Spanish area called Granada. Her family had to practice their faith in secret during the Spanish Inquisition.

Heather and her family live right across the street from Ellie. Heather was the new girl at the start of the series, and had just moved to town shortly before as her mother mentions they still had boxes they hadn't unpacked. It's not clear where Heather lived prior to moving to Primrose Street. Heather attends Lincoln Elementary with her friends.

\*Trivia\*The MAC may live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Alison was stated to be wearing a Philadelphia Flyers hat in The Jewel of the Sea Cruise. Not much is known about the year the stories take place, but the dates and times from the series line up with several years throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s.

### **Main Family and Family Friends**

Below is a list of Heather's "real" or "main" family and friends. On the MAC's adventures, they develop several alter lifestyles with different family members and friends.

***Mom***-Heather's mom is an artist and sculptor. She mostly cares for her daughters while her husband travels. Her mother appears to know a bit about the magic attic in Ellie's home. When Heather finds a golden key in the snow, her mother insists she returns the key to Ellie Goodwin. Heather's mom grew up on Primrose Street.

***Dad***-Heather's dad is a pilot. His job is the reason Heather and her family have traveled so much. He teaches Heather that "pride cometh before a fall". His favorite saying is "Nothing hurts but my pride". When he's in town, he takes Heather out for Dad-Daughter nights called D-D Night. That day, they usually eat pizza and see a movie. He doesn't like anchovies. He is an expert at canoeing.

***Jenna-***Heather's older sister who Heather considers to be a better ballet dancer than she is. She has one dimple in her cheek and fringe or bangs. She attends the local High School and is preparing for college.

***Grandma Hardin***-Her dad's mother. She is a lot like Ellie's grandmother: feisty and strong-willed. She keeps up with the family's history and Spanish Jewish heritage. She found a family heirloom that her husband had been searching for and gave it to Heather's father.

***Aunt Rachel***-The whole family usually visits her house for Passover. She follows all of the Passover rituals, such as insisting everyone eat enough bitter herbs to make tears come.

***Grandfather Hardin***-He was a part of the Hardeen clan in Spain. His family settled in a Southern Spanish area called Granada. Heather's ancestors kept an old plain vase that held secret Hannukah treasures so her family could secretly practice their faith during the Spanish Inquisition. He searched for the vase for years before he died.

***Mom's Grandparents***-They were Polish Jewish immigrants who came to the USA in the 1930s.

***Aunt Jantina***-A professional ballerina who is close with Heather's family. Heather states that "she's like family", hinting that she may not be a blood relative. She taught Heather how to dance. She has difficulty waking up early in the morning and is frequently late.

* Keisha Vance
* Alison McCan
* Megan Ryder
* Rose Hopkins
* Jane
* Chloe
* Ellie Goodwin
* Monty

## Heather's Stories w/ Collection

* The Secret of the Mirror
* The Secret of the Attic
* Heather at the Barre
* Heather, Belle of the Ball
* Viva Heather!
* Heather Goes To Hollywood
* Heather Takes the Reins
* Trapped Beyond the Magic Attic
* The Ghost of Camp Whispering Pines
* Heather and the Pink Poodles
* The Jewel of the Sea Cruise
* Heather's Fashion World
* The Mystery of the Pharaoh's Tomb
* Starter Outfits 2001
* Bedroom Sets
* Porcelain Dolls
* MAC Exclusives