Letters Part 2

Enclosed is a letter Nott asked me to send on his behalf.

Dear Harry,

I trust you'll find it in your heart to forgive me for not wanting to waste my time on figuring out how to use the muggle post. It really seemed rather tedious, and Granger started talking about 'pence' and something called a 'street address', whatever that is.

I understand that you cannot have owls looking for you because of those horrid muggles, so perhaps I can arrange a place and time for my owl to drop off and collect letters for you...for now I will send letters through Granger.

I hope you are well, and that your bloody muggles aren't treating you too poorly. Honestly, to think that filthy little creatures like them would dare to harm a wizard – they must be incredibly foolish muggles. Please remember to set their belongings on fire several times before September. I'd like to hear all about it. Also, should you require any assistance in planning your grand revenge (which will be served cold on your seventeenth birthday, I assume), please let me know. I would be happy to help.

I hope you plan to do more than just read, this summer. It would be so typical of you to lock yourself in your bedroom and waste away with a book in your hand. Please, please tell me you don't plan to just starve yourself and read all summer.

As for myself, my father has, as usual, insisted on visiting family and friends in France and Germany. We only recently returned. It's very dull, I assure you. Lots of parties with fancy dress robes and caviar and champagne. I was required to visit my grandparents, who are, frankly, almost dead, and certainly act like it. Grandfather of course wanted to know all about the Potter that got sorted into Slytherin, and was curious about whatever dastardly plan I have for our 'alleged' friendship. Honestly, you'd think that the man forgot what it's like to simply have friends. He probably has, actually. No one likes him much. My father has also been curious about you, but I try to say little about you, considering his...political leanings. I have a feeling you're clever enough to know what I'm talking about. He was, however, very impressed that you managed to thoroughly frighten Draco Malfoy. I think he dislikes the little twit...

I saw Draco and Daphne Greengrass a few times...similar social circles, and all that. They seem to be doing fine. They both went red in the face when I mentioned you, for different reasons, I imagine. You do realize that Daphne Greengrass has a serious crush on you, right? She's blonde and filthy rich, so I'd take advantage of that, if I were you. I realize she and her friends are incredibly annoying, but I've heard that blonde girls make good girlfriends, and people marry rich for a reason. Just some friendly advice.

Anyway, that's about it, really.

Please write back.

Sincerly,

Theo Nott

Dear Theo,

Thank you for writing. I'm glad you seem well.

You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss these parties, I believe. I don't even know what caviar is, and I've never even seen champagne, so I think it would be quite an adventure indeed. Far more interesting than weeding the garden (that's when you pull unwanted plants out of the garden) – of that, I am quite sure.

I suppose you dislike your grandparents, then? Mine are all dead, so when people talk about being doted on by grandparents (Bulstrode), or disliking them (Greengrass), or being annoyed that they don't speak English (Zabini), I really don't know what they're on about. Perhaps it's for the best, though.

I have...mixed feelings about the fact that news of my...confrontation with Malfoy has reached even your father's ears. I assume Malfoy told his father, who told yours. If you could do everything in your power to downplay the event, your efforts would be much appreciated.

I am aware that Daphne Greengrass seems to have developed...feelings for me. I am also aware that this became the case after Malfoy's unfortunate injury. She seems to be under the impression that I'm an extremely powerful wizard that finds pleasure in harming others, which is simply not the case. As I would feel bad about disappointing her so thoroughly, I believe I will keep my distance.

The muggles haven't changed. They seem to have a unique ability not to learn from past...mishaps. They are still under the impression that their little muggle locks can deter me, and seem to still believe that I am their personal house elf, but as I still require their continued allowance of my presence, I make no serious efforts to correct them. I have not put much thought into revenge. To be honest, I don't consider them to be worthy of my time. The moment I turn seventeen, I will leave, and never even think of them again. However, should I decide that revenge is an option that I would like to pursue, I'd be happy to include you.

I do plan to read all summer, (unfortunately?). I will practice some wandless magic, as always, but books are unfortunately the only respite I have from the doldrums of the muggle world. I have already read through most of next year's charms text (which I bought with my first year text last year), and am currently reading the fourth year potions material. I would like to be prepared for Professor Snape's inevitable pop quiz.

Now, onto business. Hermione proposed that we put some thought into our plans for You-Know-What. Namely, she believes it would be helpful to compile a list of goals for the year. I wholeheartedly agree. Thus, your input would be greatly appreciated. We can discuss this in more detail on the Hogwarts Express, but I would recommend giving it some thought ahead of time.

Unfortunately, Hermione is leaving for France shortly, and will not be able to assist us in exchanging letters. As for exchanging post via owl...Arabella Figg, my neighbour, collects my mail for me. She's not incredibly bright, so perhaps I could convince her that I have a friend that trains birds to deliver letters. I go there Tuesday mornings at eleven o'clock to receive my letters. If you could have your owl at Ms. Arabella Figg's house on Wisteria Walk, Little Whinging at 11 am every Tuesday, we can exchange letters that way. If that is acceptable, please send a letter for the coming Tuesday.

Sincerely,

Harry James Potter

Dear Hermione,

A letter for Theo is enclosed.

I greatly enjoyed our chat Thursday. You were right, the tea shop was quite pleasant.

Now, I recall that you mentioned you would be leaving for France in a few days, and would be gone for the rest of the summer. I do hope you have an excellent time.

Please rest assured that I am safe, eating, and have plenty to read.

I look forward to seeing you September 1st

Most sincerely,

Harry James Potter

Nott,

Harry's letter is enclosed.

Sincerely,

Hermione Granger

Dear Harry,

I sent Nott the letter.

I am leaving tomorrow for France, and am very busy with packing, so I don't have much to say, but I really do look forward to seeing you as well. I miss you a great deal, and I assure you that I will spend much of my remaining holiday wishing that you were here with me.

Please do remain well (enough).

Your friend,

Hermione

Dear Harry,

I hope this letter finds you well, and that my owl reached you. It will return to the same place in precisely one week to pick up your response.

In case you were genuinely wondering, caviar is fish eggs - ew! - and champagne looks like butterbeer, but lighter. And for the record, should you desire to attend any posh parties in the future, I'm sure that it can be arranged. In fact, I'd love to have someone to share in my misery. Daphne and Pansy have always enjoyed these awful events for some reason, and Draco and Zabini...well, Zabini is too much a snob to share anything, and I have no desire to hear about any of Draco's misery.

I will do my best to downplay the Malfoy incident. Just the other night I told my father that nothing similar has happened since, and that such outbursts are uncharacteristic of you (both of which happen to be true) - he asked about you again after he saw me reading the letter you sent me. I still try not to talk about you, but my father is an intelligent man, and I fear that he deduces a great deal from the letters I sent him during the school year and what little I've told him over the last two months. For example, I mentioned that we were learning occlumency, and he somehow guessed that we're practicing the dark arts, from that. He heartily approves, of course, and finds amusement from the fact that his son is being taught curses by a Potter, not that I told him that you're teaching me anything. He deduced that from the Malfoy incident and the study club (of which I told him very little). Honestly, it's like I can't tell the man anything without him learning more than I want him to. It irritates me to no end.

Also, speaking of my father, what do I tell him about the Philosopher's Stone incident? He's asked a few times now, and I don't know if I can get away with evading the question for much longer.

Anyway, I admire your strength of spirit when it comes to the muggles. I am more convinced than ever that you have more dignity than half the purebloods in our house. Can you imagine what Draco would do if he had to put up with your muggles? Constant whining and ranting about what his father would do when he finds out, that's what. Still, I encourage the revenge thing - I would like to see your muggles suffer for what they've done; don't think you've fooled me into thinking you've told me everything. I know it's worse than you let on. Don't worry, though, I won't pry. I'm not Granger.

And speaking of Granger, I will indeed assist you two in thinking of ideas for You-Know-What. I'll see if I can find any interesting spells in my father's library. I'll try not to pick anything too gruesome for Granger's sake. I'm just kidding, of course - any books my father has containing anything too spectacular are locked away, no doubt. I doubt I'll have to do much, though, considering the two thirds of our group that aren't me are obsessive bookworms of the highest order. If it weren't for the fact you were stuck with muggles, I would never let you get away with spending the summer reading fourth year potions. I mean, seriously? I understand not wanting to be butchered by Professor Snape, I really do, but this is a bit ridiculous. Maybe it's time to accept that he'll never like you. Just saying.

Anyway, hope you're well. Please feel free to complain about the muggles. I'm always here to listen.

Also, Happy Birthday (it was yesterday, right?).

Your friend,

Theo

Dear Theo,

Thank you for answering my implicit questions about caviar and champagne. I'm sure that knowledge will come in handy some day.

I may take you up on that offer to accompany you to one of your 'posh parties' on day...one day when I own more than muggle clothing and Hogwarts robes. I realize that it's probably incredibly tedious to you, but it really does sound like something of an adventure to me.

I appreciate your discretion when it comes to your father, but please don't worry about it too much. As long as your father doesn't disapprove of your association with me, I see no reason to mislead him purposefully, and while you believe he doesn't wish me any harm, I don't have anything against him. However, I must ask that you avoid mentioning Hermione. I imagine he would not approve of your association with her, and I can't have her put in any danger because of her friendship with us. Even if your father has changed some of his views regarding muggle-borns, I have no doubt that he has associates who have not. As for the 'Philosopher's Stone incident', tell your father what I told you. I want to know more about the man who took my parents away from me, and I was willing to go to great lengths to speak to someone I deduced was in his employ. It's really not so complicated and it's no great secret - I appreciate Dumbledore's insistence on protecting my privacy, but I wouldn't say it's necessary.

Similarly, I appreciate the fact that you don't want to pry, and if it's all the same to you, I'll refrain from complaining about the muggles. I really just don't want to think about them any more than I have to.

Oh, also, I received a present this year, from Hermione! It's called A Structural Analysis of Magical Contracts, by Eviatar Erlinger, and it's absolutely brilliant. Even the table of contents is exciting! I believe I'll need to become more accomplished at ancient runes and arithmancy to really understand the material in all its depth, though. I don't know if I mentioned it, but magical oath construction is actually a branch of spell-crafting. It's possible, of course, to take oaths without any knowledge of spell-crafting theory, but in order to really understand the magic behind it, you need to have an understanding of the more theoretical foundations of the art. I've already got my spell-crafting book, thankfully, and last year I bought my third year arithmancy and ancient runes texts, so I have some references to work off of. Based on the preface and table of contents of Erlinger's book, I expect that if I can truly grasp the material, I'll even be able to construct my own magical contracts virtually from scratch! How awesome is that?

Also, you'll be happy to know that I've been doing more than just reading - I've finished learning several of the charms of our second year text - I'll show you on the Hogwarts Express in a few weeks.

Anyway, what have you been doing? You're staying in England for the rest of the summer, right?

Sincerely,

Harry James Potter

P.S.

Would you happen to know where I might find a Blood Quill? I find myself in need of one - for educational purposes of course.

P.P.S.

What do you know about house elves? Do you have any? If you do, can you ask them if they know anyone named Dobby?

Dear Harry,

We'll get you some dress robes, and then you'll regret your acceptance of my offer.

My father doesn't disapprove of our friendship, and he would never try to stand in the way of our...extracurricular education - he values discretion above anything else, believe me. But that doesn't mean we can trust him. Trust me when I say that my father isn't a good person - you should keep your distance. I would if I could. And don't worry. I'd never tell my father about Granger. I'd rather not have that discussion.

Speaking of Granger, I'm glad you've found someone to share in your toxic obsession with reading. Because that's what it is, you know, toxic. You two are wasting your childhood, you know. Magical contracts? Seriously? Could it get anymore dry?

As for I've been doing...

You've inspired me to do some reading, so I'll admit to having spent some time looking at next year's booklist. Have you seen it? All those Gilderoy Lockhart books? It's ridiculous. I saw Pansy and Draco the other day - the stupid girl won't stop talking about 'brave, dashing Gilderoy Lockhart'. Draco was quite irritated with her and reminded her that he is a halfblood, but she just sputtered and concluded that she didn't care! Can you believe it? Pansy Parkinson fancies a halfblood wizard three times her age! I will be teasing her mercilessly for years to come.

Other than that...I've seen Draco a few times. We played Quidditch, like we used to when we were kids. He's really not so bad when you give him a broom; rather, he's not so bad when he doesn't have anything to complain about.

As for your question about house elves...what exactly do you want to know? My father owns one - her name is Nilly, and she claims that one of the Malfoys' elves is named Dobby. Why did you ask? It's a really odd question, you know.

Hope you're doing well.

Your friend,

Theo

P.S.

My father has one - a Blood Quill - shall I bring it to school with me?

Dear Theo,

I will trust your judgement when it comes to your father. Thank you for being so open with me about it.

Also, the subject of magical contracts is by no means dry! It's an extraordinarily rich subject, I'll have you know. I've already read through half of Hermione's present, and I'm more convinced than ever that an understanding of magical oaths might actually be the most valuable information available to us. The precision with which you can actually control someone's actions with some carefully crafted words is amazing - and you only need their permission! It's truly incredible. We will discuss this at more length in person.

I will be going to buy my school books tomorrow - I recognize this name Gilderoy Lockhart (it's all over the book list), but I'm not familiar with the author...I'm not encouraged by your comments, however.

I'm glad to hear you've spent some quality time with Malfoy

Your friend,

Harry

P.S.

Please do.

P.P.S.

As a side note, I have reason to believe that something is going on. That's why I asked about house elves, you see...don't worry, I'll share the details in a week on the Hogwarts Express.

....

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