Private message to Justin

[alt_hydra]

Hi,

I thought you might want to know that I finally found an arithmancy study group today. I didn't ask the Ravenclaws, either, I asked Corey Whitacre, and then he asked Marjoram Montague, and it's only a group of three so far but we were in the library most of the day and I think it will help a lot with exams. Or I hope so, anyway.

And I don't know if you spent all day studying, too, but I know that I definitely needed it. Even though yesterday was a wonderful day, I didn't think about arithmancy even once.

So, I used the French book you gave me to look up some of the things that Coty and Toubon were saying to us. I don't know what to think now. I've heard some Hogwarts students talk that way to each other, but no one's ever said things like that to me... Especially that kind of insinuating talk.

I suppose it's probably too much to hope that my spell will make them stop anytime soon, isn't it?

From,
Hydra

Comments

[alt_justin]

Hallo,

Oh, I'm glad you found some others to help you revise. I don't mean to distract, you know, and I bally well shouldn't like you to get into more trouble for not having spent enough time on your assignments.

I had a fair amount of homework, as well. But I admit it was well difficult to concentrate, what?

I say, I'm sorry you had to be involved in any of that. They're.... Well, they think it's great fun, obviously, to try to make me look foolish. Most of the time they get bored and give up when they realise they're not going to incite me to fight them back. And I never have done, really.

I do think you rather shocked them (to say nothing of giving them a richly deserved thrashing), but, no, I don't expect that one lesson will be enough to deter them for long. I shouldn't be surprised if next time they make a point of taunting me that I haven't got la fille jolie to fight my battles for me, what?

Oh, but I say, please don't think I'm ungrateful. You were rather brilliant, in fact.

-Justin

[alt_hydra]

I like distraction, but I think I'll have to fit it into my schedule, at least until exams are over!

You shouldn't apologise, it wasn't any of your doing. I was wondering why you didn't fight back, though, because even though it makes sense with some of the things you've said like about Mum, I'm not sure it's working?

But you're right, what I did might not be any better. I really didn't know that spell was going to hurt Coty, um there. Daddy taught me the spell before I started Hogwarts, and he said to use it against any boys who bothered me. It was the first thing I thought of when they wouldn't leave off and give our parcels back.

From,
Hydra

[alt_justin]

Well, I suppose I can wait until Wednesday evening.

As far as whether it's working or not, I suppose it might not seem that way. It's not that I'm not tempted to hex them back, do you see, only I realise that in the end, I'd be in worse trouble if I did. I'm sure you've seen similar situations among your classmates, even if you've not been on the receiving end, what? When there's a row among students and one's a pureblood and one isn't, it's nearly always the one who isn't a pureblood who gets the blame. Professor Froissart himself advised me to learn to take it. And anyway, Laurent and Coty are done school after this year. They're really the only ones who bother much anymore and they try far less often than they used to do.

Anyway, I'd rather not give them any sort of satisfaction, thinking they've got a rise out of me, what? Don't get the wrong idea; if ever I suspected they meant any serious harm, I'd defend myself. I have done, and successfully, for the most part. All they really want to do is get under my skin and if I draw my wand, they've got their wish, haven't they?

One thing's certain, that charm your father taught you ought to make them think twice about bothering you. Perhaps I ought to give out you're my bodyguard, what?

-Justin

[alt_hydra]

Three days sounds a lot longer than it used to.



So then you think that part of the reason they are after you all the time is because of some of your family being squibs?

I suppose what you say about halfbloods is true. They have to try very hard to get recognition, usually, but then if they don't seem properly humble about it, people will talk, or do something to put them back in their place.

Were Laurent and Coty trying to get under my skin, though? I think they were mostly trying to get under yours. Which I didn't like. So I don't know if that means they got their wish or not.

From,
Hydra

[alt_justin]

Agreed, it's a long time to be patient. So you'll promise to meet Wednesday, yes?

Indeed, they've made my shortcomings very clear. There's my parents, the fact that I came in a year later than usual, the fact that I'm a rosbif...it's quite a long list, apparently.

And no, they weren't trying to harass you, specifically, I shouldn't think. They just wanted you to see you were with someone they consider, er, naff.

Maybe they're right. I ought to have defended you sooner.

-Justin

[alt_hydra]

I promise, then.

Those don't seem like shortcomings to me, so I suppose they didn't get their point across.

But even if you don't believe that certain things about yourself are shortcomings, that doesn't make it enjoyable to have them pointed out, again and again. I know

I don't know that you needed to have done anything differently, or sooner, because in the end I still had a wonderful day. I hope you did, too.

From,
Hydra

[alt_justin]

Good.

I know you know how it feels, but in my case, I don't really give a toss what they think, or what they have to say about me.

And yes, I most definitely had a wonderful day. And now I've got Wednesday to look forward to, as well as the Ball on Thursday!

Sweet dreams,

-Justin

[alt_hydra]

But what if it's your

'Night then. See you Wednesday!

From,
Hydra

[alt_justin]

And you're quite right, of course: It's Coty and Toubon; Coty's name is Laurent! I just re-read what I wrote last night and I must have been more than a little distracted. It's been quite noisy in our area of the castle, actually.

What's this about someone being sent down? And a public Cruciating? Blimey. I think we must have missed something rather dodgy, what?

-Justin

[alt_hydra]

Cassandra Calderwood, she's in sixth year in my house. Melinda Pennifold made an announcement before breakfast this morning about how students must never, ever use the magic they learn to try to hurt a Professor, so I wonder if it's something to do with that? And I haven't seen Cassandra anywhere...

I don't know what a "pink parchment affair" is, though.

From,
Hydra

[alt_justin]

No, nor I. It sounds like the title of a pennydreadful or one of those ripping detective stories my mum reads. Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, that sort of thing. They've all got titles like that, what? The Mysterious Diamond Affair or The Singing Stone Caper and such. But perhaps you don't have private detectives here, either?

-Justin

[alt_hydra]

I think I've heard of Sherlock Holmes before, but I don't know if those books are still available anywhere. There are some popular detective stories, though, like the Edward Moongallow mysteries, or the Goblin Market series. I haven't read any of them. Maybe I should, but I've got other reading to get to first.

The Pink Parchment Affair sounds rather more like a romance, than a detective story.

From,
Hydra

[alt_justin]

Sally-Anne's just asked if I've ever seen anyone get Cruciated. I haven't. But I've heard that it's almost as terrifying to watch as it's painful to experience.

Have you ever...had it done to you?

You don't have to tell me if you don't want to talk about it. I was just wondering because your m

-Justin

[alt_hydra]

Well, yes, sometimes. Really only when Mummy has been very busy or impatient to think of something else. Daddy's never done it, though.

From,
Hydra