Hydra Lestrange Finch-Fletchley

I haven't flown for such a long period of time in ages.

My middle feels a little tingly, and the insides of my legs, too. I've a suspicion that they're going to ache something dreadful tomorrow.

And the wind was so biting, I don't know how you lot who were watching managed to stay warm. Lots and lots of charms, I expect.

Ron, your new broom is really nice - I guess it makes up for what happened with your last one, doesn't it? It sort of looked like

Well, I am looking forward to tomorrow's party with girls. Only I'm a bit worried I won't be able to move.

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

The firsties are so cute and amusing, and they don't even realise it.

Some of them were in the common room before supper talking about French Kissing, and they said that it's when you kiss someone on each cheek after having not seen them in a very long time. Cheek kissing is popular in France, and we do it here in England, too, but of course that's not what French Kissing is at all. So Remy told them that it's really snogging and they looked so embarrassed and also like they expected to be in trouble for talking about such a thing. I told them that if they felt confused they should talk to a prefect, because if Remy had kept talking about snogging then all their hair might've gone white.

The third year course work has been challenging so far. Transfiguration and Defense, especially. But both Runes and Dark Arts are covering material that I've already known for a while, so that helps. It's still a lot of reading, and I was almost thinking I should put learning German and French off to concentrate on homework, but then I received a fantastic book in the mail and thank you, Justin, for thinking to send it to me. It seems very thorough, and I especially like how you left your notes in the margins, they make it even more helpful. Thank you again! It should be terribly useful.

Does anyone know if Professor Grubbly-Plank minds speaking with students who aren't taking Care of Magical Creatures? I wish I coul I tried to talk to Professor Brutka about changing Tevis' diet for the winter, and he seemed grumpy didn't say much but reminded me that he doesn't teach Creatures anymore. So maybe I should ask her, if she doesn't mind.

I feel a bit funny this morning.
My tongue is a little sore, I think on account of all the sweets Remy and I have been eating.
(Remy is Jeremy, but he says he wants to be called Remy now so people don't confuse him with the other Jeremy who's older.)
First there was Friday night and we ate all the cakes and tarts leftover from the party Daphne Greengrass threw for Blaise Zabini.
She ordered too much refreshment, so she said we could do with them what we liked.
And then last night Warrington had a package of all-colour lollies and just wanted to see if I could turn my mouth all colours of the rainbow and everyone else wanted to see if it was possible, too.
One of the teeth on the top right side of my mouth hurts, lately, so I had better learn to start chewing on the other side.
Ever since he played it at Blaise's party Remy's been trying to teach me portkey.
It's different from a lot of other games, isn't it?
Because you have to hide all of your emotions so that people can't tell what's on your cards.
Or, Remy says someone with enough practice you can learn how to bluff, making people believe you have a good hand when you really don't.
So if you think about it, that that makes it one of the only games where you can actually win even though you are losing.
Well, Remy says it's the perfect game for Slytherins and I can see why.

Dear Uncle Raz,

Do you know about the lists that were passed around this week?
They were made by someone in the third year and the Head Boy wrote about them yesterday.
The lists have different categories, like "Most Fit" and "Most Talented" and "Mousiest" and "Biggest Mudblood Lover," and under every category there are five people listed and you're supposed to vote for one of them.
I asked Draco about the lists yesterday because I was curious, but he said if I just waited until third year I would probably see them because they would surface again, like a new tradition.
So because of that didn't see the lists until this morning, because Jeremy had a copy at breakfast.
He's good at getting his hands on stuff like that.
Now I'm worried, though, that someone in the second year might decide to copy the lists and pass them around for the second years.
And even if that doesn't happen, I'm worried about it happening next year, when I'm a third.
I just don't know what I'll do if my name is under "Most Squibbish," or "Biggest Crybaby."
Or what if there are whole new categories by then, like "Most Disloyal," or "Weakest Character"?
I just don't know what I would do, and I know that Mummy would be so angry and disappointed.
Can we make it a new school rule that lists aren't allowed anymore?

From,
Hydra

I had a lovely time at the party the other night.
The attic at Hogwarts is bigger than the one at L'Estrange Hill, but less spooky.
That might just be because it was filled with people and music and lights, though.
I didn't realise that some people had got lost on their way to the party and then never made it.
If I had known, I might've tried to help.
I got lost too, I think I took the wrong staircase, or else a staircase moved when I was in the middle of taking it.
Either way I ended up somewhere I wasn't supposed to.
I always thought that students liked to snog in the darkest parts of the dungeon, but I guess there are other places to go, too.
I was surprised, though, because I didn't think that these two students liked each other, much.
He's always been a little rude to her from what I've seen.
But secretly, their feelings must be different.
I wonder if that's true for anybody else?
A legilimens would know for sure.
But isn't there a saying that if a boy is mean to a girl, that means he likes her?
Does anyone know if that's true?
I remember that Mummy once told me that Daddy was rude to her sometimes, before they were sweethearts, and she didn't like it but at least it meant he was worthy.