Hydra Lestrange Finch-Fletchley

If I'm not careful I'll have spent all of hols having done nothing but read books. Many people gave me books as gifts this year, which is fine by me because I gave many people books in return, as well. I've got Pure Hunger, Charmless, the first book in the Incantation series, and some others besides. Now that I've finished all my thank you notes and sent them off, it's entirely too pleasant to stay in the dungeons and read before the fire while munching on chocs relaxing all day.

So I think that tomorrow I may need a bit of a walk, or maybe a fly. Something with fresh air and sunshine (if there is any!). Oh, and then I should probably try to study my arithmancy so that I can keep on top of things until lessons start up again. And study all my other subjects, too.

Pansy, I've heard people saying that your Mother had her baby, and it was a boy. Congratulations on becoming a big sister. I bet you can't wait to meet him in person.

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.

My birthday was very lovely, and thank you to everyone who sent me well-wishes or gifts.
I've never gotten so many as I did this year, and some were from people I've not even met, so I think that they must know Mummy or have heard of her, anyway.
We were going to have luncheon in the garden but ended up moving it inside because Mummy thought it looked like rain and didn't want my hair to get mussed.
It was in curls, and it doesn't hold curls very well to begin with but especially not when it's damp out.
The meal was very good, but I couldn't eat because I was so nervous for tea with our Lord.
We let Rigel have a slice of cake, and he tossed it all over the curtains, which made everyone laugh, and then Pascoal sang a song in his native language and made a face when we tried to sing along and got the words all wrong.
Aunt Narcissa gave me beautiful robes that are dark blue with pink trim, and she and Mummy decided that I should wear them to tea instead of what Kosette sent over.
I didn't put them on until after lunch because I didn't want them to get dirty.
And then Mummy flooed with me to Buckingham Palace and she led me to a room I'd never been to before and I thought she would come in with me but she didn't.
So I knocked and He said to come in.
I thought we would take tea in a dining room or drawing room, but Buckingham is big enough to have a room just for private tea with our Lord, and there was a little cool fire in the grate and a glossy table with elegant chairs, and the Lord was sat in one of them and He said the other one was for me.
It was a chair that was smaller than His, and I wondered if it was the one Harry sat in, and when I asked Him that He said yes, and that I was clever to figure that out.
I thought that the Lord would ask me about Mummy, or Daddy, maybe, but He mostly wanted to chat about school and Hogwarts.
There was a cup of lovely smelling tea in front of me the whole time but I couldn't even think to drink it until He reminded me that it was getting cold, and when I did have a sip it was the nicest tea I ever had, it warmed me all over but not too much, and it was very sweet just the way I like, and I felt much more calm after that.
He wanted to know more about me, then, and I didn't know what to tell Him, so He said I should tell Him whatever came to mind and that I didn't need to try and impress Him but that I should just be myself.
So I told Him that I like to read, and described the plot of my favourite books, and it must have been a very boring thing for Him to listen to but He didn't act as if it was, and He said that maybe the next time we have tea, we can talk more about books.
He wants me to come to tea again this Saturday, so I guess I must not have done too many things wrong?
Daddy gave me a new baby bunny for a pet, but I haven't named him yet.
I suppose it ought to be a name that begins with T, though.

Hello and good evening to you.
I am so happy Mummy has finally let me have a book like everyone else.
I saw Draco and Harry using there's sometimes and I wanted one so very much.
Not so much to write in it but to see, to see what everyone else was writing when they wrote.
But Mummy said that I would have to be old enough for Hogwarts before I was old enough for a book.
She said it wasn't proper to see what people wrote until I was old enough.
I thought she might have forgotten that she said that but then today at Kings Cross she gave me a surprise.
Just before I was to get on the train, she gave me my very own book.
A new kind of book like everyone else's which has never been written in.
She put it in my hands and said Hydra please write in this every day.
Daddy didn't give me a book, but he did give me a packet of sweets and a kiss and a hug.
Rigel is too young to give me anything, so he was left at home with Mrs Baylock.
I was going to save the sweets, but Draco told me that the mudblood Dennis will get them whenever I want.
It's so nice to have sweets whenever I want it will make me so happy.
I think I will eat the sweets in my new bed tonight, and watch my book to see what people are writing.
I was sorted Slytherin like I should be.
Harry mightve missed it because he was in a car that flys with a boy I don't know.
Draco let me sit near him and his chums at dinner, but I think maybe because Mummy said.
I've never seen so many children before I don't think, there's an awful lot here.
Some of them are very large and must be close to being adult aged.
I wonder if they will be nice to me.
I have never seen mountains before, but I think those are mountains out beyond the lake, or else very T A L L hills.
It will be strange, though, to live so far from the ocean.
The lake is very lovely but isn't the same.
It's smaller and has no salt.
I wish I was more fond of snakes, but they aren't so nice to pet.
Will anyone talk to me?
In my book, I mean.
I want to see how it works.