Private Message to Padma Patil and Belinda Dunstan

[alt_lavender]

Argh!

Mummy is being an absolute nutter! I don't understand it.

So, she mentioned in her last private message to me that Lovegood had asked to stay on at Hogwarts over the hols, and I was thinking, hurrah! That's the most sensible idea the girl has had in, oh, ever.

She gets to stay and muck stalls with Professor Brutka, and I don't have to look at her blank expression across the breakfast table every morning and worry that she'll say something mortifying at our holiday party. Everyone's happy!

So I said as much to Mummy and she said no, Lovegood has to come back because leaving her at Hogwarts would 'give the wrong impression.'

And, she said we all have to go to the viewing of Black's corpse--apparently it would, you guessed it, 'give the wrong impression' if we weren't there.

I don't see why, as everyone knows we're loyal, but there's no reasoning with her. Mothers!

Oh, and I thought you two would want to know that people have been asking Parvati and me all day if we did the quiz and we haven't given away a thing! So there, Belinda!

Comments

[alt_padma]

It must be because it's so close to the end of term but everyone seems to be having trouble today!

Marvolo's all upset with Nott because he's being frightfully morbid and crass about going to see Black's body. He doesn't want to go see it any more than we do - Marvolo, I mean - but he's being made to do it just the same. I suppose if he can be stoic and stand having to look, so can we.

But for Lakshmi's sake, keep not giving anything away about the quiz! I mean, I think most everyone thought it was at least a little bit funny, but really it would have been much better if it hadn't fallen out of Dunstan's bag in the first place. And for the record, Dunstan, next time you do anything like this, put a charm on the thing so that you can't lose it! It was never meant to go out to the whole class, just people who'd get a laugh out of it!

I suppose we're lucky Weasley made such a cake out of the whole thing, because the moment he said it was awful and that the Prefects were taking them away, then it became a little more snitch to lark about with it. But honestly! It's so obvious who wrote it if you really look. You could've got us all in trouble if things had gone differently.

Anyway, Lav, don't worry about the Loon. She's lucky we stuck to third-years, or she'd have been the only entry in 'Strangest.' We'll ask Mum if you can come stay for part of the hols. Oh! I know! Maybe if you come stay with us, you can tell your mum that we went to see Black while you were staying. And then if we stay with you, we can tell our parents we went to see the body with you! And then none of us needs to go!

[alt_lavender]

It does seem to be being that sort of day!

Well, nobody can prove anything if we don't admit to anything! I've been saying that I think it was Zach or maybe Daphne.

...and kind of fluttering my lashes and letting people think Parvati and I aren't really clever enough to have thought of it.

I mean, just because I like pretty clothes and things doesn't mean I'm an idiot but some people think so and just this once I don't mind letting them.

I don't know, Padma, there are some pretty odd ducks amongst the year 2 girls---Ginny Weasley for one!

I like your idea about the viewing though! Do you thing they'd really believe it?

It's times like this I wish we were old enough to do really good spells, like Obliviate!

[alt_padma]

Well, we could try Obliviating each other afterward, but we might do it wrong and forget all sorts of important things. We should practise first, at least.

Daphne just called the whole quiz thing immature - but I'm sure that's just because we put Blaise in twice for stuck-up and because Millie was in too many bad categories. She's very keen on Millie, I should have thought of that and we could've spread things out a little more. Ugh, but I wish people hadn't seen it before we'd finished it properly!

Though I suppose Porkinson was bound to whinge about it, even though we were fair about things like talent and popularity (well. With losers). She just can't stand her little pets to get slagged.

I still can't believe she actually asked for help with Mum's collection! I finally decided it's much better to be really sweet about it and help as much as I can get Mum to help, but oh, it was so tempting to tell her to get stuffed. She's so ... UGH. I can't even explain it. I mean, she should be someone we all get on with perfectly well, but instead she's gone and made herself a little court of misfits. And I know Draco's grown up with her and they'll always be close, but Rama, I don't understand why he sticks up for her. It's so frustrating!!!

You're right. I think it's one of those days. I think it's the Dementors. Everyone seems to want a good shout.

[alt_padma]

Oh, and I think it certainly can't hurt to try to tell your parents we went with ours and our parents we went with yours. I mean, Mum's going to be busy right through hols and Dad - well, he'll never even notice, really, I don't think. He's at the WWN more and more all the time.

And by the way, I told Belinda and Su Li but you and Parvati should know too: I think it's better if you let people think maybe Capper and Bundy and some of the others made it all up - because it makes a sort of sense they'd kiss up to everyone who's in the good choices and they'd want to make themselves look better than the dregs. But don't go out of your way about it. Just don't suggest it's Daphne because that gives Porkinson even more cause to lord it over the rest and make everyone think she's sooo above it all.

[alt_lavender]

Let's try it then! I mean, our mums do talk to each other sometimes, but you're right, they'll both be frightfully busy so hopefully they won't think to mention it.

I can't believe Nott was crass enough to start describing it in detail--no wait, I can, because he's always been like that. I'm sooooo glad I'm not in his House.

Good idea about Capper and Bundy! But wait, if we all say it was Capper and Bundy, won't people notice? Maybe we ought to mention MacDougal as well. Or Fawcett.

[alt_lavender]

Oh, and I wasn't so much thinking of Obliviating ourselves so we'd forget we'd seen it, so much as Obliviating our parents so they'd forget they'd asked us to go!

But you're right, the other way would be easier--well, if we actually knew Obliviation at all that is!

Sometimes it seems like people who are older than us know all the interesting things! I so wish I could Apparate too.

[alt_padma]

Oh, well, Obliviating them would be better, so we don't have to go at all, but I guess seeing it so people know we've seen it and then Obliviating it would be more prudent.

If Looney's coming home then we could practise on her. Or - have your parents decided to keep mudbloods in the house? I bet we could practise on one of them, just for little things like whether they'd made the beds or whatever, and they wouldn't get in horrible trouble for forgetting and we'd get our practice in.

[alt_lavender]

Mummy doesn't particularly care for mudblood servants in the house; she feels we can get on well enough with our elves and a few muggles to do the real drudge work.

Daddy has a few in the stables, but I'm not sure we should meddle with them--you know how cross he gets when anything to do with the stables is disturbed. And he's almost never cross otherwise.

The Loon may be our best opportunity, actually. Nobody'd notice, since she's always doing something daft.

[alt_padma]

The Loon, then. Or the muggles. It does work on muggles, so that's possible. I don't think it'll work on an elf.

[alt_padma]

Yes, that's just what I meant: spread it round so we're not pointing our wands at just one or two people.

And now Weasley's gone and done Nott one better! Did you see? What an idiot.

[alt_lavender]

He's such a berk, really. Although that, was...kind of restrained, for him.

Maybe he's finally learned what the word 'discretion' means. Maybe.

Sometimes I feel like I ought to start looking out for something brave and heroic to do, so that people will start seeing Gryffindor in a better light.

As in, not the House of hotheaded idiots.

[alt_padma]

I just asked Finnigan if maybe Weasley's been possessed, ha-ha.

But anyway. Finnigan's okay for a Gryffindor, you have to admit. I'm kind of sorry I let Page convince me to put him in the girls' blouse category.

And Thomas. I'm still not sure I believe him when he says he hates muggles. But at least he's not quite so uptight as he used to be. I dunno. We'll see him here and there at hols and maybe he'll be less prone to fly off the handle. Like a hotheaded idiot Gryffindor. :)