End of summer

[alt_terry]

master has been busy writing up his research notes from the summer since coming back to Hogwarts. he is very pleased with his work. he said he made many important breakthroughs and boot should be proud to have such a clever master. Of course boot always is. boot serves him his meals but otherwise master does not have much call for boot. of course boot sits at his feet when master talks with his sister in his chambers in the evenings.

the school seems so very quiet after the camps. Of course, it will seem quite different when the students return.

Comments

[alt_terry]

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

Dear friends,

It's lonely being back, without any of you here. At least Master isn't paying much attention to me right now. Hermione, I went right away to find Crookshanks to say hello to him, and he seemed glad to see me. Professor Sprout said he had a grand summer catching every single mouse to be found in the greenhouses. She said he's welcome there anytime.

I wonder where Madam Pomfrey is. I haven't seen her at all.

Most of the other teachers are here now. They've been tutoring my friend, Dean Thomas! (Master isn't, though. He said his research notes were too important to set aside to babysit a ruddy halfblood, so I guess Professor McGonagall is tutoring Dean in Transfiguration instead. That's awfully nice of her. I should think she should be even busier than Master. And pretty lucky for Dean, too. Guess he'll find out what Master's like soon enough.)

I peeked into the Great Hall one night and saw him talking to Professor Acton. He started to turn his head my way, and I ducked my head out of sight just in time. I don't think he saw me.

I don't know exactly why I did that. I was thinking about it later. We were such good friends last spring, so why should I be afraid of letting him see me now? I guess it's because everything's different. He's a halfblood now, and I'm a mudbl muggleborn. I guess I'm putting off the moment he might walk by me and act like I smell or something. Because he's better than me now.

I went to our secret classroom space, too, Hermione, and nothing's been touched at all. There are even some new books there, second year curriculum! I wonder if you put them there before you left school, or did some magic in the castle know we needed them? Anyway, I spend most of my days there, studying, since Master's not in the mood to care where I go right now. The stuff I learned from that bloke in the camp who taught me Muggle physics this summer has been really helpful for understanding the new Astronomy textbook. I think I'll be able to explain all about Kepler's law when I see you again.

[alt_hermione]

I Solemnly Swear that I am Up to No Good

Well, I don't know why the new books would be there! The castle, I suppose? Or maybe one of the house-elves. If they took them out of the library it wouldn't really be stealing would it?

Do Muggles have physics that would help with Astronomy? I suppose I don't really know what Muggle physics would be like. Mum didn't talk about physics much.

[alt_terry]

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

It's just a nice thought, I guess, to think that the castle itself might have left us the books. I'd like to think that Hogwarts itself wants us to learn.

I think Muggle physics really would help, although it's hard to tell without having a textbook to look at. Jack--he's the man who was teaching me at the camp--he was a good teacher. He said he was sorry he didn't have a textbook for me to help explain things, with the diagrams and all. Drawing pictures in the dirt with the stick just isn't the same.

[alt_terry]

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

When are you getting back to Hogwarts, by the way? Not until September 1, I suppose?

Master hasn't said anything about what he expects this next year, but I hope I'll be allowed to eat my own breakfast early in the kitchens this year, because maybe I could see you then?

I can't wait to see you again. And Fred and George and Lee, you too.