Various notes

[alt_draco]

As I flip through the pages of my book for the last day or so, it's interesting to note that the majority of other people's entries (and my own) consist of Private Messages. As much as I use and value the PM system, I have to admit that I do miss the days when people would simply log their schedules, comment on recent events, or just say something utterly daft and laughable. People still do that, mind; just seems as if it all gets overwhelmed by the surplus of PMs.

So, in light of this observation, I am planning a return to more public postings, and I hope that some of you lot reading will do the same.

Getting closer to the end of the term is always an odd time. Everyone can feel the hols building in the air, and that, along with the pleasant weather, makes it really tempting to just faff about and play portkey, or go for a fly around the lake. But then there's all this building pressure too, with more revising, upcoming exams, and the summer YPL stuff.

So, if anyone wants to come to a combined study-and-games/music-after session, let me know and I'll see if I can organise something snitch.

Mother: I hope you received my package and that it found you in good spirits.

Crabbe: Where's my France-Bulgaria quidditch programme? If you've sopped up your juice with it or something then we will have problems, you and I. I hope you're not hanging onto it because you're actually trying to read it, because it's written in French, genius. Goyle was convinced for a while that it was just really strange handwriting.

Harry: Has your Father said yet what you'll be doing this summer? You'll get to stay with us for a while, right?

Comments

[alt_padma]

Parvati and I got cakes because it's our birthday today. We're going to get together with friends before History Club this evening - please do come!

I know what you mean about the PMs. Of course, most of us are writing our messages for the YPL so that adds a load of PMs we wouldn't otherwise send, but even aside from that. It just seems most of the time like it's easier to write to one or two mates and that way certain people can't nose in on whatever you're trying to say.

But you're right, we should feel at ease to post whatever we like without having to keep things private.

[alt_draco]

Happy Birthday. I thought there was something more mature-looking about you this morning.

You're right, there's been a lot of PMs this week especially, but it's also that I just notice myself sliding into the habit more and more. If people are brave enough to nose in then let them, I say. Even when it would create squabbles it was sort of amusing, I thought...especially watching other people's squabbles, ha.

[alt_padma]

Cheers, Malfoy! Fourteen feels very different to thirteen. Mum even sent us these nift little makeup cases, which you know she wouldn't have given us a year ago.

And you're right about watching other people squabble. Whenever Corner or Smith posts I simply cringe to see who's going to be first in the queue to set them straight.

Though Weasley has a point about other adults' journals. Parvati quite likes the horoscope one. And I know Chambers reads one witch's journal who's forever posting tips on doing hair and nails. And there's Mrs Catchlove's journal, of course, and I even found a journal for someone who works for Hyperion, who's job is to post previews and highlights from his newer lines. (Mum didn't care for that at all, she said all the comments would interfere with the creative process. But I suppose he likes to hear from his customers about whether they care for what he's doing while he has time to adjust it.)

And I know sometimes people can't post openly because what they're saying really would be detrimental to Our Lord's peace. Like when the Aurors use PMs to communicate, but they can't let the bad guys know what they're up to. So that's all right, of course.

Still, it's true we shouldn't get ourselves such tight circles that there's no room for anyone else.

Is your mum okay? It must have been terribly frightening. I saw in the papers that they arrested the man who attacked her right away, so that's good. I guess the cadet programme is supposed to make sure we can all defend ourselves just as easily as your mother did.

[alt_draco]

Yeah, I read journals outside Hogwarts, too, but I was mostly talking about journals by people that I personally know, even if I don't know them all that well or even necessarily consider them a mate.

She assures me that she's perfectly fine, yes.

Crikey, you've just made me realise that my own birthday isn't far off and I haven't yet asked for anything or made any plans at all. Who knows when I'll have time for that?

[alt_daphne]

Makeup, really? You're ever so lucky. Mother insists that I remain makeup-free until I'm fifteen years old. She says I'm already trying to grow up too fast.... as if makeup's going to stop me from doing that!

[alt_padma]

Well, we're already allowed to wear bindi for special occasions. And there's not a whole load of makeup in the cases. Just gloss and a small blusher, really. Oh, and a little kohl. There's also a phial of perfume - sandalwood, jasmine, and lotus.

Parents really do hate that we grow up, don't they?

[alt_blaise]

Some people are naturally beautiful and don't need cosmetics. You're an English rose, Daphs: there's no sense messing with perfection.

[alt_daphne]

Why thank you, Blaise. What a terribly lovely thing to say.

[alt_padma]

Are you saying Parvati and I do need cosmetics?

And Daphs does have excellent complexion but that doesn't give call to be rude.

[alt_blaise]

No need to get cross, Patil. I shouldn't have thought you needed them, either. I was simply telling Daphne that she shouldn't feel her mum's wrong or holding her back from anything she really needs.

I don't understand why witches with good faces feel the need of paint when they've nothing in need of enhancement. And, frankly, the plain ones generally look a bit naff when they paint since it makes it dead obvious they see they are lacking.

But then there are cultural things for some people, and I don't think that bindi or henna are cosmetics so much as they are, well, markers of being Hindu, aren't they? And maybe wearing kohl is a bit that way, too, for you and Parvati and some others, if you choose to do it. That's what I was saying about Daphs being English, though: it's not something people with an English heritage do traditionally, you see, or do out of respect for their traditions. And she's so beautiful without being made up, I don't think she ought to worry that she needs to or is missing something while her mother says 'No'.

[alt_padma]

But nearly all grown witches do wear some kind of paint, even the really beautiful ones like Mrs Malfoy and your own mum. There's all sorts of ways to wear makeup. I don't think a girl ought to look brazen or anything, but sometimes it's just fun to look all glamourous and special.

[alt_ron]

Many happy returns, Patil.

[alt_padma]

Cheers, Weasley.

[alt_pansy]

Happy birthday, Padma. To Parvati, too.

[alt_padma]

Cheers, Parkinson.

Come have cake later.

[alt_pansy]

Cheers!

[alt_hydra]

Can second years come to the combined study-and-games/music-after sessions?

From,
Hydra

[alt_draco]

Sure - Gamp's bringing some fourth years, too.

Just make sure that there's enough of you to make up a group that knows the same material. I mean, the people in the years above you should remember the material, but we've got to focus on what we're doing currently, yeah?

[alt_hydra]

Alright, that makes sense.

From,
Hydra

Private Message to Hydra

[alt_draco]

Are you feeling well? Some girls are talking about how you're pulling a Frobisher... and you do look sort of poorly, to be honest.

Re: Private Message to Hydra

[alt_hydra]

Uncle Raz just asked me that as I was leaving breakfast.

Not if I was pulling a Frobisher, but if I was feeling well.

And I told him that I had to get a lot of my teeth fixed because of eating too many sweets.

So I'm not eating sweets now, but none of the other foods are very nice.

Like meat, I hate it.

Carrots are alright, and mash if it isn't too lumpy or too runny, and rice if it doesn't have those flecks on it, and toast...only without jam it's not as tasty.

From,
Hydra

Re: Private Message to Hydra

[alt_draco]

You're mad, meat's delicious. Especially that very thin, rare type of roast served at home. Fish, however, is mostly disgusting.

I knew you were a picky eater, but this is ridiculous. Those "flecks" are herbs and pepper and stuff, and without them you'd just have plain white rice. Anyway, you should just eat what you want, and if you get cavities again they can just be fixed. No big quaffle.

Re: Private Message to Hydra

[alt_hydra]

I don't like it at all, especially when it's all red and juicy like that.

Plain white rice would be better, I wish we could have that more often.

I do eat what I want, when I can.

From,
Hydra

Re: Private Message to Hydra

[alt_draco]

Well, good. I'll be sure to get some of your favourite things for the study party, including some plain white rice, since you're so keen on it.

Re: Private Message to Hydra

[alt_hydra]

Oh, really?

That would be perfect.

From,
Hydra

[alt_ron]

Well, yeah. That's true for the people here at school, but don't you read stuff other people write?

Like that bloke who draws the comic about the house elves? Dead hilarious, that one. And there's a fellow who puts up photos of places in the country he's flown out to and poked around in. Abandoned pubs and shops and wotnot.

I mean, I don't look at all those mad ones who are always on about the world ending or about how to cook Greek food, but there's loads of Quidditch players who write really wizard stuff about what they get up to.

And Bundy's always pointing us to this old witch who writes every Sunday about a different place in the world she visited when she was young--and she's always got photos of herself and the pyramids or herself and some mountain in Japan.

Anywiz, people in the common room are always pointing out things that've popped up in their books that don't show up in mine until I know to look for them. I mean, some of them are, um, interesting. If you know what I mean. Like the one about wizards who wear witches' shoes. Or, uh, the woman who writes about what she does with polyjuice in that club in New London. Have you seen that one?

So, any road, I'd come if you get up a music-study thing. Sounds snitch.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Can't wait to see what he says about me asking to come to his thing.

[alt_draco]

I read some of what other people write, but a lot of the time they're penned by someone so clearly mental, or old, or dull that it's not worth the bother. Entries about quidditch are the best, but they're usually about strategy or player injuries and typically are just more detailed versions of what you see in the papers.

Oh, that New London club. I saw one in person, actually - in Paris. It was a brothel, though.

Of course you have to come to the study party. I need you there to jump in front of me if my potion explodes, don't I?

[alt_ron]

True about most of the Quidditch ones, especially the ones that fans write. Like that one about the Broadmoors that tells you what they eat for breakfast and where they're going to be signing autographs next. But Gudgeon--y'know, the Cannons' captain--writes a regular thing he calls 'The Seeker Snitches' and it's all about the mad stuff people say to him when they meet him or things they do when they're sat in the stands at matches. Like this one witch told him she's only ever seen him in pictures in The Prophet, but he looks so much bigger in person--as if she expected he'd be two inches tall! And another time someone asked him if he wears the same knickers all season for luck, and Gudgeon said if he'd ever done that, he wouldn't have kept on with it since it obviously doesn't work.

And, yeah, I think the one in New London's a brothel, too. It's a pretty interesting journal if you go looking for it.

Ha. Are you expecting your potion to explode? (Speaking of mad journals, there are loads of those these days, yeah?)

[alt_draco]

Yeah, all those stories are good, though I've heard a lot of similar ones from Raz when I was growing up. Like how they all used to let their beards grow out for good luck, and then the beater was convinced if he shaved they'd lose their winning streak, but the beard go so long that it got tangled up in his bat and all, and then they lost, of course.

Only if Crabbe's anywhere near it.

Maybe I can get my Father to hire you to follow me around this summer in case someone tries to attack me. You know, like they did my Mother.

[alt_pansy]

I suppose this is why we ought to write less Private entries... public ones lead to all sorts of interesting conversations, don't they?

The study party sounds like it'd be just the thing. Can you bring those French records? They were fascinating, I'd love to listen to them some more

[alt_draco]

That they do.

I was planning on bringing them, yeah. I've been trying to figure out how to play "De Quoi Je Suis Faite," actually - you'll have to hear sometime soon.

[alt_blaise]

Has Crabbe found your programme yet? I looked at Harry's a bit, but I wanted to read the piece about Viktor Krum and I didn't have a chance before I gave it back.

Your father was mad fortunate he was there same time as the quarter finals.

[alt_draco]

I could have killed him - he used it to write his notes on because he forgot his parchment in class! Luckily, the ink wasn't indelible and I was able to siphon it off. That's the last time I let him borrow anything.

Lucky, wasn't it? Krum's got mad talent, and can you believe he's still at school?

[alt_sally_anne]

Cheers, Draco. That sounds like a fantastic idea for a party.

[alt_draco]

Hope to see you there, then.