Draco C. Malfoy

Look - I've been thinking about it and I don't even know how you jumped to the conclusions you jumped to, the other day.

It's important for me to know what happened to make you believe I had feelings for Hermione. So if you can specify that for me, I'd appreciate it.

Also, I know how tight you are with Pansy and Weasley, and always have been, since the beginning of this lock. I would also appreciate you not sharing your speculations with them, however tempting it might be.

Did you see that package the Owl brought at supper? Massive, wasn't it? I think that Harrod's clerk I called on the fire must be new, or just nervous about filling an order for Malfoy, because judging from the weight of the box that's going to be a lot more food than what I actually asked for. Not that we'll have any trouble getting people to finish it off. The fifth years are eating a lot, have you noticed? Something to do with studying for OWLs, I suppose.

We'll start setting up after lessons tomorrow. I'll make Harry help me with the decorations, maybe Jeremy, too, and we'll get Vince and Greg to move the common room furniture if we need to. Teds will keep Blaise occupied elsewhere.

Would you two mind coming up with some games or other entertainment ideas, though? I know music and theatre was important back then, so Pansy, maybe we can get out our guitars. But even that can only go on for so long. Charades? Cards? I don't know.

Renaissance - bit of an odd theme, don't you think? Especially coming from Daphs. No wonder Lizzie didn't know what to do with it.

Pansy - see you after I'm done at the library?

Father,

I know you're busy and likely weary of hearing more about either Professor Carrow, but I wanted to make you aware of a situation, particularly as it affects my standing both in class and amongst my peers.

Miss Professor Carrow called up myself and Sally-Anne Perks, Pansy's friend, to do a demonstration yesterday. We were to engage in some fairly uncomplicated duelling while she "distracted" us. I was wary of the situation straight away, because she seemed very excited for it, in an unsettling way, as if she had planned it out well in advance. Sally Anne and I did as instructed, though, until it got to the point where I had backed her into a corner, near a bookcase. At that moment, it felt like I had been hit in the elbow with a curse, and my arm jerked upwards and the hex I was casting hit the bookcase, which then toppled over, right on top of Sally Anne. She had a head injury and a fractured arm. She should recover well, but it looked quite bad in the moment it happened, lots of blood. Pansy was, as you can imagine, well upset when she heard what happened. Beside herself, actually--especially when she heard that something had fallen on Sally Anne and trapped her there while she was helpless and bleeding.

I know that you would caution me against jumping to conclusions when it comes to any adult's motivations, particularly a professor's. I also know that Miss Professor Carrow did warn us that she would be distracting us, and that I should have been prepared for anything. Still, I am convinced that the situation was designed to make me look incompetent and reckless, and to make Pansy feel helpless about the safety of her friends.

Advice would be appreciated. Staying out of their way and trying not to attract their attention is something I've always been mindful of, however, and it doesn't seem to make a difference.

You son,
Draco