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Some of the younger groups who came to the owlery were very silly and tried to disturb the owls, and then they ended up getting pecked. At least at first. After a while the owls had been given so many treats that they were too lazy to be bothered.

Just so you know, when I said that Professor Raz is fanciable I didn't mean that I fancy him, only that he's generally considered as such. He's always topping those most eligible bachelor polls, you know.

And when I said that ginger can be a great colour of hair on some people I was specifically talking about your sister. After all, she does a little modeling now.

I was hoping our group would be fast with the chess, but it didn't go very well.

Maybe you noticed, but Remy and I were with two of the Dumstrang third-years, Freja Janecek and Gunther Thiess. They're both only average at English, and Remy and I are a lot less than average at German.

They also kept arguing with each other in German, about how to follow the clues I think. And Remy thought their arguments were amusing so he didn't really try to settle them down.

It made things difficult.

But it was still fun. I felt bad that the CCF students didn't get to participate, but it sounds as if you all had ever such a nice time out at Hogsmeade.

From,
Hydra

Yeah, Remy had a pretty fair idea how to go after the chess set up from the beginning. It was a shame you couldn't all agree on it, but you weren't the worst group at all. O'Flaherty and Rigg were with Megan Jones, and they were all being so polite with the Beauxbatons girl in their group they couldn't make any decisions at all. Of course, it didn't help that none of them seemed to really know anything about chess.

You don't have to feel bad for us. It was loads of fun to set things up. I was out last night, charming the stones that run up the steps from the lake entrance--y'know, the numeracy clues? That was really nift. I hadn't really been down there since we came in that way as firsties. Had you? It was pretty amazing to see it at night again, too. The way the lights from the castle reflect off the lake. You can really see it from there.

And it was sort of great to watch it all happen today. Did you know some groups tried to skip the clues and coordinates and location charms, and thought they could just go places where they could see helpers standing. Like we wouldn't've figured on somebody trying that! Anywiz, for a while, there were a couple of groups wandering around and then shouting at each other when that was no good.

Bet none of the owls want to carry letters tomorrow! They'll all have got fat and lazy.

And, yeah. I figured.

No, I hadn't been that way since my first day at Hogwarts. Not that I remember, at least. I could see how it would be peaceful, though, especially at night. I wonder if it's normally considered out of bounds.

That's right, you're very good at chess. I remember you beat me, that time we played in my first year.

From,
Hydra

I don't know if it's out of bounds or whether no one goes that way because it just goes down to that little dock, and there aren't ever any boats there. But I think it might be a good place to go if you ever wanted to be let alone. Maybe Krum will figure that out!

Did I beat you? That wasn't very nice of me. No wonder you didn't want to play me again! I just remember you were sort of quiet, and I thought maybe you hadn't spent much time before with anyone you didn't already know well. I thought you were nice, though.

People will probably let him alone eventually, its only been a week after all. But you're right it would be a good place for solitude. Except now that we've written about it people might try to look for him there.

I wouldn't have minded playing again. It's fair if the best player wins.

That's what people usually remember about me, the quiet. And the niceness, only I didn't learn about that until recently.

From,
Hydra

Oh. Well we could play again sometime if you wanted. I bet there'll be loads of days when the weather's foul, and we'll want to do indoor things. I'm only good because I play a lot, and that's partly because we live in Scotland and most of the year is nasty!

I think quiet can be nice. I mean, I'm not really quiet myself, but I don't mind when other people are.

Well, why not?

It's true about the weather, and so long as my homework is finished.

All right, then.

There are better things to be known for. But probably worse things, too

From,
Hydra

It's settled, then. Next rainy afternoon you have your homework finished, we'll play chess.

Do you do anything other than eat, Ronald? You had tonnes of food at brunch, then gobbled up biscuits by the handful at tea and then all you could think of was supper?

I could barely touch anything at the table after all that food earlier!

Yes, well. You're always too busy talking to eat, aren't you?

Oh, I say, Ron!

I suppose whatever was in those drinks you lot had has well worn off, what?

It was fun, yeah. (Although I'm glad I know the scourgify spell for scraping stuff off my shoes from the Owlry! And I'm still pants at flying.)

I think our team would have finished sooner if someone hadn't nicked one of the Herbology texts that were out that you needed to solve one of the clues. But yes, it was fun!

I reckon it has, yeah. Now we're back to normal.

How are you finding it here? Apart from seeing that we don't all get along all the time. They have you staying in Ravenclaw tower? Don't let them tell you have to spend all your time doing homework. There are loads of other things to get up to at Hogwarts.

Do you play chess? Or cards, at all? Snap or Knave's Gambit or Conneycatcher or Portkey or anything?

Heh. Yeah, I was glad I didn't have to work up there. It was nice being out behind the groundskeeper's place. I'd never really gone out there much. Except when we were looking for badger setts in Creatures.

Well, that's not on, somebody nicking one of the books like that. Sorry that happened. Which part did you like best?

Well. I know some of the chaps think Hogwarts is a touch on the Gothic side but--I guess I don't mind that so much, what? The Ravenclaws don't spend all their time at homework, not that I've seen so far. Though it's fair to say there's quite a bit to do, isn't there? I say, I'm not sure how you lot can juggle so many subjects all at once. Nine or ten? It's difficult to imagine being able to focus on them with so much competition for time and attention.

Anyway, yesterday was loads of fun and an excellent way for JP and I to learn our way round. Certainly no homework done yesterday, if you follow me! As for games...I can play chess, yes, though I'm no expert, for certain. ~~I'm not sure I've heard~~ I think we have Snap in France but call it something else? Well, at any rate, we do have some jolly well complicated card games.

Hallo, Luna,

I'm sorry someone took one of the books. I agree with Weasley, here: that's not on at all.

How did your group get on, otherwise?

-Justin

We should get together and teach each other the card games we like best. Maybe get some others to come along, too.

And we should try chess sometime, too. You don't have to be ace at it for it to be fun.

Oh, I liked working out the clues, because I like word puzzles. But it was fun to visit bits of the castle that we don't see most of the time, too.

We had one of the girls from Beauxbatons in our group, and she especially had fun with the clues that involved the portraits, and we had quite a nice conversation about magical art in France as opposed to here in the Protectorate.

Quite.

I'm sure JP would be willing, what. He has a set of cards that--well. They're amusing, if you follow me.

Have you mates in Gryffindor who'd want to come along, as well?

Well, we weren't one of the winning teams, but even the consolation prizes were rather nice. I can always use another magical bookmark.

Oh, and one of the prefects told us afterward that the Herbology book hadn't been taken. It was still there on the table, but someone had put a strong Do Not Notice Me charm on it. Which was really rather sneaky! One of the Slytherins, probably.

Heh. I know some tricks you can play with cards like that. My brother Charlie taught us some really clever spells for it.

Neville might want to come, yeah. I'll ask him.

Did you just want it to be a bloke's thing, then? I mean, we could open it to anyone who wanted to come. Or just to fourth year wizards. Or just set up in the Great Hall and see who turns up.

Well, that was really the main thing, wasn't it?

Getting to know the visiting kids. And letting them see we're a nice enough lot.

You're asking me who might like to come?

I...wonder if you spend any time with people from other Houses, what? I mean to say, I don't know whether a Gryffindor would get on well with anyone in Slytherin, without the benefit of that punch making everyone affable and loquacious, that is to say.

But if you were.... Before I came back to England, Sally-Anne offered to speak to me privately about something. But I haven't had any opportunity to talk to her yet--that is, we've not been in any lessons together and yesterday I was with others, of course, and so was she.

Would it look terribly out of place if she and the others were to come along to whatever sort of card party you'd plan? I shouldn't like to cause any comment, what, if it's not the done thing.

Are they prone to that sort of...deception? Slytherins, I mean.

Maybe. Sometimes it's important to know how to be deceptive. Not just when you're playing games, either.

From,
Hydra

I wasn't asking you who you'd want to come. I was just trying to find out if you only wanted it to be wizards. I do spend time with people from other Houses, sometimes more from outside Gryffindor than in, but you're right that it's complicated. And the whole thing about whether we should ask witches-

Only if we have witches we won't want to have any of that kind of cards, is all. That's really why I was asking.

See, if it were me deciding who I'd want to ask, I'd ask Nev, and Pansy Parkinson and Sally Anne Perks and maybe some others. We could ask Luna if you were wanting to get to know her a bit better. But then we wouldn't ask Patil. For instance.

Or, if we wanted more people, we could say it's for everyone, and then it would be all right whoever turned up, and in that case Patil probably would stay away because it was me setting it up. Unless Malfoy and Marvolo came, in which case she might. It's complicated.

If it's a bloke's thing, then we'd probably just ask all the fourth year wizards, including the ones from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and we'd see who turns up. Smith and Macmillan and Moon and some others might come. And, depending on how the wind's blowing, maybe the Slytherins would turn out.

Oh, I see. Well, no, I shouldn't think the girls would appreciate any sort of cards--or card tricks--that exploit femininity, what?

But, yes, I rather think that something where Perks would feel welcome would kill two birds with one stone, as it were, if you follow me. I say, I'm sorry I didn't realise you and Parkinson or Perks were at all acquainted.

Do you not get on with Marvolo and Malfoy, then? Odd, since they're really rather pleasant, I thought. And as for Patil, she's all right. She just...well, there are some girls like her at Beauxbatons, as well. One just has to know how to get round them, what? She's quite good friends with Moon, though, isn't she? And Finnigan? And Finnigan's in your House, isn't he? It's all so very confusing, these Houses and who can speak to whom and such. Much simpler at Beauxbatons, I can tell you.

Right.

Well, then. I tell you what. I'll just see if Sally Anne and Pansy and maybe Neville could come sometime and we could get to know you better. I think it's easier in a small group, and we all get on. You'll see.

And that would let you talk to Sally Anne, too. See what she wanted to tell you. She's really clever, you know. And good at, well- good at understanding how to explain other people. Actually, she'd be loads better than I am at explaining who gets on with which other people and why.

Um, about Marvolo and Malfoy. See, the thing is, I got on really well with Marvolo for a while our first couple of years, but Malfoy didn't like that. So then for a while Marvolo was a right pr- anywiz, we don't talk much now, but it's not like I don't like him. I just think he needs to have a think about who he picks as friends. And, yeah, you would think Malfoy's really pleasant when he hosted you back in the summer when you came over. He's all about being polite and being a model of high society or whatever, but that's it. He doesn't like my family, so- yeah, that's really it, pretty much. Weasleys aren't good enough for Malfoys and that's that.

So, anywiz, now you know. And I guess you'll have to decide if you want to get to know me better or would rather stick with Malfoy and his lot. He won't like it very much if you get to know me.

My uncle, Professor Razzer, that is, he says that every house's strength is also its weakness.

So, Gryffindors are brave and stick up for people, but they can also be rash and judgmental.

Hufflepuffs and loyal and fair and hard-working, but they can be passive and very set in their ways.

Ravenclaws are intelligent and clever, but they can be closed-off and only ever consider themselves.

Slytherins are ambitious and resourceful, but being resourceful can sometimes mean being deceptive, or even ruthless.

But, just so you know, the Lord Protector was a Slytherin, so in Hogwarts it's rather unofficially considered the best house, even if there really isn't supposed to be a best house.

From,
Hydra

Well, thank you for the lesson, Hydra.

Or are you just being deceptive?

I say, it doesn't seem like you're all that deceitful, though perhaps given what you've just told me about Slytherin, perhaps you'll not take that for a compliment.

-Justin

Everyone says that I'm quiet. I don't think that's the same thing.

I've been deceptive before but I don't really enjoy it.

No, that's not true because sometimes I do enjoy it, but, I wouldn't enjoy being deceitful to a friend.

Now you're probably more confused than before.

What house do you think you would have been sorted into if you went to Hogwarts?

From,
Hydra

Oh, I shouldn't think Malfoy will be well fussed, one way or another. I'm only here a short while, after all, if you follow me.

Besides, our job as visitors is to get to know all sorts of students, not just the ones at the top rung, what? I mean to say, my mother's done a fair bit of adjusting since I started school, as the usual lines of class aren't quite divided the way she'd expected.

But, yes, I think I should like a chance to speak with Sally-Anne in a way that shan't raise eyebrows.

When do you think you'd hold the card party, then? We've got an outing next weekend, haven't we?

I prefer to be quiet, actually, especially when I'm with people I don't know well. I find I have to force myself to be very outgoing in order to make new friends. Do you ever feel that way?

And I rather know what you mean, I think, about deceiving friends and not enjoying it. Sometimes it's necessary, though, because otherwise things might be far, far worse. There, now I've probably been cryptic enough for both of us.

I'm not sure about my House. I don't think Slytherin, sorry. And I doubt Gryffindor because I'm not really very brave. And I'm not really a natural scholar, either. So I suppose that leaves Hufflepuff. Which is rather strange, what, because I'm not acquainted with any of the Hufflepuffs at all. Though they seem well nice enough.

Have you any friends in Hufflepuff?

-Justin

Yes, that's it exactly, and just what I meant when I said that being deceptive is sometimes important and not just for winning games.

Hufflepuffs are nice, and they are more easy-going than some of the other houses. I think you would fit in well there if you went to Hogwarts.

I almost had a friend in Hufflepuff, but she's dead now. Hannah, the girl who was killed at the end of last term.

From,
Hydra

Oh, I say.

I say--that's--gracious. I'm so sorry, then.

-Justin

There are other people who knew her a lot better.

I was just trying to help her and

Well, it's not such a happy story, and I think people already told you a bit about it so I won't go over it again.

From,
Hydra

No, I can understand you not wanting to revisit that episode. Quite right.

I lost a friend once, too.

-Justin

Well, not deception, necessarily. But cunning. And of course, I don't know whether it was a Slytherin who did the spell. It just seems the most likely possibility.

Then I'm sorry.

Was it very long ago?

From,
Hydra

Thank you. No, it wasn't so very long ago. But I think we'd better leave things there. I recall being told it's impolite to carry on private conversations in someone else's journal, what?

Perhaps if you'd like to practise French we could meet after lessons sometime? Don't worry about answering here; just let me know if you'd like to do. And no hard feelings if you don't.

-Justin

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Private Message to Justin Finch-Fletchley

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Private message to Justin Finch-Fletchley

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