alt_sinistra | A short interlude

I’m in New London for two days of YPL meetings. It’s hard to be away from Hogwarts - and a long list of things that need attention - but a change in routine is also surprisingly pleasant.

I’ve never been a morning person, and apparating over distance first thing is worse, so I made sure to get here in plenty of time for a walk to clear my head before we started our meetings this morning. But that’s given me time to be delighted by the shop windows, particularly this year’s fashion for sparkling light charms - so delicate - and the wider color palette.

I saw a gorgeous window in silvers and blues and purples, as well as many with more classic greens, reds, and golds. And of course, the charmed displays are wonderful: my favorite was several windows of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in winter with a cunningly done Quidditch match in progress. And there’s the smell of pine in the air, and the clusters of little stalls, and banners snapping in the breeze... And of course, a pleasant little pastry at one of the nearby cafes to put me in the best possible mood before we started this morning.

I’m looking forward to being able to make a great deal of progress with the YPL plans for this spring and summer, but also a few chances to relax. I’m eagerly anticipating a performance tonight and then there’s dinner with my parents tomorrow, and a few other errands and tasks to finish getting ready for the holidays.

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Ugh. Stint. He’s been pushier today, not quite grabby but near it. And invitations to both lunch and dinner. Thankfully, I already had made other plans. (And dealing with people griping because we’re here on a Sunday when it’s mostly his and Helpmann’s fault is annoying. Though on the whole, I’m glad to have these meetings out of the way before the holidays for various reasons.)

He did try to throw a fit about your preparations for the first YPL event, and in general. But because of your inventories, and the report of your skills from Healer Behm and last week’s reports, and a little private strategy with others on the committee, it was quite easy to convince the rest that matters were in fine hands. I have no faith it will hold, but perhaps it will give you a little break.

We may well have an assigned healer come along for the January event, just in case something goes wrong while we’re away from Hogwarts, but Stint’s bowed out there, too.

Apparently, he dislikes the cold rather intensely, and found Hogwarts tedious to apparate to last week. I had not expected to spend the next two days declaiming my love for Scotland’s climate and glorious isolation, but there you are. I am amusing myself in boring parts of this meeting writing a list of ways to be enthusiastic about our weather.

I am, by the way, assuming you would rather not spend a day in January on a snowy hillside supervising a large number of students trying to achieve various goals. If I’m wrong about that, do let me know.

And since I didn’t have a chance to catch up with you before this - I think the CCF planning sessions went well enough, though we obviously need a bit more coordinated practice. I think everything’s in good order for the other sessions, and Felix was indeed able to find me a few of the recordings you were hoping for, so we’ll have a better variety of practice pieces.

If Facinorous Stint ever grabs you, I hope you will not hesitate to hex his bits off. Such a nasty piece of work, that one.

Thank you for your efforts on my behalf. I hate to think of your having to expend your own political chits on my behalf. But I'm extremely grateful.

Kind of you, too, to find someone to staff the January expedition. It's not that I prefer sitting at home or shudder at the thought of trekking, even in January. But, under the circumstances, it would be unwise to leave my post, even in support of the YPL. So, alas.

I will be pleased to consult with the appointed healer in advance to advise her or him of relevant issues regarding certain of the pupils who will participate--and I'd very much appreciate it if we could meet (again) following the event, however briefly, so I may update my records fully with respect to any injuries or issues that have might occurred.

Finally, I'm very glad to hear that your meetings are going smoothly--and am pleased to know we'll have appropriate music for our comportment lessons.

I am holding a good hex in reserve (I could probably get him removed from the board, but it'd be a mess.)

As to the politics - honestly, I think he's been wearing on some of them a bit. So some cost, but not as much as it might be.

I will certainly let you know when we've a healer appointed (might be a few weeks), and consult. I'll bring a copy of the plans by this week, so you can see exactly what might come up in the ordinary way of things. (Mind, I've given up on expecting any YPL event going the way it was planned.)

Perhaps we might find a time to talk over it (and I can show you the robes I'm picking up tomorrow?) after one of the sessions this week, if you can be away from your ward for that long?

I'm to bed now, so I'll be up to dealing with more meetings in the morning.

Poppy -

A few more thoughts from the morning.

The new robes are glorious, painful as it is for me spend this much on clothing. (I'm waiting on a couple of final alterations at the moment.) But I'm now quite confident I won't shame anyone at the Ball, or various other invitations.

I do have a favour to ask you: do you have a recommendation to help me get through the next ten days or so? What with one thing and another, I've got a tremendous amount to do, and being here last night reminded me exactly how tired I am already.

You know I hate to rely on anything like a regular potion (both you and Mum have rubbed off on me that way), but the more I think about it, the more I think that might be the best choice. (Once we get through the next week, everything eases up a bit.)

I've also got something I'd like to talk to you about - in person, by preference, though if we had to, it could be the journals. But privately.

A short interlude

Private message to Poppy Pomfrey

Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey

Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey

Re: Private message to Poppy Pomfrey