Good afternoon from the camping trip!

[alt_sinistra]

Our students seem to be settling in, though managing the larger number of rising second years has a few practical challenges - we gave up on cooking over a campfire last night due to both the drizzle and the problems of getting food ready for everyone fast enough. Instead, we retired to three of the larger tents and their kitchens.

It’s been a little more damp here than we’d like, but the rain held off long enough yesterday to get the tents up, and it’s cleared part of this morning, allowing for some of our nature walks. Highlights included a nest of puffskeins, two wild (but quite friendly) kneazles, and most exciting, signs of a mooncalf (there’ll be an expedition tonight to see if we can spot it dancing.) My thanks to Mr Wright and Mr Kenrith for their expertise.

Also a large number of sheep, and a herd of ponies, which lead to a fascinating conversation. It’s apparently quite a new discovery that the not only are Exmoor ponies distinct from the Dartmoor as we’ve known for a while, but the Exmoor ponies are in fact magical beasts. We ended up talking a great deal about similarities and differences between apparently closely related species. So much we’re finding out now that proper magical research can be done under the Protectorate.

This afternoon, we’ve some Herbology workshops. Tomorrow, we look forward to several workshops on charms and other skills useful for camping (we’re already all getting quite good at drying charms), and of course Thursday is the day we transfer to near Tintagel.

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Private message to Raz

[alt_sinistra]

Things are going well enough. (When I'm not being pestered with questions, rained on, or listening to people whinge about the rain, I am actually enjoying myself.) I’m looking forward to the move to near Tintagel, though. At least there, we’ll have access to indoor space if the weather continues dreary.

I'm pretty sure we've another surge of bullying, but they’re being careful enough it’s hard for me to spot anything in action. Not much I can do other than try to keep the usual lot of culprits well separated. Which does not work well when you’ve got 20 grumpy people jamming into a tent to make supper, let me tell you.

I don’t suppose you’ve had a chance to ask around a little more about what on earth Stint might be angling at now? He’s very clearly frustrated by Poppy (good on her!) but the meetings last week were... Well. Still mulling over, but trying not to dwell.

Speaking of meetings, Madam Umbridge does not camp, thank you, but she was here from when the counsellors arrived yesterday until everyone was in tents for bed, and showed up again first thing today. It did not improve my morning.

Having my own tent (well, borrowed) was also obviously the smart thing. Salve to my mood, and handy when two of the counsellors needed to pop in last night. (One nightmare, one mild reaction to a plant.) And if Umbridge is going to ask me persistent questions - “And why did you choose to do it that way, dear?” - I’d much rather be somewhere other people can’t overhear.

Miss you, though. If that needed saying.

(Do let me know if supper with the family might be doable sometime next week once you've an idea of your own obligations. If not, Mum understands, but she wants to be very clear you'd be most welcome. I need to go regardless, since Mum wants to go over a few family things quicker done in person.)