Private message to Poppy Pomfrey

[alt_sinistra]

Poppy -

Thanks again for meeting me Friday. It's such a pleasure to relax with a friend.

I wish I could manage to get away this week, but now that we're traipsing all over New London, it's unlikely. This group is all settled into their rooms, and into the afternoon activities now, though, so at least I've a moment to catch my breath. (And Madam Umbridge did appear this morning, but had a meeting this afternoon, so even she's gone for a bit.)

I don't suppose you've anything else on the Stint front? I've discussed it thoroughly with Raz (for obvious reasons) but anything you might happen to overhear, even just if you see him talking to someone, would be tremendously helpful. I feel like it's all fog and mist, and nothing certain. And it's hard for us to take it further without somewhere to start. "There's this thing, and it's very vague, but I swear he's up to something" seems most unlikely to convince anyone at MLE, especially given the history. I feel foolish saying it even to you, and I know you believe me.

I'm also still holding out hope for an actual vacation at some point, but I admit that's looking harder and harder to manage. How are there so few weeks in the summer?

I hope this week's course treats you a bit better than the previous. And I think Mum may have something to pass along to you, too, next I see her.

Comments

[alt_sinistra]

There are some arguments I was clearly not going to win this year. Actually, I'm surprised we've managed to hold off on uniforms and marching and patriotic songs this long.

(And our dear Madam Umbridge is so very excited about all that. I'm just gritting my teeth politely.)

On the scheduling, quite. It's a completely full three weeks, really. There's what we did last year - four core areas, plus a specialty. There's various physical challenges and group exercises to develop leadership (and a couple of those are going to be quite demanding in more than one way). There's the fact the whole thing's centering around the battle of Leicester (and they're also touring Nottingham) with various lectures and exercises and projects. And there's a whole bit about cryptography and message analysis that got put in.

And then you add in that some of them swim far better than others (and there's a number of water activities), and a few things I can't talk about yet, and. Well. Yes.

[alt_poppy]

(I take it that she's rather given to enthusiasm. Have I ever mentioned Poole's Jelly Gums to you? They're not only quite pleasant but have a gentle relaxant that works wonders for tooth grinders and jaw clenchers. Herbs and fruit. Nothing transfigured in them. I quite prefer them to anything else I've tried.)

I think the cryptography sounds most interesting, though I quite understand why it was difficult to shoe horn in amongst all the rest. I remember you mentioning that there was particularly keen student interest in doing it, though. Were you able to find someone interesting to serve as the instructor?

[alt_sinistra]

Enthusiasm. Advice. Suggestions. And all with that edge of "Of course I know best."

I've had it made quite clear to me that she's to be given every courtesy, but she will keep trying to be friendly on top of everything else.

Thanks for the recommendation, anyway: I'll see if I can pop out to the apothecary this afternoon.

The cryptography is interesting, though it took a lot of sorting to figure out something that wouldn't cause more trouble down the road. But Marlagosia Starling came out in favour of it (she's head of the Anti-Fomentation team, and their head communications analyst as well), and she'll be doing the initial lecture, and then several of her staff are running various practical exercises.

And yes, on the student interest - Padma Patil, that one.