alt_sinistra | Year's end

7th years - and especially my NEWT students - I wish you all the very best as you go off into new and wonderful things. You have all grown so much, and changed, and I’m sure you will go on to learn more and do more than we can dream of right now.

And for everyone, while this year has had a great many changes and challenges, I know I’m not alone in being impressed at how so many of you have learned and grown. I hope you all have a truly excellent summer, and I look forward to hearing all about it in the fall.

Speaking of - I’ve had a few questions about how I expect to spend my own holidays. Of course, part of my time will be spent settling into a new home (and all that involves), and I very much hope to relax and enjoy the summer a bit. But of course, I’ve got other projects as time allows: some ongoing work for the Astronomy Guild, revising my NEWT curriculum for next year, and my own research.

Those of you leaving school or simply looking for summer opportunities, I did hear of a few more this week - varying skill sets. If you’re interested, do let me know.

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Cedric -

What I said above goes triple for you: you should be so very proud of all you’ve done and learned and made yourself into.

I hope your recovery is continuing to move along. I certainly don’t want to intrude, but if a visit would help break up the monotony of your recovery, do let me know? (Or if - now you’ve been home for a bit - you find you need a bit of help distracting your mother from fussing.)

Also, I suspect it’ll be some time yet before you’ve the energy to spare, but I wanted to make very clear that the offer my brother made - to talk business plans and what’s useful - is still very much open, should you wish, whenever you like. Or anything else along that line.

I am very much going to miss having you in class next year: I could always rely on you to be thoughtful and ask wonderful questions, and improve the class in all the small ways. Never mind all the help outside of class.

You are welcome to stop by whenever, just let me know so we can avoid my many and varied appointments and checkups.

I'm used to a rigorous exercise routine. Even if the routine is now very different, and I tire more easily, I think it has made attempting to keep up easier.

Does the Guild have any public events over the summer? As odd as it may be to hear someone who has just escaped schooling, I think lectures may be about my speed for entertainment for a while yet.

Serious future planning is stalled for the moment. When I start working on future stuff again I will keep your brother in mind. The twins also said they had some nev5 news to share bg by way of their mum, but we haven't had the chance to really talk get yet.

Right. Let me sort out my own plans - might be a few days - but I will certainly look forward to that. And of course work around your various appointments.

As to lectures, I think that's a fine idea. The Guild has a couple scheduled, and there's at least two more planned - there's always something at the country guild hall to mark the end of the research projects there. (And there's a few that are invite only, but I'd be glad to arrange that for you.)

Let me think on it, and owl you a list of some other possibilities when I get a chance to track them down? I know there's a series of Charms lectures where at least a couple of them looked intriguing, and I think I saw something about a series of lectures on pieces in the Protector's Collection over the summer, if I can remember where, that was going into their construction and how you determine provenance and things. And several other things that didn't much interest me, but might you.

As to the future, of course. Just wanted to make it clear that it's there if or when you want it.

How, by all the stars, is it the end of the year already? February and March and April went so very slowly, but the last six weeks flew. I’ll try and catch you both privately before we all go our separate ways, but in case I can’t, do have a very wonderful summer, please. (And I know you both have plans, but if you do have a bit of time free, I’d love to see you. Wherever’s handy.)

Poppy: I do have some notes on the application of the binding charms, and the even more subjective experience of whether or not the castle approves of them. (I am more and more convinced that it at least does not disapprove, but this may be pure fancy.) At any rate, I have copies for both you and Irma, as a thank you for your help with all the research.

And Pomona, Mum said in her note today she'd particularly like to have you over sometime, if you get the time free - I think she wants to talk roses and a couple of the magical varieties in particular, with someone who really appreciates the conversation.

Were you actually worried that married life wouldn’t agree with me? Really, Mum. That part’s lovely.

(Though there’s all sorts of practical things that need better sorting: for the fortnight, I just moved more robes down to Raz’s rooms but clearly that isn’t sufficient going forward, and it is very inconvenient to have many of one’s possessions a half-dozen floors up. It would probably help if I learned to put away charts and books more promptly, but that may be a lost cause at this point in my life.)

I still don’t know about my summer. But I do have some thoughts for that conversation with Diane that’s needed having for months. (Can we borrow your house for it? More neutral than hers or - well, Spence has other issues.)

On that front, no, I don’t want to make vast changes. (All right, I sort of do, but I won’t, because they’re the wrong thing, and Spence is never going to be cozy like home was growing up. The architecture’s all wrong. It needs to be itself.) But I do have some ideas, and I’d like to build up the library there over time, and Raz and I need to sit down and talk about the entertaining we both need and want to do (two rather different things, I suspect.) And the house-elves are very bored, and maybe we could do something useful about that.

And yes, I do know I need to smooth things over in other directions with the Aunts (I am resigning myself to several tea appointments), and Theo wants to talk to me (something someone said at the reception, do you know what?). And Raz and I have done some of the thank you notes, but obviously there’s lots more.

I am just trusting it'll all sort itself out.

Year's end

Private message to Cedric Diggory

Re: Private message to Cedric Diggory

Re: Private message to Cedric Diggory

Private message to Poppy and Pomona

Private message to Mum