I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

Harry,

Words are so hard.

He loved you. Wanted you safe Wanted so much for you.

This. I won't lose you too Come talk? If you want can want?

Door always open to you. Whenever. Talk. Not talk. Anything you need.

No matter what else happens.

Gil -

Sorry. Something's up with the floo, clearly. I can see it try and make the connection and then it just fizzes out. The connections here are always a little tricky, but this is much worse than usual.

No sense making you sit around and waste the afternoon. If they come back up while I'm still in my office, I'll write, yeah?

Not like the notes can't wait a week till I'm back in New London, anyway. There are such things as owls to get them to the couple of students who are interested.

A.

Raz and I both were delighted to host last night and we're certainly hoping to do something again over the summer. It was a particular pleasure to see people from different parts of our lives having such excellent (if sometimes extremely lively) conversations. I kept catching hints of all sorts of serendipitous discoveries of mutual interest in one topic or another.

I would never guessed that my father talking to Lionel Moon about some of the arcane beauties of accounting would turn into a conversation about the golden ratio and the implications for garden design, but I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised, it all being the beauty of numbers at root, as it were.

When I pointed out the new garden design that's going in now is based on various numeric patterns, they started laughing. Clearly, we'll have to have both of them and Septima over sometime this summer just to see the effect in full bloom. (And Pomona and my mother, of course, so someone will appreciate the actual plants properly.)

Anyway, the whole evening felt rather like that, introducing this person who was interested in this thing to that person who would love to talk about it. My particular thanks to those who were so generous with their time with both my current and former students. I'm sure they'll reward your attention at least five-fold.

Miss Lonsdale. My office, immediately after lunch tomorrow. No excuses. Bring your notes and materials for this term with you.

Mr Moon. My office, half-one. The same. Wait by the stairs if Miss Lonsdale and I are not yet finished.

5th and 7th students:
Revision sessions are now scheduled and posted in the usual places. As usual, additional sessions are possible at mutually agreeable times, and the projection stones not being used in this week's classes are available for brief loans for your own study work. I also have sample questions from past exams available for review.

Upcoming events:
The Astronomy Guild will be hosting another lecture evening on Monday, April 21st at 7pm. This one will focus on the theory of the music of the spheres, and will include both music and charmwork by way of illustration. Students, as this is during holidays, I certainly don't expect any of you to attend. If you'd like to, please see me for more details, and you would be quite welcome.

Just a reminder to students in the OWL and NEWT exam years that the projection stones make studying for the chart identification portions of the exams much more flexible. Stones can be checked out from me during my office hours, and used in the classroom at any point when I’m available to open it.

I also intend to continue my usual spring habit of additional study sessions (starting in February this year). I’m always glad to share sample questions, to mark practice charts or locational problems, or otherwise give you more practice. As I did last year, I'm also planning brief notes in the next few weeks about where I feel you've mastered the material, and where you could best apply your study time.

For those interested in February’s lecture in the Guild, we do have a few more spaces left. If you’ve not told me you’re interested, please do so by Wednesday. I’ll have some brief (and I promise interesting) prepartory reading for everyone - you can pick that up any time after Friday.

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.

In brief, since I had to dash to the Guild:

No pink.

No pink flowers, no pink decorations on the desserts, no pink napkins. (Nor pink sugared almonds, nor pink umbrellas in drinks, nor pink decorative bunting, nor pink charmed glitter, nor pink glowing mists, nor pink cherubs. Not that any of those should appear anyway.) No pink.

Instruct me, if you would, on the best way to make this abundantly clear to all concerned. Fit that can be heard clear to Hogwarts? Visit by Raz, at his sternest? Transfiguration of their hair colour until they see reason? Harassment by a swarm of kittens? En masse synchronised performance by my assembled female relatives, a la Greek chorus?

I'm already planning owls in the clearest possible terms, but anything else, please tell, and I will arrange it. Pity the penultimate one wouldn't actually help: it would give them something to do. Besides owl and firecall and journal me at all hours with "Just one little suggestion, dear." all of which are either entirely impractical, absolutely horrible, or (often) both.

Flowers: modern roses if he must, to fill things out, but I'd much rather things from the bouquet, or the species names Mum gave him. I know I lack artistic vision in the matter of flowers. I don't care. The other things smell wrong.

Dress: entirely splendid, and Joosh assures me that while a fitting in a fortnight would be best, we could make it work the day before if we had to. (And then gave me a ten minute lecture on doing nothing that might alter the shape of my body in the interim, and another ten minutes on managing the shoes. I've achieved 'stable' but am not quite at 'confident' yet. Clearly, I will be pacing my office this week.)

I hope to be in next Tuesday, but just in case OWLS eat all the available time and space (not as unlikely as I'd prefer, they're all quite nervy), I think we're in reasonable enough shape. I hope. You've got the hours I'm likely to be handy if you've questions, and I've got my list of the last few things Raz or I need to do ourselves.

(And if I've not said it enough, you have worked magic upon magic already getting the invites out and keeping everything straight.)

Was on the tower, had my journal closed.

Tell me what you can when you can? Please.

Linus told me about Cedric. And I skimmed.

Just.

Never mind

I gather there are kittens. And pixies. I can go do something about that.

On my way down to the library, unless there's somewhere I can be more use.

Mum, Dad -

Madam Pinkness is being truly destructive. To teaching. To students. To trust and loyalty and the ability to work hard. To the things that matter most.

I’m about to do something that may cause a great deal of trouble. For you, not just me, if she follows through on her threats. I know you said, that bad weekend in January, that it’d be all right if that happened. I - some things just need doing.

Forgive me?

I had to tell you first. Because you matter too. Mum, that story you told last week, about balancing different loyalties, and talking to Storm and Dittany on Friday. Just - I’m trying to do the best thing by the people who can’t do it alone. And you’ve said you can manage.

I’ve held off because I love you, and I didn’t want you paying for something I did. That’s not fair. But it’s past time to do what’s right. I hope you understand