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

Mum -

Nashira's still busy with orders I need for materials before students arrive, so a note this way seems faster.

Sorry again for not managing to visit: I know I said I'd try, but the YPL debriefing took forever and a day. (Well, till yesterday). And now I'm up to my neck in plans for next year, plus that promise to help Rabastan Lestrange settle in. (I certainly don't mind, but it is one more thing on my list. Plus there's that wanting to be helpful part, and yet not wanting to be overeager or anything like that.)

Speaking of: did you get a chance to ask Orion about our new addition? Orion keeps saying he's too busy with that secretive Ministry project to write, and he's a lousy correspondent anyway. If you do get him to come for dinner, please ask for me if there's anything I should know about, since they were the same year. I'd hate to put my foot wrong with some old upset, especially given his (and his family's) current influence. Storm was no help whatsoever, but he was enough younger that it didn't surprise me. (And, well, Storm. Barely notices his own feet until he trips over them.)

Everyone seems pleased enough with the YPL work, and there's talk of adding another person to the planning staff next year - since after all, we'd be up to three separate years to plan for, and only so many weeks when events are really feasible. If you know anyone who's free in the summer for at least three or four weeks, and is interested, do pass on the name, and I'll send it along. (They are, of course, doing very careful screening: have I mentioned again how glad I am you invested all that time in tracing all the family lines back? Made it so much easier when they were interviewing me.)

Dai sent me a very brief owl earlier this week: he still hasn't found a new job, and he's still refusing to let me help him out. I keep telling him it's not like I've got much in the way of expenses - and the extra YPL salary as well - but he keeps refusing. If you do hear of anyone looking for someone with good detail skills, I'm sure he'd be grateful of a referral. It's not like he chose his parents, or to get so sick and have his miser of a boss fire him. The good news is that he really is mostly recovered: still some weakness, and he really shouldn't have a job that requires lifting or lots of walking, but other than that, he's almost back to where he was.

My friend Poppy's gotten some new interesting possible options transfigured foods in her travels - do take a look at her recent journal about it. I know you think that the real foods are best, but honestly, you'd lose it if you had to eat just what we could grow in Scotland in the winter, even with the greenhouses. And feeding students is hard enough as it is. (Though she was grateful for your recipes: if someone's recovering from something, obviously, it's a bit different than feeding the whole horde.)

If things get sorted a bit sooner than I think they will, I'll see about coming for a day or two before term starts, but no promises. Now, I really should go off and poke around the DADA room to make that list.

A.