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

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.

Thanks to the lifting of quarantine, I'm delighted to be able to announce our upcoming plans for the summer YPL programs. Obviously, we were able to do some general discussion via the journals, but for practical reasons, much of our detailed work had to wait until my Nashira could bring private messages reliably, or I could travel.

My thanks, first and foremost, to the Ministry staff who were willing to give of their time yesterday, so I could travel to New London and meet in person to discuss necessary details without disrupting classes and exam preparation further for our students. We made a great deal of progress on the practical aspects of our hopes for this summer, though a substantial amount of work still remains.

Current first years
We are delighted to be able to offer the same summer camping experience to you as we did to this year's second years. We plan to follow the same basic itinerary as last year, though with some changes based on what we learned. (Exploring the sea caves, for example, will not be an option this year.) And of course, we will have some new surprises for you, as we don't simply want to repeat each year over and over.

Further information will be sent home by owl (along with the appropriate permissions slip) to your parents as ministry owls can bring the messages. We again expect camp to take place in the beginning of August.

For our second years
We are delighted to be able to announce an exciting new program for you as well.

You will be invited to stay in New London for three nights (and four days) of activities, events, and opportunities. Due to limits on both Ministry staff time and housing, we will be hosting two groups. Information about which group you are assigned to will be posted in the coming weeks, and we are (again) sending information home to your parents as owls become available.

Activities will include a theatrical or musical performance, time to spend in New London's museums, a tour of the public areas of the Lord Protector's palace, a brief tour of St. Mungo's, as well as time to learn about various areas of Ministry responsibility.

Costs, equipment, and practical needs
Again:

- All housing, food, and other activity costs are covered by the Ministry through the kindness of our Lord Protector.

- Students will be expected to provide their own suitable clothing and other personal needs (If our fostered students have difficulty with any requirements, please contact me for assistance.)

- Pets will again be allowed for any student who commits to tending to all of their needs.

- Transportation will again be arranged by the Ministry: we do ask parents who are able to deliver their children to the central Port-Key locations to indicate their ability to do so on the permissions slip.

- Both trips are open to all students in the relevant year.

For our older students
I am delighted to announce that the Lord Protector will be making time in his crowded schedule for a brief visit with all the older students who have assisted with the YPL since its founding. Please stop by my office at your convenience so we can discuss the date, timing, and expectations for appropriate dress and behavior. (If you do not have access to appropriately formal robes - many of you are still growing, of course - we will be making arrangements for loans, but will need measurements as soon as possible.)

We also welcome applications from current fifth and sixth year students to participate as mentors and guides in this summer's activities. Again, this not only brings positive attention to your work from our Lord Protector and other Ministry officials, but carries a small stipend for your time and effort. Please stop by my office to sign up for an interview and get additional information about our expectations.

Students living in the Lake District
And finally, now that my Nashira can take a break from Ministry correspondence for a few days: any students living in the Lake District who do not yet have reliable owl access, my mother has offered to deliver any messages sent to her to your families. Please have them to me no later than noon on Monday (letters only, of course).

Hard to believe it's already Thursday!

Yesterday, we spent exploring the moor, mostly, after some discussion of local myths and legends. In the evening, we did some stargazing around the full moon. (More, obviously, before the moon got well-up in the sky.) We did a lot more talking about some of the stories behind the stars - obviously a favorite of mine - and I trotted out some stories from other parts of the world that we don't normally get a lot of chance to talk about in class, as we're so limited in time.

Today we had one of the big event visits of the trip (there's still one more to come...) The Falmouth Flyer quidditch team came down to play with our students, and to show them some flying tricks. Everyone seemed to have fun, even those who prefer to keep well away from a broom. The players were very patient with our students, too.

This afternoon, we flew up - by broom or carpet, depending on preference - to our second location for this week, up near enough Tintagel to make it our home base. I'm looking forward to a whole different range of flora and fauna to explore. Everyone seems pretty well tired out by this point, so there's been a lot of sitting around chatting quietly near the fire this evening.

For any parents who want to check in, I just wanted to take a moment to post. Everyone is safely arrived (and my thanks to everyone - Ministry staff, parents, and others - who helped make all of that happen.)

We spent the afternoon setting up the tents, and then getting things together for dinner.

Tonight's meal is quite simple - mostly foods that one can easily cook over a campfire - but tomorrow, we'll be learning some other cooking charms and camping tips that will give us a great deal more variety. Among other things, of course, because there's a great deal more to a good camping trip than spending time in camp.

Thank you, all the students who attended the meeting on Saturday. I hope you all enjoyed the knarl (as mentioned, they do not live solely in Cornwall, but they have a vibrant population there)! I also appreciate your attention and questions. As promised, here are the important notes to help ensure all of you are prepared for our trip.

Travel plans:
The Ministry is graciously arranging for portkeys from central locations and will assist in providing supervision to and at the transfer points. Parents and guardians will be contacted with the location within the week, to allow plenty of time to resolve any concerns. Students will arrive at our first campsite in staggered groupings on Monday, August 3rd, and will return to the same locations on Monday, August 10th.

Where will we be?
We will be at two sites within Cornwall. We will set up camp on the 4th toward the southwest of Bodmin Moor, and spend 3 days there, before moving to a site on the northern coast near Tintagel. My thanks to the Ministry, who have arranged to move the packed equipment during our outing that day.

As all first years have now passed their flying tests, we will be travelling between the two sites by broom, pausing regularly for natural history and folklore conversations. We do have the generous loan of two flying carpets that will seat multiple riders for those who prefer not to fly a broom. The sites are approximately 40 miles apart, and we will be providing close supervision: students who go off unescorted will face immediate and serious penalties.

Housing
Students will be housed in wizarding tents - these all include facilities, simple cooking resources, and sleeping space for five or six students. Each tent will include an older student of the same gender.

Students may indicate their preferences for who will share their sleeping tent (and should tell me this immediately if they have not already done so.) However, we want to use the minimal number of tents possible, so you may end up sharing with students you know less well in some circumstances.

Food
We will be cooking our own food - with help and supplies brought along. Campfire cooking is always great fun, and we'll be learning a number of cooking and cleaning charms that can be used for other purposes, or that build skills with charms that will stand you in good stead next year.

What to bring
Please bring six changes of clothing that will hold up to a range of different weather conditions, temperatures, and that will stand up to climbing, flying, and exploring. Ladies, this is not the trip for delicate sandals or short skirts on your robes! Your clothing and other supplies should fit within a small trunk or large traveling bag you can load and unload yourself from the Ministry's carts.

Sensible shoes, at least one layer of wool robes, and plenty of clean socks are all essential. Please also bring whatever toiletries and minor personal items you require. (Please note: if it is forbidden at Hogwarts, it is also forbidden here.) Remember that Cornwall can get quite chilly, even in August.

Pets
As mentioned, if you are able to be responsible for your own pet's food, water, waste, and well-being, you may bring it. However, be aware that there will be no house-elves or mudbloods on this trip, so you must attend to all tasks yourself.

Activities
We are planning a series of lectures, hikes, and events that will teach you about Cornwall's folklore, magical creatures, mythology and stories. We'll also be looking at the stars (of course!), telling stories, and singing a few songs. My thanks in advance to several distinguished witches and wizards who have offered to help with these events - they'll be coming for the day, and apparating home at the end in almost every case.

Students will be divided into pre-determined groups for different activities. However, you will have plenty of time to spend with your friends during breakfast, and after we return to our campsite in the late afternoon.

Behaviour
All students are expected to stay within sight of the older student or adult responsible for them at all times, or request specific permission each time they are out of sight (such as climbing on a hike.) No space in any wild place is entirely safe. Students will also have charms provided that will allow us to quickly track and locate anyone who does not obey this requirement.

You are expected to behave as well or better as you would at Hogwarts. The prefects coming with us have all been given permission to use a stunning charm or, if necessary, Crucio, if they feel a student's behaviour may lead to imminent harm .

The older students attending will include:
Lana Sandoval (Ravenclaw prefect : rising 7th)
Olive Coote (Hufflepuff prefect : rising 7th year)
Percy Weasley (Gryffindor prefect: rising 6th year))
Moebius Ollivander (Slytherin prefect: rising 6th year)
Penelope Clearwater (rising 5th year, Ravenclaw)
and Julius Avery (Slytherin, rising 5th year)

As mentioned, these older students should arrive a day early in order to prepare for the trip. Details are in the letters being sent home by Owl this week.

Questions?
I am available by Owl throughout the summer, either at Hogwarts or visiting family. I expect to be able to address any questions quickly.

Again, thank you for your enthusiasm and attention - I am looking forward to this summer's trip with all of you!

My, I've been swamped the past days! Fortunately, the details are mostly settled, and we're in the final stages of selecting the older students for the YPL trip this summer.

A few notes of interest:
- The vast majority of this year's first years have signed up. I'm delighted. (If you have not yet done so, and are interested, please do so by Friday evening so I can make final arrangements.)

- We're arranging a suitable number of Wizarding tents (able to sleep 4-5 people each), but are still in need of one or two more. If your family has one they can spare, please let me know.

- The trip will, in fact, be the first week in August. We'll be going to Cornwall, which has a great deal of magical history, and some fascinating ecology.

- We'll be arranging transportation to a central point through the help of various Ministry employees, and using a port-key from there.

- I've had a few inquiries about pets. If you are able to keep track of your pet and can take full responsibility for their food, waste, and well-being, you are welcome to bring them. If you're not sure you can do this, please leave them at home for the week.

- There will be a meeting in the next few weeks to discuss other details like what to bring, our planned events, and so forth. Keep an eye out on this journal for details. (And speaking of journals, you should plan to bring them: I will be posting a brief daily update throughout the week to keep your families updated as well.)

Now, I must go and continue grading the last round of star charts. The top one, here, seems to have confused the Pleides rather badly somehow.