It was delivered late at night, almost to the point of being the darkest moment of dawn, with Percy's owl landing lightly on Ron's pillow. Where Errol might collide with Ron, waking up the sleeping boy by crashing into his face, Hermes gently ran a wing across Ron's face. It woke Ron gradually, and he automatically retrieved the letter from Hermes's claw. Hermes flew off immediately.

If Ron had been fully awake, he might have sent it directly into the fire, just like he had the first letter, but he wasn't fully awake as he turned the light next to his bed on with a wave over its top. So he started to read.

Dear Ron,

I doubt you will pardon me for the letter that I sent you earlier today. I'm afraid that the overly long bit of tripe I sent you was written more as a way to satisfy the Minister than what I should have written as a responsible older brother. Ever since I sent off Hermes I have been wishing I'd written something different. If you take anything from my first letter, do so as a warning. All is not well at the Ministry. Many can not believe what the Headmaster and Harry said, and some are just not allowed to.

I'm going to try to write what I should have written, real advice on being a prefect. It's a honor, but it is a lot of work and responsibility. The first thing I have to say is don't act like I did. I thought I could pull off the strict rules prefect. Most of the time I did, and most of the time my friends hated me for it, no matter how good I was. I don't think you can or should be that type of prefect.

I'm not saying that you can't be a prefect, just that you need to be a different type of prefect. It's advice I wish someone had told me when I was a prefect. Gryffindor has a rules prefect this year in your friend Hermione, your job is to complement her, to be the more approachable one. It is something that I'm sure you can do well. You have a real knack for being there at the right time. I know that you had the warm milk waiting for Ginny every nightmare she had during her second year, without fail. I have no idea how you knew when they'd happen, but you were there for our little sister much more than I or any of our other brothers were.

You are much more passionate that I ever was, and that's a really good thing, I think. You can inspire the first years much better than my studying ever did. Oh, and try out for that open Keeper spot, you'll get it, I'm sure. Inspire those first years with your never give up attitude. I know you get frustrated sometimes, and you really want to step out of the shadows of your older siblings. We know you can, and you can show everyone on the Quidditch pitch what you can do.

Speaking of what I know you can do, I really suggest you play chess with the first years. When you do, ask them how things are going. When they're futilely trying to win against you, they might just let something out that you need the handle. I've seen other prefects do it, but I just never could get to playing chess again after you trounced me over and over again.

Fifth Year Prefects have a special charge for first years, but don't forget your fellow fifth years. You are an example now, and how you support your friends is. As I once heard Hermione say, "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery." Remember those two things when you talk with both your friends and the first years. Don't be what I was, be the friend, the advocate for your Gryffindors.

I'm pretty certain that you're going to have some sort of collective nickname for the first years. Knowing you, it's probably going to be "midgets." When you use it, make certain that it's always done lightheartedly. If they seem to not like being called it, find something better to call them, preferably something neutral like firsties. Be the big brother to them that each of us was to you at our best, not our worst.

Ron, I may not have been the best big brother when we were growing up. I am sorry for not being that brother. I'm even more sorry that I can't afford to even be like a family should in public anymore. Whatever you do, don't go into the Ministry. It's a cesspool. I hope you've read the advice in this letter, and remember it well. I wish I could be there to see you finally step out on your own. I can not. I can only add this advice, "to thine own self be true."

Your big headed brother,

Percival