September 25, 1936
Dear Minna,
It is very QUIET at home without you. Daddy says I am making more than enough noise to compensate. What are the other girls in your house like? Do you have a best friend? Are your marks as good as Ellie's? What is Hogwarts like? Is it very beautiful there? Is it cold yet? Do you have to wear a cloak? What's the best spell you've learnt? Have you played Quiddich at all? Have you been in the Forest? Why can't you tell me about the Sorting?
Mum has just read this over and said it has entirely too many questions. Oh, and now she says I shouldn't be writing that she said that and that maybe this is just a rough draft. I don't care. I love you, Minna. Christmas is doubly far away now.
love love love thousands of times,
Claire
September 26, 1936
Dearest Clairey,
You DO ask too many questions, silly! But don't worry, I love you. What's it like being in the top class in the village school? Are you ready for the Autumn races? I know you'll beat!
The other girls in my house are very nice, though I don't think I have a best friends. Augusta says we must form a secret society, but so far we haven't done very much of anything that seems secret to me. We picked secret names and then promised we must call each other by them always, but they are kind of too long to remember, so mostly we just use our real names. Anyway, we have secret meetings in our room some evenings and plot how we'll get the first year boys back. Except that the first year boys aren't like Davey Fulton and they don't really need getting back at . . . yet.
The best spell I've learnt (but don't tell Ellie or Mum!) is the Bat Bogey Hex. I was in the library studying with Divya, and these two sixth year boys started a ruckus. They were yelling something fierce and then suddenly one of them was covered with giant bogeys! Divya and I immediately stopped doing work and started looking up hexes. We found the incantation and practiced putting the hex on the tentacles of the giant squid in the lake. He didn't seem to mind. When I come home, I'll teach you how. That will fix Davey Fulton (if he doesn't tell his mum, that is).
love love love thousands of times,
Minna
September 26, 1936
Dear Mum & Dad,
How are you? To answer your questions I am well and everything at Hogwarts is fine. My marks are good. The other little girls are very nice. I haven't been in any trouble. Ellie is doing a marvelous job as Head Girl. I can't think of anything I want for my birthday.
love,
Minna
September 26, 1936
Dear Meggy,
How are you? No, I haven't forgotten you. How is everything at home? And you are not either old or fat! Don't you dare think that! I am being very good here. No trouble or anything. My marks are good. The other little girls are very nice. I can't think what else to write. I love you.
love,
Minna
September 28, 1936
Dear Mum,
How are you? Yes, I am quite well. No, I have not been in any trouble. My lowest mark has been an O. Everything is just fine.
love,
Minna
September 28, 1936
Dear Meggy,
How are you? No, nothing is wrong here. How is everything at home? I hope everything is well.
love,
Minna
September 29, 1936
Dearest Clairey,
Why on earth are Mum and Meg flooding me with owls? Can you spy and find out? I don't have time to answer one before another one arrives. Honestly, if I had anything to say, I'd write. Has everyone gone mad without me?
love,
Minna
September 30, 1936
Dear Minna,
You're in luck. I was reading your letter in the cupboard under the stairs and I heard Meg, Mum and Dad talking about you. Mum reckons you're in heaps of trouble. Meg said that's nonsense and you must be miserable. Dad said they were both worrying too much and you were probably just fine. Funny how no one thought to ask me, and I get heaps of letters from you that actually SAY THINGS.
Minna, you're being a prat. Why don't you just WRITE to them and TELL them things? You don't have to tell them REAL things. Just say something you've learnt in class. That would make Mum happy. Or tell Meg you have some friends. You DO have FRIENDS, don't you, Minna? The girls in your dorm, you like them, right?
But there's something I can't work out. Mum and Dad. Mum is always saying that we're dreadful and troublesome and she can't wait till we go to Hogwarts. And Dad says we're his twin terrors. And now you're AT Hogwarts and you're in no trouble at all, and Mum is being completely crazy. Mins, just go get in trouble or something.
love,
Claire
October 1, 1936
Dear Mum,
How are you? No, I am not telling tales. I promise I am not in any trouble. I am very happy. School is just lovely. Please don't worry. No, I still do not know what I want for my birthday.
love,
Minna
October 1, 1936
Dear Meggy,
How are you? I am sorry if I am worrying Mum. Please tell her that writing to Professor Dumbledore is a perfectly horrid idea.
love,
Minna
October 1, 1936
Dearest Clairey,
I am not either a prat! You beast!
I don't understand either. I thought they would be happy if I was being good at school and getting good marks rather than finding trouble. It's not my fault that marks haven't been sent out yet.
Good luck on the Autumn Races, even if you are a beast.
love,
Minna
My Dear Katherine,
I hope this owl finds you well. You have no cause to worry about either of your daughters. Rest assured I would have told you if Minerva were proving to be the slightest problem. Quite the contrary, she is polite, well-mannered and exceedingly quiet. At the moment, she is at the head of the first year class and seems to be at ease with the other young ladies in her year.
As to her terse letters, I cannot say. Perhaps it is the age? She is a lovely young lady and you needn't worry.
Warm regards,
Albus