Disclaimer: Characters and events are the property of J.K. Rowling.
20 September 1992
My dear, darling Severus,
How exciting it must be for you to be working with such a marvellous and handsome man as Gilderoy Lockhart. I hope you have been paying ample attention to him and his methods. You could do far worse than to model you behaviour on one so charming. Perhaps if you had showed half as much panache for the Defence position as Prof. Lockhart shows for… well, everything… then it would not have evaded your grasp for so long. I think we must all count ourselves lucky you were never appointed to that post, for what would the wonderful Prof. Lockhart have done had you already possessed the Defence position? I can only imagine that headmaster Dumbledore would have seen the inherent fallacy of this situation and returned you to your position teaching Potions. Although I wonder if perhaps Gilderoy would not be better suited to that as well? In his years in Bulgaria he (rather impressively) fended of seventeen poltergeists while simultaneously making an exorcism potion. I'm sure his mother is quite proud of him.
There was no need to send me that clipping from the 'Daily Prophet'. I receive my own copy and must say I was as appalled by the story as you were. (Although I did not, as you did, see the need to scribble so voraciously across the photo until the occupants were forced to peer around the markings in order to be made out at all.) I hope you were suitably harsh on that Potter boy for that flying car stunt. I mean really, children today with their music and their dancing and their flying cars.
I hope you will convey my admiration to Prof. Lockhart and both your father and myself look forward to taking you up on the invitation to visit this Yuletide. Perhaps if we are lucky we will have the opportunity to meet the illustrious man. I'm certain he more than lives up to his public image.
Loving and tender regards,
Mother