June 10th 1940
Dear diary,
I am fuming- I am literally fuming and guess whose fault that is? Oh right you are! Not mother's, not Rolanda's, not Sybill's, but that of the wonderful and absolutely distinguished Mr. Albus Dumbledore. I cannot believe the nerve of that man! I truly cannot... after tonight. We've just flood back in from Pomfrey Hall- it is late, and everyone is asleep, but here I sit, bowed above the yellowish pages of this book. I haven't even changed into my nightdress yet... I am still wearing my long, dark red ball gown, and mother is going to scold me, for it will be terribly wrinkled tomorrow. Not that mum wouldn't scold me anyway. She does not like me- never has. She also doesn't like Mr. Dumbledore- that almost motivates me to fall in love with him! Or wait no, it doesn't. Sigh. The ball was horrible. I am not the person to complain a lot, but really, believe me.
Mr. Pomfrey was his own, nice self. He invited us to call him by his first name, but of course we declined, just imagine! His sister was at the ball, too. Miss Leandra Pomfrey is her name, I believe. She's a little older than I am, a real flirt and absolutely after Mr. Dumbledore. Some people really are pathetic. She even wears muggle lipstick- and that calls herself a witch.
Now, everything went fine with Mr. Alastor Pomfrey and Poppy. He danced with her twice, which is, of course, the absolutely maximum he possibly could. More would have been highly inappropriate, but I can say one thing; he danced with me once, and with Sylvia, and with the younger girls, but every time, his eyes locked with Poppy's in the end and she blushed every time he smiled at her. Which was practically all the time. I'm very happy for Poppy.
Mr. Dumbledore, on the other hand, hardly danced! He sat there, in a corner, observing with this really distanced expression on his face, eating- believe it or not!- lemon drops. He just sat there, eating those ridiculous muggle sweets and humming behind his beard. Apparently, we aren't even worth a dance! Now don't tell me that I cannot judge him on something like first impressions- I've been telling that to myself for two days. I cannot stand not being fair and rightful- you know that!
But tonight, mere hours ago, I accidentally overheard a small conversation between Messrs. Pomfrey and Dumbledore, and I still cannot believe my own ears!
"Come on, Albus, I must see you dancing- I hate to see you sitting by yourself in this corner! Why don't you dance?"
And then, Mr. Dumbledore's reply:
"Alastor, come on, you know I am not much of a dancer and what's more: I am not even particularly acquainted with the people in this room. Plus: there's not really one young lady in this room I would feel like dancing with."
Now this got me quite fuming, really, but then!
"Now Albus, that's not true..."
"I must say, my friend, that you are dancing with by far the handsomest girl in here!"
This, so I saw through my eyelashes, was followed by a quite sincere smile at Poppy, who was standing on the other side of the room.
"Albus, she's a wonderful girl, that's true. But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say very nice too. Do let me ask Miss Poppy to introduce you."
I saw him turn around, I felt those clear, blue eyes scan my face! And then, calm like hell, he turned around again.
"She is acceptable, but she is not really a motivation for me to leave my beloved habit of observing and my dear lemon drops behind."
That he said, that high and noble Mr. Dumbledore, about me! He preferred lemon drops above me, and he didn't even try to hide it! And I am not the one to worry about how I look too much- but I am no bad looking girl, and I absolutely refuse to be judged on the unlucky fact that I have the hair of a female vampire and the eyes of a cat! I've not been studying Animagus transformation for three months to be affronted like that! Even though I will, as Poppy jokingly says, probably become a cat or something. But that is not the point! I am neither stupid nor ugly, and I will not accept such a ridiculous judgement fromof a man who thinks his fortune and lemon drops are everything that matters in this world! Never! Never, I say!
Sincerely,
Minerva C. M.