Author's note: Just to clarify, I am completely against animal testing. No owls, frogs, cats or rats were harmed in the making of this chapter. I also want to add that I do not have the same opinions as Dori and I like the Hufflepuff house a lot, the kind people! The best people at Hogwarts! Other than James and Lily and Sirius and Remus and Ginny and Harry and Hermione and Ron and Luna and Neville of course!
Chapter 8
Dear Minerva,
I am sure James knows that the house elves are not to be used to test new spells and pranks the Marauders have made, I expect it was a mis-understanding. How clever of them to make their own spells though! I expect they get it off Charlie, I was never very good at that sort of thing. My Jamsie is really clever though, he will be minister one day, you mark my words! He certainly has the brain and the compassion. I think the month's worth of detentions was very harsh. My James didn't mean any harm, I expect he asked the house elves very nicely first.
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
I take it you are slightly frazzled? Your letter was rather short and snappy, it is not my fault that James has moved on to owls instead. What did you expect the boy to do? If he can't use house elves then he has to go to the next best thing! Using only the Slytherin's owls was frightfully clever, I told you he was a genius. Of course he makes sure all of the magic is reversible and so no animals are actually harmed, my Jamsie loves animals, its not like how muggles test things on animals. Spells can be reversed very easily, especially with James' knowledge. I am sorry that that one owl has remained purple however I think that it probably suits it much better. It gets boring seeing all black and grey and brown owls anyway, it will do some good having some colour in the owlery, besides it doesn't harm the owl, does it?
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
Frogs! What will he think of next? I think the fact that he charmed them unconscious first so that they didn't feel anything was sweet and then if it went wrong turning them back to normal before reviving them? That just shows what a caring little boy he is. The frogs wouldn't have even noticed, they don't feel anything or see anything or anything, when its over they just hope away with no problems. My Jamsie is only trying to make sure he doesn't poison anyone, would you rather he tested it on students?
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
Cats! He is getting hold of everything he can, isn't he? I think its sweet that he is doing it to raise awareness of animal testing, he wrote to me and told me he was and he isn't harming any of those animals at all. Such a caring, sensitive child. He gets that off me.
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
Rats! Ugh, horrible things. I don't know why he is trying to protect them, he should just let people test on them. They don't help anybody and they run so fast and they have great bit teeth and those horrible wormy tails… ugh. They make me feel quite sick. I am astounded that you don't believe that James is doing it to raise awareness and think he is just testing his spells, my Jamsie would never lie to his mother!
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
I am sure James knows that Halloween is not a fancy dress event at Hogwarts and I will not remind him through a Howler. Poor thing would be deafened, you can't risk hurting a child's delicate ear drums. I think its very unfair that you won't let him dress up and as for dressing other people up, he was only trying to be helpful! As for not asking permission I expect he didn't think they would mind. I don't think he meant to only dress up the Slytherins and the fact that the costume were pink dresses and blonde wigs was probably a coincidence. I don't think it is strange that he was Dracula and Sirius was a rock star while the Slytherins were girls, it must just have been the luck of the draw.
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
That is a shame, I expect James didn't know that the pink dressed and blonde wigs wouldn't come off. You tried for 24 hours? You really ought to sleep, I could tell from your letter that you were over-tired, try not to take it out on my little Jamsie. Giving him Detention for a whole term's worth of Saturdays was rather extreme. I'm sure you haven't tried every enchantment you know, there must be one you have missed somewhere.
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
I'm sure James didn't realise that he was supposed to practice the spell on the wooden blocks and not the Slytherins, at least he was doing his homework! You always say that he doesn't! He is such a good boy, its not his fault that he misunderstood the instructions. He tries so hard and yet all of the teachers pick on him and send letters home for the most harmless and petty things. They all ought to give him a chance, especially now that he wants to spend time with Lily. Those detentions are really cutting into the time he could spend with her especially on top of his Quidditch practice. I am glad the pink dresses and blonde wig's charm has finally worn off, maybe now James can get some peace and quiet. I expect he purposely made it so that it would wear off, it's the sort of thoughtful thing that he would do.
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
I disagree that finding out the Slytherin password and giving it to the Ravenclaws the night before the big Quidditch match they are going to play against each other is not funny, it gave me and Charlie a laugh! Its just the sort of ingenious plan my James would come up with. Nobody was hurt so it was harmless, was it not? Therefore I don't see the need to award quite so many detentions. And giving Sirius some as well! How do you even know he played a part in it? Just because some stupid Hufflepuff was an eye-witness. What do Hufflepuffs know? They are Hufflepuffs for a reason you know. People can spout all of this kindness malarkey but I know the truth, not evil enough to be Slytherins, not brave enough to be Gryffindors and not clever enough to be Ravenclaws. They are just the leftovers. If James had been sorted there he would have been on the first train home. Not that I have anything against them mind, I'm sure they are lovely people. I just don't think you should set much store on what they say. Sirius probably dated this witness and dumped her and now she is after revenge, I don't see why she bought James into it though. Scheming cow!
Dori
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Dear Minerva,
Well, how was I supposed to know the eye-witness was a boy!?!
Dori
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