Dearest Mother

How are you? I do hope you have gotten past your little tiff with Ms. Hornsby, and that your bridge games are now continuing unhindered with your distaste for her particular style in gloves.

The winter weather here at the castle has made excellent conditions for Healthy Outside Play investigations. And I must say, the children are simply frolicking about in the snow.

What do you have planned for the holidays? Not another one of Ms. Hornsby's parties I hope, you always get intoxicated and say something that you later regret.

But, I am not writing just to speak about the season's splendor. I do have rather pressing issues that I believe only you can help me with.

I have told you about Dolores of course. And though she is perfect beyond compare, I have noticed something. She dislikes children. Well I suppose 'dislike' is not the most appropriate of words, it is more of a unfounded hatred that she harbors for adolescents.

I have tried to confront her about this of course, but she refuses to even admit that she has a problem, simply going on about how if they did not misbehave that she would have no need to reprimand them. And the way she reprimands them! Early on in the school year I had heard rumors, of course you remember me telling you about them yes? Well recently, I was suspecting them to be quite a lot more then just rumors, considering all of the students walking around the castle clutching a bleeding forearm. So I did some investigating, and uncovered the heinous crime while in progress. I was just going to Dolores's office to speak to her about an evening out that we had planned, and whether or not she enjoyed sea food, when I walked in and saw her sitting at her desk with Harry Potter himself sitting across from her! And first I thought that they were having a friendly chat amongst friends, but then I saw he was writing lines. I had no inkling as to what Mr. Potter could have done to deserve detention, he is such a nice boy, and saved us all from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, too. However I was prepared to give Dolores the benefit of the doubt and speak to her about it once Mr. Potter had left, when I noticed that Mr. Potter was writing with red ink, which was quite suspicious in and of itself, black ink is the standard for all detention proceedings, and then I saw his arm.

It was dreadful. I admit, when I saw it I was shocked. I may have fainted. When I woke up with Dolores standing over me, I may have fainted for a second time. But after that I was in charge! I told Mr. Potter that he could leave and that he should never report to a detention of Dolores's again, I respectfully informed Dolores that if it was alright with her we would be going out to get some seafood that Saturday, then went to my rooms and composed letters to Professor Dumbledore, The Emergency Inspector Report Office, and to Dolores herself.

I do not know what to do! We did agree to keep our work and personal lives separate, but should I overlook these incredible acts of cruelty?

Your Devoted Son

Cygnus