Halloween at Hogwarts

[alt_lucius]

While we spent a very quiet day at an excellent inn near Burghley, it seems that Hogwarts has been awash in excitement - yet again.

Minerva, kindly enlighten me as to what exactly is going on in your school. Petrified cats? Messages on the walls? Young Marvolo hearing voices that may-or-may-not speak Parseltongue? Apparently it is far too much to ask that any visit of Ministry personnel pass without some incident to complicate the occasion. At least there is one consolation, for this occurred entirely without relation to my own presence at the school; I was beginning to believe myself cursed. Nonetheless, shall still remind Crispin to clear my calendar for the day following Draco's match. We should not like to be forced to extend our stay; however, if this year is anything like the last, we must be prepared for calamity at any major event!


But enough of that, at least until I am more informed as to what precisely has so gripped the school as to make it teem with gossip.


To return to the gala for a moment, the fireworks were particularly well-received by Our Lord. Indeed, most of His gifts pleased Him. Curiously, there was one gift that I had not expected to see. It seems an ambitious, but foolish civil servant cast his eye on a pair of antique duelling wands recently acquired by the Ministry. He doubtless admired the set and thought it would make a highly suitable - and memorable - present to bring to Our Lord's attention ... in his own name. Imagine Narcissa's and my surprise when Lucretia Prewett's wands were presented to Our Lord 'from His admiring servant, Gaddeus Gaffert.'

Mr Gaffert was wise enough not to make this presentation in person. I have business at the Ministry to-morrow, as usual, however, and be assured I shall seek him out to discuss the ... appropriateness ... of his unusual interpretation of protocol, to sign his own name to an item already legally ceded to Our Lord's treasury!


Well, as I said, we proceeded from Buckingham to Burghley, where we spent a particularly pastoral day and enjoyed an excellent wine along with a superb concert at the refurbished Peterborough Cathedral. Every excursion seems to have a price, however - such as leaving my correspondence on the journals until our return this evening!

I have a little reading to do for Presto and NRBC. Perhaps to-morrow I shall have some answers before I return to Court. If not, then I am sure we shall learn much more on our jaunt up to the school for the Quidditch.

Comments

[alt_mcgonagall]

There appears to have been an incident involving a cat being Petrified and some vandalism of the walls - 'The Chamber of Secrets has been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware.' Mr Marvolo, your son, and Ron Weasley appear to have been the unlucky students to discover the scene. Of course, no-one knows what to make of it, especially as Mr Marvolo has repeatedly denied any involvement; so we must assume that there is some partisan running about the castle expressing their enthusiasm for the Protectorate in a rather tasteless way.

The students are all a-flutter; but I doubt very much that the message on the wall had any real significance. If the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, something far more dramatic would have happened than a Petrified cat.

[alt_lucius]

Yes, once I got more of the details from my son, it seemed clear that someone had decided to stage a rather intricate prank. Good luck in catching the tricksters.

Order Only

[alt_molly]

Well, that's what you tell Lucius Malfoy. Now what do you think's really going on, Minerva?

Re: Order Only

[alt_mcgonagall]

Oddly enough, essentially the same, Molly - though I am more concerned about it, of course, than I ought to let on to Lucius.