Valentine's Day was pretty nift

[alt_padma]

and it sort of spilled over into today, since it was a Sunday. And now that we don't have Astronomy observation anymore, Monday's aren't so long, either, so it feels a little more like a regular day.

We don't have Astronomy observation anymore because we're not supposed to go round the corridors without a teacher at night. Not since Draco's what happened last week. So we're just having our lectures. I miss the stargazing, but I have to say I don't miss being out at night in this cold!

Anyway, I sent loads of valentines to people - to most of the prefects (well, the ones I know), and the YPL counselors and Malfoy and Finnigan and Moon and so on. Marvolo, I hope you know that I'd have sent you a valentine in any case, just like I sent them to all of Ravenclaw Corner and all my other friends in school, because it's a friendly thing to do. It's not soppy or anything.

It certainly wasn't anything like those ridiculous singing ones. House-elves should not be allowed to sing, I think. At least not to humans. I heard Marvolo got a really awful one - Chang told us, she saw it get delivered - something about comparing his eyes to a toad? Ugh. Who'd have written something like that?

Some of the kids had Perks' little folded roses, which were really very pretty. It's highly enterprising of you, Perks, to come up with something like that. And convincing people to pay for bits of parchment and all, that's quite clever! It's rather like that little black market on protections last autumn, isn't it? And even sort of like Stretton's potion scheme - only not illegal, of course. And the best part is, now you've got some pocket money so you don't have to miss out on things. It's really remarkable, what people will do to overcome their shortfalls. Sandoval says that it's important to have skills people find valuable, especially once we're finished school. I don't know how much people would pay for folding parchment outside of school, but it sounds like you'll be able to keep customers for at least the next three years. Five if you go on for N.E.W.T.s.

I got loads of Valentines, myself, too! From Belinda and Lavender (and Parvati of course) and Morag and Daphne, and even from people I didn't expect, like Thompson and Bobolis and Dames and Edgcombe, and even some of the first-years! Thanks, everyone - if I left you out it's only because I didn't want to list everyone and make other people feel bad if they didn't get as many. It's not because I didn't like your valentines!

Comments

[alt_draco]

Thanks for the Valentine. (That goes for everyone who sent me one, actually.) I'm sorry I didn't send out any in return, but it just sort of slipped my mind, what with everything else.

[alt_padma]

Well, of course you forgot! Honestly, it's almost like losing a pet, maybe even worse, because with a pet you can tell they love you, but they can't really be useful or anything. And with a house-elf or a mudblood, especially one that's around all the time, well I guess that's got to be really difficult.

But it's okay, I know boys sometimes forget things like valentines even when they don't have a really good excuse.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_neville]

Interesting how she manages to insult you while making out that she's praising your roses, Sally-Anne.

And she wonders why somebody hexed her bald.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_ron]

Well, and there's the whole thing where she's all snooty about making money by selling stuff when her own mum's just a dressmaker.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh but now she's making ROBE PETS and that makes all the difference in the world!

Jeremy Stretton was selling robe pets yesterday, along with the quills and sweets and everything else. He's the one to go to these days if you need something you'd normally purchase by owl post. I know Padma pointedly ignores everything he does so she probably doesn't know. They looked brand new, so some students must have got them as gifts, then tossed them in their trunk instead of wearing them. And then traded them to Stretton for quills or gloves or who knows what.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_ron]

Ha!

You know, I'm beginning to think Stretton might not be such a bad bloke as he seemed.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Well those potions they were selling last year were not on, really. And he's charging an outrageous price for those quills he's selling.

But he's not bad for a Ravenclaw.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

And I made almost three galleons! Well, two galleons and ten sickles altogether after I paid the firstie girls who did deliveries for me.

I've NEVER had money before. Not that I can really spend it right now, but the ban on parcels can't last forever.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_ron]

Whoa. That's really great.

You're ace at those folded thingers. Everyone's still talking about those flowers you made. I don't know if you saw, but Honoria Sandoval was weaving a bunch of them together this morning at breakfast and put them on like a scarf.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Ron did your mum ever owl you? If she does can you let me know before you send a letter back to her?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_ron]

Yeah, last week I asked her about, well not about your parents straight out, but I asked about a warlock who's a halfblood that she used to take food to sometimes and I also said all my friends are really worried about their parents and I wished she'd write and let us know that people she knows are okay. She may just think I meant Mr Lovegood, though. Except I think he's still in St Mungo's and Mum can't get any information out of them about him.

But, anywiz, Errol usually comes on Wednesday or Thursday, so if you wanted me to send your letter I could if you get it to me. He didn't come this morning, but it sometimes takes him a long time to get here cause he's old and gets really tired.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah. I want to send your mum a letter and the two galleons I made so she can buy food and send it on to my parents.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

'Like Stretton's potion scheme, only not illegal!'

Sort of the way Padma's just like a hag, only without the winning personality.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_neville]

Just to let you know, Lee Jordan snorted milk out his nose when he read this at the lunch table, he was laughing so hard.

[alt_sally_anne]

Have you seen what Stretton's selling these days? You'll never guess!

[alt_padma]

Oh, that stuff, I know about that. Some of them are last year's. And some of them are knock-offs, I'm fairly certain. Mum's robe pets would never limp around like the one I saw on Archer's robes the other day. I tried to tell people not to trust him but he's really rather hard to avoid.

It's actually quite amusing to see him trying so hard to grab up as much as he can in this whole situation. I mean, he acts like the quarantine was created just so he could gouge everyone and make as much money as possible, almost like his parents don't have any, or he's a halfblood or something. Really, he's more like one of those mountebanks that will sell you 'genuine' Loramide pricklers and it turns out they're just regular boar's bristles. It's ever so silly.