Private Message to Seamus Finnigan and Draco Malfoy

[alt_padma]

Well, I went to that revising session last night. It was mostly firsties and a few second-years who either desperately needed help or simply didn't know Perks or Parkinson very well.

But it wasn't too bad. D'you think they realise that only one of them can be made prefect?

But that's why I'm writing to you two. It is the sort of thing that could get taken into consideration next year when they look for people to make prefect. I mean, not that I think you'll have any trouble, Malfoy, if you wanted to be made one. But if these revision groups become popular then it might look odd if you're not part of them. And Finnigan, I think it'd be good if you came. I mean, right now it's probably between you and Thomas, I mean if they had to decide today, and unfortunately Thomas mostly gets slightly better marks. And I certainly don't want the two of them to think they'll have a load of younger students who worship them because they're so kind as to help them out!

It's like with Ravenclaw Corner, right? We should make it a privilege to spend time with older students. So, I was thinking, maybe we go to their sessions for a while and figure out who the best ones are, and then in a few weeks we tell those students that we're interested in keeping them on but in a different, more exclusive, group. Then we still get credit for helping the younger students, they're super-grateful because they got singled out, and if Parkinson and Perks want to keep on with the others, well, maybe we keep going but mainly to figure out which ones to pull away?

What do you think?

Comments

[alt_draco]

So it wasn't all for girls, then? When Pansy wrote to Bones I figured it was some female mission.

Your plan to skim off the cream is good, but you've got to make sure that it doesn't look too suspect. But if Finnigan and I come, more boys will show up, and it can be a matter of things getting too big and disorderly. Separate groups will just become necessary.

[alt_seamus]

That's a good point about separate groups. They might not even care if we take all the clever ones. Perks tutors Longbottom, I think she likes dunces because they make her feel extra clever.

[alt_seamus]

By the way, I don't want to speak to Weasley (even in the journals) but I DO like the idea of starting up Duelling Club again. Do you suppose Professor Lestrange would be willing to run it? Maybe you could ask him.

I mean, if for no other reason than it's a a free chance to hex Weasley and no one can even take points for it.

[alt_draco]

He told Weasley he was going to talk to his other classes about it and see if there was enough interest. Of course there will be, though.

You already got away with hexing Weasley and not losing points, but I know what you mean--sometimes it's nice to be able to get the credit for something like that.

[alt_seamus]

Yeah, we got away with it but credit for it would be even better!

Besides if I hex him at duelling club then everyone will know it was me and I still can't get in trouble with it (well I suppose I would get in trouble if I cast any seriously dark spells, something that would really hurt him).

[alt_padma]

He acted like that hex last week really hurt him, but it can't have done. It wasn't even as 'dangerous' as the one we someone cast that made him write to everyone in the journals. All he had to do was say that one phrase.

It was what he deserved, anyway. Actually, the funniest bit was when his brothers made it worse.

[alt_draco]

Yes, that's rather what I was getting at. You can't do anything dark, no, but I'm sure you'll do one better than one of those awful Weasley-type hexes, which always seem to involve boogies and spots and other things a three-year-old would find hilarious.

[alt_padma]

No, it wasn't all girls. Well, Weasley and Longbottom maybe really are girls. But no, there were some boys, too.

I overheard Bundy saying it was because she's pants and Weasley got partnered with her. So it was self-defence he wanted Perks to teach Bundy, and then Parkinson decided to invite other people, and then she made that announcement in everyone's journals to call attention to herself.

[alt_draco]

So wait a tick, were Weasley and Longbottom there to GET tutored or BE tutors? Either way I can see your point about needing separate groups.

[alt_padma]

To GET tutored, of course! And because Weasel can't even get his own partner to do the spells right.

(Though with that new wand he's admittedly much better at Charms. Nuisance. How d'you suppose his parents managed to get it for him, anyway? Must have starved themselves for a month. Mind you, his mum could do with a little starving, if it'd help her reduce a bit.)

[alt_draco]

Well good, because if they were actually trying to tutor people I should think a school-wide warning ought to be issued.

The wand might have been some kind of re-population perk, since they haven't moved to a new house in all this time. Too bad, though, that broken wand was one of the best things about last year. Remember when he leaked slugs? Hah!

[alt_seamus]

I don't know if my marks are good enough that anyone would want my help. Except in History and no one cares what mark they get from Binns.

Were you helping people revise in Charms? Maybe next week I could help you demonstrate things? I could be the one that shows them what not to do.

[alt_padma]

I was doing Charms and Perks was doing Transfiguration. Not that I'm not good at Transfigurations, but I'm better at Charms.

I thought your marks were improving? But then Thomas gets tutoring over the summers, too, so you've got to get ahead of him.

Maybe it'll help you anyway if you come and get extra practice. Besides they do take other things into account for prefects - like the YPL and all. But marks are important. And everyone knows you've been running History Club with me since the beginning, so that's in your favour. And you're not in trouble all the time like Weasel or Longbum.

[alt_seamus]

They're IMPROVING but I'm not exactly at the top of our class!

I hadn't even really thought about who they were going to pick as Prefect but it's certainly not going to be Weasley or Longbottom, Longbottom isn't really in trouble that much but most of the first years are already better in Transfiguration than he is.