Daphne, you have to

[alt_padma]

read Dish! - it's new, just started in September. Have you seen it yet? This issue's quite nift: there's a really wonderful piece about Athena Belby and this year's season at the New London Opera. (Dad's been playing with them a little on the side, did I tell you?) There's also an article about all the New London restaurants that are re-opening now with 'brassicrose-free' food and Harrod's new line of 'pure food' (meaning it's not transfigured, of course, which it never was anyway but it's much better to make it sound like it's ever so much more chic than anything with brassicrose in!) and some of the other trends this winter.

And there's a quiz in the back that we ought to bring to our Sunday sessions. I'll show you if you don't have a copy. Lav and Parvati and I took it a couple days ago and had a right laugh at the results.

Was anyone else in the library tonight when Emile Joubert asked Anya Geistler out? It was adorable! He turned all red and his mates were utter nits about the whole thing. He just asked if she'd sit with him in the stands for the first task. They acted like he was proposing marriage! Honestly.

Oh, and anyone who's wondering, Mum says yes, the ad in the Prophet was her new accessory item for the holidays and they're really doing well! It's amazing how a simple idea like that can lead to so much variation. She's doing all sorts of custom designs and she's coming out with new patterns every day. She said Scrivenshaft's is going to carry them in Hogsmeade, and they should have loads in stock by our next Hogsmeade weekend. If anyone wants them for Christmas or anything.

Harry, good luck on Saturday! Ravenclaw are all rooting for you. You'll be brilliant, I'm sure.

Comments

Private Message to Seamus Finnigan

[alt_padma]

Have you met Evgeni Uloshenko yet? Because I think you and he might...hit it off, if you know what I mean.

At least, I think so. It's not that he's said anything specific but...he just seems like one of yours.

Re: Private Message to Seamus Finnigan

[alt_seamus]

Yeah, I think you're right.

I haven't managed to spend much time with him yet, though.

[alt_daphne]

Oh, I know, it's all anyone is talking about in Slytherin! Elsie has a copy and she promised to let me read it next. Hopefully she'll be done with it tonight (hint, hint, Elsie! Just in case you're reading). Samantha tried to say it was just another "gossip rag" but after looking it over at lunch even she had to admit that it's much more than just that, and much better, too!

Athena Belby and I still correspond a little, did you know? Her assist She sent me a card on my birthday, and then of course I sent her one when Auror Crouch was supposedly murdered. You hadn't told me about your father, though. How exciting, playing with New London Opera!

I must say, when you said your mother was designing something new for the Christmas season I was thinking it would be a hair or robe accessory. This is ever so much more stylish and clever, though.

[alt_padma]

Well, Mum's always got clips or other little things, too, but really, it's amazing no one's thought of this before. It's such a perfect way to personalise one's journal, don't you think?

That's well snitch about you and Miss Belby! I bet she's got loads of advice for you to consider about life on the stage. But then you've got it in the family, so maybe it's not as necessary for you as someone like Weaslette Ginevra who hasn't had any exposure to it.

And yes, Dish! seems to be much more mature than so many of those others, like Teen Witch or Pure Girl. But it's not as lurid as Whirl, is it? Or as mean-spirited as In the Soup. Bobolis says her cousin thinks it's got a good future, as well. And he's been doing Londinarium for a while, now so he should know.

[alt_daphne]

I just love the idea. I'm trying to come up with my own custom design, but there's just so many too choose from...I really don't know how I'll ever manage to decide.

Grandmother's been advising me for years, but Athena's different because she's living the stage life now, and Merlin knows how much has changed since Grandmother was performing, pre-New London.

You know, on the subject of gossip magazines, they definitely had them say, fifteen years ago, yes? Even if there weren't as many to choose from? I wonder if there's a way to have a look at any of them. I suppose I could ask Madam Pince, but I don't think she'd approve of doing research using old gossip magazines, even if it was for something important.

[alt_padma]

You're looking for old gossip? Well, Whirl been around since then, hasn't it? And Night Owl - I remember Mum saying she read that when she was in her NEWT classes. Oh, Cut Above, I think, as well as Posh and Tribea, they go back for ages.

I'm not sure Madam Pince keeps them in the library, though. Probably you'd have to write to the publishers to get back issues. And it would help if you knew when the story ran, of course.

Were you looking for something particular?

[alt_daphne]

It seems so frivolous to be thinking and writing about it now, when the First Task will be starting soon...but yes, I am looking for something particular, in a manner of speaking.

I'm looking for stories from a particular time period that are about two particular people. But that's about as much as I can narrow it down for the publishers.

But ONE of these two people is very, very well-known. I should think it wouldn't be difficult to find the stories that were written about him in 1978/79.

private message to Daphne

[alt_padma]

It's not Auror Crouch, is it?

Re: private message to Daphne

[alt_daphne]

No!

Re: private message to Daphne

[alt_padma]

Well, then, who in the.... Wait, two people?

Lav would say you must be looking into a Tragic Romance.

Wait. 1978? Ooh, is it about Zabini? His parents?

Re: private message to Daphne

[alt_daphne]

No, it's nothing about Blaise.

I suppose I might as well tell you since I asked for your advice.

I want to see what they were writing about Professor Raz back then. I suppose I ought to rightly look into everything written between 1975 or so to 1979-ish, just to be safe. I don't want to miss anything.

Private Message to Lana Sandoval

[alt_padma]

Lana,

That line of gifts at Harrod's really is nift. Good on your family for thinking of it.

How is everything else in Auror training? I heard Moon and Pyle saying that they thought there would be some extra-special events at the holidays this year. Moon's hoping that Baddock will come for a visit, of course.

And did you hear that Clearwater cast the Cruciatus? And that she and Weasley have been spending Hogsmeade weekends in an inn together?

Tell me everything you're doing!