Padma Patil

Don't forget, Apparation lessons start tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

I know a lot of CCF members were asking about having successfully Apparated over the summer. I asked Professor Vector. She said that the examiners are aware many of us can do it but they want us to at least go through the first lesson to make sure we've got the technique correct and haven't forgot how since then. They might be willing to let those people who are already of age test at the end of the day and apply for licences right there; everyone else will have to wait until we are legally old enough for the licence, but we might be able to get a waiver for the remainder of the lessons if we can prove we're safe.

(And no, Macmillan, the licence fee is not waived regardless of whether you Apparated at CCF or not.)

who was on my team. It's too bad we were just a little too slow on that last challenge but no harm done.

Zabini, Parkinson, Li, Macmillan, Bundy: excellent job taking each of your groups in hand. And Sandoval, Goshal, Nott, Bones and Whitacre: really, really well done. I've already passed on my thanks to Durand, Stoyanov and Larsen for their contributions.

Wynn-Davis, Archer: better luck next time, but good efforts. To everyone else on our team, again--very well done, indeed!

It was snitch of you to have the bunch of us over yesterday. Thank Mr Rosier again, will you?

I do wish the Hogwarts crew had been able to come as well. You would have liked the game we played, Malfoy especially, I think. Hooper brought it. It's called Illusionary. Have you heard of it? Well, you divide into teams and there's a stack of cards with words on, like 'muggle camp' and 'transfiguration' and 'London' and 'snake' and all sorts of things. And there are some props you can use, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to do. Well, each person on your team takes it in turns being the one to get the others to guess what your word is. But you have to make an illusion that illustrates your word to get them to guess, and you can't talk, of course. It was great fun. Thomas was the best at sketching the illusions in the air, of course, but Page was really good at making the props into whatever he wanted.

Well, anyway, then Thomas wanted to go skating, so we did that before tea, which was really not tea at all, but chocolate! But the game had been so much fun that we kept casting spells out on Mr Rosier's duck pond. Oh, and Hooper taught us this completely nift charm he knew, to make illusions and shapes and such out of his breath when it fogged up in the air. He must have pracised forever to be able to do things like that unicorn he made for Parvati. We all tried, but it's difficult to make the shapes quickly enough. I think Lav was getting the hang of it, though!

I think Page really enjoyed getting to speak with Mr Rosier in the library while we were off touring the house again. I know I've been before but we've still not seen the whole place! It just keeps going. I can't believe you said it's smaller than your family's main castle in Ireland, though, Finnigan. I dunno what I'd do with so many rooms! But I knew we'd lose Page in the library. It's quite my favourite room of Mr Rosier's, too. I know it's not quite as large as Hogwarts' library but then, Mr Rosier doesn't need multiple copies of things or quite so many books that no one ever wants to read, does he? It was really kind of him to loan Page that copy of Command of Thought, as well. I'm sure it'll be really helpful for his Dark Arts unit on Curses.

Mr Rosier was right about getting to know some of the others better. I never knew Robins was so witty! Or that Cuthbert and Page would bore us all with broom care as Quidditch strategy, ha-ha! It was loads of fun and now it won't seem like so long before we're all on the train back to school.

Finnigan and I were talking yesterday and decided it would be brill to devote an upcoming History Club meeting to the Founders. And I think it would be absolutely perfect if someone from each House presented a little bit about their House's Founder. So. Finnigan's got Gryffindor and I'll cover Ravenclaw, but I was wondering if perhaps you two might be interested in talking about Slytherin and Hufflepuff. (MacMillan about Slytherin, of course! Only joking.)

It wouldn't be right away. Thomas volunteered last night while we were revising to present at History Club next, not sure what about but really it was rather sweet, coming out of his shell like that, so I didn't like to squash him, you know. And anyway, he's well clever enough, so I'm sure whatever he talks about will be relevant. And I know Moon wanted to talk about the Centaur Uprising of 1833 soon, though I've been putting him off but I really can't much longer. So, I was thinking maybe the week after that? Mid-November? That gives us all some time to find books and look up some things.

What do you think? MacMillan, if you're not well keen, maybe you'd ask Bones if she'd like to give it a go? And Parkinson, I figure this is right up your street, but in case not then I'll ask Malfoy. Or even Zabini, but I'm not sure he'd not turn up with some rubbish about how Slytherin was really nothing much compared to some Italian no one's ever heard of before. Besides, who wants to listen to Zabini for even ten minutes? He'll just whinge on about how no one's near as well fit as he is. Though Daphne'd be sure to come along, wouldn't she?

Well, anyway, I've Defence, so I've got to shut this for now. But let me know?