Padma Patil

Dear Sir,

Thank you again for the lovely brunch today. It was very kind of you to treat us.

I hope I didn't take up too much of your time talking; I know you wanted to spend a little time with each of us. I really didn't realise how long it was until we finished and it was nearly time to go. But you did seem interested in hearing about things.

Of course, I should say that what I told you about the prefects and the Headmistress - that's just some stuff that the older kids in Ravenclaw Corner said. I mean, a few of them are Prefects so they see Professor McGonagall more often but I know that both Tamblyns and Dames have mentioned that it comes up in Prefects' meetings.

Oh, and of course, I don't really speak any French myself, so I can only go off what Dunstan and Laverty could tell us. But Laverty was well upset when that Archambault chap called Hogwarts mouldy and feudal. And he was complaining about the library, quite a bit, because loads of the references he said were 'everywhere' in France aren't here. I'm not sure which titles, though, sir.

I know you said I should feel free to write if I thought of other things. I dunno if I should say or not, but I suppose as a school Governor you would want to know that I think so far the foreign students aren't very pleased with--well, with Professor Carrow. (Miss Professor Carrow, obviously, they've never met Mr Professor Carrow!) I know for one thing, from what I understand from Justin Finch-Fletchley, none of their fourth-years have taken any Dark Arts lessons yet, so I think some of them are a bit behind. But they want to make it seem like they've just got no use for the subject! Though it could be that they're jealous, I suppose, that we've got a leg up. Didier did say that her father's been asking for it to be added to their curriculum since he was a student himself, I guess.

But they really didn't have much good to say about Professor Carrow--personally, I mean. And well, I suppose it's not so bad for those of us who've had her for Muggle Studies those first couple years and now Dark Arts for over a year, as well, but it is rather disconcerting, sometimes, the way she has of looking at one really closely. Not that I'd talk out of turn about a professor, of course.

Anyway, I really only wanted to say that it was a wonderful breakfast and I know you're frightfully busy so it was especially kind of you to arrange it for all of us.

Have you heard? Chang was in Ravenclaw Corner this afternoon on account of Dark Arts lessons being cancelled. He said that Mr Malfoy and Miss Professor Carrow had a DUEL last night! In the corridors!

Tamblyn said he heard that Miss Carrow tried to cast the killing curse on Mr Malfoy! But she missed and he Cruciated her to subdue her. But Dames said that's not what she heard, she heard that it was Mr Malfoy who went to try to kill Miss Carrow, on account of her talking to that Londinarium chap. So then we got Moon to come over, and you know she's dating Ptolemy Baddock, and he was there, but she said that he said that it was just a disagreement between them, and they hadn't had their wands out at all. Only no one really believes that.

In fact, Sandoval said that if Mr Malfoy had wanted to cast the killing curse on Miss Carrow, he wouldn't have missed, but he told Moon that it was ridiculous to say there wasn't any kind of duel, because Baddock and Professor Sinistra were there and were sending students away down the corridor in the other direction. And they wouldn't have done that if it had just been an argument. But he didn't think they were casting anything too bad - you know, just usual duelling club kinds of spells, because he couldn't credit they'd go and try to duel to the death right in school where anyone might come along!

Well. Then Laverty, she said she heard that a long time ago, Miss Carrow was after Mr Malfoy, you know, like how Professor Acton was always trying to corner Professor Raz? And she was really in love with him, but he wouldn't have anything to do with her (and can you blame him, really? I mean, who would ever be attracted to Miss Carrow?) and so she's been sending him little 'presents' for years, and finally he tried to send one back to her brother. So he took bottle of firewhiskey that she'd sent him and sent it to Professor Carrow. He didn't realise it was the same one, so he drank it, but it was poisoned! And that's why he went to the hospital wing on Wednesday. So when Mr Malfoy came here yesterday for the Governors' meeting, she waited somewhere between there and the Slytherin common room and she ambushed him in revenge!!!

I sort of want to ask Malfoy, but I know he'll get well shirty if we pry into his father's personal business. I wonder if Parkinson knows anything about it? I mean, a few people said they heard screaming, but then, her brother's in the hospital wing, so maybe she was really overwrought? Anyway. What are they saying up in Gryffindor? D'you reckon Mr Rosier would know if she was really ever in love with him?

I can't believe it, though. A School Governor - I mean, MR MALFOY, and Miss Professor Carrow duelling in the CORRIDORS! If they weren't both so well deadly, I'd say the Headmistress ought to give them both a detention! Ha-ha!