Padma Patil

I noticed in that post of his that Mr Black (the good one, I mean, not the awful one) was reading a book about Salazar Slytherin, so I went and looked in the library and Madam Pince has a copy. She also had something called Lives of the Founders and a really nift illustrated book about the duel between Slytherin and Gryffindor. So I've got those for us tonight.

Also Professor Binns mentioned Odric the Odious, and it turns out he was one of the first professors who came to teach after Slytherin left. There's no book about him, but there are a few places where he's mentioned in Hogwarts, A History and also in Great Wizards of the Dark Ages. Since Professor Binns is still telling us about the Dark Ages, it ought to be useful. Has anyone else noticed that the older the history he's telling, the more likely the books are to agree with him?

Oh, and Finnigan, will you bring that book you said you had about Cnut's court wizard? It sounded like there was a whole section on Hogwarts in there, too.

(Has anyone started practising their wand positions for duelling yet? I've been reading up on it in the library.)

is an utter waste of time!!! We'd do just as well to get the books and take it in turns to read aloud to one another, for all the good lessons do.

Why do we have to learn one thing from the books and a whole other thing to write in our essays for Professor Binns? It's so frustrating.

Today we learnt about Roman wizards coming to England with Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Our book says there were about 100 wizards, more or less, and the Emperor revered them and paid them tribute to get them to fight with him. They fought the druids and helped bring the sort of magic we use now into England, and the Emperor helped them until his grandson, who didn't like magic because he didn't have any, started to make things difficult.

But Professor Binns wants us to say that the Romans didn't have wizards in their armies at all, and that they (the Roman wizards) came only after Rome took over and they decided to trade methods and theory with the druids, all without the Muggles knowing about it, and that's why so many spells have Latin, but the wands are all made out of kinds of wood from here.

If the books are wrong, why do we use them? And if Professor Binns is wrong, why do we have to go on learning from him? Why can't we have another teacher and just change classrooms?

(Potions is still really excellent, though. And everything else is fine. And my marks are still really high. I told Morag and Linus I'd revise with them twice a week, but the rest of the time I'm with Sandoval and Johns and the rest. I'm learning ever so much!)

Mum wrote to say they're sending Morrison (that's the mudblood we had this summer) back to the camps. He's finished the shop expansion Mum wanted. I'm not sure what I think. I mean, at first I didn't like having him about at all, but after awhile it wasn't so bad. He wasn't smelly or dirty, except when he'd been working. He was really old, as old as Haruman I guess. and when he took his shirt off I'd almost got used to having him about, but it's not as if we really need him anymore at home. Pity he can't really be with either me or Parvati, to do chores for us here. But he's too old. And he's not Kshatriyan, so it wouldn't be proper.

Maybe we'll get a mudblood who's a little younger, like Malfoy's is, for our birthday next year. That'd be sort of nift.

Why are Mondays so busy?

I know we've just come back from holiday and ought to be well-rested, but for some reason I'm ever so much more tired than usual. (It doesn't help when Professor Binns is drowning droning on about centaurs. Parvati may be horse-mad but I'm not!)

Still, Herbology was fun and kept me awake. And there's Transfiguration after lunch. Have to pay attention there! But by the time we get to Charms I'm sure I shall need a lie-down. It's so silly, but it's true.

Why is it so hard to come back from a holiday?

Also, it sounds as if several people are playing Perks's silly asa assasin AK game, but I don't know if I want to or not. It sounds like a dreadful bore to always be looking over one's shoulder, and I quite don't like the idea of my ears turning blue, even for an hour.

But Linus wants to play and Belinda said she would if I do, and even Daphne mentioned it on the train, so it doesn't seem as if they care that Perks it matters whether it's silly or not.

I just haven't decided. Lav, what do you think?