certainly challenging this term--but in a really good way, I think! It's been quite interesting to see everyone go a bit further in their studies. I'm sure Professor Glozeman is pushing us in ways we'd never have been exposed to with a less skilled professor in the post.

Jones, I think yours gets props for one of the funniest effects. Or perhaps it was just funny because of its victim. Not exactly a look they prize in MLE, eh, Weasley?

Please, Professor, I know you said that Professor Carrow would be marking our essays even though he's not back in lessons, but I had a question about variations in temperature when transfiguring liquids.

So I went to his office tonight to ask him and I don't think he's at all well. I'm not sure where Miss Professor Carrow was, and I didn't see his mudblood about, either, but I suppose he's not really assigned to the Professor anymore, is he?

Anyway, Professor Carrow answered the door but he seemed very confused. He kept calling me Miss Pencil. And he seemed to think there were flies in the room, but there weren't. The fire was roaring, though, and he was sweaty but saying it was too cold.

Well, I tried to ask my question and he listened at first but then he started shaking. He reached for his flask, you know, the one he always has with him? And he started to bring it up to drink out of it and then he stopped. It was still shaking in his hand. And then he threw it at me and told me to 'Bugger off'. So, er, I did. But I thought someone ought to know.

And I still have that question, but maybe if you don't have time to answer it, Professor, someone in Ravenclaw Corner will know.

We need something to lighten things up. Luckily we've duelling club tonight - that's always good for a lark. Still, it's really rather tense up in the tower, and in Ravenclaw Corner Troy actually snapped at me because he's having trouble cracking the Arithmantical equations for quantitive spell-blocking, or something.

Lovegood's still really upset about her father - and of course she would be, anyone would be - but she's so very quiet about it. Not like Fawcett was at all.

But what I can't work out is how Black thinks he can shift the blame away from himself. He's really quite mad, isn't he? And ever so rude. I hope Mr Crouch and Mr Malfoy are right and they do make him stand trial. They ought to publicly Cruciate him, in the bargain.

Anyway, Parkinson, did you hear what I found out from Tamblyn? You know how Weasley was telling everyone not even to try to disturb the Lord Protector when He was here? Well, your Mr Black was one of the people with Him. Tamblyn saw the hook quite clearly.

Didn't you say he was going to bring you presents the next time he came?

Guess he didn't mean it. Or he forgot - that can happen sometimes. But he came and said hello to you, at least, didn't he?

Well, I've still my Transfiguration essay to finish. Bobolis, may I borrow that book you had on the properties of once-living objects when they'd dried? Flower petals and skin and such? I think I'll need to quote it again.

Well, we had our first meeting on Wednesday, but only about half the people who signed up came. I think it's because everyone's been feeling so under the weather. I was going to remind people yesterday but then there was all that fire and mud business. I'm just as happy the Headmistress has told everyone to shut up about it, anyway--I mean, it's awful for Thomas, but imagine how much worse it was for Marvolo to have someone trying to destroy his mudblood like that? I mean, setting her on fire? Her hair's a bit like the tip of a torch, but really, it's not like it would improve by being on fire!

Anyway, we did meet, before all the excitement yesterday, and for those of us who were there I think it was really rather nice. The books Mr Rosier sent are wizard! Finnigan, thank him again, will you? I wanted to owl but I wasn't sure I ought to bother him.

And Finnigan is really, really nift at making it all sound much more interesting and relevant.

So we're going to keep meeting. It's still open to anyone in our year and first-years too if you want to get ahead.

We're meeting Wednesdays in the third classroom on the Charms corridor, fifteen minutes after dinner.

And did you see? Professor Lockhart is taking over Transfiguration?! Is there anything Professor Lockhart can't do? Now we'll have him three times a week!

Mum sent a clipping from the Prophet - there's whole loads of things planned for Friday. I wish we could go!

Everyone here is talking about exams. Ours aren't for weeks, but the older kids are supposed to sit theirs sooner - I guess pretty soon. Goshal, Peakes, Bobolis and Chang have been making all the younger kids run back and forth to the library for them so they don't have to stop revising with the others in their years. Orion Sandoval even told us all that he'd pay three sickles to anyone who'll let him hex them for practice. But then Professor Vector found out and told him she'd take five points for everyone he hexed, so at least we dont have to worry about that.

Some of the fifth years even paid the third years to bring things back from Hogsmeade so they wouldnt have to break off revising. I don't think I'd want to skip a Hogsmeade day even if it ment I'd get O's on every OWL, but I guess if your worried about passing it would be worth it.

I'll just be happy if I can turn in the Transfiguration homework tomorrow, so many of the older kids have been interrupting!

One was easy and one hard, so maybe that balances?

Herbology, of course - that was fairly simple. I almost forgot the difference between Devil's Snare and Flitterbloom, but at the last second I remembered how to tell them apart (aside from being squeezed to death, that is!).

Then there was Transfiguration. Loads of people were really worried about this one. And it really was nearly as difficult as I expected. But it was far more ... er, random. Not that I'm complaining! I mean, Professor Carrow does tell us that one never knows what life is going to throw at us. So I guess we should of been prepared for anything. I think the extra practice really payed off, though, because I know I did really well on the spellwork. Maybe not as well as Sally-Anne, but My textures were fine and my kitten's nose was perfect, I thought. (The multiple choice, though! I remembered most of it. I don't think he told our class about the fire crab and the scorpion, but I knew that story already. Though of all things, I wasn't sure what that question about his servant's essay was doing on there! I just said 'I didn't read that because a mudblood wrote it.' I hope that was alright to say.)

Oh! And I got an owl from Mum. All about the St Mungo's benefit party at the Malfoy's and there's a picture of Mum and Dad. They look smashing. I recognise the entrance hall from the picture in the Prophet. It's ever so grand!

Mum says Dad did fairly well at the roulette but then spent it again at the auction. He got a custom set of robes for Mum, to be designed by Madam Malkin, that he says is for her birthday, and which she says is just ridiculous. There were sooo many people there! I've been collecting the articles from the papers. You can just see my Mum in one of the photos.

But it sounded like they had a marvellous time. Lav, did your mum write about it? D'you and Parvati want to meet later after dinner and see the letter? We can revise for Defence if you want. I've got Professor Lockhart's library--at least that's an exam where we know all the answers and where to find the questions!