Attention, Slytherin House.
By now you should all have settled in, unpacked, resolved any arguments over who is sleeping in the noisy spot beneath the water pipes, and worked out three ways to leave the dungeons without being seen. It should not be necessary for me to remind you that First Years are not to be used for target practice; there are ample House Elves to go around there are perfectly good duelling rooms on the Fourth Floor. Yet here we are, and Madam Pomfrey is once again having to reattach someone's nose before we even reach the first weekend of term.
Nor should I have to reiterate Professor McGonagall's warning at the start of term banquet that there is still a small Area of Uncertainty appearing sporadically on the Third Floor corridor, on the left hand side of the staircase. Someone persists in removing the warning sigils and if it isn't Bellatrix, then it's probably Filch, and students wandering into this Area are likely to find important parts of themselves translocated several inches sideways. In the interests of the student body as a whole retaining whole student bodies, Professor Flitwick will be Charming the corridor at first light tomorrow. If I find anyone deliberately wandering around that area, I will be beside myself. And so, in small yet significant ways, will you.
A final note of caution to all students up to and including those taking their OWLs this year: All Potions ingredients used in lessons will be provided from labelled containers such as these:
If it doesn't have a label on it, you have no business opening it. If you doubt me, please speak to Miss Soames of Ravenclaw, who will be negotiating her Third Year without the aid of her eyebrows.
Locked to Staff
I am aware that some of you are new to the school and, as such, are unaware of certain salient facts. Therefore, I will ask you politely not to try to entice Inkwit or Sken with food, either at meals or during staff meetings. They are working animals, not pets, and have quite enough to eat without some empty-headed well-meaning cretin wizard flinging biscuits at them.
Those of you who require medicinal potions should already have left your requests with Poppy. If you have neglected to do so, I will be collecting her revised list on Sunday evening, after which time I cannot guarantee I will be able to supply any unusual requests. In which case I suggest you see Argus Filch, who has many unusual uses for onions. Perhaps one of them will apply to your specific condition.
Nor should I have to reiterate Professor McGonagall's warning at the start of term banquet that there is still a small Area of Uncertainty appearing sporadically on the Third Floor corridor, on the left hand side of the staircase. Someone persists in removing the warning sigils and if it isn't Bellatrix, then it's probably Filch, and students wandering into this Area are likely to find important parts of themselves translocated several inches sideways. In the interests of the student body as a whole retaining whole student bodies, Professor Flitwick will be Charming the corridor at first light tomorrow. If I find anyone deliberately wandering around that area, I will be beside myself. And so, in small yet significant ways, will you.
A final note of caution to all students up to and including those taking their OWLs this year: All Potions ingredients used in lessons will be provided from labelled containers such as these:
If it doesn't have a label on it, you have no business opening it. If you doubt me, please speak to Miss Soames of Ravenclaw, who will be negotiating her Third Year without the aid of her eyebrows.
Locked to Staff
I am aware that some of you are new to the school and, as such, are unaware of certain salient facts. Therefore, I will ask you politely not to try to entice Inkwit or Sken with food, either at meals or during staff meetings. They are working animals, not pets, and have quite enough to eat without some empty-headed well-meaning cretin wizard flinging biscuits at them.
Those of you who require medicinal potions should already have left your requests with Poppy. If you have neglected to do so, I will be collecting her revised list on Sunday evening, after which time I cannot guarantee I will be able to supply any unusual requests. In which case I suggest you see Argus Filch, who has many unusual uses for onions. Perhaps one of them will apply to your specific condition.