Note from Barty Crouch to Charis Malfoy, dated 2nd September 1942
Delivered by hand at the beginning of lunch, and charmed to appear as ordinary classroom notes to anybody except the intended recipient.
Dear Charis,
I congratulate you on your prompt reaction to the situation. Being lodged away from the common room, I have not had the chance to make a full appraisal of our new residents, both Slytherins and Ravenclaws, but a brief look suggests that you did well to nip this in the bud- although I fear this may turn out to be more a hydra! If my father (a Ravenclaw) is anything to go by, any attempt to enforce a little tidiness may well be met with a corresponding increase of mess. The common room is our territory, but it may be possible to persuade the Ravenclaws to use one of the deserted dungeons if they wish to be free to let their possessions run free. If their Prefects are as easy to persuade or push over as it seems, doing so should not be so hard.
Unfortunately I am dreadfully busy this lunchtime, and as you know it wouldn't do for me to take too great a role in House affairs these days. Obviously I will advise Riddle and Miss Pritchard if they care to listen, but in matters of tradition I am as bound as you are to allow them to manage themselves. Please do let them know.
With regards to the Weasleys and this Dursley (please do not expect me to refer to them by euphemisms) I have yet to decide how to act. However, we will ensure that the Snake Pit remains sacrosant. It is simply too much to ask that we share not only with Ravenclaws but Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors as well. It will hopefully not to come to it, but we must be ready to remind people that we are snakes for a reason, and entering a pit of vipers is foolishness indeed. Obviously I am unable (and indeed unwilling) to be involved in any overt partisanship regarding this sort of thing, but you and Dolohov can count on my implicit support, and I cannot imagine that any professor would care to interfere with disputes at this level.
Yours sincerely,
Barty
Dear Charis,
I congratulate you on your prompt reaction to the situation. Being lodged away from the common room, I have not had the chance to make a full appraisal of our new residents, both Slytherins and Ravenclaws, but a brief look suggests that you did well to nip this in the bud- although I fear this may turn out to be more a hydra! If my father (a Ravenclaw) is anything to go by, any attempt to enforce a little tidiness may well be met with a corresponding increase of mess. The common room is our territory, but it may be possible to persuade the Ravenclaws to use one of the deserted dungeons if they wish to be free to let their possessions run free. If their Prefects are as easy to persuade or push over as it seems, doing so should not be so hard.
Unfortunately I am dreadfully busy this lunchtime, and as you know it wouldn't do for me to take too great a role in House affairs these days. Obviously I will advise Riddle and Miss Pritchard if they care to listen, but in matters of tradition I am as bound as you are to allow them to manage themselves. Please do let them know.
With regards to the Weasleys and this Dursley (please do not expect me to refer to them by euphemisms) I have yet to decide how to act. However, we will ensure that the Snake Pit remains sacrosant. It is simply too much to ask that we share not only with Ravenclaws but Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors as well. It will hopefully not to come to it, but we must be ready to remind people that we are snakes for a reason, and entering a pit of vipers is foolishness indeed. Obviously I am unable (and indeed unwilling) to be involved in any overt partisanship regarding this sort of thing, but you and Dolohov can count on my implicit support, and I cannot imagine that any professor would care to interfere with disputes at this level.
Yours sincerely,
Barty