Owls from Addie Kyteler, dated 12 September 1942
To her mother, Priscilla Chattox-Kyteler, in reply to her owl
Quite well warded
Dear Mum,
I did write to you, but it was barely so much as a note, I'm very sorry.
Things are more happy for me this year, and my practice in the labs over summer has helped with my materia medica. My other studies are also doing well. Gryffindor is a nicer place under Miss McGonagall, who is Head Girl, and also Miss Cooper, who is the senior prefect in place of Miss McCormack, than they were under Miss Wood, but I feel selfish for saying things are better, even if only for me. Last year the papers did not carry a death notice for a student or their family almost every day.
Bessie and Mary are well. Bessie's dorm is a bit turned inside out, a Romanian refugee who has already had to fight has come to school and is in fourth although she is sixteen, and Miss Rochford has been imprisoned with Miss McCormack in the school because her family are not loyal. (I do not know on whose instructions so I do not know whether to criticise or not, but even if they have done wrong themselves they are very unhappy.) It is very shocking, I suppose, for all of them.
I tried to do for Endymion and Jonathon what I should have done for Cassie in July and August. You will be glad to hear they are well, I know, although it is nothing of my doing. I don't know what to do about Cassie. After so many things fell apart over the summer, I think I have lost her confidence and Hadrian may well have too. Emelia is still a very good friend to her; I will endeavour to do some of what I could not do before, as well.
Love from me and Alanna and Justin and Mary and Bessie,
Addie
~*~*~*
To her father, Edward Kyteler, in reply to his owl.
Quite well warded
Dear Daddy,
I'm sorry I haven't written half as much as I should have. Thank you for your letter last Sunday. I'm very sorry I made a mistake about warding in writing to Lavinia, I have written again to her again today with this bird. It's very kind of her to spend so much time with my work: I do not think it would make me a Magistra by any means, but I was proud of it. I will certainly not show it to her sister! I can hardly bear to face her after learning of her plagiarism and deceit.
School is much easier this year for me. Many of Fia's friends and Company folk are being kind this year. But I would exchange it gladly for being unhappy like last year, if everyone was safer. I am glad you have Professor Goyle looking after the school. (I have been very careful with the house elves, and everything else that has been happening.)
Love,
Your princess,
Adele
~*~*~*
To Lavinia Scalara, in reply to her owl.
Well warded
Dear Lavinia,
Thank you for the books. You are much too kind about my work, I am not even thinking of an apprenticeship in arithmancy when I am already doing my apothecary seminar. But it has always been very interesting to me, and I am very surprised to hear that some of it was perhaps original. If I can take it a little further, I will be very pleased. I have some early notes towards a proof of the generalisation in the ninth sphere, I will try and write them up soon and send them by the end of the week. Everything has been busy and dreadful here and nothing to do with schoolwork either. I am sure you know everything and you are glad to have Fia away from school for the weekend. I hope all is safe and well for the weddings.
If you want to push the work forward in the meantime before I have a chance to work on it, I would be very interested to see what comes out. Don't worry, I will never show so much as one solitary symbol of this to your sister.
Love,
Addie
~*~*~*
To her sister, Fiammetta Kyteler, in Italian, in reply to her owl.
Lightly but securely warded, and relatively trivially ciphered for fun
Dear Fia,
You make the day sound rather ominous, although I hope it has been better in the afternoon. I am sure Melina was very beautiful. Please tell her congratulations. It is a very happy ending after what happened with their families agreeing to split them up so awfully (do not say that part). It does sound better that Alessio Zabini did not marry this girl you write of. I do not know him very well at all, and Magister Doctor Malfoy even less (of course I did not know even his right name until it was in the papers). I hope they are happy together.
I do not know why Miss Dashwood is so very cold, that sounds rather strange. She is definitely a Dashwood, like your Princess, but when we were all children, she was only half like a sister to Endymion and the other half like a mother. I am sure that Endymion will know what to do for her now, if anyone does.
Give my love to Daddy and to Lavinia and to Susie. There is still some to spare for you and Hadrian and Endymion, but I will see you much sooner.
Love,
Addie
Quite well warded
Dear Mum,
I did write to you, but it was barely so much as a note, I'm very sorry.
Things are more happy for me this year, and my practice in the labs over summer has helped with my materia medica. My other studies are also doing well. Gryffindor is a nicer place under Miss McGonagall, who is Head Girl, and also Miss Cooper, who is the senior prefect in place of Miss McCormack, than they were under Miss Wood, but I feel selfish for saying things are better, even if only for me. Last year the papers did not carry a death notice for a student or their family almost every day.
Bessie and Mary are well. Bessie's dorm is a bit turned inside out, a Romanian refugee who has already had to fight has come to school and is in fourth although she is sixteen, and Miss Rochford has been imprisoned with Miss McCormack in the school because her family are not loyal. (I do not know on whose instructions so I do not know whether to criticise or not, but even if they have done wrong themselves they are very unhappy.) It is very shocking, I suppose, for all of them.
I tried to do for Endymion and Jonathon what I should have done for Cassie in July and August. You will be glad to hear they are well, I know, although it is nothing of my doing. I don't know what to do about Cassie. After so many things fell apart over the summer, I think I have lost her confidence and Hadrian may well have too. Emelia is still a very good friend to her; I will endeavour to do some of what I could not do before, as well.
Love from me and Alanna and Justin and Mary and Bessie,
Addie
~*~*~*
To her father, Edward Kyteler, in reply to his owl.
Quite well warded
Dear Daddy,
I'm sorry I haven't written half as much as I should have. Thank you for your letter last Sunday. I'm very sorry I made a mistake about warding in writing to Lavinia, I have written again to her again today with this bird. It's very kind of her to spend so much time with my work: I do not think it would make me a Magistra by any means, but I was proud of it. I will certainly not show it to her sister! I can hardly bear to face her after learning of her plagiarism and deceit.
School is much easier this year for me. Many of Fia's friends and Company folk are being kind this year. But I would exchange it gladly for being unhappy like last year, if everyone was safer. I am glad you have Professor Goyle looking after the school. (I have been very careful with the house elves, and everything else that has been happening.)
Love,
Your princess,
Adele
~*~*~*
To Lavinia Scalara, in reply to her owl.
Well warded
Dear Lavinia,
Thank you for the books. You are much too kind about my work, I am not even thinking of an apprenticeship in arithmancy when I am already doing my apothecary seminar. But it has always been very interesting to me, and I am very surprised to hear that some of it was perhaps original. If I can take it a little further, I will be very pleased. I have some early notes towards a proof of the generalisation in the ninth sphere, I will try and write them up soon and send them by the end of the week. Everything has been busy and dreadful here and nothing to do with schoolwork either. I am sure you know everything and you are glad to have Fia away from school for the weekend. I hope all is safe and well for the weddings.
If you want to push the work forward in the meantime before I have a chance to work on it, I would be very interested to see what comes out. Don't worry, I will never show so much as one solitary symbol of this to your sister.
Love,
Addie
~*~*~*
To her sister, Fiammetta Kyteler, in Italian, in reply to her owl.
Lightly but securely warded, and relatively trivially ciphered for fun
Dear Fia,
You make the day sound rather ominous, although I hope it has been better in the afternoon. I am sure Melina was very beautiful. Please tell her congratulations. It is a very happy ending after what happened with their families agreeing to split them up so awfully (do not say that part). It does sound better that Alessio Zabini did not marry this girl you write of. I do not know him very well at all, and Magister Doctor Malfoy even less (of course I did not know even his right name until it was in the papers). I hope they are happy together.
I do not know why Miss Dashwood is so very cold, that sounds rather strange. She is definitely a Dashwood, like your Princess, but when we were all children, she was only half like a sister to Endymion and the other half like a mother. I am sure that Endymion will know what to do for her now, if anyone does.
Give my love to Daddy and to Lavinia and to Susie. There is still some to spare for you and Hadrian and Endymion, but I will see you much sooner.
Love,
Addie