Letter via Muggle Post to Rose Weasley
Dear Rose,
I hope this letter finds you well and that you had a chance to enjoy your holiday at home. Llanfair P.G. is the same as ever. I don't think it's changed one bit for hundreds of years. Occasionally I still see an old Model T Ford rattling up the drive; it may very well be one of the most modern additions in town.
Well, no, I suppose that's not true. The town has quite a niche in the tourism industry, and we often get visitors who take the train all the way onto the island to town just to get a picture of themselves with our train station sign. The visitors stay close to the station, though. They hardly ever make it up to our farm. Grandfather prefers it that way. He finds them rude and disruptive (in other words, very English). He came down with a bit of a cough over the holidays, not that he let that stop him from tending to the animals, but I do worry about him. I'm here to help him now, but what's he going to do when I'm back at school? I've been trying to convince him to hire some of the boys in town to help him, but he thinks he can still do it all.
He and Grandmother still don't approve of me going back to Hogwarts. They think that magic is unnatural and against the rightful order of things. I don't agree, of course, but the recriminations do get wearying. I'm sure that if they understand how magic and nature can coexist, they'd be more accepting of it (and, as someone once said, "Isn't nature magic?").
I'm looking forward to going back to Hogwarts. I haven't flown all summer. Imagine that! I've had to walk along the tops of the sturdier fences to pretend that I'm up in the air. Rose, you mustn't think that I'm unhappy with my lot, but all this talk about the new Nimbus and the World Cup makes me wish that I was a part of it. I'd like to test out the acceleration and responsiveness of the Nimbus 4500. I'd like to see the professionals play in the best quidditch tournament there is. I know you're not keen on flying, but I think I should like to see it, at least once. But there's time, isn't there? There will be many more World Cups to come, and I'm sure some day I'll be able to attend one.
On another note, these interlinked journals are quite interesting, isn't it? It's amazing how quickly they have developed into a social network. I wonder if it's happened so quickly in previous years, or if our class is especially social. I don't think that I could speak about the things that others do in the journals, though; I can't help but remember that Professor Hookum is reading them. And also, Mallory Carmichael seems to delight in tormenting me over them.
Well, I think I've written quite enough. I do hope that you and your family are doing well -- please give them my regards. And don't fret too much about your OWLs. Potions is a notoriously difficult subject, and you oughtn't be disappointed when you did your very best.
Please write soon. It's so very lonely here.
Yours,
Carys