22 August 1992

Severus,

Another year at Hogwarts. I can hear the note of panic filtering into your tone already. The summers get shorter every year do they not? Any word yet on who the new Defence professor will be? I must say I am rather resentful that you won't tell me the actual reason the last left. The Prophet's notice that Quirenius Quirrell had left for 'personal reasons' merely whets my appetite for the truth. Did he perhaps find teaching too challenging? Perhaps he was not prepared for the work involved. Or perhaps despite your insistences otherwise, you did some irreparable damage to the poor soul. I wouldn't put it past you.

I am glad you finally responded to my enquiry regarding my failed potion. And while I do not believe that quite so much sarcasm on your part was called for (really, where did you pick up such deplorable social skills?), I also have no desire to tell you exactly what type of concoction I was attempting for myself. Surely for a Potion's master such as yourself, the identification of what went wrong in my brewing can be surmised simply from the final effects. Perhaps I have overestimated the extent of your education.

The set of calming potions you sent me for my birthday was generous - if slightly worrying. Surely you don't believe I become overworked all that often, you sent me enough to last several years. I suppose I should simply be content you remembered the date at all.

Oh, when I mentioned that that owl gave your father a fright, I simply mean that it flew perilously near to him on its way across the breakfast table. Strangely enough, it had to make quite a detour to do so, but one never knows with owls. I find it hard to believe they are as bright as everyone seems to think. Of course, they are quite adept at delivering messages, but any decent homing pigeon could do the same thing.

Regards,

Mother

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