Order Only: Private Message to Mr Snape

I'm sorry you'll have to remake it.

I know you were cross with Pansy over the holidays, for not staying focused on her potions and not concentrating enough. So I promise, I was concentrating, but I know I can do better. I mean, obviously, I'll have to do better. I mean, not that I left my cauldron but I did forget to grate the willowbark before adding the essence of pennywort, and of course I should have known I needed to do that during the simmer, since there's plenty of time then and there's hardly any time after adding the pennywort. It won't happen again. I mean, if there is to be an again.

And I know there's simply no excuse for losing count of the number of stirs. I can't think what happened. I know it's meant to be clockwise for three minutes at the rate of a heartbeat and not more than 200 strokes; only my pulse was racing so I just tried to count one per second since that would have been 180, only I think that wasn't reliable or else I forgot whether I was on the second minute or the third. Or something. Also, I thought I might have heard a noise outside and I wasn't sure if I would need to stop and hide. I suppose I'll have to ignore anything like that in future. If there is

In any case, I know how important it is that I be able to take on some of the more complicated potions so you're free to work on other things but now all I've done is waste ingredients and leave you with even more work. So I'll understand if you'd like me to just continue underbrewing for you on the difficult potions until I'm more capable.


Oh, and I completely forgot to say that I hope you had a pleasant birthday on Thursday, despite everyone going spare because of those wretched Ouroboros pins. (But that's not because I want you to give me another chance at the Wolfsbane, if you don't think it's a good idea, after all. I just think it's too bad that no one else ever seems to remember your birthday, but I suppose that's because it's so soon after Christmas and it must have been hard growing up, too, when they're so close together.)

Order Only: Private Message to Harry and Draco

I just had to tell someone: You know how Mr Snape asked me to come with him this morning after breakfast? It was because he wanted me to try my hand at brewing Mr Lupin's Wolfsbane potion.

I was ever so nervous. And I didn't do very well at all. Of course, Mr Snape just said his own first attempt was worse but I'm sure he's just being kind. Anyway, he's going to have me brew it again tomorrow. Well, he's going to brew it and I'm supposed to brew alongside him, following what he does. (I'm not sure why he didn't do that in the first place, it would have been so much less frightening.)

Oh, and he liked his present, too.

I didn't want to say out in front of everyone, because I don't think he wants Mr Lupin to know just yet that he's teaching me to brew his potion, and because I didn't want to hurt Pansy's feelings, you know.

Draco, you went and talked to him, didn't you, about your plan? Was he really helpful?

Anyway, I've got to read over the notes again tonight but I thought also, I'd mention that you should talk about Miss Morgansen at the next reading meeting. Tell people, I mean. So they'll know how the fake one's being written.

Or do you think you'll be able to keep holding those, with this competition going on? Oh, and you know anything that anyone needs to help with that, just say so.