Hermione Jane Granger

How is everything at Hogwarts today?

You should probably know that whatever Justin and Hydra told Sirius (or didn't? I can't tell, I just know he wrote to them), sent him on a tear last night. So I think it's pretty much what we thought, Daphne. Draco and I could sort of hear him and Mr Lupin; I'm sure Mr Snape and Tonks probably heard bits of it, too, though we were in the library researching, so we were closer.

Anyway. I can't imagine they're both back to normal but maybe at least neither of them is melting a cauldron or anything.

Daphne, could you get anything out of Crouch, as to what exactly went wrong? (I'm not including Draco on this so you can talk about it and not have to worry about him just going on and on about what a slick git he is, and I won't tell him anything if you don't want me to.)

I was thinking about Hydra, though, and how she doesn't like to talk about things, because--well, I'm the same way. And I know for me, I just need to be left alone, and I know most people in the Order prefer to push until someone gets over the worst. But it doesn't always work that way. So I hope people are running interference for her, if that's what she needs.

I talked to him.

He's not going to quit but he's really cross with Sally-Anne and Ron and Pansy. And from what I can see, he's got every right to be.

He's calmer now but it's unfortunate we're back to school tomorrow because I'd like him to talk to you when he's not feeling so strained but that's not going to happen while we're at Hogwarts.

He--it's been hard for him this holiday. Harder than usual. And I didn't help matters but we're all right now, I think.

Anyway. At least he's seen that it's better to stay than go it alone.

Are you going flying tomorrow with the others?

Only, you didn't last week.

You know, if you tell your parents you're with Harry at Buckingham and he tells Broome and Professor Lestrange he's with you at Kensington or Malfoy Manor, that works for you, as well as for him. And you don't need to sit round yours all the time, then.

It's just that it doesn't have to all be for Harry, you know. You could do some things for yourself, too.

Didn't you enjoy Hydra's party?

Thank you for the carving.

Isn't it odd to think that we have more privacy on the Order Lock or the ISS one than most of the school has with Madam Umbridge calling them all on the carpet for posting private messages?

It's strange that people grew so used to using them so quickly. I think that must mean that people have more secrets than we might guess, or at least things they want to keep to themselves.

Do you think Sirius will get the other sets of buttons soon? The ones for the muggles in the camps, I mean. I think we should maybe start coming up with things for him to say on them, though I don't know if that's the best way to use them, maybe those shouldn't be like the Galleons and instead they should have useful information like Mr Snape was trying to give them in his posts. Only obviously he's got far too much to say on a button, even if it is in code. Maybe especially.

Are you still thinking about leaving? I'm sorry I haven't been around to talk much, but Harry and Draco especially have had things to work on that are really interesting. I think Draco might be coming round to think muggleborns aren't so bad, actually. He gave me a nift Transfigurations textbook and another on Arithmancy. For Christmas, you know. He wouldn't have done if he'd thought I shouldn't be learning about magic. He certainly wouldn't have given me his project to work on. I don't think he's quite ready to learn about the lock, or that you and I have wands. Maybe soon, though.

Only I feel badly about not telling Harry because the longer we leave him out, the harder it'll be to tell him about it. Only I know he'll want to include Draco straightaway, and he won't probably listen if I explain why it's not a good idea. You know they're practically brothers, so it's not hard to understand why he only wants to think the best of him.

Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to go on so long. We really haven't talked in forever, not like we used to when you were here. I just hope you don't go without telling anyone first. I don't think they'd tell you not to go, if you really wanted to leave. But it wouldn't be right to leave without giving them the chance to make things better.

Anyway, really I just wanted to thank you for the present and ask how you are, and tell you I do miss you, even if I don't say so very often.

Love from,

Hermione

I'm laying out your robes and shoes and then I'm taking the Floo like we talked about.

Okay, remember, Harry, if anyone asks you've sent me out on errands most of the day.

I shan't be looking at my journal much, so please, don't decide that you need me for anything. Or let someone bully you into thinking that you need me, either.

I'll find you during the presentations this afternoon.

Thank you again for the demiguise blood. It worked!! Are you going to have trouble getting the replacement stock before Professor Slughorn notices it's gone?

I have another question, not for me, for someone who wishes to remain anonymous. It might be something you can't answer, though, I don't know. It's about the relationship between natural occlumency and natural legilimency.

So the first part of the question is whether someone who is a natural Occlumens can also be a natural Legilimens, and I think I answered that already, that sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't, right?

But then the second part has to do with how the ability manifests itself and whether it can happen spontaneously without the person intending it. Or whether it usually happens that way or whether it's usually developed deliberately.

And I guess the third part would be what someone can do to stop one's legilimency from developing, if it happens to be developing without any sort of practical intervention (which supposedly it's not but why else would someone worry about it?).

I know that Professor McGonagall and Sirius have some form of occlumency because they're Animagi, but I don't think that's the same sort of occlumency that this person has, I think it's the truly natural kind.

I thought I'd ask Ron this but then I decided he'd get all embarrassed and Ronnish, so I decided maybe it'd be better to ask you two instead, since you're generally sensible about things when it comes to girls, unlike some people I could name, but I won't, because I need to ask you something and it's not for me, it's for someone else: Is Katie Bell going out with anyone? I figure you might know or be able to find out because of being on the Quidditch team with her.

If you know, could you tell me? And if you don't would you be able to find out? Discreetly?