Susan Bones

Pansy,

I was thinking you might like to get away for a bit. I talked with Mandy after lunch, and she suggested a walk around the lake.

Up for it, maybe after dinner tonight? I'll bring my wireless and we can see if there's anything good on.

I should really be in bed, or at least packing my trunk, or something...

I don't want to go back.

I mean, obviously no one wants to go back to the Pink Peril, but these last couple of weeks I feel like I've been in this amazing new world--it's not a perfect world cos nothing is really--but it's still bloody amazing, and I've learned so much about people and the world that I didn't know before and now I've got to stuff all that back into a little box.

And I guess that's part of why we're doing this, because we all want that world to be the real world one day.

Looks like we're going to need the twins' Charms expertise after all. But it's not an emergency; Iwe didn't misjudge him that badly, he's not going to run off and betray us to Umbridge.

But it should probably get done by tomorrow, and earlier would be better than later. I gave him a signal, and if I flash it, he'll follow me off into some deserted corner and we can get it taken care of.

He requested it.

He likes the idea of the galleons, in theory, but he has reasons--family reasons--for feeling like he can't get anywhere near it. He's scared his family could end up like the Fleets. His secrets aren't for me to tell since he's not joining, but even though Ernie can be a tad, well, paranoid, in this case I think he probably has cause to be.

But he doesn't want to betray us either; if I or anyone else ever gets caught, he wants to be able to say with absolute truthfulness than he didn't know a thing about it.

Maybe the Board of Governors really will sack Umbridge tomorrow and I won't have to worry about this, but just in case...

I almost forgot to tell everyone that Umbridge wasn't actually cross with me when she called me to her office last week--she wanted to recruit me to this model student association or whatever she's calling it.

I said something vague about being really busy with Prefect duties and Quidditch and OWLs, but I'd do what I could.

I could make more of an effort though, if anyone thinks it would be good to have someone on the ISS in the group.

Only, I get the feeling that it's meant to be about getting people in trouble who don't tow Umbridge's line...and I'd hate doing that.

I suppose I could make sure to say only really minor things that no sane person would think worth the trouble. But somehow I get the feeling that Umbridge's ideas of what's punishment-worthy might be a lot different that say, the Headmistress. But then, I don't think the Headmistress would be trying to organise people to grass on each other to begin with.

Hello everyone,

Neville and Pansy told me all about you last night and I...I don't know quite what to say, except that I'm awfully honoured that you've trusted me with it.

I've got to say, when you both wanted to take a walk round the lake, I suspected something was in the cauldron, but nothing like this. It's bloody amazing is what it is.

So here are my secrets--I hope they're enough.

First of all, my parents don't support the Lord Protector--they raised us on the original Beedle stories, and loads of Muggle literature, and told us all about how things used to be different, as soon as we were old enough to understand them, and to understand that we absolutely could not tell other people ever.

And they told us the real story about my Great-Aunt Amelia--that she was loyal to Dumbledore and especially to the rule of the law and no one person being in charge of things. I think Dad sometimes feels like she should have put the family (and Aunt Mina) first, but he always says that she did what she felt was right in an incredibly difficult situation.

They've never actually done anything officially against the government, except teach us, but even so, Mum could lose her job at the very least if anyone found out. The Ministry probably couldn't do anything to Dad directly, but they could probably lean on the Cannons' owner to sack him or get Mr Bagman to ban him from the pitch. I don't know if it would be enough to get us put into fostering, but it might. I'm sure that's a big part of why Mum and Dad've never risked anything more; well, and they don't approve of violence like those awful Dogstar people.

And if that's not enough of a secret, here's one more:

I found out this summer that my Great-Aunt Amelia and my Aunt Mina were more than just good friends who shared a flat--they were Daughters of Artemis. Sapphists.

I had a long talk with Aunt Mina--it explained so much, and not just about them. About me.

I mean to say...I'm pretty sure I fancy girls.

And boys, too, yeah.