ORDER ONLY: Private Message to Evelyn

[alt_alice]

Hello, my sweet girl.

How are you?

You were asking about writing Mrs Perks earlier -- she doesn't have her own journal, so you can send along inquiries through Terry Boot or Kingsley, who's by Sherwood often enough so that he can deliver your messages to her. Either would be glad to help, I'm sure. You can also use that owl you all have for such things -- the small, fluffy one. I have a feeling she'd appreciate your interest in her work, and honestly, the more practise she gets in explaining her research to others, the more likely we're all going to be able to understand it and use it, so I appreciate your asking her as well. And who knows? She might ask you to help her.

I must admit, darling, I think you got your talent at Arithmancy from your Great-Grandma Kate, because you certainly didn't get it from me or your dad.

And may I just say how lovely it is to read what you're up to over the journals. I know you find it a bit intimidating sometimes to write where everyone can see, but it makes my day a little brighter when I see you making plans with your friends and talking about your projects at school.

Comments

[alt_evelyn]

Hello, mum.

Today went very well, I think. I was able to finish all of my essays and things before dinner, and then spent some time in the library quizzing Artie on History, and then I came back here to play some Wands with Hazel Oxley. She's a firstie, and she's a bit homesick, and she really misses her younger brother.

[alt_alice]

Oh, and I read what Ron Weasley wrote about Neville facing down a boggart.

How is he doing?

[alt_evelyn]

He handled it so well, mum. You would've been proud. He knew he had to make sure that it didn't get the chance to talk, and he didn't want it recognised, so he flung a cream pie right at its face. It was brilliant.

He told me that it looked like dad. Chained up in the treason chair at the Ministry, about to be killed. And Nev just knew it was because of something he'd done.

We've talked about it. I think he's all right. But it isn't something that's easy to see. And I think he might be worried about what his dorm mates saw. Dean and Seamus. Even though it was over with so quickly.

[alt_alice]

I can see how that would be difficult, yes.

And I am proud of him. Enormously.

Give him a giant hug for me, will you, love? I'll have Frank write him too.

[alt_evelyn]

I was talking to Mr Snape the other day about how it's really hard sometimes to read about all the awful things that people are going through, and know what's really happening, and not be able to do anything about it or tell other people about it. Bill Weasley's report made me really very angry, and it was just so frustrating to see everyone walking around like everything was normal because they didn't know anything about it. And it hurt my heart to think that even if they did know, that some of them might not care about it.

But he said I ought to consider the sort of things I can do to be helpful. That we were planning for the long-term, and winning hearts and minds was a part of that. So that's what I'm going to try to do more of.

Because sometimes it is hard. To not tell people.

[alt_alice]

Oh, lovey.

It is hard.

Especially when the people you wish you could tell are people you care for.

I know it doesn't feel like you're doing much right now, but Severus couldn't be more right. Think about Pansy, and Hydra, and Draco, and Harry. How different would they have been if they didn't have friends around them who were showing them that there could be a different way to go?

Sometimes, I think about what I'd like the future to be like if absolutely everything turned out just the way I wanted it, so I can think a little more about how I can keep taking small steps forward to get as close to that dream as I can. And part of that dream is for people to look to other people and see them as worthy of respect no matter what their abilities are. You've made that leap already, and I couldn't be prouder of you for it, but some of your classmates aren't going to be able to get there without some help.

And if we're going to win this fight, truly win it, it's going to take a great deal more work than simply kicking out the Protectorate and putting something else in its place.

It's not going to be enough to tell people that it's against the law to do the things we think are wrong. They have to agree with us, too. Otherwise, it'll go right back to being the way that it was before. We've been told to hate and feel superiour to Muggles for far longer than this Protectorate has been around. These sorts of changes take time.

I know it doesn't feel like you can do much right now. But the friends you make and the opportunities you give for people to think a little differently about the world than they would otherwise are important, and will make a difference.

[alt_evelyn]

What other sorts of things do you think of? When you dream, I mean?

[alt_alice]

I think about fairness, mostly. How I would define it, and what it might look like to have a society that's fair and just, while recognising our very real differences.

And I think about how respect for people means more than just taking into account people who can't do magic, but people who aren't human too. And all of those people are so different from one another and from us that I'm not sure if we'd be able to all sit down at a table together as equals, but it's quite something to imagine what that might be like.

Do centaurs sit? I suppose they'd have to stand.

But it can get rather difficult to think so abstractly, so sometimes I focus on what I would want a normal day to be like.

[alt_evelyn]

Oh! I really like that. Thinking about a normal day, and what it would be like, and how we might get there.

[alt_alice]

That always helps me feel a great deal better, too.

[alt_evelyn]

I won't tell Kitty and Artie.

No matter what.

It helps that I've got other people to talk to about it, like Neville and Ron and Luna.

But I know how important it is.

[alt_alice]

I know that you do, Evie. You wouldn't be a part of this if you didn't.