Letter 9: Hermione Granger to Victor Krum, 20th December 1997

A/N: For simplicity’s sake, titles of books, journals etc are underlined and emphases are italicised. In reviving the old tradition of epistolary novels, I understand the plot may be a little slow, laborious and difficult to follow. Some might consider it AU and a little OOC.

In order not to weary the reader’s patience, a number of letters from the series of correspondences have been suppressed; only those which are necessary to a complete understanding of the events in this group are reproduced. For the same reason, some letters from the actors in the events of this drama have also been suppressed.

Proestigium or What the Seasons may Bring

Letter 9: Hermione Granger to Victor Krum, 20th December 1997

Miss Hermione Jane Granger,

Hogwarts Castle,

Head Girl’s Room,

Gryffindor Tower,

Scotland,

United Kingdom.

20th December 1997

Dear Victor,

It is so very kind of you to remember me this festive season. Thank you for the gift. I have not opened it yet, as I do not wish to spoil the surprise. Christmas presents are meant for Christmas and its twelve days, not a day sooner. I hope you have not played a trick on me and sent me a very small object in a huge box. See, isn’t it more sincere to receive a letter thanking you for something! It is quite all right if the East Europe Potions Review has been delayed; I can wait for the arrowroot and wolfsbane article.

I received your message on the Krum action figure two days ago. You really shouldn’t have taken the trouble to call when you have already owled another journal with the package. I have to disagree with your assessment of Logos in Potions. I do not think that journal has illiberal tendencies. Rather, its articles engender debates through an exploration of the simple thing that often go unnoticed. Thank you for drawing my attention to Dr Jigger’s article and Dr Rowling’s response to it. I appreciate your interest in my research in the not-so-exciting realm of theoretical and philosophical alchemy

While it does draw several interesting conclusions on the properties of theoretical alchemy, I find it highly specious that Rowling selects individual passages from Jigger and suggests theories based on those few lines without considering the article in its entirety. So doing proves nothing about the work as a whole. The wonderful thing about Jigger’s reading of Dumbledore and Flamel is the fact that he seems to have read Dumbledore and Flamel for themselves rather than relying on secondary sources or simply quoting from other likeminded articles. In this respect, his original effort is to be commended. In contrast, Rowling goes on to rely on rhetoric of right and wrong in determining the effects of potion brewing in relation to the by-products that may be produced. That by itself is pure sophistry. Rowling fails to reflect on his own thesis, which also takes advantage of moral categories. Is it “evil” to speak of good and evil in potions brewing? Rowling implies that it is and thus puts himself in the same category as Aristotle and Hobbes. Jigger, on the other hand, feels that the current strict definition of so-called good and ‘evil’ potions require qualification. He says it is not ‘bad’ per se to distrust the excesses of potion brewing; rather, it is the intention that is questionable.

I particularly like the way where he shows how recent academic writing in alchemy utilise the rhetoric of absolutes in a reactionary and illiberal manner by Dumbledore and Flamel while professing to advance so-called modern magic. It is a radical theory to suggest that modern alchemy is characterised by an ungrounded relativism.

You wish to know how Harry and Ron’s detention went? Professor Snape was unusually kind to them, by his standards. They were only subjected to a lecture on propriety and were asked to wash all the cauldrons by hand, prepare some of the samples for First year potions’ class and catalogue the student stores.

You have noticed the strange occurrences too? Good. I was beginning to worry that my imagination had run away with me. I keep getting this sense of foreboding and the air seems so oppressed and heavy. It is as if something is waiting to happen. It is very strange that wizarding communities in Eastern Europe are facing floods. Could Voldemort be looking for Professor Karkaroff again? I was under the impression that your former Headmaster is hiding in Afghanistan not Europe. Is Durmstrang still looking for him?

Professor Dumbledore fears that this is the eye of the storm and I readily believe him. I will tell him of your offer of assistance. The boys need me for something. I will discuss the Karkaroff-Voldemort issue when you next forward me the news. Thanks once again for the things.

Take care,

Hermione

Footnotes

Proestigium is Latin for illusion. Ironically, the English word Prestige derives from it.