Letter 13: Hermione Granger to her Mother, 4th January 1998

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 13: Hermione Granger to her Mother, 4th January 1998

Miss Hermione Jane Granger,

Hogwarts Castle,

Head Girl’s Room,

Gryffindor Tower,

Scotland,

United Kingdom.

4th January 1998

Dearest Mummy,

I miss you awfully. How is Daddy? I do hope he is slowly recovering from the bout of influenza. It seems so incongruous that he should suffer from it after his flu shot. The case with Miss Havisham is most distressing. I had no idea out of court settlements had the potential to be uglier than portrayed by the tabloids. If you can manage to keep the practice afloat, I will support your decision to fight her. And she’s demanding a lifetime of free dental treatment! Ridiculous! Doesn’t she know that you did not elect to dig out the root of the tooth? So the tooth broke – Big deal! The leftover root tips can be reabsorbed into the body. I think she’s merely suffering from facial spasms due to some nervous ailment rather than a “dental surgery gone wrong”. You even offered to give her a discount when repairing the preceding premolar – what more does she want? Free root canals? Free crowning? She should be drug out into the streets and clubbed very severely. Let me know how it all turns out.

Professor Dumbledore has plans to remove Harry, Ron and I to the late Sirius’s residence some time in March. Mrs Weasley and Professor Lupin will be there to look after us. There has been another attack on Harry. He has been getting terrible migraines as Voldemort has found his way into Harry’s dreams (again). Professor Snape justly berates him for not practising Occlumency. It is quite possible that Voldemort may try to kill Harry in his sleep. This would remove Harry from his way and facilitate his takeover of the wizarding world. He believes killing Harry before Harry kills him is the best course of action. And seeing what his Death Eaters are capable of, I am inclined to agree.

Due the recent dream attacks on Harry, the strange things around the castle have escalated. All the teachers look drawn with fatigue in trying to protect us while giving the illusory assurance that everything is all right. Professor Dumbeldore has lost the spring in his step. Professor Flitwick has become slightly irritable. Professor Snape has grown gaunter. I suspect he has not been getting enough sleep. According to Harry (who admitted this grudgingly), Professor Snape has been surreptitiously entering his dreams and extracting him from danger whenever possible. We all worry a great deal for both Harry and Professor Snape. Professor Snape has to be careful so as not to be discovered by Voldemort, and Harry has to try to keep himself alive.

London is not the only place with strange happenings. According to the Daily Prophet, Scotland is not exempt from them. Lately, the school owls have been active day and night. The trees are dry and dying in the nearby forest. Hagrid tells us that nothing he does seems to alleviate their suffering. Professor Dumbeldore suspects that Voldemort is in the vicinity again. We are all a little frightened, even Harry. But Professor Dumbledore wants you to know that he will do everything he can to ensure that we are safe.

On a completely unrelated note, you will be proud to learn that Dr Jigger has replied to my second letter. I feel his kindness keenly. He’s extremely insightful and meticulous in his research. Yet, the more I read of his work, the more I get this sense of déjà vu. It is as if I know him from somewhere. The Buddhists and Hindus will tell me that I had most likely met him in a past life and I think it may be possible. There is something very familiar in his writings, but for some reason, I am unable to put my finger on the exact reason for it. Dr Jigger disconcerts me slightly because he seems very aware of my actions and some of my thought processes. That could be due to his manners, I suppose. He has a very nice way of writing that draws you in while keeping himself aloof from the reader. He’s more disarming than anything and I am very intrigued. I wonder what he is really like. More importantly, how is it that he is able to hint at his knowledge of my actions and thoughts? Do you think I am paranoid? It is almost as if he can read my mind. Or do you think I am reading too much between the lines? He seems to have intimated at activities that I have done in the classroom when Professor Snape was away on Hogwarts’ business. Strange, is it not?

I must end off now so that I can finish Professor Vector’s Arithmancy homework. Kisses for Daddy and you.

Your loving,

Hermione

Footnotes

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

Thank you, dear readers, for your forbearance. I sat for my last paper today and it was tricky. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I will try to upload the next instalment either on Friday or Saturday, as I have to attend a colloquium on Thursday.