Thank you for keeping true to your promise and writing straight away, my darling. It is lady-like to keep one's promises and to be devoted to your family.
I confess that I was surprised to hear you were sorted into Gryffindor, for I had always envisioned you more of a Slytherin, like myself and your Father. In any case, while at Hogwarts it is perhaps beneficial to engage in some
healthy House rivalry, for that is motivation to do well at school and win House Points for your own House, it is silly to be thinking of my old House's rivalry with yours at my age! I only hope that you will not be too reckless and instead display the more quiet and tasteful courage that Gryffindors are capable of. I have no doubt that this will be the case, for you have been raised well.
I was shocked to read about this Valenduris girl! My dear, we must pity her, for she is clearly not well in the head, displaying bouts of hysteria at such a young age. I know that the Valendurises are a family of our circle, but I would suggest you keep your distance from those girls, if they are behaving like that. I suppose, that is what happens when a child is born to a family that is so quite out of the ordinary as theirs.
Your Deputy Headmaster is of course a very respectable wizard who has done a great deal for the field of potion making, but you see, my dear, and that is something that is perhaps a bit of knowledge that is mature for your age, but I believe it is time to learn some things about the world: there is a certain age at which men and women are at their prime to make children. This is why we want ladies to be married
young, for while a woman can have children even in her forties, there is high chance that they will be sickly. Similarly, while men can have children at an older age than us women, you must know that after an age it becomes a harder task even for them and if they must implore assistance to perform their marital duties, then you can imagine that their children have a high chance to be sickly.
That is why I would never have accepted to betroth you to someone much older than you. Indeed, the age gap between you and Mr. Urquart is ideal, for you to produce children that are healthy.
Do not discuss the things I have written to you here with your peers, for as I've told you, it is information that demands a level of maturity.
Do tell me if you have made any friends at your House and how your first classes went. Remember, my dear Philippa, that you do not have to necessarily like a person to be their friend, you must judge them for their overall usefulness in your life.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Alexandra Rowle