Nelson,

I hope your summer has not been entirely unbearable. I recognize that I have not been as communicative as usual, but I do hope that the enclosed gift will go some way to making amends.

As you know, my father is a member of the Ministry's Committee on Experimental Charms. He mentioned to me one that has come across his desk that I thought could be very useful indeed: one to make a surface—such as parchment or slate—read itself aloud. Of course, this has not yet passed muster at the Ministry, but I showed enough enthusiasm that he was more lenient with details than he might have been otherwise. I have spent the past fortnight endeavouring to find success with it, and I believe that this slate will do the trick.

You shall still never keep up in a spirited conversation or heated argument, but I hope it will be something of an improvement. I apologize in advance for the voice; it was initially my own, but even after working to deepen it, it still sounds feminine.

Fondly,