The owl couldn’t have arrived with better timing, zipping past but then double-backing to find Ida sitting on the ground of her horse’s stable. She snatched up the letter, reading it a few times with a glow of pride, pleased to know that… well, she probably wasn’t going to accidentally kill anyone with this. Just make his life a bit inconvenient for an extended period of time.

She found it a bit disconcerting that he seemed to call out her “hypothetical situation” as a bluff, however. It took only one second for her to  decide she would rather die than send Cliff her esteemed mentor’s way. Absolutely not. Cliff would be on his own for solving that one, it was even written in to the terms of their agreement.

But since Professor seemed to be in a sporting mood, Ida returned his post the following day with a good laugh.

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Rest assured that you will find no such dog on your doorstep! As I mentioned, this is a purely hypothetical scenario, one of those very curious questions I simply had to work through before I could move on from it. And, no doubt, a helpful reference point should I require a more overtly defensive maneuver during the Season. I hope not.

Things have settled a bit here in Irvingly now, though there is no end in sight for the lockdown. I am certain you’ve seen by now the news that this is all owed to an Acromantula, which is quite startling indeed. We will be staying indoors for the time being, and so I will be unoccupied for most of the time. Please know that I am at your disposal for the next phase of your research project.

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   Basil Foxwood