It is wonderful to hear from you! I know how it goes, when you think you’ve written but don’t get a reply. Perhaps an owl lost it or it got lost in transit. (Sometimes I’ve found the owls have better things to do than deliver a letter, which can be rather annoying.) I’m sorry to hear about Rome, although I never had luck in Italy, either.

They’re protective over their tombs and treasures. I am excited to hear you’re returning to London, and we have to find a time to meet up. It hasn’t changed a lot, although I’m sure you probably already know that. The manuscript is interesting, I haven’t heard about that happening. My sister and her husband study mermaids, so I’ll send her a letter and see if she’s ever seen anything like that. I don’t know too much about any magic outside of our own, but I wonder if mermaids have their own type? (Although why tea would trigger such a reaction is beyond me, unless it’s water altogether.) Did you get a glimpse of any of the words? Part of me thinks that there might be a spell or some kind of riddle that needs to be solved to make the words permanently appear. Probably not, I imagine the librarian was on you before you could even utter a single word. I’ve seen something similar with moonlight. Something about a lunar phase exposing some kind of map to a treasure, although I didn’t get the chance to follow it before I left for Hogwarts.

Hogwarts is going well. A bit stifling, but I’ve found ways to still get into trouble. (The Forbidden Forest is only forbidden to students, so getting to go in there any time I want is interesting.) The students are an interesting bunch, and I think I’ve overseen more detentions than I ever did as a student.

I look forward to catching up. I just purchased a place in Ireland, so you’ll have to come see it once I’m settled. I can slip away after classes as long as there’s someone around to watch the students. (I’m good friends with the ‘Puff Head of House, so I have an in there, not that I abuse it too much.) We also get one free weekend a month to do whatever we please, but I haven’t decided if I’ll use mine yet. Winter break begins on the 16th, and classes resume on January 8th. I look forward to seeing you soon. I have to live through someone’s adventures now.

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