Johnny,

I am happy to hear you've returned safely to our shores! I confess, while I did not wish to harp at you before your journey, I was apprehensive to see you go again after you seemingly "died" for all those years. You will, I hope, forgive an old man his nerves.

It seems that I will soon be off on an adventure into uncertainty of my own. I trust by now you'll have heard of the fog that mires Hogsmeade and Irvingly, and brings with it a distinct lack of magic. What you may not have heard is that the Ministry has been recruiting members of the public to help find its cause and put things to rights. Thinking it's been far too long since I last went out into the wilds, I signed myself up. If nothing else, it will be good for the joints to get out for a bit of a trek.

Your cousins are well, though Maggie is quite bereft for the lack of quidditch at the moment. Ramsay and Mercutio are rather out of sorts without magic to aid them in their professions, though the youngsters are taking things in stride. Tessie brings home what snippets of news she can from the Minister's home, though I gather he has been in the office more than he hasn't of late, and quite rightly so.

Fondly,