Private message to Professor Dolohov

Sir, I was wondering if 'Antonin Nikolaevich' is your patronymic? And if you prefer to be addressed that way?

I spent some time with Durmstrang students last year, and Viktor Krum explained some things about Russian names.

I heard Harry use the name, and that made me wonder. But many of my housemates know people well who I am only just meeting, and address them accordingly (for instance, Pansy calls Mr Malfoy 'Lucius' because he's her godfather and it's fine for her but that would be terribly rude if I did.)

Thank you. I very much enjoyed my first session of class with you.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

I talked to both Madam Pomfrey and Professor Siz this week, about CCF and about Umbridge.

Hem hem.

(Sorry. I get the urge to clear my throat now whenever I think about her.)

I told Madam Pomfrey about CCF this summer. She doesn't know Umbridge particularly well but I can tell she doesn't like her. Also, she thought it would probably not be a good idea to quit right now -- she wasn't sure whether it will hurt my chances of getting an apprenticeship in the Healing programme if I drop out sometime later (to focus on my OWLs, say) but she thinks it might. She definitely didn't want to advise me to quit, even knowing about the muggles, although she didn't like the idea at all.

After I saw Madam Umbridge's post today I went up to visit Profesor Sinistra because I wanted to know if she had any advice about dealing with her. I want to know how to flatter her, because I'm a YPL counsellor as well as being in CCF and I'm going to have to spend a great deal of time with her (TWO HOURS. MERLIN.) and she could really make things difficult for me if I get on her bad side. REALLY difficult.

I visited during office hours but when I said I was hoping for a private conversation she left one of her NEWTs in charge (there aren't a lot of Astronomy questions this early in the year, anyway) and took me down to her rooms. She told me later the whole tower has all sorts of wards on it so she knows who's coming in and out. If Umbridge had come into the tower she'd have known. And she hinted that she could arrange to give us a similar warning, you know, if we wanted to have a 'revising session' in the Astronomy classroom when she wasn't teaching. It wouldn't keep her out, we'd just know she was coming in time to look like we were actually revising Astronomy or something.

I am pretty sure that Professor Siz actually HATES Umbridge.

Anyway.

She said Umbridge doesn't like half-bloods. She doesn't know why. She thinks my best chance to get ahead is to develop skills no one can take away from me -- Madam Umbridge won't help me do that, but she might open opportunities for me without realising it.

She pointed out that Umbridge is a Hufflepuff and said 'don't try to out-House us at our own game -- I wouldn't try to out-subtle a Slytherin.' She said to give her my variety of loyalty (I guess she means, flatter her like crazy and pretend I like her? that IS the Slytherin version of loyalty...) and hard work and devotion. And it's fine if she suspects I'm doing it because I think it'll benefit me because she'll EXPECT that since I'm a Slytherin.

(Obviously 'go ahead and be a Slytherin' is not good advice for Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, or -- Merlin help us all -- Gryffindors.)

Since I'm a half-blood she said I shouldn't try to imply that I'm as good as my pureblood classmates. She didn't like giving that advice. I could tell. But she thought it would be worse NOT to give it because she wasn't struggling -- does that make sense? She didn't hesitate, she said it, even though she hated that she had to say it, and I think that means it's pretty important. (Justin, you might go talk to Siz too, and get your own advice, because you're in a unique situation. Sort of like a half-blood but not exactly and you ARE a Hufflepuff.) She said I shouldn't talk too much about being clever and instead talk about how glad I was to help as a counsellor and learn what I could at CCF and how I wanted to help people 'from the best families' at the QWC (ha! I saved Lana Sandoval's grandmother, I REALLY DID help people 'from the best families') and that's why I'm interested in Healing and if she makes me talk about it more I should focus on how there are Healing-oriented jobs that Pureblood Wizards don't really want to have to do because they're boring or drudgery or whatever.

When she asks about the YPL she suggested I say something like 'I love to be challenged to grow, it's such a wonderful opportunity to learn where I can most serve the Protectorate,' and if I have to be dismissive of Siz she'll understand.

Umbridge likes to hear about things being organised and controlled and well-managed. I'd thought maybe I should admire her kitten plates (did you know they ACTUALLY MEOW?) but Siz isn't sure. She has kitten plates -- loads of them -- but she doesn't own an actual cat. But I could probably admire her hard work and ask her questions about herself as long as I can steer away from her losing her job as Minister. Because that would not get me on her good side.

Anyway.

Ron, I don't know what you ought to do. TWO HOURS. At least you're a pureblood so you don't have to worry about knowing your place.