My Dear Hermionie...

(This is a follow-up letter to Hermione's letter to Luna in which she talks about LOTR)

(And for anyone's reference, Ellowyet = Luna's Owl, Horatio = Ginny's Owl, Andromeda = Hermione's Owl)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My dear Hermione,

Ellowyet does have quite the habit of chiding Horatio for his klutzy and hyper-active behavior. I really should talk to her about that. I don't want her to hurt poor Horatio's feelings. She rather likes Andromeda though. I think she would enjoy having some tea and field mouse with Andromeda.

Your parents seem rather intuitive on wizarding matters for muggles. I would rather like to meet them. Perhaps I could interview them and get a muggle opinion on Harry Potter? I think that would do very well in an issue of The Quibbler. And do muggles call You-Know-Who by name?

Speaking of The Quibbler, my father is doing quite well. Thank you for asking. We're going to be in Scandinavia for a couple of weeks before the start of term, as someone wrote us with fresh evidence of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack population there. I've been ordering most of my supplies for this term, since the ministry has been watching Diagon Alley and the surrounding area very closely. It just isn't safe to go out in the city anymore.

I feel as if there is something not-quite-right about Dumbledore's death. Apart from the fact that he was murdered, of course. I don't think it can be as simple as it seems. I suspect nargles are involved in some aspect. I miss Dumbledore. It's rather strange to think about how such a marvelous wizard is just gone now. Do you know how Harry's doing? They seemed awfully close and I just hope poor Harry is taking it all right. He's had enough to deal with without having another person he was close to dying.

Ginny's spoken to me a couple of times about Harry, but she isn't very vocal about her emotions. It's only when she's extremely overcome that she's really told me how she feels. I don't think she'd be very vocal about any stress of concerns she has either. She's a lot like Harry in that sense. They both do their best to be strong to protect everyone they're close to.

This British muggle seems to know a bit too much about the wizarding world. Did the Ministry every modify his memory? It seems they may have failed in their jobs there. Hobbits sound like rather friendly creatures. I've never met one, but I hear they're very hospitable. Did you know that a hobbit got an acceptance letter to Hogwarts? Apparently she was having great luck with some natural magic in growing her plants at an alarming rate. I don't know if she'll be attending yet, but I doubt it with the prejudice the ministry has been showing lately. Daddy's going to run an article on it in the next issue of The Quibbler, and ask all our subscribers to mail howlers to the Ministry, demanding her rights to attend Hogwarts and be issued her own wand.

I'm going to miss you, Harry, and Ron a lot this year (I can only assume they aren't returning either). I'm going to miss the DA meetings. It was rather like having friends, you know. I don't think Ginny wants to return, and to be honest, I don't know how Hogwarts will be without Dumbledore. But we still have Professor McGonigal, and I'm sure she'll do wonderfully as headmistress.

Now to your musings about the muggle book. If poor Sam had to push Frodo into the fire? Well, the entire world would be saved, but Sam wouldn't be able to live. And by that I mean that he would shut down and shut himself off from the world. Sam would be the greatest hero of all time. But I think he would slowly descend into the recesses of his own mind, destroying himself. Eventually, he may even become what he set out to destroy. It's an ending that is plausible, but not proper. I don't think that can rightly be the end. For everything to really be all right, Frodo must live, sacrificing his deep connection to this ring. It will be very difficult and painful. He may come out of it barely alive. But he must come out alive. I don't think there can be another end.

And dear Hermione, it is just a book after all. And the ending is already written. No matter how much you may worry and stress over the conclusion, the story will conclude the way it was written to.

I'm sure you will feel better once you've read Ginny's letter. Treat yourself to some pudding, and rip open the envelope. Pudding will help it go down. I'm also sending a Butterbeer cork bracelet for you. The last thing you need right now is an attack by nargles.

Hermione, do you have any suggestions for curing the results of a dementor attack? I went up to Stoatshead Hill last night, and I forgot my wand so I couldn't cast a patronus. I've been feeling out-of-sorts ever since. And I had a terrible dream about Neville...and I haven't felt at all right since. I made a new pair of Dirigble Plum earrings, but they don't seem to be helping at all.

When you arrive at the Burrow, we can have a cup of tea and some pudding. Although I understand if you need to stay in hiding and remain unseen. In which case, I shall have a cup of tea and some pudding and think about you. If you need a pair of Spectrespecs to aid you in your journey, just let me know. We still have a few old copies of The Quibbler lying around that have the Spectrespecs in them.

With Love,
Luna

(P.S. Beware of giving your tella-shell a cold by not keeping it warm enough. It's been rather rainy here lately, and I don't know what the weather is like over there.)