Bonjour, community!
Phew! I was up well into the night revising a History of Magic essay for my sister, Virginia. I am about halfway through now, and I must say, despite the fact that she hasn't quite been able to wrap her mind around the proper use of a semicolon, she's done exceedingly well. I am quite proud of her accomplishments in my most favourite of classes. I had so wished to have another Prefect in the family after me. However, Virginia's dedication to academics is an earnest effort at succeeding, and for that, I am pleased.
Frederick and George, as usual, have been up to no good. There was a ball at Hogwarts recently, and Frederick attended with Virginia. I had my doubts on the matter, of course; I feared the worst. As it turns out, I was right to be so sceptical at the thought of one of the twins attending a ball for 'innocent fun.' Evidently, there was a potion slipped into a punch, and havoc was wreaked. This is most unimpressive. Mother, Father and I had all been hoping that Frederick and George would outgrow their tendency to throw their lives away once they'd graduated and settled down, but it seems they are still eager to spend their days creating fake wands and trick potions.
My brother Charles has sent a letter home from Romania recently. I am hoping to drop in and visit him over Christmas this year; however, when I owled him about this, he somehow must have forgotten to confirm in his reply. Nonetheless, I will likely wind up there. I am very eager to see Romania. I was absolutely enthralled during a trip to Egypt my family embarked on a few years ago. Having a sibling in Romania, I feel, is quite fortunate for a travelling buff like myself.
One of my more frivolous goals in the future is to visit Antarctica. Naturally, I feel the most exciting way to go about this would be to start in Argentina and venture to the white continent across the Drake's Passage. Not only does Antarctica sound like a beautiful continent, but it also marks the end of discoveries in the world.
The search for Antarctica was, as you are no doubt aware, the last great adventure of global exploration. It is an epic tale spanning centuries of high adventure--from the "unknown southern land" of the ancients, to the first recorded sightings of the continent in 1820. Antarctica was finally explored during an Age of Discovery by whalers and sealers who ventured into icy waters below the Antarctic Convergence.
Many of the greatest explorers of an Heroic Era found their way to Antarctica at different times. Rodolphus Scott, Ernest Skeleton, Douglas Wandson and Regulus Amundsen (just to name a few) ventured ever deeper into the vast whiteness of the interior, in search of the final "holy grail" of discovery, the South Pole.
Yet it is still vastly unexplored! Six million square miles that still have plenty of unknown vistas, that still harbour secrets, that still have mysteries to be revealed. There is a lot to learn -- but a great deal to be gained. For the more we educate ourselves about even the most distant places on earth, the more we realise how closely tied together everything really is.
What most intrigues me about Antarctica is the question as to whether or not there are many magical folk there. From what I understand, the continent is, of course, not very populated. It is said that most of those who live there now are Muggle scientists. I wonder, perhaps, if the reason so little is known about Antarctica is because there is a great deal of magical history there. There could be! Then again, there may not. I am unawares, sadly, as is the rest of the world. One day, however, I plan to find out.
A friend of mine at the Ministry, Miss Penelope Clearwater, is currently in South America. I think, perhaps, that this is what is currently causing my great yearning for travel. I must admit that I am a bit envious of her opportunity to visit South America right now. Naturally, I myself am much too swamped with work to take any long periods of time away from it, but I would simply relish the opportunity to step into a land of vastly different cultures. I could learn so much! Alas.
At any rate, community, I barely have time to be writing here. Today I have a report due on the proper number of twigs per broomstick. Unfortunately, I feel this is work that would be best left to the Department of Magical Games and Sports, but they seemed quite eager to hear my opinion on the matter. They were rather delighted at handing the project over to me. Ah, the duties never end. I love it!
Frederick and George, as usual, have been up to no good. There was a ball at Hogwarts recently, and Frederick attended with Virginia. I had my doubts on the matter, of course; I feared the worst. As it turns out, I was right to be so sceptical at the thought of one of the twins attending a ball for 'innocent fun.' Evidently, there was a potion slipped into a punch, and havoc was wreaked. This is most unimpressive. Mother, Father and I had all been hoping that Frederick and George would outgrow their tendency to throw their lives away once they'd graduated and settled down, but it seems they are still eager to spend their days creating fake wands and trick potions.
My brother Charles has sent a letter home from Romania recently. I am hoping to drop in and visit him over Christmas this year; however, when I owled him about this, he somehow must have forgotten to confirm in his reply. Nonetheless, I will likely wind up there. I am very eager to see Romania. I was absolutely enthralled during a trip to Egypt my family embarked on a few years ago. Having a sibling in Romania, I feel, is quite fortunate for a travelling buff like myself.
One of my more frivolous goals in the future is to visit Antarctica. Naturally, I feel the most exciting way to go about this would be to start in Argentina and venture to the white continent across the Drake's Passage. Not only does Antarctica sound like a beautiful continent, but it also marks the end of discoveries in the world.
The search for Antarctica was, as you are no doubt aware, the last great adventure of global exploration. It is an epic tale spanning centuries of high adventure--from the "unknown southern land" of the ancients, to the first recorded sightings of the continent in 1820. Antarctica was finally explored during an Age of Discovery by whalers and sealers who ventured into icy waters below the Antarctic Convergence.
Many of the greatest explorers of an Heroic Era found their way to Antarctica at different times. Rodolphus Scott, Ernest Skeleton, Douglas Wandson and Regulus Amundsen (just to name a few) ventured ever deeper into the vast whiteness of the interior, in search of the final "holy grail" of discovery, the South Pole.
Yet it is still vastly unexplored! Six million square miles that still have plenty of unknown vistas, that still harbour secrets, that still have mysteries to be revealed. There is a lot to learn -- but a great deal to be gained. For the more we educate ourselves about even the most distant places on earth, the more we realise how closely tied together everything really is.
What most intrigues me about Antarctica is the question as to whether or not there are many magical folk there. From what I understand, the continent is, of course, not very populated. It is said that most of those who live there now are Muggle scientists. I wonder, perhaps, if the reason so little is known about Antarctica is because there is a great deal of magical history there. There could be! Then again, there may not. I am unawares, sadly, as is the rest of the world. One day, however, I plan to find out.
A friend of mine at the Ministry, Miss Penelope Clearwater, is currently in South America. I think, perhaps, that this is what is currently causing my great yearning for travel. I must admit that I am a bit envious of her opportunity to visit South America right now. Naturally, I myself am much too swamped with work to take any long periods of time away from it, but I would simply relish the opportunity to step into a land of vastly different cultures. I could learn so much! Alas.
At any rate, community, I barely have time to be writing here. Today I have a report due on the proper number of twigs per broomstick. Unfortunately, I feel this is work that would be best left to the Department of Magical Games and Sports, but they seemed quite eager to hear my opinion on the matter. They were rather delighted at handing the project over to me. Ah, the duties never end. I love it!