Dear Neville,

Well, you have to decide what to do for extra subjects in third year. I told them you probably shouldn’t be taking on any extra work when you can’t even turn a glove into a tea cosy, but Minerva McGonagall thinks she knows better than me and insists you do the same as the other children.

What I will say to you, my boy, is that you shouldn’t try and keep up with the Joneses--in your case, the Grangers. You know and I know that subjects like Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are completely beyond you, and don’t let your great-uncle try and persuade you otherwise. Best you try Muggle Studies, where your friendship with Dean Thomas should be useful, and perhaps Divination, which you can just make up as you go along. Don’t tell Aunt Lavinia I said that.

Do the best that you can, Neville, that’s all anyone can ask I suppose. Though as I always say, I do think you could find the gumption in you to excel if you just tried.

Love,
Gran



Dear Neville,

Your grandmother tells me that you are about to start choosing your third year subjects at Hogwarts. I feel it my duty to impress upon you that five generations of Longbottoms have been linguists at the top of their field and that a firm grounding in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy is vital to success in this career. I know that you wish to make your parents and your grandmother proud of you and I hope that you will choose wisely and not pick a soft option like Muggle Studies as your grandmother seems to think will happen.

Wishing you a healthy and productive summer term,

Great-Uncle Damocles Longbottom



My dear boy,

Hearing that you are trying to choose the subjects you will take in third year, and in the absence of your mother’s advice, I would like you to consider the subjects I took, to ease your decision.

In my work with the Ministry as liaison with the French muggle government, I must always be aware of the customs and habits of muggles, not only in France but all over Europe, as I may be called on for diplomacy between wizards and muggle premiers at any time. In this my Muggle Studies class was an excellent introduction, and I strongly recommend it to you if you are hoping to follow me and some of your other family members into the Ministry. I also chose Divination, which gave me a unique insight into muggle beliefs and superstitions. Do not tell your Aunt Lavinia I said that; her second cousin Sybil is the Divination teacher at Hogwarts.

My best love to you and Trevor,

Your loving Aunt Trimble



Neville,

Now you know me my son and you know your old uncle Balfus wouldn’t see you wrong. Your grandmother was on at me yesterday about your third year classes and I thought I’d better get to you before anyone else in the family did. No better subject in the world than Care of Magical Creatures. You take that and you’ll always have a job at my Menagerie; staff turnover’s quite high right now, actually, got in a few too many Bellowing Banjacks and Mr. Tims took the loss of his pinky quite hard after his run-in with that rogue puffball. Anyway, I hope you’ll take the classes with Professor Kettleburn--and don’t worry, the eyebrows do grow back eventually.

Love,
Balfus



My dear young cousin,

Far be it from me to interfere, but your grandmother told me that you might be about to choose the most unsuitable subjects at school this year and I felt I must write to you immediately to ensure that you take subjects that reflect well upon you and on the Trimble name. And by this I mean if you take Divination or Care of Magical Creatures I will have trouble seeing your face over the Christmas goose. I’m sorry but that’s the way I feel. Your grandmother seems to think that you don’t have the gumption to take the challenging, but more rewarding, Arithmancy or Ancient Runes; I am sure this is not true as you would like to make your parents proud of you and taking Divination will most assuredly not achieve this end. I will be happy to give you some extra tutoring during the summer holidays to help you along your way.

My best wishes and hopes for a satisfactory third year,

Cousin Ephajaniah



Dear Mr. Longbottom,

As usual this has been a quiet week for your mother and father here on the ward. Last Saturday Mrs. Longbottom had a little bit of excitement, when Madam Madeira from the Primp and Polish spa came for the day to give some of our long-term ladies a little pick-me-up. Thankfully the purple washed out within a few days. But your mother’s face was a picture when she was getting her fingernails painted; I haven’t seen her so happy since your last visit!

Mr. Longbottom has been working away at his books as always; he now has all the letters coloured in in Great Expectations all the way up to Chapter 25. Sometimes he gives a page to your mother to colour, which is sweet. You know, I think despite their affliction, their love for each other is as deep as ever.

Well, that’s all the news I have for now. If you are ever able to send another plant, I know it would make them very happy. I think they appreciate it even more when I tell them you have grown the plants yourself.

Respectfully yours,

Nelson P. Twiddle
Healer
St. Mungo’s