Daphne Greengrass

Mr Crouch,

Last night was quite the theatre - an apt demonstration of what I was envisioning when I told you that romance is always a stage, with most people not realising it. Mr Evan, in particular, comes to mind as being remarkably obtuse. At the time I wondered why you came over to interrupt us, but in looking back, I can only imagine that someone as accustomed to investigating as you are must have detected my bewildering disinterest in your colleague. Why you chose to intervene remains a mystery, though one I shall ponder for a good long while. I don't know whether I should thank you, or be put out that you spared me the pleasure of turning him down when he offered me his potion - as he surely planned to.

I will without hesitation, however, thank you for seeing me home to Belgravia. I found our conversation, and its conclusion, quite diverting.

Sincerely,
D.G.G.

Confusion, now hath made your masterpiece.

I mean to say, what a long and tumultuous night, full of both wild celebration and quiet mourning. As exciting as it is to grow up, every now and then there's a moment of sadness, a realisation that even as you gain exciting new knowledge and experience, you lose something, too. However, I'm not one to dwell on lost innocence for long - knowledge and experience are far too valuable in their own right, and only with them is innocence really seen for what it is: ignorance.

Some of us began with charades in the common room, but then it soon grew far too crowded and noisy so different groups split off. I was in the music alcove with Antigone and Elsie and a load of others, dancing to Tintagel and Starstruck. The fairy-lights were charmed to flash with the beat of the music, and some of the boys were pulling crackers so that we all had streamers and confetti in our hair. Eventually, Antigone, Elsie and I went deeper into the dungeons to cool off. We had masses of champagne chocs (Draco, you know the kind!), and we were sat in a little nook under the staircase, hugging and crying for some reason and talking. Then Elsie fetched some parchment and we decided to make lists of what we accomplished in 1994, and a list of what we hoped to accomplish in 1995.

I'll share some of it here, but it's been heavily edited. I don't want to present all my accomplishments and hopes to the whole of the school, after all.

1994 - DONE

Made the "Best Dressed" lists in various magazines.
Started regular correspondence with Athena Belby.
Kept Astoria in line.
Maintained old and dear friendships.
Turned 15.
Endured the (mis-reported) death of a loved one someone I admire.
Did not gain weight.
Improved physical fitness.
Provided moral support for others in times of need.
Made meaningful contributions to YPL.
Performed admirably in CCF.
Improved marks in Transfiguration and Charms.
Dated an older man.
BWP w/Barney
Assisted in the redecoration of the Slytherin common room.
Finally received a compliment on vocal resonation from Mrs Gibbons.
Made it socially acceptable for girls to ask boys to the Yule Ball.
Put in a striking and memorable performance for the school play.
Remained best dancer at Hogwarts.

1995 - TO DO
Break it off with Barney
Find out who my Father is
Solve the mystery of myself.
LV w/???
Bump into A.C. at summer symphony
Convince Mother that a Gerard Joosh original is worth the galleons.
Expand vocal range and balance vibrato.
Improve marks in Potions.
Prove a suitable candidate for prefect or YPL counselor.
Maintain weight.
Improve physical fitness - upper body strength.
Improve dueling/sparring techniques.
Write poetry.
Stop reading trashy romance novels.
Read books of philosophical and political import.


That's as far as I got before Barney called me back for the countdown to 1995 and our midnight kiss. I wish

Looking back, I see that some of my accomplishments might appear quite frivolous. Appearances can be deceiving, though - sometimes, something frivolous can be quite transforming. And I don't believe there's any accomplishment too small that it's not worth celebrating.

So what did you accomplish in 1994? And what do you hope to succeed in now that it's 1995?

Happy New Year, all.