The Space Between Failing and Falling • Snarry •

Chapter 5: Correspondence and Cooperation

20th November 1999

Dear Professor Snape,

I'm really enjoying my studies. I wanted to ask you about the research Professor Jennings did on transfiguration analysis in defence. My supervisor said you wrote an article on it years ago? But I couldn't find it in our library. If it's not too much trouble, it would be great if you could send me a copy?

It's nice to have my own space. I'm renting a flat with my ex (we are really good friends) because she's always away at Quidditch and needs a base. I'm not sure I'd like living totally alone, especially after Hogwarts.

Hope you like my new owl. You might need to let him have a nap. His name is Somnus. He likes pumpkin juice.

I know what you're thinking, I can almost hear you saying 'I'm not an owl sanctuary', but you won't have much choice because he is such a sleepy owl.

Anyway, I hope things are okay at school.

I miss Hogwarts a lot.

Yours sincerely,

Harry Potter

****

10th December 1999

Potter,

This note was delayed in order to provide your bird ample opportunity for comprehensive recuperation.

If only we could all be so lucky.

There is no use in owning a post owl that can barely get to Scotland.

- S.S.

****

23rd December 1999

Hi Sir,

Thanks for spoiling ruining taking care of Somnus. He's a lot fatter and has turned his beak up at his usual treats.

I've looked over the papers you sent (thanks!!) but some of it contradicts a conference I went to last month in Amsterdam. Prof Ahmed was speaking about power differentials in object transformation & how it wouldn't matter if the objects you used had been transfigured with elemental magic.

Perhaps I didn't understand her accent, or I've just missed the point.

Anyway, I've enclosed a copy of the speakers' abstracts from EDAM the EuroDefence Annual Meeting in case you were interested.

Don't laugh too hard—but I had no idea there was so much to it.

- Harry

P.S. Happy Christmas

P.P.S. Make sure you get some time off for once & don't work too hard!

****

19th January 2000

Dear Mr Potter,

Congratulations on surviving Amsterdam. Not everyone manages it.

You need not concern yourself with me; I have been autonomously taking care of myself since before you were conceived. You may have noticed that I am quite proficient at this. You should, however, worry about the Gryffindor team who are being utterly slaughtered.

Professor Ahmed is partially correct. Be aware of caveats when speakers claim such sweeping statements. Editors of all journals, and indeed conference committees, are nowadays looking for easy bites, snazzy titles (extra points for puns and colons and question marks and other such uninformative nonsense), anything to increase their readership. They are all sell-outs.