Draco C. Malfoy

I didn't really expect to miss France but in the weeks since we've been back it's been a complete bore. Father is off doing important political business and Mother has been with Auntie Bella a lot in case the baby comes, which it hasn't yet, even though it was supposed to have come on Sunday.

Mostly, though I don't know where Harry's been keeping himself. He only responded to one of my Owls while I was in France, and he never seems to write in his book anymore, either. Father says that the Lord just has a lot of plans for Harry right now and to be patient, and then he took me to Buckingham so I could see him, and the whole time I was there I just sat alone in a drawing room with Dennis, Harry never came round and neither did Granger. I thought I heard his voice in one of the corridors, but when I went out to look all I could see was a big group of adults talking about the muggle camps.

The reason it matters is because Harry's birthday is in a few days and I haven't heard yet what we'll be doing to celebrate. Last year we played quidditch with the Magpies, and then later at the Magpies-Falcons match they let Harry release the snitch. It was dead wiz-nift. Maybe we can do something with more people this time, though, like a party at Buckingham. What do you think, Harry? I hope you'll read this. I got your present in France but I've been waiting to give it to you. Seamus came over to the manor yesterday and I showed it to him and he was mad impressed and had never seen anything like it, of course. We had a pretty good time, though, wish you could have been there.

Mother sent me a book that's meant to improve my French before we go away on holiday. French used to be a part of my and Harry's lessons before we went to Hogwarts, but neither of us worked at it very hard and I've since forgotten a lot of it. This book actually speaks French if you hold your wand or your finger to the word, because accent and pronunciation is supposed to be important. And last night I fell asleep reading it, but soon woke up because it was squawking "je me rends!" in my ear, which made everybody else laugh.

And then Blaise told us that his Mother used to go to France a lot before, and that she says that all of the muggles there are naked. Not completely naked, but walking around with a lot of their bits showing, or with only a fan or a shawl to cover them. I said his Mother must be exagerating and then Teddy tried to join in and say that he'd heard the same thing, that the French muggles are all naked and also maniacs for sex. Even though Teddy is Welsh and hasn't been anywhere. If it's true and the muggles are all naked and maniacs, then I think that the French Ministry is doing a shameful job of handling them. I know that France has all the best food and robes and entertainment, but they obviously don't know how to govern.

Even if Blaise is wrong and they wear clothes, it will be odd to be around muggles the way they used to be, just out in the open. I know that Mother and Father will try to keep them away from me but still, it's strange to think that they won't know I'm a wizard and how to treat me with the proper respect. That's why we're leaving Dennis behind, because I don't want him to get confused or upset.