Someone else has already said it, but the Prophet's article on the election? Not a big surprise. You'd expect Malfoy to express his dismay from losing through his newspaper. Sour grapes, Malfoy. Sour grapes.

Amelia Bones was the logical choice, naturally. She's been around and she's been in the thick of it since I was an Auror. She'll be a damn fine Minister.

That out of the way, I hope no one has taken the last Hogsmeade's peaceful nature as a reason to become complacent. When there's peace about, it doesn't mean that the enemy is taking a powder. Stay sharp, or else.

The truth is, lads and lassies, the train is probably the safest way of gettin' to and from Hogwarts this time around. Yes, I said it, safest. The pillocks won't be takin' another swing at the train again. They'd be idiots to do so, odds are they'd be caught so fast their heads would spin. If we could be so lucky. At the same time, like anything in nature, once something gets hit, and hit hard, it comes back stronger than before. The train and its security protocols are no different.

Could the train be hit again? Sure. Anything could be hit at any time! Think you're completely safe or even safer at Hogsmeade than you would be on the train? Think you're even safe at Hogwarts? Think again! That's why you never let your guard down, wherever you are. Always keep your eyes sharp, and take heed of the little voice in the back of your head tellin' you something aint on.

It's hard, don't think I don't know it, but you got to face your fears. That's what fear's for.



Hm.. lot of birds in the air last night...

"Better safe than sorry." Truer words might never have been spoken, and yet it's the human condition to want to take risks! Hell, I do it all the time, and I've got the scars to prove it.

So why do we do it? Why go out there and take the path less traveled, when we can clearly see the pitfalls and traps life put ahead of us? We have to do it. We can't look at a challenge and not feel the need to conquer it.

Doesn't mean we have to be stupid about it. You don't go to a duel without a wand and a prayer, and you don't go through life, even when you take the risks, without thinking ahead.

Far too many words rhyme with dead for my tastes.