It's the equinox

[alt_luna]

Our first class this morning was Muggle Studies. Professor Carrow talked about how in many Muggle cultures, girls are not considered as important as boys, and so sometimes people would kill their babies if they were girls. Or they would make them disappear. I asked how people made babies disappear if they were only muggles. She said that of course muggles couldn't make people disappear as if they were magical. She only meant that they would abandon girl babies on the street where they would die if no one would take them in and raise them, or the babies might be put in orfanages, where they would be raised without parents. I asked how the way muggles treated girl babies was different from the way wizards treated squibs. She got very cross at me and for some reason never got around to answering my question.

Days and nights are equal lengths now. I hope my Daddy remembers to put the corn husk charms on the shelves in the cellar now that Mrs Weasley's helped him put his harvest up. They're very useful for repelling Skintkellies. He won't have enough turnips to get him through to spring if he forgets. I should write him tonight to remind him.

I wish I could have a caramel apple. I tasted one, years and years ago, and I've never forgotten it. I always think of them when autumn begins.

(Portia or Celia, have either of you seen my shoes? I couldn't find them this morning.)

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

How would anyone know that a baby was a squib? Lots of wizards don't show their magic until they're four or five or even older.

Besides no one abandons squibs on the street.

[alt_luna]

Still, they do seem to disappear too, don't they?

[alt_luna]

Squibs, I mean. Even if they're older.

[alt_sally_anne]

They don't disappear, Lovegood. They go to Squib Camp when they're twelve.

[alt_luna]

How is that different from an orfanage, really?

[alt_sally_anne]

Well first of all, they don't go when they're infants so they can take care of themselves and won't die from neglect.

And second of all, girls are just as good as boys. That's common sense. The top student in my year is a girl. The Headmistress is a woman. Mrs Lestrange is a woman.

Squibs aren't as good as wizards because they can't do magic, and you really can't argue otherwise. You can't. It's one of the basic facts you just have to know going on.

[alt_molly]

I don't know about Skintkellies (not sure what they are), but I've never had any trouble with them in all the years I've been stocking my cellar at harvest time, even though I don't use any corn husk charms.

Still, if it will make you feel better, I'll remind Xeno about the charms, since you think they will help.

[alt_luna]

Thanks, Mrs Weasley.