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alt_lunaI'm so happy that my owl didn't find you too busy to consider being my mentor for the CCF application. I've thought a great deal about the questions you asked me in return, and I hope my answers will help give you a better idea of why I'd like so very much to be a naturalist.
My father always took me for long walks in the woods around our home from the time I was a very little girl, and he was the one who taught me to look for the signs of magical creatures. I learned how to sketch because I became fascinated with recording the details of what tracks and nests looked like, or the details of the way feathers lay on the back. (My handwriting was a bit sloppy because I was so young at that point, and so sketching was easier). I added paints later because I wanted so desperately to capture just the right colour of the iridescence on the wing of a Fireball Fly or the different jewel-like tones of glowing salamanders. I've spent years collecting notes and sketches in field books (my father showed me how). We kept a Life List of the magical animals and birds and so on that we saw, and it was always particularly exciting when we would find signs of a truly rare creature.
So Care of Magical Creatures is my favourite class, of course. But I'm particularly interested in what you do, working with particularly endangered magical species. My primary interest in Potions class is a little off-centre: I like trying to adapt potions or potion ingredients so that it's not necessary to use as much or as many ingredients taken from the really rarest animals. For example, did you know that when you're brewing Romney's Elixer for Speed, if you add three ounces of hag toe nail clippings, you only need three parts of unicorn hoof shavings to one part horse hoof shavings (instead of five parts)?
I only had to blow up four cauldrons to find that out, too!
I'm sending one of my field notebooks by return owl. I hope you will find it interesting. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Luna Lovegood
My father always took me for long walks in the woods around our home from the time I was a very little girl, and he was the one who taught me to look for the signs of magical creatures. I learned how to sketch because I became fascinated with recording the details of what tracks and nests looked like, or the details of the way feathers lay on the back. (My handwriting was a bit sloppy because I was so young at that point, and so sketching was easier). I added paints later because I wanted so desperately to capture just the right colour of the iridescence on the wing of a Fireball Fly or the different jewel-like tones of glowing salamanders. I've spent years collecting notes and sketches in field books (my father showed me how). We kept a Life List of the magical animals and birds and so on that we saw, and it was always particularly exciting when we would find signs of a truly rare creature.
So Care of Magical Creatures is my favourite class, of course. But I'm particularly interested in what you do, working with particularly endangered magical species. My primary interest in Potions class is a little off-centre: I like trying to adapt potions or potion ingredients so that it's not necessary to use as much or as many ingredients taken from the really rarest animals. For example, did you know that when you're brewing Romney's Elixer for Speed, if you add three ounces of hag toe nail clippings, you only need three parts of unicorn hoof shavings to one part horse hoof shavings (instead of five parts)?
I only had to blow up four cauldrons to find that out, too!
I'm sending one of my field notebooks by return owl. I hope you will find it interesting. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Luna Lovegood
no subject
Date: 2012-05-17 06:17 pm (UTC)I'm so glad Mr Wright had a chance to write further to you.
I'm sure you and he will have plenty to discuss. Don't feel you need to include me on further conversations, at this point, though I do appreciate knowing this. (Though if you don't mind, I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity to drop him a quick private note about some other details for this summer before I forget.)
Private message to Leopold Wright
Date: 2012-05-17 06:26 pm (UTC)Thanks so much for encouraging Miss Lovegood. She's a bright young woman, and I'd love to see her get an opportunity to develop her skills in a useful direction. She does have the oddest ideas sometimes (as you noted in your comments to me), but she means well, and her ability to look at a situation and see both the wonderful and the unusual are fascinating. I'm also hoping she makes it into the CCF, as her problem-solving skills would shake things up nicely.
While I'm here, though: first, thanks for facilitating us getting the most recent wildlife reports for Hambleton, Bedford Purlieus, and the Peak District locations. We're still hoping for the first, but will see about taking steps to avoid the spots you suggested.
And second, thanks for confirming for the camping trip again: you're by far my favourite presenter of the Magical Creatures specialists we've had, in terms of the stories and approaches you share. I think it'll be the Tuesday again, but if that changes, we'll let you know.
And I apologise again for keeping Campanella so occupied over the weekend when you were actually home: I know she was looking forward to more time with you. We should be in good shape now though for another month or two, at least.