ink - sirius black

letters and ponderings

November 3, 1976
4:50 pm
Ilvermorny

Leo was in the process of getting screamed at by a very angry Abel Finnegan when an owl dropped a letter directly into his hands rather than going to the Post Tower and waiting there until the morning.

Looking down at the envelope in surprise and then instantly recognizing the handwriting, he looked up at Finnegan with a completely emotionless face as he saluted the caretaker.

"Excuse me sir, but I have more urgent matters to attend to at the moment than you getting mad at me when all I did was let all of the Horned Serpent's snitches loose," he called over his shoulder as he slammed the door of a spare classroom shut to read the letter.

Anneliese had sent him a letter earlier that morning, so for him to be getting another one so soon both made him upset and nervous.

L,

I need you here. Just do whatever you can. Please.

A

The shortness of the letter sent an unpleasant jolt through his stomach. If Anneliese couldn't even bring herself to write down what had happened, then it was obviously a very severe situation that he had missed.

Rummaging through the drawers of the spare teacher's desk, Leo found what he needed to write his first letter, not addressed to his best friend. He only hoped that it would come soon enough because of the time difference in Britain.

Professor Dumbledore,

This is from Leo Anderson, a student at Ilvermorny School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in America. My best friend, Anneliese Callaway, was expelled last spring, as you already know. I haven't been able to see her in months, and it's affecting both of us deeply.

Something bad happened with her, and she wrote me a letter uncharacteristically short that she needed me over there. Since today is Friday, is there any way possible that I could stay at Hogwarts for the weekend?

I promise that I won't cause any trouble or anything, not a prank pulled or anything remotely damaging. I can sleep in a broom closet for all that I care, all I want is just a day with Anneliese to help her get through whatever is going on.

Quite literally begging you and hoping you will consider,

Leo Anderson

He hastily sent the only letter to Hogwarts back with the owl Anneliese had used before running up to the Post Tower to write the person in America, hoping that it would be enough.

Dear Queenie,

Anneliese isn't doing so well, or she had been for the most part, but something bad happened and I have a sneaking suspicion that it's about a boy. Considering that it's your area of expertise, I was wondering if there's any way possible that you could give me advice to pass onto her once I know what's going on?

I want to do what's best for her, and that means reaching out to you.

I just wrote a letter to Dumbledore, who I believe you know through Newt, asking him if I could stay at Hogwarts for the weekend. Hopefully he says yes, but even if he doesn't I'll find a way.

If I get there and the situation is just totally beyond my advice, then I'll write to you and tell you all the details so you can help. You're like a combination of a big sister and a mother to her, and you're the only other person besides me that I could think of to come to with this.

Wish me luck and I'll keep you up to date,

Leo

Even though the letter was much more brief than he usually would send to Goldstein, it was straight to the point and hopefully she would be able to provide aid to Anneliese as well.