But.I.want.to.give.you.more.than.congratulations,.Ron,.I.want.to.give.you.some.advice,
.which.is.why.I.am.sending.this.at.night.rather.than.by.the.usual.morning.post.
.Hopefully,.you.will.be.able.to.read.this.away.from.prying.eyes.and.avoid.awkward.questions.
From.something.the.Minister.let.slip.when.telling.me.you.are.now.a.prefect,.I.gather.that.you.are.still.seeing.a.lot.of.Harry.Potter..1.must.tell.you,.Ron,.that.nothing.could.put.you.in.danger.of.losing.your.badge.more.than.continued.fraternisation.with.that.boy.
.Yes,.I.am.sure.you.are.surprised.to.hear.this.‐.no.doubt.you.will.say.that.Potter.has.always.been.Dumbledore.s.favourite.—.but.I.feel.bound.to.tell.you.that.Dumbledore.may.not.be.in.charge.at.Hogwarts.much.longer.and.the.people.who.count.have.a.verydifferent.‐.and.probably.more.accurate.‐.view.of.Potter.s.behaviour..I.shall.say.no.more.here,.but.if.you.look.at.the.Daily.Prophet.
tomorrow.you.will.get.a.good.idea.of.the.way.the.wind.is.blowing.—.and.see.if.you.can.spot.yours.truly!.
Seriously,.Ron,.you.do.not.want.to.be.tarred.with.the.same.brush.as.Potter,.it.could.be.very.damaging.to.your.future.prospects,.and.I.am.talking.here.about.life.after.school,.too.
.As.you.must.be.aware,.given.that.our.father.escorted.him.to.court,.Potter.had.a.disciplinary.hearing.this.summer.in.front.of.the.whole.Wizengamot.and.he.did.not.come.
out.of.it.looking.too.good..He.got.off.on.a.mere.technicality,.if.you.ask.me,.and.many.of.the.people.I.ve.spoken.to.remain.convinced.of.his.guilt.
It.may.be.that.you.are.afraid.to.sever.ties.with.Potter.‐./.know.that.he.can.be.unbalanced.and,.for.all.I.know,.violent.‐.but.if.you.have.any.worries.about.this,.or.have.spotted.anything.else.in.Potter.s.behaviour.that.is.troubling.you,.I.urge.you.to.speak.to.Dolores.Umbridge,.a.truly.delightful.woman.who.I.know.will.be.only.too.happy.to.advise.you..
This.leads.me.to.my.other.bit.of.advice..As.I.have.hinted.above,.Dumbledore.s.regime.at.Hogwarts.may.soon.be.over..Your.loyalty,.Ron,.should.be.not.to.him,.but.to.the.school.and.the.Ministry..I.am.very.sorry.to.hear.that,.so.far,.Professor.Umbridge.is.encountering.very.little.co‐operation.from.staff.as.she.strives.to.make.those.necessary.changes.within.Hogwarts.that.the.Ministry.so.ardently.desires.(although.she.should.find.this.easier.from.next.week.—.again,.see.the.Daily.Prophet.tomorrow!)..I.shall.say.only.this.‐.a.student.who.shows.himself.willing.to.help.Professor.Umbridge.now.may.be.very.well‐placed.for.Head.Boyship.in.a.couple.of.years!.
I.am.sorry.that.I.was.unable.to.see.more.of.you.over.the.summer..It.pains.me.to.criticise.our.parents,.but.I.am.afraid.i.can.no.longer.live.under.their.roof.while.they.remain.mixed.up.with.the.dangerous.crowd.around.Dumbledore..(If.you.are.writing.to.Mother.at.any.point,.you.might.tell.her.that.a.certain.Sturgis.Podmore,.who.is.a.great.friend.of.Dumbledore.s,.has.recently.been.sent.to.Azkabanfor.trespass.at.the.Ministry..Perhaps.that.will.open.their.eyes.to.the.kind.of.petty.criminals.with.whom.they.are.currently.rubbing.shoulders.).I.count.myself.very.lucky.to.have.escaped.the.stigma.of.association.with.such.people.‐.the.Minister.really.could.not.be.more.gracious.to.me.—.and.1.do.hope,