Trenton and Diane Cider
September 25, 2007 4:14 PM
*Hall of Plants* Owl for Headmaster Bulla by Trenton and Diane Cider
The tawny spotted barn owl swept into the Hall of Plants well pleased with herself. She had made far better time than expected by the sender of her attached letter. Only seven days spent in transport, a brand new record! She circled over head briefly, searching for her intended target. After the seventh pass, she began to grow frustrated. It was midday, and she was a night flyer. Growing crankier by the minute, the owl decided to rely on human intelligence and observation for once, and let the letter tumble to the ground. She burrowed neatly into one of the many plants that lined the hall, and eyed the fallen envelope before allowing sleep to pass over her entirely.The envelope was cleared marked:
Sonora Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Pima County, Arizona
Within the envelope was the following:
October 11, 20--
From the Desk of Trenton and Diane Cider
1611 Nightengale Drive
St. Petersburg, Florida
trentoncider@cookingmagic.com
To Headmaster Manfred Bulla and Staff:
My wife and I have held off from writing you before, Headmaster, simply because we imagined that we would adapt to be separated from our daughter, Laurel, over time. My wife, being more patient than I, urged me to give it another month before writing this, however, I have only one daughter, and technology being what it is, I simply had to do this.
I remember as a youngster attending Sonora and waiting patiently for one of my family's owls to finish its long trek from North Carolina to Arizona. Information would take as long as two weeks sometimes to exchange hands. Thankfully, I had my sister at school with me, and then three years later, I had my brother as well. Loneliness and homesickness were left behind with time, and since my family was all but with me for most of the year, the time spent waiting for letters was easily dismissed. I never considered what my parents might have been feeling and how they might be missing their children. We were a wizarding family, after all, and long used to depending upon owls for our mail. As integrated with Muggle society as we were, owls, at the time, were still faster and more reliable than post mail. The present, though, offers a far more convenient route for communication.
I recognize that Sonora Academy is under the influence of many heavy charms, however I'm aware of the Muggle Studies curriculum using certain Muggle appliances without incident. I certainly cannot imagine that Sonora Academy would bend to the influences of wealthy Pureblood families and their poor regard for Muggle items, so naturally the only thing can be preventing the addition of a computer lab at the school must be from lack of proper funding. My family, despite my modest style of living, is more than comfortably well-off; we have the Cider Nursery to thank for that. However, I would not want Sonora to feel itself beholden to my family in any way. What I would like to do is offer Sonora a start. With your permission, I'd like to donate five brand new computers, all equipped with air cards for easy highspeed access, to the school.
My wife has often expressed how frustrating it must feel for a Muggleborn child to suddenly arrive at Sonora, and find nearly every aspect of their normal, home lives to be completely absent. If you should choose to accept my offer, I think this little touch of home life might be just the thing to better acclimate Muggleborn students, and other children like my daughter who come from blended families, to the Wizarding world. After all, the idea is to teach a partnership of both cultures, not isolation, right?
Again, Headmaster Bulla, I want to thank you for extending the invitation to Laurel to attend your school. In the two letters we've received (incidentally, she has written five in total, we're still waiting on the owls with the three others), she's been nothing but enthusiastic about the school. My wife and I appreciate your time and thoughts and look forward to hearing from you as soon as owl communication allows (so, round trip, in about three weeks, right?).
With all due regards and respect,
Trenton Cider
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Trenton and Diane Cider
*Hall of Plants* Owl for Headmaster Bulla
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Trenton and Diane Cider
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Headmaster Bulla
September 28, 2007 9:37 AM
In short, the long answer by Headmaster Bulla
Manfred sighed as the closing strains of the theme for Little Prairie Elf in the House started to play. It had been a wonderful episode of his favourite radio programme, he decided, as he stretched, moved out of his comfortable position and with a flick of his wand turned the wireless off before the next show began. Things had been going quietly so far this year, and he quite enjoyed the lack of unforeseen problems cropping up. It wasn't as though he didn't have plenty to do without the extra work - there were piles of paperwork and letters going back and forth between his office, the Council, the Cabinet and everyone else involved in planning the upcoming events. He glanced at the pile, considering it for a moment, but then decided that what he really wanted just at that very moment was something to eat.It was about lunch time in any case.
Tidying away a couple of things, more out of habit than anything else, he made his way across the room and opened the door. There was something a little sad, even now, about the lack of greeting that he got when he entered the hall these days. Often he'd thought of Tony as irritating, but perhaps this was one of those occasions where absence made the heart grow fonder. He was passing Tony's poor "girlfriend" when he spotted something on the ground and stooped to pick it up. It was a letter, and it was addressed to him.
At first he thought that perhaps it had been dropped by a student - it was an odd place for someone to consider a letter box being - but the scratch marks on the envelope belayed that possibility. Clearly it was Owl post. He looked around, spotting the owl itself perched and asleep in one of the more owl-friendly denizens of the hall.
Frowning, he peered at it for a moment before turning back to his office and pulling the branch that allowed the few who knew how it worked instant access. Decidedly odd, he thought to himself as he closed the door behind him and cross the room. He checked the window. It certainly seemed to still be in working order. Just to be sure though, he jotted down a quick note to Simon asking that one of the Prairie Elves - or indeed the Groundskeeper himself - check that there was nothing repelling owls from delivering their messages straight to him. This was no time to discover he was missing owls. He put the note aside and, taking his letter opener out of the top left-hand drawer to do so, opened the envelope.
The letter inside caused his frown of consternation to only deepen further. He read it through a couple of times to be sure he understood both what was being said and what was being offered before he sat back in his chair, thinking. At last he moved forward again, into a position more favourable for writing, pulled over a fresh piece of parchment, ink and a quill. He paused again, momentarily, and then dipped the quill into the ink so he could start his reply.
Trenton and Diane Cider,
Firstly thank you for your very kind offer of a donation to Sonora Academy. While I understand that the offer is well meant, it is unfortunately one that I cannot accept. Sonora Academy is, as you mentioned, under the influence of many complicated charms. I'm sure you'll understand my reasoning for not going on in any depth about their uses, although you can rest assured that they make Sonora one of the safest places in America amongst other things. Such heavy magical influences are, as has been noted around the world, incompatible with much modern Muggle technology. The best example of this, I've found, is that digital watches will not work, while clockwork watches will. On the whole, Muggleborn students and their parents are appraised of this situation before their introduction to our world, to help prepare them for the changes they will face.
It takes careful Charmwork to allow the occasional Muggle Studies class to study Muggle electronics. The spells aren't easy to master and temporary at best, which is why they are used sparingly and only for educational purposes. Perhaps it is the ease with which things work when the spells are applied correctly and the practical classes take place that has given you the mistaken idea that computers and the internet would be compatible with a Magical School, but the idea remains infeasible either way. The effort and expenditure to perhaps keep the computers running part of the time are far beyond the realms of plausibility and that's even without taking into account the fact that Sonora lacks the infrastructure to run Muggle machines. We have no connections to the Muggle's electricity or communications. Muggle radiowaves, transmissions and other methods of sending information do not work here, and what's more, if they did work here it would put us at grave risk of breaking the international Statutes of Secrecy in much the same way as Muggles being able to pick up programs played on the Wizarding Wireless would. I'm sure you'll agree that this is not an acceptable risk to take.
I am however concerned by your report of how long your owls take to cross distances, which the date at the top of your letter appears to confirm. Owl post being very important in Magical communications there are plenty of methods in use which mean that even letters sent to countries across the seas take less time than yours seem to. I know that even the most intelligent mundane species of owl suffer from an inability to cross long distances in needful time, but, like other pets available to those of the Wizarding World, they are in the minority. Have you considered upgrading your owl so as to have more effective communications with your daughter? If this is not a reasonable option, Laurie, like all our students, is more than welcome to make use of school owls.
If you are still interested in making a donation to the school we are currently raising funds for an upgrade of the school Quidditch Pitch and extensions to the library.
Regards,
Manfred Bulla
Headmaster
Sonora Academy
After addressing and sealing the envelope, he tidied away his writing materials once more and set off again. His stomach reminded him - and rather loudly at that - that lunch was still waiting, but he resolutely put aside such concerns for a little longer so that he could get this task done. Manfred flagged down a passing Prairie Elf on his way to the Owlery, handing it the note for Paul Simon and being feverantly assured that it would be delivered at once. He picked out an owl to deliver the letter to Laurie's parents and sent it on its way with a warning not to dawdle.
They would have their answer far sooner than they seemed to expect.
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Headmaster Bulla
In short, the long answer
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