Long Lost Letters

Professor Adorah Zumwalt

Student Teaching | Freelance Writer
 
Messages
2,326
OOC First Name
Kiersten
Blood Status
Unknown
Relationship Status
Seeing Somebody
Sexual Orientation
Noel
Wand
Vine Wand, 12 3/4", Dragon Heartstring Core
Age
24 (03/2037)
Letters written between Adorah Zumwalt and Nadia Kaster starting in October 2052 after this big discovery.

October 2052

Ms. Kaster Nadia,

I've been sitting here staring at my stationary for the past 30 minutes, and I'm not exactly sure what to write. It's been three days since... you know..., but I don't think I'm ready to dive fully in. I have a hundred questions that I could ask you that will likely inspire 1,000 more, but none of them seem fitting. At least, not yet.

Maybe it's easier if I start with me. I don't know if you have any questions about me, but I think giving you and idea of what I've lived through the past 15 years - things might start to click?

You know the aftermath and then up to the adoption. My parents' names are Mary and Kurt. Dad's a pediatrician, and Mum homeschooled us until I got my letter. I have seven siblings. I'm number seven, and my eigth and younger sister was adopted, too. She actually goes to Hogwarts. We think she's a muggleborn. I guess that's not something I have to guess about anymore. I know I'm something.

We lived in Germany for a while and then moved to New Zealand. It's a story for another time why, but I guess the world has its ways of putting things in their place.

At school, I think you know I'm in my fifth year. I actually was made a prefect this year, and I'm in a few clubs. I spend most of my time studying. I think I want to be an astronomer when I graduate.

I don't know if that's a good place to stop or start, but I'm sure you don't want to hear everything about me. Most of it is pretty boring.

Hopefully you'll write soon if you have the time. Or desire.

Adorah
 
Adorah,

Thank you for your letter. There is no one way to do this. I’ve always found that you can start anywhere in a letter and you’ll always have somewhere to go. Perhaps that’s just the way I look at things and I’ve been told that I have something of a unique outlook on the ways things work in the world.

I can’t say much to how the world might look to you, but I can say that I am looking forward to seeing the world through your eyes. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to apologise enough for everything, and I don’t have the right to ask anything of you - so I won’t. All I can say is that I will greatly enjoy learning as much about you as you’re willing to give me - nothing about you is boring - your life is unique to you and it makes you special in ways you’ve probably never thought about.

I don’t know that I could ever thank your parents for bringing you up, or helping you develop into the person you are. Maybe this is a little heavy for a first letter but I want you to know that I don’t want to take this or you for granted. I’m here for as long as you want me around, and I want to get to know you if you’ll let me.

Congratulations on making prefect, that’s a very high achievement. Maybe you don’t care what I think, but it’s definitely an achievement you should be proud of. Perhaps I don’t yet have the right to be proud of you, but never-the-less, I am.

Thank you for agreeing to contact me.

P.S. I would love to hear about what clubs you’re in. I was editor of the Hogwarts Monthly way back when, I believe the club is still around!

Nadia.
 
Nadia,

I'm not sure how to start my letter. There's so many directions I could go, but I guess the first thing is that I don't want you to have to apologize. I know it might feel like you might, but at this point, I'm not sure if it will do either of us good. After reflecting, it might just delay the start to a positive relationship. I'm having trouble comprehending why you gave me up even with what you told me, and that's my burden to bear, not yours. I'd rather look forward than back. At least, for now.

I don't mind if you're proud of me for getting prefect. At least someone is, and you understand the significance. Were you ever a prefect? What school did you go to? Did you attend Durmstrang because you were in Germany?

I think the universe is trying to keep itself entertained. I actually just joined the newspaper this year. I've been in Heta Omega, a sorority, since my first year. Other than that, I spend most of my time studying or in the library, especially with my OWLs coming up. Is joining the paper how you got your start writing?

I did have a question I'd like to ask. You mentioned you were adopted during our first meeting. Did you ever connect with your birth parents again? Are they still around? I wasn't sure what other family I had. It feels weird to write the word family. Maybe I shouldn't use it? I don't know what is comfortable or acceptable in this situation.

I need to go study now, but maybe I'll have more time during my next letter.

Adorah
 
Adorah,

I really enjoy hearing from you. I want to learn everything about you, whatever you want to tell me. Please don’t worry if it’s interesting or cool or not, because I don’t care about any of that. I want to know the real Adorah, I want to know everything you want to tell me, anything you want me to know. In return, I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I have no barriers for you. Uncomfortable questions, big answers, it doesn’t matter what you want, I’ll provide.

I just want to be as involved in your life as you want me to be. So I’m thankful for this opportunity to get to know you. It means more to me than anything.

I was never a prefect, though I was friends with a couple of them. Unfortunately I was… a tad of a trouble maker. I actually went to Hogwarts, where you are. I’m actually Australian, though I definitely no longer sound it. Most of my life was spent between Australia and New Zealand. I only went to Germany years later after I had been adopted myself. But I graduated from Hogwarts as you will and I was also a Ravenclaw. I can see we have quite a bit in common already.

I’m very excited to hear that you’ve joined the paper, I enjoyed my time there immensely and it was part of why I went into journalism, I fell in love with it. I’ve always liked writing, but I never saw a novel in my future. The allure of mystery was what ended up calling me to the prophet. Investigative journalism is a wonderful adventure.

If you don’t feel comfortable using any words, feel free to use whatever you do feel comfortable with, I realise a lot of this has to be earned and I won’t hold it against you. As for family… it’s a bit of an involved subject. I’m happy to tell you anything you want to know, but if I’m perfectly honest, this is the kind of conversation that is best had in person, in private, with a nice mug of coffee or tea. Or hot chocolate if that’s what you like. There’s a lot of ground to cover in the long term. The short answer is I knew who my family was when I was adopted, because I was adopted when I was already in school by a close friend and her family. There were a lot of elements at play for me and my family that made it necessary. That’s probably the easiest answer.

Anyway, it was lovely to hear from you. Please take care of yourself. Let me know if you ever want to meet up again. I’d love it.

Best,

Nadia.
 
Nadia,

The end of the semester has been relatively busy, and I apologize for my response being so short.

I'm curious as to what kind of investigative reporting you have done in the past, if you are at liberty to share that information. I recently did an interview with the Ravenclaw Head of House (turns out, she's actually a Slytherin). I don't feel I've written anything of great substance, but maybe the skills are inherently there since there do seem to be similarities between us.

I stay at the castle during the holidays... Maybe we could meet for lunch at the Dinette soon? It would give us a chance to hopefully have more questions answered.

Adorah
 
Adorah,

I really don’t mind how much or how little you write, I truly appreciate all of it. If you have more time to write, that’s great! If you have less time, but still choose to take that little bit of time to write to me? I am beyond thrilled! Honestly, that you write me at all makes my day!

I’ve not done as much investigative stuff recently as I did when I was much younger, now I mostly focus on community and crime, the elections and all of those things, but it’s all quite relative. The Kaster’s are a large family and I’ve written both about them (my adoptive family) and the Potter’s as well as some rather suss dealings within the Ministry and Auror’s offices, all of it is on public record if you’re ever interested though and as always you can come to me with any questions too.

I’m sure the Ravenclaw head of house is lovely, I’ve not met her to my knowledge, but I remember my Head of House was pretty good, though he was a bit introverted I think. Shame.

Substance and writing are two mutually inclusive aspects. To simply write anything at all means you’ve written something of substance. Easy words to be said from someone who writes for a living, but it’s true. Anything worth writing is worth writing, doesn’t matter what it is and it sounds like the interview you did with your head of house yielded potentially interesting information for the people reading if it wasn’t well known. I think you’re doing fine.

I hope you don’t mind that this letter is a bit long, I always have things to say to you and as you know I am someone who likes words, be they written or spoken. But please do let me know if you would prefer I cut my letters down for length, I understand if there’s too much to read sometimes and you don’t have the time.

The Dinette is not far from me either, I would be delighted to meet you there. Please just let me know when and I’ll clear my schedule. It’ll be good to see you again.

Best,

Nadia.
 

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