So, it's Sunday evening and all across the land people are preparing themselves for the return to the humdrum routine that Monday morning will bring...
Well, some people are.
Not the Boy Wonder, though.
Oh, no. Marooned as he is, half way through a break now so long that not even Hogwarts dares refer to it as "Half Term" anymore, preferring instead to call it the "Michaelmas Holiday", it is doubtful whether the BW even realises that tomorrow will be a Monday. To him, every day truly is like Sunday.
Not that the PO begrudges him his rest, you understand. After all, only a complete fool could have spent last weekend in the company of the BW and not realised that the poor boy was exhausted, wiped out, knackered.
Which is understandable, given the intensity of his life during term-time : school six days a week; regular orchestra practices and other musical activities; prep - LOTS of prep; late nights up playing on the Playstation. And to be fair to the lad, he's come up with the goods and delivered everything that's been asked of him, as his latest report confirms.
Or does it ???
Well, OK, yes it does. After all, it would be churlish indeed not to give praise to a boy who has earned himself a 7 CD report (11 minus 4, as the number of subjects reported has risen to 15 this year - see here for a reminder of the rules), featuring no fewer than four 1As (Maths, Latin, Music, and - for the first time - Art) and two 1Bs (Greek and Chemistry), and which
features many, many words of commendation. It is, as we have come to expect from the BW an outstanding report.
But - and more sensitive readers will long ago have guessed that there was a "but" - what this report does not do is bring us any closer to understanding the riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma that is the Boy Wonder.
Take the following comments from various of the Hogwarts Dedicated Professionals entrusted with the responsibility of filling his head with useful stuff :
Biology : Very good in class, keen to contribute.
English : An impressive public speaker, a fluent reader and an effective contributor in class discussion.
History : A thoughtful member of the set, and contributes ably to discussion.
RS : Enjoys contributing to class discussion.
Now compare those observations, noting, of course, the recurrent theme that runs through them, with this comment :
Greek : Working with his usual quiet confidence, but beginning to participate more in class now.
And finally, attempt to reconcile them with the following :
French : Remains a shy pupil. Must try to participate more in class.
Now, it may be, of course, that to Hogwarts DPs the words contribute and participate mean two completely different things. (And, technically, they do. But that's not the point.) Or it may be that the BW, being a humble, modest sort of fellow, is deliberately holding back in French and Greek so as not to hog the limelight and give the other chaps an opportunity to shine.
Or it may just be that, as he walks into the classroom for certain subjects he transforms into a lion, while for others he becomes a mouse...
Curiouser and curiouser.
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