"Oh. I didn't know you had brothers," Violet replied without thinking. Then it occurred to her that she really didn't know that much about Ash's background, or any of her schoolmates, for that matter, which wasn't a very good way for a future writer to conduct herself. Violet really needed to get out of her own head, she thought.

"Um, well, the year has been...well, you know how it's been, you were there, too. Apparently I was allergic to something in whatever Poppy put in those candles and it was making me feel sick all year, but I'm much better now, so that's good." Violet considered sharing her other bit of news, recently received from her grandfather's last letter (right after the long diatribe about Healer Poppy and the Ministry and the Hogwarts staff and a few other people). Deciding that she needed to share personal information if she was going to learn any, she went on. "And my youngest uncle--Horatio--he suffered some sort of spell damage during the battle last year and has been in St. Mungo's all year in a sort of magical coma--well, he's been given a new treatment and is showing signs of coming around, so we're all hoping he'll wake up very soon."