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[alt_pansy]

It was a quiet affair at the lake yesterday. Lots of small groups, but no-one really talking much. Hydra, were you able to pick up anything?

The lanterns looked beautiful, and I caught quite a few Hufflepuffs with wet eyes.

What an awful day.

Cedric, everything still seems to point to a kidnapping. There was a story in the Prophet today, and they've quoted your parents as calling for your safe return. I'm so sorry things have turned out the way they have.

I haven't heard anything about MLE coming in for questioning. Does anyone else know what's in store?

As far as I know, the exams are planned to go on as scheduled, and we're to have quiet revision sessions during the times when classes would otherwise meet for Herbology, Transfiguration and Astronomy. No-one has access to the greenhouses and astronomy tower yet, from what I've overheard.

Comments

Private Message to Siz

[alt_pansy]

I am so very sorry for what's happened.

All of it.

I'll be visiting often over hols, if you're up for it, that is.

What do you need that I can bring with?

Re: Private Message to Siz

[alt_sinistra]

I got most of the important things out. Cats, books, telescope, photos. Me.

I talked to Alice about how to be useful yesterday, and that's helping a little. Figuring out what I can do that helps, even while I'm still not really doing well talking to people.

I'd like to see you, though. If you can.

Mostly not things. Though - I don't know. Mum and Dad had to leave everything, so if you could find spare robes or all the little personal things that'd help, without being noticed, that'd be a kindness.

[alt_sally_anne]

Dolohov has these rotating Healers coming in from St Mungo's right now. It's created a bit of a mess and I'm spending a lot of time in the Hospital Wing just making sure they don't hopelessly rearrange the potions so no one can find anything, or give someone a calming potion when what they really need is Dry Dreams.

But, this also has given me an excellent excuse to play Matron and check on Hufflepuffs just like I did with Gryffindors, after Hooch.

Cedric, your brother is fine. He's terribly upset about you, of course, and I can't tell him, 'don't worry, he's just fine.' The other Hufflepuff firsties are being very kind to him. No one thinks you're a traitor; they all think you're a victim.

Professor Sinistra, Andie is holding up. Rebecca Mackrell went after her -- she is the absolute WORST, I'm sorry. I think the line was, 'there's never just one rotten fish in a barrel,' so, basically, 'your aunt is a traitor so you must be, too.' Caroline Bones hexed her so badly she wound up in the Hospital Wing. (I mean, she hexed Mackrell. She's mates with Andie.)

Jeremy, Philip is -- I guess I'd just say he's unsettled. Professor Sprout was one of his favourite teachers and he's utterly furious and can't really say who at. I want to think he's furious at MLE, at the regime, at everything Sprout was standing against, but ... it's kind of coming out as fury at Sprout, and I can't tell whether that's because he can't safely say that he thinks she was right, or because he really feels that way.

Was there anyone else people wanted checked on?

[alt_sinistra]

Thank you. Knowing helps a little.

How's she taking the news about Mum and Dad? Or Dal (he's a Ravenclaw second. Probably hiding with a book right now.) They always spent a lot of time going back and forth - my sister found a house a mile away from Mum and Dad's when she married, and it was more like one family, two locations.

(Mum was also fretting horribly about her orchard and the bees and the garden, but I suppose there's no way to know anything about that. If anything's left)

As to Miss Mackrell, rather a lot of people are likely going to be very horrible, I suspect.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh, right, I should've mentioned him. Dal -- okay, this was a little odd. He guessed the truth. I mean, that your parents aren't really dead. He says he thinks they were also traitors and ran and are safe and the bodies are fake. His mates think he's deluding himself because it's too awful that his aunt's a traitor AND his Nan and Grandad got killed.

Andie, well, I'm not sure what she thinks about it. She's old enough to know better than to say it out loud, if she thinks their deaths were faked.

I don't think anyone needs to worry about Dal? I mean, he's a second year and no one's likely to listen to him. And telling him to be quiet about it will only make him more certain. I'm not sure if that's good, or bad. (Not like he's shouting it to the rooftops, anyway. Philip heard his mates talking about him, it was one of the things that had them a little bit worried.)

[alt_sinistra]

If someone can tell Andie that, she'll manage him, I think.

He's a good kid, Dal, but he's not very aware of how things get heard. She is. (I keep thinking they got opposite bits of their parent's personalities.) I'm not so worried about what he says at school, but his father's in Internal Affairs and savvy about investigation.

The line that often works on Hufflepuff families - it's rotten, but it does - is "It will upset your parents if they hear you saying things like that."

[alt_sally_anne]

Someone should probably tell that to Andie. Maybe Justin? I'm a little afraid that I wouldn't lie as effectively about this as I should, if Andie asked me if I thought maybe it was true.

[alt_susan]

I'll talk to Andie. And Carrie too for that matter--she shouldn't have lost her head enough to hex Mackrell.

Not that I don't completely understand her feelings!

[alt_jeremy]

Thanks.

Perhaps I'll put together some sort of brothers' expedition during hols. Not to talk to him about anything. But I can listen.

[alt_sally_anne]

I think that would be a good idea.

I think we should recruit him, eventually. Just not yet, I mean, he's only thirteen. Though when I was thirteen I knew the Order existed. (I didn't know it was called the Order, we called them the Wand Smugglers.) That seems awfully young now, though.

[alt_cedric]

Thank you so very much.

I'm very glad that the story is holding up. For all their sakes.

Private message to Cedric Diggory

[alt_gredforge]

Ced,

How are you holding up? We know, (or at least we have a pretty good idea) that it sucks dragon's arse to have your future scrambled this way, but we want you to be sure you know you have a future. The Order can use your flying skills; you can be an off-site consultant with our business, and Fu has enough projects dreamed up to keep you busy for months. There are all the sanctuaries, too. Lee might want some help with the radio station, although of course you can't take the risk of going on air as long as the cover story is holding.

It's all be a shock, but sometimes the best thing for a shock is getting busy again. And the Order is big enough and varied enough that you can both take the time you need to figure things out, if that's the best thing you for right now, or you plunge into any number of projects.

We also wanted to say thank you. You helped save three people from torture and death by giving them warning. And with that last glance at the book, you may save yet more. Remember that, if you are mulling over the price you had to pay.

Re: Private message to Cedric Diggory

[alt_cedric]

I'm fine. My world is upended but I'm fine. I've moved from the safehouse to Moddey and we'll see what I find to do here. I think I ought to talk to Draco about a spot of raiding as I escaped with my work robes and my wand. Ransacking my apartment wouldn't have fit with the kidnapping story and nothing there is was important enough to risk my family for.

I'll definitely be doing something with flying and I need to discuss what sort of active role I can take that involves no apparation. Any project you want to bring by to have me look and help with, I'd be happy to assist. I absolutely need things to do, just two days at the safe house, one of them still not feeling particularly well and I was already going barmy. I'll have more time to work with Frank & Fu & Davidson. More than just the occasional weekend. I could do quidditch drills and general conditioning around Hogsmeade, but I couldn't exactly do old Auror or combat drills where others might see. I hope I can find some running partners in the early morning. I got in the habit last year with Antonin Dolohov & Justin which just continued with my work with the Cannons.

Whatever I did that may save kids pales next to standing guard outside the door while my Head of House was tortured to death. Her pain-filled eyes looking out of her unmovable body will haunt me for Thank you for saying that. I hope it helps me get It is a consolation for all we lost. I pray that I sealed it up properly

Do come by. I'd like to talk with you about combat flying, Davidson doesn't have a clue, and it's just not anybody else's first idea when we talk tactics. I'd like to get the younger quidditchers together and see what we can cobble together from quidditch & their tactics to change the field next time we're going after MLE.

Re: Private message to Cedric Diggory

[alt_gredforge]

One of us will come out to Moddey Dhoo today--George, probably--while the other runs the shop. We can put heads together with you and Fu and discuss his research. Then we'll both be there tonight and yeah, we can talk about combat flying. That's a brilliant idea. You should buttonhole Charlie about that, too: he's a brilliant flyer, and he can tell you about the drills the dragon tenders do all the time.

[alt_poppy]

I'm sorry to think of your being left in the care of a St Mungo's rota.

I'm sorry to think of your being left. Full stop.

But I'm pleased to think that the students have you to turn to, at least, and perhaps that will give you opportunities to influence some of them. Not that I'm advocating your taking risks that I wouldn't have taken--did not take--myself.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, we'll be going home for the holidays soon, and I'm sure the Headmaster will have found a replacement before we come back, and it won't be Luxovius Kerr or anyone dreadful like that. He's asked me to let him know if any of our rota seem particularly good or particularly bad at the job. I've been making notes.