alt_gredforge | Order Only

Well, we've had a busy day since getting back to Hogwarts. Mum, we hope you'll be impressed with our industry.

First of all, we met with Professor Slughorn who laughed a lot at first when we proposed our idea and seemed to think it was a very good joke, but after we talked a bit it looks like he's considering it. At any rate, he said he'd let us know by the end of the week if he's willing to do it. If he is, he'll give us a list of the potions to study over the summer, and then he'll test us on two when we arrive next September.

Secondly, we have a sample of Terry's blood, taken since the latest round of spells were put on it. We just received it today, by owl. A whole ampule. Maybe we should keep part of it under a preservative spell, so we can compare it to a later sample if the git puts ANOTHER round of spells on him? One idea that occurred to us (belatedly): doesn't Professor Slughorn have a cruopticon? We ran across to a reference to how they're used in analysing blood in our reading last week, and we think we saw one on the shelf when we were in his office last night. Maybe we could have asked if we could look at it while we were meeting with him, if we had thought of it at the time. We're trying to come up with excuse for borrowing it--unless Mr Snape has one? (A cruopticon, we mean, not an excuse). Anyway, we'll drop the blood sample off at the caretaker's office after classes.

Lastly, after our meeting with Mr Snape last night, we swung by the library to check the the Restricted Section. We chatted up Madam Pince in our most artless manner but didn't find a record of either of the two books titles Sirius gave us in the ledger (don't worry, we didn't mention either of the titles to her). Terry's going to check Amycus Carrow's shelves.

(Hope you liked the little basket of potion ingredients we left for you, Mr Snape. The Mumsey Wort's very fresh, even if there isn't much of it. Oh, and Fred had a bit of a headache come on about an hour after last night's experiment with occlumency ended. Is that normal? George didn't. Weird.)

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

alt_lupin

Sirius, is there a cruopticon at Grimmauld? It's the sort of thing your father might have had.

And the preservative spell is an excellent idea.

From:

alt_gredforge

Also: we'd like to search Alecto Carrow's office for the books. Maybe we could time it during a staff meeting or something?

(Um, we're doing our best to discourage our confederates from attempting the same thing, honest.)

From:

alt_alice

I would certainly hope so!

From:

alt_lupin

DO NOT break into Alecto Carrow's office.

She undoubtedly has wards that would alert her to your presence, and frankly it would take something a great deal more compelling than a Hogwarts staff meeting to keep her from immediately discovering you.

From:

alt_poppy

No, indeed! Remus is entirely correct. You are not to consider such a thing. It is not a task for you.

It is a task for the Headmistress and the Matron. And the Caretaker, I suppose, if he sees fit to join us. Lest he feel neglected by my not having mentioned him and his qualifications for the duty.

Minerva. You saw what state Alecto was in when she returned, as well as I. Clearly, we can no longer neglect the fact that she is ailing and that it is impairing her ability to carry out her duties. You have her own brother's word that she requires a Healer's examination. Sure it is time to go to her, will she or nill she, since she has refused to come to the Hospital Wing to be seen.

(Mind you, that hex I put on her the last time Amycus was on my ward might have something to do with her aversion to the place.)

From:

alt_molly

No indeed, you absolutely mustn't do such a thing, boys!

From:

alt_molly

My nerves positively couldn't stand it.

From:

alt_bill

Just think, Mum...if we hadn't let them into the Order, they'd probably be going merrily ahead with plans to break into Alecto Carrow's office on their own and you would have absolutely no idea.

From:

alt_bill

Now that is an excellent idea.

From:

alt_gredforge

We like it, too.

From:

alt_sirius

And you would know.

Fortunately, we weren't planning on trying to be sneaky about it. But I guess best not let any of them know that.

From:

alt_lupin

True.

But we're not 17, either.

From:

alt_lupin

You may need more than Minerva's orders to get her to hold still for an examination. Let alone while you search her office.

This is the woman who once ambushed and cruciated Lucius Malfoy, after all.

From:

alt_sirius

Would a broken one do?

I'm surprised it was still there. Back of the cupboard in his study.

I could see about repairing it, maybe. If I can clean it up it might be made to work again.

From:

alt_lupin

You know, Bill raises a good point.

These children, with all the good will in the world, are considering breaking into Alecto Carrow's office? I'm impressed with their daring and commitment, but I have to admit that I'm also rather horrified. I don't think her connections would protect, for instance, Pansy Parkinson, should Alecto Carrow catch her in the act of burglary. Let alone someone like Ron Weasley or Neville Longbottom. Or Poppy's protege, who doesn't even have blood purity on her side.

It makes me wonder what else they're up to. And just how risky it is. Considering how much they know, it's unnerving.

From:

alt_sirius

Well. We know they've risked themselves before, loads of times, to try to help Terry or Hermione. And others, too. Remember that muggleborn girl Hermione told me about, in New London? And just recently, we know Miss Perks put herself on the line with the muggles on her foster-parents' farm. You had a different experience, love, but remember that at 15 James and I thought we were all well invincible.

There's a perverse streak in me that actually wants to see Lucius Malfoy try to acquit Miss Parkinson from such a predicament. He might actually intervene, given the bad blood between him and Alecto. But then I realise it's unfair to let her get herself in that kind of hot water in the first place.

Perhaps it's her latest owl that has me thinking dark thoughts, though.

At least I'm reassured that Harry's not in the thick of it all. And I hope not Justin, either.

From:

alt_lupin

You did, I know.

I think that's part of why I worry.

Although it's not exactly that I'd choose for them NOT to run these risks, even if I had the power to make that choice for them. Their willingness to run risks for Hermione and Terry, for a muggleborn stranger, for sick muggles -- it gives me hope.

I just hope they're being careful. Breaking into Alecto's office? There's no way to do that carefully.

From:

alt_lupin

And Pansy sent you another owl? You're a regular agony aunt, you are.

From:

alt_sirius

No. Even we were presuming she'd come running--of course, it's no use explaining that's what we wanted. Especially as no one seems to have bothered to ask.

Of course, we were all Gryffindors. If this group is comprised as we think, they've got at least a couple cannier types.

Still. Waiting for a staff meeting? Hardly subtle, that.

From:

alt_sirius

This one's less on the order of advice seeking and more on the order of 'You're a right git.'

But Circe, you're right. I can't seem to discourage her even when it's for her own good.

Perhaps she's one of those Slytherins who doesn't have any sense. I dunno. Maybe it's pointless to avoid her. She seems to have taken amiss all my previous attempts to direct her without engaging her directly. I'm not sure how much more obvious I could have been without tipping off Malfoy.

From:

alt_poppy

Well, I wasn't thinking I'd just ask politely if she'd let me check her heart rate and have a look up her nose. And I am intending to have Minerva with me, not just turn up waving her Writ of Authority like a white flag across the battlefield.

I take your point, though.

Minerva: do you think it might be worth inviting Professor Lestrange along. And perhaps one or two others?

From:

alt_lupin

They're SUPPOSED to be canny, at any rate.

It's possible the Weasley lads kept the real plan a secret. As a fall-back, of sorts. Minerva could arrange for them to be occupied during future staff meetings, but if that wasn't actually what they were planning...

From:

alt_lupin

She lost her father quite young, didn't she? And then Regulus.

From:

alt_sirius

Yes.

I don't know why he encouraged her, either, though, to be honest.

Okay. Sort of. I mean to say, I can see why they got on but--

Well.

I dunno.

From:

alt_sirius

Come to bed.

From:

alt_sirius

See, and now you've gone and done it, as usual. You do find a way to see good in everyone.

From:

alt_gredforge

If you can't find someone to fix it, give it to Fu. We bet he can repair anything. Even if he's never seen a cruopticon before in his life.

From:

alt_mcgonagall

You, Severus, Professor Lestrange, and I should be enough to make it possible. Professor Carrow is a fierce fighter, but she relies on surprise too much: I believe we will be able to take her unawares. A Full Body Bind should solve matters.

Best, too, to send Professor Lestrange with you to the Hospital Wing. You will need him to keep her under control—and then Severus and I will have free rein in her office.

From:

alt_poppy

Yes, alright.

I can be at your disposal most anytime (barring the usual, unforeseen disasters to students). What strikes you as the best time to carry this off successfully?