Justin Finch-Fletchley

Ron,

I just met with Rachel. She's got a new assignment for me but recommended I take someone along. Care to get out of the castle for a while? It might be a day or two.

If you've something else on, what, I'll ask Draco. I say, he's always up for any sort of action these days.

I'll be leaving just after lunchtime. Write back or just come and find me if you'd like to go.

-Justin

Hydra,

I say, are you free? Rachel's just given me a field assignment. I'm packing my kit but I don't want to leave and not say goodbye first.

-Effs

P.S. Spoke to Macmill Ernie. It didn't go well, what, but not as badly as expected.

Hullo,

I got Jack's note. Yes, I'm all right. I suppose it's more difficult to be back at school than I anticipated.

And I keep seeing Fudge. Or--parts of him, what, when I least expect it. Among other things, one should say.

This news about Daphne is bally well worrisome. We keep talking about how something must be done about your mother but it's equally true something must be done about Crouch. I'd rather hurt her by bringing about his end than see her get hurt by him.

The question is how can one get to him? Have you any insight? You've been working with him and it must give you some ideas.

It would feel jolly well worthwhile to use my skills on behalf of the Order, for once.

-J

Dux,

Are you all right? Still with your mother?

I.... I say, if you can get away, I'd like to see you tonight. And if you need help, please say so. I'll think of some way to get word to Anto Auror Crou someone.

Ron,

I say, it's a pleasant spring afternoon's work, what.

Still, I suppose one should enjoy it while's on offer. I don't expect I shall be pulled out of the office for this sort of thing when I'm ensconced in International Magic.

That is, if there still is a Department of International Magic, if we can't restore access to Dover's ports.

In any event, the reason I'm writing: Antonin thinks we should be ready for another assignment in about twenty minutes or so. Have you and Professor Desai any need of assistance?

-Justin

We commandeered a Floo, since we were all too tired to risk Apparating to Hogsmeade. And Professor Desai was badly injured. So we're all back and dispersed from the Headmaster's office. Sally-Anne came back with us, as well, and is assisting her to the Hospital Wing.

Well, I should say everyone's back except Hydra, what. We were about to leave and Bellatrix Lestrange told her she had to stay and help with interrogation. I say, I hope she'll be able to misdirect MLE to some extent.

I...I say, I know I speak for her and for Ron when I can tell you that today was one of our most difficult tasks. Knowing that we had to choose among every person running from the fires and those monsters, whether to let them get away, to risk injuring them and allowing their capture, or to simply kill them so they could not give anything to the enemy. It was especially hard when one could tell they'd just survived a harrowing ordeal with the Inferi, and were fighting to get back to the base camp, what, though that doesn't mean it was any less horrible when they were merely running for their lives.

The last--two hours or so.... I can't even begin to describe how many times one had to suppress every urge to protest. I'm sure it's going to be a long time before any of us get a proper night's sleep.

I'm sorry. For Major Davidson, for everyone at Sherwood, for the citizens of Ollerton.... There's nothing else to say, what. I'm so dashed sorry we had to participate in that charade.

I'm bally well sure some of you may not understand or may want to talk to us about what happened. Mrs Longbottom, we'll try to put together our brief soon, but...please, I beg of you, give us a little time to--recover.


-Finch-Fletchley

Hullo,

Look, there's something I don't think anyone else mentioned before. Pettigrew had a Dark Mark. He mentioned regretting taking it but he admitted he had joined Voldemort. I'm not sure he'll honour his promise. He did offer an Unbreakable but we've never done one before so we told him it would be an Unbreakable soon, what, but I don't trust him not to try to run away before we can make it official.

So, there's one other option we haven't discussed.

I could simply take Pettigrew out onto the grounds somewhere and kill him.

Before you say it's too harsh, I've been thinking about it. It resolves a number of questions. He's confessed to his crimes and it's clear he has nothing of use to offer. We could wait for a chance to smuggle him to the safehouse but there's a risk he'll try to get away, in any case.

If you wanted to handle it that way, Harry needn't know. Ron could get me the cage and I'll simply take care of it. Tonight.

-Justin

Mrs Longbottom,

By now you ought to have received our report on the battle at Erewash. I say, I'm sorry it took so long for us to get it to you. We all of us took a number of invigoration potions to keep going, what, and it must be said that the combination of those and the restoratives have bally well played havoc with everyone's sleep patterns. Myself, I've been waking at about five, going straight back to the dormitories after lessons and napping until well after supper. I've just woken this evening and had to ask the elves for something to eat, what.

One of the elves said that the Fat Friar's just been in the kitchens asking them loads of questions about something in the soup today. I say, I'm not really quite sure what that's about.

In any event, we did finally all get our thoughts onto parchment, but I wanted to particularly call your attention to the end of the report. Sunday, Mr Rookwood from Mysteries came and interviewed us--with the Headmaster present, what--to ask about anything we might have noticed when Mr Dearborn was killed. Of course, that's not how he put it. He asked about the stones that exploded and the moment when those explosions triggered the fissure that swallowed Mr Dearborn, things of that nature. It's jolly well clear that they're researching our variant on the Fidelius.

It's also bally well evident from the Headmaster's actions that they've been told to watch for anyone casting a complicated or area-effect spell, what, and to target those individuals with extreme prejudice. If there are situations in future when the neo-Fidelius is warranted, then it will be necessary to provide the caster some sort of guard to keep him or her out of the line of fire.

As for Mr Rookwood, as I said, it was quite obvious early on that he was fishing for information, so we were all quite careful not to say anything that suggested we knew more than we ought to do. No one mentioned Mr Dearborn by name, for example, and no one recalled having referred to the Fidelius itself or the runes on the stones. We did have to confirm that there were runes, what, but it was simple enough to deny having had an unobstructed view of which runes they were. Neither he nor the Headmaster pushed too hard, what. It was most routine.

The one odd thing we all noted later was that Professor Dolohov seemed anxious not to leave any of us alone with Mr Rookwood. He interviewed us in the groups we'd been in during the battle, what, but talking about it afterward, it's distinctly likely that he was nervous of Mr Rookwood's conduct around us, not of what we might have said to him, if you follow me. Ms Brodie, have you any idea why Anton the Headmaster might worry about him? He is an Unspeakable but he didn't strike any of us as like that contemptible Strangeweale bloke, as if he were going to steal any of us away and lock us in his dungeons.

That's the lot of it, I think. Unless one of you remembers something else important enough to point out, what, in which case, please add it along!

I suppose it's too late to go to the salle, so perhaps I'll see how long I can read until I fall asleep again.

-Justin

Hullo, all,

I was just going down to the dormitories when an elf came and brought me a message from Antonin. I'm to dress and meet him for a field exercise.

The note said he'd make appropriate excuses for lessons tomorrow.

I've no idea why or what's going on, what, but if I'm not around tomorrow, it's likely to do with whatever--

Oh, I see, Auror Crouch sent him a message not half an hour ago. Well, it's likely to do with that, then.

-F-F

Good morning,

It was Theo Nott, Sr. The target, what. It was Nott.

I say, I believe I impressed them both, though they did not ask me to perform any particularly horrible act. Well, apart from assisting them, of course, but they didn't ask me to cast the killing curse or anything of that nature.

It wasn't an experience I'm keen to relive, what, but I suspect I shall be given the opportunity whether I want it or not. Still, it's a significant step toward earning their trust.

I'm all right. Please tell Mrs Longbottom that I'm fine.

-Justin