Justin Finch-Fletchley

Hello, everyone,

I say, we're one closer to our goal. Today, Ron, Harry and I destroyed Ravenclaw's diadem. (I say, sorry, Luna. Oh, and Charlie, I do apologise if it makes negotiations more difficult with the goblins. It did look goblin-made, what, but since it was decidedly another horcrux, perhaps they won't mind.)

I don't want anyone to panic, but we used Fiendfyre. It went better than I rather expected, what, though it was still--well, I say. We did it, anyway, and the secret room helped us keep the fire from spreading.

Ron sustained a few burns and Sally-Anne thought it best to take me to the Hospital Wing for mine. I'm back in my dormitory now. I've got a salve for the shoulder but it jolly well hurts, even with that. The hand.... Well, I can write, as you can see, though not as steadily as one might wish. But Healer Patil says I ought to see marked improvement by morning and if I continue with the ointment, it will be fully healed by next week. It seems I'll have a jolly handsome scar, which he was quick to assure me will make me quite fascinating. He was equally quick to tell us not to try this sort of spellwork again without proper supervision, however.

At any rate, no lasting harm was done and the diadem is well and truly gone now.

-Justin

Harry, Ron,

Everything going all right? How are you getting on? I say, do not return straight to Gryffindor right away if you've already retrieved the fang. And do not go to the salle, either. Just tell us when you're back in Myrtle's bathroom.

Professor Sandoval-Pennifold just popped in on the salle and has dragged 'Ron' back to the Tower to help tutor younger students. 'Harry' went along as well (because Sally-Anne wasn't about to let Pansy go by herself, what). But it means we've got to smuggle you two back in and them back out of Gryffindor Tower before their potion wears off.

Sally-Anne, Pansy, are you two doing all right? Ginny, you'll help them, I trust. I daresay Sally-Anne's already familiar enough with the Gryffindor boys' dormitory, what!

-Justin

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

Ron, Ginny, Harry, Katrina,

By any chance, is Lucas O'Leary up in Gryffindor Tower? If so, is he revising his Transfiguration? I've been trying to pin him down for tutoring before his exam tomorrow and he's avoided me all week.

Sally-Anne was good enough to work with him last night but she says she doesn't think he's quite ready. I say, if one of you see him, if you could try to convince him to go to the library, I'm working in here tonight to try to catch him. If he refuses, Ron, perhaps you'd be so good as to go over the material with him, old man? I can't think of anyone better. Unless of course he's got some equally odd fear of you, what.

It's dashed inconvenient, all this unnecessary agitation.

-Justin

Harry,

I say, well done today, old man. How are you feeling? Sorry I couldn't work out a better way to keep Finnigan and Patil from doing their best, what. I did recommend we go careful where the Lord Protector's son was concerned but Patil seemed to think Professor Desai would take that amiss.

Then again, of course, Professor Desai didn't give one much time to plan a properly innocuous spell, what. Still, one tried without making it seem to go too easy.

She didn't half seem pleased, though, which seems jolly good, considering she might have taken it differently.

For everyone else, Professor Desai had us organise in threes. I say, Patil presumed I'd be joining her and Finnigan and it seemed the wrong time to put up a fuss. When everyone else had all chosen partners, only Harry, Zach, Bulstrode and Jones were left. Bulstrode rather pushed her way in with Harry and Zach, leaving only Megan, but Professor Desai said that she'd a special use for her and called her forward.

When it became clear Professor Desai meant to make Jones defend against all comers, what, Harry volunteered to take her place. I say, Professor Desai took it bally well graciously, considering, and let him. Harry, what was the spell she recommended you use? Seemed to work a treat at keeping the worst of the rebounded curses at bay. Not all, though, what.

Perhaps if you decide to sacrifice yourself in future, you might consider appointing some of us as a replacement. No one of us can reasonably defend for a whole two hours at a stretch, alone; if we take it in turns, we stand a chance of keeping ourselves reasonably healthy.

-Justin

Hullo, all,

Have any of you undergone questioning yet? I say, I've just come from there and there's a bloke from the Ministry whom I believe is one of their Legilimenses.

He was sitting in the room letting one of the others ask most of the questions, what, but occasionally he would break in and ask something in just the way Hydra's said her mother taught her. For example, the Auror asked a few questions about my own relationship with Draco, what, and then the wizard in the back would ask something like, 'How did he feel about you and Miss Lestrange breaking off your engagement?' and then he asked, 'What did he tell you about his own family's standards?' as if he hoped I'd think about conversations in which Draco maligned his aunt or expressed frustration at being expected to marry another pureblood. 'What other things did he confide to you?' and so on.

The other line of questioning was about Hermione, what. The primary interviewer asked me if I'd ever had direct contact or conversations with Harry's servant, and the Legilimens interjected a question about Hermione's wand. I say, I'm jolly well sure he thought just asking the question would make me picture her wand or her holding her wand--if I'd ever seen it, what.

Let's see. They asked about Mr Milland and any detentions I'd served with him (which was well simple, what, as all my detentions had been with Professors) and back to more questions about how I adjusted to life here after moving from France.

At any rate, the point is that we can't assume everyone can occlude, what, and we can't assume that everyone who knows anything or suspects anything will be questioned where someone we trust is controlling the conversation. I say, particularly people who came to book club or have a Galleon.

Harry, this morning's meeting went jolly well--good form, old man--well, apart from poor Daphne--but even if they all have the best of intentions, what, I think someone's bound to let something slip.

Have there ever been any hint of conversations or indications here at school that Draco was actively involved with an insurgent organisation? I mean, could anyone not in the Order already have any sort of information that MLE could use against him?

-Justin

Professor Dolohov's just brought me back to the sett; it's the first I've been able to read my journal since before supper.

Dashed good thing he's got me occupied in his office every evening.

Harry, if you set Crabbe and Goyle on Nott again, kindly make sure they don't stop until he's dead.

No. I suppose that's too much to ask.

Sally-Anne, it's probably unnecessary to say, but--keep an eye out for Hydra, you and Pansy and the others. I'm bally well aware she can take care of herself but she's more fragile at present than she seems. It's not just Nott I've got in mind, what.

As for Hermione, Harry, perhaps a solution is to simply accuse Nott of some inappropriate action. Who would not take your word over anyone's? It circumvents potential trouble with this challenge and if we're lucky it will get him in hot water with MLE.

-Justin

Ron, Sally-Anne,

I thought it best to put this under more than just the Order lock. But no one's said anything for a while.

How long do you think we ought to wait? I think perhaps we should see if things are resolved by morning and then we could talk at breakfast?

I'll be up watching for a while, with Hydra, what. I'm sure you will be, too.

Sally-Anne, can you tell Hermione? She can tell Harry and Draco.

-Justin

We made it out. We're heading to the rally point.

I say, we're taking rather heavy fire but we've managed to evade them for the moment. If I've time I'll send a message to Greengrass and Patil, what.

-F-F

Draco,

I say, our team came across Ron. He's being held near that bally well huge oak with the half-moon-shaped knothole above the third branch, what. Do you remember it from Monday? It was just where Auror Desai caught up with Professor Dolohov--the first time, what, not where she bested him.

It's about half a kilometre a quarter-mile SSW of the central camp. There's a bearded MLE chap with him.

Daphne had a blue scarf which we've tied at the top-most limb of a birch tree just north of the place. If you fly over, you should be able to land there with jolly good cover to investigate for yourselves.

If you'd like us to help in the rescue, I say, let me know and I'll ask a couple of mine to assist.

Good hunting, old chap! If you lot aren't in camp already by the time we free Harry, we'll come back and get Ron as well.

Cheers,

-Justin