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

Astoria,

Thank you for coming to the Hospital Wing to look in after me. I must say I was surprised you went to any trouble. It truly wasn't necessary at all, what. I'm not sure what you'd heard; I mean to say, yes, several of us did need some repair after this afternoon's Defence lesson, but Madam Pomfrey had me set to rights in a tick. It was nothing of remote concern. (One wishes one could say as much for Jones. She had a dashed difficult time of it, poor girl.)

I say, one might accuse you of taking your Prefect's duties a step too far, but perhaps you were hoping for reports to prepare for your own lesson on Friday. Having survived the experience, I can assure you that, should you wish to participate, waiting until near the end of the lesson is a wise choice. I shouldn't have needed quite so much of Matron's ministration if I hadn't seized an earlier opportunity, what. I confess that seeing Weasley's attempt presented a bally well irresistible chance.

In any event, you were quite thoughtful to come up, though there was no need for any alarm.

Cordially,

-Finch-Fletchley

Hullo,

I say, I'm sorry I wasn't able to revise yesterday afternoon. I trust it needs little explanation, after that disastrous Charms lesson, what?

I do hope neither of you are still suffering any after-effects. Luckily for me, Madam Pomfrey anticipated that I might need an alternative to Pepper-Up at some point this term, what, and she had concocted a preparation for me. Unfortunately, it bally well knocked me flat for almost eighteen hours! I slept straight through luncheon and supper both.

But I thought we answered Professor Dolohov's questions well enough this morning, regardless, what? I'm happy to work together on Wednesday if you like. This Friday I do have plans, however.

-Finch-Fletchley

Hullo, all,

I think if we're to endure these Saturday formal suppers from now to the end of term, we'd best get some permanent supplies into the secret room, so we can all have quite a hearty luncheon and not go hungry.

I say, I tried to get Smith and Bobolis not to tuck in so greedily, but it was difficult with the seating what it was.

I nearly fell asleep listening to that speaker, what?

But I wanted to tell you all that Susan, Hydra and I went up to the hospital wing this morning to look in on Megan and see if we could get her to tell us anything more about what happened last night. It started off well enough--she really was rather pathetically pleased to have visitors, what--but just as we were settling in to a comfortable chat, a card, a vase of pink flowers and a box appeared on her bedside table. Susan helped Megan open the card and the box; there was a new badge inside for Megan. The card was--well, it was the sort of get-well card one might send to a distant niece on hearing she's broken her arm or something. Bally well perfunctory, what. And the less said about the badge the better.

But Megan's whole face transformed and she said to Sue, 'You see?' and then she refused to say anything more than small talk. We did linger a while, not wishing to be rude, but it was bally well clear she had no intention of giving anything away after that arrived.

She had the decency to ask after Fawcett. We told her that she's missing, of course, and presumably was brought to harm in the Forbidden Forest. I say, she rather blanched at that, and quite rightly, too.

-Justin

I say, thank you both for coming up and visiting yesterday. It should have been extraordinarily dull otherwise, what?

Professor Slughorn also dropped in and told me he talked to Jugson and got his side. I rather suspected he'd been duped into helping them, and thank you again, Hydra, for explaining how that happened. Professor Slughorn told me he'd asked Professor Froissart to come back from his holiday with the Malfoys. At first I was worried he might be cross at having to return here on Christmas but he wasn't at all.

He came in just after you left, Hydra, and said Toubon's being sent home and if Headmistress Maxime concurs, he'll be expelled. Wand snapped and everything. And that's the least of it. The Headmistress might even decide he ought to go to trial before the Conseil des Sorciers. I'd have written about it last night but Matron decided I'd had enough excitement for one day and threatened to give me a potion if I didn't go to sleep directly. I say, she's well fierce, isn't she, what?

He wanted to know if it had been things like this all along and I said no, nothing this severe. I mean to say, obviously nothing this severe but he asked something like you did, Hydra, because I guess he thought like you did, that it was only things like spilling my books or tearing up homework or that time when my inkwell broke. I admitted that no, it was often just that but that it was frequently leg-lockers or body-binds or belly-blows, tripping hexes, and so on. And he hadn't realised it was two of the senior students, either, from what he said.

Anyway, he said that I'd now confirmed what he'd heard from the source, which I can only assume means he interviewed Henri himself. I wish it hadn't happened like this, though. And on Christmas.

Well, I suppose there's nothing to be done about it. Except to wish you both a very happy Christmas. Hydra, Madam Pomfrey wants to keep me until afternoon, to do a few tests to make sure everything's well strong again. But I've part of your present here, so if you come up this morning I can give you that and there's another small one back in my dormitory.

And Sally-Anne, thanks for the chat. It was grand to have visitors.

-Justin