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

It's a beautiful day, isn't it. I'm going outside for luncheon.

If anyone should happen to be looking for me, what, I'll be near the lake.

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

Sally-Anne,

I say, did you make loads of progress with O'Leary last night? I've been round all the tables in the library twice since supper and don't see him. I've set myself up at a table with a quite decent view of the entrance, what, so if he does arrive I should be able to catch him and make sure he's ready for tomorrow's test.

-Justin

Hullo,

Marks arrived here with the morning post. Have you got yours yet? Hydra, were your O.W.L.s what you expected?

Sally-Anne, I don't know if he did in yours as well, but Headmaster Dolohov included a well brief note in my letter, congratulating us on coming in first in the class. We've tied, it seems. Well done, you!

I say, I hope that Moon being Head Boy means that Professor Dolohov has appointed Daphne and not Patil as Head Girl. I, er, may have mentioned to him once or twice how happy I was last year to do Patil's and Finnigan's work for them, allowing them to focus on becoming Councilmembers. (Don't tell Daphne, though, what! If she is Head Girl, I don't wish her to think she wasn't chosen solely on her own merits--and for that matter, I've no way to know that I influenced him at all. And if she's not Head Girl.... Well, then my efforts made no difference, what.)

-Justin

Daphne,

I'm so bally well sorry for what you're going through right now. I say, if there's anything I can do, please let me know.

I happened to see Sally-Anne yesterday. She mentioned you had loads of questions about some of the occurrences at school, which she was partly able to answer. I say, if you should want to talk, about the same things you and she talked about, we could continue to meet up and discuss them.

I don't know how much longer the journals will continue to be truly private, what, but there's Ron's and my flat, which is secure. There are other places where it's safe to talk, as well.

I shouldn't like you to think I've only approached you because of the connections between myself, Sally-Anne and others, however, or that it was only to ascertain your loyalties. The offer of friendship is jolly well sincere, and was so before these recent events, and will be so regardless of what happens when you've asked your questions. I quite enjoy your company and our conversation even when it's not about dashed serious considerations.

That said, it is true that there has been serious business going on all round us for many months and will continue to be rather a lot of well grim decisions ahead. I say, no one wanted to make you uncomfortable with information you'd rather not have, and no one was quite sure how to find out just how comfortable or not comfortable you might be with the involvement some of us have had in, shall we say, favourable outcomes in those incidents to which we were privy. But as it seems you've opened the door, what, then it's only decent to offer you the opportunity for proper answers, if you want to keep asking the questions. Sally-Anne's quite right that you've been on the fringes, if you follow me, for some time, and have proven sturdy and trustworthy all along.

It's bally well time you had something to show for your discretion, what.

-Justin

Ron, Sally-Anne, Pansy: I say, how did your Apparation tests go?

I'm sorry I wasn't there if you joined the flying later on, what. I'm afraid I'm bally well never going to be a long-distance flyer of any stamina, try as I might. Then when we gained altitude to crest Snowdonia I started feeling a bit light-headed.

Oh, and Sally-Anne, wasn't your interview with the Healer yesterday? Everything went well, I trust?

-Justin

Hullo,

I say, have you two thought any more about how you'll respond to Avery's 'suggestion' about appearing to break up? I rather thought Draco's recommendation of using Harry was clever, though of course one understands how it rankles to even consider alternatives.

I've been thinking about the goal each of you have, what--Pansy, Hydra, Draco and yourself, Ron--and what Avery's goal must be. It seems there should be a way to appeal to him, what. I mean to say, he must have a high opinion of you, Ron, if he believes you're close enough to success that he thinks it's bally well time for you to free yourself for 'better options' (I say, sorry, Sally-Anne, that sounds jolly distasteful but surely that's Avery's way of seeing it). The point being that your performance so far has him interested enough to even bother offering his 'advice.' Always assuming he is interested, what, and not simply playing with you.

So perhaps if we think of something he wants more than he wants you to win, then you might be able to arrange it and thus avoid further harassment.


I suppose I've a vested interest in seeing you find a way 'round it, what. You see, your situation made me and Hydra think about what might happen--how we would go about it--if some similar demand were to be made of us. And now, that might....

Er.

See here, I...haven't told the rest of the Order yet, but the rumours are bally well true: Montague made sure that Professor Slughorn caught me leaving Hydra the other night--the last night of the detention challenge, that is to say. You remember, we started off so careful, what, but when there were no problems and no one said anything, I mean even when we slipped away to Edinburgh and no one--

I suppose we just...developed a habit. A selfish habit, I should say. One we ought to have known couldn't last. And now.... I'm not sure what Professor Slughorn's going to tell Hydra's parents but I'm sure he'll inform them of something. So it's--entirely likely that my 'bits' might be in a jar for the next year and a half. I might consider myself lucky if that's the only action Mr Lestrange takes.

I'm not looking for sympathy or anything--it was our gamble and we lost. Nothing more to it, what. There's no use worrying over what's going to happen. It's merely a matter of waiting for whatever's to be to jolly well get on with it.

Anyway, my point is really that it all makes your situation all the more injurious. If Hydra and I have lost our chance, then I'm dashed if I'll see anyone else lose theirs. I say, if there's a way for you two to stick together and yet not attract Avery's rancor, then please consider me at your disposal to help make it so.

-Justin

Hallo,

Look, I don't wish to seem insensitive, as I'm sure Mr Longbottom feels well shocked to suddenly lose his magic.

But, I say. The looks on your faces as we were reading that.... Well, I mean to say. It's not that terrible, is it?

He's alive, he's otherwise in good health, it sounds, and...well, millions--make that billions--of Muggles live without magic every day. They never even miss it.

Is there something I'm missing? Why does everyone seem to think it means his usefulness is at an end?

I'm quite earnest, I should add. I can tell you all think it's a dashed catastrophe but I'm at a loss as to just why.

-Justin

P.S. Do you think Harry and Hermione will finish with Cedric soon?

-J

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