Order Only: On the Road
Apr. 2nd, 2010 11:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_siriusI've been invited to the Finch-Fletchley's for Easter, so I'm heading back north. I should be there in time for tea tomorrow. Or supper, at the latest.
I'll head over to Calais afterward, you know, to check on the other shipments for Moony, Clarriker and the others. But I hope I'll have a good deal of news from Justin, and not only stuff about his lessons, but how they're treating him as a British-born halfblood. I know last term he was subject to a little light hazing, so it'll be good to gauge whether it's improved or got worse.
Not to worry you all, but the climate in France has become a mite dodgier since Malfoy's diplomatic visit. While he was here there were protests, but that blighter is not a master politician for nothing. I dunno what he told French purebloods, but his impact has lingered even longer than his fancy cologne.
To start, there've been more wizards crying out for social justice - by which they mean chucking out the Muggle president and key cabinet members and replacing them with our kind. Then there was an incident reported in L'Étoile last month about a wizard who was harassed by some Muggle teenagers: he Incendiated their car before Apparating away from the scene. As far as I can tell, he was acquitted from the charge of violating the Statute of Wizarding Secrecy because it was 'self-defence.' The article mentioned that this was the fourth time in the last year that an act of blatant magic has been deemed defencible, breaking the record of successful defences against the Statute in France (set by Pierre de Limoges in 1705).
What's more concerning is that the Muggle papers picked up the story and actually got it right. They didn't blame a rival gang or passing Muslim terrorists, or say that the victim had been carrying grenades or improvised a Molotov Cocktail - they actually called him a 'Sorcèreur' in the article - and that's led to the French church calling for the Vatican to take a new stand on witches. So far, the official position still denies our existence, but it's got the potential to get ugly.
I've been talking to Aleksander Rinkov about helping with Laszlo - not that I think Marguerite and Fatima can't handle things, but I'd feel better knowing there's at least one other bloke on staff, as it were. I'm also wondering, now that I think about it, whatever happened to that Highslip chap, the one who approached me that day I saw Malfoy. I've been meaning to see if he'd be willing to tell us anything we don't already know, particularly about the emigration process, especially if we're planning to smuggle people out of the camps and outside the wards come June.
Well, anyway. I'm on the road today. And I ought to be with the Finch-Fletchleys for a few days after that, maybe the rest of Justin's holiday, if I don't wear out my welcome.
I'll head over to Calais afterward, you know, to check on the other shipments for Moony, Clarriker and the others. But I hope I'll have a good deal of news from Justin, and not only stuff about his lessons, but how they're treating him as a British-born halfblood. I know last term he was subject to a little light hazing, so it'll be good to gauge whether it's improved or got worse.
Not to worry you all, but the climate in France has become a mite dodgier since Malfoy's diplomatic visit. While he was here there were protests, but that blighter is not a master politician for nothing. I dunno what he told French purebloods, but his impact has lingered even longer than his fancy cologne.
To start, there've been more wizards crying out for social justice - by which they mean chucking out the Muggle president and key cabinet members and replacing them with our kind. Then there was an incident reported in L'Étoile last month about a wizard who was harassed by some Muggle teenagers: he Incendiated their car before Apparating away from the scene. As far as I can tell, he was acquitted from the charge of violating the Statute of Wizarding Secrecy because it was 'self-defence.' The article mentioned that this was the fourth time in the last year that an act of blatant magic has been deemed defencible, breaking the record of successful defences against the Statute in France (set by Pierre de Limoges in 1705).
What's more concerning is that the Muggle papers picked up the story and actually got it right. They didn't blame a rival gang or passing Muslim terrorists, or say that the victim had been carrying grenades or improvised a Molotov Cocktail - they actually called him a 'Sorcèreur' in the article - and that's led to the French church calling for the Vatican to take a new stand on witches. So far, the official position still denies our existence, but it's got the potential to get ugly.
I've been talking to Aleksander Rinkov about helping with Laszlo - not that I think Marguerite and Fatima can't handle things, but I'd feel better knowing there's at least one other bloke on staff, as it were. I'm also wondering, now that I think about it, whatever happened to that Highslip chap, the one who approached me that day I saw Malfoy. I've been meaning to see if he'd be willing to tell us anything we don't already know, particularly about the emigration process, especially if we're planning to smuggle people out of the camps and outside the wards come June.
Well, anyway. I'm on the road today. And I ought to be with the Finch-Fletchleys for a few days after that, maybe the rest of Justin's holiday, if I don't wear out my welcome.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-03 10:24 pm (UTC)I've only been there once and have always said that I wished I could go back under better circumstances. I didn't have leisure to really see the place, nor much heart for it at the time.
I trust you'll have a lovely holiday with your Finch-Fletchleys.
Remind me about them: the mother's a witch, is she? Or was it the father? It seems I'd remember a turgid-toff name like that if he'd been here as a student, but I don't recall it at all. Mind you, not every pupil makes an impression, and some enjoy such good health that I never have occasion to know them. Perhaps that's it.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-04 01:10 am (UTC)Justin was experiencing a bit more trouble than usual, so Laura started digging into her family history. Turns out her grandmother was a Squib, which by French standards classified him as a halfblood. They had no idea until his magic manifested, of course.
Venice, yeah - it's been the only place I can find Ondine Tears and there was a request from Marguerite. Of course, they're tricky, as you know, since the ondines must shed them willingy, and - well, there aren't too many ways to get them to turn on the plumbing.