Order only: Evening Prophet

[alt_sirius]

Well, there it is: Ministry Puts Stop to Questionable Practice; Corruption at Clinics

Looks like there were about six of them raided, as well as another four that were investigated with 'no findings of wrongdoing' according to the article.

Bad luck, Poppy: Eosphorous wasn't one of the ones owned by this Smethley chap, but at least it's agreed to close its doors, so the papers say.

Not a word about Malfoy, of course, though there's a rather ominous quote from a Mr Sebastian Maule, to the effect that 'Certain people in high places can't stand another man's success.'

Meanwhile, Dora and I have been talking and we're fairly sure we can convert the flats to either side of the garden into tidy little compartments for muggleborn to hide, if we can figure out how to let them know it's safe to hide there. Still not sure where they could go from there. Don't suppose we'd be able to restore the Vale of Glamorgan, or that it'd be safe even if we did. But perhaps there's somewhere else along the coast, where a bit of land could go unnoticed. Their own private Moddey Dhoo, eh?

As for wands. I went round Ollivander's today. Padfoot did, I should say. Merlin, I hadn't realised the protections on the place. I don't see how anyone can get in after-hours. Arthur, was that a Ministry bloke I saw in the shop, taking down the precise measurements of each wand as it's made and then filling in the names of the buyers? Stone me. Harder than I thought.

Oh, and Arthur, Bill: I've another favour to ask. Our contact, Terrie Taylor, up in Stevenage. She needs a new job. Any ideas? I think if we approach her the right way about it, she may still be able to help us on occasion - but bear in mind that she's got no desire to swear in to the Order. And I don't think it'd be a very good idea, in any case. But I don't think she'll be able to stay in her current position for much longer. It's a bit complicated. Just ... if you hear about anything, or can think of anything, let me know?

Comments

[alt_arthur]

Regarding Ollivander's: yes, I'm not surprised. I'm afraid that the Ministry keeps an extremely strict watch on wand purchases. It would be extremely difficult to use them as a source.

[alt_bill]

About Terrie. I'll give it some thought.

Is there some position with Laszlo's she could take? Not anything that would require swearing her to the Order, I mean.

[alt_sirius]

Er, probably best not to connect her too closely to Laszlo's, no.

At least not before we know

Yeah. Better not.

[alt_molly]

Good heavens! I have no idea if this is related in any way, but Percy just got home from a garden party event that was held at Narcissa Malfoy's garden party, at Kensington Gardens.

You'll never believe it, but Lucius Malfoy's last clerk was found stuffed under a hedge, obviously obliviated, with his robes torn and bloody. Percy said they had to take him to St Mungo's. He'd been worked over, quite thoroughly. Made quite a to-do, believe me! Isn't THAT rather a bobble in Narcissa's entertainment! Rather a little different than pixies in the punchbowl!

[alt_bill]

What on earth?

[alt_bill]

Uh...I'll see what I can find out.

[alt_sirius]

Too much to hope they arrested Malfoy for it, is it?

[alt_poppy]

Eosphorous have agreed to close? Without being charged with any malfeasance? I should like to have been a fly on the wall during those negotiations!

No, indeed, the Vale of Glamorgan would not be a good idea. I do have a thought, though.

The north and Scotland are dotted with tiny bothies like the one I stayed in last week. They were rarely visited even when Muggle ramblers were free to use them, and now, well. Wizards are much more likely to end a day of rambling by Apparating to an inn than to kip in some rough cottage or cattle shed in the middle of Merlin knows where.

Many of them are still on private (wizard-owned) property, but a great lot of them are on lands seized from Muggles. What I don't know, I suppose, is whether the Ministry have some way of knowing when a bit of the public land goes missing from the map. I doubt it. Why would they think to worry about such a thing? But, then, it's hard to measure their propensity for paranoia.

Bill or Arthur? Do you have any idea whether the Ministry have any way of knowing if a bit of the public land were to be suddenly made unplottable? No alarms were raised when we hid Moddey Dhoo, but that was early going for the government and things could have changed, I suppose.

Alternatively, I think we might be safe to target some of the mountain bothies on privately held parcels, like those in Northumberland. I don't believe the owner in that case would notice the loss of a tiny parcel here and there in the remoter areas. He respects the old rights of way, so he's never thrown up wards around any but the inhabited portions of his land. I could have a look about this coming week: Pomona and I are booked in for a course at Alnwick Gardens, and we've planned all along to do a bit of a ramble after that finishes. She's particularly keen to see if we can't find a second coral root orchid for her collection, and that search will, perforce, take us into the less-travelled areas of the estate.

[alt_sirius]

Sorry to just be getting back to you now, Poppy. Saturday night, you know: Dora's little beer garden is only just quieting down for the evening.

The north would certainly be less inhabited, it's true. I wonder if we could set them up on the eastern coastline, along the North Sea; it's possible that with a little work on Aleks's part, we could pass them through to Norway or the Netherlands when the wards drop at the solstice. Not in December, obviously, but next summer, perhaps.

You don't suppose we'd be able to transport them all the way to Stromness, do you? It'd certainly be out of the way.

[alt_poppy]

Sounds as if that beer garden is becoming quite a success. I mean to pay a visit before the summer's out--use some of my own polyjuice for a change.

We could certainly look into northern points for a summer transfer if you think Aleks could arrange it next June.

And, of course, we can transport them wherever we choose. That is what side-along Apparition is for, isn't it? People-smuggling. I'm sure that's entirely what Philonius Farquhar had in mind when he developed the technique. It will require planning and personnel, mind you, and I'm not saying it would be easy. It would require quite a network of intermediate stops, but it could be done, absolutely.

[alt_sirius]

Ugh, I don't know what would be worse: All the Apparating, or all the ginger it would take to be able to do the Apparating.

I've been thinking more and more about adequate safehouses along the route, though. Mrs Langworthy, she's a game one. There have to be more like her out there.

With the right number of places we could move people up the coast with a few portkeys, or by Floo, even. Or just on broomback, at night.

[alt_poppy]

Thankfully we are not all affected as you are.

I think that Pomona's sister-in-law might could be approached. We've been talking about Tilda in this way for some time. She is a good sort and is willing to refrain from asking questions when it's clear she ought not to. Pomona believes we could trust her further than that with our secrets, but I think it better to take things in stages for her safety as much as our own.

[alt_poppy]

And, of course, if we make judicious choices about places to create safe houses and secret enclaves, we could go ahead even without sorting unplottability. Sherwood are making a go of it. But what happened to the Vale of Glamorgan is a caution. Will always be a risk.

I do wish we knew how they came under MLE's scrutiny. Whether it was the son who spilled the beans in exchange for his Quidditch dreams or whether MLE came to that information by some other avenue. I know that it doesn't do to dwell on these matters, but I can't help thinking that we have increased our own vulnerability of late. One misstep or accident for one of us would bring us all into question.

[alt_arthur]

The answer to your question to me, Poppy, is unfortunately 'I don't know.' Bill, what department would that be, do you think?

[alt_bill]

Well, land ownership is under records, of course. But I don't know...making something unplottable might draw uncomfortable attention, only I don't know from whom.

I'll do some research.