Order Only: Mysteries

[alt_sirius]

Listen. Remus and I took ourselves on a jaunt last night.

We thought, with the school pretty nearly empty, we could dash in and hide a book in the library stacks. Then when they're back, Fred and George could 'find' the book and use it to work on Occlumency. And boys, if you happened to share some of it with your other friends, well, that would be just fine.

We got up to Hogwarts and used the second-floor tunnel (the one that opens up under the portrait of Maghnus the Munificent) and we were on our way to the library when we saw a door about to open. So we hid.

I'm still not sure I want to contemplate why a witch would be leaving your quarters, Snape, at that hour. But off she went and she wasn't even retching. So maybe you weren't in and she was trying to spy on you. Or 'Milland' as the case may be.

Well, obviously we had to follow her to find out her game. We kept a safe distance and she led us into an office - Alecto Carrow's, but it wasn't Alecto Carrow we were following. But she let herself in and immediately got on the Floo to make a call.

We had to lurk in the corridor - in fact the one time Remus tried creeping closer he nearly got caught - so we could only catch a few phrases. They were dead interesting phrases, though:

'I need more time' (for what?)
'You've no idea the paranoia around here'
'They all support Minerva even if she's a drunkard' (Sorry, Minerva!)
'No, I don't know who's poisoned Alecto' (emphasis mine)


So. Yes, we did something on our own; it was dangerous; we're well chagrined we didn't seek permission or let anyone know. We thought you'd all rather maintain plausible deniability.

The important thing is: You've got a spy at Hogwarts. A female, anyway. Doing something to undermine you, Minerva.

And someone's poisoning Alecto Carrow. Is it too much to hope they'll succeed? Kill the Secret Keeper and that ends the Fidelius. We could get to Terry.

Of course, perhaps whomever's working on her is thinking just that. But who? DogStar? Not sure they'd care about one little muggleborn teenager. Crimson Company? They have a completely different agenda, it's all about reassignment of wealth with them. Merlin knows the Carrows have enough enemies between them, it could be anyone.

And I also find it singularly interesting that our resident spy at Hogwarts, the one who went there on his own authority precisely because he could be so useful, either didn't know any of this - or didn't bother to tell us. Which was it, Severus?

Comments

[alt_poppy]

Goodness, what a story.

You thought you could break into Hogwarts and leave a book hidden in the library shelves for Fred and George Weasley, did you?

Because it would not have been at all sounder, quicker, or more direct to convey such a book to them directly by meeting them somewhere as you did earlier this week, or if that seemed too difficult to arrange, then via their parents either by having Dora give it to Arthur at work, or by leaving it in a safe drop, or by taking it to the Burrow or to Bill's flat, which you've only just visited and thus should know perfectly well how to find again.

Oh, yes, I entirely believe you.

[alt_frank]

regardless of their reasons for being there, you've got to admit that they've overheard something important.

and you couldn't see her face clearly?

what was her body shape? hair colour? what was she wearing? any distinctive verbal tics?

it does seem like whoever she is, she hasn't sorted out what min is involved in, so that's some sort of relief. and yes, I'd be interested to sort out if the carrow woman is being poisoned, and if so, by who. poppy, have you noticed anything unusual about her lately?

[alt_poppy]

I have the same questions and was just writing them to ask...

What did this spy look like? Was she tall or not? Broad or slight? Was hers a high-treble voice? or a low-pitched one?

It couldn't have been Aurora Sinistra, as she's out of the castle at the moment. And must have been someone who knew that Alecto's left. Off to visit the other one, presumably.

As for Alecto, it's quite true that she's ill. Won't let me near her, however, and I've not pushed. If she chooses to suffer, that's her lookout.

[alt_pomona]

Wilhelmina's gone too - off to see family. Not that I'd suspect it of her, of course.

I'm thinking through the others, but I admit we're not always the most gregarious with sharing plans.