Sirius Black

Well, how bad was it?

You know, if I'd been thinking clearly I could have gone with you as Padfoot, for a little moral support.

Sorry for not thinking of it sooner. I suppose I've been distracted by drafting this Grim Truth Alice wants, trying to come up with ways to tell people about the private messages without making it clear that we have someone on the inside letting us know how long it would be before they start archiving them again.

Anyway, supper's ready if you're feeling like joining us. The 'whole family,' I suppose we might start calling it. Not that Remus, Hermione or I are very hungry after the spread they put on at Moddey. If you don't want to tell Draco how his mother is, you can tell me after Bea goes to bed.

I'm sure Snape wants to hear all about Dolohov's house, though.

Bill, we got your Patronus just in time. Thanks.

It seems like it's the day for everything to happen: Ivy and now this.

They're looking at the upstairs now so I'll have to change back to Padfoot in a moment.

Just wanted everyone to know we're in the middle of it now. More after it's over.

Arthur, this application is a monster! No wonder the Ministry had so much trouble getting people to participate. Six pages of application, four - no, five supplemental schedules depending on one's answers - and that's leaving out the mandatory attestations pages with all the clauses one has to sign. 'If selected, I the undersigned do hereby swear and give oath that the Muggleborn Assistant assigned to me or my place of employment shall not be used for inappropriate, seditious, illegal or illicit purposes' and all that.

Well, we expected that much. But Merlin, they make it difficult to try to stack the deck (also the point, I know).

And then it's all in septuplicate (Why are they so obsessed with seven? Numerologically, sure, but Circe. Seven!)

I think we've just about done the thing properly. We put down that the candidate had to have letters and maths, just to be on the safe side. We're not sure what to say about Laszlo's Unlimited, though. If we put down Food Service or Bartending as a secondary requested skill, well, it might trigger them to come and investigate things a little more fully (c.f., the question about agreeing to an inspection of the place of business wherein the Muggleborn will be working if said Muggleborn will have contact with Citizen cutomers in the course of the Muggleborn's duties). Well, I mean to say, the Ministry know about the cafe in the back and our minor annoyance Mr Hill seems to know that not everything in our back garden is officially sanctioned on our licence, else he wouldn't demand quite so much in shakedown Sickles (and yes, he was back again this week, which may be why I'm particularly sensitive to the thought of their 'inspections'). But at the same time, we don't want to leave it off because it might be the kind of thing that tips the balance toward Ellie.

Or perhaps this really isn't such a good idea, at all. Maybe this is an indication that Beth is trying to get us caught somehow, under the guise of doing something altruistic.

I don't mind saying it feels dirty just to fill the blasted thing out. The idea that something so supercilious could also be made into a distilled process is maddening. If there's anything you can think of that will help assure it gets us either Laurel Sinclair or Ellie Summer, mate, give it to us. Dora will drop the application on her trip in Sunday, so we've the rest of the weekend to make any changes we need to make (and make sure it gets fixed on all sets of the application).

Dora and Bea are up. Arthur, Bill, if you've any advice, we'd love to hear it.

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?