alt_ptolemy | Recent Entries

Karo's working the 'Aid Society' angle for all it's worth.

We've managed to identify at least half a dozen more willing to join the ranks. So much easier, admittedly, when it doesn't involve the Mark.

Also amazing what a blanket and some gold will do to buy assistance.

Bellatrix, we'll bring them round for your inspection?

Also, spoke with WWN. They'll comply. It will require checking in every day or two, but between me, Crispin, Nigel, Broome and Cadmus in a pinch, should be entirely manageable.

Follow-up from yesterday's excitement:

Agree with general belief that young Marvolo must be with Malfoy, likely with Black and Snape as well, since he mentioned them specifically. As such, undoubtedly they are at Grimmauld Place and further search unnecessary. Trust your MLE operatives are on round-the-clock surveillance but equally unlikely that any of them would be so foolish or so brazen as to make a mistake there. Will have to draw them out.

Better news on that score: the Rookwood post gained a reply. Continuing to monitor closely. Authorising additional details once MLE give the go-ahead.

RE: Narcissa. Haven't written yet but will shortly. Preference as to tone? Know the rumours are flying that she's known all along. Can't deny it looks...less than optimal. But she did have reason to believe Bellatrix was dangerous. Mafalda was the proof enough of that. Plan to take conciliatory stance, there. Any sense of the chance of clemency if she should provide needed intelligence that will help recover Marvolo or trap young Malfoy? With permission will send owl rather than over journal; even if she does think she can trust me, she's too clever to slip anything where others might see and she'll know we'll be reading her posts carefully, now. Her pustule of a son left us no choice.

Journals at Hogwarts: About what you'd expect. Recommend Enforcers further discourage assembly--anything we can do to force communication by observable methods will help. Much more difficult to catch when they can whisper in corners. In fact, suspect some may have...communication channels outside of the journals altogether. No evidence, really. Just a hunch, based on recent experience. Wasn't too long since Ned and I were there ourselves, after all.

Oh, on Ned: Wife's been giving him the cold shoulder since mid-April (you'll recall the date). Can't tell from her other communications, since there's no love lost on either side, there, but it's not leaving him in much of a mood for...collaboration. X-ref her communications with R Lestrange. Interesting reading there. Not sure if it's anything you can use. But he's in agreement with me about Narcissa, at any rate, that the timing of her Fidelius was more likely coincidence than collusion.

Will fwd complete list of Marvolo-Malfoy related traffic external to Hogwarts. It's a lengthy list. Hope you've got enough teams to make the rounds.

Aunt Narcissa,

Ned and Thorfinn just informed me about your message.

I see nothing so far in the public journals, so if it's not too late already, please, DON'T do anything. We'll take things from here. It may be that Ned and I need you to say something specific, at some point, but for now, there's no need to broadcast your independent decision. If what you say about Bella is true, it's only going to make things worse for everyone.

Sit tight, you and your mother. If you like, give us the secret and Ned and I can come by later (maybe Thorfinn, too, he's dead concerned about Bella eviscerating Mafalda like that yesterday without so much as a by-your-leave), and talk about what the best way is to keep rumours to a minimum. I reckon you've got about six hours before some reporter realises that the Manor's no longer visible.

(And honestly, the last thing Cadmus Mulciber needs is more of an excuse to remove Bella from power. I know you're frightened right now, but whatever is prompting her will surely pass, and we'll need her if--well, enough about that. The point is, don't worry about a thing.)

Is there anything else you need? If we visit later, we could bring it to you.

-Ptolemy

Congratulations. I'm sure there are more disconcerting ways to get the job but it's hard to conceive of one right now.

Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the office with my own eyes. Trust you'll be getting a new chair? They'll never get the blood out of the leather on that one, I don't care how many cleansing spells they use.

Anyway, naturally, whatever assistance our office can give to restore order, it's yours. We've already put a tight clamp on the Prophet and WWN. I'm sure you saw our memo instructing no one to post any personal statements, openly or private, in the journals.

Too bad no one could anticipate Mavis screaming her way down the corridors when she brought in his morning cuppa. Surprised Antosha didn't give anyone a warning, in fact.

No, we bloody well do NOT have sufficient control over the journals - we never had! Ned and I WEREN'T IN CHARGE when this started, you'll remember. And whomever had the capricious wit to provide Albus Bloody Dumbledore with a JOURNAL is either long dead, or ought to be. We were both still at SCHOOL, thank you very fucking much.

This is really no different from Black's ridiculous assaults on the journals back in the day. We're not taking responsibility for this any more than you lot did for that. If anyone's on the hook, Fudge, it's you and Mafalda, for not eradicating the threats to Our Lord's realm in the first place. Do you OWN fucking jobs!

Or someone else will.

Everything's in place. Took bloody forever to convince the old buzzard to give up his journal. Have reviewed communications (before we were able to cut them off) - subject replied. No immediate damage. Daggenham's been reading through past entries to acquire the right style.

Mafalda, he'll await your signal for next move.

Now I'm bloody well going home, if you don't mind. Tell Fudge I might bother to come back in to the office by next week.

Are we forgiven for invading yesterday? I didn't want you to be alone on Lucius' birthday.

I hope you'll consider coming with us tomorrow evening. Karo's newest is a triumph and she does so want you to hear it in person.

Quite a party last night.

Karo can't stop talking about after. She's glowing. I've a feeling we'll want to repeat the experience, if you're interested.

We're off to my father's this evening but perhaps supper on Tuesday? If you want to bring Orion, do. It's about time you two made things more official.

Don't worry about the headache, darling: You were perfect last night and you look radiant today. Just take care of Narcissa, will you? See she doesn't go mental on some unsuspecting, crass reporter looking for a quote.

Now that we've some time to sit, I've gone to get us refreshments. I shouldn't worry about the werewolves, love, they're quite under Our Lord's thumb.

It's good to see Barty looking more himself. I wonder if that abraxan is from the Malfoy stables, eh?

Yes, I've seen. Or rather, I was woken from a dead sleep in order to be shown.

Bugger, bugger, fuck, fucking bugger.

I've sent a messenger round to that whoreson cocksucker of a supposed arithmantic genius to get his arse back to the Ministry with or without the rest of him in the next fifteen minutes or I'm coming round to collect him MYSELF. And there's slim to no chance his house will still be standing fifteen minutes after that if I have to go there.

Then we'll see how he likes fixing the problem he said he'd fixed months ago when his wife and children are bleeding out in front of him. That fucking charlatan. Fixed, Merlin's left big toe!

Bugger ALL.

Told Karo to put plans on hold for now, Christmas parties or not. Trust you'll inform Lana of the same.

At the risk of Narcissa assuming the worst from this message header, wanted to let you know her audience went about as expected. Perhaps worse, in some ways.

One of her house-elves sought us out just before supper last night. The creature was beyond distressed but apparently Narcissa had forbidden it to seek Healer Fletcher. Luckily, Karo and I are under no such restriction.

We're staying with her at the Manor for the time being. She's refusing visitors; indeed, it was difficult to convince her to let us look after her. It took Healer Fletcher's insistence and even then she'll barely admit Karo into her chambers and prefers the elves to tend her.

Still, I knew she'd spoken to you about her intentions and you might be worried. There's nothing you need to do, though news of Barty would clearly ease her temperament. That's if the news is good, naturally. If it's not.... For now, we should keep that from her, I think.

Dido said you came looking for me yesterday, after the Wizengamot meeting. Meant to write earlier but more pressing matters took priority.

Well, what is it? Hope you're not thinking I ought to ask Our Lord to promote me over to one of the other offices. This position is fairly important, if for no other reason than it keeps certain secrets out of unwanted hands.

Oh, speaking of secrets: Thicknesse isn't going to back the play you're planning. Don't embarrass yourself by trying.

You see? It's important to stay where we are, Ned and I.

You'd do better to come along when Aunt Narcissa petitions Our Lord again. Had an owl from her this morning. Seems Uncle Lucius is weathering Azkaban a bit worse than expected. You might try your influence within the Wizengamot to get him a proper respite from the Dementors, if you're so contrite about things. Or at least see if you can arrange to have a proper barber in.

It might help if Our Lord realised that even you find the circumstances beyond the pale. Don't think He knows you and Lucius had begun to reconcile. At present, that may well work in our favour, so keep it that way, do.

Oh, by the way, checked with Karo and yes, we can stop by on Antonia's birthday. Just for a while, that is. We sent Malcolm and Lucy care parcels, so that ought to hold them until Christmas, don't you think?

Look, regardless of what you might think, I did not rush in to the office just to end the discussion. But I really don't know what you think there is to talk about; if you don't want to start a family yet, there's no reason to rush into it. Just because your mother thinks it's important? Rubbish. If you think I give a mudblood's dam about what your mother says on the topic of family planning then you haven't been paying attention. I married you, not your bourgeois parents. Say the word and I'll see to it she never brings it up again. (Nor Pandora, either. She hasn't dared broach it, has she?)

Anyway, as it happens I do have a real reason to have come in, annoying as that may be. Can't discuss, but if we don't resolve it, heads will roll.

But we'll work something out. No choice about it.

I might not be home tonight. But I'm not trying to avoid the subject. As far as I'm concerned, do what you like. Tell your mother to mind her own.

Hope you haven't made any plans because we are going out tonight!

The archives work! Going back to first September. Of course we'd prefer all the way back to June, to pick up anything we might learn about the planning for the Freedom Day disturbances but at least it's back up and running going forward.

I'll give you the technical explanations later tonight if you're interested. Of course, who would be if they didn't have to be, right? It boiled down to something about the older private messages and the number of people reading them, and that number not including the monitors but Cadgewell did...did something impossibly complicated and now the archives are updating automatically, just as they should do.

Oh, and Ned says he heard from Pugh that we since brought the monitors back in August, a whole crop of black market jewellers have been tidily set up and brought in by means of one of Revanche's fake journals. Another reason to celebrate.

I'm just glad Ned's the one dealing directly with the Drudge. He actually asked me if I'd rather make the reports to the Minister once in a while; I told him I'd rather soak my head in armadillo bile. What a fatuous arse. Fudge, of course, not Ned. Has to be the most boring patsy of the whole Protectorate.

Oh, before I forget--I heard through the grapevine that Aunt Narcissa's back at home. Sent her a Harrod's basket but I was thinking we should see if there's anything else we can do to cheer her up. Give it some thought, will you? (Apart from releasing Uncle Lucius, that is, of course. Dammit.)

Anyway. Tonight. Go buy a new frock or something. I'll be home round six and we'll hit the town.

No, I am not planning to come home for supper, late or otherwise. Ned and I still have another test of the archives this afternoon.

Who's coming, anyway? Oh, right. You said. Your parents. Well, you can entertain them on your own, can't you? Just play some of the new symphony, you said you wanted opinions on the second movement. You don't need me for that, surely?

If this goes well I'll be home by ten. Eleven at the latest. If not--well, we'll have to discipline certain of our technicians first. This project has gone on far too long without adequate results.