Justin Finch-Fletchley

To the one who now calls himself Harry Potter:

You belong to me, and always have. This has always been your purpose. This has always been your destiny. Accept it - embrace it.

Come to me and you need never know pain or fear again. Come to me willingly, and you can end this pointless conflict now and forever. Come to me before midnight in two days' time, and no one else need die because of your cowardice. Submit to my will, and understand. It's time, Harry.

Your schoolmates' lives depend on you obeying my command.



We're back in the Great Hall. The lower years are being given lunch in their common rooms (and presumably supper as well, what). The examiners tried to make us sit our Potions N.E.W.T. but gave it up for a bad job after only the first two hours.

Zach came back a little before luncheon. He still looks a little green round the edges but he seems pleased with himself. I heard that two more students were Cruciated early this morning for writing sedition: Adelheid Zimmerman and Katrina Fitzgibbon. I think everyone was asleep, or trying to sleep, what. Luna, could you check on Fitzgibbon? And Sue, perhaps your sister or brother would look in on Zimmerman. I'm not sure they're back from the Hospital Wing yet.

It's bally well tense, what, but currently it's down to a dull simmer.

Unfortunately, as yet there's been no chance to slip off to collect anyone's wands but we'll continue to watch for an opportunity. Or create one, what.

Above all, let us know when you're in position and wish to begin any sort of assault. We can make sure to alert the others. Even without wands, we can activate the X on the Galleon and everyone will erupt into action.

Hang in there, everyone. We'll all right for now.

-Justin

Antonin,

Your gift did indeed find its way to me at Ron's. Thank you very much; I'm sure they'll be jolly well useful. I shall have to research how to reset them after use, what. I do hope my little item gave you a laugh.

I say, it does seem we're in sore need of some laughs this holiday. The news of the Longbottom siblings' disappearance is well troubling. Our mates have been quite baffled by it all, what, trying to piece together what might have happened.

On a related note...I hope we shall have time to continue our sessions over the holidays. I'm back at the Ministry days, but Mr Pontner was most gracious about letting me take time to go with Ron to spar at MLE's facilities and he made it clear that any other such excursions related to my training with you would have no negative impact on my internship with IMR. As it seems we are beset with rot from within, as it were, I believe it imperative to prepare for any possibility.

Likewise, I've been thinking about the assistance I hope I provided this last week. No doubt you shall have need of a qualified clerk as soon as the new half term begins--and, if one may be so bold as to say it, I imagine you might be highly concerned about such an appointment. Were I part of a treasonous organisation, what, I should not lose the opportunity to put forward a candidate to assist you who is, in secret, working against the Protectorate. Put simply, you need someone you can trust, sir. Someone you already know is committed to this country and its future. I pray you to consider what service I might provide in that capacity.

Please do not think my forwardness derives from a desire for that payment which you generously offered last week. You're quite right that I must think of making my own way but that is the least of my concerns at present. I'm also aware, of course, that many matters crossing your desk pertain to my own classmates, and indeed, my own work--I can only say that you may rely on my discretion, of course, and I would naturally recuse myself from anything that I ought not to see ahead of others in my lessons. I should be much easier knowing that you are avoiding any opportunity for another traitor to insinuate him- or herself into your sanctum.

If you've already someone in mind, what, then naturally, I shall continue as we have done with the greatest pleasure. Only I do hope you will not hesitate to call on me whenever you have need.

Meanwhile, I hope you and Auror Crouch have managed to make the holiday as merry as can be expected under the circumstances. Thank you again for thinking of me--and for the rings. They're smashing.

Happy Christmas,

-Finch-Fletchley

Ron, Mrs Weasley,

As we're going home by Floo, I wonder if I should go to the Burrow? (I would have said the Jugsons but under the circumstances, I say, probably better not to impose.) Of course, that means my trunks will go there, too, but we should be able to move them out relatively quickly.

Hydra, that means you'll have to get Jack to me after supper. Can you manage or are you still tied up by the Ministry's representatives?

How is everyone else holding up, both here and at home?

-Justin

Hullo,

I say, I'm all right. Madam Pomfrey's given me a compress to hold on the leg for the time being but she pronounced it a clean wound, shouldn't take her a moment to heal it.

She hasn't got a moment at present, what.

But everything seems to be settling down. I believe the threat to the castle is at an end, though I should all stay snug in your common rooms if I were you!

-Finch-Fletchley

Hullo,

Loki Dames just passed me a note from the Headmistress. I'm to come up this afternoon, when exams are over for the day but before supper. The Heads of Houses will be there.

So I suppose if anyone wants to come along, it'll be today.

I thought you two might be the best ones to pass the word. Hydra hasn't decided if she should come or not but either way, I thought it'd be best to write something semi-public about it, what?

-Justin

Hullo again,

I say, it's been quite a long couple of weeks, what, with Terry's and Sally-Anne's difficulties.

There's something I've been wanting to tell you all but we've all been preoccupied with their more pressing problems. But now that they're both able to monitor their journals again--well, I mean to say, I had best get this in before something else happens, what!

So, I'm not sure whether any of you who were there realised it but at that camp in Newcastle, while the rest of you went to see the herb garden, a camp official called my name and told me to come with him. I didn't see much choice and it certainly wasn't worth a panic, not to mention that had I looked guilty or tried to signal any of you or done anything else well odd, I'm sure he might have thought something was amiss and chosen to scrutinise me further. Hydra says she saw that I was well frightened but that it looked more or less the way anyone would do when one can't imagine why one's in trouble--sort of like the look people got in Cambridge when the Proctors told them they weren't meant to walk on the grass, what?

Well, anyway, as I said, this bloke asked me if I were Justin Finch-Fletchley and of course I bally well said that I was, and then he said that I was to come with him, so I did. And he led me into the large house they told us were their administrative offices. I was getting more and more nervous, I can tell you! But when I managed to ask him whatever could be the matter he just said, 'Don't know, do I? Someone wants to meet you,' and then grumbled a bit about being put off the schedule for the morning. He took me to a rather nice little study overlooking the lawn. Mr Rosier was there--Finnigan's guardian, what--and he invited me to sit down and then he asked had I given any thought to staying in England at the end of the year.

I say, of course I have done, what! But I tried to stay calm and listened to what he had to say about it. It was difficult to tell if he knew anything; I don't think he did, really, because at one point he tried to make it sound as if I could escape Toubon and the others by declaring right away and getting Sorted so that I'd no longer be considered a Beauxbatons student. I suppose he didn't consider that one would still have to see them in the corridors or that they are sharing Ravenclaw Tower to be much of an impediment, what?

But he didn't say anything that even remotely sounded like a threat. And he did offer tea but I said no, thank you, I was quite content, so that I wouldn't become tempted to tell him things I might not have done otherwise. I don't think it was his own idea to talk to me, though: I think that someone else at the Ministry believes it would be a coup for them to gain a defector out of the Beauxbatons delegation. They asked Mr Rosier to come because of Seamus and in his new job I suppose it's rather under his jurisdiction.

I didn't ask just then about my mother. I didn't wish to give them any reason to look into her any more than the French have done. Besides, he mentioned going into fostering so I doubt they'd want her to come to England--which jolly well suits me since I'd want her to leave France altogether, what? And go to Canada or America or somewhere it'll be much harder for them to decide they do want her hostage against my good behaviour.

Because that's the pill among the sugar, isn't it? The reason they want me to stay is to show everyone how brilliant life is here and declare myself a bally old convert to the Protectorate's way of life. So if I were to stay, I expect I'd have some responsibilities to uphold and of course, while Mr Rosier didn't say anything of the kind, it stands to reason that if I displeased the Ministry, there could be repercussions, what?

But if no one's thought already of holding her then perhaps I could say that as a condition of my remaining, I want to make sure no one in France can retaliate against her, and that I want confirmation she's been able to go somewhere else to live. I think she has an aunt in America; perhaps she can go and live with her and then she'll be safe. That would give them something they want while making sure I've got something I want without necessarily making them realise their mistake.

He said that there were a number of details we'd have to work out, such as where I'd be fostered (but he implied that it'd be with a well-to-do family, what) and I don't know about the YPL or anything, I didn't ask. He also didn't say I had to give an answer straightaway, that I should take all the time I needed, but of course, it should be decided before the end of the term.

So. I thought we should all have a think about what else I might want to ask for by way of assurances, before I give an answer. Or what else there is to think about. I've a list and it's growing longer but I know you lot will jolly well have questions I can't think of and wouldn't necessarily know to ask.

What's Hufflepuff like? I mean to say, I've barely spent any time with Smith, MacMillan, Hopkins and Stebbins. (Isn't there another one in the 4^th? Oh, Summers.) I say, we'd be rather cramped, what?

-Justin