The Dungeons

Dear Healer Wilde,

I am a staff writer on The Daily Prophet. During the course of my research for a feature on the state of our nation's mental health care I came across your cogent, thought-provoking and compassionate article Duty of Care: Autonomy Vs. Paternalism in The Caduceus. I would like to request an interview with you for my article. You have the clarity of vision to shed light on the many failings (e.g. inadequate guidelines for involuntary commitment allow unstable elements in our society to escalate into dangerous ones) of our healthcare system and an authoritative yet sympathetic voice that draw and hold one's attention. I look forward to providing a platform for your thoughts and ideas, they deserve a wider readership.

Yours sincerely,
Gary Rusbridger

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The letter is written on official Prophet stationery.

Tonks,

I've heard back from Arthur. He ran Marcellus through the Hit Wizard tracers and the nearest they could come to was that they think he might still be in London. His signature's incredibly muted though and they can't get a precise lock on it--in fact, they're still not entirely certain it's him. It's too weak for positive verification.

Arthur suggested it might be deliberate interference or some sort of magical encryption, if it is Marcellus. He's having a team look into it. I'll let you know as soon as he gets back to me, but it might be a couple of days, he said. He's also going to check with a few of his connections over in Moscow.

Draco and I went looking too this morning. We had pretty much the same results. General London, not able to narrow it down any further. We'll keep trying though. Draco was a bit upset. Well, that might be understating it a bit. I thought he was going to hex someone when we couldn't get any further despite the fact his tracking spells are a hell of a lot better than the Hit Wizards', to be blunt. I had to make him stop before he wore himself out magically. He wasn't exactly happy with me. I think he would have kept going until he dropped from exhaustion. You know how draining those spells are. We'll try again this weekend.

And I suppose we should talk about that look you gave me this morning at breakfast. It's not what you think, and I know what was in your head. I didn't break Rule 19 (b). I really didn't. I stayed over because Lily got upset when it was time for us to leave. She wanted to stay at Lake Cottage, and I thought she should spend some time here. I was going back to Brown's, but Draco told me he wasn't going to let me go back to the hotel alone to get pissed out of my mind (okay, he might have said it a bit differently). So I spent the night in Lucius' room. I didn't even stay in mine and Draco's--I couldn't. It would have been a really stupid thing. Like Rule 88, subclause 1e stupid. Yeah. So. Nothing happened.

Well. I kissed him. Or he kissed me. Or something. And then we fought. Again. Jesus. Did you know he thought I'd moved in with Ron? How fucking stupid does he think I am? Jesus. I'm still not certain he believes I slept on the couch the entire time, and why the hell do I even need to justify myself to him, Tonks? Why? It's not like he gives a shit. He just wants--Christ. I don't even know what he wants any more. All we do is argue and snipe when we see each other.

Anyway. This isn't about me. I just wanted to explain so you didn't jump to conclusions.

I'm going to see if I can pull a few more strings outside the MLE for you. Chin up, love. He'll show up any day now, laughing at us all for being worried, and you can shout at him all you want before you kiss him senseless.

Love,
Harry

Sirius,

This is not about Harry. I know you're sick of it all and maybe that's fair enough too, I don't know, it's hard to know. I don't think there's anything Lily could do where I'd just think fuck it I've done enough I wash my hands of you but then maybe she's too small for me to tell or maybe I just can't tell cause half the time now it seems so unlikely I'll ever see her old enough to piss me off like that. Anyway, Harry's pretty sure that's how you feel and no this isn't about Harry.

It's not even about Lily, or it can't really be any more because I've made such a fucking mess of things that it's not about what's best for her any more it's just what can I do that won't make it impossible for me to ever even see her.

I'm not getting to the point and I'd got a hell of a lot better at getting to the point. There's only so much farting about and stalling you can do when things have to be sorted out fast so nobody dies, right? But I always looked up to you, wanted you to think I was doing well, and I'm so spectacularly fucking not doing well right now so maybe I just don't want to admit it.

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There is right and there is wrong and we both know that. But sometimes you do what's not totally right because it seems like there's a bigger right at stake. And sometimes you're just an idiot and you find you've done something wrong and you've just got to make it as right as you can get it and not go on about it over and over to yourself because that won't help a fucking thing. But how long can it go on before you know it's just too wrong and can never be fixed? And when do you know you're not safe enough any more for the people you love to be able to protect them properly? I tell myself I'd never do anything to Lily, or to Viktor or Harry, or any of the family, never. Wouldn't matter what I thought I saw my brain would never let me see that, right? It just wouldn't because it's my brain still. But I've had dreams where I did and they scare the fuck out of me even though I know they're not real.

Short version is run yourself to exhaustion and know you're making a difference isn't working any more. What next?

RW

Ron,

Viktor's first game is tomorrow? I didn't realise that he'd be playing so quickly. That's brilliant!

Harry said that you needed someone to go to the match with you and Lily and of course I jumped at the chance! I'll meet you there before the match. Got to wish Viktor luck!

Dad