The Dungeons

What the ruddy hell--

Both of you back to your houses!

Students in the staff room. Something queer is afoot.

Mum,

Well, I'm settled here in Scotland again. I don't know what they think I can do here, but the position looks good on my CV, right? Even if it does involve children. I suppose the NEWTs students won't be too terrible. They've at least an interest in learning how to defend themselves from the Dark Arts. Or an interest in learning more about the Dark Arts, which frankly, I suppose, is six of one, half-dozen of the other.

( Still, one day in and I can see why Snape always wanted to hex us all to the walls. )

If you need me, ring my mobile. I've brought it with me. Or you can owl. I know you don't like it, but I'm not certain how being around this much magic will affect my mobile yet. If you can't reach me, then you use one anyway. I mean that, Mum. I don't want to worry about being this far away and you there by yourself. I've asked Aunt Pru to make sure she checks on you every day, and yes, I'm telling you this up front because I don't want the two of you arguing with each other about it.

I'd best go. I think I hear one of the brats out of bed.

Love,
Opal

[Sent to Regulus Black; Kempton Bulstrode; Marius & Cygna Flint; Gregory Goyle; Ellecampe Holloway; Lucius Malfoy; Peter, Iphigenia & Pansy Parkinson; Tertius & Viola Nott-Rogan; Kingsley Shacklebolt; Celeste Sinistra; Horace Slughorn; Andromeda Tonks; Blaise Zabini]

Fellow Slytherins,

While only some of you will be expecting this letter, I am sure none of you will be surprised by its content. The scandalous actions of the Hogwarts Board of Governors against Severus Snape has of course spurred Slytherin to action. I invite you all to a meeting to discuss our next step in addressing this attack on the very idea of Slytherin, and on the most successful representative of our House in the wizarding world today.

As many of you already know, word has it that Slytherin families will be withdrawing their children from Hogwarts en masse until the proper leadership of the school is restored. I fully support this movement and, like you all, I am sure, will do all I can to aid it. But I have called this meeting to add something to the discussion which may surprise and which will surely mean this campaign comes to a successful close very quickly. House Gryffindor is also gathering to remove students from Hogwarts until the Slytherin campaign is successful. It was inevitable, perhaps, that Headmaster Snape's long and close ties with certain leading Gryffindor figures would lead to this remarkable development, but it seems to warrant an escalation of our actions to date.

I suggest that we meet at four o'clock on Friday, the 4th of September, at Narcissa deVries' town house on Eaton Square (with the Floo address, Eaton Square). I am writing to you directly not only because your support for Headmaster Snape at this time is unquestionable but because you are all so very well connected. Please discreetly extend this invitation to all other leading Slytherin families of your acquaintance, even if you are sure they will know about the meeting by other means. It would be dreadful to exclude anyone by accident rather than design. However, the arrangement with Gryffindor should, I think, be kept to old and close friends for now. The event will be more effective for coming as a surprise to some.

I am at home to discuss any suggestions in advance all day tomorrow and then in London at Eaton Square on Friday. But I am sure we all know what needs to be done.

Regards,

Draco Malfoy

I almost said *it’s you*, or something. But if it really is you then *it’s you* doesn’t really cover it.

Dear Lukas,

I love the bracelet, it's so beautiful and you made it! I'll wear it all the time. I'm so sorry I couldn't write to you yesterday but the Headmistress is very serious about curfew and she's already given out lots of detentions. I couldn't get to the Owlery in time. I don't think she likes me very much, and Professor Sprout isn't here anymore. I don't know what's going on. Nothing's the same at all and I miss you so much.

Klara and Jacek aren't back either. I'm worried about them, but maybe they'll be at Durmstrang? I know they used to go there and didn't like it either. But if you're all there maybe you can spend time with them there and it'll be better. Not like here, but better. I hope it's better. Don't hate your parents, please? Professor Snape's your family, he's supposed to come first. And it's so different here, it's not nearly as much fun and everyone's surprised. Well, not the firsties, but they don't know what to think anyway.

All the professors are new except Binns and that one no one ever sees outside his classroom, you know the Ancient Runes professor. I don't know, the new ones look all right, but we haven't had any classes yet, they make us copy out lines in the Great Hall every day from the new rule book. It doesn't make any sense, there's a rule against everything, even things I've never wanted to do, and it's dreadfully dull but anyone who complains has detention.

I wish Headmaster Snape was still Headmaster and everything was just the same. It was going to be so lovely seeing you every day and all of us together. But I promise to write as often as I can too, and I'll think of you every day. We'll make the best of it, all right? And we'll think of something. I have to post this or I'll miss curfew.

Love,
Lainey

Dear Klara,

It's been two whole days and you're not here and I don't know what's going on. Lukas isn't here either, or Douglas. The school is completely different and Professor Sprout is gone and it's all miserable. If you're going to Durmstrang again, Lukas will be there. If you see him, please watch over him for me? He doesn't like it there either, and maybe if you're all together it won't be so bad.

I don't know. I hope you and Jacek are OK. I guess it's all right here. I'm not so sure about our new Head of House, but it's still Hogwarts, right? Write back to me when you can? Everything's a mess and I don't know what to think.

Love,
Lainey

Really, Headmistress, I must protest. Surely it is not necessary to require an additional two days of rule-learning for the Ravenclaws. They are, as you know, the brightest of our students, and I have already had several come to me with concerns about the class time they are missing. If the rest of my colleagues are not prepared to teach, then let the students at least go to the library. That way they would gain some useful knowledge with their time. I will, of course, oversee them in such an endeavor.

Sincerely,
Rolf Scamander
Head of Ravenclaw

I say, Sluggy, out with it, what's doing here at Hogwarts?

Heard Snape had been sacked and all that, and that you'd left, and what with Charlotte here I took the Potions position when it was offered. Have to keep an eye on the place after all and it's a good thing, too. They've turned out the whole school, it seems. Certainly not many faces here aside from the children that I remember from last year, and a sour puss in Gryffindor. I've already told Charlotte to mind how she pushes that one. Not too fond of the children I should think. And there's a thin slip of a girl for Slytherin. What's the world coming to? And this new Headmistress. Mincing and simpering trying to make out like she's one of those pastries that's all puff and no substance, and she's a tartar underneath it all. Merlin's balls, man, she's like a heavy neutralizer cut with a wee drain of sugar water and pink dye.

And you certainly shan't believe this. Who do you think is on staff now? Lolly! Shan't have a moment's peace unless I decamp whenever he drops off in that way of his.

So, out with it man, what's the good word? And when you're done with that, what's the real story?

Yrs etc,
Toodles

Professor,

Apologies for not owling earlier. This week has been a bit frantic, as you can imagine. If you've time Thursday night, I can meet you at the Hogsmeade station at midnight, yes. I'll need to let Draco know where I'm going, of course. I hope that's not a problem.

Until tomorrow, sir.

Harry