Triumphant: logs, entries, media.

The train from Hogwarts cannot arrive soon enough. My birthday was an annoyance in school because it reminded everyone that I was the youngest. Now it's because it reminds me I haven't seen my daughter since Easter. I wonder if there's much more lonely than a special occasion when your whole family isn't present.and goodness only knows what is happening at that school At least she will be home soon.

[Narcissa, Mr Nott]
I admit I'm less than happy to learn there was a security breach at Hogwarts from my mother after she read it in the newspaper. Whether it was students or not,  I'm  not sure, with everything that's been happening, whether it might be better for Gracie to take her exams at a different school. They're two years away still, but fourth year leads into fifth

DMLE Hit-wizards
Soooo anyone actually planning to ever use an Unforgivable? Like at all, ever, under any circumstances whatsoever?

[DMLE]

The DMLE may now be permitted to use Unforgivables, but there are additional parameters in order to make our accountability as transparent as possible:

Each Unforgivable used must be fully documented by the issuer, including a detailed report that explains the context in which the Unforgivable was used, potential witnesses and reasons for why an Unforgivable was necessary. Your wand will also need to be examined. The forms are located outside my office.

Failure to file the appropriate report will result in a 3-week suspension.

Abuse of this new license will result in immediate termination.

Would a subnational say that a government that cannot keep control without using Dark magic is bullshit?

[Private]
If a disappearance doesn't fall under the DMLE, what does that mean? I've never done much crimes reporting, it's not like I've had to think about this sort of thing before. The DMU does... wand registering and spell monitoring, and regulators. Obviously if anything it's the last one. Does that mean someone killed him using magic? Not Dark magic or it would be Aurors, which is still DMLE, which I guess at least means it's not related to the Death Eaters on the loose. Not that I have any clue why Death Eaters would target Freddy anyway. But then I don't know why anyone would target him. He's annoying, sure, but annoying enough to kill? I doubt it. Maybe that's just me. But doesn't that mean the most likely suspects would be the other neighbours? And, well, me, and I know I haven't had regulators asking me questions. I think that's the thing that really worries me. If he'd been lying in the house dead, that would be one thing. And if there was a big murder investigation that would be another. But... there's nothing. Just his house sitting there empty and unwarded. Why wouldn't they be going up and down the street getting statements? Even if they thought it was someone somewhere else that he was pissing off by owl post or something, surely they'd want to know who saw what.

And now these law changes. Legalised Unforgivables for law enforcement and citizens being legally obliged to report "suspected subnationals", whatever that means. They seem to be talking about people who might be Death Eaters given the context, which, I mean, that's fair enough in some sense considering there's at least two (three?) of them out there still that they haven't managed to recapture, but the legal obligation is pretty worrying. I'm not even sure how you'd police that. How do they know whether people actually suspect or not? Couldn't people just say "whoops, my bad, I guess I don't think of people like that!"? Because I know I don't look at my coworkers and think "hmm, you seem a bit cranky these days, I wonder if you're a subnational." They'd have to give everyone veritaserum or something and that can't be practical.

I was thinking not that long ago about actually setting a date with Tilden, maybe at the end of this year, but right now the idea of planning a wedding just doesn't seem that important appealing pressing

Maybe we should anyway. It's not like either of us is getting any less busy.
[/Private]

[Fabi

[ ORDER (minus Albus Dumbledore) ]

My friends, hello! First, may I say it was lovely to see so many of you again!

I thought I would summarise the conclusions drawn in our momentous meeting, which was so graciously hosted by James Potter. Thank you, James, for receiving us in your home.

i. HORCRUXES

Murder is required to create a Horcrux. Mr Black has informed us that Regulus Black (known Death Eater, known informant to the DMLE) has acquired one at great cost. The questions are:

How many Horcruxes does the Dark Lord possess? Given the death count of the First War, I think it is safe to posit that he has several. If this is the case, we ought to re-look at the deaths we know came by his hand… and perhaps those around which doubt still remains.

What actually is serving as the Horcrux in Regulus Black's possession?

How does one destroy a Horcrux? Mr Black, will your brother be amenable to sharing information with us? I feel that our aligned interests ought to override the enmity of the past.

ii. KNOWN DEATH EATERS & ASSOCIATES

At large
Lestrange, Bellatrix
Lestrange, Rabastan
Rosier, Evan

? Fenrir Greyback

Mssrs Avery & Nott remain in the public eye

Suspected associates
? Narcissa Malfoy

iii. DUMBLEDORE AND DUMBLEDORE SYMPATHISERS

It pains me to sayI think, perhaps, it may be safer to assume that anyone and everyone is pro-Dumbledore unless otherwise proven.

iv. WANDS

If you would like an unregistered wand, could you kindly let me know what your preferences re. cores/wood/characteristics are? Thank you!!

v. DISAPPEARANCES

Does anyone know more about what's going on? I tried to file a report on one of my old Knockturn contacts, but I was redirected to the DMU?

Well. I guess they really don't have anything better to talk about. At least the Daily Prophet still makes for decent composting.

I can hardly imagine that a single weekly serve of gelato is enough to affect anyone's weight if they are otherwise healthy. Listening to some of my coworkers bemoan the misery of their diets and martyring themselves over turning down something sweet is so tiresome. For all that I was born and raised here, and that I have never been truly tempted to leave more than temporarily, it's times like these that I find myself referring to 'English women' as something distinctly Other with strange customs that I don't entirely understand. Perhaps tomorrow I shall bring in a lunch of gateau and cheesecake simply so they can feel better about themselves for their plain sprouts and unleavened bread or whatever fad diet they're following at the moment.

And for those who wish to know "what gelato even is": it is ice cream made in the traditional Italian fashion, with a higher content of milk than cream and much less air. This makes it lower in fat, denser, and typically more flavoursome than cheaper British or American ice creams. For the extra curious, sorbet - in French - or sorbetto - in Italian - is a non-dairy dessert made using fruit flavours in a sugar syrup, often mixed with alcohol. Granita is sorbetto that hasn't been mixed as smoothly so as to create larger ice crystals. All frozen desserts were introduced to France and broader Europe from Italy by Catherine de Medici on her marriage to the Duke of Orleans. Ultimately, if you have never had gelato before, I advise you to try it. And stop obsessing over what you eat. Change your routine to involve more physical activity instead, you will be far happier.

[ORDER minus DUMBLEDORE]

We have a lot to talk about. And there is no point in keeping secrets or splitting off from one another, now. We're either all in -- or we're out. Got it? Good. If all this is going to work -- I need you. We need each other.

Is everybody available to come to my house tonight, say around 17:00? Bring a dish, and I'll have dinner waiting.

[Private]
The new orders from Shackebolt are at least as disturbing as a lot of the other things that have been happening. Yeah, it's typical to pass off missing persons to someone else, but that's usually in a pretty casual way. Not this checking against files and then forwarding it and pretending it never happened. What the hell's going on? Are we being phased away from DMU and this is them putting up some  I don't know, some kind of Berlin wall between us? Or is it something to do with the disappearances themselves that they're suddenly beyond our clearance level? They're not  maybe covering up murders by either Death Eaters or that other lot, are they? I know people are scared, but I'm not sure lying to them is the answer. What happens if everything comes out later on? It will be so much worse than anything we could imagine now.
[/Private]

[Warded to: DMLE]

Any inquiries regarding missing persons must be checked against Ref. Code SN-4390.

If confirmed, please forward the inquiry to the Department of Magical Usage. You are not to pursue the matter further.

I picked up my quill yesterday and began to put together some notes I had made regarding conflicting accounts of Magical and Muggle relationship during the post-Arthurian era. It's fascinating to review the primary texts and see such desperately dissimilar accounts. It is the work of the historian to review those accounts and determine which one gives weight to - or if one must give weight to both in the end. It is not a task anyone should take lightly.

[WARD: PRIVATE]

I have reviewed it a dozen times. Ran every spell I can think of to trace it, and it has left me - bewildered.

It is pointless to ask who, there are any number of people, but Prisca being in France was to keep her safer... to allow her the opportunity to learn and to grow in a way she could not here. And while her Aunt is aware of the situation, she is unable to give any light to who or what.

Perhaps it is time to bring her home for the summer. She may not prefer it, but it would give her an opportunity to interact with Theodore in a way she has not for years... Yes. I think that it must be done.

He's subnational, she's subnational; you're probably a subnational, aren't you, you wicked thing.


[fixed into the journal with a charm; every so often Evan smiles and points an idle
finger outside of the frame as though to say Is that a subnational? Are you quite sure?]

Isn't it funny, how people sometimes just ~ poof.

Trying to get some writing done and the neighbour's dog won't. stop. barking. I'm sort of torn between going to work at Tilden's and checking it out because this guy doesn't normally go out that much... but on the other hand he's this cranky old man who hates everything (except the dog) and whose conversational skills extend to cornering passersby and ranting about how terrible the world is. DECISIONS.

Quizzes are very entertaining. I am enjoying learning how to tell if someone is a subnational unfriendly though I am not sure how some of the clues fit together. Maybe it's like a cryptic crossword?

Remember to be on the look out. There are some dangerous people among you, trying to get you alone so they can express frustration with the legal system or common values of society or be overly interested in the activities of criminal misfits.

RABASTAN LESTRANGE.

I'll never understand nostalgia. The past was not that great. People are so intent on only remembering the shiny parts and trying to dig up the past that they're self-fulfilling the "doomed to repeat history if we don't learn from it" saying. We've learned nothing; there were no good ol' days. Enjoy living in the now for once, and maybe it won't seem so bleak. There are a lot of people who your "good ol' days" killed who don't have that opportunity.

FLORENCE

I have a theory and I need someone to hear me out.

A PSA for every length of fuse --

DIAGON AND SOUTH EAST LEGAL AID: SHORT NOTICE EVENT CHANGE

We are delighted to announce an unscheduled addition to our spring keynote series "Rights and Obligations in the New Decade". Tomorrow evening Monitor Lovelace of the Ministry will be taking the 19:00 session to outline journal network best practice and share his unique experiences of developing a framework for improving security without compromising freedom. The schedule will then be off-set by a month.
Hall 3 Diagon Assembly Rooms, 19:00, Monday 2nd June.
All welcome, drinks reception and nibbles to follow.

So if you want to hear my talk about intent -- that's July, people.

My daughter may be a seditious little scorpion, but at 16 she can cast an excellent tracking spell and curse in four languages; one solid point to France, I'd say. (I am generous and claim absolutely nothing for my minimal contribution.)

Critique of the education system aside: pick a card.

[ MEMBERS OF THE FORMER ORDER, EXCLUDING ALBUS DUMBLEDORE ]

Your favourite ex-convict murderous traitor here.

01 -- Unicorn blood can be used to keep a person from certain death.
02 -- If you haven't heard the word Horcrux before, learn it now.

Do what you want with this information.