Triumphant: logs, entries, media.

who: Narcissa Malfoy & Regulus Black
what: A spot of archiving discussion, hmm
where: Malfoy Manor
when: The evening of May 26th
notes: PG13 themes

( It’s funny, the things you do when you don’t know why. )

who: THE BROTHERS BLACK
what: Never let Sirius do research solo
where: Grimmauld Place
when: The evening of May 31st
notes: PG13 for language & themes

( Destroying everything, utterly ruined, boot-scuff traitorous constellation with brains less than Kreacher’s, piles and piles and he was told the master’s notes must not be disturbed, Kreacher told him just as right but would he listen, no, never listened, not ever, killed the mistress and now he’ll kill -- )

( Warded: Private )

Please refer all inquiries of the recent incident outside of Hogsmeade to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, Being Division.

Have fun with that runaround.

Tiring, this.

Gods, unicorns. Such splendid, stately creatures. I've had the fortune to see a handful of them in various, ehm, strolls about the forest. There's simply goodness there. You feel it, when you see one. You can't not. It makes you a little bit more hopeful about the world when you know there is at least this light existing within it. If you have ever seen one and have any heart of which to speak, you understand how devastating this news is.

Prongs.
Cheers for accommodations re: furry problem. Infinitely more comfortable than my wee cottage. Did you know there's a taxidermy monkey wearing a bowler hat and cape in the southwest corner of your library?

Severus Snape.
Worked again. Thanks.

Sometimes I just don't know what to say about the world we live in.

Do vampires drink unicorn blood?

Fenrir
What are unicorn parts for? Is it Death Eaters?

Lestrange, NO

-- I did not feel the sting of the Dark Mark;
-- I will not be there.

( ORDER )
( FORMER ORDER )

( JAMES' NEW



( THE ORDER THAT WAS, MINUS ALBUS DUMBLEDORE & SIRIUS BLACK )

I cannot stop crying
Hullo.

This is terrible.

Skeeter, you can take your NEW addendum and shove it up your undoubtedly bleached arsehole. No doubt its depths are more impressive than your so-called deep investigative findings.

Added later.
[ REGULUS ]

Unicorns and defilement. What's up with that?

My daughter is not quite so fast with her quill as the news media, but she is respectably close. It is extremely lucky for those children that Professor Dumbledore found them, but I wonder whether it's wise to rely on him always being able to do so. If it were not so close to the end of the year... Still, I trust that there will be increased security to prevent any foolhardy teenagers from sneaking into the Forbidden Forest until the term is over. "Forbidden" has always been considered something of a guideline but even compared to the dozens of ways a young wizard can find to injure oneself it is rather dangerous to be so close to a school. Anything that would slaughter unicorns could hardly balk at killing students.

Unicorns Slaughtered and Mutilated in Hogsmeade
Dumbledore saves 3 children from similar fate

By Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet Correspondent

Hogsmeade - Just one week after several buildings were damaged by an intentional fire, more horror fell upon Hogsmeade when three Hogwarts students unexpectedly stumbled upon the scene of a gruesome crime taking place: a shadowy creature who had killed, drained, and mutilated three unicorns near the woods.

As the offender was about to undoubtedly commit something similar to our young witnesses, rescue came in a form of none other than Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, vanquisher of Dark Lords and recent subject of various burning effigies witnessed in Hogsmeade, Brighton and York at the instigation of the allegedly alive James Potter.

"I don't know what that thing was, but I had never felt so scared in all my life," said Adriadne Vane, Hufflepuff, age 17, one of the students in peril. "It was making these...these slurping sounds, like it was drinking that poor unicorn's blood. Who would do something like that to such beautiful animals? And then when that thing saw us and was going to jump at Terrence [Brown, Hufflepuff, age 17]. I thought we were done for. But Dumbledore saved us! He cast a spell so powerful, there was a bright white light that surrounded that dark thing and trapped it. I don't know what happened next. Professor McGonagall brought us back to Hogwarts. I can't remember much else. We must have been in shock!"

Ministry investigators later reported the unicorns had had their blood entirely drained, and tails and horns removed. Experts say unicorn parts is often an ingredient in many powerful and Dark potions, curses and, of course, wand cores.

The Ministry has yet to say what has happened to this mysterious wraith after capture, what it was exactly and what the creature's intent was for the unicorns.

Subscribe to Rita Skeeter's magical journal for all the latest breaking news, magical gossip, hot style trends, decorating tips, and relationship advice!

Are you READY, Skeeter fans? Sirius Black: From Black to Blacklisted drops on 1 June with a NEW addendum in light of recent events! Did James Potter and Sirius Black conspire to murder Lily Evans and her young son, Harry? Find out all about Rita's deep investigative findings! Reserve your copy today and get a FREE autographed photograph!

Rita Skeeter is an award-winning journalist, author, and icon. Her next book Sirius Black: From Black to Blacklisted will be released on 1 June, a scintillating exposé on one of the Black Family's most infamous members who is best known for betraying and murdering his best friend James Potter and his family. Look for it in all reputable magical bookstores.

One night, almost a week ago, I was disturbed from my sleep. The world had become...strange. Restless, and too quiet, like the calm before a storm. This home, this ancient, creaking manor, felt weighted down, as if at any moment it would sink into darkness. At first I thought it was a mother's intuition, that something was wrong with my child. I checked on Draco -- no, fine. Blissfully ignorant to the world and shielded from all its horrors for one more night.

Since that night, I've had the elves on a cleaning sprint, tops to tails. I've even gotten down on my knees to join the assault, though my contributions pale considerably in the face of their immaculate efficiency. The dust that seems to settle most on old things is nigh on inexplicable. I imagine it could probably be dated back three centuries, at least.

Cleaning out one's rooms feels a lot like exorcising the poltergeists of memories. When I first settled into my new life, it had been easier, too easy, to throw everything I owned into old school trunks, shrink them and lock them away in drawers. Mother had wanted me to get rid of them. Childish things, to be put away.

Did you know that it is written into the founding charter of Malfoy Manor that everything that comes to live within its walls for more than three moons becomes the property of the master? Tied to by blood and only relinquished by consent. How proprietary of the house. My childhood dolls, my tea set, to remain forever incomplete since the day Sirius dropped and smashed one of the cups. The hair pin I once borrowed from my sister before she was and never returned. I once made an entire scrapbook of dried and pressed flowers from my first garden, each page dutifully if clumsily labeled. Apparently I had intended to give it to someone: To Annalisa -- a childhood friend? I cannot recall who she was. I don't know what happened to her.

Such silly trifles, I've held onto. They were supposed to be too invaluable for me to have thrown out, and yet I've shut them all away and haven't thought about them. What are they worth to me now? They are only empty placeholders. Everything they once represented has been gone for a long time.

Is it just me or is Diagon Allery really quiet for Saturday lunch time? It's kind of unnerving, actually.

Well, I don't know about the others, but Brighton was rather lovely, in a strange way. Right on the beach, lit up against the sun set like a bloody phoenix bleeding out into the horizon. People thought it was a bonfire. They were even toasting marshmallows.

[DEATH EATERS]

Doubtless you felt the sting of the Dark Mark, and have either been waiting for further instruction or rolling your sleeves with reckless abandon. May I suggest the former, instead of the latter?

He would not like to know that his faithful are lost.So, the question begs itself. Are you lost? Or are you - indeed - brave enough to take back the mantle and forge ahead? He is not gone, and we are not defeated.

So, if you dare, I invite you to meet me at [coordinates] on Saturday, at 23:30. We will see who is worthy, and who shall soon be dead.

It's incredible the amount of work waiting to be caught up on after merely three days away for an event. I can't even truly blame jetlag for my weariness - Greece simply isn't far enough away. The news will have to do instead, though it's a shamefully easy scapegoat at the moment. I almost dread to wonder whether this unrest will settle or escalate in the next few weeks, when the school year is about to end and our children are no longer safely out of the way.

Strongly suggest everyone in Hogsmeade stay inside.

( DMLE )

Name's Rosmerta Higgs. I own & manage the Three Broomsticks.

Someone has set something -- a large something, looks vaguely humanoid -- on FI fire in the village square. It's still burning.

It's been a long time since I've had to do triage in the streets downtown.

I have to say, I certainly haven't missed it.

My brother's a Cursebreaker. Has been for a long time. He stuck around at home more after Myron was born, and then when his wife died, he stayed in town. Once Myron left for school, Aaron left again. I think he's been away more than he's been in London. He writes as much as he can. One letter was from somewhere in Peru. Another one was from the middle of nowhere China. You get the idea. There's always somewhere new, and some grand story about what food he's eaten, or how he almost died, or he'll send a picture of the view he's got.

And I sit here and look out my window and it's bloody raining. Thanks, Aaron. You're a brilliant friend.

JO SAVAGE:

How are you feeling?

Who | Bellatrix Lestrange, Evan Rosier, Rabastan Lestrange & you.
Where | Diagon Alley, just outside of Gringott's Bank
When | Approximately 5:00 PM
What | The Dark Lord requires an object, and his faithful are sent to retrieve it

Feel free to use this post to tag in, thread or otherwise explore this plot point.

****

The countercurse meant to slow the replicating charm to a dull crawl having been uttered, and Hufflepuff's cup having been retrieved, meant that the only obstacle left to overcome was a swift and unhasty exit. Bellatrix, indeed, knew that their disguises were quite done and that the goblins (because they were clever, nasty little beasts) would have alerted the Aurors. Fighting one's way out of anywhere was sure to get the blood up, and as she looked to her companions she smiled beatifically. Ready if you are, gentlemen.

The door flung open, and she crossed the threshold onto the street below.

Then, with her wand aloft, her smile became a snarl.

"Hello."