Triumphant: logs, entries, media.

I cannot help but feel that there is something good to be said for a society when a bookstore is full of people and it is not the beginning of a new Hogwarts year, or the release of Gilderoy Lockhart's newest make-up your own adventure volume.

[Narcissa]

I plan on taking Theodore to France to visit with Prisca, and with my mother's relatives, probably for a week, maybe two. When I return, I was hoping that perhaps Theodore and Draco could spend some time together this summer. Would that work in your schedule, potentially?

For Merlin's sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of manners.

Graziella Chevalier
Arithmancy O
Astronomy E
Care of Magical Creatures E
Charms E
Defense Against the Dark Arts A
Herbology A
History of Magic O
Potions O
Transfiguration E

Is this really my baby? She looks so grown up!

The shop will be closed Wednesday and Thursday of this week. However, we are offering 5% off potions for the remainder of this month. An additional 5% off of special orders, not including anything that is rushed.

[Narcissa]

Will Draco be at home this summer and will you want him to do any lessons during that time?

Hello, dears. We haven't spoken in quite some while.

[PETER PETTIGREW]

Peter, I received your missive regarding the Order's knowledge of the horcruxes which salvaged our great and dread Lord from the vestiges of death. You were good to come to me with this knowledge, Peter. And because of your close proximity to not only the Order but to the scum sucking blood traitors that are Sirius Black and James Potter, I lay this task at your feet.

You must bring them to a grinding halt. And, further, you are the only one well-placed to do this. While I should think a swift and thorough strike to kill them all at once would successfully clear our path I am open to a further discussion of your thoughts. Explain to me the best way to take the Order and clear a path for we righteous few to take our place once again.

[DEATH EATERS]

Doubtless you know that we cannot fail. Because we did not find the diadem, we must continue to search. One Horcrux in enemy hands is one too many.

Soon, we will be able to bring him back to the fullness of his physical form. And with the Horcruxes, our Lord shall never perish. Look to your tasks.

[NARCISSA]

You need not worry after Draco at Hogwarts.

How can I allow my son to attend Hogwarts when so many dangerous incidents have been allowed to occur on or near the school? What happened to Hogwarts being an impenetrable stronghold? What does the Headmaster have to say for himself?

As current and future parents of Hogwarts students, surely there can be someone to whom we can appeal for this entirely unacceptable situation.

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

'Mystery intruders' end-of-year prank

An end-of-year prank at Hogwarts may have gone slightly too far last night, sparking a security alert that locked the school down for several hours. While such mischief is traditional at the close of exams, staff described the incident as 'in bad taste'.

Groundskeeper Rubeus Hagrid first became aware of the situation shortly after dinner when a small group of individuals deliberately set off a perimeter alert. Dressed in concealing black robes, they then headed to Ravenclaw Tower where they caused a ruckus which left younger students distressed and upset. Though they managed to escape through the use of well-timed smoke charms before they could be identified, it is suspected that they may have been sixth and seventh year Ravenclaws due to the smooth execution, if not good sense.

A search was initiated, however, as is standard practice for a security breach. The last such incident took place in 1879.

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?

OWL TO MS. BELLATRIX LESTRANGE

Madam Lestrange:

Order reformed excepting AD.

O knows about horcruxes.

Info came from SB. (Perhaps RB involved?)

Respectfully yrs.,

- PP

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

40 YEARS TRIUMPHANT
Reflections on one of the Ministry’s great heroes as he enters his fourth decade of loyal service

By Barnabas Cuffe, Editor-in-Chief

(  This is a man -- a team -- that tells no secrets. )

Who: Geoff Wagtail!
When: Tooooday, sure.
Where: the Wagtail residence!
What: Geoff’s up to something.
Status: Complete narrative!

( Bungs was right, he thought. They’d learned nothing from the past. )

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.

WHO: The Order of the Phoenix (minus Dumbledore & Fabian Prewett, who wore sweat pants twice in one week so they can't sit with us).
WHAT: A meeting of the minds, & a place to get it all out there.
WHERE: James' ramshackle old manor house. Have fun with that, chickadees.
WHEN: Last night/today

IC/OOC LOG: Therefore feel free to respond with what your character said or did either in prose or description.

( Horcruxes, Death Eaters and Dumbledore. Oh my. )

Ministry Announces New 'Gelato Socials'
'We have lost our way,' says Minister Bagnold

By Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet Correspondent

LONDON - In an effort to expand the sense of community among witches and wizards of the United Kingdom, Minister Bagnold today announced the government's new initiative of hosting free 'gelato socials' in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic every Tuesday evening at 18.00.

"The magical community is a small but caring community. We look after our own," said Bagnold in an earlier announcement today. "Lately, we may have lost sight of this fact. Subnationals have threatened not only our collective safety, but the very fabric of our common sense of decency, morality and greater good. Let us defy these efforts of subversion. Let us come together and reignite our bonds of kinship with each other. Let us learn to trust each other once more and show the world what makes us so great."

The gelato offerings will come in 12 flavours to suit every discerning palate and is being specially created by Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour for the occasion.

The inaugural social will be held tonight and will include a special performance by the critically acclaimed Knights of the Round Table circus troupe.

***

The Ministry's new weekly 'gelato socials' may help promote a greater sense of community, but let's not forget how much it also promotes a greater expansions of our waist lines! Pick up this week's latest issue of Witch Weekly to learn how Rita stays slim and trim.

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Rita Skeeter is an award-winning journalist, author, and icon. Her latest book Sirius Black: From Black to Blacklisted is the #1 bestseller in the Witch Weekly Book List. Look for your copy in all reputable magical bookstores.