Alternity

Well, what a night.

I have pieced together the events as follows - Professor Macnair's troll got loose somehow, it's unclear; Miss Granger was sulking in the ladies' loo and the troll came after her; Mr Marvolo et al decided they needed to play hero.

That awful Skeeter woman somehow managed to follow Mr Lupin and myself to the loo where the fracas took place, and she seems to have written an incredible amount of claptrap for the Daily Prophet - but never fear; the fourth estate has its own logic which reflects nothing whatsoever going on in the mind of the actual government. Initially, it is true, the Lord Protector was angry with Hermione - but a combination of my intercession and young Mr Marvolo's statements encouraged him to change his mind, and he eventually seemed rather touched that she was so affected by the accident with his birthday present. No, Arthur, I do not believe he ever got quite so far as to destroy her, but I do believe that he could have been goaded that way, had anyone seen a benefit in it. 

When I returned to my office after that conversation, I found that my hands were shaking. I never realise how serious these conversations are until after I am out of them, and then I realise it in my very bones.

Of course, the Carrows were already angry with being left out of the reception, and as a result Professor Macnair is in some very hot water; there is no evidence whatsoever that he was involved with the troll's escape, apart from discovering it, but Amycus and Alecto appear to have seized on it like dogs at a bone. The Lord Protector is more doubtful, but he nevertheless believes that it was an attempt on his life - foolish, perhaps, but it might have been intended as a diversion, I suppose. In any case, Professor Macnair shall be in the doghouse for quite some time, and I suspect we shall have to seat him at the opposite end of the table from Amycus and Alecto or else never get any peace.

From the Lord Protector's position, the troll's release actually was in some ways positive: at least the news cycle was not entirely taken up with the Grim Truth. Nevertheless, Sirius, he is astoundingly angry. He's sent squads of hit wizards after you - I hardly need tell you how dangerous they can be - and though I do not know the details, I would tell you to flee. Now. Move as often as you can. Of course I will let you know when the search seems, on this end, to have slacked.

And what am I left with? A raging headache, cheek from Regulus Black, and damage all throughout the castle.

My fellow Phoenixes:

At great risk to himself, Bill Weasley has provided us with a "back door," as he calls it, into the Ministry's spy-journal network. When you preface your journal entries with "Order Only," they will be visible only to Order members. You need not fear that your journal might give you away: if you and a non-Order member were looking at the same page, one which had a top-secret Order communication on it, they would see nothing amiss.

Remember: secrecy is important, and your journals will be public unless you use the Order Only preface. We are playing for much more than just House points.