Lucius S Malfoy

Ari, received your owl. Have been working on arrangements at this end. Chiefly, just came from a meeting in Paris: ICW will extend emigration rights to those of our cohort who can manage to make landfall in Europe. No extradition back to England. We just have to produce evidence that you have not played a significant role in the events following the fall of the previous regime, or that you have been coerced to commit acts in the service of the current one. Simple enough.

On the topic of Ireland, Tosha, have advised them to recommend that it be completely removed from the ICW treaties for the present. No qualified representatives are in any position to negotiate there and it's unlikely there will be for some time to come. Uncertain they will follow my guidance but at least the head of the coalition for Irish Affairs was inclined to caution. Suspect they will drag their feet, if not comply altogether.

Oh, and Ari, you asked about the Secret Keeper for Dover: No, sadly, they were reasonably careful not to provide us with a name or face. We were blindfolded and he came into the room to tell us. Can confidently state it was not Diggory, however. Have you been chasing him all this time? You ought to have asked weeks ago.

If the situation has indeed devolved as far as that, then by all means, get out. It is the only sensible course.

If Dover is not available, you might try Penzance. The stone there was diamond. They likely have it under guard.

As for the territory here: We are both well, considering. Though it is quite a different landscape, in which increased interaction with Muggles is the norm. It is not without - benefits, however. One didn't realise all the things one missed.

Gentlemen, if you can escape, do. It may be the healthiest move any of us have made in years.

-LM

Confirming to-morrow's arrangements.

Rousseau and Propopov have settled in comfortably; Narcissa's been a marvel this week-end, must say, with them and their wives. Propopov is still focused on the Cup, of course, and full of demands regarding when the Bulgarian team may have access to the stadium for practice sessions. (Could have had more tact than to mention it prominently in front of Rousseau, who is, I believe, still smarting that France was eliminated in the quarter-finals.)

Weasley received the owls from your offices regarding the agenda of meetings for the week. May have to change if Propopov insists on attending the side's arrival, as I suspect he shall.

Dominic, you'll still be available to accompany Rousseau on his tour of New London? Heard from Pontner to confirm he and his wife shall conduct Propopov's delegation. Press are arranged, as well? Would re-arrange calendar if necessary but seem to recall Amanda, Froissart and the boy are arriving sometime in that window. To say nothing of sparing Narcissa yet another day playing hostess.

You'll not believe it - perhaps you will, at that - but Rousseau brought up an age restriction again. Best adjust the meeting agenda to include thirty minutes to explain - again - the unlikelihood of an underage wizard being selected. Was tempted to invite him to restrict his numbers accordingly but stopped myself at the last moment. No need to open that phial of poison again!

Must return in a few moments. Needed a brief respite and this provided the perfect excuse.

Now why do you suppose Dolores Umbridge thinks she has an appointment with me at four o'clock to-day?

Don't cancel at this point. But kindly send me a private message, of any length, no later than quarter past four.


Also provide Selwyn with the list that Dideron supplied and get his list from Igor. Need Dawlish's answers regarding accommodations. Heard from Fudge this morning that there is another discussion on the books early next week regarding the summer; find out who is hosting and why it is not on the calendar - particularly if any of the foreign embassies are involved.

Has Clarriker re-filled his larders using the newly-acquired licence? Check with him and with Miss Poddington regarding Mrs Malfoy's requirements for Kensington next week. And make sure she has what she intended to bring to the children over the week-end.


If you've the time, you might also fetch the galleys back to Charles; they're completed. WWN's latest report is also ready with my comments annotated; this time, remember to keep a copy before forwarding it!


And before you leave this evening I shall need MLE's reports on the DogStar interrogations so I've time to review them before Court. Ned should be able to get them for you if Braithewaite poses any difficulty.

Received word that the referendum on muggleborn registration passed through the French Confederation to-day. Over the next sixty days, all mudbloods residing within the country shall be required to submit their wands to be registered. Any mudblood using an unregistered or unmarked wand shall be subject to arrest or fine. Have already sent congratulations to Dideron and Minister Rousseau. This marks a vital step in their campaign to align themselves more closely with the Protectorate - and a necessary one if our borders and countries are to become linked more openly than they have been.


As if to demonstrate this commitment, this month's Muggleborn Labour Committee came to complete agreement regarding the need for a decennial census within the camps. What the Committee could not determine with any consensus was whether or not to grant Carpenter's request for a hundred test subjects. His proposal showed merit, but some fundamental misunderstandings of the challenges facing their adoption as domestics. Although if successful, his method would virtually ensure the obedience of said servants. Nonetheless, until such time as he can prove to the committee's satisfaction that he adequately understand and has prepared for the risks, a one-hundred subject study is far too ambitious. Recommended he revisit the feasibility of conducting a five-person pilot instead, to be reviewed next quarter.


Excellent bit of sparring, however, on Wednesday. Ouroboros has revamped its course, which brought our party back to square one and led to some unintentional humour. I daresay Cadmus had grown entirely too used to the left turning after the third obstacle on the old course; it's now a right followed by a swift vault left onto the balance bridge. He saw it a split-second too late and bounced off the corner - right into my stunning spell (and thence into the water trap). I think the whole episode added perhaps ten seconds to the side's overall time. I very much doubt we can count on the same again, however.


Continue to note with interest how the newest feature of Our Lord's beneficence - Private Messages - has been adopted with both success and, it would seem, its own etiquette regarding appropriate use. Urquhart's misguided choices aside, it seems there are some topics still sensitive enough to warrant the formality of an owl. Though one wonders, in some cases, why it would be worth the bother. For example, if one addresses a private message, the contents are hidden but the recipients are named plainly for all to see. What then, one wonders, is the logic in using an owl to apologise for sending the first message? Particularly when to do so draws more attention than simply leaving the first message lie, and moreover when the matter had been concluded with no special need for additional communication? Believe the reasoning must either rest in the author's youth and inexperience, in her lack of exposure to any semblance of polite society or perhaps simply owing once more to her determination to prove that her complaint and request had no basis in validity in the first place. It could be a simple side-effect of residing in Gryffindor House - but one is acquainted with some Gryffindors who do have more sense than a transfigured turnip. Few of them, for certain, but it is possible. Well. No matter; this is why one has a competent clerk.


Another week-end of social obligation awaits: I believe it's to be an anniversary and a house-warming? Oh, and Narcissa has a shower or two on Sunday, I think, though thankfully I may count on those hours to catch up on manuscripts for Obscurus and new applications for entry into the Protectorate.

In response to the many inquiries regarding yesterday's incident, all is well.

We had decided to take in the excellent booksellers' district in the 6th Arrondissement. (The selection of grimoires and monographs on magic in Paris is unparalleled except perhaps by the great library of Budapest, and Hogwarts' own.) Since it was meant to be a simple, private outing, we elected not to bring along the usual entourage that has dogged our steps the last two weeks.

As it turned out, no harm done. The journals provided yet another service - I am again quite pleased by the variety of application they have seen in this year alone! - and I was able to locate Draco with some effort.

The wizard who noticed him is, in fact, not only genuinely a wizard, but as it happens, one of the applicants to emigrate to the Protectorate: a M David Brutka. I had not yet had the pleasure of interviewing him, but in light of his heroism in reuniting me to my son, invited him for tea and we conducted an informal conference then and there.

(What really puzzled me at first was Draco's description of the Arc de Triumphe at one end of the park. I could not fathom how he had managed to cross the river and gain the Tuileries when we were adjacent to the Rue Danton on la Rive Gauche; it was only later, after finding the two of them together, that I recalled there is an automatic Floo connexion that by-passes the Île de la Cité, provided one approached with wand out and focusing on water. Evidently extreme thirst qualifies.)

At any rate, our benefactor showed initiative and good sense in rescuing Draco, qualities which proved most intrinsic to the man's nature (if such can be believed). M Brutka has consented to come to the embassy house to-morrow for a follow-up interview with Selwyn's representative in the room.


This afternoon we greeted Igor Karkaroff after too long an interim. Narcissa was particularly pleased to re-establish the acquaintance. At one time, Igor was almost a fixture at the Manor, between our business together and Narcissa's admiration for his research.

Those researches have purportedly found a home, it seems. Igor has been offered a prestigious post at Durmstrang. This intrigued Amanda greatly and she commenced with him a comparison among it, Hogwarts, and Beauxbatons. Of the last, she apparently knows a great deal, much more than I would have expected of someone with no children, who settled on the continent after completing her own education. Asked Mother what that was all about and she said simply that Amanda has long taken an interest in the field of academia - which is news to me. I do so dislike being evaded.


Hard to believe our visit is half over. Narcissa insists that we travel south over this week-end as she still has not properly greeted the Riviera, and we have promised Draco an opportunity to sketch the coast.

(Speaking of which, I think he quite enjoys his lessons. I certainly hope so; it is not every wizard of his age who is presented an opportunity to study with a curator in the wizarding levels of the Louvre!)

A most hectic few days, but we are firmly ensconced now and beginning to establish a routine.


I declare my mother and sister have scarcely left Draco to himself with fussing over him. (Naturally, he chafes outwardly and attempts to hide that he secretly enjoys the attention.) Our arrival was met with a second sort of birthday party; Mother held off sending anything to Draco earlier in order to celebrate with all the family together.

Of the many things we have improved upon in the Protectorate, our curbing of the press has been a major triumph. They are much more forward here; it has been some time since either Narcissa or I had to contend with wizards popping photo bulbs in one's eyes.

Of course, it is to be expected, given the way in which the newspapers and wireless here have ben treating our visit. According to Amanda, there has been some sort of anticipatory story every day for the last week! One wonders whether they have any of their own news to report.

In any case, the official welcome at the French Ministérie went extremely well. If all of our itinerary goes as smoothly, we shall quite enjoy the month to come.


To-morrow we have a number of formal calls to pay and I believe Narcissa and Amanda have planned their first excursion to the wilds of the Paris shopping districts. I am not certain whether Draco can be pried away from his grandmother to go on either outing, even if he wished to do. She claims it is only the accumulation of ten years of being unable to spoil him rotten. I would say rather that it is ten years of being unable to compete (directly) with Druella.


Apart from that, Mother is virtually unchanged. A little greyer, a little more tired, but still the same. I'm pleased to see that Amanda seems much matured since last I saw her. There's something altogether grown and steady about her now, most unlike the flighty little sister I remember. Have a horrible feeling she'll fill Draco's head full of horror stories about how she ran her prefects ragged at Hogwarts. He finds trouble perfectly well on his own with no need for encouragement!


Of the Hogwarts Board of Governors' meeting Monday, the less said the better. I hope the recommendations for next term see improvement in the situation; it is in no wise appropriate to entrust young minds and bodies to the care of a staff who maintain vigilance nine months of the year, only to prove derelict during the very moment they are needed. Perhaps this year was an aberration. However, I fear that for the next several terms, Hogwarts will become a more complicated place than the administration are used to overseeing. I should hate to see those we have invested succumb to the weaknesses to which they are prey.


Well, it grows late and the delegations expect intelligent conversation to-morrow (in French, yet). Therefore to bed.