Lucius S Malfoy

Milland has been located.

The real Milland, that is.

He does not appear to be in dire need of medical assistance but it would be prudent to have him checked by a professional. Madam Pomfrey, if you could join us at your earliest convenience. Tosha, we may use your office again?

Will be most interested to hear what he can tell us.

Official Request. Confidential and Private. Prompt Attention Appreciated

At approximately 10:55 A.M. today Julius Avery, late of Our Lord's Council, accosted me in my office and challenged me to right of combat.

Please send investigators at your earliest convenience to inspect our wands and retrieve Mr Avery's remains. Have had my clerk clear my diary for the day in order to provide a full statement.

Everyone is, for the moment, all right.

Minor injuries to a few of our number - no one seriously harmed - and heavy damage to the camp, its chattel and its surrounding area.

Bella believes she saw Longbottom among the opposition - if that band of traitors is at the head of this mess, it would explain the unanticipated level of organisation among the insurgents. Nonetheless our biggest concern has been keeping the fire from spreading - literally and figuratively - and confining the fight to a manageable radius. (Also suppressing the news but that's an entirely different battle.)

Also combatting an higher than anticipated level of chaos among our own. Confusion and indecision. Infuriating.

Should be finished here by the end of the day, however. Daylight ought to enable us to put things to rest.

Message received.

Curious that they're unable to contain things themselves. Shall be at the rally point in ... ten minutes.

Bellatrix, you've got Braithewaite to consent?

I've called Weasley in to work on getting the heads of the divisions so you can speak to them. Should he bring them to my house in St James or would you rather another location?

Plan to have him summon these:

Gauge
Brundage
Penderyn
Sawers-Cumming
Manningham
Wright
Mustinal
Craddock
Tally

Who else do you need on-board? And in what order? Not too familiar with who's in Mulciber's corner of late.


Will check with Ned to see how Sarah and Bettina are reacting.

Dominic,

Apropos of our conversation last week, re: New Blood. Was just leaving Elysian and was waylaid by Glendower the Younger, who (among other uninteresting news) tells me that Higgs has been bragging he's to go to Court this after-noon, for a presentation Yaxley intends regarding 'Protectorate Defence.' Apparently Julius Avery had something to do with it as well. (Those two are not known to work together often, as you know.)

Ari and I are both intrigued. Do you know anything? We could easily forego tea this after-noon to attend instead if you think it would be worth the time.

Let us know.

Trust you received my note of last evening and cancelled morning commitments.

Continue to cancel meetings for rest of day.

If you're interested in a little spot of fun, Ari and I have just run across a group down by Whitehall, one of whom had a suspicious-looking kit. On closer inspection, turned out to be full of paints matching the 'artwork' discovered near the piers.

His companions have admitted that there are a few other ... participants ... along other sections of the Strand. He has graciously agreed to lead us to them.

Assume Barty is with one or the other of you, or else not far away. Bella, bring Mulciber, too, if you know his whereabouts. There should be plenty to go round.

New London has cloaked itself, it would seem, in a holiday spirit. Noticed the fairy lights through the trees that line Pall Mall this morning, before it lightened enough to dim their twinkle.

It is all the more refreshing to be back in the light of Our Lord's grace, as well. Though sadly, not all of us returned, nor could be in Court to receive His rewards for our work across the sea. (Went to see Yaxley this after-noon, briefly: He is recovering but still struggles with aphasia and simple function.)

But, useless to dwell on such morbidity. Our efforts have restored peace to the region and prove, beyond shadow of doubt, that subduing the muggle threat is the only way to maintain that peace.

Moreover, as contentious as the last two weeks have been, it was a delight to see my fellow Councilwizards back in the thick of work they were born to do. Minerva, Tosha, Raz: particularly good to have your talents on our side in the field. (And as a Governor, I hope we did not keep you from scholastic duty so long that your students have suffered overmuch.)

As for Ireland, anticipate that the Minister's tour will find our allies eager to co-operate and show him every courtesy.


Unfortunately, the affair has put one far behind on other matters; to-day was spent nearly entirely in reviewing the journals, owls, messages and other backlog of correspondence which could not be addressed in my absence. To-morrow shall be a day full of old business, as well, apart from confirming the interim head of MLE (Bella has threatened disembowelment if she is required to manage the minutiae a day longer). Next week, perhaps, we may proceed properly to new business.

Briefly, as you know we are still exceptionally pre-occupied with putting out the last fires throughout Ireland (in some cases, literally),

Marston: Have been thinking about our last meeting in August and the issues you raised, including many points with which, as I said at the time, I did not disagree, but saw no nearby horizon in which the circumstances giving rise to your complaints might change.

Well. The events of the last week do somewhat alter the picture, do they not? Have a proposition for you. If you can spare Miss Blishwick or any other of your senior engineers, the damage in Galway, Dublin and Belfast needs assessment. There shall commence a bidding process for the rebuild, of course, but arriving today - tomorrow at latest - would give you a head start on surveying the wreckage and taking preliminary measure of what might be proposed for the reclamation. Perhaps that, in some wise, would compensate for your firm's losses in the spring?

Understand that I can in no way offer assurance at this time. Others will naturally wish to compete, and indeed, you know as well as I that the Ministry is obligated to consider all incoming proposals on their merits. However, an early view, before the unaffiliated hopefuls are cleared to travel, could make a significant difference to your rough estimates.

Of course, once the initial survey is complete would assume that your party would return to British soil, since surely you have projects underway which require your engineers' attention. But things are calm enough that appropriate documentation can be provided to allow access to the sites.

I mention Miss Blishwick only because I seem to recall that waterfronts and bridges are a specialty of hers. Both Galway and Belfast sustained significant destruction on their seaward vistas, which shall require reconstruction.

Let me know if you decide to accept the offer and shall contact MLE for the travel parchments. Until then I remain

-LM, &c.