Lucius S Malfoy

Have just heard about the light show in NL24. Not something anyone expected - or was it?

Going to check Kensington for similar before returning to Manor. Presume one of the elves would have informed us had any incident occurred but one never knows.

Watch your backs.

Corax,

Understand that Maidstone now requires a change in leadership. You ought still to have the reports on the junior personnel at Cheadle and Harlow; as you know, the search committee have already recommended Mr Willoughby (formerly of Doncaster) to replace Bawsley at Adur. However, we found Mrs Miranda Moore (of Harlow) a close second.

Additionally, though he was not one of the final three candidates for Adur, Carter Prentiss of Saltash was on Revanche's short list. Auror Sawers-Cumming has the full reports of our findings and can provide them to you.

Mention it merely as it seems your clerk has been under the weather and we cannot afford to lose any time in the matter of weeding corruption out of the camps.

(Also to-day's Wizengamot session reminds me how behind my correspondence has been.)

Ms Lamont:

Hope you enjoyed dinner yester-day as much as I did. If you were even half as pleased, it would have been time well spent.

Occurs to me that we might be well-served to set a regular interval during which you may deliver reports on your findings within Protectorate Affairs. Am sure you agree that a large number of private messages between us might pique Mulciber's interest and put you at greater risk, or interfere with your ability to conduct your primary objectives within the department.

As a proposal for at least one meeting, you expressed a desire to test the fitness course at the Elysian. Although it is not as secure a place to meet as my private town house, we would be able to speak there with relative assurance of confidentiality. One cautions that it would be impractical to make that a regular occurrence, particularly as both Mulcibers also have access to that establishment. The same, unfortunately, could be said for the Ouroboros: While it would be a simple matter to arrange for you to run the course as a guest, it would be foolish to think Mulciber would not discover a standing appointment for that purpose.

Alternatively, judging from your reaction to the meal, one might venture to suggest that a luncheon or tea might be enough to tempt you. There are a number of options if that were to be the solution.

I shall, of course, speak again with Auror Gauge to ensure that he means for your continued co-operation, so that your absence from the office during such periods will meet with no disapproval.

If you are willing to continue, that is. You are, naturally, ideally positioned for the reconnaissance required - but if it has become ... distasteful to you, no one would wish you to engage in activities you might later regret.

Know that should you decline, no further explanation is necessary and no repercussions, professional or otherwise, would befall you. In that case, only I should suffer a disappointment which, no doubt, I should regret very much.

Hoping therefore that you look upon this offer with favour, I remain,

Your humble servant,

Lucius Malfoy

What have we said about not interrupting when I am in Court?

Luckily, had a moment when I could step away - only to find there were also urgent messages from Crispin, Ned and Ptolemy.

What the hell's going on?

Settling in, are you?

It appears you went ahead and selected the eldest Weasley.

Any observations so far? Was in the building earlier to meet Fudge but had no time to stop up and welcome you in person.

Perhaps next Thursday you'd care to go to lunch? Am sure you will have questions about certain of Dominic's policies and ongoing projects that affected other departments. Would be pleased to provide any insight, from a level your Weasley would have no way of knowing.

We could invite Stephen, as well, so he can tell you anything you need to know about your new - Senior Adjutant, is it? Creative title. Trust he understands it means whatever you need it to mean at any given moment?

Not sure how he'll do under that sort of ... variability in his scope of duties. The third brother has an altogether different temperament but then you must have seen something you liked about this one.

Timetable changes for to-morrow and Friday:

Inspection tour of Tedford to-morrow morning, urgent. See if Fudge can move to afternoon. Contact the Elysian and change Friday morning's duelling course booking to earlier: 6:00 or 7:00 is fine. Not later than 8 o'clock. Inform Travers, Mulciber and Glendower of the new time, when you have it. (Yes, Glendower - the younger, if you please.)

Also add in meeting Friday at 10:00 o'clock: Crouch, Travers, Rowle. Under no circumstances confirm with Rowle's assistant - go through him directly for his calendar. Book one of the cafes near the Ministry so they can step out without attracting notice.

Will be in Porlock and Preston rest of day, up until Court this afternoon. Contact camp administrators to arrange entry parchment for Ms Blishwick as well; others in the party all ought to have the proper credentials already.

Need first avail. with Spencer-Wells and Dominic.

Oh, and - there's a short list of engagements requiring someone to represent yet be silent. Add to your books.

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.