meadowey

( Don't call me baby. )

[Warded to Friends, minus Henry]
Help! Henry's birthday is in two days, and I haven't figured out what to get him. This is normally not an issue at all, because I always know what to get him, but with all the madness, and well, you know, the fact that we're together now, I've been having difficulty thinking of anything. I need inspirations, quick!

I'm so, so sorry, Benjy. I We couldn't get to her in time.

I have a confession to make. It's awful and horrible and may very well get me run out of the country.

I don't like Junior Witch cookies.

I mean, I'll buy boxes of them if you put a cute little moppet in front of me, but on the whole, I'm not very fond of them. I find them too...sweet - which is odd, considering the fact that I love sweets.

But my pickiness is your gain, DMLE. I'll have bring my boxes in tomorrow.

Can you believe they sent Hitwizards after Saoirse Finnigan for what she said over the journals? What idiot would report her for that?

Seems fitting that my first task upon returning to work after a Death Eater attack is to teach self defense. I like it.

It does concern me, however, how many people equate "self defense" to "fighting Death Eaters", so allow me to clarify: while the spells and techniques we're teaching can be applied if you're ever in the unfortunate position to have to fight a Death Eater, we are by no means trying to train anyone to go up against a Death Eater. That's what Aurors are for, and we've got to train years and years for that (and even then, we're not immune to the odd Cruciatus or two). What we're trying to do is help people keep themselves safe - either by avoiding a fight in the first place, or by protecting themselves until help arrives. We've already got one group of vigilantes running around; we really don't need another.

[Order]
Think it's safe to make a quick visit to my flat? I've just bought a pair of shoes I would absolutely hate to lose.

[Noah]
Do you have time to share that mud pie? I'd understand if it's all a bit too awkward, but I really do enjoy your company, and I'd like to keep that if possible.

[Done in shaky handwriting]

[Private]
I've read about what it does, I've seen it used on spiders, I've used it on spiders, but nothing ever prepared me for what the Cruciatus curse really feels like - like my body was being burned off, bit by bit, like my blood had turned into fire and was trying to erupt from my body. I knew it was an Unforgiveable for a reason, but I didn't really know just how evil it is, and how much sheer hatred someone must have to subject anyone to that kind of horror.


They're releasing me this evening, but I can't go home. My body's still sore and sensitive, and my hands won't do what I want them to do. If they come back again...

Who's the one who leaked our plan? How could we possibly have a spy or a traitor or even a loose-lips in the Order? Did it just slip out of them at one point, or were they sitting there, in all the meetings, knowing that while I was setting myself up for very possible risk for death, that they were going to pass on all that information to the Death Eaters?
[/Private]

[Henry]
Sorry I missed our date. I'm getting out of here tonight. Pick me up?
[/Henry]

I'd forgotten how boring being stuck in St. Mungo's can be. That said, the healers have been terrific, even if they won't oblige any of my requests for a song and dance routine.

[Private]
Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I weren’t a witch. Would my life be calmer? More settled? Would I get more sleep? Or would I just find another do-gooding way to get my jollies, as Nathaniel so charmingly puts it? Or maybe I would end up being a casualty in You-Know-Who’s great war against muggles.

Whatever the case, it’s hard for me to imagine. My life is what it is, for good or for bad, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think I’d always feel like I had a hole in my life if I couldn’t do magic, or couldn’t do what I do as an Auror. I’ve always known it, but working with the Muggle police has really driven home how lucky I am to have magic, and to be part of the magical world. Imagine not knowing what’s happening, or not being able to help at all! As much as I complain about the fruitlessness of our efforts, I do take comfort in knowing that I’m able to make some small difference. And sometimes, it’s the small differences that will lead to much bigger ones. I could only hope.

[Moody]
My report on the joint effort with the Muggle police is on your desk. Not getting into details here, in case the wards decide to fail again. I do admit I might have gotten a little snappish with my Muggle counterpart when she suggested that we weren’t doing enough to mitigate the threat even if I agree.

[Order]
I’m feeling antsy. Nothing’s happened yet.

[Ophelia]
Spa day can’t come fast enough. I feel like I’m just one giant ball of tension right now.

[Noah]
I have had a corker of a week. I don’t suppose you have any suggestions for remedies that don’t involve copious amounts of alcohol?

[Henry]
Are you
What do
I wish

Oy. How’s your head? You had quite a bit the other night.

I walked by Diagon today and was struck by how quickly the volunteers cleaned up after the Inferi attack. It never fails to impress me just how effective and productive people can be when they’re working together.

Those are the people who are working to make the wizarding world better – not the bigots who would hide behind monsters and masks so they can fulfill their infantile fantasies of power and control. It must really chafe that they couldn’t just go out and put Muggleborns in their place. Why, they can’t even spit on them without somebody crying foul! What a horrible, cruel world they must live in. I can see why they’d feel like they have no choice but to unleash Inferi on an innocent population that’s done nothing else but to try to figure out what they were going to have dinner that night.

Oh no, wait. I can’t. Because I’m not a twisted, evil bully with a threatened superiority complex.

[Ophelia]
Noah is darling, by the way. I had a lovely time, and I’m rather surprised that he seemed to enjoy himself too – enough to ask me on another date again. Goodness knows I wasn’t terrific company, what with being distracted by the headachey-voice shenanigans earlier that day.

I do wonder if this is the wisest path to take, though. It’s a lovely diversion, but really, it’s not the best time to get anything started, is it? And Henry

[Henry]
I had a lovely time on my date, thanks for asking.

Bloody hell, I can't believe it's still so cold out when it's March! I really ought to get home earlier.

[Warded to the Order]
I just watched Snape interact extensively (for him) with a cute little kitten. Merlin help me, for a moment there he actually looked attractive human.

You know you're old when you find yourself home with no plans one evening and you're actually excited, because it means you can actually do your laundry.

Having said that, I'm fairly sure I just jinxed myself. Death Eaters, do try to refrain from evil-doing tonight, as I am running out of clean knickers.

Posted via Journaler.

Thank goodness for takeaway. There was no way I was going to be able to properly prepare a Japanese dish for sensitivity training after last night.

Hope the sushi was all right.

Listen up, you lot.

Yes, you, who go about slaughtering defenseless people just to punish someone for speaking his mind, and who are also probably hiding behind other people's journals to harass our citizens.

Do you really think you're part of some noble cause? That you prescribe to some higher ideal of purity? That by sowing fear and death and mayhem you can make yourselves stronger?

You're not, you don't, and you can't.

This is cowardice, plain and simple. You can't bear the thought that Muggleborns are part of your world now, so you strike out against them and anyone who sympathizes with them. You can't handle the Ministry and its law enforcement, so you only go after people who are weaker than you.

You're just bullies, only worse, because you're too scared to even show your faces.

You're pathetic cowards, and you will be stopped.

[Warded to Order]

Alice, Bella, I've gone through the Ministry property records, and these are my best guesses at where Keith Finnigan might have been killed:

- The Goyle family owns some property in County Kerry. There's some marshland by the coast that's quite removed from habitation.
- Again in County Kerry, a small area of forest held by werewolves. It's mostly wizards that live around there, but it's a dangerous place to be.
- There's an expanse of farmland in County Cork - you know, the one where the hitwizards keep having to issue underage drinking citations. It's near an enclave of wizards.

How are the investigations going? I've got a day off today and can take a look at one of the properties.

[End ward]

[Warded to friends]
Somebody please give me another excuse to put off my mother from visiting again. She seems quite determined to set me up with her minor royal du jour, despite the fact that I already have a boyfriend.

[End ward]

[Filtered to Henry Hart]
How did it go?

[Filtered to Ophelia Dawlish]
Good Heavens, Phe! I heard you were arrested. Are you all right?

They say that the first day of the year is going to tell you how the rest of the year is going to be. In that case, my year is going to be full of fireworks (or explosions, it's really difficult to tell the difference once people start getting drunk), not nearly enough sleep, numerous phone calls from my Mum, and dramatic changes in workplace policy as soon as I've figured out what's what. And friends. Marvelous, maddening friends.

So really, a lot like last year, then.