Order Only: Centralisation

Draco and Hermione have not yet been found. Those of you who see them regularly, please check in when you've a moment and let me know when and where you last saw either or both of them; if we are able to produce a timeline, it may allow us to centre the search in the most fruitful places.

Has anyone located Nott? If so, Miss Lestrange or I can find an excuse to legilimise him to see if he had anything to do with their disappearance.

ORDER ONLY: Hogwarts Floos disabled

To ensure everyone sees this:

Hogwarts' Floos are disabled. Bellatrix and Nott are present in the castle. Draco and Hermione are under questioning.

All of you: Prepare for evacuation, but do not act precipitously. With the Floos disabled, you will need to place yourself within range of one of the tunnels outside the castle. If I or anyone gives the signal, get out as quickly as you can, without stopping for any reason at all.

ORDER ONLY

Hermione is out of the castle. Mulciber is dead.

So is Miner̴͚v̸̦a̴̙

ORDER ONLY

clear from fight with AD but PJ wore off

draco where are you we must retreat NOW

Private message to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy

I have Draco.

You may rest assured that I will treat him better than either of you ever treated me.

ORDER ONLY: Private message to Harry Potter and Alice

Harry: Draco and Hermione are safe, have had their wounds treated, and will be given whatever they need to recover from today's ordeal.

You must disavow Hermione entirely. Play stupid about her wand and her lessons: you lent her labour frequently to "Milland" to assist in keeping the castle clean, since you did not have enough work to keep her occupied yourself, and you had no idea Milland was a wanted fugitive in disguise. You are horrified by the idea that she was learning magic, glad that the deception has been revealed despite the means by which it was, and are upset by the thought that she has had a wand the whole time and could have done you harm.

Do not, for the moment, say anything about Draco's involvement: as far as you are concerned, Draco is loyal to the Protectorate, treated Hermione precisely as the listener would expect him to treat a 'mudblood', and you cannot imagine Nott's evidence is anything other than an attempt to frame Draco for treason to remove him from the competition.

I have written to Lucius Malfoy to let him know Draco is alive and well, and done so in such a fashion as to make him think I have kidnapped Draco at wandpoint. This will buy us time while we see what additional evidence Nott had, and what his father knows. It may very well be that Draco is thoroughly compromised and cannot be redeemed; it may very well be that Draco does not wish to return to the school and would prefer to join in more decisive action against the Dark Lord. Either way, tonight is not the time to make those decisions, and my message should at least provide us time to make them in less haste.

I am sorry for today's trials, and that I am no longer there to help you through them. If you can, find one of the girls and have them sit with you in the common room for now; you ought not be alone.