Severus Snape

I was, sadly, unable to make much headway with Mr Weasley's Obliviation problem. Whomever responsible for altering his memory was skilled enough that I was not able to undo the work, nor able to read around the edges via Legilimency or Penseive to guess as to who had been nearby him immediately prior to the time period in question and thus possibly or likely responsible.

I am more concerned than I was before taking a look at Mr Weasley's mind — the skill shown is fairly rare and suggests someone well practised at the mind-magics; Mr Weasley would not have known he was missing time had external circumstances not conspired to allow him to triangulate.

Mr Weasley continues to describe himself as "spooked", and vows to take extra precautions over the next several weeks. I must suggest a general Order notice to be on alert.

Excellent work, Black: this morning, Umbridge forced Miss Parkinson to drink a Stomaflamma potion in retribution for your words in her journal; for those who are not capable of following the etymology, that potion burns the mouth and throat as one drinks it, and results in the victim being unable to properly taste food for the rest of the day.

I would recommend against engaging with the powerful in the journals of the powerless.

Messrs Weasley, Mr Jordan: if you are able to get a discreet message to Miss Parkinson, without using the journals, please apologise to her; the potion does not have an antidote or I would have already brewed it.

Poppy, Pomona, and I have spoken with Sinistra and she has provided a result: to the best of her ability to gauge such matters, the rite took place on the southern portion of the Outer Hebrides. The imprecisions inherent in the information available to her mean she was unable to be as accurate as she might like -- clearly the cause of some frustration. Her first-pass approximation was the isle of Barra; she then asked whether there were any additional distinguishing features of the site that might provide additional clues. When she was told of the standing stone, she consulted her atlas of such features and revised her answer slightly southward to the site of Beinn Ruilibreac on Vatersay, but was clear that measure of specificity could only be provided by cross-reference and not by calculation.

She provided a full accounting of her methods and results for someone to verify her work (and confirmed the verification, though not the initial calculation, should be within the capacity of anyone who took an astronomy NEWT and has not forgot everything they learnt), but was clear that anyone of her Guild, or who knew her work -- including, most likely, many students of Hogwarts in the past decade or so -- seeing those notes would know she had provided them. (The promise she enacted in tender for her help was that we would not share that evidence of her assistance 'with anyone who would use that against me, against Raz, or against those we're responsible for', which Poppy and Pomona acceded to on behalf of the Order as a whole; in service to the keeping of that promise I have transcribed Sinistra's notes and diagrams, checked the copies thrice over for accuracy, and burnt the originals so at least they are no longer in her own hand, though the style of her work is apparently also sufficiently identifying. Those copies are locked in my most secure cupboard until I might hand them over.)

She requested Obliviation at the conclusion of our discussion, which I provided.

I will add my subjective observations of the conversation and the additional information we received below, and encourage Poppy and Pomona to do the same if they are able.

Our discussion of yesterday evening has made me realise once again it is almost certainly time for you and I to make some contingency plans, in the event the Order is unable -- or, more likely, unwilling -- to do what needs to be done to achieve the ends they profess to desire. While Alice Longbottom is less likely to stand around wringing her hands and bleating about morals than certain others might, I agree with you it is unlikely any of that lot will be likely to fully accept the blatantly obvious conclusion that this war will not be won with purely clean hands.

I also appreciate your offer to be the one to propose the necessary actions rather than requiring us to fight through the instinctive reactions of certain members of that company to firmly attest the sky is green simply because I have stated it is blue.

After Minerva's exhibition of yesterday, I took it upon myself to join her for the remainder of the day. I did not lecture; I did not think it would serve any good.

She was so deeply in her cups I do not know if she even registered my presence, but I was at least able to distract her from doing herself too much further harm. I could not prevent her from further drinking; I did not even try. But I flatter myself into believing I was able to at least slow the rate. She was near-incoherent, but desperately unhappy.

It is past time for someone to intervene with her. When you've time this week, while there are no students to interrupt, let me know and I will join you to strategise.

While the rest of you lot have been wringing your hands about long-term strategy and squabbling endlessly about tactics necessary to achieve interim goals, Miss Granger has applied herself to one of the problems that have plagued operations since the Order's inception: communication. I have examined her solution and found it charmingly unsophisticated, but otherwise quite adequate from both ease-of-construction and operational security standpoints.

As Miss Granger is entirely too modest to advance her proposition to the group as a whole, I will take the decision out of her hands: Miss Granger, when you have a moment, kindly explain.

If you are free at any point this weekend, I would like to stop in and hear your recounting of your appointment with Dolohov. I also have several suggestions of a more personal nature to tender, which you may find importunate, but which I am beginning to feel are best made sooner rather than later.

In other matters of necessity: it has been several months since there have been new names provided from the Book, and the upcoming holiday season may provide adequate cover for Arthur Weasley and his gang of baby-snatchers to do their work. Also, Miss Granger is in need of at least six drams of demiguise blood for a project of hers I have approved: I have prepared an apothecary order containing sufficient inventory as to fool any watcher as to its true purpose, including some ingredients I am in need of as well, and it awaits your signature.

I realise that you may be unable to do much for your son and daughter. However.

They have been under greater pressure in recent days than has been usual. I do not believe they are in physical danger, but as their beloved parents you should be aware of their mental states.

I appreciate your initiative in bringing the blood directly to me.

I have provided Madam Pomfrey with a sample to test from a medical perspective.

I shall inform the Order as a whole of what I find when the results are conclusive; it may take several hours to prepare the sample. It is clear that there is something Dark going on; I do not know what precisely, as of yet. Fortunately I do not need to borrow a broken cruopticon. One is in my possession, do not fear.

Meanwhile, please continue your efforts. I shall see you next week.

Now that you have all so kindly asked my opinion, I shall make it clear that while I find Minerva's position understandable—and the Messrs Weasley nigh intolerable—I believe it would be utterly unfair to invite the twins to the Order under an Unbreakable Vow. You do not see Miss Granger on a daily basis; I do; it is not a pretty sight, and largely as a result of her anxiety over the situation.

Now I shall return to my hovel.