Hermione Jane Granger

And thank you, Fred and George, for the wonderful finale to the evening! It couldn't have ended better.

Pansy, Jeremy, come tomorrow morning, will you? We have to distribute all this food and I want it to go to people who need it. In London, maybe.

If anyone's feeling too titsed to go home, there are guest rooms on the third, fourth, and fifth levels. Let me know and we'll have a room for you. No Apparating if you're liable to splinch!

Are you going to bring her down with you so you can get some lunch? We can go back to St G's today and pick up more formula, if you like. Also make sure Lana's ready to be discharged and moved - well. somewhere. Saltash, I suppose, for the time being.

Before they left, Sirius came and talked to me. He was saying goodbye, I know that now, but he particularly wanted to make sure you were looked after.

Which we would have done, anyway, but--well, the thing is, I went to his and Remus's rooms this morning. He left a note for Ms Laura Finch-Fletchley. There was an instruction to give it to her when she gets here, because I guess he wrote to tell her about Justin.

There are some other things. I thought I'd sort properly after lunch.

It's the kind of thing I put off after Mr Snape died, and I wish I hadn't done. It was more helpful than I realised it would be.

You heard about Honoria? It's so sad.

I'm packing us up. Do you want that red jumper or was it meant for the donation bin? It's got a small hole in, so probably you meant to donate, but it was in the cupboard after the last laundering.

Pansy and Sally-Anne have a plan to put together a sort of neighbourhood. Sort of all clustered together like the Victory Village in those Pure Hunger books. They asked if we want to go in with them--well, I mean, they came round to a load of us yesterday, after Ernie's announcement, and were asking. Pansy and George, and Fred and Sally-Anne thinks maybe Terry, and her and Ron, of course, and they asked Hydra about her and Justin, and then there's us and Susan.

Well, I said I'd talk with you about it. If we're all in different houses, maybe. But I did like that cottage you found. In Strathglass.


But anyway, the thing is, I started packing this morning, because we're going to have to either go where the rest go or take the place in Strathglass, but either way we won't be here after the weekend. And about a half-hour ago, a house-elf came and asked me to go down to the Staff Lounge.

Professor Slughorn was there, with Master Gimlet and Headmistress Vector. I got really nervous all of a sudden, because I couldn't imagine what I'd done to have to report to all three of them! But then Professor Slughorn started talking, you know, and he said that they'd been wanting to talk to me for a while. He and Master Gimlet had been watching all summer, he said. Well, you know, for Mastery, usually one has to sit an oral defence and prepare a load of potions and present one's notebooks and--well, it's a process, you understand.

But Professor Slughorn said they'd been just about to arrange for me to sit with them when that attack happened. And since then they were waiting to make sure everything was all right, that my injuries didn't incapacitate me as far as my Potioneering was concerned. Master Gimlet said that they'd been 'completely satisfied' when they saw me this week, because remember I told you about the modifications to the Sleeper potion, and then there was nearly an outbreak at Dumfries but one of the Healers caught it early so we just put on a few cauldrons to make a replenishment draught, I mean they're really simple, after all, and well, the point is that Master Gimlet said that it completely satisfied him, and--and they've sent in the parchmentwork to the Guild.

I'm a Potions Mistress.

And then the Headmistress said that since Professor Slughorn still wanted to retire, and they need a qualified professor, I could start this term, if I wanted. He said that he'd be willing to stay on for one term if it would help get my feet under me. I mean, the Sleeper project really only has another month or two to go, and so it's probably not strictly necessary that I stay on it full-time.

They told me to think about it today and let Professor Vector know as soon as possible.

What do you think? I-- It's not really what I planned on doing, I mean, there's loads of research I'd like to do and there are things other than Potions, I mean, it's not the only form of magic that interests me. But I'd be here where there's a massive library at my disposal. I don't know how much time I'd really have, though. And teaching, I don't know. I don't think I'd be very good at it.

But I don't want to decide without us discussing it first, at least.

Oh, and I really do want to know if you still want this jumper.

Where are you both?

I had--I keep forgetting what happened. Was there--was there a dragon? Something about flying.

Oh, I wanted to tell Mr Snape, I think there were two potions. That's what's tripped us up, I mean. Two.


For some reason I want some toast. But the Healer says I'm only to have liquids for a while longer. Aspiration. That means choking.

Draco?

I'm really tired.

Sally-Anne, how's everything going with Ginny?

So, Draco's going to be going on this extended mission in New London where he'll be under cover. I won't bore you with details, I mean, I don't think they're secret but you can ask me later if you want, but what he's doing isn't the thing I--

Let me start over.

How do you both cope when Justin and Ron are out in New London? I know it sounds ridiculous, Draco goes down there all the time, but under the cloak, you know, and he stays hidden and he's not trying to trick people so much as avoid being trod on. But this time-- I mean, he thinks he'll be able to come back every night but I'm not so sure, even if the person he's pretending to be lives alone, he'll still need to know what's going on in his neighbourhood when he's supposedly there? And there are loads of other reasons I can imagine he'll have to stay on longer than he anticipates.

And I'm not even all that worried about him impersonating someone. Well, I'm a little worried, only because this person has to be somewhat obsequious and that's...not Draco. But he's doing his homework, I know that, and he has enough experience with subordinates that he knows what's expected of one.

It's...it's more that...I'm still worried about him doing something rash or foolish because he thinks he sees an opportunity, and not having enough backup, and not caring if he makes a bad trade, if that makes sense.

And even if he doesn't--I'm worried I'll--that I won't actually miss him all that much, while he's away. Oh, that's a horrible thing to say, isn't it? But it's sort of true. I mean, lately he's busy and I'm busy and, I don't know, maybe it's just because there are too many distractions. Still, sometimes I almost feel like--like if it weren't for losing Harry--

Well, that's just it. Obviously it takes time, and it's going to be especially hard for the next few weeks, so maybe it's all to the good that he'll be occupied for so much of it. And maybe that will help in the long run, too, and not just for the short term. So it'll be better after that.

Anyway. I figured you two face this sort of possibility all the time, now. It's oddly new for me.

Our first group of Sleeper potion is ready for the field. Mr Davidson, we'll want plenty of people handy to help them assimilate and adjust when they wake up. Have your team made any headway in figuring out who they all are at the first site?

Mrs Longbottom, we've also prepared some restoratives and nutritional preparations to give them as they regain consciousness. Even with the stable stasis, they'll need to kickstart their metabolisms. If we can arrange for family members to be there, that would probably be helpful, too, but I don't want to wait to identify them before we start waking them up. It's going to be a long process.

What I'd like is for our Potioneer assistants, along with the Healers assigned to the project, and any Muggles who are going to help, to assemble in the first designated site. It was outside of Stirling, wasn't it? If everything goes according to plan, we can branch out, but we'll still want Healers in case of complications. And probably some soldiers in case something really goes wrong.

We've built up a considerable amount of potion stores and I estimate that if we maintain production at this rate, we'll be able to wake a further 200 sleepers every week while still putting up an additional 100 doses to increase stock. That way when the supply lines are straightened out and we're ready to really to revive the rest, we'll have enough.

Will Friday be enough time to put together the team? We'll need the the Stirling Secret Keeper to write down the secret so everyone can get there.

We're making good progress. I think we may have 200 doses ready by the end of the week, at our current pace.

The good news is that the sample batch I made using the powdered dragon scales is comparable in every way to the third version of concentrate, using about half the amount of powdered Malaclaw claws for the same yield. And since currently we have more dragon scales than we quite know what to do with, I think we'll be well-served to substitute them for the time being. It's lucky they're all the same breed; I'm not sure how much variation there might be in the properties of a different species.

Those of you assisting us in preparing ingredients, I've been observing your techniques for the last few days and I'm making some changes to capitalise on your strengths:

Divyesh, please work with Emrys Clark for now. I'd like you to concentrate on the preparation of the sliced roots and greens. Remember, the consistency of your slices gives us the best results. Particularly for the guarana roots, we want the slices as close to 1/32^nd-inch as possible, and absolutely nothing over 1/16^th. I've left samples of each type spell-o-taped to the cutting boards. Emrys, I know your potions kit has a silver knife but we've found the best results are achieved with steel or ceramic blades. Mrs Scrim can help you if you need a different set.

Nick and Zach Scrim, you two are strong enough to powder the scales to a good, fine grit. We need every last ounce of scales from the materials we recovered from Snowdonia, so be sure to give the mortars a good swipe with pertergicus so there's no waste.

Ian and Katherine: Please focus your effort on all other animal components--the livers and spleens really must be fully soaked in tepid water, not cold, not hot, before they're harvested for any remaining blood--oh, and I think you'd better rewarm and liquefy the coagulated blood that Charlie, Sally-Anne and I recovered, as well, before we use it--and the beetle eyes need to be checked carefully for any clouding or they'll taint the whole batch.

Arista and Katrina--I mean, Fitz--that leaves you two with all the other vegetation to prepare. If you have any questions about the hellebore, or you want additional help with the parsley or anything, let me know. There are other people who can help, you don't have to shred it all yourselves.

For the rest of you, I've got notes for the modification to the master potion formula based on the use of the Welsh green scale powder instead of the Malaclaw; I'll make sure everyone who's brewing has a fresh copy tomorrow.

Oh, and I also need two more volunteers (in addition to our current group) who are willing to shift away from Sleeper potion for a few days to concentrate on replenishing our other stores, especially Polyjuice. (I harvested a whole flat of fluxweed at the last full moon.) Madam P, are any of your Healers ready to help with some of the basic potions we need?

For now, I want everyone to take the rest of the afternoon off. Get some sunshine or go for a flight. We'll start fresh tomorrow.

I hate this.

I should have taken the Commemini Acer.

Luna's in so much distress, it's awful. It looks like she'll be all right but--oh, I can't bear to watch.

But I have to do.

She hasn't transformed yet; but it might be easier for her if she did.

The worst part is that I don't think


Oh, dear. Well, I still don't think she's quite mindless enough for the Wolfsbane to be of any comfort to her at all next month.

Mr Lupin,

I'm starting your potion for the month and it occurred to me...has anyone--I mean, have you talked to Luna about what might or might not happen to her next week?

Madam Pomfrey, have you?

I don't think it's wise to give her Wolfsbane when we don't know for sure if she'll transform, I mean, I don't think she will, really, but I'm not sure what will happen. So someone ought to look after her during the full moon.

Are you really terribly busy?

Could you come to Grimmauld?