Order Only: Private Message to Mr Snape

[alt_hermione]

You weren't at supper and I didn't see you downstairs or anything. Have you gone to Moddey? Bea wasn't nearly as temperamental tonight as she was yesterday.

Anyway, Draco and I went back to Greater Hangleton to see what we could find out about M.R., and we found a small building with a bunch of Sleepers in. I think it might have been the constabulary at some point, there were cells with bars and that sort of thing, but also offices and desks and phomes. Caked in dust, all of it.

But they were definitely Sleepers and the thing is, Greater Hangleton itself was more or less deserted. The other day we'd only seen a handful of wizards, all of them very odd. There's obviously not a camp anywhere nearby and the Muggle village itself is all falling apart. So I don't think anyone would notice if we went there to test things.

Once there's anything worth testing, that is.

Comments

[alt_severus]

I apologise, I have been feeling poorly and thought it best not to inflict myself upon the rest of the household.

But — an undisturbed cache of Sleepers? One that was not collected by the cleanup teams?

How many were there?

[alt_hermione]

Oh, if you're not feeling quite the thing then have you had Kreacher bring you broth? I can ask him. Or, well, I'll have Draco ask him, he does seem to respond better to him or to Sirius. Or is there something else you'd rather he make for you?

We thought, based on the few people we talked to in that area, that most considered it cursed. Maybe MLE hadn't looked through the village completely because they feared it? There used to be a big house that got blasted to bits, we saw that much ourselves.

Anyway, there were about a hundred or so, I think.

[alt_severus]

It is a persistent headache, nothing more. If you have a headache draught made up I would find it welcome; I have used the last of mine and I know better than to brew when I am in such condition.

A hundred Sleepers — that is quite a number. And very good news indeed. I will speak to Alice about logistics: even if the area is mostly deserted, I would hesitate to work in situ and risk discovery, but a hundred people would be difficult to move and to house even if we are not able to revive them.

When you have an unencumbered afternoon, let us go methodically through the current collection of candidates and select the most promising lines to develop further. I know that you are as familiar with the state of the research as I, but I find that explaining my thought processes aloud can often help to reify them.

[alt_hermione]

I didn't have any made up but I put together something quickly. I found a way to reduce the boiling period to only five minutes, so now it's just simmering. It'll be about ten more minutes before it can be removed and another five or so to cool it. Although...have you ever tried taking it hot? I wonder if it works just as well or not. Should I bring it up like that or would you rather wait and be sure?

I think we'd want to take a couple of subjects at a time, maybe to one of the safe houses in the region, or establish one first, perhaps, since that way if they DO wake up, which is unlikely right away but supposing we get lucky, then they're not here at Grimmauld or at Moddey or anywhere else important, for that matter. And then we don't have to worry about being discovered in Greater Hangleton, either.

Oh, since I'm here making the potion I've been looking at the record books. I think we decided N35 and N38 were the most promising strains. I want to have another go at N35 with a double portion of dragon's blood, if we can get any.

[alt_severus]

You did not need to brew a fresh batch only for me, although I appreciate your effort. I have never tried it warm, but I can think of no reason why it would not work. It is worth an experiment, at least.

We are nearly to the end of the supply of dragon's blood obtained from Mr Weasley, but if we have a promising enough candidate I would not be averse to using the last of it. If we are nearly there, we can attempt the black market, or impress upon Mr Weasley the importance of obtaining a larger supply. I do not think we will be successful without it.