Hermione Jane Granger

I was just thinking a little more about your business and all.

I will say that Sirius and Mr Lupin and Tonks made certain of Ellie before they told her. Because there's the strong possibility that the muggles or muggleborn that they've sent you to work for you have been promised things if they turn in anyone who's not behaving properly. Properly for the Protectorate, that is.

So before you make any announcements, be sure that they haven't been planted by someone in the camps or the Ministry.

Sirius hung around Ellie as a dog and got a sense of her that way. Maybe Terry could do the same?

Today's the day you leave the Strettons, right?

(No offence, Jeremy, I know it's not you or your siblings Sally-Anne despises!)

That means Luna, Hydra, Neville, Harry, Draco, Evelyn and Colin are the only people left on the lock now. Isn't it funny how there were so many of us for so long? And now it's just dwindling down to a few.

It's a shame we couldn't have found more people to add but honestly, considering what's behind it now, I don't know if I'd have been comfortable with too many more.

Anyway, what I mean is: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Are you going to get your Apparation licence over the holiday? (Who else is thinking of that, by the way? Not that it matters, of course, because it's not like Harry's going--although! I bet if Harry wanted to get his early--Draco, do you think you could, too? Neither of you are 17 yet but you've taken the lessons and you did it in CCF, I'm sure no one would stand on legalities like an age limit. Oh, I think that's a really good idea, actually, Harry. You could show everyone you're able to get your licence before you're 17, isn't that the sort of privilege we're always looking for? And it doesn't involve Cruciating anyone, either.)

Sorry, Sally-Anne. I keep going off on tangents. I hope you have fun at Pansy's--that's where you're going, isn't it? Let us know when you've settled so we can all throw a proper housewarming. (Pansy, how likely is it that your mother and step-father would come there? Because it might also be a good place for us all to come practise over the holidays.)

I just had to tell someone: You know how Mr Snape asked me to come with him this morning after breakfast? It was because he wanted me to try my hand at brewing Mr Lupin's Wolfsbane potion.

I was ever so nervous. And I didn't do very well at all. Of course, Mr Snape just said his own first attempt was worse but I'm sure he's just being kind. Anyway, he's going to have me brew it again tomorrow. Well, he's going to brew it and I'm supposed to brew alongside him, following what he does. (I'm not sure why he didn't do that in the first place, it would have been so much less frightening.)

Oh, and he liked his present, too.

I didn't want to say out in front of everyone, because I don't think he wants Mr Lupin to know just yet that he's teaching me to brew his potion, and because I didn't want to hurt Pansy's feelings, you know.

Draco, you went and talked to him, didn't you, about your plan? Was he really helpful?

Anyway, I've got to read over the notes again tonight but I thought also, I'd mention that you should talk about Miss Morgansen at the next reading meeting. Tell people, I mean. So they'll know how the fake one's being written.

Or do you think you'll be able to keep holding those, with this competition going on? Oh, and you know anything that anyone needs to help with that, just say so.

All right, everyone. Here’s what happened:

Umbridge has been using Megan Jones as a little toady and errand girl only she’s been hexing her horribly over things that aren’t even her fault. And sometime this morning she must have cursed Megan so her hands would cramp, only it was a Dark spell and it starting slowly making all her muscles contract and spasm, so we had some discussion and decided that really, it didn’t matter if she were collaborating with Madam Umbridge, we needed to offer to help her. So we sent a message out on our coins and Sarah offered to hide the potion for Megan, so she could get it but wouldn’t be able to get us in trouble for it.

Only Megan found the potion and then instead of taking it, she stayed there to see if the person who put it there came back. And when Sarah did come back, Megan jumped out and grabbed her and screamed "you can't trap me, I'm loyal!" and they started to row, and I guess then Patil alerted Madam Umbridge and she came along and took them to her office. And the next thing we knew Sarah had put her emergency failsafe coin activation, so we all went on alert.

I think Madam Umbridge must have used the Cruciatus curse on her.

Harry made everyone create diversions and distractions while we came up with a plan to get Sarah away from Madam Umbridge, that’s when Fred & George set off the dragon firework. Madam Umbridge went to see and wound up being chased under a table. Meanwhile, Ron, Sally-Anne, Pansy and--and Draco Malfoy--met Harry at a spot near Umbridge's office waited for her to leave. Then they went and got Sarah. And you’ll probably not believe this but Draco had a plan, so Sally-Anne and Sarah switched their robes and we made Sally-Anne look like Sarah and Harry loaned her his invisibility cloak, and then Ron and Pansy took Sarah to the Shrieking Shack (and yes we know how to get there) and Sally-Anne and Draco pretended that he was chasing Sarah (Sally-Anne in disguise) out of the castle and the others on the Galleon got as many people to see as possible. You know that Ron and Pansy brought her to Doughty Conduit.

Once she was outside, Sally-Anne slipped under the invisibility cloak, left some robe bits and pieces and some blood from an animal, and ran back to the castle.

And that’s it, really. The Galleoneers helped each other come up with alibis, and Justin and Hydra have collected Megan to get her to the Healer and it's all settling back down now.

Oh, Harry destroyed Umbridge’s Floo.

Oh, and also, Draco Malfoy knows about the Institute.

I'm passing on some information that was overheard today:

• I think whatever the ritual is that Bill's going to watch, it involves Seamus Finnigan, because Mr Rosier has been keeping him sort of drugged, but he's going to wean him off them starting tonight.


• The Death Eaters are talking about maybe having to recruit new people and they talked about Mr Pennifold, and also Draco, Pansy, Justin, Sally-Anne, Zabini and a load of other people whom they didn't think were good candidates (and they didn't necessarily want any of the others, either).


• Something might have happened between Mr Malfoy and Mr Yaxley but maybe it's patched up now.


• He also doesn't like Mr Strangeweale and he also doesn't like Mr Glendower or Mr Thicknesse


• But Mr Rosier doesn't mind Mr Thicknesse


• and he doesn't want the Death Eaters fighting among themselves (which is what they might be doing)


• And Mr Malfoy thinks that going to Court is dangerous nowadays.

I think that's the most important stuff and I'm sorry to bother anyone's Boxing Day but if we have a meeting I probably can't come to it, which is too bad really because I think I'd like to be there once, especially since it seems like there are some big decisions we have to make.