Hermione Jane Granger

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.

How's everything going?

I know it's late but I only just had a few minutes to sit and work on my notes.

Can you get us a list of potions in need of resupply? Terry and a few others are helping Professor Slughorn with the regular stock. If I need to reassign anyone because you're running through things quickly, I can pull a couple more volunteers.

Oh, and Healer Culpeper's going to do the Wolfsbane this month, but I sort of want to be available when he does, he doesn't have a lot of practice doing it. So I might need to assign some of Professor Slughorn's assistants to Sleeper work.

Professor,

(I hope it's all right to call you that. I'm sorry, I have trouble calling someone 'Master' after so many years and even though it's a different context. But 'Potioneer' just sounds silly.)

I thought I would formally report that it did not appear Wolfsbane or any modification to it would make much impact on Miss Lovegood's affliction. I observed for nearly an hour around the time when she would have transformed, and while it was clear she was suffering significant impairment to her cognitive function, it was not so debilitating nor so wolfish as to suggest that the properties of the potion would be at all efficacious. There were some markedly animalistic tendencies in her affect, however, and I believe that rather than an aconite-based potion, one with a root in Junellia and Pueraria may prove beneficial.

Unfortunately, this project will have to wait until more pressing matters are attended, to wit, the completion of our production of anti-Sleeper preparation. I shall be working this morning on calculating the precise proportions for higher volumes of restorative in a single batch. I believe if we are able to scale the batch sizes, while successfully titrating the ingredient proportions, we will achieve both a higher consistency of final product and conserve some of the more limited resources at our disposal until such time as the potions gardens here and at other secure locations can be harvested.

I would greatly appreciate additional assistance in both brewing the proposed regressions, once they are ready, and testing them against the control batches that Severus and I had made prior to the battle for Hogwarts. If you could kindly provide the names of those students whom you recall having reasonable skill at ingredient preparation and basic brewing capacity, who are either here helping or who might be available to return and help, that would aid the cause and speed the process considerably.

Better yet, if you are so inclined as to ask them yourself, that might avoid wasting time unnecessarily, as well as any unpleasant and equally unnecessary whinging they might raise about working for a Muggleborn.

Thank you,

Journeywoman Granger

Draco,

We might be a few days working on things for the potion. Maybe longer, so it means you'd be going to Moddey alone to see Ragnik on Thursday. I mean, I might be able to go with you but probably not, I'd plan on going alone if I were you. All right? We've still got time and we're not even going to get the other goblins to help before Mrs Longbottom and Remus have their argument-thing with them.

Oh, meanwhile, though, I left a book for you on the landing. It's about lock-picking. Just in case they say no, even after Remus and Mrs Longbottom make the case.

Mr Snape has some potions work for me, so I may need to monitor that while we're revising. Or instead of revising, even. The tests he wants me to run are really complicated, it might be a bad idea to split my attention.

But you could quiz each other and I'll listen.

Anyway, I'll be in there already this afternoon, so just come along when you're ready.

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.

Mr Snape, Mr Macnair:

Yesterday I went to Grimmauld Place to start more Polyjuice Potion because it sounded like we were going to go through loads of it. And I thought there were two clay jars of dried boomslang skin so I used most of one of them. I was going to tell you, Mr Macnair, when we were down to the last jar.

But this morning I just came back to check on things and the other jar is already empty!

We need more boomslang, as soon as possible. I think there's only enough left for about half a batch after the two cauldrons I'm making now.

I'm sorry, I should have actually checked both jars but I was in a hurry to get everything together and brewing and I just didn't and now there's not enough for more and we'll run out of potion. Or at least we'll have to prioritise the potion really, really carefully. And this isn't a good time for that, I know.