alt_mcgonagall

A very happy Christmas to all of you, and a happy New Year.

Lucius, on the thirtieth I imagine I shall be caught in London for the night, attending various meetings and so forth for our Lord. Perhaps we might meet then to discuss the vast variety of Hogwarts-related topics we spoke about at your Christmas party?

I have not forgotten that I owe you a drink. Or three.

I received the following from Lucius Malfoy on 4 December:
Ha! There is nothing I should like better than to go after Carrow. But - damnably - he seems to be as clean as a whistle. I cannot find any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever, at least, not towards students.

Young Boot is another matter entirely.

In any case, Molly, you might want to observe your sons closely. Should they report any trouble with Amycus Carrow whatsoever, I want to hear about it. Perhaps we have some hope of ousting him from the castle, if Lucius will take my side against him. Only we must have proof, which I daresay he is too clever to give us - the Lord Protector will persist in his strange affection for the creature.

Today I am so tightly wound that I suspect I thrum if you touch me.

Meeting with Lucius today was positively horrible. He, of course, is on to so many things I wish he wasn't - and none of it will likely lead to anything but of course there's the constant fear that it will. He isn't a Legilimens - but he might as well be, for all his probing questions.

Alice, I certainly hope that what Lupin was doing was worth it. Lucius wanted to know everything about it - whether he had told me where he'd gone, whether he'd had help, everything. I responded, of course, that he had been in the hospital wing but Lucius should have to ask Madam Pomfrey himself about Lupin's wounds; he seemed satisfied that I knew nothing about it. Which of course I don't. But I oughtn't have to protect him to Lucius, not with all the other things I must hide.

Oh, and there are plenty of other things I must hide. Before he got onto Lupin, he asked to see the book. Spent quite some time on 1983 in particular. The children from that year who were left out were Jane Dhesi and Felix Ferguson - Felix was the one who we took after the failed attempt for Dennis Creevey. Alice, of course you must be doubly and triply careful about it. They may be searching.

Next, some perceived slight to young Messrs Marvolo and Malfoy - I highly doubt that there is some grand conspiracy against them, no matter what has happened to Mr Marvolo's broom, although of course I mollified him by saying that I would look into it - and then he got on to the issue of the Boot boy. I had to call him in to satisfy Lucius, and I was afraid that he'd Cruciate the poor child, but he restrained himself. It could have been worse, of course, but I hate to see anyone grovel so, especially someone so tiny and insignificant as Boot. What pleasure can Lucius get from humiliating such a wretched creature?

Later, however, I spoke with Mr Boot in the hall, and he said something to the effect of "Boot knows what to say to him," meaning Lucius. I am not certain that his groveling was quite so heartfelt as it seemed. That is a comfort, I suppose.