Kingsley Reginald Shacklebolt

Locked to the Order of the Phoenix, excluding Lucius Malfoy.

Nymph Tonks, Fletcher and I have been doing a little... investigative research.

The good news is ( ... )

Private.
This idea of Severus' - or rather, Hermione's, I should say - is really quite something. Get it right, and it'll end this mess. Get it wrong, and we're fu in deep trouble. Either way, it's got to be better than sitting tight and waiting for trouble to find us - which it will, sooner or later. At least this way we'll be in control of the circumstances under which it all blows up, not halfway through a game of Tiddlywinks with a handful of little girls or mid-chat with Frank Longbottom.

I don't half hope it works out.
Locked to Bill Weasley.
Sounds like you and Remus hit the jackpot (it's a Muggle thing, don't ask) in Moody's rooms, then. Nice one. You didn't see any sign of where the bloody hell he's gone while you were in there, did you?

Nice tail, by the way.

Locked to Valerius Visconti.
I like the hair, Visconti. Bit brighter than your usual. Mind how you go out there, yeah?

Private. Blimey, Severus doesn't half look ropey at the moment. Mind you, so do Remus, Minerva and most of the kids, far as I can tell. Must be something going round.

There's a weird feeling in the safehouses at the moment - not only is it tending towards being pretty crowded now, but there are things happening - even the tiny kids at Thorne seem to be picking up on it.

Locked to the Order
Anyone seen Dung lately? He's got something of mine technically it's not mine yet but hey and I haven't seen him for ages.

Locked to Hufflepuff Slytherin the Safehouse occupants:
I don't know who decided to stuff that chimney with mistletoe or why but I'd just like to point out that it's bloody stupid a really bad idea.

Locked to Safehouse adults
I think it was probably a prankster, either human or eck ekcto ghost... but the room was pretty smokey, it'd been making kids cough. Not good - it was the commonroom chimney, worth checking now and again. And I suggest you make sure the fire's all the way out first, next time.

Locked to the Safe-House occupants and allies
And a very merry fu Christmas to you too.

Locked to the other occupants of Thorne only
Dare May I ask who was responsible for the red and green mice? Very clever but browny grey ones are easier to ignore.

Private
There's something a bit iffy going on. Not the bloody mice, but I was in the school yesterday and it feels wrong.

I think I might play the mouse, this time.

Private.
I'm bored.

Locked to the Order of the Phoenix
Anyone for a game of poker?

Private.
Or, in fact...

Locked to Padma Patil
Are you still doing that ink-splatting thing?

Do you need another... Chaser?

Locked to Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody
Anyone got any idea what happens when Dawlish finally notices they're one down on the night shift this week?

Come to think of it, where are you all day, Tonks? What the naff are you up to these days?

Locked to William Weasley
Er, is there still room for another stray Auror at Thorne, mate? Only it doesn't seem to be a terribly good idea to be found at the Leighton Road flat any more. Or, in fact, in London full stop. I seem to have managed to salvage a nearly-full bottle of McGillivrays, though.

Later...
Locked to Severus Snape
Many happy returns, and all that.

Locked to Molly Weasley
Do you know any good charms for removing bloodstains from clothing?

Locked to Remus Lupin
Nice tail. I hope that bruise doesn't come up too badly. Let me know when you're home out and safe, please.

Locked to Arthur Weasley
That could have gone a lot worse than it did. Take it easy, this evening.

Locked to S
Private.
Bugger that for a bunch of bananas. Robes first. Then

( Messages for various people. )

Private:
I never, ever, ever want to see anything like that again as long as I live. I can pick up bodies and give mercy, even, but to actually watch and be unable to do anything... Merlin. It's beyond words, it really is. I don't know if the fact that Snape can bring himself to see something like that again and again makes him worthy of respect or merely fear - nobody normal could possibly volunteer to do that, not for whatever gain. At least it gave me a small insight into the Death Eaters and their workings... and their voices. There are at least two, now, that I'd recognise if I heard them across the street.

That little girl's lungs were full of blood and it would probably have been possible, at least on that first night, to take a sample from her... from the wound, for analysis, but I couldn't. Couldn't touch it. Fine Auror I am, walking straight past evidence that might let us lock a murderer up. A toddler, for Circe's sake - hardly a threat to anyone.

I didn't tell Alastor all of what we did that night, and I'm not going to. It's not Dark if it helps someone, if it might save someone else... it hurts no-one except me.

Locked to Alastor Moody:
Sir

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the report; I'm dropping in at the school tomorrow to return something to one of the students - need anything from the office? I'm in tonight covering your bloody shift so I could fetch paperwork if your desk doesn't try to take my hand off again.

I took Arthur Weasley to have a look at the site; he didn't see anything of particular Auror interest there, just some Muggle ecklecktic technology.

Shacklebolt.

Locked to Bill Weasley
How's the hangover?

Listen, do you know what happened to the Patil girl? I've seen her and Visconti together and, well, he doesn't really seem the type. Might be an idea to get either her or Alastor out of there ASAP before he goes and sticks what's left of his nose in where it's not wanted.

Cheers for the other night - it was sorely needed.

Kingsley

Locked to Minerva McGonagall
I have a fragment of Geraldine Barton's wand, and I'd like to return it to the daughter, if that's possible. I need a word with Alastor anyway - would it be all right if I dropped in tomorrow afternoon?

Hope all is well.

K. Shacklebolt

ETA: Locked to Pomona Sprout, Rubeus Hagrid and Charlie Weasley
There are some cattle - probably about 15 cows and a big fierce one a stallion stud boy one at a dairy farm in Devon that are, I think, yours for the taking if they'd be any use to the school.

I can assist with locating them, if needs be. Just don't ask me to help catch them.

Regards

K. Shacklebolt

Locked to Harry Potter
Would you be available for a bit of a chat sometime tomorrow evening? I was thinking of eating at the safehouses saves washing up and then talking after, if that's convenient for you.

KRS.

Locked to Alastor Moody
I went over to have a look at the Dark Mark Patil reported in Cornwall the other day. Very interesting. Report's in the bottom drawer of your desk and I suggest not opening it when you've got company, if you enjoy having eyebrows.

KRS

Locked to Dedalus Diggle
Sorry not to see you last Sunday; very many thanks for the mead, though, I'm saving it for when I'm really desperate a decent evening in. I trust the family are well?

Shacklebolt.

Private
Blimey, what a week. Can't be bothered to write much now, might add more after. Need a cuppa.

A couple of hours later
That's more like it. Where was I? Oh yes. Well, for starters I had a merry wild-Griffin chase across the country to check on Hestia - who was thank fuck, of course, fine. Silly witch, if she was any more forgetful she'd miss her own birthday, let alone anyone else's.

I could do with a bit of a break from attending funerals, really.

The Cornwall trip was... well, terrifying would be my main choice of words. I don't think I've seen such violence, ever - the Cromer case was bad enough but this was beyond bad. I do hope Patil and the Visconti kid don't get curious and decide to go and have a look - she seemed too sensible for that, but you never know. I would have.

Private
The killing of Dung's friends has rattled me, a bit. I'm not letting that on to him or anyone else for that matter, there's no point - nothing to gain from it. People are scared enough.

There's a long chain of nasty things emerging, and I'm - well - concerned.
First Emmy Vance dies a horrible death.
Then a kid turns up charred to the bone in St Mungo's mortuary but nobody reports a teenager missing.
Then some bastard tries to disembowel me and nearly succeeds, and Tonks, concealment wonderkid, picks up a persistent stalker who despite being able to follow a Metamorphmagus around the country is giving himself away left right and centre - you'd almost think he wanted to be see-

Oh, shit.

Locked to all Order members, except Nymphadora Tonks
I don't want to go into too much detail on here but two things have just occurred to me about Tonks's stalker: firstly, this guy's doing a remarkably good job of following a Metamorphmagus around the country... and secondly, he doesn't seem to be all that worried about her knowing it. Think on that one a bit.

Locked to Tonks
What's your usual Apparition arrival point for work?

Private again
I've sent a few owls out, just notes around the place to try and get a bit of company for a birthday drink or two at my Muggle local next weekend. Be good to have a chance to touch base with a few people, and with a bit of luck we'll be able to relax, the upstairs room at the Bull and Gate is pretty safe especially now I've done a spot of warding up there.

Locked to Alastor Moody
Sir

The Heathrow report's on your desk; hope it's OK because I'm not spending any more hours on it this week, like it or not. I sent Dawlish a memo asking him to drop in for a word; it came back singed and unopened but he might just have been in a bad mood.

Any chance of my not drawing duty rota for the night of Sunday the 5th of February, incidentally?

Shacklebolt.

Locked to Tonks

You busy Sunday fortnight? What are your lot doing at the moment, anyway?

KS

Locked to the Order of the Phoenix
Happy New Year. Sorry I couldn't join you but I had heavy drinking other engagements to attend to.

Private.
The bastard. The absolute utter git. I swear he did it on purpose. Next thing I know I'll be seeing in my 34th year by sitting keeping the Underaged Magic detectors company. Honestly, last time I looked at a dicktionary I'm sure 'holiday' wasn't accompanied by the words 'working one's backside off for no pay and less thanks'.

I wonder what bloody Fletcher's playing at, anyway...

Private
So I'm following this bloke down Knockturn Alley, nothing unusual, few wallets gone missing, Malkin's think they may have lost a couple of bags of Sickles... I distinctly remember dropping my gloves new they were too and cost a pretty Galleon and next thing I know I'm in Mungo's with some spotty young mediwizard looking down his stubby nose at me. Great. Just what I needed to polish my Friday off. Seems I was hit with something that messed my insides up, but my head met the iron rim of a barrel on the way down.

Ooo, haha, what's that big orange tail?

Locked to Alastor Moody:
Sorry sir, not yet had time to get anything together on the Westminster report - would it be acceptable to pass it to someone more junior? As I really have much better things to worry about than some twit with a wand turning pigeons into stone.

Locked to Poppy Pomfrey
I can't remember if you were going to write to Rose about the Cromer killings or not - my apologies - if you haven't, could you please do so?

Private
It's funny what a bang on the h

Locked to all members of the Order of the Phoenix
Savage, Williamson and I have just finished assessing and removing the corpses of three four Muggles – two adults and two small children – and one young adult, who appears to have been magical so far as we were able to ascertain – from a property in Cromer. The smallest was still showing some signs of life when we arrived but died at St Mungo’s approximately one hour after admittance.

The extent to which the Ministry is disinterested worries me greatly.

Locked to Tonks
Trust your instincts – if you need to leave, go. We can’t afford to lose another good Auror to suicidal bravery this time.

Locked to Al- Mad- Auror Moody
Sir

The Norfolk call was very much worse than officially reported, and I think we may require McGonagall’s assistance in establishing exactly who this young person was. Patricide, my arse.

Dawlish has been behaving a little oddly of late.

KRS.