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[alt_alice]

Well, it's officially summer here at Moddey Dhoo, which means that the children are on half-days at school and spend the other half paddling in the ocean, helping with chores -- which can sometimes lead to twice the work -- and chasing the chickens. Ian and Katherine are anxiously awaiting their wands -- we've told them to wait until Frank and I are back from our trip with Neville and Evelyn, but they are both waiting on pins and needles til then. Laura and Stephen McGivern are more anxious than anything -- although Laura mentioned to me that she wished Katherine could've been Sorted properly at Hogwarts, like both of them were, and got all misty about it. Poor dear. And Remus, you remember little Ian -- goodness, he's shot up like a weed. He's still very shy, but he, Kathrine, and Alec Turner are thick as thieves, and Alec has been lording his wand over them for two years now, so both of them are more than ready for theirs.

The garden is a riot of colour, and we're barely keeping ahead of all the canning and preserving that will keep us in veg during the winter. Regina Lee, one of our new additions, has been endless help coming up with a new system of composting that has really made a noticeable difference so far, and she's already been selecting seeds from the highest producing plants for next season. She's just fascinated by our magical plants -- she's been taking endless notes on the properties of fluxweed, and she's bemoaning the fact that she can't publish any of it -- nor does she have access to a macroscope or any number of gadgets she used to use in her laboratory at university. Fu has been keeping busy as well -- he goes up to Sherwood with Frank about once a week.

Kevin is a regular chatterbox, and has moved quickly from walking to running -- it's all I can do to keep up with him. He's like his mum and older brother in that he just loves the garden, and would root around in the dirt for hours if I let him. That's all the news I can think of for now.

Before I forget, Remus, Stephen has asked for you to send along your notes from your latest experience with the Wolfsbane. I've told him that you didn't take the very last dosage, and he'd like you to send him all you remember from it, as well as whether you had any of those side effects that were there the last few times.

Oh, and Kingsley, I've received an owl from Algernon, and July 20 works best for him. It'll be two days after Evelyn comes back from her YPL camping trip, so she'll get her fill of camping by summer's end! We were figuring a week -- to get Neville back in time for his birthday, because his friends will no doubt be expecting some sort of party. I think we'll go to the Lake District this time.

I honestly can't thank you and the Players enough for helping us out with this. Last year was just like heaven, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to see Neville and Evelyn again. From the bottom of my heart, Kingsley.

Comments

Private Message to Alice

[alt_sirius]

Don't suppose there's any help for it but do you really think it's wise to talk quite so openly about Moddey before our two new associates have passed muster?

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_alice]

It's not as if I haven't talked about it before -- and knowing Severus at least, I'd bet a knut he's read up all he can on what we've already written.

Their finding out about us is an inevitability, love, and as much as it makes me nervous, I plan on moving forward business as usual.

I got your owl, by the by.

I've sent a reply, and you should be getting it soon.

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_sirius]

They can read all the old ...

Heh. Right. Of course they can.

Well.

As for the owl - don't keep me in suspense, woman. Am I in the doghouse with you as well?

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_alice]

Well, you'll get the heart of it in the letter, you know, but there are things about what Terrie's done that I am certainly not pleased with -- and her behaviour as of late (as you've described it) most certainly has me concerned.

This is not to say that you are completely and utterly blameless, love, but the fact that she's balking at a paternity test gives me a good deal of pause.

I think she's a desperate woman in a difficult situation who has decided that you are going to rescue her, and as such, is depending on you for all the answers and making it as difficult for you to walk away as possible. I don't like the way she lied to you, and I think the feeling you have about her ambivalence towards the Order is a very real sign that she is not ready to come here to Moddy Dhoo full-time.

It's a complicated issue, darling. But regardless, I think you ought to hold off making any big decisions until you know for certain whether it's your baby.

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_sirius]

Well, that's a sight better than Remus gave me, at any rate.

When she first told me, I had much the same reaction as she was having about a paternity test - that it was a terrible risk because what if it up and said 'Sirius Black is the father' in the middle of St M's or something. Come to think of it I don't even know how those charms work. Is that what happens or - well, you probably wouldn't know, would you, there's never been any doubt about you and Frank.

Anyway, the point is that the more I thought about it, the more I realised I have to know before I can figure out what to do about it.

The oddest thing, like I said in the owl, is that all those things about family - they never really go away, do they? I mean to say, for myself I could leave 12 Grimmauld Place shut up and inaccessible forever, until it crumbles into dust. But the moment I was confronted with the idea that I might actually have a son child, well ... suddenly a legacy seemed more important. Even a daft old inheritance like mine. I can't explain it but it's there, all the same.

And the reverse was true as well, which surprised me. I mean, it'd be one thing if it were Harry or even if the Moddey Dhoo kids needed a home, and I'd sell everything inside if it helped us - every stick of furniture and every last butterknife. But the idea of giving it all to someone else's bastard --

Guess some of my father's lessons really did sink in, is all.

Not that I'd need to leave the kid everything, of course. But I'd feel a right cad if I promised different things on the condition of paternity. And yet - that's how it is.

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_alice]

Well, I think it's important to separate out what you'd want to do for a friend in a hard place -- which she is, no doubt, regardless, and what you'd do for your own child.

Because if it did turn out not to be yours, you'd still have a friend who needs your help. And helping her find a new job is certainly something you can do.

So I wouldn't think of it so much as either giving all to your heir or leaving off altogether, and more about what Terrie is going to need help with regardless of whether the baby is yours, and then what else you might do if it is.

I hadn't thought about the risk at St Mungo's, though -- does it really say the name like that? I can't say I've ever known anyone to have it done before. Poppy might know -- I know, I know, you'd have to run the gauntlet on that one. Perhaps... might Tonks have some friends who might know how it works?

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_alice]

Or might Terrie herself, for that matter?

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_sirius]

I dunno but - I'm not eager to revisit that conversation.

You're right, though. I've been focused on the baby and on what Terrie's been pushing for as a solution. And sometimes the best way to solve something is to go around it, not through it.

That's why we Gryffindors keep the rest of you around, to remind us.

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_alice]

There are three other houses for a reason, love.

[alt_kingsley]

Those dates will work for me and the rest of the players.

Glad to help you and your family out, anytime.

[alt_severus]

Stephen McGivern ... I have never heard of him.

Whomever he is, this talk of "side effects" disturbs me. I should like a word with him. The Wolfsbane potion was in the development stages just before my incarceration - despite its being detrimental to the schemes of the Dark Lord, I took interest enough to be able to recall its essential structure. It had great potential.

[alt_alice]

Hello, Severus.

Stephen is one of our residents at Moddey Dhoo. He and his wife and little girl escaped from the camps about two years ago, and they've been staying with us ever since. He used to be a potion-maker for St Mungo's, and has been enormous help making polyjuice for us.

Sirius brought a batch of Wolfsbane over from France for Remus to try, and Stephen got a sample of it to see if he could reverse-work it and brew it himself, but without the original instructions or even a list of ingredients it has been slow going.

I'm sure he'd appreciate any help you could provide, as would Remus, of course.

[alt_severus]

We shall certainly have plenty to discuss concerning polyjuice in the near future.

However, without speaking with the man myself, I have no idea of his progress, his facilities, his research thus far, the effects that his version have had on the subject, etc. The methodology behind a successful Wolfsbane potion alone would fill a textbook, and unless I have access to the full account of his notes during process - this is assuming, perhaps generously, that he has taken thorough notes - I cannot be certain of giving accurate advice.

I would gladly assist him in person were I allowed out of doors for longer than a few hours every day.

[alt_alice]

I can see if it would be possible for you to visit here, Severus. Stephen would be more than happy to share his notes with you. He's rather a fan of the Draught, you know, and I'm sure he'd enjoy meeting you.

Barring that, he can, of course, come to you -- but it wouldn't be nearly as convenient, I'd imagine.

[alt_severus]

Your faith in the goodwill of the Order is touching, Mrs Longbottom, but to allow me a jaunt to Moddey Dhoo of a day is to admit that I can be trusted, even in the smallest degree. I'll see Doomsday before even the generous-hearted Mr Black allows that much, and it is too much to hope that Dumbledore will see fit to intercede twice in a single year.

Tell Mr McGivern to come exhaustively prepared, or not at all.

Private Message to Severus Snape

[alt_alice]

If you haven't noticed, Mr Snape, Sirius Black does not speak for the entire Order.

You're under the Lock already, that means by necessity that you know of the presence and purpose of Moddey Dhoo. I honestly can't see how knowing the location would damn us any more, and we've got a secret keeper besides.

I'm of a mind that if we're supposed to trust you, we're supposed to trust you.

I know not everyone shares my opinion, and as such, it wouldn't be wise on my part to simply open the doors and let you walk straight in. But I want you to know where I stand on it at least. I will talk it over with Minerva, and in the meantime, as a poor substitute, Stephen can visit you as soon as he's got a spot of free time with as much of his equipment and notes as he and Frank can safely transport.

Would day after tomorrow work for you?

And while he's up there, is there anything else you need?

Re: Private Message to Severus Snape

[alt_severus]

You would do well to tell that to Sirius Black. He must someday be disabused of the notion that he who shouts the loudest wins the argument, though since it has not happened by now, it likely never shall.

Perhaps I should have been more general: to allow me a jaunt anywhere outside of walking distance seems beyond the capacity of this organisation. I credit half of this restriction to the likes of Mr Black, and the other half to a prevailing uncertainty of what exactly is to be done with me. We are of a similar mind in that trust, in this circumstance, should be complete or completely absent. I know exactly what I wish to do. Whether or not this shall be allowed remains to be seen.

My wishes do, in fact, include a visit to Moddey Dhoo, as much to rectify this Wolfsbane situation as to satisfy my curiosity. As this is - in all likelihood - impossible for the present, the day after tomorrow will suffice. While I can think of many ways in which my situation might be improved, and I credit you for the inquiry, I doubt whether any of them are within your reach to bestow.

Re: Private Message to Severus Snape

[alt_alice]

For the present, yes. But not, I trust, forever.

This must be a rather frustrating transition for you, Severus, and you can certainly appreciate that it is a difficult one for us as well. But we'll get it sorted out properly. These things just take time.

I'll pass along your message to Stephen and Frank, and you can expect them day after tomorrow, first thing.

[alt_lupin]

It's a wonderful potion, even with the side effects. I'm a bit hesitant to tinker, because it does work so well, and the side effects are nothing I can't manage. (It causes nausea when I take it, so I'm rather off my food for the days before the full moon. I can usually manage bland foods and soup without too much trouble. I've also had mouth and throat ulcers a few times when I've failed to sip it slowly enough, and twice I've had a headache after taking it, though it's possible I just suffered a headache those days and assumed it was the potion. Regardless, it's a vast improvement over NOT having it.)

[alt_severus]

Is the nausea directly related to the taste of the potion, or does it occur ten to twenty minutes after consumption? Are you certain that the ulcers had no correlation to deficiencies or excesses in your diet prior to taking the dose? Of what duration and severity was the headache, and did this headache occur reliably after the same dose, or on different days?

[alt_lupin]

No, the nausea comes later. About ten to twenty minutes, yes. Though as I sip it slowly sometimes I'm still taking the potion when it hits -- which can be difficult.

I'm lucky enough to have an excellent and well-balanced diet, Severus, so I quite doubt that's the problem.

As for the headache -- moderately severe, lasted a few hours, and both times it was the afternoon before the full moon.

[alt_severus]

If your nausea were due to the taste there would be little I could do, but I am reasonably certain, from what you tell me, that something can be done to avoid the worst of the digestive effects. And, as yet, I see no reason why the ulcers should have occurred at all, as you claim no dietary reason for it. As Mr McGivern is reverse-engineering his sample some confusion is perhaps inevitable, but I have reason to believe that these effects may be lessened or, possibly, eliminated. I will report my findings to you once I have had the chance to speak with Mr McGivern.

Private Message to Remus

[alt_sirius]

What happened to 'it tastes foul and it's making me prematurely grey?'

And can you believe that git? Sounds like Azkaban's turned him more pompous than Lucius bloody Malfoy.

Re: Private Message to Remus

[alt_lupin]

The foul taste hardly seemed worth mentioning.

And I was going grey at twenty-two, wasn't I?

Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_lupin]

I remember the sense of horror when I realised the moon was up, and I'd failed to take that last dose of the potion.

Beyond that -- only snatches. There were moments when I was nearly myself, enough to feel utter terror at the thought I might hurt someone. I do remember Sirius at my side, a few times. I asked him later, and he said I became wolfish, and he transformed and sent me running to prevent anyone from getting hurt.

Perhaps Sirius can further enlighten Stephen.

One thing's quite clear: I can't miss a dose, not again, not ever. If I do, you'll need to confine me, or send me somewhere there's no one to injure.

Re: Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_sirius]

Well, you're not going to miss another dose, that's all.

And if you should have to do, well ... I'll be there. Even if I have to Apparate to get there before moonrise.

Re: Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_lupin]

How do you propose to know you're needed? If there's time for me to write in the journals that I missed a dose, and for you to apparate over to wolf-sit, surely there's time for me to find a locked storage room.

Re: Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_sirius]

Patronus?

I dunno.

I'll remind you, then.

Re: Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_sirius]

And anyway, who's to say you wouldn't break down the door, depending on the cupboard you find.

No help for it, Moony. Lobotomy. It's the only solution.

Re: Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_lupin]

Don't think I haven't considered that option!

Alas, I'm not sure it would have much effect on my transformations.

Re: Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_alice]

Remus, love, the last thing in the world I wanted was to make you feel guilty over what happened. That was far from my intention.

I wasn't thinking.

I'm sorry.

I know what a boon this potion has been for your well-being, and I want so badly for it to work as well as it ought for you, and now that we know what it's like when you miss a dose, well, I just know you'll be that much more careful in the future.

Re: Private message to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[alt_sirius]

You know one thing I'm wondering .... We've been following the instructions from the original batch I found on the continent, which calls for several doses. I wonder if it really means you absolutely have to get that many doses into your system or if it's really the dose closest to the full moon that counts.

Not that I'm suggesting we test it this weekend, mind.

I just wonder if you'd missed the first dose and not the last, would that have made a difference.

Anyway, Moony, I'll be on the road in an hour or so. Should arrive quite late, maybe in time for Bea's midnight feeding.