alt_alice | ORDER ONLY

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.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.)

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?

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.

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.

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.

The foul taste hardly seemed worth mentioning.

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

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