Order Only: The new journals

[alt_bill]

I've run the charm specifications on the new journals backwards and forwards, and I'm confident that the Order Only lock is still perfectly secure. Sirius, I can assure you that your Grim Truth entries are coming through as clearly as ever. (Massopust is fit to be tied. He swore up and down that the new journals would keep you out. I made sure he was wrong. You owe me a Firewhiskey, next time you see me.)

Comments

[alt_bill]

Oh, they had other cauldrons to boil, too, you understand. They always do. Massopust did his best to sell the new journals as easier to monitor for sedition. Then, too, the problems that Harry Marvolo has had with his this summer made them uneasy.

[alt_sirius]

Wait, tell me more. What problems?

[alt_bill]

He was posting in his journal, but no one was seeing any of his entries. It was extremely odd--we've never had anything like that happen before--and it caused quite a flurry when the truth was eventually discovered. According to rumour, Malfoy senior was quite put out when he learned that Marvolo was under the impression that his son had been ignoring him.

[alt_sirius]

Is that what it was! I knew something was up. Hermione said he'd just been pouting, but it was dead weird that he didn't post at all over the summer!

[alt_mcgonagall]

She explained it to me yesterday evening, when Mr Marvolo did not appear on the train as expected. Hermione seems to believe that the two events - the journal's failure and the barrier's failure - may be connected; however, I haven't the faintest idea of why or how this could be the case. More likely Marvolo's journal simply had a weak spell somewhere in its workings and it simply couldn't stand up to the strain of constant use.