Order Only: Aftermath of the Stretton Estates incident

[alt_bill]

After years of gnashing my teeth over the seemingly impenetrable shield wall over MLE, I have recently managed (quite to my own astonishment) to develop a source who is actually willing to pass along some news (don't worry--this person knows nothing about the Order). At any rate, I learned last night that the individuals who were caught trying to sneak into that field at the Stretton Estates (and who encountered Ron and Sally-Anne) have already been processed. All of them but one have been sent to Azkaban.

The werewolf, according to my source, has been executed.

Comments

[alt_severus]

Interesting.

Does your contact have any sense of what organisation the perpetrators belonged to?

[alt_bill]

I'll try to probe a bit, see what I can find out.

[alt_poppy]

I should very much like to know what sort of group they were. And whether it was coincidence they were allied with a werewolf or something more. Are there groups, do you suppose, who are recruiting werewolves to join them? And are they merely criminal bands or subversives of some stripe?

That's a stark reminder what status the Protectorate accords werewolves. I shouldn't think many of them would support His regime if they had a chance to oppose it.

Of course, one wonders if those sent to Azkaban might see summary execution as the kinder sentence.

[alt_severus]

Any right-minded person would view death as preferable to Azkaban, yes — particularly as after a short stay in Azkaban, one is unlikely to remain right-minded.

No snide commentary from the peanut gallery necessary: I am well aware how fortunate I was to escape with my wits intact.

[alt_sirius]

I've heard that when you're already witless on the way in, that helps.

Sorry. You said 'unnecessary' but that was just because I felt like it.

[alt_severus]

It is a comforting constant in the universe that one may always count upon you to lack the slightest bit of self-control.

[alt_sirius]

Relax. Anyway, what've you done with the verbena? Used it all or just moved it?

[alt_severus]

By that token, I take it that you are in my the potions laboratory?

The verbena is where it should be, next to the knotgrass and the peppermint leaf. There are two varietals. You may have overlooked them, as they are labelled by scientific name, V. officinalis and V. menthifolia.

If you tell me what you are attempting to brew, I will recommend which to use.

[alt_sirius]

Well, it is my house, after all.

Re-translated the family grimoire. It's that suppression potion.

I'm guessing that's not going to help you predict what's in it, though.

Scientific names? Huh. How Muggle of you.

[alt_severus]

Precision is often the difference between success and failure. And yes, I am quite aware it is your house. If it were my laboratory I would not permit

As I have not investigated your wild goose chase in greater detail, I could not speculate with any degree of confidence, but given the age of the receipt with which you are working, V. officinalis is more likely to be the correct choice if anything is; V. menthifolia was not naturalised until this century.

[alt_sirius]

... Right.

Well, if you're in the mood for dispensing free and unsolicited advice, any clue why the cauldron keeps oversetting no matter how much powdered mandrake root gets added?

I've tried it before and after the spearmint and I tried infusing at different rates - you know, fully dissolving half, then only a quarter, etc. - but nothing seems to make a difference.

Before you say it, yes, I've double-checked the codex and it's definitely supposed to be powdered mandrake root and it's definitely supposed to be added while the cauldron is at a fast boil.

Well, every potion has a tricky step, right? I'll get it sooner or later.

[alt_severus]

Powdered mandrake root and spearmint? In a potion that undoubtedly belongs to the Placida genus?

That is an idiotic unusual choice. Assuming you are certain have not mistranslated the ingredients, and assuming your ancestors were not playing a poor-spirited joke upon their progeny: are you, by any chance, using an iron cauldron or stirring rod? Powdered mandrake root can react violently with iron in potions using a base with an arithmantic value of two, three, five, or seven.

Alternately, what ingredient is intended to be added after the powdered mandrake root? If it is liquid, you may be expected to combine the two before infusion.

What are the stirring instructions?

[alt_sirius]

You're not the only student ever to get an O on a Potions N.E.W.T., you know. Of course it's not an iron cauldron. And Great-Aunt Belvina made a note that it's better with a wooden stirring rod (Birch or Ash, not a darker wood), so that's ruled out.

Following the mandrake root is the crushed verbena, which is why I was looking for it.

Stirring instructions are to 'stirre like unto that of the clock's face and not any faster than its progress. But tak ye care to retract one stire in the contrariwise with each sixth rounded stroke, before ye proceed againe rightwise.'

Which I'm doing. Was doing. It just blew again.

[alt_severus]

...Fascinating.

If you are using a wooden stirring rod, were there any notes about its previous uses? If you have taken pains to remind me of your N.E.W.T. result, you will undoubtedly remember the care paid to the question of wood as living material retaining traces of its previous use; it could be that it is expected to have been imbued with some substance.

As well, potions containing powdered mandrake root usually call for counter-clockwise stirring, but as a potion of this class should not involve powdered mandrake root at all, I hesitate to call that the answer. Indulge my curiosity, however, if you would be so kind: what does happen if you switch to six-and-one counter instead of six-and-one clock?

[alt_sirius]

You think I didn't think about the wood? I cleansed it with an expurgatis lignae before I began.

Reversing the direction of stirring made it the solution turn, er, sludgy. And brown. Sort of, tar-like. I looked and there aren't enough other liquid ingredients to thin it back out with later steps.

Anyway, I can't maintain the speed of stir while I'm writing to you so, if you're interested now in this 'wild goose chase' then come take a look for yourself.

[alt_severus]

I was not accusing you of negligence in your preparations; I was simply speculating that perhaps — given the inexplicability of the results thus far — your illustrious ancestors expected that step to be omitted, and it is possible the potion is expecting a fractional dose of some other ingredient.

It should not be possible, meanwhile, for a preparation involving powdered mandrake root to emulsify in that fashion. (Before you take offense at my saying so: I am not impugning your observational abilities. I am marvelling that yet another impossibility appears to have been added to the list.) It could be possible the thermal reaction is inverting the magical nature of the mandrake? No, that would result in the cauldron freezing and cracking...

I will admit to being intrigued, yes. There are some methods of analysis that might prove fruitful; I shall put together a kit and be there shortly. If you have not already vanished the results of your last attempt, do not do so until I have had a chance to examine it.

I will behave if you will behave