Order Only: very briefly

[alt_bill]

Am up to my arse in very tetchy Hungarian Horntails here. Rachel and I extracted a lot of parchment from Corax's office (now miniaturised and off-site. It will take awhile to go through it; his handwriting was execrable.) We also jury-rigged a duplio spell at the back of two of the cabinet drawers that makes copies of whatever's put in the there so it reappears at Safe Drop No. 2. Didn't have time to rig all four of them. (Don't worry, between Rachel and me--Auror and Goblin knowledge--the spells are well shielded). His office is sealed and guarded, but I'm being allowed in by virtue of my position.

No word yet on a successor.

Cadmus keeps sending me irate owls. The latest demanded I write 'a fitting eulogy' for his brother's funeral. What'd I'd love to write probably isn't what he wants.

I hope to take advantage of the confusion to rescind some of the orders sending those kids to the mines.

Everyone's keeping their heads down.

Back to it. MLE's looking this way (i.e., not Rachel).

Comments

[alt_rachel]

'Corax Mulciber. I have such fond memories. Like the time he cruciated me. Or that other time he cruciated me. Or that time he almost killed the tea-trolley witch. Really, I'm just at a loss for words. What can I say other than, he'll be deeply missed?'

Better you than me, I guess.

[alt_bill]

Yeech.

[alt_rachel]

Oh, and right.

At the moment, Internal Affairs is investigating the fire. I'm trying to maneuver my way in so I can dispose of any evidence we might have left behind. (You never know.) No success so far. The logic I'm pushing is that obviously there was an insider involved, and what if that insider was in IA?

Ideally we'd like the factions to each think the other was behind it. But until I'm closer in I won't know which way to shift the scapegoating that it's most likely to stick.

Private message to Draco Malfoy

[alt_rachel]

I'll shift it away from your father, if I can. But that may be the direction it's most likely to stick.

You did well last night. I hope you don't mind hearing that from me.

Re: Private message to Draco Malfoy

[alt_draco]

Don't you speak to me about my father.

Re: Private message to Draco Malfoy

[alt_rachel]

Right.

Let me put it this way: my first priority is to make sure the evidence doesn't point at me. My second is to make sure MLE gains no useful information from anything we might have left behind.

Beyond that, suspicion could run in a lot of directions. If you would prefer it land on anyone in particular, or avoid anyone as much as possible, let me know. (Though there's no guarantee I'll be able to elbow my way into this.)

Re: Private message to Draco Malfoy

[alt_draco]

I don't care.

Re: Private message to Draco Malfoy

[alt_rachel]

Good to know.

[alt_bill]

Keep trying, as much as you safely can.

Well. I'd tell you 'as long as you can do so without raising suspicions,' but that's almost insulting, as if I'm telling you how to do your job. Besides, everyone's flinching at shadows today.

[alt_jeremy]

Too right about keeping our heads down. Though there's to be a small gathering after hours to drink to the memory of our late boss.

Well, the phrase used was "drink until we can't remember the sodding bastard."

Your current impression of diligence and hard-arsery means that nobody's quite brave enough to invite you along. It's not that anyone thinks you were mates with the git. They heard the cruciations. They just think you're angling for some kind of promotion or something. Probably the grim look.

Your call on whether I ought to reinforce that notion or demolish it.

[alt_bill]

Reinforce, I think. Merlin knows I don't want any more cruciations (either given or received). But I need to look as tough as possible, if I want any hope of manoeuvring myself into a position where I can get the most intel.