Private message to Barty

[alt_antonin]

Awake

Exhausted

Where are you? Need to know what has happened but will not be on my feet yet

Comments

[alt_crouch_jr]

Batya.

Relieved to know you woke. Hope perhaps you've gone back to sleep by now. Will stop at Cottesmore as soon as I'm able. Can't promise when that will be, yet.

Much work demanding attention. Will tell you all when I see you. One piece of information you might find cheering: there are no more Inferi. Regrettably that means there are masses of putrefied flesh littering the fens and waterways. Neither the least nor most unpardonable mess we've been left with, but of them all, it's the one I'm most pleased to have discovered.

[alt_antonin]

I'm a bit more awake now. Still have the worst headache I've ever had that wasn't immediately post-Cruciatus, but I'm not seeing double anymore, so I'm willing to call myself cautiously ready to get out of bed.

I'm assuming you were the one to get me home and in bed, by the way. Last thing I remember of yesterday morning was passing out at Bella's feet, and I doubt she would think to tuck me in.

I read back and saw headquarters was being moved to Buckingham. (And saw a great deal of other matters going on that do explain what you've been up to, yes.) I'll come along as soon as I've cleaned up a bit, and we can talk about whether it's possible to retake Hogwarts. (I don't think there's much chance they've been able to get full control of my office -- the receiving room, maybe, but not much else.)

And since private messages appear to be actually private for now, I shall say that mere words cannot describe how relieved I am by the fact that the abominations have been put to rest. And I don't just mean the Inferi.

Right. Bath, breakfast, a fucking headache potion, and I'll catch up with you in an hour or two. I'll think a bit about the best way to play this.

...It's very odd, now that the Mark is gone. A relief, almost.

[alt_crouch_jr]

Speaking for myself: the relief is pure.

[alt_antonin]

Sinistra wrote me, you've no doubt seen. Asking for suggestions on how to find the students who are still missing. I gave her that, at least; I wish this hadn't involved children. Too damn many of them.

I wish he'd stayed dead when Dominic killed him; if he had, this might not all be in such a shambles.

Still. I'm not letting them have this without a fight.

[alt_crouch_jr]

We cannot. They are creating absolute chaos. 'Liberating' camps, releasing the animals to run rampage over the country. The result will be- you know what it will be. Slaughter. A complete rubbishing of the peace we've maintained and enjoyed.

Thank the gods the sleepers did not wake at His passing. I half expected that disaster.

[alt_antonin]

And there's a part of me, of course, that wants to trade whatever I can to them in exchange for safe passage for us both, and to hell with them -- let them have the lot of it, let them fly it straight into the ground, as long as you're safe, because there is nothing in this world or the next I would not trade for you.

But as it's impossible, let us go and restore what order we can. Difficult odds against a highly motivated force with our lives and our honour upon the line: it will at least be a familiar adventure.