Private Message to Miss Brown and Miss Longbottom, Gryffindor Prefects

[alt_poppy]

If one of you could stop in this evening, I have biscuits and a tisane you may safely give Miss Bawsley, who has, I gather, continued to suffer nocturnal difficulties.

While the elves are able to accommodate with dry sheets and night clothes, this situation cannot be allowed to continue through end of term when there are simple and effective remedies available.

I'm aware that Miss Bawsley has refused all offers and entreaties to return to me for care, so for your sakes and her dormitory mates', as well as her own, I propose a bit of obfuscation in this matter: you might offer her the Dry Dreams tisane and the biscuits as though they were merely kindnesses of your own, lest she refuse them, knowing they came from my hand.

Comments

[alt_evelyn]

I'll come and fetch them, ma'am. And yes, I'll be discrete.

[alt_poppy]

Do you happen to know whether Miss Brown has been able to read this?

Or whether anyone else (everyone?) can see it unprotected? Could you check discreetly?

[alt_evelyn]

I'll see if I can track her down, ma'am.

I've just arrived in the common room, I can ask around quietly.

[alt_evelyn]

Right. I asked Kitty and Honoria, and neither could see the message.

I'm still trying to track down Lavender. I think she's in the library?

[alt_poppy]

Well, that's a comfort, at least. I was concerned lest Miss Bawsley's situation had been broadcast far and wide.

[alt_evelyn]

I think it's just the prefects. Just the Gryffindor prefects, even.

[alt_poppy]

Well, given that Miss Bawsley's bed-wetting is no concern of any other House's Prefects, I hope it is an accommodation of the magic to allow those most at need of the information--and only those--to receive the message.

Still, it's an unprecedented change in the way things work in these books, is it not?

[alt_evelyn]

Brendan and Ed can both see it, and I asked a few other Gryffs and none of them can. I'll double-check about Lavender once I see her.

[alt_poppy]

How extremely odd! I can't imagine how that could be so.

[alt_seamus]

Ma'am, I can see this. I'm not sure why.

Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_poppy]

My.

Oh, dear.

I can't see that I misspelled anything in the Private Message. Bless. I hope it's not gone out as a public missive. That would quite undo my intent as pertains to Miss Bawsley. Not to mention that it would violate her privacy in an appalling way.

Re: Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_seamus]

Well, you can trust me not to spread it around; I quite understand why you preferred to keep this just to Evelyn Longbottom and Lavender Brown.

However, just so you know, Edward Bones and Brendan Mackrell can also see this. I've instructed them to treat this information as inviolate, just as they would if it had come to them intentionally and not accidentally. In the meantime, something's clearly gone very odd with the PMs; I've contacted the Headmaster. It may be something as simple as changes that hadn't been announced yet.

Re: Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_poppy]

Thank you for your discretion. I regret to have been the one to inform all of the Prefects if this was not already known amongst the six of you.

While I have you. How is Mr Gupta faring? Not sleepwalking still, I hope?

Re: Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_seamus]

He is sleepwalking still, I'm sorry to say. Should I send him to see you?

Re: Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_poppy]

Yes, indeed, send him.

When he is awake. Or accompany him if there's another episode and you find him wandering out of bed. I trust Professor Sandoval-Pennifold has instructed the Pink Lady not to allow him past her portal after curfew?

Re: Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_seamus]

I don't know if she has or not.

Re: Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_poppy]

I will send a message to the Pink Lady, asking her to have a care not to allow him past tonight, and tomorrow I'll have a word with your Head of House.

Private Message to Mr Finnigan

[alt_poppy]

Perhaps... but that would be most perverse of the magic... perhaps it took it that I'd addressed more than two persons (Miss Brown, Miss Longbottom, and Gryffindor's Prefects in general?), but if that's the case, it took two at random.

In that case, I expect Miss Brown is unable to see the message.

[alt_evelyn]

And just in case there was question, I can see your writing.

We'll get it sorted, but it is quite odd, isn't it?

ORDER ONLY

[alt_evelyn]

I'll cover all the bases, so it's clear it's the rest of the Gryffindor Prefects too. At least I think that's the case.

What else do you think we should do? Are you going to go to the Headmaster and tell him?

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_poppy]

No, I don't believe I will go out of my way to call it to his attention. We'll see what Mr Finnigan chooses to do with the knowledge when he realises. And the others. I'm not sure what advantage students might try to take of this situation, but if there is advantage to be had before it becomes widely known, then I shouldn't like to have eliminated that chance.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_ginny]

Oh, poor Alexa. She's having an utterly wretched term. I know the other girls were teasing her a few months ago about not having gotten her monthly yet, but I thought I'd gotten them to leave her alone.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_evelyn]

What do you think we can do?

I barely got her to take the tisane Madame P gave me.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_poppy]

She did take it, then?

That's very good. Perhaps you'll be able to make it a nightly ritual if she manages to sleep well tonight.

That's my hope, in any case.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_evelyn]

I can stay on top of it, Madame P.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_poppy]

Thank you, my dear.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_poppy]

Somehow she's got the notion that it would be shameful or a weakness to come to the hospital wing. You might try changing her mind about that, if you can manage to steer her gently in a new direction.

Young minds do sometimes take the oddest notions and hold them fast as though Styx would spill its banks and wash us all away were they to be swayed.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_ginny]

Oh, and it looks like Finnigan wrote to Dolohov, did you see?

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_poppy]

I did see. Well, that's that, then.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_evelyn]

And now everyone can see that a councilmember has written a PM to three people.

I wonder what'll happen next?

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_poppy]

A great deal or nothing at all. People are sometimes watching just as some subtle hint of some kind comes into view, and other times they all miss a giant flag, waving in plain sight.

Re: ORDER ONLY

[alt_poppy]

And thank you. You are doing a lovely job of it.