Order Only: Worry about Nicholas

[alt_arthur]

Minerva, Kingsley or Frank--have you heard anything from Nicholas? I received a patronus from Perenelle with just a brief message saying that they had an unexpected houseguest. Very odd. I am guessing she sent it to indicate that Nicholas wasn't free to claim the package from the central owl office that Sirius sent. The fact that the message ended with the warning, 'do not respond' makes me somewhat alarmed.

Minerva, have you heard anything on your end about any move against the Flamels? Any idea who this 'unexpected houseguest' might be? For the time being I am going to sit tight and wait to hear more. It is quite frustrating, however, to think of that package just sitting there. If Nicholas is being too closely watched to safely claim it, or worse, if the enemy has him in custody and somehow has learned he had intended to fetch it, I fear it would be most unwise for Bill or me to try.

Comments

[alt_sirius]

Great minds, Arthur. I just asked (though perhaps you didn't see, it was in reference to Malfoy's post) whether any of you had heard from him that he'd picked up my parcel.

Sounds like he hasn't. Blast.

[alt_arthur]

No, I don't think he has. He was supposed to contact me by patronus once he did.

[alt_mcgonagall]

I haven't any idea - although I know that Bellatrix Lestrange has been on the case of the Philosopher's Stone, and I've long been uneasy about her involvement. She's far too clever. But of course there was no avoiding it.

[alt_arthur]

Oh, my. If she is the unexpected guest . . . Minerva, if Nicholas' role in taking the stone from the vault is discovered, there's no way they can trace its eventual removal to Hogwarts, is there?

[alt_mcgonagall]

No need to panic. I'm certain it will all come out in the wash. There is no reason to believe such a thing.

I doubt that they could trace it, however - we took every precaution. We always knew that Flamel might be a weak link; he knew it himself.

I'm most worried about Perenelle. She never asked for any of this involvement - only a peaceful life with her husband, poor woman.