Private Message to Bella and Barty

[alt_narcissa]

Sister, dear, I am sure you are quite occupied with the implications of resurrecting Barty, so I'll be brief.

The body. I'll lay odds it's Norah. Barty, do you think that could be the case? She was so hysterical that day, about your safety. Oh, I don't suppose you've read my entry, not with all this going on.

It's just a thought. I'm sure you've already considered it. But if it's correct - Barty, I'm so sorry, if I'm right.

Comments

[alt_narcissa]

I hadn't considered polyjuice. How on earth would she get it?

[alt_bellatrix]

We can begin to unravel that particular mystery when and if the scans come back positive.

[alt_crouch_jr]

More to the point, Yaxley insists on investigating all other disappearances to rule out the theory that someone else might have planned a murder, tricked their victim into drinking polyjuice keyed to me, and staged the assassination for maximum effect in front of Ouroboros to misdirect the investigation. Or to humiliate MLE.

Useless waste of resources. Another thing to charge to Mother's folly.

[alt_narcissa]

Well, now, you're the ones to sniff out that sort of thing, not me, dears, but forgive me for asking: If it's hard enough for someone like your mother to lay hands on actual polyjuice potion, then how on earth could a random assassin do so?

And just exactly whom do you suspect, dear? I thought Dogstar were just so much rabble; it seems entirely too successful for them. Besides anything they claim these days is bound to be a lie.

[alt_crouch_jr]

Don't underestimate Dogstar, Narcissa.

That said, you're quite right: polyjuice is nearly impossible to come by or brew, and quite by design. The Department of Mysteries have made an extremely efficient job of eradicating Fluxweed across the countryside, and we've been very careful to control the import of other ingredients. DoM cultivates its own fw and supplies us, of course.

Mother could have stolen it from me, but she did not. My allocation is accounted for. Beyond question. Of course, she did rifle my post. We found several of the challenges in her room, so there's no mystery how she was drawn to the spot.

As for the assassin. It was Maule.

[alt_narcissa]

Maule?

Sebastian Maule? As in Eosphorous?

[alt_crouch_jr]

The same.

[alt_narcissa]

I'm sorry, dear, but - how do you know? I mean, how can you be so sure of that?

[alt_crouch_jr]

Ah. There you are crossing into the realm of restricted information.

[alt_narcissa]

Spoilsport.

Hire me as a consultant, then, and you may divulge to your heart's content.

Or is that to mine?

[alt_crouch_jr]

Sorry to disappoint.

[alt_narcissa]

Why, Barty. Are you saying I've not got what it takes to serve MLE?

[alt_crouch_jr]

No, indeed.

Not trying to frustrate your heart's desire, either. For that.

In fact, it's not merely MLE matters that limit me.

If you take my meaning.

[alt_bellatrix]

Just a thought, while we're waiting for the scans - there's no possibility of your mother having been a metamorphmagus, is there?

[alt_crouch_jr]

No.

But it's a reasonable question.

Believe there would surely be a telltale flaw in such an impersonation, though, just as with glamours or other transfigurative magics.

[alt_bellatrix]

Reasonable point.

Have had reason to ponder metamorphmagi a bit lately. No matter.

[alt_narcissa]

Oh? Planning to visit Nymphadora? That's unlike you.

[alt_bellatrix]

I know. Which is why I am so loathe to do it.

Did you know that the list of the Protectorate's registered metamorphmagi is very short? Exceedingly so, in fact.