Private message to Lucius Malfoy

[alt_selwyn]

You've heard the latest from Hogwarts, I'm sure.

No practising magic outside of classes, really? Perhaps next she'll be confiscating wands between classes, and the children of Our Lord's Councilwizards will be reduced to sprinting up the staircases like mudblood servants, hoping nothing moves before they can get to the the top.

Any shifts on the board in our direction? As much as I hate to think of Raz's ruined reputation, surely the time is approaching to simply give Barty permission to take care of her in the most direct way possible.

Comments

[alt_lucius]

Believe me, Dominic, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to let Barty off his leash.

Spent the better part of my meeting this morning with Cornelius discussing the infernal woman's ridiculous initiatives and impressing upon him the importance of Ministerial mitigation as has patently become necessary.

There is one trifling impediment, to which you might not be privy: Our Lord views the activism displayed by His son to be entirely acceptable. He finds the struggle against Madam Umbridge entertaining and edifying for Harry's 'true' education, as He puts it.

Fudge is unaware of the source of Our Lord's pleasure and attributes it merely to an endorsement of Dolores' methods, so, whether or not you've received the same impassioned pleas from parents (as indeed my office has been overrun with owls this week), he sees no reason to countermand the reign of the pink tyrant, which Our Lord so clearly finds wholly agreeable.

Have managed to thread the needle and come to compromise with both Our Lord and His Minister for Magic: Ministry-certified tutors may be engaged by parents on behalf of their children who are actively preparing for either O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s. They shall travel by Floo to and from their appointments and shall provide guided instruction solely for the pupils in their charge.

Given your generous assistance with my clerk's mother of late, she can have no objections on the grounds of destitution. (Not that Weasley has gone into many details but from what little he has mentioned, gather that Arthur left his family in a shocking state of disrepair. Not terribly surprising, sad to say: The man had no regard for the future and allowed a longstanding house of impeccable heritage to slide into ruination in the matter of a single generation. But no matter.)

Lunched with Stephen; he plans to engage his ward's tutor as soon as the arrangements can be made for the Division of Wizarding Education to confirm him as a qualified tutor - that's one of yours, isn't it? Massopust? Well, you'll see to the details. He had a suggestion for someone to look after Draco as well. Weasley's finding the fellow's credentials for me. Anticipate there might be a list of some ten instructors who could be given whatever certification the Division can create on short notice and then others shall have to apply with the respective N.E.W.T. and O.W.L. boards to prove competence.

See no reason we cannot have the solution in place by the end of the week, or at least the end of the Easter Holidays. It's rather fortunate that she chose the timing since so many are coming home and have time to spend outside of school in preparing.

It remains to tell Dolores. She shall have some excuse, Merlin knows, but have secured Fudge's agreement that she shall not sway him if she complains and that the Ministry shall hold firm on the point. It's all very well to regulate the practice of magic among undesirables but to jeopardise our children in the bargain is beyond the pale.