Order Only: the current crop of babies [Remus Lupin]

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I was looking back just now at Arthur's list of babies from the book. There were thirteen, yes? I'm trying to remember who isn't yet safely at Moddey.

There were Mary Ashton and Puneet Kamathali, both in London. Sirius and Dora went for them, got Mary, and had to wait on Puneet. Did you make another (successful) try or is Puneet still out there?

Abby Harrison of Leeds. Frank and Steve fetched her.

Jack and Branwen from Scarborough; Branwen was from a mining family who was glad to see she'd go somewhere she wouldn't have to go to the mines at age five. Actually, was Jack her parent, and Alice mis-wrote? Because I count fourteen, otherwise.

Ethan, the Leap Baby. I know we haven't fetched him yet.

Jane Briden, Abbotskerswell in Devon. Dora and I went for her.

Walter Cousins, from North Yorkshire. I know someone got him, but I can't remember who. Kingsley?

Ivy Lovell and Sirius Maxwell, who we still haven't found.

And then I wasn't able to spot if these four had been tracked down and their parents contacted:

Gillian Fitzhugh, from Saltash, in Cornwall.
Heather Flockton, from Burnham-on-Crouch, in the Maldon district in Essex.
Jason Baker, from Banbury in the Cherwell district of Oxfordshire.
Tavis MacNichol, Argyll, Scotland.

I feel like perhaps we need a checklist.

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There are 39 comments on this entry. (Reply.)

Jack is very much a baby, and very much with us, so I suppose that'd make fourteen instead, yes. Perhaps the two Maxwells blurred a bit together when the list was first counted? I don't believe Ethan is related to Sirius, though.

Arthur and Kingsley got Gillian last month, on the 10th, I believe. And Arthur got Walter to us just this past week.

Tonks and myself found Heather on our trip.

So we're waiting on Jason, Puneet, Tavis, Ethan, Ivy, and Sirius.

That reminds me, love, I've got letters from Jacinda and Divyesh about their experiences at Moddey to pass along to the Kamathalis the next time you talk to them.

Brilliant about the letters. Send them on to us, and we'll go back to work on the Kamathalis.

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I hope they will be helpful. I'll be sure to send them off first thing tomorrow. Divyesh also included a report he'd recently written about traditions, myths, and heroes. He illustrated parts of it, and was quite proud of it. He's made a copy to send to his parents in his Christmas letter, too.

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Forgot one. Tavis is also here.

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Hold on.

I know exactly where Jason Baker is. He's not in Banbury camp any longer, though. He's on the Stretton estates at Coventry. And he's been ill with Measles, as have a number of other children there.

Actually, if we were to work quickly, we might lead the owners and farm managers to believe he died of the disease.

I'm sorry I didn't draw the connection whilst I was there. It would have been a simple thing to manage then.

That's rather fortuitous, Poppy, although I'm sorry to hear that there's been illness. Is he still contagious? We have the ability to set up a quarantine, of course.

How on earth did you find your way to Coventry during holidays?

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I'm sure Frank will be happy to volunteer for quarantine duty.

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Melania Ambak still reaches for Frank every time he goes into the nursery. And for the longest time, she couldn't fall asleep until he sang something. Jacinda tried, but her voice was too pretty.

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she's getting heavy.

talkative too.

and I guess it's all my fault if the kid grows up tone deaf.

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Too right. When she develops a deep and abiding love for Ian Curtis' 'fabulous singing voice' you'll know where it all started.

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I received a special request to help. From Miss Perks. She's fostered by the Strettons, and she's on a course to find her vocation in Healing, I'd say.

She's one with your Neville and the Weasley lads, you know, and thick as thieves with the Parkinson girl.

What happened there is telling, I believe. The farmworkers heard that she was home for the holidays and somehow knew that she has some abilities with basic Healing. Clearly they also knew her to be sympathetic and trustworthy, as well. In any case, word was passed to her that a great many children were terribly ill, and of course, she went to see what could be done and was promptly in a mess she'd no idea how to mend.

I went late in the evening and did all I could.

As for the Muggleborn child, you should certainly quarantine him, though I believe that he should be past the point of contagion very soon. With that illness, one is contagious before any signs show at all--brilliant of the disease, that, but once the rash and fever erupt, the contagious phase passes in four or five days at most. We'll take a conservative approach, though, and have you keep him apart for his first week, shall we?

I can also get you a quantity of the prophylactic potion. How many of you are there at the Sanctuary now? Adults and children?

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Oh, Merlin, Poppy. Arabella keeps count, of course, but off the top of my head...

I know we've thirteen adults (used to be eleven but we've added our two muggle assistants in the nursery), thirteen children from ten to twenty (had to think through that one, given that we added so many in one group this summer), and about thirty children younger than ten. Round up to forty children under ten, and we'll be able to account for the ones we have left to bring in.

Let us know if there are any other non-magical children you think would be best with us, parents willing, of course. Taking advantage of the illness seems awfully mercenary, but it's as good an opportunity as any.

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And Poppy, you really are an angel.

You and Miss Perks both.

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...and somehow, it doesn't surprise me that we're seeing the same names crop up over and over again.

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Making house calls, Poppy?

Or is Hogwarts' salary so little now that you have to moonlight on the holidays?

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If I were supplementing my income on the side, it would go straight to our shared coffers. The Board of Governors would have kittens if they learned of it, though. Actually, they'd have me sacked and sent down so quickly I shouldn't know what had hit me.

No. I was on a surreptitious mercy mission for my young friend, Miss Perks.

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Well, that's a stroke of luck.

I can draw the parchmentwork together quickly tomorrow. Kingsley, do you want to make that run with me?

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I am entirely available, my friend. Send me a patronus when you are ready to go, and I'll meet you at the rendezvous point.

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Maybe you should take Poppy with you. Seems she knows the territory.

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That was my thought, as well. If Poppy's been there recently they might not look askance at her pronouncing the child deceased.

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Indeed. I could certainly meet you, Arthur. Or you, Kingsley. Either one.

I wonder.

It would be best if we went at a time when Miss Perks were not likely to pop in and find us there. I suppose it's too much to hope that she'd be going off tomorrow on one of those outings with the foreign contingent, sightseeing around the Protectorate. I haven't paid much attention to their schedule, but I feel certain there's a copy of the itinerary somewhere here. Actually, there's certain to be one on Aurora Sinistra's office door. I'll go have a look.

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I can certainly cede my place in the expedition to you, Poppy. It makes sense.

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Arthur, I'm clear to come whenever you've got the parchmentwork and can meet me.

I've thought, though, that I should use polyjuice. Despite what Sirius says, I think it's safer all around if no one recognises me today. It would be awkward--and perhaps dangerous--if my presence there got back to the administration at St Mungo's. (I may be in a tight spot there as it is, and I'd like not to compound it if that can be avoided.)

All of which to say: I think you and Frank and Kingsley keep a supply of random personal bits to add to polyjuice? Could you bring me the necessary ingredient to make mine a safely anonymous identity today?

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Yes, we have polyjuice. Kingsley left some with me last time; I'll bring some with me, with hairs for putting in it, too.

I'll be ready to go at 2:00, if you could meet me at the rendezvous point?

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I have polyjuice, don't waste any of yours on me. But I don't have any hairs I think would be appropriate. I hardly think that turning into any of my colleagues from the school would help matters.

Imagine if Alecto Carrow were to appear at the Stretton Estates today! You see the trouble.

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Don't worry, we have a selection which I'll bring with me.

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Tomorrow we might be in luck if we were able to go during the day. According to a notice on Aurora's door, the CCF youngsters were encouraged to join in an outing to Cambridge tomorrow. I didn't find a list of those going, mind you, but it's possible Miss Perks would go.

I'd like very much to avoid having her be present when we arrive to take the child. It really wouldn't do to give her any more clues to our activities than she's already collected.

Well, WE can put your mind at rest. Sally-Anne Perks was at the Burrow today, to play Quidditch. She said she's going to Cambridge tomorrow (Neville's going, too.)

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And of course she's going back to school soon and so hopefully won't have much more time to come around and maybe ask awkward questions.

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It is rather too bad that she'll have to think that one of the children she worked so hard to save died.

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Yeah, that WILL be hard on her. If she finds out. She was real worried about those kids. She talked about it a little at lunch.

With any luck, the Strettons will keep her so busy she won't have a chance to go back to check on them before she leaves for the train.

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Oh! And before I forget.

A Safehouse for the Order is located at 12 Grimmauld Place.

You should be able to get in now to look at the books and things. It can be written or spoken, but I've never tried through journals before, so it might be different. If it doesn't work, let me know and I can pop down there or send a quick owl.

When you come to Moddey Dhoo, that's under a different secret-keeper. So that will have to wait until you come for a visit and she can give it to you in person.

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Thanks, Allie.

Lads, come along anytime. The Floo's open. But mind you come quietly; Dora's sleeping and if you're too loud, you'll set off the portrait.

And we don't need that. Trust me.

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Great. We'll be along shortly. Thanks, Sirius.

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Uh, what portrait?

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Let's just say you want to be quiet.

Sirius's mother left a rather indelible version of herself behind, and she likes to yell.

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We were going to say, 'Just like our mum!'

But now we've met the portrait and we're glad we didn't. They're nothing alike.

(And sorry, Sirius, hope Bea got back to sleep all right.)

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Oh, straight away. (After forty minutes of shouting. Can't think why she's so cranky when her nap gets cut short...)

You find what you needed here, then?

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We're still looking.

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September