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[alt_lupin]

There's still nothing in the papers, but we're hearing rumours that Dolores Umbridge is dead. There are a few who are saying she's dead at Harry's hands, though others are insisting she was killed by someone else and Harry permitted to take credit or blame, it's not entirely clear which.

Minerva, surely you've heard SOMETHING.

Sprout, Poppy, any updates on Cedric Diggory? The rumours sounded rather grim, where Diggory was concerned.

Comments

[alt_poppy]

The news about Diggory is indeed grim, though he's alive. And he's been transfered to St Mungo's, though his immediate care was given here at Tilda's. Antonin Dolohov brought him through the Floo suffering circulatory collapse, the result of a Dark curse.

I'm afraid I can add little to what the Weasley twins shared with us in the journals: that there was an intruder in Madam Umbridge's office, that there were curses thrown, that Diggory was hit.

I would say that the curse used against Diggory was not the sort of thing I'd expect Dolores Umbridge to have cast on a student, though I can hardly guess what she might attempt against an intruder. With students, however, her inclination was to cause pain that could be aggravated or escalated with repeated application. In short, she far preferred sustained torture to lethal measures. The Sanguis Predonis curse straightforwardly intends to kill, but without any of the agony that she revelled in. Mr Diggory quietly fainted, and it was mere luck that Dolohov arrived on the scene to recognise the nature of his condition.

As for Madam Umbridge, I thought I understood Fred and George Weasley were claiming she's been transfigured into a toad and made into a decorative plate. Did you not see their exchange with Alice and Pomona?

[alt_lupin]

Sirius pointed it out to me just now.

I'd missed it last night (and then again today, as I was going through the journals of likely suspects hoping to get caught up).

One advantage of swearing in the Institute: more people to hound for details when things happen at Hogwarts.

Private message to Poppy

[alt_lupin]

Dolohov took him to you, and not St Mungo's? I don't know why that surprises me, but it does.

Re: Private message to Poppy

[alt_poppy]

Dolohov did the right thing, as it happens. I'm not meaning to sound arrogant there, only, it happens that I have supplies of a certain restricted preparation that St Mungo's does not, and Dolohov correctly deduced that. He reasoned that I must have more of the potion I used to save his life when his curse damage accelerated and sent him into mortal crisis. Cinnabaris. It stays the body's systems at the brink of death, allowing a Healer time at that critical juncture to treat traumatic wounds when there has been a desperate injury or to repair damage incident to a curse.

At any rate, Dolohov calculated that if I had possessed only one dose of so precious a substance, I would not have spent it for him. Fortunately, I was not tested in that way. And I have now used my only remaining phial of Cinnabaris on Mr Diggory, about which I am not in any way sorry. Such situations, which are unfortunately not as rare as one could wish, are exactly why I have pressed without ceasing for a change of policy in the control of dragon's blood. It's ludicrous that healing institutions should not have access to a reasonable supply for this purpose.

Speaking of which, I am more deeply embroiled with Dolohov than ever as a result of this: when we transferred Mr Diggory to St Mungo's, he led them to believe that he had taken charge of the boy's care within minutes of the cursing. A lie. It was perhaps three-quarters of an hour before Dolohov discovered the situation, and at that remove, Cinnabaris was, indeed, the only hope he had. As any curse specialist at St Mungo's would know immediately. So Dolohov lied to protect me, and it succeeded, though his account was met with raised eyebrows and a dry remark that the Potions NEWTs must just have been brewing luck draughts because clearly Diggory had been sustained by some strong felicity to have been spared.

Re: Private message to Poppy

[alt_lupin]

I don't imagine anyone would begrudge Cedric Diggory the Cinnabaris.

For that matter, I don't know that anyone would begrudge Cedric Diggory two vials of Cinnabaris.

[alt_george]

Thank you for saving him, Madam Pomfrey. That's a HUGE relief.

[alt_fred]

Yeah. We'll have to sit on the news, though, since there hasn't been any announcement yet. Wish we could say something. The Hufflepuffs are in agony. But maybe the news will filter out today.