Percy Weasley

I have been settling into my new position with the Minister's office quite satisfactorily. I am pleased that my experience with organisation and press relations will be put to good use, in humble service to Our Lord. Unfortunately, my office space isn't quite what I was led to expect, but this is merely a temporary measure, I have been assured. I will be moved to accommodations more in keeping with the dignity of a Council Member in a month or two.

I also plan to move to a newer, larger flat at the end of the month. My new home has quite a pleasant, even luxurious ambiance, and its easy proximity to Court is certainly an inducement. I fully expect in the months to come I shall be doing some occasional entertaining in connexion with my new position with the Council, and so naturally I needed a larger space.

With new responsibilities, of course, come new social commitments and invitations. I am quite looking forward to this coming weekend, which I will be spending at the Snowdonia Resort in the company of several of my new colleagues on the Council.

I shall do my utmost to uphold the honour which Our Lord has bestowed upon me.

Thank you, all, who helped me reach this point.

Your methods seem to have backfired. At the very least, threatening Miss Parkinson was a spectacularly bad idea. Both in terms of the effect on Ron, as well as persons looking out for her.

I did what I could. A fact which I hope you will remember in the future?

I have been watching with keen interest the process by which Our Lord is choosing to test the mettle and resolve of the small, select group at Hogwarts who have been singled out for the opportunity to demonstrate their fitness to stand within His Council. I hope that those of you who may have been disappointed not to receive an Ourboros pin of your own are still standing by your comrades and cheering them on. Only the best, of course, will be chosen, but you can still give your friends an advantage if you offer them your heartfelt encouragement and support.

This is just a brief note to say to the candidates: Courage, and do your best. Many eyes are upon you, so do your utmost to strive to please Our Lord.

If you do that, you can continue to hold your head high, no matter what the outcome.

My meeting with Mr Virgil Crispin was, I think, productive, and between my knowledge of the principals involved and their personal financial information, and Mr Crispin's knowledge of the procedures which must be followed, we think we have identified several potentially useful prongs of attack.

As I mentioned to you, I believe a large part of the income that Mrs Weasley is counting upon for paying the rental/assuming ownership of the Hamilton building stems from her own rental income from the lease on 25 Avenue Road. That is the building granted to her by the Repopulation Office. It occurs to me that there may be several arguments to undoing that arrangement. Mr and Mrs Weasley initially turned down the Repopulation Office's offer of a stately home. Perhaps it could be argued that Mrs Weasley should not be allowed a second bite at the apple, so to speak? In addition, investigating the specific requirements might be useful. Although Mrs Weasley has two children attending Hogwarts, she no longer has seven minor children, which was the case when the offer was initially made. I am not sure whether the Repopulation Office offers have a sunset date for assuming ownership of a stately home, dependent upon the age of the pureblood children.

Mr Crispin promises that he will carefully examine Mrs Weasley's licence application once it is submitted, and he is confident that he will be able to identify several possible opportunities for exploitation. He was able to ascertain, for example, that Messers Fred and George Weasley have actually been living at the site, when he stopped by the building to speak to them. Surely they don't have a residency permit for that, so we definitely have a zoning issue. Once Mr Crispin has reviewed the application, he will be happy to meet with you to go over whatever clauses Mrs Weasley is violating (out of sheer ignorance), and what can be done about it. I have tentatively marked a meeting between the two of you for the Friday after the application is due, but please let me know if the time needs to be adjusted.

I am sure that you will have many more ideas to ensure that this sordid little venture will come to nothing.

Mum,

I'm sorry, because I know you assume I'll be there, but I won't be at the Burrow tomorrow night for my birthday. Mr Malfoy has invited me to join him and a group of very distinguished people for dinner at Portico. It's quite a signal honour for me to be included, so I'm sure you'll understand.

Just a private note to let you know that Fred and George spent an absurd amount of time after our guests left trying to convince me that you're dating Sally-Anne Perks rather that Pansy Parkinson.

They won't listen to me but perhaps they'll listen to you if you ask them to desist. I'm afraid they might try to carry the joke on with other of your friends in your circle, and that's the sort of thing that might hurt Pansy's feelings a great deal.

I quite like her, Ron. It was altogether pleasant dinner, wasn't it?

Can you meet with me?

Not lunch--I mean, not any of our usual places. Somewhere we can't be overheard.

Can you break away for lunch today? I'm aware this isn't our usual day, but...

I must confess to being rather upset indignant put out. Mr Malfoy has been adamant about discouraging my wish to petition for Council membership--but now I've learned that Theodolphus Higgs has just been admitted.

Higgs.

Theodolphus bloody Higgs.

That laughable, contemptible buffoon is to be one of Our Lord's inner circle!? And yet Mr Malfoy still insists that I must wait. I'm not to even talk to him about it!

As an act of mercy, please meet with me and help me defuse the famous Weasley temper, or Merlin knows what I might say to my own boss.

Which would be catastrophic.