Bellatrix Lestrange

I gave word that you both be notified: the body has been positively identified by a trusted source. Presumably you know as much by now. Cause of death has been verified as Killing Curse.

Now we must think carefully of how to make the unhappy announcement to Raz and Narcissa - before other tongues get there first.

No doubt you've been waiting for this, so I'll just get on with it:

How long has it been going on?

February has been a month to burn the midnight floo powder. Fortunately, it looks as if I will be able to return home to my husband and child at a reasonable hour tonight. Not so fortunately, the MLE's business today was not wrapped up entirely as planned. All I will say on the matter is that when bodies show up at all-too convenient moments, I can't help but become immensely suspicious.

The net tightens, however, and it shall tighten further still.

Mother, Cissy and I just finished tea, having settled on the details for Sunday's festivities. It looks as if the weather should be fair enough to hold the naming ceremony outside in the gardens, while the ritual of ancestral trees will be carried out in the grand hall. After all, we wouldn't want any of those tapestries to be sullied by a rouge rain shower.

Walburga has already brought up the Black tapestry from Grimmauld Place, and Rodolphus convinced Rabastan to bring round the Lestrange tapestry when he was up from Hampshire on Monday. And, after much Owling back and forth, Rodolphus' cousin Cornelius has promised to bring the Jugson's early on Sunday morn. He had best keep his word, especially as I am not entirely convinced that the Jugson side of Rodolphus' ancestry has proper respect for tradition. When they brought the tapestry over for Hydra's ritual of trees, the thing looked like it had been stashed up in the attic, for I am certain I spied bits of cobweb and such on it. I made my disapproval on the matter entirely clear, so perhaps Cornelius delays now only because he is wisely making sure that the tapestry is in immaculate condition before presenting it to me.

Stephen, I hope that you will consider bringing your young charge along with you on Sunday. It would do the small one good to see the Rosier tapestry, I think, so that he knows how fortunate he is to have been taken in by such a significant and established pureblood family.

As much as I am looking forward to Sunday's events, I will admit that I am just as eager to get back to work. Early reports indicate that the new Auror training programme will pay off very well, but I do feel that my presence is a necessary component of the MLE's eminence, and thus a benefit to the fruition of our Lord's vision for Britain.

Fortunately, we've had a nanny lined up for Rigel for some time now - Mrs Baylock, who also looked after dear Harry when he was an infant, and as such was unavailable for Hydra. How funny that we should acquire the perfect Nanny now, with a child as peaceful and easy as Rigel, when we couldn't do so with Hydra, who wailed so much that I often considered sealing her gob off with spellotape. 'Twas like living with a howler.

Rodolphus has been trying to convince me that Hydra feels neglected with a new baby in the house, but since I haven't been able to find her all day, I will conclude that he's likely projecting.

Now comes that tedious time wherein the nipper's debut is expected any day now (Sunday, to be more precise) and I've got nothing to do but wait around for it to grace us.

Not true. Plenty to do, including a meeting with Professor Sinistra about the upcoming Youth Protectors League excursion, a face-off (so she thinks) with old Hopkirk, a date with Barty to curse Dawlish's new desk chair, for his desk job, and lastly, supper with Mother to finish arrangements for the naming ceremony.

On that last bit, wonderful news: He has told me that He will likely be able to break His busy schedule and attend the naming ceremony. Praise. The name itself is still undecided. I'm still fond of Ophiuchus, but Rodolphus feels that it will fate him to the nickname of "Opie." The Razzer thinks he ought to be named Rabastan (not likely!), Cissy likes Cygnus, Rodolphus is fond of anything beginning with "R" (perhaps), and Hydra suggested Daniel, which is just plain silly.

I feel very hot and uncomfortable and, worst of all, slow. I think I shall have the mediwitch go fetch me another tonic. Sunday cannot come soon enough.

At last, Thicknesse and Scrimgeour have seen the light. What use is being a Legilimens, after all, if one cannot employ their skills in the pursuit of justice and righteousness? Praise our Lord, for I know that He agrees.

Malfalda is quite put out, naturally, as the approved use of Legilimency is something she has fought against for some time. I dare say she might feel differently if she had any Legilimency skills of her own. I also have it on good authority that she is completely unskilled at Occlumency. One wonders how she ascended to her position in the first place.

Thanks to Legilimency, I have discovered that Hydra's tutor, Miss Forney, was not following the cirriculum that I and my husband developed for her. We spent much time on these lessons, formulating just the right balance of dark arts immersion with practice wand-waving and spell incantation. Miss Forney, bless her beating heart, saw fit to slacken the lessons, fearing that their difficulty would send Hydra crying to us for a reprieve.

This itself is proof that she has not learned one damned thing about my daughter in all these months, and for that, Miss Forney was sacked.

That makes nine tutors in the last four years. Until I can find someone suitably skilled and trustworthy, Rodolphus will be in charge of Hydra's education.

I confess I am not entirely pleased with this compromise. Though my husband will stand by the lessons we have developed, he does have a tendency to allow Hydra her own way. Unfortunately, he is not someone I can sack.

Hydra asked to see my journal the other day, as she knows that dear Harry has one, as well as cousin Draco. I wouldn't allow her to handle it, of course. I've glimpsed things upon these pages that I wouldn't dare subject her eyes or mind to. No, not at such a tender age.