[M. B. Montgomery]

"It might just be worth it to make you feel better, Harold." Sid sighed, not liking the depressive trajectory their conversation with each other had taken. However unpleasant he found it though, it had to be so much worse for Harold. Sid had thought he was in an unpleasant predicament personally, but hearing his colleague speak always reminded him that things could be so much worse. At least he knew that he had been loved. His friend had to have doubts on that.

Sid was grateful for a change in subject. "Classes are going okay," he said, "not great, but not terrible either. The students learn slower than I thought they would, but they are good kids with their hearts in the right place, mostly anyway. I've been focusing on dark detectors with them and I am planning on covering basic personal defense next. Disarming, blocking, dodging, and how to keep safe. I am sure that will serve them well."

He took a sip from his drink and sighed. "I have to admit though that I'm not as focused on my lessons as I wanted to be. There's been another attack on a muggle family, same set of circumstances as what happened with young Mr Finlay's parents. What makes it worse is that this happened within the family. One of my relations is an active muggle rights supporter and married a muggleborn, you see. So they've been targeted." He paused for a moment, unsure how much he wanted to share with Harold. He reminded himself that they were friends and that he could trust Harold.

"It's my wife's side of the family. So of course she's a maledictus too. The auror department is investigating, but so far they've not come up with any useful theories. They've just interviewed me a couple of times, like I'm a suspect. It's so frustrating how little they know about, well, anything. I really doubt the ministry got all of this in hand and under control. Something has to be done."

[Harold Prendergast]

Harold sighed. "I'm glad classes are going, well, about as well as can be expected. I never entirely expected to teach and I sometimes find I don't quite pitch the material at the right audience. But that is the nature of an elective class, I suppose, and a somewhat theoretical one at that, even if there are some very practical demonstrations I can give them. As for Dark Detectors, fascinating - I've only ever heard about them in theory, I'd love to understand the actual basis they have for detecting Dark magic?"

Listening to Sid talk about the muggle attacks, though, sat awkwardly with him. That was something he'd been reading about in the papers - when he wasn't deep into one of his books - and it seemed to be getting worse.

"You know, you're perfectly right. There are a number of goings-on that are unsettling, but I'm sure Dumbledore has something in mind. He usually does, and it usually turns out to be right. I wish there were something I could do for your family, as in these uncertain times, they may be all we have to hang on to."

Harold now knew with certain conviction that he himself had some things to do, though he wasn't yet sure quite what that entailed. More research would be required on the nature of finding people and what magics existed for that, as that particular form of magic was never one he'd cared for. And as he'd just said to Sid, family might be all you had. At least Harold had friends in these uncertain times. Something should be done.