lost till you're found, swim till you drown

Bloody hell. All my mates are off to Hogwarts and I'm stuck all on my lonesome at Leaky, living with George who doesn't know how to do his wash regularly. There has to be someone left who can save me from this catastrophe. Sometimes I wish I was still sat in St. Mungo's where I would at least have the company of someone. Then I remember how they held me hostage and decide it's good that I used my ninja skills to break free of that hellish prison.

For those who aren't at Hogwarts, I'm still working at Leaky, so come round and visit me, please. It gets lonely, sometimes, not seeing familiar faces around the bar.

[PRIVATE TO PAST AND PRESENT RAVENCLAWS]
I've been asking around, but I have a feeling some people didn't see so I'm asking again.

If anyone has any information about Terry on the night of the Battle of Hogwarts, please let me know. I'm trying to find out what exactly happened to him and so far I've been coming up short on the details. If you saw him, even for a moment, I'd like to know about it. He was one of my best mates and I can't let his death go unsolved.

Also, good luck to those of you that have gone back to school. I know it will be difficult living in the Claw tower without my shining face around, but take heart knowing that I am still available for communication through owl and the journals. If you'd like to help me break into Hogwarts sometime, that'd be ace too. I'd like to stick some flobberworms in Anthony's pillow case, and I can't do that if I can't get into the castle. If someone would like to do this for me, I'd be forever grateful.
[/PRIVATE]

[PRIVATE TO ANTHONY]
Having fun without me, mate? I doubt it. But I can promise you loads of owls to remind you of who your best mate is and that I'll never forget you, even if you do care more about school than dear old me.

Let me know when the Hogsmeade weekends are, mate, so I can come round and see you lot. I bet I could get into the castle if I work as an assistant for Dad a few times. He has to ask me questions about shite all the time anyway, so I can't see it being a problem. I'll have to owl him about that.

Are you glad to be out of the house, at least?
[/PRIVATE]

If you didn't know, I'm sat at St. Mungo's because these nutter healers won't let me leave. I broke my leg, you crazy witches, not my entire sodding body! It's not like there aren't ways for people to get about without the use of one leg! You'd think I had nubs left for legs the way they are fretting.

Oh bloody hell! They are reading over my shoulder--isn't there a law against that? I've been told to inform you lot that I may or may not do have a mild concussion and that is why I am not allowed to leave. And I am also being held at wand point to write this, so call the Ministry, the healers really have gone batty.

Oh right, my NEWT results, I forgot to share them.

Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations
Charms: Poor
DADA: Acceptable
Potions: Exceeds Expectations
Transfiguration: Poor

I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't get an O in Potions. Anthony should be happy to know I did better than I expected to in Charms though, so maybe that's something.

Anyway, take pity on me and send me sweets. And come visit me so I don't get lonely. and start killing people I really hope they aren't going to keep me in here much longer. Hospitals are boring. Anyone with a good story to tell is unconscious and not able to tell it, so what fun can someone get up to in such a gloomy place?

Someone get me out of here!

[PRIVATE TO ANTHONY, DENNIS & JAMES]
Some healer is telling me I'm an idiot and charged recklessly into the fray. I keep asking just how she would know such a thing when she wasn't bloody there! Besides, I'm barely hurt. I broke a couple of bones in my left leg and some cow dropped a table on my head but really, if I can write this coherently how bad of a "concussion" could I really have?

Unfortunately I didn't kill any Death Eaters so the whole thing was a bit of a waste. What is the point of breaking one's leg if you can't take down a few evil wizards with you?

Update on the bulletin: Nothing. Again. Heaps and heaps of "I saw Terry walking down the corridor" and "Terry was pretty fit, wasn't he?" and other rubbish that may be true but also is of no sodding use to anyone.
[/PRIVATE]

[PRIVATE TO ANTHONY]
I almost lost Terry's wand. It fell out of my pocket somehow and I was on the ground trying to get it and that's when someone stepped on my leg and broke it. How bloody good of a tale is it that I got my leg broken by accident? Not that I really give a shite but--

What if no one saw Terry die? What if he was alone?
[/PRIVATE]

[PRIVATE TO ANTHONY, DENNIS & JAMES]
So far nothing very useful from the bulletin. Quite a few people have given accounts of seeing Terry that night, but no one has said they saw him on the grounds where we found him. I might try asking in the journals since a lot of students are still using theirs. I know that someone had to have seen something. He wasn't out there on his own. If I had been with him this wouldn't even be a problem
[/PRIVATE]

Alright you lot. I feel like I can share these things with you. You're like family, yeah? Listen, I think that I have come down with a case of being too bloody hot to handle. No seriously, just keep reading and you'll see.

So the other day I was walking back from the flat to Leaky and I hear this bloke, a little ways behind me, say "Oi!" Being the curious fellow that I am, I turn to look and see what the screaming is all about and I land eyes on this bloke. (Yes bloke, they have eyes for the brilliant too, y'know!) This bloke, he's staring at me, right? So I say, "Oh alright, hello there!" and give him a wave like the nice fellow that I am. He says back to me, "Er...." and then proceeds to stare at me for what can only be said was at least 10 minutes. I do not exaggerate. Ok, maybe only a minute, but it felt longer.

Anyway, so the bloke is staring at me for eons and then suddenly, out of the blue, he just turns tail and runs away. Just sprints off like I'd threatened his life! The bloke was pretty bloody fit too, so I am beginning to regret not running after him and getting his name. Pity.

The issue here is, though, that when you look as sodding fit as Michael L. Corner, you obviously are going to have to suffer a lot when it comes to folk who can't stand to be around such stunning brilliance. It's a bit of a curse, I am beginning to find, being so handsome. I should try mucking up my hair and see if that makes me less attractive and therefore more approachable. Thoughts?

[PRIVATE TO DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY]
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has put up a bulletin for anonymous tips and information about deaths and injuries during the war that have gone unsolved. We still do not know how Terry was killed so I'm going to put up a bulletin for him in case someone at the Battle saw him and might have some information.

If you or any of your mates might know anything, please let me know. Ta, you lot.
[/PRIVATE]

[PRIVATE]
It took them long enough to put something up like this. I wish I'd have thought of it sooner. I could've placed an ad in the prophet or something. It's been two months so some people might not even remember what happened. Some people might not remember what Terry looked like now.

Bollocks. I wish I just knew already. And Anthony is probably scared I'm going to toss myself off a building now. There's nothing I can really tell him though that'll make him feel better. I wish he wasn't afraid to talk to me though. The whole purpose of pretending was so that I could be there for him. Now he probably wants to get as far away from me as he can and I can't blame him. I probably sounded loony.

Maybe I am a nutter.
[/PRIVATE]

In his emotional state, Michael's privacy charm is not strong enough and Anthony is able to read the entry. Michael is unaware.

( PRIVATE, ANTHONY CAN READ )

I sat for my last NEWT today. It was Astronomy, so that was a nice note to end such an awful experience on. These examinations are bloody useless, I say. All they can measure is how easily you crack under pressure. Here are my NEWT results as I expect them to be. Anyone want to take up bets on whether I get it right?

Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations
Charms: Dreadful
DADA: Acceptable
Potions: Outstanding
Transfiguration: Poor

I really only expect to get two, but if I get three I'll be pleasantly surprised. Looks as though my dream of becoming a brilliant and talented Auror are all but squashed. Oh woe, thy name is Michael.

I've started my trial at the Leaky. It's brilliant so far, even with the shortened hours and blackened bits here and there. Things are shaping up quickly though. Hannah's family is ace at getting things done and they've been nice and welcoming to me. I already love it there. You should visit me at the bar, mates, and tell me how brilliantly I am doing at my new job!

Finally got all my shite moved into the new flat. I even dug up my ninja throwing stars and can now display them proudly in my room instead of pretending I got rid of them like Mum told me to do about five years ago. It would have been a crime to toss such lovely pieces of art. Though I should keep them out of George's reach so he doesn't throw them at me.

I start at Leaky after I finish my NEWTs. I would like to take this moment to commend the brilliant soul who devised the schedule for the tests. Really, I can't thank you enough for scheduling all my tests on the same bloody day! I have Charms, Potions, and Transfigurations on the same day! Bloody hell, they obviously want me to fail them all. Though it probably doesn't help that I haven't revised at all. I'll be glad to be done with them.

Who wants to pay me a visit in my new flat? Don't you lot go jumping at the chance all at once! I can't get kicked out for having unplanned parties!

[PRIVATE, ANTHONY CAN READ]
It's not as exciting as I expected, getting out of the house. Now that I'm here, I feel like the whole thing was built up to be this grand freedom when really, I had loads of freedom already anyway. I'm not exactly sure what I've gotten away from. Though, I think it will be good to not have to see the pond every time I step outside. I still see her body there whenever I look at it.

Still having nightmares. Haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately. I'm not entirely used to getting up so bloody early but I've found out that there actually is activity before 11 a.m. Who'd have known?
[/PRIVATE]

I hope everyone is alright. I don't think I knew anyone who was hurt in the fire, but that doesn't make it any better. I'm glad we finally got the fire out before the Leaky Cauldron went up too. Sorry you lot got damage there too, Hannah.

Blimey, will this shite ever end?

[PRIVATE]
Found out nothing at the trial. Beginning to worry that no one saw Terry die. Does anyone even know how he died or who killed him? I don't want to ask any of the Claws, but they might be the only ones who know.

I just. I have to be strong for James and Anthony and Dennis and Ginny and-

I bloody miss him. I miss him so much.
[/PRIVATE]

Well I have a place to live, but now I wonder just how great that's going to be, living in Diagon Alley and all.

I'll be helping out at the Cauldron if anyone needs me the next few days.

If one more person asks me what I plan to do with my life, I'm going to hex them into next December. Or this December, which ever I find more appealing. Maybe I'll send them into January instead so that they miss Christmas. That would be better than putting them closer to Christmas, which happens to be my favourite holiday and would therefore not be a punishment at all.

And anyway, the first thing on the list is to get a job and get the bloody fuck hell out of my parents' house. I'm going to go mad if I don't get out of here soon.

[PRIVATE, ANTHONY CAN READ]
Mum will not let up on this NEWTs shite and neither will she stop asking me about what I want to do. I. DON'T. BLOODY. KNOW. And to be quite honest, I don't bloody care right now. And she acts like this is something new! I've been telling her since I started fifth year I don't know what I want to do and I'm not sure if I ever will.

I do know that I want to move out before I really do go batty. Maybe Anthony and I can get a flat in London (or further away so they can't find me). I wonder if Terry would have been flatmates with us--
[/PRIVATE]

NEWTs: to take or not to take? That is the question (that I could care less about). Anyone have some brilliant skills in forgery who could whip me up some NEWTs certificates and save me the trouble? That'd be ace. Now if only I could remember which classes I was taking in between being tortured. Do you remember seeing me limping sleeping in your lessons? If so, let me know so I can create a list.

( if ever your world starts crashing down, that's where you'll find me )