Late in the morning on Monday, the twelfth of December, an official-looking Ministry owl delivers a letter to Wentworth & Sons Magical Menagerie that is addressed to one of its employees, Moira McBoid.  The outside of the letter looks extremely official: it is on Ministry letterhead and is stamped with the seal of the Department for the Regulation & Control of Magical Creatures.

Inside, the note is brisk and to the point.

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Ms. McBoid,

Report to Level Four tomorrow, 13 December, at 8 AM.

Kurby Bagnold
Head
Werewolf Capture Unit

On the morning of Wednesday, 14 December, two more letters are delivered by owl to McBoid Farm with the regular post.  This time, the envelopes are both made out of plain paper, with no sign of a Ministry seal.

K. Bagnold
Diagon Alley
London

Moira McBoid
McBoid Farm
Edinburgh, Scotland

McBoid,

I felt like I owed you an actual thank you for coming in and answering my questions.  The information that you shared is going to be helpful.

I’m trying to keep yours and Fig’s names out of any official reports just in case.  If you need to get in touch, unless it’s an emergency, better to send an owl to my home address.

Talk to your uncle about what happened if you haven’t already.  We had a few close run-ins with werewolves back during the war.  He can give you a few tips on what to do next time if it happens again.  It might not make the nightmares go away, but I hope feeling more prepared will help.  (Don’t glower too hard at the parchment.  It’s not the letter’s fault that I wrote that.)

Send me an owl if you think of anything else, or if there’s anything I can do.

Bagnold

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K. Bagnold
Diagon Alley
London

Duncan McBoid
McBoid Farm
Edinburgh, Scotland

Duncan,

Let me know when you have some time to meet up this weekend.  I’m off Sunday and Monday.

Kurby

Wenesday evening, 14 December, around 6 p.m. a return letter arrives at Bagnold's flat.

Duncan McBoid
McBoid Farm
Edinburgh, Scotland

Kurby Bagnold
Diagon Alley
London

Kurby,

Just let me know a time and place on either day and I'll make sure I'm available.

Duncan

A return owl comes back early Thursday morning.

K. Bagnold
Diagon Alley
London

Duncan McBoid
McBoid Farm
Edinburgh, Scotland

How about the old camp at the base of Cader Idris?  Meet at 9 on Sunday if you want to hike up first.  Otherwise, reckon I’ll see you there around sunset.

Kurby

Thursday evening owl.

Duncan McBoid
McBoid Farm
Edinburgh, Scotland

Kurby Bagnold
Diagon Alley
London

Meet you there. I'll bring the beer.

Duncan