Headmaster Greyfriar
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

F. Pepper
Murray Estate
Wiltshire

3rd January, 2012

Dear Headmaster,

With the Daily Prophet’s Headline this morning, I have already received nine owls from worries parents. Fellow governors, Herschel Reid and Wilhelmina Prewett have conferred that they have also received word from Hogwarts families known to them. I can only anticipate you have been similarly inundated.

Though St Mungo’s states there are no reported fatalities from this Praecantatio Deliquus the governors do agree that the plans for a possible magical disease outbreak at Hogwarts be put in action with immediate effect, and a statement be issued to reassure the nation’s parents.

We are prepared to convene this evening to assist in setting up these measures, especially as we understand your deputy is incapacitated with this very malady.

Yours in support,

Francis Pepper

The return owl did not arrive until the late afternoon of the same day, after all of the Hogwarts classes had concluded. In fact, the response itself was penned in the castle's refurbished Hospital Wing.

Mr. Francis Pepper
Murray Estate
Wiltshire

K. Greyfriar
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Dearest Pepper,

At the risk of coming off as a list-maker, not only is my deputy laid low but we are still without a permanent healer at Hogwarts. Perhaps those most qualified were put off by the boredom of reversing slug-vomiting hexes twice a week, and an interesting epidemic in an historic setting will attract one. Suffice it to say, in the immediate meantime any support you can lend will be welcome. I appreciate your owl.

As I write this, I'm surrounded by twenty-two students apparently come down with it. There were twenty-three an hour ago, but it turns out Miss Cosima Early was only posing as afflicted as part of an investigative journalism exercise. I've allowed her to stay on that capacity as long as she follows whatever isolation procedures we can cobble together.

They are, at the moment, improvised. I'm expecting an owl back from St. Mungo's as I write this.

I'll be here.

K. Greyfriar