was Re: T-BAY: Plot Hole Filler

[Zara]

No: HPFGUIDX 178873

> Potioncat:
> "Mundungus. Mundungus travels in mixed company. So, he could have 
> heard talk about Regulus and told Black and Lupin."

<snip>

> Regulus might have expressed some reluctance to continue in LV's 
> service and LV might have suggested in a DE meeting what would happen 
> if he tried to leave. Then Regulus disappears, and a few DEs make 
> assumptions. LV, on the other hand, doesn't know what's happened to 
> Regulus, but wouldn't ask around either. So some DEs might have been 
> speculating about Regulus and Mundungus heard them.

<snip>

> George and Potioncat look at each other and said in unison, "If no 
> one knew what happened to him, how was there a date of death on the 
> tapestry!"

zgirnius:
"You've got it all backwards!" a voice behind George and Potioncat 
exclaimed disgustedly.

They jumped in surprise, and spun around to see, standing behind them, 
a figure not unlike a taller Molly Weasley with dark hair. Her black 
sleeves were spattered with the remains of someone's breakfast, and her 
brow was furrowed in thought.

"Zara! What are you doing here?" Potioncat asked. 

"Oh, is that her name?" George grumbled, wiping spilled coffee of his 
robes.

"Sorry, I was just thinking aloud," Zara replied. "I didn't mean to 
startle anyone."

"That's alright, it is nice to see you here" Potioncat replied. "How do 
you mean, backwards?"

George glowered at the new arrival, but did not venture to contradict 
Potioncat's welcome.

"It seems to me you have all the right ideas to fill this hole, you are 
just putting them together in the wrong order," Zara said. "See, I 
think the tapestry is magical. So the *first* thing that happened, was 
that the date of Regulus's death appeared on the tapestry, at the very 
moment of his death."

"Sirius would not have access to the tapestry, so I don't see how this 
helps us," Potioncat pointed out, her face falling.

"No, you are right, but Ma Black would have. And she doubtless took 
steps. A memorial service (sans body, for obvious reasons), a large 
obituary notice in the Daily Prophet, you get the picture. Sirius would 
have heard of one or more of these steps, and thus have learned of the 
sad event. It is at that point that he may have had recourse to the 
rumor mill and put together the version of the story that he and Lupin 
conveyed to Harry."

Potioncat offered Zara the tub of Plot-Hole Filler, though she did not 
look entirely convinced.

"You want *me* to use that stuff?" Zara asked, looking nervously at the 
pot and trowel, as she furtively moved her hands away from 
Potioncat. "You need to see my attempts at home improvement to believe 
them. This is a task for Uncle John's Handyman Service...except that if 
I call him handyman and ask him to come *here*, he will probably 
conclude I am nuts, and then where will I be the next time something at 
home needs fixing?"

--zgirnius, attempting her first visit to T-Bay...