Private message to Bill Weasley

[alt_corax]

Got a firecall a little while ago from the overseer of the Sparkwell Mine. Apparently loads of the tunnels are partly caved in, narrowly enough to keep out muggles of normal size. You'll need to go to the South Hams muggle camp tomorrow and find a hundred muggle children for a replacement work crew, no taller than 4'4" and he'd prefer runty older children provided they're in good health, the younger they are the more likely they are to whinge instead of work.

Send a dozen or so adults with, to mind them when they're off shift.

South Ham's only about ten miles from the mine, so you shouldn't need carpets or whatnot for transport, just have them walk. Expect that to take most of the day, considering, but you ought to be able to have them there and ready to work by Tuesday morning.

Comments

[alt_bill]

One hundred muggle children?

If the tunnels are partly caved in, is there enough room for that many to work the first day? Particularly if they must be trained?

[alt_corax]

Do you have a problem with these instructions, Weasley?

[alt_bill]

Not in the least, sir. Just trying to get a handle on the practicalities. If they want the work done, it helps to know as much as they've told you.

Housing: I suppose the children would stay in the dead miners' quarters.

Have they apparated the corpses out from under the tunnel rockfall yet? I'm thinking of the spread of disease. Children would be more vulnerable to that, and it wouldn't do Sparkwell much good to bring in new workers if a high proportion falls ill. Then they'd have to bring in yet more new workers and train them again.

Oh well, if you don't know, I'm sure I can find out tomorrow. I'll firecall South Hams and tell them to expect me at eight in the morning sharp. That's a half hour before they sign off on the regular shift roster, so I'll be able to look over the prospects before they scatter to their ordinary shifts.

[alt_corax]

The practicalities are up to the Sparkwell overseers. All you need to do is provide the workers and their caretakers.

[alt_bill]

And they think a hundred will do it? They aren't expecting to need to call in another contingent later?

[alt_corax]

Ask them yourself.