Order Only

[alt_draco]

I went to Saltash to see my father yesterday. Figured I'd give a brief overview of our conversation, since it offers us a Death Eater's view of events. Always a right treat to get that, am I right?

On Gringott's I think he was more impressed than he cared to let on. Possibly he hadn't realised that the goblins could be useful allies, or maybe he just thinks flying a dragon sounds snitch. Anyway, I told him that we've got rid of five horcruxes by now, and he re-iterated what he's said before, that there will be eight of them total.

As for what happened over the weekend at Dover, Mould-on-the-Wood, and the Metalworks - well, he was flatly surprised that Dumbledore seized Dover, and described MLEs response as acts of desperation rather than calculated strategy and clever tactics. Hydra, I described what happened between you, your mother, and Voldemort, and Father said that Voldemort probably wasn't pleased with Bella's strategy at Mould-on-the-Wood, but that he's also probably getting bored with her, and may possibly see you as her replacement. Which I realise has got to be completely unsettling, but at least you know your cover is air-tight.

I don't know. Even though he doesn't say as much out loud, I think he likes hearing about any progress we've made.

But even if my father is helping us, a little, and even though he appears to support (or at least not openly criticise) the advancements we've made, the only goal he fully shares with us is the removal of Voldemort, and that hasn't changed since he's been at Saltash. He's not going to like the society we erect to replace the Protectorate, and if he were able, he'd fight against it. And that's probably something to keep in mind when dealing with people like Dolohov, Desai, Crouch, or any of the rest of them. We're doing their dirty work, destroying the monster they helped to create. They'll probably be alright with that (excepting Bellatrix), but they're not going to like the rest of it.

Anyway, not terribly useful but there it is.

Comments

[alt_ron]

That last bit is dead right.

If I've learned one thing so far from connecting with the Aurors, it's that whatever they might think about Voldemort and the Council or the way things get done in the Protectorate, none of them want any kind of change where blood purity's concerned or keeping muggles as slaves or keeping everyone afraid of showing disloyal. Even if some of them would be secretly pleased about it if we managed to kill Voldemort (and I've got no idea which if any of them would be, really), they'd be dead set against us changing anything else about the Protectorate.

We want to count on them fighting us. And we need to be really cautious about believing any of them if there are any who try to get us to believe they're throwing in with us or that they're secretly our allies or that they're in any way working quietly for us rather than completely against us. Trusting to anything like that would be a bad bet.

[alt_draco]

Yeah, they like having power, they're just sick of Voldemort having power over them. And not a one of them wouldn't have risen so high if they didn't trust in the basic philosophy behind the Protectorate.

Private message to Ron

[alt_draco]

And I know you already see the point I'm making and most of the others probably do, too. But part of me hopes that it might resonate with Daphne. I mean, it's hard to tell from here but we still get hold of the papers and it sounds like she and Crouch are getting seriously serious.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

I don't know what to think about Daphs. The only time I tried to talk to her, she said it's something she wants to do for the Order.

But I think you're right. When he's here, she looks like she's lost her head over him.

And. I dunno. I've been watching Zabini, and I think he's worried about Daphne, too. Really worried. (And if you believe the talk, he's acting daft over her, too. Everyone's saying he's shagging every witch who'll let him in a room with her. Juliana Bradley, for instance, and she's halfblood, which... Zabini? I mean, seriously?)

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_draco]

"I want to fall in love with an utter psychopathic creep, but it's all for the Order." Something about that just doesn't click for me, like what the Order is getting out of it, for starters. I don't imagine she intended to fall for him, but from the sounds of it, she has.

I'm holding back from saying anything to her directly, though, because she's an adult, more or less, and in the end her life still belongs to her, even if she is part of our organisation.

But Crouch will have to be dealt with, at one point or another, and I really, really don't want her to throw herself in front of him.

Why do you think Blaise shagging half of Hogwarts has anything to do with Daphne? I mean, he was always a bit like that, though you're right, usually more selective.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Ugh.

I hadn't thought about her taking a curse for Crouch. And it wouldn't even have to be that. If she's really in love with him, then, when it comes to it, we'll have to worry she'd warn him. I mean, who knows what she'd do. If she does love him.

She's an actress, though. Y'know? She'll just say she's playing her part, if you did ask her about it.

And Zabini? Who knows. It's just what the witches are saying about him. I expect they think it's romantic if he's off his nut over Daphs now it looks like she's going to marry Crouch.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_draco]

And she has a history of falling for her leading man. You know that more than anyone.

Well, Blaise is a fool if he thinks a girl like Daphne is going to still be available after he's done spending the next five or ten years as the toast of the New London playboys.

I don't know what to do about it. Nothing, I guess. Or just wait and see.

[alt_sinistra]

Someone asked me something, while I was up at the Mortal Man (Ellen Liddle, Poppy.)

About how I could end up being there, where not so long ago I'd been marrying Raz. Which. Well. Point. Even if she started out so sharp about it.

Raz and I talked - rather often, really - about how he was brought up. Not spending much time at all people who weren't purebloods, and from a pretty limited constellation of families. Not up close, not to talk to, even at school.

It was Quidditch, got him doing it. And then the Borough Market, after. But a lot of people, they didn't do that. Which isn't any excuse, only - I don't know how you fix it, either. And especially not for adults with decades of habits.

One thing I did learn, is - people joined up for all sorts of reasons. And unless you sort out what their reasons were, it's hard to work out what to do about it. I know Tosha wanted a lot of things, but one of the major ones was that he really wanted for magic not to be secret and hidden any more. (Other things too, and I'm not excusing those, but I remember what it was like growing up, and it was so very different.)

And that's different than someone who thinks purebloods from a few dozen families should be the whole world. Or someone where there was family pressure, or risk if they didn't go along with it, or no way to keep doing a job they really loved. And some of those reasons fit with a world where there are lots of kinds of people with lots of different skills and gifts and talents, not just magic, and others, it never will.