alt_draco | Order Only - Private message to Hermione

As you're surely aware by now, Transfiguration is my weakest and most loathed subject. I blame it on the fact that I was a child who was never denied anything material, and thus saw no value in transfiguring porcupines into pincushions (and really, how often does one come across a porcupine? Aren't pincushions far more common, in addition to being less costly?). Also, I don't sew. And who uses pins? That's what sticking spells are for.

You see why I don't much care for it.

So I've no clue why I've gone and had the bright idea to transfigure my colocation box into a ring. Similar to the poison rings, except that I need to make the opening expandable, so that something large could potentially fit into it.

I guess I was thinking that it could be handy next year, when I'm on the council. If I ever get a chance to nick something that could be valuable to the Order, I could send it along to you or Harry straight off, rather than trying to smuggle it out under my robes or something.

I think I'll work on it for a little while in the secret room. If you're not brewing or doing something for Harry and want to take a look, I'll probably just stay there through supper.

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I'm already in the secret room, so if you come, you can show me. I have some preparation to do for Mr Snape but I can look at what you've got in mind.

What are you making for Snape?

I wonder how the three L's are faring in the Forbidden Forest. I haven't seen any messages from them, so I guess they haven't been eaten. Unless they were eaten before they could get out their quills.

I'm not making anything yet. He has me working on regressions, to anticipate how potions brewing can go wrong. I think he means to give it to Sirius. (You know, I didn't realise until I was at Moddey once over the holiday, how different his methods are to Mr Snape's. I suppose it's to be expected but he's not very methodical at all.)

They should be all right. I mean, I don't think they'll get eaten. I gave Evelyn my portkey just in case they didn't have any other way out.

He's having you do something that's meant to help Black? I imagine it will surely be accompanied by a healthy dose of superiourity. For Black, the best method for anything is likely the one that gets the job done, and for Snape, the best method is the one that gets the job done better than anyone else could do.

And - right, the portkey. ~~Why would you ever~~ ~~I wish you wouldn't~~ Well, I really, really hope they don't find themselves in a situation where they need to use it. It won't be easy to get another.

Well, I'm not sure, but there was a...an incident that happened at Moddey. And Mr Snape was there but he said that Sirius hadn't properly thought about all the ways that the class could have mis-brewed, and he's lucky that Mr Snape was there and had the wherewithal to put cascarilla bark in one of the cauldrons or it would have blown the whole building apart.

And then a few days later he told me to write up regressions for a half a dozen O.W.L. potions and list every possible failure mode for every possible step. He said that it's an essential part of achieving advanced success at potioneering, and that everyone has to prove they can identify the most common problems with loads of potions and that he wants to make sure my education isn't lacking in the fundamentals of potions theory, not just the physical brewing.

So I'm not sure that he'll give it to Sirius but he was certainly influenced by what happened. And in case he does decide to give it to Sirius, I want to make sure it's really well done.

I hadn't actually thought about it in terms of expediency versus pride of ethic, but I think you're right. Of course, sometimes that's an advantage, being willing to do something 'quick and dirty' as Sirius would put it. But mostly I like to be precise, unless it's just too impossible, and then I just try not to let the variance bother me.

No, it won't be easy to get another but if I hadn't given it to them, and they had an emergency, that would have been unforgivable.

Likely he doesn't want you to turn into a potioneer who brews like Black, perish the thought. Not that I can picture you ever giving up pride of ethic and process in favour of expediency.

I've read of regressions but Slughorn doesn't have us do them. I think it might be covered in the seventh year NEWT lessons, but even then only as an optional study. Which means that you're already well ahead of me and everyone else in Potions. Well done, brilliant one. Are you entirely sure you're a Gryffindor?

Oh, wait, you gave your one and only portkey to the Longbottoms and Luna out of a noble sense of right and wrong? Never mind then, you are a Gryffindor. Just an exceptionally non-expedient one.

Well...I'm not sure I could give up process and still be any good at potions. Sirius.... He's like you. I know, you'll hate me saying that. But you both come from families where magic is so second-nature it's hard to imagine either of you having to work hard at whatever you do. I don't have a choice, if I want to get something right.

I can see why it's hard for Sirius to have to stop and think and take his time with potions because he's just so used to everything coming easily. And he's really good at improvising, which I'm not at all.

Anyway, why would giving them a portkey make me more of a Gryffindor? It's not like I've had to use it and they'll just give it back when they've finished.

Ha, I don't hate you saying that. I disagree, somewhat, because I do take pride in the execution of (almost) all things. If I didn't I don't think I'd be fourth in our class. But I am able to improvise, to a degree, and it's true that it wasn't as if I needed to work hard - more that it was expected.

I suppose my above comment related to my dislike of Transfiguration illustrates your point too well.

There are times where I feel a strong need to do things better than everyone else. It's not out of necessity, though. I suppose it's just ego, which is inevitable when one comes from a family where you're always told that you're the best, no matter what.

Weren't Black's parents always after him, though? Reckon he must have just been born with that massively inflated ego.

It's not that giving them the portkey makes you a Gryffindor. More that you described not giving it to them as "unforgivable," should any misfortune befall them. Of course it would be forgivable. It is, after all, quite literally impossible for one person to be responsible for the well-being of each and every person she's acquainted with.

Oh, I think Sirius takes pride in what he does, that's not what I'm saying. And yes, from what little he's said, I think he and Regulus were very pressured to do well.

I think it's more that...either he personally never had to work hard to get top marks, or maybe it's because his parents pushed him so hard as a younger wizard that now he hates the thought of putting loads of work into anything. But mostly I think it's the former because he can be a bit of a perfectionist; he's just really unpredictable about when he'll get that way.

Do you think you'd still be fourth even if you didn't work so much over things? If you were... I don't know, sloppier or less obsessive about your essays?

I never said I was responsible for them. I said that I had in my possession an easy way to make sure they could leave the forest safely, no matter what, and that if I hadn't offered it, I would feel awful if something happened and they'd got hurt.

If I were less obsessive I would probably be about where Blaise is. Respectable but nothing special. He doesn't believe in exerting himself more than necessary, which is, I'm sure, why he's rather annoyed to be one of the challengers.

Are you trying to get me to like Black? To see him as a kindred spirit of some kind? I don't think it will work, Hermione, but you're welcome to try.

I don't want you to feel awful, and I'm sure you don't want to feel awful, either. So I'm glad, then, that you gave them the portkey.

Order Only - Private message to Hermione

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