ORDER ONLY: Hols

[alt_hermione]

Well there isn't that much to report from the hols because I mostly spent them trying to make the Lord Protector not notice me. Which worked, mainly, although he did so stare at supper when I had to stand behind Harry's chair and serve him. But I made friends with the house-elves! They're much less friendly than the ones at Hogwarts and more meek, they said that it wasn't so much the Lord Protector as his friends who mistreats them, only I think their definition of mistreats is different than mine. But none of them would ever disobey him directly of course, but I did find out that they'd do it indirectly, like doing anything they don't have specific orders against, but I didn't have time to coax them into telling me their standing orders.

And then He wanted Harry with him all the time, it was rather creepy, and Harry told me that he didn't usually do that, and also that he felt like he wasn't even there sometimes, he had to sit in on so many boring things. Only I think he forgot how I had to be there with him!

About the only good thing is that they got me new robes that look like livery, and they're green and black and ever so lovely, but I'm only to wear them at Buckingham as they're too fine for every day, so they said. Which is silly, but then Harry had to dress up when he saw his Father too, which is just strange. Because I mean he's his father; surely he's seen him out of dress robes before!

My candle is going out so more later -

Comments

[alt_poppy]

I think it would be well, my dear, if you would share with the others some of what you've told me this week about the things you and Mr Marvolo witnessed whilst he waited attendance on the Lord Protector. While you and Mr Marvolo may, indeed, have been bored for much of the time, I suspect the members of the Order will find your report extremely interesting.

[alt_hermione]

Well I can't remember all of it. The problem is that when you get ever so bored, and you don't have any way to write anything down, you can't do anything about it, you just start wandering and eventually you can't trust your own mind about it and it's rather awful. Let's see though what I can remember. One of the meetings was with the agricultural committee or something like that. They were arguing about importing food and creating a better dole. They said something about panes ett sirkenses, which I wasn't sure about, but I remember I thought I had to look it up. And they fought about it a lot and they argued about whether or not they should open up trade more so that we wouldn't have to do all the rations and maybe the dole and so on, but the Lord Protector said that it was dangerous, and that we needed to gather our strength, and that the mudbloods would come in or that perhaps the Americas would try to destroy our world if we let the wards down enough to let them in at all, and that they'd have to let the wards down to bring in that much food.

And then there was another meeting where they were talking about mudbloods and how families don't want us, apparently, and I think that might be why they decided to give me livery, and the Lord Protector was talking about how he wanted to have more mudbloods around Buckingham maybe, and that some of them were old enough. So that makes me think that perhaps they're going to have more mudbloods there. Harry said that his father was too paranoid though and that he didn't want any more people around him especially not rebellious mudbloods. Only I dont know. He might like having them around because at least he knows that they want to kill him, I suppose that's very Slytherin logic, isn't it? And Harry's not really a Slytherin so he wouldn't think of it. But of course I'm not a Slytherin either, so, how would I know?

I'll think hard and try to remember the rest... is any of that helpful at all?!

[alt_poppy]

Yes, I imagine that it will be of great interest to some of our number, but I think you should also say a bit more, if you're willing, about how it felt to you when the Lord Protector stared at you, as you say here. I think we need to give some thought as to how we might best prepare you for returning to Buckingham; I find this very concerning.

[alt_hermione]

Well I don't KNOW why he was looking at me, he was just looking at me! I think maybe it had to do with the livery, like I said, maybe he wants more Mudblood servants? It wasn't any creepier than when say Professor Carrow stares at you, not really awful even like that, it was more like I was a piece of the furniture and I was just going to get stared at when he was losing track of what was going on in the discussion, only he never lost track of what was going on. And he tried to get me to make eye contact with him maybe, or I don't know, because I never did - I just looked down whenever he started staring, but I think he liked making me uncomfortable, he did it with other people too, not just me. When we were in meetings if he was meeting with someone who wasn't very important and was very subservant then he would sometimes ignore him, but the rest of the time he would just stare and stare, and they got terrified.

[alt_poppy]

You were quite right to keep your eyes averted, but that would hardly be enough to protect you should the Lord Protector wish to read your thoughts. Perhaps, as you say, he has no more interest in you than he would in a piece of furniture, but I hardly think we can rely on that.

Minerva, you have more experience of this than I, but I do think we must take seriously that Miss Granger's changed circumstances have put her and us in extreme peril by placing her so directly under his scrutiny.


I'm not sure what's to be done, but something must be!

[alt_mcgonagall]

I shall be speaking with Miss Granger, but her description does not cause me to believe that the Lord Protector was seeking to Legilimise her. I am certainly concerned, but I have it on excellent word - his own - that he believes it to be polluting to enter the mind of a Mudblood.

Nevertheless - well, I am concerned. Miss Granger - if you were to be found in great danger, would you be willing to undergo Obliviation? It might be the only way to ensure your, and our, safety in the face of Legilimency.