Order Only: Muggleborns

[alt_hermione]

Professor McGonagall gave me the names in the book. There are nine--that's rather a lot since July, isn't it?

Anyway, here they are:

Dorothy Harris, New London
Emma Jenkins, Dartford, Kent
Richard Marshall, Hartlepool, Durham
George McCalman, Armitage, Staffordshire
Ifan Powys, Llanfyllin, Powys
Curtis Reinman, Ely, Cambridgeshire
Gavenia Selvaratnam, Galashiels, Scottish Borders
Arthur Tanisbee, New London
Anita Williams, Manchester


Something must have upset her about this, too--because she didn't want to post about it herself. I think it's because of the Tansibee baby. Arthur. I remembered that Mr Weasley had to bring Jane Tanisbee back to the camps because she'd been assaulted by the son of the family she worked for. But then I thought, isn't that impossible, for it to be the same Tanisbee? Because Mr Weasley made it so she wouldn't have any babies for ten years and--well, it's only been six years.

Still. It doesn't seem like it'd be coincidence, the baby being named Arthur like that. Does it?

Comments

[alt_hermione]

Someone's opened a new kind of brothel with muggleborns?

Or someone wants them to be having babies. Those are the only things I can think that would explain it.

Only I think if a muggleborn brothel had opened in New London, someone would have mentioned it. I mean, in certain circles. The Council wouldn't care for that sort of thing at all. And whoever did it would have had to bribe the camps pretty heavily to get the muggleborns out for that sort of thing.

But it's possible. They told Mrs Stretton there was a shortage, didn't they?

[alt_evelyn]

So... they're getting a bunch of muggle born girls and making them get pregnant to get more muggle borns?

[alt_hermione]

It looks that way, yes.

In New London.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh, a brothel! That's less horrid than

The thing is they'd have used contraceptive charms, surely. Or potions or something. Because they could get in loads of trouble and babies are a good way to get noticed what's going on, you know?

[alt_hermione]

Well, I'm only saying it's possible. It's possible they don't care about giving them contraceptives.

I think the other thing is more likely. But I'm not sure why. Unless they want to have a whole load of

[alt_hermione]

Oh.

Yes, that's much more horrid.

[alt_lupin]

Strangeweale.

You're thinking about Strangeweale, and the device he was going to use on Arista Selwyn.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well he also wanted 'expendable half-bloods.'

There's nobody in the Protectorate more 'expendable' than a baby born to a muggleborn girl.

[alt_sally_anne]

From Strangweale's point of view, I mean.

[alt_alice]

I see.

[alt_molly]

Alice...if you're right, and if the poor girl named her son after my Arthur...

Oh, we can't abandon Arthur's namesake to that foul machine! Or any of the rest of them!

[alt_hermione]

Yes.

Harry destroyed it. But he must have been able to rebuild it.

But that also means he must have been planning something for a long time, since last winter.

[alt_sally_anne]

He must have worked out that he wouldn't get THAT many half-bloods.

And not that many muggleborns are born, usually. In fact -- well he wouldn't know ANY had been born in the last few years, right? I mean how long has it been since the Order missed one?

[alt_hermione]

Or maybe he had more than one device.

They wanted Arista and Hector because they were so young. So babies would be even better, wouldn't they? Or maybe he has to wait until they manifest their magic.


Oh my goodness! Do you think they have another way to find them besides the book? Other muggleborn babies, I mean? Maybe not since they're breeding them especially.

[alt_lupin]

As Frank noted, we've heard rumours in the camps about wizards.

This would certainly explain them.

[alt_lupin]

It also explains why there's a shortage of muggleborn labour at present.

[alt_sirius]

Remus is right: If they have a source besides the book then we'd have found out when we went to get Charles or Mikhail or Mayuko. Also, we do know they've been asking about pregnancies and such. That's a strong argument against another source.

But we'd better get on these others as soon as possible, just in case.

Oh, bugger. If Minerva has already altered the book, we might be in trouble.

[alt_alice]

Point taken, Sirius.

Minerva, any way to add those names back in?

Including Sinclair?

[alt_alice]

And what are we to do about those in New London?

I'd like a full report on the possible location of the machine, anything you can recall about its properties, and any details about the layout of the Department of Mysteries from those who were there this summer.

[alt_sally_anne]

Harry and Draco are the ones who saw it.

You might also talk to Arista about it. And see what she remembers.

I can sketch out what I remember of the layout, that would be easier than trying to describe it in the journal. It would probably be best if I did that in either the Hospital Wing or Mr Snape's office so I could give it straight to an Order member when I was done.

[alt_harry]

We'll write up what we know.

Maybe we could all meet at Mr Snape's office and work on it together or something?

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah. Let's do that. Because it's been a while since I've thought about it but talking about it some might bring it back. But we need to be somewhere safe.

[alt_alice]

I'll ask her if she'll talk to me about it.

I have no doubt it will be very painful for her to revisit.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

On the other hand, it's sure to be loads of fun for the rest of us!

Yes, yes, Arista is ten and we're practically of age. I KNOW. But she's also the only one Strangeweale talked to.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_evelyn]

Maybe if Arista doesn't want to talk to mum about it, she'll talk to Ron?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

That's a good idea, you should suggest it. Maybe she'd write it in your mum's journal, like she used to write in her father's.

[alt_evelyn]

You can always ask if she'd rather write Ron instead.

[alt_alice]

Yes. I could certainly do that. If he'd be amenable, of course.

I think she trusts him more than she does me.

And it's often easier to share something painful with someone who was there for it in the first place.

[alt_hermione]

All right but the layout kept changing, that's the thing. And most of us were taken out pretty early once Auror Crouch and Professor Dolohov arrived.

Sally-Anne's right, we should write reports and give them directly to Madam Pomfrey, Mr Snape, Professor Sprout, Professor Brutka, or Headmistress McGonagall.