Order Only: Private Message to Sally-Anne and Draco

[alt_hermione]

Mrs Longbottom asked me and Pansy to talk to the house-elves and find out what sort of magical compact binds them, in case we ever need them to work against a future Headmistress or Headmaster.

I tried to tell her that it just doesn't work like that. Isn't she pureblood? How is it possible she doesn't know that house-elves don't have written compacts? Or is it more that because she's a pureblood she's never even given a thought to what binds house-elves to their masters?

I mean, look at that miserable elf of Sirius's--he'd like nothing better than to stab Sirius in the heart and run to your mother, Draco--but he can't.

Now Pansy and I have to sweet-talk the elves to try to find out what the limits of their obedience are and it's a colossal waste of time.

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

EXACTLY. Assassinating the Lord Protector, I mean.

[alt_sally_anne]

Um.

I mean, I agree with both of you.

You added those other things while I was

[alt_draco]

I'm just sick of planning for all these "what if" scenarios. Forget about what ifs...we have a big "what is" that keeps getting postponed and delayed because of one reason for another. Even if an assassination attempt failed, at least Voldemort would know that people want to kill him. That it wasn't just Selwyn, but all sorts of people, from the lowest low-life to the most "loyal" council member. At least he would know that whatever he does, his days are numbered.

[alt_sally_anne]

Most of us can't even get near him, is the thing.

You or Harry could try. But you're not even of age yet, and then if you fail (which -- no offense, you probably would) you'll be dead and useless to the Order for spying or anything else and for that matter it'll probably point Auror Lestrange toward all your friends, and

Yeah.

But

Mrs Longbottom doesn't like taking risks, she wants to talk and plan and try as hard as she possibly can to make these things NOT RISKY and meanwhile even if our people aren't dying, plenty of other people are. Only they're not in the Order, so.

[alt_draco]

I fully aware of the fact that I am being pushy, insistent, and unrealistic, but it's borne of a desire for more discussion, more planning - anything, even if none of it is feasible. Because isn't that the biggest goal of all? And don't we lose sight of it if we keep waiting until the time is right, or we have more intelligence, or whatever else?

Sorry. I'm really tired.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well don't we have to deal with that thing Dumbledore told us about that let him come back to life? I mean there's no point in sacrificing our lives to kill him if he's just going to come back AGAIN.

Then again I don't know what the Order is doing about THAT, either.

[alt_draco]

Horcrux.

Well, he had to exist inside Bellatrix for a little while. That's got to be pretty miserable, right?

[alt_sally_anne]

I don't know if making him miserable is exactly productive.

Besides, it almost certainly was the PEAK EXPERIENCE OF BELLATRIX'S LIFE.

[alt_draco]

And she has that ghastly silver finger to show for it.

But you know, at that moment, he was technically still alive, but he was considerably weakened and vulnerable. At the very least, we could discuss what we would do - could do - if that happened again.

[alt_sally_anne]

Like kill Bellatrix?

I think I'd be in favour of that on general principles.

[alt_sally_anne]

(It's rather odd calling her Bellatrix, I nearly always call her Auror Lestrange, even under the lock. I think part of me imagines she'll KNOW.)

[alt_draco]

Ha - if you think you're nervous, imagine Hydra. Even if she does have the benefit of being a natural occlumens, it wasn't always so.

Kill all of his followers, while they're all worked up trying to restore him to his body. That's why we need someone on the inside, isn't it?

[alt_sally_anne]

But that includes

Ugh.

Maybe. I guess.

What about your