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_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