ORDER ONLY: A message.

[alt_mcgonagall]

I received the following today:

My dear friends,

If you are receiving this, it means that I am dead, likely by my own hand. I have never trusted in my own ability to withstand questioning by the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange -- sooner or later, I fear, I would tell them anything they asked -- so I made provisions that would provide me with a swift exit. A family heirloom passed down from my great-grandfather, my ring was first used for murder, then later to control an inconvenient spouse.  It gave me a certain satisfaction to know I was using it instead to provide for my own escape, if it ever became necessary.

My greatest fear has never been the quiet release of death, you understand, but that I might betray others.

Please keep watch over my family. None of them ever knew of my work, and I hope their innocence will protect them. 

Aloysius

It burned itself as I copied out the last few sentences; so I cannot guarantee that it is perfect.

I remember Aloysius well, and particularly his wife, who was a denizen of Gryffindor house. It is perfectly fitting that he should have the presence of mind to do - well, to do away with himself.

It does not, however, shed any more light on the circumstances of his death, or rather the circumstances that led to his death.

Comments

[alt_sirius]

Minerva, Bill, can we be certain that the Aurors will believe Archer died of natural causes?

It's not surprising that Bellatrix seems dissatisfied that Archer robbed her opportunity to torture him. I'm worried that frustration will make her look even harder.

[alt_mcgonagall]

We can be certain of nothing. It has headed them off at the pass, but as you note, Bellatrix Lestrange is an exceedingly focussed mind. I imagine she shall find the poison out eventually.

We ought to think of contingency plans.

[alt_molly]

Who were his family, Minerva? Did he have children at Hogwarts?

I wonder what will happen to them now. I suppose it all depends on what they're able to find about what Archer was doing. I hope the foresight he showed about having the ring ready also means he had contingencies in place to take care of or destroy any incriminating parchments.

Ugh, how horrible.

[alt_kingsley]

How's Bill holding up, Molly? I assume you've seen him?

[alt_molly]

Not very well, Kingsley. We had him come over for dinner last night. We thought that would be all right because it wasn't very different from his usual routine to join us.

[alt_arthur]

I let him spend a couple hours getting thoroughly pissed on the last of my Firewhiskey. Not even Molly objected. But then we gave him the Sober Up and got started on that list of questions you and Emmeline sent with your patronus. Molly was inclined to argue at first--she's even more upset about all this than Bill--but Bill and I think you're quite right. If the MLE are going to question him, they'll strike quickly, while he's still reeling from the news about Archer, so it's important that he be prepared.

He was a bit shaky at first when we practised, but he got firmer and more convincing the longer we went on. I think--I hope he'll be all right.

We also had some serious discussion on the question of, if worst comes to worst, whether he should retreat to Moddey Dhoo. Bill really doesn't want to do it. His position at the Ministry really is critical for our operations, and there's the worry of what would happen to the rest of the family, particularly those at Hogwarts, if he flees. Presumably, he'd then be declared a traitor, and well...I'm sure you can imagine what would come next.

[alt_mcgonagall]

I am afraid he did, Molly.

Though he was in Slytherin, his son Gareth is a Gryffindor; he is distraught, although mainly because thanks to the quarantine he is not allowed to see his mother. I gather that Gareth and his mother knew nothing of the father's activities - Aloysius had been estranged from his son and wife for some time. Fortunately for Gareth, he has a cousin at Hogwarts: Aurelia Archer. He has spent quite a lot of time comforting her; she is a Slytherin and, I gather, was very close to her uncle. So she has been keeping his mind off the situation to some degree, I gather.

I have winkled out of them that there are other family members - but they are in the camps. I couldn't get more out of them, and I can only vaguely recall the last of the Archer brothers - I believe the youngest was in Hufflepuff; they must be his children. They can hardly have known Aloysius, however, if they have been in the camps all the while.

I wonder if those nieces or nephews were part of Aloysius' motivations for being part of the Order? He never spoke of them.