alt_mcgonagall | Order Only: Infighting

As you all have seen, things are rather a mess around New London these days.

I do not believe that the minds of the Selwyn conspirators hold anything that could compromise me—not truly. (I might have to dance around the fact that I knew Selwyn's purpose when he asked me to bring him Felix Felicis, but I believe that is more than possible.) Yet they know that I was related, and have tried to contact me—Ursula Avery in particular. Well, and who is Ursula Avery? She would hardly speak to me when I was drying out. She considered herself rather too high in the instep to pay attention to a poor drunk. But now she wishes to discuss her child. By "her child," I assume she means the creeping fear that the Lord Protector knows all about her part in Selwyn's scheme.

Well, I have put her off so far. Part of me wants to speak with her, to speak with everyone who was part of our little cabal, and remind them that the Lord Protector can smell weakness. If they flinch, he will know!

But another part of me says: why endanger yourself more? Why would you link your name to conspirators', when you have no reason to do so? That part is the part I must listen to.

Dyson came to see me this morning, unannounced, so that I had no opportunity to turn him away. Young Malfoy may be interested to know that Dyson is firmly on the side of Nott and the Mulcibers, it seems. He was not in the least bit subtle about the purpose of his visit. He actually said 'Lucius Malfoy is an old friend of yours, I know—but he allowed Madam Umbridge control of Hogwarts." Oh, he couched it in concern for his children, certainly, but what he meant was "when was the last time Malfoy did anything for you?"

I must think carefully on what to do now. I have always considered Lucius Malfoy the most stable of the Death Eaters, the most dedicated to the rule of law, the most reasonable. That is why I have backed him for so long: best to stick with the devil you know and whose actions you can predict. That is also why I felt that Selwyn's plot was necessary: the Lord Protector grows more unbalanced day by day. Now, however, I begin to rethink my strategy.

Is it truly best to have a stable and functional government, if that government is oppressing our people, even if that means it is easier for us to do our work? Didn't Dolores Umbridge do more than anyone to turn people against the MLE? Could it not be the best strategy to play the sides against each other, to destabilize the top, to make it spin more and more wildly and loopily until it can no longer stand?

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

alt_draco

Dyson's a liar. My father hated Bumbridge and never wanted her at the school.

Your last point speaks to my own reasoning, which I've voiced elsewhere.

From:

alt_mcgonagall

You have always been an unusually astute young man.

As for Umbridge and your father, his actual feelings are hardly the point, although I am indeed aware of them. (He did not want me at the school either, by the end, but for that I must admit I cannot blame him.)

From:

alt_draco

That's very flattering.

What I don't understand - and perhaps you can enlighten on this point - is why the Lord Protector seems to favour, more and more, chaos over stability. In the early years he worked very hard to make the Protectorate seem like a brilliant idea, but he obviously cares less about that now. Is it possible he wants his followers to destroy themselves because he feels he no longer needs them? Or is he threatened by them?

I suppose a simple answer might be that he's gone mental, but I think that would be a foolish conclusion to arrive at.

From:

alt_sirius

So, Minerva, you have enough to conclude that Nott is working with the Mulcibers? That they are definitely setting themselves up in opposition to Malfoy?

I suppose that was obvious from their actions but it's good to confirm that they're confident enough to feel comfortable making their alliance known.

From:

alt_hermione

If Teddy's father is working closely with the Mulcibers and supports them, then you and Harry need to be really, really careful at his party tonight.

I mean, it's a fair guess he didn't invite you because he's feeling nostalgic for all those times he used to play at the Manor.

From:

alt_mcgonagall

If I knew the answer to that question, I would not be nearly so nervous about the future.

From:

alt_mcgonagall

Yes—I am certain of it. Dyson all but directly told me so.

From:

alt_draco

Yeah, I know.

Blaise mentioned that at the last party, there were some kind of nonpareils that provided a hallucinatory experience, and of course there's always a fair bit of drinking that goes on.

It wouldn't do to look as if I'm not partaking in the fun, but I want to keep my senses. I'm looking through my books to see if there's a spell or potion than can nullify the influence of liquor and other mind-altering substances. There's the stomach of steel charm, but it has the unfortunate side effect of making one constantly belch - not at all the look I'm going for. Can you think of anything?

From:

alt_hermione

There's a spell that delays the effect of substances. It might mean you'll feel it tomorrow. Or maybe the next day, I'm not sure. And I don't know if it works on alcohol or I think everyone would use it all the time, but maybe they want to be intoxicated.

Oh, and there's a numbing spell. But that's for physical pain, and if the book I found it in was correct, it actually acts almost as if the person's already intoxicated. Or, er, drugged. Something like that. So that might not help at all.

From:

alt_draco

Yes, when people drink alcohol it's usually because they want to feel intoxicated right there in the moment, not the next day. But the important thing is that I'll appear to be drinking and eating whatever little concoctions are on the menu.

So yeah, that one might just work. Cheers.

I take it you've never been drunk before?

From:

alt_hermione

No, and I don't want to be! Why would anyone do that?

If you want the spell I'll copy it out and send it. You might want to practise before you try it out in the mirror.

From:

alt_draco

I knew you were going to say something like that.

Well, I don't suppose I have to point out that you'll never know why anyone would do it unless you try it out for yourself.

Not that I recommend anyone make a habit of it, but it is fun every once and a while. Otherwise, no one would even bother.

Anyway - I'd appreciate the spell, but you don't have to do that. I can find it myself I'm sure.

From:

alt_hermione

Everyone I've ever seen drunk makes a fool of themselves. Somehow. No, thank you!

The spell's in something called Effortless Impressions and be sure to read the footnotes.

From:

alt_draco

Not everyone does. I never have. You just have to know your limits.

Alright, that sounds familiar - it should be in our library somewhere.

Aren't you going to tell me to have a smashing time at Teddy's tonight?

From:

alt_hermione

What?

Oh. Fine.

Have fun pretending to like people you don't and pretending to get drunk when you're not and snogging girls when you don't want to, then.

From:

alt_draco

What's got your fur up?

You think it'd be better if I disappeared from the social circle and invited questions about where I am and what I'm doing?

To say nothing of the fact that I might hear things that could be of use to us.

From:

alt_hermione

I didn't say it would be better. Obviously you're doing this because you think it's helpful; it's a strategically sound thing to do.

From:

alt_draco

That doesn't explain why you seem cross about it.

From:

alt_hermione

I'm not cross, I'm confused as to why you'd want me to tell you to have a 'smashing time' when you're obviously not going to have one.

I mean, I don't want you to not have fun, I suppose, but I don't know why you'd want to have fun at a party like that, either.

From:

alt_draco

Because sometimes unpleasant things are easier if you pretend that they're going to be fun.

Only I thought you could tell that I wasn't really expecting to have a smashing time, which is why it'd be both comforting and droll and ironic if I were told to enjoy myself even if we both know that I won't. Well, not much, anyway.

From:

alt_hermione

Oh.

Well, have a smashing time, then. In that case.

From:

alt_severus

Having held back from enquiring as to your health and well-being this long due to a desire to avoid the starched-spine reflexive response of an attempted retrenchment, it occurs to me you might have held back from corresponding with me out of a desire to avoid being reminded of certain singularly unpleasant events of this past year.

I do hope that is not the case; I have missed our tea and conversations. Should you be free at some point in the coming week, I would quite like a chance to renew them before I must take up Milland's duties once more.