Order Only

[alt_sirius]

Frank, tell Neville and Evelyn to be a bit ginger with Allie this morning. She's okay but probably a little, er, slow-moving.

She's on her way back; I made her stay at Grimmauld for fear she'd splinch if she tried returning last night.

We talked, most of the night. Well, I let her talk. Seems like she needed a good crying out.

So I'm just reading through everyone's conversations now but it's rather remarkable how Alice and I covered most of the angles people have discussed.

Except the one about letting Hermione and Terry tell their friends a couple of choice pieces of information. (And I agree with Dora, Moony: You're brilliant.)

But I've been thinking about it, off and on, ever since they all started asking questions and the letters came from more than one or two people and so on. Eventually this lot are likely to all ask for induction into the Order.

And I agree with Poppy that we can't allow them to continue forcing our hands.

In all honesty, I'm more concerned with what happens if they don't come to us about joining. Fred, George, you said before that you didn't think everyone on your lock would be good to add to the Order and not just because of their ages. The thing is, unless we're sure of their intentions, it's an unconscionable risk even to confirm their suspicions about the links they've already made.

However, all that having been said, trust has to start somewhere. I think we might let Hermione and Terry tell them the facts in Moony's proposal but also tell them that we have a message: Good show, you're all very clever, keep sticking together and helping each other, yes, we'll consider new recruits but no, not until you're of age.

That might stave off the uncomfortable conversations for a while, at least.


I also think it's high time we found something to do that would actually move things along a bit. I know we're making progress but it's a bit too slow and incremental for me. At our current rate of smuggling it's going to be another ten years before we have enough of them distributed.

Comments

[alt_pomona]

Remus did have quite the idea, and I think it is the best way forward. But I also agree with you, Sirius, that a clear limit until they're of age may be the most practical. (Are any of us up for this conversation again at irregular intervals? I don't believe so.)

The only thing we might wish to add to it is - well, should there be a crisis, I know Arthur and Molly have spoken to their children about warnings to heed. Could we perhaps come up with some passphrase or other indicator, should the worst happen? We know they suspect Poppy's associations, but not, so far as anyone's mentioned, mine. Having a way to indicate trustworthyness quickly in a crisis might be essential one day.

(And perhaps sooner than later: we still have no idea who we're likely to have join us as Dark Arts professor, after all. Unless Minerva's heard something more recently. Or what else might change.)

[alt_gredforge]

It'll stave off uncomfortable questions for you, maybe. But it might raise some uncomfortable questions for us. If they learn that you're open to recruits when junior auxiliary kids come of age, it might dawn on 'em to wonder whether we've been recruited already. Especially since they suspect mum's involved.

Don't worry, though, we'll lie if we have to.

Private Message to Sirius

[alt_alice]

Thank you, love.

I don't know how I would've faced today without a little steadying first.

You are quite wonderful for letting me talk your ear off like that. Well, you're quite wonderful, full stop.

And I'm not just saying that because you're generous with your stash.

I've got all sorts of things to work through with what we've been doing on our end in terms of wand production, and Frank's got an idea or three about making our own inroads to the camps that need to be put down on paper, but my head and heart aren't quite in it right now. Give us a few more days before we're useful again and can poke at it properly, because it really is important to sort out, you're right.