Order Only: Distributing Books

[alt_sirius]

It's a Hogsmeade weekend coming up, isn't it?

I hope so, because we've got about 50 copies of the original Pure Victory for you lot to start giving out.

We've been stockpiling them at Grimmauld. Miss Parkinson, if you're still able to ask Hitty to deliver them, that would probably be the least conspicuous method. Otherwise, someone will have to meet us in the cave outside the village this Saturday.

And it ought to be this Saturday, since we heard on the wireless that the replacement's coming out very soon. And Hogsmeade might be the best venue to give them out, if it comes to that.

Comments

Private message to Sirius

[alt_lupin]

It's pretty good, you know? I thought I'd just read the first few pages and now I'm wondering if I can get through it before I really NEED to go to bed.

Re: Private message to Sirius

[alt_sirius]

Well, it's up to you but just remember that there's someone in this house who'll be awake at six whether we are or not.

Re: Private message to Sirius

[alt_lupin]

That is an excellent point. Okay.

I'm definitely going to put it down after the next chapter.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well if Hitty can do it I hope she delivers copies to Lavender Brown and Padma Patil. Because it's not as if we could safely hand over a copy to either of them but I'm SURE they were wanting to know how it ends.

[alt_sally_anne]

Pansy do you think she could slip it into people's bags without being seen, in Hogsmeade? At least Lav's likely to be distracted, I imagine Moon will take her to Madam Puddlifoot's. (It's the sort of thing he'd do.)

[alt_pansy]

I think she could, yes.

We should make up a list of all the 3rd years and higher who weren't at the reading who wouldn't snitch right away.

[alt_sally_anne]

Ordinarily Padma would.

But don't you think she's probably dying to know? I know she read the first two.

And I have to admit I find the idea of corrupting her (even a little bit) awfully appealing.

[alt_pansy]

Oh, I know the feeling.

Private message to Pansy

[alt_sally_anne]

Besides, it's potentially blackmail material later, if she doesn't hand it over. Not super-useful blackmail material but if we ever needed to throw her off her guard for a half minute, that might do the trick.

Re: Private message to Pansy

[alt_pansy]

Point.

[alt_pansy]

Brilliant. I'll send her an owl, and she can pop over to Grimmauld to pick them up.

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, you probably don't want her to pick them up until Saturday unless she's got somewhere better than Grimmauld to keep them. I mean, fifty copies of a totally forbidden banned book? Not something you want to leave lying around.

[alt_pansy]

Yeah, I'll tell her to swing by on Saturday.

[alt_sally_anne]

So who should get the fifty copies?

Did Ginny Weasley get her own copy back? Because if she did, she doesn't need one, but if she didn't, I think she should get one.

I don't think the rest really need to go to kids who were at the reading -- maybe one or two? But the people who came to the reading have read it already.

If we're doing distribution at Hogsmeade we can't give it to first and second years unless they're trustworthy enough that we can just hand it to them directly (in which case they were at the reading). Anyway. We can think it over and make a list to give Hitty.

Do the books list a publishing house? Like a made-up publishing house? Because if they DO list a publishing house, we could distribute other stuff later the same way, from the same 'house,' right?

[alt_pansy]

Yes, I think it ought to be given to people who weren't there. Definitely Padma and Lav. Anyone else in our year? Maybe Zabini and Smith? I don't know if boys would be the absolute best, though.

We ought to spread it out a bit, though. Try and hit up the 4th and 3rd years especially. Ev, Luna, Hydra, you probably know the younger years a bit better, maybe you could write up a list or something.

[alt_sally_anne]

Did Smith read them? Zabini did. We want people we KNOW read the first two. And I agree about spreading it out a bit. People from all four houses. All five years that'll be in Hogsmeade. I don't think we should leave out the 7th years, either, you know? If we're using this to recruit, they're the ones who are best placed to seek out the Order, right?

[alt_justin]

Hullo,

Smith hasn't read them. I've no idea about Zabini, what, but I could try to find out in our Noble Arts discussion group tomorrow. I say, if we have the lesson tomorrow. Does anyone know what prompted Professor Dolohov to cancel today's?

As for others who might enjoy getting the book, I should think Inglebee, Zimmerman, Effie Stevens and Rubens in Hydra's year, what, and Levingworth, Catchlove, Ross, Marks and Forney in third year. I imagine Daphne wouldn't mind if Astoria got a copy, do you? If not her, then Queenie, perhaps.

I say, I wonder what might happen if we gave a copy to Remy Jugson, or Malcolm Baddock.

-Justin

[alt_sally_anne]

I was thinking we need to be careful, trying to find out who's read the first two. You don't want someone like Zabini finding his copy and realising you had anything to do with this book that's from the Order of the Phoenix and Sirius effing Black.

But, the 'official' version is coming out too, really soon. So we could ask around about who's excited to read it now that it's finally being properly released? And see what people say. Maybe.

Anyway, Zabini DID read the first two, I remember he had them in the common room. Give it to Queenie, not Astoria. I don't know about Malcolm Baddock, what does Hydra think?

[alt_lupin]

You know I'm reading looking at this copy of the book, and there's a blank page right at the front. And another at the back.

Why didn't we put anything there? Like a letter to readers, saying something like, 'oi, the Lord Protector didn't want you reading this book because he thought it would corrupt you. The government tried to destroy every copy but they missed a few! And I thought you might like to know how the story ends. Your friend, Sirius Black.' Or something.

Is it too late to do it? We could use a duplication spell.

[alt_sirius]

Did Aldrich keep the original publisher's imprint? We could invent our own, if not. Protector-Free Press, that sounds catchy, don't you think?

I should write a forward, you're right.

[alt_lupin]

They took it out. I think given what we heard had already happened to the editor, it would be better to make it clear these weren't printed by the publishing house.

An afterward might be better. Let them read all the seditious stuff and THEN find out this was a present from Sirius Black. If we're setting a goal of corrupting the young and upright -- which is to say, the ones our lot didn't trust enough to invite along to the seditious reading back in December.

[alt_severus]

I have been attempting to persuade Albus that we will get nowhere if we are not more open about the fact that the Order exists, even if we do not name it. For far too long, people have been kept from knowing there is any organisation opposed to the Dark Lord that is not Dogstar not as immoderate in its attitudes towards collateral damage. We cannot hope to recruit others if they do not know la Résistance exists.

This would be an excellent opportunity to begin communicating that message.

[alt_lupin]

Interesting point.

Would you suggest we say it's from the Order of the Phoenix, then? Or should we give our public face a different name?

[alt_sirius]

You mean something like Dumbledore's Army?

Or are you suggesting we send the message to the Death Eaters that the Order of the Phoenix has risen from its ashes?

I agree that we need to be more active about recruiting. If we need an army to fight back and punch through their defences then we'll have to start putting together cells.

[alt_lupin]

Well, the name 'phoenix' rather does imply 'you might think you've destroyed us, but here we are, reborn.' It's a bloody good name. Seems a shame to waste it.

But Dumbledore's Army might do.

[alt_severus]

As to that, Albus would object, most vigourously.

I do not say that should stop us, mind.

[alt_sally_anne]

I hate to say it but hardly any of the current students even know who Dumbledore is. I mean, they've heard the name and they know he was a former Headmaster who fought against the Lord Protector and then fled.

I don't think that name would have the right effect. Black's Army would be better.

[alt_severus]

As to that, I have likewise attempted to convince Albus that we ought be using his name to rally those who still remember that name and the power it holds, but he is thus far unconvinced as to the wisdom. Were it up to me, I would say the Order of the Phoenix should indeed rise from its ashes. I am not, however, the final arbiter.

At very least we ought adopt a public-facing name. How many others similar to Miss Brodie have found themselves looking towards resistance groups with whom they are less sympathetic when at minimum they would have been our fellow travelers, had they only known we exist?

[alt_hermione]

I was thinking that it might not be wise to use Professor Dumbledore's name, in any case. It would just put MLE on alert to look for him. And then someone might see behind his appearance.

But Sirius is the most recognisable name we've got, and he's already known to be a vocal opponent of the Protectorate. Maybe we should have something that uses his reputation. The good part of his reputation, I mean, not the other stuff.

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah, we could be 'Black's Army.'

Or you could sign it, 'from the Sirius Black and the Order of the Phoenix.'

[alt_sirius]

Anyone who'd join Black's Army needs his head examined.

[alt_sirius]

Oi, my reputation's just fine!

[alt_lupin]

I'm trying to remember what we thought the Death Eaters knew about the Order, and what they merely suspected.

They certainly knew about Albus. Presumably they knew about James, Sirius, and me. I don't think they ever had any idea about Molly and Arthur -- though they knew about Gideon and Fabian, clearly. They surely suspected about Frank and Alice and the other Aurors, but I don't think they were ever certain (merely being Aurors who opposed the new order was dangerous enough, after the Ministry fell.)

I don't want to get Molly into trouble. Or Neville, obviously. But I do think there's an advantage to a name with a bit of history.

[alt_sirius]

Perhaps we could use the name but be subtle about it. Phoenix Order Press or something. And then in the afterword I could talk about the historical Order and how it never quite went away.

[alt_lupin]

I think if we do that we should just call it the Order of the Phoenix Press. But I like the idea of the afterward.

[alt_alice]

I do as well.

Although the Weasleys and Neville and Evelyn might need to tread carefully, I think it would be worth our while to put our name out there.

[alt_severus]

Mr and Miss Longbottom are well used to having their parents held against them, I suspect.

From memory I can say they were certain of you lot, plus Shacklebolt, Meadows, the gentleman who prefers his name be kept out of the journals — mostly the Aurors. I was careful who Consensus was (forgive me, Molly) that Molly was nothing more than the housewife she appeared, and her brothers' political actions did not run in the family. If the Longbottoms were ever confirmed among the Death Eaters as belonging to the Order most definitely, it was after I was no longer in a position to know; the last word I could speak to with confidence had them on the suspect list, but that was during the time when Alice's pregnancy and the presence of a young child kept them from ever being confirmed that I knew of.

Miss Granger is correct that reviving the name might cause the Dark Lord to look more closely for Albus's presence. He cannot conceive of an organisation held together by shared ideals rather than by a charismatic individual. I judge that to be an acceptable risk; Albus might have a different opinion.

[alt_charlie]

If it would help divert suspicion from Mum, I'd definitely be up for producing some show of loyalty or other, and I bet Bill would be, too.

And, I mean. Percy.

[alt_poppy]

At risk of agreeing with Severus twice in a fortnight, I believe it's high time we demonstrate that the phoenix has risen from its ashes.

If not now, when?

Private message to Padfoot

[alt_lupin]

Well, Alice concurs with Severus. So unless there's a massive outcry, the Order of the Phoenix will be rising from the ashes.

And I'm definitely going to put this book down at the end of this current chapter.