Order Only: Private Message to Rachel, Remus and Alice

[alt_sirius]

I've just been told about Justin.

This is exactly what I was talking about this afternoon. WHY did he go after Antonin bloody Dolohov on his own? Or Ptolemy sodding Baddock or whomever.

Was it really necessary to put an eighteen-year-old in harm's way at this stage?

Alice. Enough. There are plenty of us to assume the risks. Rachel, put them on reserve, please. At least until the worst threats have been resolved.

Comments

[alt_rachel]

When I joined the Order I was utterly shocked that you'd allowed children to join. Actual children, not even of age yet.

Bill told me he'd made the mistake of thinking of them as 'children' for far too long. That they'd proven themselves. That they'd made astonishing contributions.

He was right. I sent Justin after Ptolemy Baddock because I knew he'd have both the patience and the skill to get to him. Just as I sent Ron to infiltrate the new Security Forces meeting this week -- he'd be able to do it, in his animagus form -- and had Draco replace Faust.

We have not won this war yet.

[alt_sirius]

We've been over this already. I don't think of them as children. Circe knows when I was their age, I was fighting, too.

We let them join when there wasn't a choice. Sometimes, I'll note, they didn't give us a choice - and for a long time, there wasn't any other way to make any progress.

But now we can all fight in the open. There's no need for any of them to put themselves on the front lines. I'm well aware that we haven't won yet, which is why they should be kept back. So they'll have the chance to keep the peace once we do win.

[alt_alice]

We have greater numbers than we did. Enforcers who've signed on to our side who are experienced. Frank, Sirius, Remus, and Tonks are likewise willing to take some heat, too.

Ron had a close scrape today. Justin as well. We nearly lost Hydra.

I'm not saying they are incapable, but they are much more likely to take risks, and need reining in sometimes.

[alt_rachel]

There is no one other than Ron who could have infiltrated that PSS meeting in animagus form yesterday. Your form is far too conspicuous; so is mine.

There is no one else who could have replaced Faust as convincingly as Draco's done.

And I'm not convinced there's anyone else who could have crossed wands with Dolohov -- after being surprised by him, apparently -- and escaped mostly unscathed, other than Justin.

[alt_rachel]

And keeping them off the front lines is not necessarily protection.

Honoria Sandoval is dead. Fell down dead, in her own quarters. Justin thinks Dolohov managed this somehow, we're trying to figure out how.

[alt_alice]

Oh. Lord.

How on earth?

[alt_sirius]

Bugger.

[alt_rachel]

Apparently while visiting Ginny Weasley today, Honoria received an urgent owl from her brother Orion, saying that her grandmother was dying and she should come to her bedside to receive her grandmother's blessing. The owl said that Lana had already come and gone, that she'd be safe.

We found the note. It's Orion's handwriting. I'm not sure if he cooperated in luring her, or if he was coerced. Or Imperiused.

The curse is slow-acting, designed to kill hours after it was cast. If we'd known earlier When used to kill, it's frequently mistaken for natural causes, though heart failure is a thoroughly suspicious cause of death in a girl Honoria's age.

Dammit.

[alt_rachel]

I've called off Justin. For now, at least. I told him I'm not sending him back out right away.

I'm not sidelining Draco. He's mid-assignment; pulling him out would mean losing that opportunity.

[alt_sirius]

Thank you. And understood.

At least Draco's assignment doesn't involve him actively seeking out murderers and engaging them in a one-to-one duel. As long as he maintains his cover, no one should be aiming hexes at him.

Let's hope, anyway.