Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_ginny]

Did you send me a mirror? Or do you know who did? It's nift. Though I thought you didn't believe in Divination. So maybe it wasn't you?

It definitely wasn't Mum.

Comments

[alt_ron]

Wasn't me.

It was Malfoy. He sent Justin and me some things, too. (And Sally Anne and Pansy, for that matter.) I know it was him because he sent me back my broom. Guess he didn't need it after his expedition today.

[alt_ginny]

Oh!

So -- did he steal it? I'm not sure -- I mean, he couldn't have just gone into a shop and bought it, I guess.

[alt_ron]

Sally Anne asked him, and yeah. He stole them.

Got me and Justin 'smoking jackets' which means robes with velvet lapels and fur and fancy cuffs and all. Mad.

[alt_ginny]

Ugh. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

I mean, I don't want to be like Percy. All about following the rules instead of doing the right thing.

But it's not like I NEEDED this mirror. It's just a silly little novelty. (That probably cost a lot of money. I had things like this when I was still doing modeling and I remember they all cost ridiculous sums.)

[alt_ron]

Eh. Don't worry about it.

It's his way of saying thanks, I think. To all of us.

Mind you, he could've got me a Firebolt instead of just sending back the Cleansweep. I mean, it was rather nice of me to send it back to him as soon as I heard what'd happened to him flying at Moddey. Whatever. At least now I don't have to figure out how to make my stipend stretch to buy a used broom, which was what I was expecting. And the Cleansweep's a decent broom. I'm not any worse off.

Still... if he was nicking five or six, would it've hurt him to pinch one more?

[alt_ginny]

He nicked FIVE BROOMS? What did he -- oh.

Well if he HAD taken one more, probably he'd have given that one to Moddey, too. Have you seen their brooms? They're a lot worse than your Cleansweep.

[alt_ginny]

Anyway Moddey needed brooms. Moddey needs all sorts of things. But I don't need this mirror. I don't want to hurt Draco's feelings, though.

[alt_ron]

Yeah. It's really not worth setting him off.

Does it have any charms on?

[alt_ginny]

Yeah. It gives me my horoscope.

[alt_ginny]

I wish I could ask Dad

[alt_ron]

I know.

But, y'know, I think he'd say something about how Malfoy's trying to fit in with all of us. And how some of what he took was stuff we really can use. (He told Sally Anne he took really top-rate tents for Sherwood. And he got some really expensive Potion ingredients for Mr Snape. Or maybe for Madam P, too. Not sure. Anywiz. And things for Moddey, so I think Dad would say it might not have all been right, but he was pointing the right direction.

I think that's what he'd say. And something about Malfoy still being young. Because that was always Dad, wasn't it? Boys will be boys. Children should be told Well done for what they get right. That sort of thing.

[alt_ginny]

You know, I keep going around and around about the fact that Draco Malfoy is in the Order.

And Percy, my brother, has a Dark Mark.

[alt_ron]

Yeah. Makes you wonder if they're both changelings, doesn't it?

[alt_ginny]

Well, if Percy's a changeling, he certainly got switched with someone who LOOKS like a Weasley, even if he doesn't act like one.

[alt_ginny]

Is it really true what Bill and Charlie were saying, that we can't possibly kidnap Percy and keep him somewhere so he's safe?

I mean, I haven't been in the Order all that long, but people BURNED THE JOURNAL ARCHIVE one night with almost no planning, to keep Harry safe.

[alt_ron]

The thing is, Gin, we'd have to keep him as a prisoner somewhere, and he'd try to get free. I mean, any of us would, if we were kept somewhere against our wills. And it would take a lot of people to keep him, and it would be at least until we fight out whatever kind of war we're going to end up in.

It could be a really long time. And whoever had to guard him couldn't help with the rest of it. And chances are, sooner or later, he'd find a way to escape. I mean, Percy's clever. More than that, really. He's dead intelligent. Even if he does act like a

So, you heard them go through it all. We can risk putting him in one of the places protected by Fidelius, because if he gets out, he'd have the secret so he could bring MLE straight back in to crush the place. Do you really think he wouldn't?

And even if you do think that, would you risk all those other people's lives on the chance you're right?

I mean, maybe if we had a Sleeper potion that could petrificus him indefinitely... but we don't. And if we created one, we'd have the same sort of gamble... what if it didn't hold forever? Would we risk a lot of people's lives for a chance that we could keep Percy prisoner for as long as we'd need to?

I guess the thing is... I wouldn't do anything to try to hurt Percy. And if I were with him (somewhere, wherever) and someone came and tried to hurt Percy, I'd do anything I could to try to stop it. We all would, yeah? But we can't figure out how to keep him safe from everything that might ever happen but isn't happening yet. Especially not when he doesn't want any help from any of us anyway. And would try to get us all arrested if he knew what we're all a part of.

I wish I had a better answer.

I know it's not the one you want.

[alt_ginny]

He wouldn't be the secret-keeper, though, so even if he had the secret, he COULDN'T bring MLE back in. He could tell them where it was, but they KNOW where 12GP is, and it doesn't matter, they still can't get in.

It just seems like everyone is giving up on him. Actually, it seemed like everyone gave up on him years ago. Did you at least warn him?