Order Only: Percy

[alt_arthur]

Bill and I have gone into work. Reluctantly, but we feel we have no choice. It'll give us both a chance to quietly check our incineration spells at the office in case all is lost. We can thank Archer for teaching us that.

This is an extremely painful entry to write. Molly and I weren't willing to even think it, but Bill raised the point at 3:00 in the morning, and he's absolutely right, it has to be said.

We don't feel it's safe to bring Percy to Moddey Dhoo. He's angling for a summer internship in Lucius Malfoy's office, of all places! The paper came this morning, with that foul collection of lies about Sirius, and Percy said...well, never mind what he said. But it raised the danger of bringing him into the heart of our operations in stark relief.

What can we do? The boy is perfectly capable of apparating, after all.

Comments

[alt_kingsley]

Oh, Arthur. That's really hard, my friend.

I wonder if the people with Sherwood have any capability of holding him securely. I can check with Turner and Davidson.

[alt_molly]

Arthur? We've just had another complication.

I just had a Floo call from the Brown family, the ones who are Luna's foster family. They're sending Luna over here for the day. It seems that Lavender Brown is having a birthday party, and she doesn't want half-blood riff raff like Luna around to interfere with the festivities! 'I'm afraid Luna will feel rather in the way,' is the way Mrs Brown put it, the spiteful cat!

Well, of course I said we'd be delighted to have her come here and spend the day with Ginny. But oh, Arthur...what happens if the clock changes while she's here?!

[alt_arthur]

We'll take her with us. Well, if Arabella, Frank and Alice allow it, and I think on our recommendation they would. The girl hasn't any family but us.

[alt_molly]

She could never go back to Hogwarts. She'd be branded a blood traitor at the age of twelve!

[alt_arthur]

We'll all be blood traitors together, Molly. If she goes back to Hogwarts, she'll always be suspect because our involvement with her would be known.

[alt_arthur]

Better she's raised happy and free at Moddey Dhoo, with us.

[alt_molly]

This still doesn't tell us what on earth we should do about Percy.

[alt_frank]

we'd have a place for her too no mistake.

[alt_frank]

that's a tough one, man.

hard as it is, I think if it comes time for you to go, you lay your cards on the table right then and there, and you give him the choice -- and make it a final one.

if he chooses to stay, he can plead ignorance and separate himself from you best as he can, and a quick verisatum will clear him right off. and if he chooses to go with you, it'll be of his own free will.

[alt_frank]

and if our cover is blown to shit, it won't matter if you tell him any road.

[alt_lupin]

It's for you and Molly to decide, of course, if and when the time comes, which I sincerely hope it won't, but for what it's worth, if it were me, I'd stun him, take his wand, bring him to Moddey Dhoo by force, and keep him locked up somewhere until he sees sense.

The risk he poses in the hands of the Ministry is surely greater than the risk he poses when he's within our control.

[alt_frank]

that's another way to go about it, for sure.

we can always add some anti-Apparation wards around here if need be.

[alt_poppy]

Well. That would certainly impress him with our noble intentions!

I'm afraid I'm a voice on the opposite side. I see Frank's point (and, Remus, I do see the hope in yours, though I can't think it would succeed), but I'm afraid my advice would be to send the boy on an errand and be gone when he returns. Leave him a note with your love, by all means, but do not give him an opportunity to stun you, or to take hold of someone's sleeve and follow along, or to seize one of the younger ones and hold her hostage to turn you all in.


I hate suggesting that he could think of, let alone do, any of those things, but I think it best to avoid the situation all together.

[alt_lupin]

The aim isn't to impress him, Poppy. It's to save his life. Do you honestly think that, upon learning that Percy's entire family were involved in all this terribly wickedness and have disappeared, Bellatrix will take his word that he wasn't involved, and invite him round for a nice cup of tea so they can sympathise with one another about how terribly hard it is having rogues in the family?

He'd likely be sent to Azkaban, if not worse. At best they'd use him as bait to try and lure Molly and Arthur, or worse the other children, into a rescue attempt.

It's not just about trying to keep a family together - it's about saving us all from the risk his being captured would expose us to. Keeping him locked up is far from ideal, but I wager he'd rather be locked up by us than by the Ministry.

Sorry Arthur, Molly.

[alt_frank]

point taken.

I was thinking about how mum distanced herself from me and al when we pulled a runner -- adopted the kids, disowned me, made some statements to the paper, all that, and back then, that was enough.

but they're out for blood today, and if it does come down on our heads, he might be used a pawn if he's left behind. different rules.

[alt_arthur]

Don't apologise, Remus, it's best to be brutally honest so we can think this out as carefully as possible. If it all goes to hell, we'll only have one chance to get it right.

[alt_poppy]

Of course, I see your point, Remus. But I still don't believe we can afford to risk the lives of all the children in the Sanctuary for the life of one fully grown boy, who however well we might guard him might one day escape us and invite the MLE through Moddey Dhoo's protections.

If Kingsley is able to gain assurances from Davidson that they could hold him--permanently if necessary--that's a different matter. Or if it were only our lives at risk.

But I hear in Arthur's statements his knowledge that this boy cannot be trusted, and I must say that I've seen many indications of that myself.


I'm every bit as sorry as you are. Truly.

[alt_kingsley]

I'm afraid Remus is right. If you're all exposed, the fact that he's been trying to get an internship in Malfoy's office might even be considered as a strike against him. I could see Bellatrix Lestrange arguing that he was trying to be a spy, too.

Bloody hell, there aren't any good choices here.

(Any change in the clock, Molly?)

[alt_molly]

No change at all.

It's my only crumb of comfort.