Order Only: Nick Towler

[alt_arthur]

Bill and I met for dinner and raised a private pint for Emmeline and Benjy. Then, since I had yet more reports to plow through before tomorrow's 8:00 am meeting, I came back in to work for another hour or two.

And that's when I received the worst news of the day. I might as well tell you now, because the Prophet will be trumpeting it tomorrow. There have been more reprisals.

But...how I came to find out--that is worth sharing, as well.

Bill and I have talked, often, about knowing when The Moment comes, when you're cultivating possible collaborators. You have to identify someone right when they're at that tipping point, when their gorge finally rises at the Protectorate's cruelty or lies, and what you say at that crucial instant can make or break any chance that they'll ever throw their lot in with you at all. Sirius' Grim Truth posts are meant to lay the groundwork. Bill's very good at this; he's pulled in a large proportion of our forging and analyst network by patiently observing people's subtle facial expressions at water cooler conversations. He knows exactly who to hit up for a pint in the pub after work and he'll offer endless seemingly casual conversations for months. Waiting for that golden moment.

The way I think of it, all the lessons I gave him in chess and angling are finally paying off.

I'm a bit less skilled at it than Bill is, I think. I waited too long to speak with Norma Brownmiller, to my infinite regret. I do think I could have saved her if I had been more proactive and recruited her for the Order. Which is partly why I rue her death so bitterly.

But tonight, I had a piece of great good luck and I think I caught the Moment with Nick Towler.

I found him ducked into a small office when I went in there to check a cabinet. Not his own office, which was my first clue. He was bent over a report, and he turned his head away from me as I drew near, trying to be subtle about it. I suddenly had a suspicion he was doing it to keep me from seeing how red his eyes were.

'What is it, Nick?'

Wordlessly, he shoved a report over for me to read and covered his face with his hands. After reading the first paragraph, I collapsed into the chair across from him.

The report in dry, bureaucratic euphemisms blandly chronicled how today the entire population of the camps between Sixmilebridge and Bunratty were all removed, by Selwyn's and Malfoy's orders, to the ruins of the Shannon Airport, where they and it were simultaneously sunk into the Irish Sea. Over four thousand men, women and children died.

'Revenge,' he whispered. 'For that bomb that was defused at the school in Sixmilebridge.'

I sat there in absolute shock and then looked up at Nick, aghast.

'How can you do it?' he said, his voice shaking. 'How can you work for them?' He shook his head. 'Listen to me. I'm part of it, too.'

I looked at him and realised it; he had arrived at The Moment, and I might never have a better chance. I made a split second decision. 'Actually, I don't work for them.'

He stared at me, confused.

'Nick, do you know why you were hired?'

His eyes widened and he shook his head.

'You were hand-picked to be my assistant.' I smiled. 'By my sons. Ron, George, Fred and Bill Weasley.'

'They picked me?'

I nodded and pulled out my wand. 'If you want to know the rest, I'll tell you, but I'll offer you the chance to be obliviated afterward. All right? Or you can go away now and we'll say no more about it.'

He licked his lips, and to his credit, thought about it for almost a minute. Finally, he whispered, 'Tell me.'

I cast a Muffliato charm.

I did.

I did not obliviate him afterwards.

I had picked the right moment.

Comments

[alt_nymphadora]

Horrible about those people they drowned. They can't all have been the ones fighting. And I'm sure The Prophet-

What I wish is that we could tell the truth about it publicly--that Selwyn and Malfoy ordered it--that there were innocent people and children in the group--how many of them there were. I don't know whether Sirius will think it's right for a Grim Truth. Because that might just give them a reason to kill another thousand. But I wish my cousins, Hydra and Draco would read that it was on Malfoy's and Selwyn's orders these things were done. They need to know.

I mean, look what knowing it's done to Nick Towler? I'm glad he's going to be joining us.

That's a good thing to come out of your not being able to be here. You were missed, though. It was simple, but a very nice way of paying respects. If I go, I think I'd like to be brought here after.

[alt_macnair]

But then Towler's not related to Selwyn and Malfoy. I remember the lad from my days at Hogwarts. He's a good sort.

I was in Azkaban by the time Bella's girl got to school, but I'd seen her before. Quiet thing. My type of kid. Only had Malfoy's boy for the one year, but he seemed a smaller version of the Father. They'll be more grown up by now, though, and if Harry's keeping Draco as close to him now as he was then, who's to say what he thinks, or what he knows.

Thing is, even if it was on Selwyn and Malfoy's orders, it was still all in the name of his highness. Not trying to lessen their share of the blame, just saying that I did a thing or two in his name that I wish I could take back. Because when it's you out there. Well, nobody wants to hear about that.

Just that it's easy to believe that they're all sadists, but they're not. A few of them are, to be sure - your Aunt, Barty, maybe even Malfoy. Less sure about Selwyn. But it'd be a mistake to say that they're all in it for the fun and games. A bright and shining cause, paired with the right provocation, can transform an easy man into a fanatic.

Saw it in Dogstar, too. And IMA.

[alt_alice]

I truly hope and pray that our voices of reason -- people like Poppy, Pomona, and Remus, who are unafraid to directly address decisions we've made that've compromised our principles too much -- will keep doing so, in an effort to keep us from going down that path too far ourselves.

I'd put you in that category too, Mac.

I'll be up later today to lend a hand.

[alt_macnair]

Tricky thing, though. Fanatics get things done, even if then end up making a meal of it. The rest of us move more slowly.

I don't know if you're wise to put me in that category. Part of me still longs for a cause, even if the other part is wary of them.

[alt_alice]

I think we all long for a cause. Otherwise we wouldn't be a part of this, would we?

We need some wariness sometimes, I think.

And you're right. They do get things done a great deal more quickly, but what they end up with is more often than not a terrible reflection of what was intended.

I worry sometimes that ordinary people will have changed too much. That this now is their normal state of being, and they think it perfectly natural. It took such a frighteningly short amount of time for people to accept that it was normal to own slaves, to torture and abuse them. It makes me wonder. I suppose the way we'd thought of and treated Muggles before then wasn't so far a leap, but I fear it'll be that much harder to turn us back.

[alt_macnair]

They have changed, make no mistake of it. The fact that there are still young people joining in gives some encouragement, but I reckon most are too scared to show their doubts, if they have them. Or they're too focused on getting food into their mouths and scrabbling together a few knuts.

That's where I have my doubts about Black's Grim Truths. (Don't take it hard, Sirius. You know I've come at you for them before.) They challenge people's thinking and encourage them to seek out their compassion, but don't give them the same sort of cause to cling to that someone like Dogstar does. And even if I'm wary of causes, having one might draw more people to us, if they knew where to go. Can't see how we can go on just feeding folks and giving little magic lessons here and there.

Too bad we don't we don't have what Dogstar did: a legilimens who could go out and cull the crowds, searching out the questioning souls.

[alt_alice]

Yes.

Although Severus

Yes, I see your point. I wonder if we might work on that some more, perhaps after dinner tonight. If you'd be up for it. Thinking through a cause people can get behind. Or a way for them to get behind ours.

[alt_macnair]

Right, there is him. Hadn't forgotten.

After dinner sounds fine.

[alt_sirius]

No, it's true: All my columns have ever done is plant the seed. I've never claimed that my preaching is all people require to actually do anything.

Have to admit I was more alive robbing that train and sneaking in and out of Manchester than writing ten of those have made me feel - but we can't go about pulling stunts like that every day, either.

Beth's group are fairly active, to say nothing of careful about culling the ranks of those they meet. I think we're approaching the point where they'll understand the value in spreading their nets.