A Discovery
Jul. 12th, 2009 08:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_arthurWell, it seems that my instincts were right. I followed up and requested that auror file I found in the personnel file of a mudblood boy, Dean Thomas, based at the Epping Forest camp. Took it home and spent yesterday afternoon perusing it and I've made a rather astounding discovery.
The auror file is a record of the investigation of the murder of a wizard, Louis Thomas, back in 1981. He's the boy's father, I believe. And that means that Dean Thomas isn't a mudblood at all. He's a half-blood.
I wonder why he was mistakenly classified with the animals? The only thing I can think of is that for some reason his widow wasn't aware that her husband was a wizard, which would be highly unusual, but I suppose it has happened before. At any rate, it is a terrible mistake and the boy doesn't belong at Epping Forest at all. He belongs, in fact, at Hogwarts.
The question now, of course, is what to do about him. He's twelve now, so he's missed his first year, but that shouldn't be a basis for keeping him out entirely. In fact, I think it's quite urgent that the deficit must be made up in his education. Perhaps some remedial tutoring can be arranged? His parchment work must be processed and reclassified, and I've also sent an owl round to the Hogwarts headmistress to discuss. I imagine that there will be quite a bit of publicity concerning the case, as the circumstances are quite dramatic in a human interest way: boy robbed of his true birthright by his father's murder, but the Ministry steps in to make things right, etcetera, etcetera. In fact, if the boy manages to make the transition successfully, I think it will be an interesting demonstration of the Ministry's truism that true blood will out, that the superiority of a wizarding heritage (even partially diluted, as in the case of a halfblood) will allow him to shine, once he is placed in the circumstances in which he truly belongs, as befitting his true blood status.
At any rate, I plan to go to Epping Forest this week to see the boy and to interview his mother, if I can track her down. And then we'll see about getting him admitted to Hogwarts.
The auror file is a record of the investigation of the murder of a wizard, Louis Thomas, back in 1981. He's the boy's father, I believe. And that means that Dean Thomas isn't a mudblood at all. He's a half-blood.
I wonder why he was mistakenly classified with the animals? The only thing I can think of is that for some reason his widow wasn't aware that her husband was a wizard, which would be highly unusual, but I suppose it has happened before. At any rate, it is a terrible mistake and the boy doesn't belong at Epping Forest at all. He belongs, in fact, at Hogwarts.
The question now, of course, is what to do about him. He's twelve now, so he's missed his first year, but that shouldn't be a basis for keeping him out entirely. In fact, I think it's quite urgent that the deficit must be made up in his education. Perhaps some remedial tutoring can be arranged? His parchment work must be processed and reclassified, and I've also sent an owl round to the Hogwarts headmistress to discuss. I imagine that there will be quite a bit of publicity concerning the case, as the circumstances are quite dramatic in a human interest way: boy robbed of his true birthright by his father's murder, but the Ministry steps in to make things right, etcetera, etcetera. In fact, if the boy manages to make the transition successfully, I think it will be an interesting demonstration of the Ministry's truism that true blood will out, that the superiority of a wizarding heritage (even partially diluted, as in the case of a halfblood) will allow him to shine, once he is placed in the circumstances in which he truly belongs, as befitting his true blood status.
At any rate, I plan to go to Epping Forest this week to see the boy and to interview his mother, if I can track her down. And then we'll see about getting him admitted to Hogwarts.
Order Only
Date: 2009-07-12 01:56 pm (UTC)Also: I flooed Nymphadora Tonks and arranged to meet her in a park near her flat yesterday. I was a bit hesitant, wondering whether she would chuck things at my head because of the position I've put her in. But she was just as eager to meet with me. It's evident that she's been badly shaken by the accusations and quite worried about what is going to happen to her. But her face brightened right up when I told her I'd found what I needed in the file she nicked for me, and it looks as though it would be enough to force a change in Dean's legal status. She heaved a sigh and said that it was all worth while then, which both pleased me and makes me privately hopeful that she won't disclose my role in the whole business.
I didn't want to offer her money outright, but I told her I'd press Internal Affairs to pay her at least a partial salary while she's on suspension. I think I have enough pull to accomplish that. If it drags on for very long, of course, I'm willing to do whatever I can to help her make ends meet.
She's a plucky girl, your cousin, Sirius. I like her, and I hope we haven't scuttled our chances of using her talents in the future. (Merlin knows the Ministry never will, given her half-blood status. Fools.)
Re: Order Only
Date: 2009-07-12 05:38 pm (UTC)and what's she being accused of? was she caught with anything incriminating? or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Re: Order Only
Date: 2009-07-12 11:12 pm (UTC)Re: Order Only
Date: 2009-07-13 02:42 am (UTC)Re: Order Only
Date: 2009-07-13 01:51 pm (UTC)and they're both doing just fine. she spent yesterday in bed, and is up and about today, and he's perfect.
Re: Order Only
Date: 2009-07-13 02:17 am (UTC)Re: Order Only
Date: 2009-07-13 02:19 am (UTC)Re: Order Only
Date: 2009-07-13 02:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 12:31 am (UTC)I saw this and I just couldn't believe it. Dean Thomas? Why, I worked with him, he was one of the Infirmary Rats! And he might be coming to Hogwarts? As a student?
I never would have believed something like that could ever happen.
He was real good to me, Hermione, and we got to be decent friends, the time we spent together.
Amazing.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 05:05 am (UTC)It is rather like a fairy tale, isn't it? Only, oh Terry, I wish that it was you, I truly do.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 02:49 pm (UTC)The thing is . . . I was thinking about this some last night. When he comes to Hogwarts (if he comes) he won't be the same at all, really. It'll be right scary for him, showing up and trying to make sense of everything when he's already a year behind. I bet he won't even dare talk to me, or maybe let on that he even knows me at all. He'll have to be real careful, a half-blood that everyone once thought was a
mudblmuggleborn. I know that the halfbloods all worry that they've got to prove that they're proper wizards and everything, and if they set a single foot out of line, they might get busted back to muggleborn status. And I suppose people will be watching him real close.I just hope-- I dunno. I just hope he won't feel he has to act like a berk to me and all. Just to show he's a proper half-blood and all. Cause I really liked him.
It'll be bad enough that he can study magic openly and we can't.
(Saw it was the full moon the other night, and I thought about your parents, and about you. Hope they got through it okay and all.)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 05:38 pm (UTC)I suppose he'll be better off than most of the halfbloods though, won't he? Because everyone will know it's absolutely proved that his da was a wizard, and no one will be able to deny it, and they won't be able to bust him back unless he does something really awful, there'd be an outcry. But they've got to do something, haven't they? Like give him tutors or something? I mean, we managed it last year, to keep up with the other students, but it took a long time, and we'd been taught to write at least, does Dean know how to read and write?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 06:52 pm (UTC)Dean can read, yeah. He's actually just as good at it as me and you. Guess his mum taught him. That's part of the reason he was an infirmary rat: they only take kids who can read and do at least simple sums, and who are smart enough to follow directions and can make good decisions. He's smart enough to make it at Hogwarts, I think. But yeah, he's going to need tutoring.
I never told him about our secret lessons but just that I used to help Madam Pomfrey, and now I think that's a really good thing. I'd hate to think he'd betray me, but we'll have to remember the position he's in, and not give him any cause to tattle on the
mudbl--muggleborns.But maybe he'll be okay. Anyway, that's for him to decide, I guess. I certainly won't do anything to get him into trouble, by acting too friendly-like.