I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Have you seen today's Prophet? We finally got it away from Mum and Dad and Percy. At least the part with Sporting news.

Anywiz, it's right there. A whole big story about Oliver Wood.

It's all about how he was the one good egg in a basket of rotten ones. And how all eyes will be on him to see how he represents right-thinking wizards in this country.

And it quotes Theodolphus Higgs--remember him?--saying he was a mate of Oliver's and Oliver was always saying that his family were queer and how he never felt he fit in at home. And how he hoped he'd get a Quidditch contract right away out of school so he wouldn't have to go back there.

Only the twins say that's bollocks. Higgs was never a mate of Oliver's.

Though, um, maybe Wood did say something about his family being odd.

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

I don't know if Oliver had a close mate, because when someone's your mate they might expect to be able to visit during the holidays, and Oliver couldn't chance it. Well, I suppose the summer I lived there he could have but he'd been a bit standoffish all those years by then, right? He didn't go visiting except for that quidditch game at the Burrow, not that I remember, anyway.

I think Jeremy has the paper. I'll see if I can find him to get a look.

[alt_ron]

Well, and anywiz, he cared more for Quidditch than for having mates.

But.

I mean, whoa.

I wonder if he'd have got his contract if this had all come out first. And. I mean, imagine if you're whole family got arrested, how that would feel.

[alt_sally_anne]

Okay, I talked Jeremy into giving me the paper and OF COURSE he wants to know what I knew and how much I knew and I told him I never saw anything the least bit improper (which is true) and so they must have hidden it all from me (which they did).

Anyway. I read the article.

It doesn't sound anything like Oliver. Not the least bit.

It sounds just like Ginny W., though.

[alt_ron]

What does Stretton think?

I mean, he and Wood know each other. Better than that Higgs does. I don't know what he thought he was about saying all that to a reporter. Jumping in on Wood now he's famous, innit?

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah, I don't know who Higgs thinks he's fooling.

1. He wasn't in Oliver's year.
2. Or in his House.
3. He's as thick as a brick wall. Higgs, I mean, not Oliver.
4. He's not particularly interested in Quidditch, which means Oliver wouldn't have given him the time of day.

I asked Jeremy what he thought. He said Oliver never said a word about his family. He didn't brag about them. He didn't complain about them. He just didn't talk about them at all. Jeremy knew Oliver had a mum and a dad and that was pretty much it.

[alt_ron]

D'you think that's right about Ginny, really?

I mean, sure, she's going through this thing right now, but

I don't know.

I mean, if you'd said it sounded like Percy, I'd say you were right. But Ginny's just moody. And wants clothes and wants to learn all sorts of beauty charms and whatever. You should have seen her before she left for her spa day thinger. And now we'll never hear about anything else, I'm sure.

[alt_sally_anne]

Mm.

Ginny's sort of one of Daphne's projects. So I've heard the gossip about her back in Slytherin. She loves to talk to anyone who'll listen about how she doesn't fit in, she doesn't belong, there isn't anyone else like her in the whole Weasley family. She definitely likes people thinking of her as the only good egg in the basket of bad ones, like they said about Oliver in the article.

[alt_ron]

Uh

That's not good.

[alt_sally_anne]

Maybe I'm being a little unfair.

But, she really wants everyone to know that she is DIFFERENT from the rest of you. And most of Slytherin thinks of your family as nothing but trouble. So... yeah.

[alt_sally_anne]

And you know, Percy doesn't exactly want the world to know how different he is from the rest of you. It's more that he wants (more than anything) for the rest of you to be more like HIM.

He wants it badly enough he'll force you, if that's what it takes, like that time he made you apologise to everyone.

[alt_sally_anne]

What does Percy think of the business with the Woods? He was Oliver's roommate. He'd have far more claim to be mates than Higgs ever would.

[alt_ron]

Percy was, well, like he always is. Didn't say much to anyone at breakfast, hogged the paper when Dad finished with it, and then stomped off to his room and shut the door.

He was definitely reading all the stuff about these arrests, though. It took forever for him to finish with it.

Private Message to Ron Weasley

[alt_pansy]

This is why I get ulcers.

Because I worry about stuff like this happening.

All of a sudden, without knowing they're after you, you get a knock on the door and people you love are in really really awful trouble and you're either in just as much trouble, or have to try and pretend that you didn't know, and really, what sort of option is that when all they need is a bit of Verisatum?

And we've been doing things. Things that could lead to knocks on doors.

And I'm worried that it's only going to get more dangerous if we aren't careful.

I don't want your mum and dad to get in trouble like the Woods, and sometimes

Re: Private Message to Ron Weasley

[alt_ron]

Yeah, okay. I know what you mean.

Mum and Dad are being odd again tonight. Only Bill's over, too.

And Mum cooked shepherd's pie, which, y'know, isn't posh or anything but it takes her forever to make it because she fusses over the crust and has to make the mash and then all the chopping and the meat and everything. But she only makes it when something's awful for Dad at work, y'know.

And then she pulled out the gooseberry fool.

I mean, yeah, Dad looked really peaky when he came through the Floo, and almost looked like he was going to say he just wanted to go up to bed. Except Bill was here, so he didn't.

And now they're off in the other room with the door spelled shut. Dad and Bill, I mean. Probably got a muffling charm on, too, but we haven't had a chance to check. Because Mum had another huge long list of things we have to do 'and I don't mean tomorrow!'

So something's definitely up. I just don't-

You don't think they knew something about all this back that other time Mum went all odd. But that was more than a week ago. I mean, that'd mean they could've known something about the Woods? Only that's mad, because if the Woods knew anything, surely they'd have all done a runner and not got caught.

Now you've got me jumping at nothing. Thanks, Pans.