Private Message to Daphne Greengrass

[alt_ron]

Hey.

I've been thinking. About you and about Malfoy, and I know you're probably not doing too well tonight.

Just- well, I guess I don't know what to say, except I'm sorry.

And thinking about you.

Comments

[alt_daphne]

Thank you for telling me.

I feel like I won't really have an understanding of what I'm getting into until I'm actually into it. Which is more than a little daunting. What if I don't live up to everyone's expectations, whatever those expectations may be? Has anyone ever changed their mind and left the group? What would happen if someone did?

Ron. Your father didn't die because of this group, did he?

[alt_ron]

No, he died because of the Protector. Because he's made this country such a mess, where the people with power use it to keep their power and take freedom away from most everyone else. And scare the rest of us into not doing anything about it.

Dad didn't die because he was doing anything subversive. He died because he worked for the Ministry. Funny that. In a really unfunny way. You know he died when the IMA set off a bomb at the Ministry's holiday party, because the Protector was going to be there and they thought they could kill him and change the way things are. And Dad, I guess he jumped in to protect Mr Selwyn, just because he saw he was in danger and didn't think about himself at all. And that was so Dad. You know?

But the thing is, he worked at the Ministry. He was part of it. Part of what's wrong, but he was there trying to change it in any way he could. And he did some good things because he was in the right place to be able to do them. But he also did some things he couldn't stand having to do.

And it's going to be the same for me. Worse, probably. I mean, the Aurors? But, yeah. If I want to change things, go get in the middle of it, right? And learn all the spells and strategies they use to keep control. That's the idea, anywiz. But it could go pearshaped fast. Because that's the way things happen. No matter how much you plan them. Things happen you can't ever control.

Sorry. I didn't mean to say all that, but I'm not going to mark it out.

Has anyone ever changed their minds and left? Um, I don't know. I think a few people asked to be Obliviated after they heard a little and decided they didn't want to know about us. Oh, and actually. I think a long time ago there was a big misunderstanding where some people got the idea that one person who's still a member--a really important one now--where some people got the idea this person had betrayed the group. But it wasn't true. That's a hard thing, I guess. Trusting when there's so much at stake. It's what makes it so hard for us all to agree to tell anyone new or try to find new people to join us. It's a big risk.