I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Hey, Perks. What are you writing Mrs Malfoy about? Are you having another meeting of that club thinger she started?

Or

You're not in some kind of trouble are you? I mean, everything's all right, isn't it?

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

I'm not in trouble, don't worry.

I wrote to her about Hydra. I know everyone thinks her mum made her do it but Mrs Malfoy will know for sure.

Also, even if her mum did make her do it I thought Mrs Malfoy should know. Because she's nicer to Hydra than her mum is. (I didn't say that in my message of course, I just said that I was worried something strange was going on.)

I suppose Professor Lestrange might have told her anyway but was he even AT breakfast that day? I couldn't remember when I thought about it later. Sometimes he has a lie-in. Do you suppose people are right about him and Professor Sinistra?

[alt_ron]

Oh.

Now that was queer, her getting up and saying that stuff. And then sitting back down like everyone wasn't looking at her like she'd grown another head.

But I can't believe you put your oar in like that. Really? D'you go to sleep and wake up Gryffindor?

What'd she say? Mrs Malfoy, I mean. She wasn't cross, was she?

Um, I dunno about Professor Sinistra. I mean, she doesn't really seem the sort. Towler thinks it's Professor Acton that's after him, but Kirke did say he saw Professor Lestrange going up the Astronomy tower one night while he was doing late rounds.

Wait.

Uh, you don't mean

I mean, Professor Sinistra's never at breakfast

or

ewww

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh don't be silly Ron. If I were a Gryffindor I'd have written to her MUM instead of her aunt!

I'm Hydra's housemate, it's perfectly appropriate for me to express concern about her to her family as long as I'm properly deferential, which I was. I think. Mrs Malfoy didn't seem cross. She knows I'm Pansy's friend and I'm in Sisters in Witchcraft so that also gives me a connection to her.

Considering Hydra's family she's precisely the sort of influential person I should be trying to do favours for anyway. Well, except that she's Hydra, her mum treats her like dirt, and I don't know if it would ever occur to her to use the influence she's GOT to accomplish anything anyway. But whatever. No one who matters will think less of me for trying to keep Hydra safe. Even Bellatrix Lestrange can't really complain considering I said about five times I just wanted to be SURE it WAS HER and not some awful person playing a mean joke.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh and Professor Acton is absolutely after Professor Lestrange but I don't think he likes her much, he keeps trying to put other people between them at meals and such. Although Cassandra is CONVINCED that he snogged her, I'm not sure why.

[alt_neville]

Wow. I sure must miss a lot, cause it never occurs to me to pay attention to stuff like that.

[alt_ron]

Well, and really, who wants to think about that sort of stuff.

I mean, it's just disgusting, innit?

[alt_neville]

Ha, whenever I say something like that to my Gran, she just looks down her nose at me all beedle-eyed and says, 'You'll understand the point someday, Neville.'

[alt_terry]

By the way, Nev, did you see that last post Master wrote?

I was, uh, wondering if you made anything of it.

[alt_neville]

I try to sort of avoid anything he writes. It keeps us both happier, I think.

Wait a minute. What's that word he uses? 'Caterwauling'? What's that mean?

[alt_terry]

It means, well.

It means making a really loud noise. Like a cat, you know, when they yowl when they're in heat or something.

[alt_neville]

Like a--

No.

He--

No.

[alt_gredforge]

Bloody hell.

Do you really think so, Professor?

[alt_lee]

It does sound like him if you ask me.

[alt_neville]

Yeah, but can he get into Gryffindor Tower though?

[alt_gredforge]

Dunno, but bet he can. WE can get into HIS office, after all.

[alt_terry]

And you'd stay out of it, too, if you weren't so mental.

Nev, I don't know for sure, but--maybe he could have arranged for a Gryffindor to bring him the cat? And then take it back? I realise it may sound mad, but...that's Master. He IS mad.

Anyway, I thought you should know. He has tortured and killed animals before. So I guess it's possible. I'm really sorry. But you might think twice about telling my guess to Evelyn; it's up to you.

[alt_neville]

Oh, urgh.

Yeah. Yeah, I guess it's best that you did say something. Dunno whether I'll tell Evelyn, though.

But I'll be keeping a close eye on her.

[alt_sally_anne]

I'm sure he has no trouble casting the Imperius curse. If he needed a Gryffindor to bring him the cat, he wouldn't have needed to recruit a volunteer.

[alt_ron]

You don't think he cast it on

Nev, d'you think Carrow might've done it on Evelyn? Made her bring him her cat?

Would she remember it if he did?

I mean

I guess he could've obliviated her after, too.

And that would be just--


well, it'd be worse.

[alt_neville]

I felt ever so sorry for her, after she said that. Been thinking about it all morning. I know people sneer at me because of who my parents were, but blimey, I don't envy her a bit, having Madam Lestrange as her mum.

[alt_neville]

Still, it was nice of you, to speak up to Mrs Malfoy for her. Hope it helps. People are scared of her, because of who her mum is, but she's not a bad kid. I've never heard her be so much as cross at anybody.

[alt_sally_anne]

No. She's, well, she comes out with some really strange things like when she asked Hermione if it was her mum or her dad who was a swine, because on top of everything else her mum's lied to her for her entire life about all sorts of things.

But she'd never do something cruel on purpose.

[alt_ron]

Really.

Having Mrs Lestrange for your mum would be the worst.

I mean, it's no wonder she keeps to herself so much. If her mum's going to get hacked off about every little thing she gets up to at school.

[alt_sally_anne]

About the only person I can think of that MIGHT be worse to have as a mum than Mrs Lestrange is Miss Professor Carrow.

[alt_ron]

Wait.

SHE has kids?!!!

[alt_sally_anne]

Not so far as I know! I'm just thinking if she DID she might be even worse to have as a mum than Bellatrix Lestrange!

[alt_terry]

No, she doesn't. Don't think she could if she wanted to. At least, she's never talked like she ever wanted any.

[alt_gredforge]

Snakes now, we could see, maybe, or lizards. Or those disgusting sorts of grubs you find when you turn over hollow logs.

But not kids. Merlin forbid.