I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good Private Message to Harry Marvolo

[alt_ron]

I made it back without Tamblyn catching me. Honestly, you'd think Umbridge was still around, the way that one goes on like it's a major crime to be out a few minutes past curfew. Whatever.

Maybe we can get together again tomorrow. I'm like you, I'm not going to get any smarter by looking at my notes any more. I know what I know, and, I mean, apart from Dark Arts, I figure I've been to all the lessons, I can pretty much do all the spells and techniques and all, and I know as much as I can remember of the textbook stuff. So... yeah.

That was a wizard game we made up. If we play it again, though, we should take penalties for hitting ourselves and give bonus points for beaning firsties or putting a ball through a ghost!

Comments

[alt_harry]

I bet we can set up hoops to shoot them through, like quidditch. Only we'd have to set them on something so they'd stay upright. Or we could stick circles to the wall and try and hit those. Like targets.

Ced and me used to

Or we could go flying, maybe. If it's not too late.

I could bring the picture tomorrow. The one with your uncles in it.

[alt_ron]

Say, y'know... writing that made me wonder if you'd rather we called you Harry Potter. I think the journals would know what we meant. (I guess if they didn't, you just wouldn't see the private message. Then we'd know.)

I guess that's got to be really hard, thinking about them so much, but never having really met them.

It's different about Dad, only there's so much I didn't know when he was alive. That's the thing, really. I wish-

I wish he'd told me about it, himself. And taken my oath.

It makes me jealous of the twins and Charlie. And Bill.

[alt_ron]

We could charm circles on the walls, yeah.

And flying would be brill. If it doesn't chuck down rain tomorrow.

Or maybe even if it does.


And, yeah. I'd like to see that picture. Have you shown it to Nev? I mean, not that you have to, but I bet he'd be glad to see what they all looked like back then, too. I guess the thing about the Prewetts is that Mum changed her whole life and ours when they got killed. That's what made my parents decide to join.

[alt_harry]

Yeah.

I'd like that.

If it's on the Lock.

Ever since I found out I had a cousin, it's like I haven't been a Marvolo any more. Not in my head anyways.

[alt_harry]

And I can see that.

About your dad.

But you know he would've told you. So that's something, I guess.

And like you said, you'll get to read about what he did. And, I mean, he was really important. So I'm sure he wrote a lot.

[alt_ron]

Oh, yeah. Your cousin.

What have you found out about him?

[alt_ron]

Well. He would have someday. Only, the thing is, I kept asking him questions and he didn't tell.

I just wish he'd trusted me. You know?

[alt_harry]

He's staying with the Longbottoms and Terry.

My aunt taught him how to write, but he was taken away from her when he was really young, so he doesn't have good handwriting, and spells a lot of things funny. But he seems to like it where he is. Which is good. He likes fishing. And girls. I mean, he talks a lot about them.

Before I knew he was alive, I'd never really thought before about what it meant, that my mum came from a Muggle family. That I came from a Muggle family, you know?

I really want to meet him.

[alt_ron]

Sorry. I don't mean to whinge about it.

Do you have any of your dad's things? I mean, besides the cloak, which is wicked, but I was thinking more about stuff he might have written down. Or have some of them told you things about him that show you what he was really like?

[alt_harry]

I did, yeah. Evs saw it too.

I think it's different for them, though. Joining the Order I mean. Because both their parents are still around. Even if they haven't been able to see them a lot.

I didn't know about your uncles until I read what Sally-Anne wrote about the meeting. You know. Over hols.

[alt_ron]

So you've got an aunt, too, then. Your mum's sister?

Or you did. I mean, I guess if they took her kid away, then who knows what they did with her.

Sorry. That's harsh to say.

But it's pretty much what happens, innit?

[alt_harry]

You're not. Whinging.

Honest.

Sirius Black talks about him a lot. Dad, I mean. They were friends in school. So it's mostly all the trouble they used to get into, and all the fun they used to have, and how my dad took him in when Sirius was kicked out of his house, and how they were all in the Order together right after they left school.

Mr Snape went to school with him too, but he didn't really like him all that much. But he was best friends with my mum when they were younger, so he's told me more about her.

I don't really have anything else of theirs.

I might have their house. Or where their old house used to be. I don't know. And I can't ask anyone, really.

[alt_harry]

Yeah. I asked Mrs Longbottom about it on the day I went to Grimmauld and she said they were looking for her, but they didn't know if she was still alive or not.

[alt_harry]

Yeah.

[alt_ron]

Well. I guess that's one thing they're pretty good at. Getting information about the camps. Or they were when my dad was working, because he could look into the files. Still, if they've gone on saving muggleborns out of the camps, then they must still have someone in the Ministry who can get that information for them.

It's that sort of thing that makes me think about what sort of job would be best for me to try to get.

I mean, assuming I don't fail all my OWLs. Which I'm not going to do. I don't know why people say that all the time. Well, I do. Nevermind. It's just that until we've taken them we don't know for sure that we'll do all right.

I wish it were just over, already!

[alt_harry]

Yeah. You can say that again.

[alt_ron]

It's something that Sirius Black is your godfather. I mean, really.

But it's maybe-

It's just stories.

D'you think we'll look back and think this was all loads of fun? I mean, sure, there's some stuff that's been dead wizard. But most of it...

I dunno.

And I think sometimes when grownups go on and on about when they were at school, it's sort of pathetic, really. As if nothing after school is as interesting or fun. Which, I mean, if being out of school is rougher than basilisks and epidemics and dementors and completely mad people trying to murder us and people turning people in for doing nothing, and evil bints like Umbridge punishing everyone and trying to starve us...

Ugh.

Do you ever think about leaving? I mean, seeing if there's a way to get out over one of the borders and going to live someplace that's not like this? Yeah. I don't really think about it much. But... we thought maybe the Order was going to be able to get Sally Anne's mother out of the Protectorate, and that got me thinking. About why more of us don't go. I mean, if it's possible.

But I do actually know.

I don't want to leave. I want to fix it.

[alt_ron]

I bet you get to meet him this summer.

That will be really amazing. I mean, that the Order have him and are keeping him safe, and-

How old is he? Is he old enough to be working with them or is he just a kid?

[alt_harry]

He's our age. So I think he's still taking classes and things. Like he says he takes classes on history, and he takes astronomy, and he says he's no good at maths, only I don't know what that is. Maybe it's like arithmancy?

But yeah, that would be really brilliant.

[alt_ron]

Well, and not just Sirius Black. Snape, too.

You've got all the really famous criminals as, what, sort of like your uncles or something.

And it's like- you know, the Order could use that to recruit people. Join us! We've got all the most famous traitors on our side. Think about it: Dumbledore, the Longbottoms, Mr Snape, and Sirius Black. Oh, and that Rudy bloke, who won't even let them say his name. I bet he's somebody with loads of Aurors looking for him.

[alt_harry]

I can't go. Now that I know what I have to do.

And even if I could, I wouldn't.

A while back Hermione told me she could leave if she wanted, and I didn't get why she didn't leave. But now I do. She's really brave, you know?

But yeah. I think it was a lot easier for them when they were in school. And sometimes Sirius doesn't really understand what it's like. And he makes it seem so easy in his Truths to do the right thing, but it's not.

[alt_harry]

It's funny, because they're just people. Just like how Mrs Longbottom is so normal. It's weird. I mean, I know Mrs Longbottom's a former Auror, but she doesn't seem like one. She seems more like your mum.

[alt_ron]

Yeah. I know.

And she is. Hermione really is.

I think he's sort of brilliant, really, Sirius Black, but yeah. I guess writing stuff like that that's meant to make people think and change their minds about everything... that can't be easy. I mean, what do you say, actually? And maybe It's like you trying to get everyone to revise and not panic about exams, or when you were calling Umbridge out on what she was doing to halfbloods... I mean, there are things you can say or do that other people couldn't, and for some of them, maybe it's not easy to do what you're saying?

[alt_ron]

Heh.

Only less shouty when she gets cross.

[alt_harry]

Yeah.

It sounds sort of like

I know you don't get on, but Draco says that sort of thing sometimes too. About having power, and being able to do things other people can't, and taking responsibility for it. Because for a while I didn't want it.

But I guess I figured if I've got it, I might as well do something good with it.