Order Only Private Message to Mum and Mrs Longbottom

[alt_ron]

I can't think of any good way to tell you this, so I'm just going to say it. I mean, it's not as if I had any idea it was coming, and then this morning there it was. And anywiz, you've probably already been reading things, maybe even what we've all been saying in Hydra's journal, which... I mean, if you have, then you already know...

Um. Yeah. So I got one of the owls this morning. From Julius Avery, who was Head Boy after Percy. And his father's on the Council and has been a Death Eater all the way back- yeah, I guess you'd know that.

Anywiz, that's it, really. I got one of the owls. And a pin with a little Ouroboros on it. I'm going to have Professor Dumbledore check that for, well, for whatever spells might be on it. And I'm meeting with him tonight to talk about whether I've got any hope of getting good enough with Occlumency that I'd stand any chance if I made it through this and got chosen, and I'm going to tell him I want to go ahead and try the Animagus transformation, which- it's worth trying, yeah?

I don't mean I'm going to try to get selected. I'm not, Mum. Really. I promise.

But you don't know what could happen in a competition like this. I mean, there are 21 of us, supposedly. And supposedly 7 are going to be chosen. So everyone will be strategising, and a lot of them may turn against one another. Most of them are Slytherins, so it's hard to guess, but they're likely to have alliances, but also be looking to undermine each other. Because there are loads more of them than can make the cut. And, on the one hand, you'd expect all of them to try to take the Gryffindors off the board right away, but on the other hand, they might think we could wait. Either because they've got us sewn up in alliances some of them control--like Finnigan: he'll be in thick with Patil and Zabini, and Malfoy's expecting me to fall in with him, which I'm going to do. Only that means they may not think they have to do anything about us at the start because we'll be sitting ducks whenever they've got clear shots, y'know, and what they really need to worry about is the other Slytherins.

Anywiz. Yeah. I promise I wasn't looking for this to happen. I mean, it probably totally mucks up my chances with the Aurors. If I fail at this, I mean.

If I don't, then- yeah. I don't even know what would happen then.

Comments

[alt_alice]

Thank you for keeping us informed, Ron.

Although I have no doubt that the Aurors will be keeping an eye on your performance, not all Aurors are marked. I believe you still would have a chance.

It's worth it to pursue Animagus training regardless.

Private Message to Ron

[alt_alice]

As with the Auror programme, just because something is possible and potentially useful doesn't make it the best choice, or the only one.

You've told Molly you'll try not to be selected, but I can see how sorting through all contingencies would be important, and you very well might end up in a position where you would either have to decide to proceed and risk success, or sabotage your own chances. I would have you consider this future carefully. I'm glad you're talking to Albus about it.

Also, regardless of what your personal wishes, you cannot go before Voldemort and be judged by him unless you can be absolutely positive that you can completely close your mind to him.

Private message to Ron

[alt_molly]

I've had to let several hours go by before picking up my quill.

First of all, thank you for telling me yourself.

I'm sure you thought I was going to throw a wobbly, didn't you? Or send you a Howler. Or worse, send Voldemort a Howler. Well, I'm truly tempted, but I know I don't have the luxury of such emotional indulgence. At any rate, if I do want to vent, I won't burden you with it, I promise.

I know you're a true Gryffindor, Ron, someone who is brave enough to face the consequences, whatever happens. Even if you try to finesse things so that you don't end up in the top tier, you're right; you never know what might happen in the cut and thrust of the competition. You may end up facing the horrible 'prize,' despite your very best efforts. Well, we will face that somehow if it comes to it. I hope it won't.

As your mother, I must admit my selfish wish is that you try to find a way to bow out and escape this danger as soon as possible. But I realise that you can't. What's more, you're evaluating this as a full member of the Order, and so you have to think over what you should do from every possible angle: not only in terms of what help you might be to the Order, but what it might mean for your future career. I think your chess know-how will be a huge advantage, if you're thinking about strategy and alliances. After all, you did have the very best teacher in your father.

I'm not going to try to advise you. I'm too emotionally close, and that might hurt you, so I will leave that to others in the Order with the expertise to help you carefully evaluate what you should do. That could be Alice, Albus, Minerva, your brothers, your own friends, or anyone else in the Order you trust to look at the necessary decisions critically and carefully and really think them through. (Admit it: thinking things through with careful detachment isn't exactly known as my specialty, is it?) I'll put my trust in them to advise you well.

I do need some guidance from you on one point: do you want me to make a show of publicly wishing for your success and cheering you on? (Or maybe not even publicly: if I write some private messages to you, for example, perhaps they might be monitored, if you're understood to be vying for Lord Voldemort's favour.) I am not sure whether Percy, for one, would swallow a great show of Protectorate fervour from me. What do you think would be best?

Is there anything else that you need from me, dear?

And lastly, I know that it was actually an honour to be chosen for this. Whatever happens, whatever you decide, know that I love you, dear. Always.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Thanks, Mum.

That helps.

Re: Private Message to Ron

[alt_ron]

I know.

Professor Dumbledore and I talked tonight. I'm going to really try with the animagus transformation. But I'm also going to be careful. About all of it.