Order ONlY Private Message to Mrs LongbottoM + Harry Potter

[alt_ron]

I got anotheR owl FRom AveRy.

Says 'Press your adVantage. I want to see you take PaTil out completely.'

That'S underlined about Five times.


He wants me tO kill her.

I doN't think he meaNs just knocking her oUt of the competN.

Comments

[alt_alice]

I see.

First of all, there is room for interpretation, although you'd risk angering him by not taking it as intended. Sending her to St Mungo's for a month or two would technically give him what he asked for.

I would not condone your actually killing her. We could make her disappear if it comes to that.

However, I believe that by appearing to kill her, you would either decisively launch yourself into the top tier of candidates, or fall into a rather nasty trap. Her parents are not overly influential, but should it come back to you in any way, I am not sure Avery would support you, or that the contest would protect you. Both outcomes are less than ideal.

What do you think?

(And please, Ron, if you can't process this properly right now, rest up first. I'm sorry for what happened.)

[alt_alice]

I would also continue to be very careful around Mr Thomas. He may be under a similar set of orders.

[alt_ron]

Well If he was suposed to KIll me he coUld'v done.

BuT yea

SeemS lIke everYthings goIng tO be mor intense now.

SA thinkS I should tell PatIl and get her to help me st uP somethIng wher I trY but faIl. I don't know.

[alt_alice]

That is a distinct possibility. She would owe you a rather large favour, which could possibly pay dividends in the future. A failed attempt would both put her in good showing, and would go along with our current strategy as I understand it.

There's always the risk that she'd tell someone you were attempting to circumvent the rules, but this is an extreme enough personal threat (and it would benefit her enough) that it may hold her tongue.

[alt_harry]

Maybe

Maybe if you brought me in too. So she knew I was a part of it, and I was okay with it, and would cover for both of you?

I think that if you attempt to kill her without telling her, or we make her disappear, that'll make things worse for everyone. I mean, they're going to get worse, but they'll get worse a lot faster. I don't want other people thinking that's a line that's okay to cross. Or at least hold it off for as long as we can.

I'd rather she knew she could come to me if she got something like that in the future.

[alt_ron]

Yeah

Obv I'm not goIng to TrY kIllIng her fr real

Hav tO thInk tho

I donT want tO tell PatIl Im thrOwIng the competN but mayB it wrkS yr waY.

[alt_harry]

We could always obliviate her or something if it doesn't work out?

Maybe we can have Hydra check her after you tell, to make sure she'll keep it a secret?

[alt_harry]

And we can play it not like you're throwing the competition, but that even though you want it, this is a line you don't want to cross. I think she'd see the value in that.

[alt_ron]

All right. I can think better now.

Look. I think you've hit on the thing. I've got to tell Patil, and tell her this is a line we're not going to cross or else we set up a signal to all the sponsors that it's time to just make this a gladiatorial fight to the death, right?

I need you to set up a meeting, though. Some place no one'll see us talking and at a time when no one'll miss any of us. Don't tell her what it's about. I mean, you could let her think it's about the contest, sure, but don't mention me at all. Because, y'know, Baddock's the one in charge of monitoring private messages now, so he's got to be looking for what we're saying about the contest. It'd be to his advantage to be doing that, anywiz, so I think we have to expect he is, even if he's not.

Anywiz. I'm going to tell her Avery got a scent of blood in the water after what happened to her at the party and decided she's vulnerable, so he's told me to eliminate her permanently. Which I'm not going to do. I mean, really, there aren't too many ways to knock someone completely out for the next two months, are there? Not with Matron able to heal almost everything over night. (More or less. Ouch.) And St Mungo's able to do more if more's needed. So, I mean, what really are the choices? I could Obliviate her completely and leave her drooling and needing toilet training all over again. Or I could do something that would, I don't know, completely destroy her eyes or her arms or something, but even that... I don't know how quickly they can get you fitted up with magical limbs and prosthingumy eyes, but she could be right back in it a week from now for all I know. So, really, dead is the only really permanent solution except for horrible mind-mangling curses or really Dark wasting curses that would put her on the curse ward forever.

And we don't want the contest to start on that sort of thing. I hope she doesn't want that either. I mean, think of what happened to her little brother, right? She can't really want-

So, yeah. Would you set up a meeting? For tomorrow if you can. You'll have to work it out with her timetable because I think she's taking EVERYTHING. I've just got Arts in the morning and Transfig after lunch.

[alt_ron]

And, yeah. If you're the one setting up the meeting, you could be the one to say that you're not going to let the contest cross that line. So we have to figure out a way around it.

[alt_harry]

Okay. Yeah. I can do that.

And no, I don't think she wants it. At least it's worth it to assume that she doesn't.

I'll set a meeting up, and let you know when and where it is.

[alt_alice]

So you're aware, I believed it necessary to inform Pansy, Draco, and Hydra of recent events, as it relates directly to their own personal safeties.

[alt_ron]

Sory. I know I was supposed to

I thought tellIng Harry-

I shouldv wrItten theM

Private Message to Ron

[alt_alice]

There's no need to apologise, Ron. Goodness knows, you've had quite a day of it. You did the right thing by telling me and Harry about things.

I know you wanted to keep things quiet. I just wanted to let you know I'd told, so you wouldn't be taken by surprise when other people knew about it.