Private Message to Daphne Greengrass

[alt_justin]

Daphne,

I'm so bally well sorry for what you're going through right now. I say, if there's anything I can do, please let me know.

I happened to see Sally-Anne yesterday. She mentioned you had loads of questions about some of the occurrences at school, which she was partly able to answer. I say, if you should want to talk, about the same things you and she talked about, we could continue to meet up and discuss them.

I don't know how much longer the journals will continue to be truly private, what, but there's Ron's and my flat, which is secure. There are other places where it's safe to talk, as well.

I shouldn't like you to think I've only approached you because of the connections between myself, Sally-Anne and others, however, or that it was only to ascertain your loyalties. The offer of friendship is jolly well sincere, and was so before these recent events, and will be so regardless of what happens when you've asked your questions. I quite enjoy your company and our conversation even when it's not about dashed serious considerations.

That said, it is true that there has been serious business going on all round us for many months and will continue to be rather a lot of well grim decisions ahead. I say, no one wanted to make you uncomfortable with information you'd rather not have, and no one was quite sure how to find out just how comfortable or not comfortable you might be with the involvement some of us have had in, shall we say, favourable outcomes in those incidents to which we were privy. But as it seems you've opened the door, what, then it's only decent to offer you the opportunity for proper answers, if you want to keep asking the questions. Sally-Anne's quite right that you've been on the fringes, if you follow me, for some time, and have proven sturdy and trustworthy all along.

It's bally well time you had something to show for your discretion, what.

-Justin

Comments

[alt_daphne]

Ron wrote to me as well but I couldn't tell if he was trying to say more than what he was saying, if you follow me. And I didn't want to betray Sally Anne so I didn't ask him anything, but if you're writing me now, then I suppose what I've guessed must be true and you're a part of the same group as Sally Anne, and so is Ron. I've been wondering who else is a part of it and so far I've come up with Pansy, because obviously, and probably Ron's brothers, the twins. And then I thought perhaps Harry and Hydra, as well. Those are the only ones I'm quite sure of.

What Sally Anne told me was enough for me to gather that you are all quite serious and much more far-reaching than the galleon group.

She said that I could be useful but I'm still not sure I believe it.

But then I really don't enjoy only half-knowing what's going on, so I suppose I must either decide that I want to know everything, or that I'd rather know nothing.

[alt_justin]

Daphne,

Like Sally-Anne, I can't divulge or confirm the names of anyone else without express permission, so for the moment you'll have to make your own conclusions, what.

But I can confirm that the group is more far-reaching than the Galleoneers, yes.

I do agree that you could be useful, if you wished to be. As far as I personally am concerned, however, that's your choice. But what's more important is that you choose to do so as a result of coming to embrace the sorts values we are trying to instill, what, which involve common decency and equality and freedom, and not putting ourselves at the mercy of tyrants, madmen or sadists.

The more people become convinced that things must change, that the sorts of things that happened to Fawcett, or Draco or Mr Malfoy, are gross injustices, what, the more likely we shall be able to bally well make a difference in the world.

-Justin

[alt_daphne]

Well, Ron's just confirmed. So now I know I was right about him.

You're speaking of decency and equality for everyone, then, regardless of blood purity?

My Father's a camp administrator, you know. Fradswell. It's mostly muggles and very few muggleborn. Quite a few are used for field labour, so he keeps them as healthy as he's able, with what he's allowed. His father was a famous playwright - Charles Slate - and Grandmother's second husband. Charles was struck by a... muggle vehicle, of some kind, and the muggles took them to their version of hospital, and because they didn't have magic, they couldn't save him. My father was only five when that happened, but I don't think he ever forgave the muggles for not being able to save Charles.

But then Grandmother likes to say that it was Charles own fault because he was a drunkard and liked to go on the raz at muggle pubs and pull muggle girls. He was drunk when the muggle vehicle hit him, you see.

And Grandmother's always been quite bohemian and she thinks the Protectorate is "boringly fascist" and so she stays in Brighton, where Father hopes she'll stay out of trouble. She lets me listen to muggle music and read muggle books and things when I visit, though. Oh! And she had an affair with a famous muggle actor, when she was younger. His name was Alec Guinness. I don't suppose you'll have heard of him.

I think I always wanted to be an actress because it seemed like the safest way to imagine that life was sweet for everyone. Because even in a play or a musical, if there's tragedy, at least there's meaning to it.

I don't know if any of that says anything about my values, or beliefs. But I'd like it if people could do what they wanted to be happy, so long as it didn't hurt anyone else. I think Sally Anne should be able to live with both of her parents and have a career in any of the number of things she excels at, for example.

And I think Draco should be able to love whoever he wants to, even if she's a muggleborn. I'd say that I think that muggleborns should be allowed to do magic, but.. well, only I'm a little afraid that they might try to hurt me if they could do magic. Because I'm pureblooded and they might think that I represent the people who enslave them...and I sort of do, seeing as my Father's a camp administrator. But that's probably silly. If someone like horrible Carrow is allowed to do magic, then anyone ought to be, honestly.

I don't understand why you mention what happened to Mr Malfoy. He's a councilwizard, isn't he? Don't tell me that both he AND Draco were a part of your group!

[alt_justin]

Well, in France, Muggleborns can use magic and they haven't attacked purebloods as a matter of course. I can see why one might worry that if they all suddenly were given wands, there might be retaliation, what, but on the whole I believe it would be better to teach them than to enslave them. Or to enslave Muggles, if you follow me. Had you read the Grim Truth about slavery? It was a jolly long time ago but I read back through them when I first got my journal. I say, England abolished the practice over a hundred years ago and then the Protectorate started all over again.

I've heard of Sir Alec Guinness, yes. He was in many films and I'd seen several before I came here. I say, I don't think it should be considered so distasteful to listen to Muggle music or learn how Muggles get along. We've loads to teach them but they've done loads of things over the centuries that are useful to us, too, what.

But...no, Mr Malfoy wasn't part of the organisation at all. What I meant about him was that, as it doesn't seem he'd done anything to harm the Protectorate, his imprisonment is likely someone else's frameup, what, and as much as he might deserve to be held accountable for his part in creating the Protectorate, it doesn't seem quite fair for the Lord Protector to lock him up when he's done nothing wrong. Just as it was dashed poor form for the Lord Protector to force or coerce all those wizards to duel in the Frost Faire, or for Madam Umbridge to send the whole Fleet family to their deaths because of one or two harmless complaints.

I'm sure you've seen at closer range than most that the Council aren't safe from the Lord Protector, that even they have to cope with the whims of whatever mood he might take at any given moment. If that's what's happened to Mr Malfoy, and it bally well seems as if it has, what, then regardless of one's opinion of him, what happened is an injustice.

-Justin