I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_justin]

Hullo, all.

I say, the news this morning has been well dire, hasn't it? Well, as Pansy said, everyone's been trying to gather up as much information about it all as possible.

And Neville, I hope you'll accept my sympathies, as well. I didn't know any of you last year, of course, but I can bally well understand how you all must feel today.

But listen, I've got to tell you all - after the YPL presentation yesterday, I don't think any of you noticed but Mr Helpmann spoke to me. He'd been the one organising my visit back at the Quidditch World Cup. At first I thought he simply wanted to say hello, what, but it became clear that Mr Rosier's been talking to him about my letter. He was clearly trying to get me to say something then and there. Which I say, I thought that was bally well cheeky, what, given all the DogStar business Friday!

Well, of course I put him off as politely as I could do, but it just happened at that moment that Professor Froissart saw us talking. He asked to speak to me and led me away from all the others.

Once we were alone, he demanded to know whether I'd been talking to the Ministry on my own. I said that they approached me, which was the complete truth, what, and then he got very upset. Luckily he was speaking French so I don't think many people would have understood him but--he said I couldn't possibly think of staying, that the patriotic thing to do would be to return to France and explain how badly we need to change things there, instead.

I told him I hadn't made a decision and that if anything, this weekend's news was something to consider seriously. He reminded me that we're leaving in three weeks but he asked me to come and see him on Monday so he could explain why I need to go back with him.

I rather got the impression he thought he'd be blamed for it, if I stay.

But I hadn't even thought that we really shall be leaving in three weeks, if I leave. If Mr Rosier's going to respond and everything's to work out, he'll have to move quickly, what?

I say, I really do mean that this weekend's events give one pause. I'm well certain these DogStar chaps aren't our wand smugglers but...do any of you suppose the smugglers will rethink what they're doing because of the DogStar being routed?

-Justin

Comments

Re: Private message to Justin Finch-Fletchley and Amycus Carrow

[alt_terry]

i remember once when I told Fred and George i didn't see how they could be friends with me. because they're gryffindors, and i have to play crawling boot so often, just to stay alive. i didn't trust that they wanted anything to do with me, see, because i didn't believe that anyone would want anything to do with me. And you know what they told me?

they said that being brave had nothing to do with whether or not you were scared. it has to do with what you're willing to do in spite of being scared. so I guess that means you are brave.

would you join the wand smugglers if you had the chance? (i mean, assuming that they're not like Dogstar, and they don't go around murdering people.)

I would. if they're like what i hope they are. just working to make people like hermione and me, and yes, you, free and equal.

would you join them even if it meant you could never see hydra again? because you know it might come to that someday. we're all going to have to make choices, and some of them may be really hard. choosing between people we care about, and doing what we need to do.

that's maybe what neville's parents did.

Re: Private message to Justin Finch-Fletchley and Amycus Carrow

[alt_justin]

Yes, I would do, in a moment, even if it meant never seeing her or that she might never forgive me doing so.

I....

One of the things I'm most concerned about is what'll happen when Hydra learns that I knew Black, that this lock exists and we've all been talking about all of these things. And that I couldn't trust her with it all.

I don't think she agrees with the Protectorate, not anymore. But her parents, her uncles and aunts, nearly everyone she cares about has played a role in perpetuating this madness. It's rather a lot to turn against, what?

My only hope is that she'll see why I couldn't share everyone else's secrets without everyone's consent. She's even-tempered in that way, at least. Still, I'm well prepared for her to grow cross. I'm afraid she might decide to be done with me for good and all, though.

Well. That day's a while off, I think.

-Justin

Re: Private message to Justin Finch-Fletchley and Amycus Carrow

[alt_terry]

i don't really know what it would be like to have to turn against your whole family, because i can't remember mine, you see. the closest i can get to imagining it would be to think of what it would be like if i could never talk to or be with my friends again.

that would be awful. it might be more than i could bear.

you would have to really believe in what you were doing, in order to make a sacrifice like that. and i suppose you would have to trust that you could make new friends who believed the same way you do. or in her case, a new family.