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alt_lupin at 01:56pm on 03/04/2012
alt_lupin at 01:56pm on 03/04/2012Sirius and I met with Fred and George in the early afternoon.
My first question was how they were planning to go about keeping the Order secret. I don't doubt their willingness and their good intentions, but it's quite a bit harder to keep a secret from your friends than from your enemies. Were they willing to lie, if it came down to a direct question? To Ron, to Lee Jordan, to any of the others that got too close to the truth?
They said they'd lie if they had to. They clearly preferred misdirection, which is fine; that's often more effective than a direct lie, anyway. Mostly, I wanted them to think it through before they got put on the spot. Especially given that they'll need to be telling the SAME lie, if it comes up.
They also said they'd talk to Molly and Arthur about it -- after all, Molly and Arthur have kept this from their children for years, and will probably never be able to tell Percy.
That reminds me, I also asked them if they think there's any chance of Percy making the same deduction they did. They didn't think so; they're privy to information that Percy isn't, first of all, but Percy also tends to ignore the things that don't fit into his world-view. They also seized the opportunity to point out they'll be in a good position to misdirect Percy, if he gets close to the truth. And they have a point. Even if Percy comes to suspect his parents, the idea that his younger brothers might be in on it would probably not occur to him.
Sirius wanted to know what they've got to offer. They showed us some gadgets they've cooked up -- there's one for eavesdropping that they call 'extendible ears' that have endless possibilities for mischief, I have to say.
They understand that they're not going to get to do anything particularly exciting for a good long while. They used the words 'foot soldiers' but really, that suggests people who are sent out to fight. They're still in training. And we discussed that, too, at some length -- their schooling. I told them that the Order needs useful members, and that school is an excellent opportunity to equip themselves with useful skills. I told them I want them to use that opportunity, and not waste it. They seemed to pay attention. We'll see.
I told them that if they have the opportunity to learn the Patronus Charm, to seize it, but one of us could tutor them on it this summer.
And then there's occlumency. I wish it were an easier skill to learn. I'd sleep better at night if we could arrange to have each and every member of the Junior Auxiliary tutored in it -- but if Severus can teach Fred and George, perhaps we can provide them with a plausible cover story (to explain how they learned) and have them teach their friends. Although unless you work with a legilimens, it's hard to know if you're actually succeeding or not.
My first question was how they were planning to go about keeping the Order secret. I don't doubt their willingness and their good intentions, but it's quite a bit harder to keep a secret from your friends than from your enemies. Were they willing to lie, if it came down to a direct question? To Ron, to Lee Jordan, to any of the others that got too close to the truth?
They said they'd lie if they had to. They clearly preferred misdirection, which is fine; that's often more effective than a direct lie, anyway. Mostly, I wanted them to think it through before they got put on the spot. Especially given that they'll need to be telling the SAME lie, if it comes up.
They also said they'd talk to Molly and Arthur about it -- after all, Molly and Arthur have kept this from their children for years, and will probably never be able to tell Percy.
That reminds me, I also asked them if they think there's any chance of Percy making the same deduction they did. They didn't think so; they're privy to information that Percy isn't, first of all, but Percy also tends to ignore the things that don't fit into his world-view. They also seized the opportunity to point out they'll be in a good position to misdirect Percy, if he gets close to the truth. And they have a point. Even if Percy comes to suspect his parents, the idea that his younger brothers might be in on it would probably not occur to him.
Sirius wanted to know what they've got to offer. They showed us some gadgets they've cooked up -- there's one for eavesdropping that they call 'extendible ears' that have endless possibilities for mischief, I have to say.
They understand that they're not going to get to do anything particularly exciting for a good long while. They used the words 'foot soldiers' but really, that suggests people who are sent out to fight. They're still in training. And we discussed that, too, at some length -- their schooling. I told them that the Order needs useful members, and that school is an excellent opportunity to equip themselves with useful skills. I told them I want them to use that opportunity, and not waste it. They seemed to pay attention. We'll see.
I told them that if they have the opportunity to learn the Patronus Charm, to seize it, but one of us could tutor them on it this summer.
And then there's occlumency. I wish it were an easier skill to learn. I'd sleep better at night if we could arrange to have each and every member of the Junior Auxiliary tutored in it -- but if Severus can teach Fred and George, perhaps we can provide them with a plausible cover story (to explain how they learned) and have them teach their friends. Although unless you work with a legilimens, it's hard to know if you're actually succeeding or not.
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