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Order Only: Private message to Alice
I've spent the morning at Malfoy Manor. Narcissa was pleased to see Draco -- weepy, joyful, furious, but overall pleased.
As I told Sirius, she'd clearly trying to avoid asking us for anything she assumes will be refused, presumably to deny us the pleasure of telling her 'no.' So she hasn't asked to see Lucius, though I imagine she asked Draco if he's seen him and how he is.
I'm wondering what you think of the idea of me offering to take her to see him this afternoon. I could side-along her to the Saltash tunnel and walk her in.
The possible risks to this -- we'd be revealing the secret of the null field to someone who's not a member or fully under our control. It's possible that both of the Malfoys would interpret this not as kindness but as a threat -- it makes it clear to each that the other is rather at our mercy. Narcissa might be entirely horrified by Saltash, though surely she'll accept that it's an improvement over Azkaban; finally, either might think we're implying to Narcissa that this is where we'd lock her up, if she seemed a risk to us. (And, well. It is, in fact, where we'd lock her up if she seemed a risk to us. In the meantime, however, I think it makes more sense to keep her at the Manor so that she can write responses in the journals and continue to emphasise that she's just trying to protect herself from her psychopathic sister.)
The leap of trust we've made here is that Narcissa is sufficiently invested in Hydra's safety that she'll keep quiet any secrets she learns; I think that's a reasonable leap. The question I've been pondering this morning is whether a measure of extra kindness (like taking her to see Lucius) has any chance of gaining active collaboration rather than tacit cooperation, and if so, what she might have to offer. (Other than Malfoy Manor, which is ... have you ever seen it? It's positively enormous. We could just about relocate Moddey here, aside from the detail of eventually running out of food. I spent part of the morning looking at this extensive collection of dark objects that I think were assembled by Lucius. He has them on display in glass cases. I recognized about a quarter of them, just enough to realise what the overall theme was.)
She may also be able to persuade Lucius to more enthusiastic cooperation. Again, I'm not sure.
Anyway. Any thoughts?
As I told Sirius, she'd clearly trying to avoid asking us for anything she assumes will be refused, presumably to deny us the pleasure of telling her 'no.' So she hasn't asked to see Lucius, though I imagine she asked Draco if he's seen him and how he is.
I'm wondering what you think of the idea of me offering to take her to see him this afternoon. I could side-along her to the Saltash tunnel and walk her in.
The possible risks to this -- we'd be revealing the secret of the null field to someone who's not a member or fully under our control. It's possible that both of the Malfoys would interpret this not as kindness but as a threat -- it makes it clear to each that the other is rather at our mercy. Narcissa might be entirely horrified by Saltash, though surely she'll accept that it's an improvement over Azkaban; finally, either might think we're implying to Narcissa that this is where we'd lock her up, if she seemed a risk to us. (And, well. It is, in fact, where we'd lock her up if she seemed a risk to us. In the meantime, however, I think it makes more sense to keep her at the Manor so that she can write responses in the journals and continue to emphasise that she's just trying to protect herself from her psychopathic sister.)
The leap of trust we've made here is that Narcissa is sufficiently invested in Hydra's safety that she'll keep quiet any secrets she learns; I think that's a reasonable leap. The question I've been pondering this morning is whether a measure of extra kindness (like taking her to see Lucius) has any chance of gaining active collaboration rather than tacit cooperation, and if so, what she might have to offer. (Other than Malfoy Manor, which is ... have you ever seen it? It's positively enormous. We could just about relocate Moddey here, aside from the detail of eventually running out of food. I spent part of the morning looking at this extensive collection of dark objects that I think were assembled by Lucius. He has them on display in glass cases. I recognized about a quarter of them, just enough to realise what the overall theme was.)
She may also be able to persuade Lucius to more enthusiastic cooperation. Again, I'm not sure.
Anyway. Any thoughts?
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And as for how she would respond, perhaps if we imply that her current position, being able to write openly and maintain her cover story, is of value to us (and Hydra especially), and that might make things a little less fraught?
The null field is also tricky -- it's utterly miraculous that we've managed to keep its properties secret, and that's an advantage I don't want to lose.
Giving her access to him -- real access -- is also potentially tricky. Not that they'd have anywhere they could go, mind, especially now that we have Dover, but having her come and go from Saltash without escort as often as she'd like may present an opportunity for escape they may decide to take advantage of.
You do make a point, however, when you talk of extending some kindness as something that may pay off true dividends later.
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The thought of the hoops we'd have to fly through to even begin to make that possible makes my head ache.
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He'd have to swear an Unbreakable Vow. I trust Narcissa's priorities here a good deal more than I trust Lucius's.
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And have Draco be the one who takes her there. To translate the null field into something she'll understand rather than fear. And to show how much we trust him. And keep showing how much we trust him and Hydra both.
It's a thought.
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Merlin above. When we first learned of them, I never thought
I simply assumed we'd have to temporarily kill him, and buy as much time as we could.
We might actually be able to do this, Remus.
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