Order Only: Frank, Alice

[alt_poppy]

Frank, Alice?

I've been thinking, and I'd very much like to know a bit more about what you've told your children. About yourselves. I know Alice said you didn't intend to tell them about the work you do with us. But-- Well, I wonder what your Neville knows and what he might piece together from what you've told him. He's a quiet boy, but he does a lot of thinking, I believe, about how things are. He's thoughtful in both senses. And if there are children capable of taking a bit of information and putting it together with other bits, like Sirius's Grim Truths--

Your Neville wrote back to him once or twice, didn't he? Sirius? Have I misremembered?

I'm only thinking that your son is one child with a special bit of information about two members of our group, and if children his age are capable of figuring out what's what, he may be as well. You--and we--should be prepared for him to have questions. Or suppositions, even. And sooner than later.

We ought to have a plan for what you could tell him and when.

This whole episode with Miss Granger's friends suggests to me that we've been a bit too laissez faire about the things your children and the Weasley children--now there's a caution!--might glean from things they hear and observe.

Comments

[alt_lupin]

Neville was brought to the shop once to meet with Alice. He can't have failed to have put something together from that. I know he wouldn't give us away by choice, but I imagine he would be able to identify us if questioned.

[alt_poppy]

I'd forgotten that meeting, but you're quite right. It adds a significant piece to the information young Mr Longbottom possesses about us. Was that before or after you took on Miss Tonks?

You do realise that I'm not meaning to imply that the boy is untrustworthy? But we are, in effect, trusting a number of children already without any control over what they know or how they know what to do with the things they may be piecing together about us.

I suppose I'm thinking that we ought to discuss bringing certain children into the Order rather earlier than we would if we'd the luxury to wait. And I'm definitely thinking that we need to discuss what certain children already know, so thank you for reminding us of this, Remus.

[alt_lupin]

I believe it was before, but even if it wasn't, it certainly was before she knew of the Order, so she and Neville did not cross paths. However, if he can identify the shop, we're both in the frame regardless.

I quite agree with you, Poppy, that this is a very serious matter, and that we need to give due consideration to our next move. If we've been uncovered by a group of schoolchildren, are we really as safe from the Ministry as we might think?

No slight is intended against Neville, I know. He's a good boy, and I'm quite sure he'd do his parents proud, but I also know Bellatrix. If she wanted to get information from someone, even if that person were a child, she wouldn't hesitate to use every means at her disposal. Quite apart from exposing any child to such an awful experience, the risk to the Order is, I'm sure, obvious.

So yes, Poppy. I quite agree with you. But I'm unsure what we ought to do about it all. I've always been in favour of getting Hermione away from that place, as you know, and Terry too I suppose. But I know it's not possible yet, and we certainly can't steal away however many children make up this group of friends she's found.

Perhaps it just comes down to trusting Hermione's discretion in how much she shares with her friends, and how much she keeps to herself. We have precious little other choice that I can see.

[alt_molly]

I'm seriously beginning to wonder whether we shouldn't consider giving Neville and Evelyn port keys, as we're giving them to Hermione. To be used in case of desperate emergency only--as in they've been taken into custody by Bellatrix.

Of course, they must understand that if they use them, there's no going back: once triggered, they'll never be able to go back to their old life or see their friends or attend Hogwarts ever again. But especially after what happened to Sirius, I think we would never forgive ourselves if we lost them to Bellatrix's clutches when we had the chance to save them with a little foresight.

Frank and Alice, what do you think?

[alt_bill]

That's not a bad idea, actually, Mum.

What about your children, though?

[alt_molly]

It almost kills me to say it, but I think not.

Neville and Evelyn know that their parents are part of a secret, illegal group. The twins and Ron and Percy and Ginny don't. That innocence is their best protection.

[alt_bill]

Yes, but what if one of us is arrested? You or Dad or me?

What if we're forced to go on the run, and the Ministry decides to force us to give ourselves up by taking them into custody? Or hurting them, even?

[alt_molly]

Merlin, Bill. I--I hadn't thought of that.

Oh, god.

[alt_bill]

Well, I have. I've had nightmares about it. Dad and I have talked about it. A lot.

We're a big family. Unless we all make a clean getaway together, they'll use some of us to force the rest of us to give ourselves up.

I'm sorry, but that's what they'll do.

[alt_kingsley]

I hate to say it, but Bill's right. That is what they'd do. Damn them.

[alt_arthur]

I hadn't want to say anything, but I do think Bill's right.

Molly...I think that we should have emergency port keys made. We won't give them to the children to hold, not now, but we'll stash them in several places where any of us can get to them quickly. Hide some in the Burrow, some in my office, some in Bill's office. Minerva, we'll count on you to get the children out via portkey if they're at Hogwarts at the time.

If all three of us are arrested at once, Merlin forbid, or even Charlie, too, then we'd have to pin our hopes on getting a quick patronus off to the children to instruct them how to find the port keys and use them.

Come to think of it...Frank, I'll send you a list of the locations where we're hiding them. If we're taken into custody so quickly that we lose our wands before we can get a message out, we'll depend on you to send the patronuses to the children. I'll give you the wording of the message with the locations, so you'll know what to say that will convince the children to obey the summons.

I want to cover absolutely all eventualities.

[alt_frank]

right, mate, you can count on me.

[alt_alice]

I do very much like that idea, Molly. Frank does too.

Whereas before, Augusta could claim absolute ignorance, she certainly can't now, and she and the children are very much at risk if our security were to be seriously compromised.

[alt_alice]

Sorry to get back so late, Poppy, we've had a full day with the kids at the beach. just got settled down for the night only now.

Neville has been good about not peppering us with questions -- Augusta has taught him how to be discreet when needed. I can't say the same for Evelyn at this point, but she's still young. During our letters and during their visit we have deliberately avoided saying anything specific about what we're up to right now. We don't reveal any names, we don't talk about places we've been, and we don't talk about what we've been doing. Neville specifically asked about Sirius while we were camping, but we told him he was my friend when we were at Hogwarts together and left it at that.

You have a point that it is very important to go through what they both know about me and Frank and our associations. The connection with the shop and Junius Ponds is one, and the fact that we have access to polyjuice is another. I came to the shop disguised as Lucinda, so Neville would know what her face looked like. They'd also know that we're in contact with their gran and Uncle. Kingsley, I do not believe they saw either you or Emmaline, so there's that.

Neville has taken it on himself to start basic training in Occlumency (at Frank's suggestion). He's been practicing some basic exercises this past term. I'm hoping that will help in the long run. I like Molly's idea of a portkey as well for both Neville and Evelyn, just as a precaution.

We have been very deliberate about limiting what information we tell them both, as best as we are able, and we'll continue to do so. After all, whatever they know is dangerous to them as well as all of us, so we've tried to be careful.

And to address another concern you brought up, I wasn't thinking that far ahead to telling my children about the Order. Honestly, I thought we'd have to wait until they came of age, at the very least. But regardless, Frank and I will continue to limit what we say to Neville and Evelyn until we all sort out when it would be best to tell them more.