Order Only: What on EARTH?

[alt_molly]

I went out to feed the chickens this morning and I almost stumbled over a sack, sitting on the doorstep. It had the official Ouroborus seal on it, so you can imagine how startled I was! And I detected a charm on it, so that only I could see it. It dissipated as soon as I opened the drawstring.

I opened it, and it was FULL of Galleons! I haven't counted them yet--

Is this some sort of set up, so that I can be accused of theft? I can't deny I opened it, because the charm is gone.

Why in Merlin's name would someone at the Ministry give me a SACK FULL OF GALLEONS?!

Comments

[alt_ron]

Whoa.

How big a sack? Or, y'know, how many galleons are there?

It's yours, I reckon. It's what I asked Voldemort for last night when he told me to ask whatever I wanted as a prize. I told him my mum needed money to help with her business.

Is it enough to do anything with for the Order? Or is it not really all that much after all?

[alt_molly]

Oh, Ron. I just looked over the journals and...

Oh, my, dear, you certainly have plenty of Gryffindor nerve!

Well, I've been afraid to touch them to count them until now, but there must be at least 200Γ. My goodness.

I think most of it should go to the Order. Oh, it would give me so much satisfaction to think that the babies at Moddey Dhoo are wearing nappies bought with Our Glorious Lord's galleons!

Ron, I'm so glad that you're all basically all right. I shudder to think what could have happened with him demanding that you duel.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, you should definitely do something with it that the LP'd hate. Enjoy that for me.

And, yeah. I mean, it's not as if we didn't expect he'd want to see us fight. We were lucky, I guess, the elves fed him something he liked for supper.

Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

See? I was right. And that's a nice sum of money for the Order.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Yeah.

So I'm not telling them, but I just got back from talking with Himself in the suite he's staying in. It's off near the Divination tower. (Castle's outdone itself, by the way.)

Any wiz. He wanted to talk about my family. And also, y'know, why he should be impressed with me.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

What did you say?

Do you think he's going to Mark you tonight, as well as marrying Daphne and Crouch?

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

No idea. He definitely didn't share that plan if he's got one.

He wanted to know why he should Mark me when Percy couldn't manage to be much use.

I laughed. (Horrible, I know, but I couldn't help it. It was the way he said it.)

So then I had to tell him Percy always was a bit of a tit. And he never fit in with the rest of us very well. And not for the reasons Percy thought. (That's what I told him, anywiz. Because I expect he knows exactly what Percy thought.) I told him it's not that we're less loyal or less clever or less ambitious than Percy. (I said I meant Bill and Charlie are obviously ambitious in their work and good at it, too.) The difference was how Percy thought he was better than everyone else and not just us, but definitely starting with us. Especially Mum and Dad, and that's just not on.

Anywiz, that's the way I spun it.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

I think that was probably the best possible response. I mean both from the standpoint of convincing everyone that you'd be a good Auror and a good Councilwizard but also just to stay out of trouble.

I wonder if he noticed he couldn't read your mind.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

I've been wondering that, too. Was wondering it the whole time.

I mean, I think he must've. If he's really All That as a legilimens. I mean that's what people've been saying as long as I can remember, right? That he's the greatest legilimens ever? And, yeah, I know Hydra says different legilimens read occlusion and animagery differently, but still.

Only, he didn't ask. Or, y'know, say anything to hint he'd noticed.


I kept expecting him to say, 'So, Animagus Weasley, what form do you take?' or something. And I'd have to have told him. I mean, no point lying when the next thing would be a command to show him, right?

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

You would have had to tell him. And probably also show him.

And then he'd probably have Marked you right there on the spot, I mean you turn into a SNAKE.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Oh. Ha.

Well, I hope he likes it if he ever does ask.

I mean, I sort of think he must know and he's waiting to ask until he decides to stage his big And Now I'm Either Going to Mark You or Kill You! scene. The one where he decides whether he trusts me or not. So it'd be really nift if he decides it's a fortunate omen my form is a snake.

Mind you, I might end up spending the rest of my life coiled around his arm, talking parseltongue with him. I'll have to ask Pansy if she knows any clever snake jokes.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

So I can keep him entertained.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_sally_anne]

If he decides he'd like a Gryffindor snake pet, you can lull him into a false sense of security and wait for an opportunity to nick the pin, right?

And jokes, hmm, I think the key is to remember the punch line is less important than the setup, which should always focus on why snakes are better than other animals, Slytherins are better than other Houses, and His Pretentiousness is better than other people.

[alt_fred]

Oy! And not a word about your loyal brothers who could use some help with their business, too?

Kidding!

[alt_molly]

Oh, my. I've just read further back in the journals, and....

I think we should use most of the money for potions ingredients to wake up the Sleepers. THAT'S even a better revenge use.

[alt_bill]

That's brilliant, Mum.

Ron, glad you're all right. And good on you for thinking on your feet when Voldemort was in the mood to grant you a boon.

[alt_ron]

Cheers, Bill.

Sometimes I do manage to be competent.

Private message to Ron

[alt_bill]

Competent? Bugger that, Ron. You don't think I know that every adult in the Order is holding their breath, counting on you and Justin and Sally-Anne and Pansy and Harry and all the rest to somehow keep the rest of the students there safe somehow with that lunatic there, walking around Hogwarts, with Dolohov at his side?

And you'll do it, too; you've done it before. There's still a part of me that wishes I could be there. To--I dunno, help guard or protect or something. But there's no point wishing it; it's a downright insult to you and the rest of the Juniors, because I haven't had the training to do what you're doing, so they're all safer in your hands (plural) anyway.

I've fought before, I've been on Order sorties, and I've killed, but when it comes right down to it, the work that I'm doing to help the Order is being a bureaucrat. Like Dad was. Your road is a helluva lot more dangerous.

I don't think I could do it. Please don't think I don't see that, or respect that, because I do.

If he Marks you or Justin this weekend...I'll be sorry as hell, but you're as ready as you could possibly be, you know you are, and you'll serve the Order all the better for it. If he does, we can only be thanking our lucky stars that you'll be in an even better position to save all our collective arses.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Alright.

Thanks for that.

I've been thinking about what Dad would say if he... could. I hope that's pretty much it. What you said.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_bill]

He'd probably say it even better than I could.

He'd also be busy trying to calm Mum down. But he'd be proud of you, Ron. I know he would. And he'd absolutely believe you're doing the right thing, because he always believed in you. He believed in all of us.

Well, except Percy, dammit. But he hoped for Percy.

Private message to Ron

[alt_fred]

We missed much of what was going on in the journals yesterday. Once the store was shut up, I was off working with Fu, and George was chopping and dicing for Severus. And helping celebrate over Hembly.

George wanted to know: d'ye think he's going to offer you the Mark? Or Justin?

But now we've seen what Daphne's written. So he seems to have other plans for tonight.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Dunno.

I think he may. Or, yeah, he could totally not do anything tonight but marry Crouch off to Daphne. I hope that's it. I mean, what's the hurry on Marking people, right? But then again, why did he bother coming all the way up here right before exams?

None of it's making anybody feel very comfortable.

How's George? Any tingles of the magic yet? I mean, I guess it took Frank half a year or more, didn't it? So I imagine it's getting annoying having people ask. Sorry.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_fred]

Real glad you're an animagus, Ron. If you get Marked, well, guess you'll have to spend more time hanging out with his Ponciness, but you'll be more in a position to help the Order, anyway.

Know you can't say No, thanks, but I admit George and me can't help but wish the Ponce would put it off for a little while. Maybe we can take him down entirely before it gets to that point. I mean, we're getting close, right? Now that you lot have spotted another Horcrux, and he has to be running out of them. Don't reckon you can break your soul into an infinite number of pieces.

George hasn't felt anything, no. But we haven't given up hope. Anyway, don't ever worry about annoying us by asking. Merlin knows we've annoyed you enough over the years with all our pranks.

I'm glad he's able to help Severus. It really does help keep his spirits up to be able to do something to help, and waking up the Sleepers is huge.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_ron]

No lie, if I weren't an animagus, I'd've been done for.

They're all certain it's eight Horcruxes. Harry and Draco and Sirius and Snape and all. They've been looking into that, and they're certain that eight is the LP's notion of the perfect number. Immortality sign in its shape and all. The Octoborous wards. All of it.

They're putting a lot on that theory, I know, but Harry's certain they're right about it.

Anywiz. That means we're down to the last one. And we know where it is. Just. No ideas yet how to get it off him. I mean, of course, he'd be wearing the bloody thing.

Re: Private message to Ron

[alt_fred]

Well, THAT'S easy. Surprised that you haven't thought of it already, seeing as you've been our brother for so many years and seen so many of our pranks.

You just vanish all his clothing and the bloody thing would fall the ground and then you Accio it to you.

The only problem with that idea is that then you'd all have to see his bloody bits. And he'd probably kill everyone in the school before you could cast the Fiendfyre.