Order Only

[alt_molly]

I just had an owl drop a letter on my head here in bed.

It was signed by Virgil Crispin, damn him, and it's a very official-looking document informing me that due to 'traitorous actions against the Protectorate on premises,' the Hope Emporium and all of its contents have been seized and my licence for doing business has been revoked.

I presume the twins will receive the same.

Oh, bugger. Bugger, bugger, bugger.

Comments

[alt_fred]

What?!

[alt_fred]

Bugger.

Just got one, too.

[alt_fred]

THE HELL HE'S DOING THIS TO US!

[alt_molly]

DON'T YOU DARE GO TO NEW LONDON NOW, FRED.

DON'T YOU DARE.

[alt_fred]

Oh, hell.

You're right. Damn it all, you're right.

It's too late.

Bugger

[alt_bill]

The business couldn't have survived you losing your cover, Fred. You have to know that.

Damn, I'm sorry. We should have anticipated this, moved faster to secure your quarters. But there's been an avalanche of things to do.

[alt_fred]

You're right. You're right. George and I will be kicking ourselves for not thinking of it sooner, but yeah. We should have been able to get the jump of Virgil bleeding Crispin, for Merlin's sake.

[alt_bill]

Your notes! Have you lost everything?

[alt_fred]

No. No, fortunately. Our notebooks were charmed to copy to one that Pansy kept automatically. In case of fire. And we knew better than to keep the notes on anything we were designing for the Order on the premises. That stuff we kept at Moddey Dhoo, in Fu's custody.

But there was all of our stock. All of it.

I hope someone sticks one of our fireworks in Virgil Crispin's arse and lights the fuse.

[alt_rachel]

Noted.

[alt_rachel]

The Hope Emporium isn't a strategic enough asset to send our Aurors to protect, especially since I imagine that's precisely what Crispin's hoping we'll try. I'm sorry.

If it's any consolation, much of London rightfully belongs to muggles who are going to want it back. We'll find the Hope Emporium space somewhere, though.

[alt_molly]

I know. I know. I wouldn't have had the time to run it anyway now. I'm just upset because it was a source of income, which we need rather desperately right now. And because it's Virgil Crispin. It's rather personal with him.

Well, I suspect he isn't going to be accepting any offers of immunity anytime soon.

Private message to Molly

[alt_rachel]

Oh, he wasn't going to; I wasn't expecting that in the least. There are others who might, though, and I didn't want Bellatrix focused on the ones I thought were soft targets.

[alt_rachel]

How secure is the Burrow? Is it under a Fidelius?

[alt_bill]

It's extra warded and under a Fidelius besides, yes. It'll be safe.

[alt_pansy]

Sloper, Towler, I've just received our little present too.

Don't worry, gents. It was a business that was intended to fail as it is -- we'll have our chance to do something that sticks once the dust settles.

In the meantime, they can have our glass bottles and our supply of hops.

[alt_bill]

These can't be the only letters Crispin sent out.

Sirius, if we could get a list, it could be a basis for another Grim Truth? If it includes any other parents of children at the school, it's another chance to point out that the old regime lied when it called itself a 'Protectorate.'

First they murder our children, and then they destroy their mourning families' livelihoods.

[alt_bill]

And it's another thing to point out to the Hogwarts Board of Governors.

[alt_rachel]

I think switching from 'they killed schoolchildren' to 'and also they confiscated our property' would make us look cold-hearted, like we think these things are comparable.

As it stands, we're launching a revolution. Thousands of people are going to lose their livelihoods. Hopefully when we're done we'll have an omelet.

[alt_bill]

You're right.

We do need more voices, though. Speaking up to support the changes we're going to introduce, That we hope to introduce.

Coming up with better arguments than I can muster with only three bloody hours of sleep under my belt.