Order Only: Private message to Mum, Bill, Rachel, Charlie, Ron, Alice, Remus, Sirius, Luna, Evelyn

[alt_fred]

George and I have been kicking ideas around since we got up this morning.

Look. Both Bill and us have managed independently to create secret locks piggybacked on the journals' magic. We want to figure out a way for Ginny to be able to communicate privately with us. If she's allowed to have her journal. If we can figure out away for it to happen without Bella harvesting her mind afterward. We realise those are big 'ifs.' Still...

We can't use the Order lock for her anymore. Ginny was never on the I Solemnly Swear lock. Both of those groups would have security issues because of all the knowledge stored under those locks which mean we can't allow Ginny to use them. Bella will order her to read to them any message that they see has a journal entry that's headed 'Private message to Ginny Weasley' or 'Private message to the Weasley family.'

But what if we set up a lock, just for her to use, with no secure secrets on it? An age-defined lock would be good, like the I Solemnly Swear lock was. That way Ginny's hosts wouldn't be able to see the journal header. (That's why we're including Luna and Evelyn on this message--they could write to her.) Or maybe a group that it wouldn't occur to Bella and Dolohov she's a part of, and so wouldn't think to order her to read it to them. 'Gryffindor Quidditch Team' or 'Rising Seventh Year Prefects' would be obvious. Something more off ball. I dunno: Redhaired Purest Sparkle Ex-Models. Honey Hive Tenders. Something.

Maybe we could figure out a way to set up some way that she could write securely? Even if we never talk to her, and so there are no incoming messages for her to report to them?

If we did something like the I Solemnly Swear Lock, with a password, I don't know how we could get it to her. Anyone might be there if we sent her a Patronus, and I doubt Pig could get to her. Maybe someone has another idea?

Look, we know you all have loads of other things to do, and we're not asking anyone to drop whatever they're doing to work on this. Maybe everything she reads they're gonna know. Maybe this is hopeless. But we want to be able to noodle around a bit on this and we thought some other devious minds might be able to help, if anyone is interested.

Anyway, it gives us something constructive to do other than sitting around imagining everything awful that's happening to her. And keeping the Weasley twins busy and out of trouble is always a bonus.

Comments

[alt_fred]

We wanted to add Sally-Anne and Pansy to this message but couldn't fit them on the journal entry header. George and me will talk to them privately.

[alt_sirius]

Are you asking permission? Go right ahead, I say, provided it's not getting in the way of assigned tasks for Albion. If you need someone to test the spellwork, I'll look it over when you like.

[alt_fred]

We'll keep up with our regular tasks. We promise.

[alt_fred]

We've already been out to the camps this afternoon.

[alt_rachel]

By all means, Fred. See if you and George can come up with something.

Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

You're thinking what I'm thinking? It channels their frustration without actually harming anything. It's also not going to work, even if it works, if you follow me. But we can address that heartbreak if and when it becomes applicable.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

They do not understand what 'brainwashed' means. They don't. They think she'll be faking, saying what she's ordered to say without meaning it.

I don't know how to explain this

I don't know. Maybe they're right and I'm wrong.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

You're not wrong. They're simply Weasleys.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Anyway yes, it channels their frustration in a way that doesn't involve trying to physically break into Buckingham, which would be suicidal, which is why I didn't let Ron do it on Thursday.

They need to understand that they cannot tell her secrets, though. Any secrets. EVER.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

I just don't want them prioritising this over jobs that need doing for everyone, as much as I understand why they'd want to do.

But then, that's not my call to make. Alice and Remus can send that message, though.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Right. That, thanks to every god ever worshiped by any wizard, is NOT my job.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Of course, it sounds like I may be on the hook to check each message before they send it. Surely there's someone I can delegate that to. Are there any Slytherins on our side who aren't currently gainfully employed?

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

Rachel, isn't that why you have an entire MLE department at your disposal? Put an enforcer on it. What about Carrie Logue? She seems the right sort.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

She's got an assignment...you know, she's got fewer things on her plate than I do. Carrie it is, then. I'll be sure to tell her who recommended her.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

See if I ever do you a favour again.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

How long were you Bellatrix's prisoner for? When she got you, that time in France?

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

Not very long. Hours.


Forever.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Did you hold on to hope of rescue, or hope of escape?

It's been seventy-six hours for Ginny. Unless I mucked up the maths.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

Escape. Or sheer stubbornness, I'm not sure.

I never expected the rescue I got. And if Bella hadn't been determined to bring me alive to be tortured in front of the whole Protectorate, I wouldn't have got that, either. Moreover, I lost a lover in the process and I still nearly died after I slipped away.

I'm not saying rescue's hopeless but--you know as well as I how unlikely it is we'll get a good opportunity.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Yeah, I do.

Not so sure about the Weasleys. But convincing them it's hopeless isn't my problem, either.

And it's not hopeless. Exactly. Especially if Antonin and Bellatrix think Ginny's more use to them alive than dead.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

It's not hopeless. But even if we're able to extract her, you know it's going to be a long, long time before they'll have Ginny back.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

They got her back from Voldemort. They can get her back from Bellatrix. If we get her back from Bellatrix. Which we might or might not be able to do.

Re: Private Message to Rachel

[alt_sirius]

I hope you're right. Anyway, we agree that it does no harm for them to try whatever it is they have in mind.

[alt_rachel]

It doesn't matter how secure it is, though, you can't assume Bellatrix won't read it out of her head. I guarantee you that she is no longer occluding.

[alt_fred]

Look, we get that. You think we want to give them any excuse to punish her? We don't. We're not stupid, honest. Even though you must wonder sometimes.

Obviously, we haven't figured this out. That's why we're opening up the discussion. Obviously we will run everything past you first. EVERYTHING. Anything said or received on this lock, if we manage to actually pull off something brilliant that we can't visualise yet.

Consider that an iron-clad promise, Weasley to Weasley.

Private message to Rachel

[alt_bill]

Do you want me to pour cold water all over this? Because I can, given the fact that I know the magical architecture of the journals as well as anyone in the Order.

On the other hand, they actually did dream up a lock once before that was something I hadn't ever imagined. AND they diligently tested its security, repeatedly, in a way that couldn't get them into trouble, before they ever used it.

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Look, it's fine if your brothers want to try to figure out a way to write truly private messages.

I don't think it'll matter. That's all. I think whatever you send her, by whatever method, she will immediately report to her captors, and read in full.

If you could send her a vial of poison, she might drink it, but we don't have a way to do that or we'd have done it on Thursday.

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_bill]

Mmm.

It's not just a matter of journal security, yes. It's a matter of the nature of what's going on in Ginny's mind, of her loyalties, and what they're going to do to twist her around. And we fear that'll convince her to circumvent any security safeguard we can dream up and blab directly to Bella and company. So. Part of this problem, the problem of Ginny's mind, the twins are familiar with, as Weasley family members. Shared family history and the like. A sliver of it you might understand with your knowledge of interrogation tactics.

But I think a large part, enough to sink this project, is what springs from the utter reprehensible twistedness of her captors' thinking. Ginny's mind, we think, is going to change into something utterly unfamiliar, given her captors' determination to destroy every tie that binds her to us.

See, the thing is that George and Fred have become rather used to the idea that they can solve anything by applying their wits. And it's at least partly true: they've managed to solve some amazing problems. Fu's raved to me about the originality of their thinking, which he finds rather rare.
They're not going to let go of this, because Ginny's family, and really, under normal circumstances, we Weasleys have as fierce a loyalty to each other as any Hufflepuff. That's why Percy's defection hurt so badly.

But I've been thinking over what we talked about last night, and so I'm waiting for a bomb to drop, something in the journals from Ginny, renouncing us. Something that she'll really mean.

Maybe Bill and George and I can approach this project not as giving us an opportunity to talk to her. If you and I are right about their intent to brainwash her, we can't tell her anything.

Maybe what we need to figure out instead is a way to give her an opportunity to talk to us. Maybe Fred and George will pull some brilliant trick to find a way for Ginny to be able to do it without Bella realising it. Even if she wants to tell everything to Bella. I can't think what that could be, as of now, but don't underestimate the deviousness and doggedness of a Weasley on a mission.

And we'll just listen.

Maybe she'll use it only to rant about the glories of purebloodedness and about how much she hates us. Fine. But it will give us a window on her mind, one with maybe a better chance of being a true reflection of what she's really thinking, not something that Bella or Tosha is dictating.

And then maybe we can put that knowledge to use if we ever get her out of there and have a chance to turn her loyalties back to us.

Look, I want to reassure you. If I work on this with them, I am going to keep them on the shortest choke chain possible. If Ginny rants at us, I'm going to assume she really means it, and I'll keep that strictly in mind, however we proceed. All right?

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

Look. I'm not trying to talk you out of anything, honestly. Give it a try and see what happens.

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_bill]

Love you. Thank you for putting up with the family madness.

Re: Private message to Rachel

[alt_rachel]

I love you, too, Bill. And your mad family. And your little sister.

[alt_evelyn]

I'll give a hand if you need it age locked, of course.

[alt_luna]

I will, too.

[alt_molly]

I don't want her hurt any further, through our actions.

[alt_fred]

That's a given, Mum.

Private message to Fred and George Weasley

[alt_molly]

And we mustn't be selfish.

Yes, it's awful that Ginny's been captured. Yes, it feels like just about the worst tragedy that we can imagine. But there are people all over the Prote Albion who have endured far worse.

We have work to do, work that Alice has assigned to us. Your work is to ensure that enough people will have food and shelter this winter. I don't want to hear that you're slacking off on your assignments. Understand? You can work on this, but ONLY if you do ALL your other work.

Re: Private message to Fred and George Weasley

[alt_fred]

Right-o, Mum. We'll keep our noses clean and our job reports filled out. Promise.

[alt_rachel]

I can't promise you that attempts to communicate with her secretly won't result in her being punished. Even if she immediately reports them.

[alt_bill]

All right, let's put our heads together.

I'm with Mum, though, gents. I'm not going to assist you with anything that makes things worse for Ginny.

Private message to Fred and George Weasley

[alt_bill]

And for the sake of my marriage and the Order, much less the citizens of New Albion, let's not do anything to make things more difficult for my wife if we can help it, all right? She's feeling rather harassed at the moment...

Re: Private message to Fred and George Weasley

[alt_fred]

Sucks all around, doesn't it?

We promise to do all we can to avoid giving her nightmares.

Re: Private message to Fred and George Weasley

[alt_bill]

Thank you for that very touching statement of support.