Teaser for Chapter 4 - Printable Version +- Drunkard's Walk Forums (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums) +-- Forum: The Drunkard's Walk (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=21) +--- Forum: Drunkard's Walk VIII: Harry Potter and the Man from Otherearth (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=28) +--- Thread: Teaser for Chapter 4 (/showthread.php?tid=6185) |
Teaser for Chapter 4 - Bob Schroeck - 05-28-2015 "Dear Ron, "I have just heard through a mutual acquaintance that you have become a Hogwarts prefect. "I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard this news and must offer my congratulations. I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the 'Fred and George' route, rather than following in my footsteps, so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some real responsibility. "But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by the usual morning post. Hopefully you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions. "First, I presume that absent any radical changes in your life, you are still close to Harry Potter. I have reason to fear that continued fraternization with him could cost you your badge -- or worse. Before you throw this letter away in anger, please let me explain. "The Minister is convinced that Potter and Dumbledore are spearheading a campaign to undermine him. I have heard him say in private moments that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named cannot have returned, and thus Potter must be insane and/or lying about it for political reasons. His primary Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, agrees with him and together they are planning some manner of retaliation against Potter and Dumbledore both. "However, in my time here, I have cultivated contacts in other parts of the Ministry. From my acquaintances within the Department of Mysteries I have learned that the Unspeakables have accepted Potter's account of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's return as an incontrovertible fact and are acting accordingly. I cannot relay their reasons for this to you due to Ministry regulations imposed just this week, but the evidence offered to me has been most convincing. "Thus I find myself in the position of having to warn you to sever your ties with Potter for the sake of both your future and your safety. Potter's disciplinary hearing before the Wizengamot this summer was only the beginning of the Minister's campaign against him, if what I have overheard is any indication. I suspect that there will be no hesitation to strike at his associates if it furthers the Minister's plans. If you are tarred with the same brush as Potter, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life after school, too, should matters fall out as the Minister desires. "That is assuming you *have* future prospects. Remaining a very visible friend and supporter of Potter will make you a primary target for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers. While I understand that our family is already marked for death as 'Blood Traitors', the simple fact is that by being one of Potter's two closest friends you have elevated yourself (and most likely everyone else in our family) to 'kill first, kill at all costs' in the eyes of the Dark Lord and his followers. "This is the simple truth, Ron: in the current social and political atmosphere, keeping company with Harry Potter is at best a decision that will ruin your immediate future, and at worst will cost you your life. Please, please distance yourself from him and protect not only yourself, but the rest of our family. "I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. At the time I was afraid that I could no longer live under our parents' roof while they remained mixed up with what I saw as the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore. Even though I now know that Potter and Dumbledore are right, that does not make their crowd any less dangerous. I choose to continue my estrangement from our parents in order that some part of our family will escape the inevitable retribution which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will visit upon the Weasleys for their rejection of his cause. "I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with Dumbledore's people, but make no mistake -- as much as I respect the Minister, his refusal to accept the evidence possessed by the Unspeakables reveals him to be far less astute than I had believed. However, by sticking close to him and to Dolores Umbridge I have acquired a certain protective coloration that will serve me in good stead should the worst occur. I strongly recommend that you make similar arrangements. Break publicly with Harry Potter, and align yourself with any clique or classmate whose political views can shield you. The rest of our family may be doomed by their association with Potter and Dumbledore, but you do not have to be. And if by some miracle they and I both survive the next few years, rest assured that I will be ready to offer them a full apology for the pain and anguish I have surely put them through. "Please think over what I have said most carefully, and congratulations again on becoming prefect. "Your brother, "Percy" Harry looked up from the parchment in his hand. "Well," he said after a long moment of thought. "He's not exactly wrong, you know." -- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak. - Seraviel - 05-28-2015 Nice. Very Percy, while making a clear difference from canon. -People may die, but ideas are forever. Je suis Charlie. - Ebony - 05-28-2015 Quote:Seraviel wrote:Yes. This makes him a coward, instead of just a prig. Ebony the Black Dragon http://ebony14.livejournal.com "Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you." - robkelk - 05-29-2015 Ebony Wrote:I don't know - it takes a certain kind of courage to separate oneself from one's family.Quote:Seraviel wrote:Nice. Very Percy, while making a clear difference from canon.Yes. This makes him a coward, instead of just a prig. (Amongst other things, I'd call that kind of courage "misguided," but it is courage.) -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012 - Black Aeronaut - 05-29-2015 Actually, I think Arthur and Molly would approve. In secret. So if worse did come to worse, Percy would have that protection. Besides, to me it sounds as though Percy is going to be doing a bit of undermining of his own, seeing as he has declared Umbridge and Fudge to be incompetent. - Ebony - 05-29-2015 Quote:Black Aeronaut wrote:I disagree. The tone of the letter seems to be more those of a man who is willing to cut ties with everyone who cares for him because they're "marked for death." Rather than take that knowledge and act upon it (aside from trying to persuade Ron to do otherwise), he chose to hide in the safety of his position. History is filled with men who did that, and they were surprised as hell when their loyal service was rewarded with internment camps and inquisitorial torture. Mind you, without context, it's difficult to say whether or not this is Percy providing Ron with information in the guise of a (pardon the pun) weasely cry for him to save himself. It may be that he is working from within the system to try and stop Voldemort, but I don't see any of that in this letter. Just a man trying to keep his head down in hopes that it doesn't get cut off. Ebony the Black Dragon http://ebony14.livejournal.com "Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you." |