Order Only: Drinks with Rosier
Jul. 17th, 2012 02:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_billWent out for drinks with Stephen Rosier last night. I'm cautiously optimistic that things are going well there. I have the impression that he's taken a definite liking to me, which I'm doing everything I can to cultivate. Not that he's exactly the type to pour out his heart to a subordinate, I mean. But it's clear that the man is lonely. He lost a son during the war, and he still keeps the boy's picture on his desk. To be blunt, Dad and I have discussed how I can possibly use this, by presenting myself to him as a friendly, ambitious young man that he can take a paternal interest in grooming for a rising career.
As Dad can attest, things are definitely tense both in this department and Muggle Domestication, what with the investigators on the Dogstar operation still nosing through everything. There've been discussions about the necessity of disrupting the remnants of the Dogstar network in the camps. Since they haven't managed to uncover some of those networks, however, there is significant doubt about how to do this. Should the staff be replaced (oh, right. With whom???) or moved to other locations? Should the camp population be shuffled around to break up traitorous alliances? The gung ho types are insisting it must be done: break up all family groups, keeping no children over the age of 10 with their parents or siblings. Adult siblings would be split up, too. Rosier's of two minds about the proposal. As for me, I'm trying not to show how aghast I am at the cruelty that would be involved in separating families. On the other hand I can see what an opportunity it might present for us to place key people into the positions that we want (from Sherwood, or even Ridley's people, if we can get her to cooperate) if I have a hand in the reorganisation.
So, being of mixed opinions myself, I'm reacting by enthusiatically endorsing the idea while keeping up a steady stream of comments that make clear the huge logistical problems the proposal presents.
Like how would all these hapless muggles and muggleborns be moved about? One proposal involves herding them all onto train railcars and moving them that way. A codicil that really made my blood run cold was the idea of transfiguring 'em all first, into something more...herdable. Like cattle. He joked a bit about maybe not bothering to change them back: perhaps the milk and meat is more useful than muggles or mudbloods. Yes, cannibalism. How jolly funny.
Or, he snickered, if you really want to save space, transfigure them into mice. We could even send in some cats if we want to efficiently cull the numbers.
With heroic determination, I managed to keep from spewing my Firewhiskey back up. I did point out that the lingering labour shortage (from Black's epidemic) made nonwizards still useful to have around. He (somewhat regretfully, I think) admitted that I had a point.
Then, when he'd imbibed enough liquor to become really loquacious, the conversation turned especially interesting. If horrifying. I asked why we couldn't simply put more of the muggles and mudbloods to Sleep, and he told me that a certain proportion are resistant to the Sleep spell. Some of them live too close to ley lines. But many resist because of a faint hint of wizarding blood. A distant ancestor, if you will.
I raised an eyebrow at that and pressed him a bit, and in the end he freely admitted that in his opinion the Ministry's propaganda about the origin of Muggleborns is a total crock. Muggleborns don't steal magic. But being born into Muggle families, their loyalty cannot be trusted. And then, almost casually, he mentioned that therefore their magic should be forfeit to those whose loyalty is unquestioned. 'But the Department of Mysteries is working on that, of course.'
It took some careful probing to figure out what he was hinting about, and once I did, it took all my self-control to keep myself from--well.
You know how the Ministry's always going on about muggles stealing magic? Well, the Ministry knows that's absolute rubbish.
Instead, the Ministry is trying to steal magic. From muggleborns to give it to squibs. Proper purebloods, you understand, from proper, loyal wizarding families. The ones who really deserve it.
I made an excuse to wrap the evening up shortly after that. Don't think I could have sat there listening much longer. Dad, he asked me to ask you about the feasibility of this train proposal, given your interest in muggle technology. Not many of the old rail lines that are actually near the camps are in very good repair. They might try a smaller pilot project first, maybe moving people in just four or five camps, just to iron out the kinks to start.
I can't help but hope if they do, they'll discover it stiffens resistance more than they think is worth it. Ugh.
As Dad can attest, things are definitely tense both in this department and Muggle Domestication, what with the investigators on the Dogstar operation still nosing through everything. There've been discussions about the necessity of disrupting the remnants of the Dogstar network in the camps. Since they haven't managed to uncover some of those networks, however, there is significant doubt about how to do this. Should the staff be replaced (oh, right. With whom???) or moved to other locations? Should the camp population be shuffled around to break up traitorous alliances? The gung ho types are insisting it must be done: break up all family groups, keeping no children over the age of 10 with their parents or siblings. Adult siblings would be split up, too. Rosier's of two minds about the proposal. As for me, I'm trying not to show how aghast I am at the cruelty that would be involved in separating families. On the other hand I can see what an opportunity it might present for us to place key people into the positions that we want (from Sherwood, or even Ridley's people, if we can get her to cooperate) if I have a hand in the reorganisation.
So, being of mixed opinions myself, I'm reacting by enthusiatically endorsing the idea while keeping up a steady stream of comments that make clear the huge logistical problems the proposal presents.
Like how would all these hapless muggles and muggleborns be moved about? One proposal involves herding them all onto train railcars and moving them that way. A codicil that really made my blood run cold was the idea of transfiguring 'em all first, into something more...herdable. Like cattle. He joked a bit about maybe not bothering to change them back: perhaps the milk and meat is more useful than muggles or mudbloods. Yes, cannibalism. How jolly funny.
Or, he snickered, if you really want to save space, transfigure them into mice. We could even send in some cats if we want to efficiently cull the numbers.
With heroic determination, I managed to keep from spewing my Firewhiskey back up. I did point out that the lingering labour shortage (from Black's epidemic) made nonwizards still useful to have around. He (somewhat regretfully, I think) admitted that I had a point.
Then, when he'd imbibed enough liquor to become really loquacious, the conversation turned especially interesting. If horrifying. I asked why we couldn't simply put more of the muggles and mudbloods to Sleep, and he told me that a certain proportion are resistant to the Sleep spell. Some of them live too close to ley lines. But many resist because of a faint hint of wizarding blood. A distant ancestor, if you will.
I raised an eyebrow at that and pressed him a bit, and in the end he freely admitted that in his opinion the Ministry's propaganda about the origin of Muggleborns is a total crock. Muggleborns don't steal magic. But being born into Muggle families, their loyalty cannot be trusted. And then, almost casually, he mentioned that therefore their magic should be forfeit to those whose loyalty is unquestioned. 'But the Department of Mysteries is working on that, of course.'
It took some careful probing to figure out what he was hinting about, and once I did, it took all my self-control to keep myself from--well.
You know how the Ministry's always going on about muggles stealing magic? Well, the Ministry knows that's absolute rubbish.
Instead, the Ministry is trying to steal magic. From muggleborns to give it to squibs. Proper purebloods, you understand, from proper, loyal wizarding families. The ones who really deserve it.
I made an excuse to wrap the evening up shortly after that. Don't think I could have sat there listening much longer. Dad, he asked me to ask you about the feasibility of this train proposal, given your interest in muggle technology. Not many of the old rail lines that are actually near the camps are in very good repair. They might try a smaller pilot project first, maybe moving people in just four or five camps, just to iron out the kinks to start.
I can't help but hope if they do, they'll discover it stiffens resistance more than they think is worth it. Ugh.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 11:43 pm (UTC)how--
Merlin. I can hardly believe it.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 11:46 pm (UTC)They called me a thief. Hermione, too. They sneered at us and looked down on us because they said we were low as could be. We were dirty, rotten thieves who stole what we had no right to have.
Now you're telling me that it's the other way around? The Ministry is trying to steal our magic?!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 11:47 pm (UTC)I'd ask if you can appreciate the irony, but I'm sure you don't.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 11:49 pm (UTC)That's why they took us away from our families. Away from anyone who could protect us. To make it easier to do.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 11:51 pm (UTC)If it helps, I think that the idea that the Ministry could steal magic from you is as much a crock as the idea that you stole it from anyone.
Because if they could do it, well...they would have. Long ago.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 11:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 01:26 am (UTC)That's possibly the most awful thing I've heard in a good long while.
How they can look at people, thinking, feeling people, and reduce them to animals so easily... well. I can't understand it. I don't know if I ever will.
At least we've learned more about why the Sleeping spell didn't work for everyone. And we've learned more about their plans. That's valuable, even if it is horrid.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 01:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-18 09:24 pm (UTC)I wonder if this might not be the thing that would spur Ridley to join with us. If you could bring a piece of real intelligence about particular camps where the people are to be moved, and if we indeed had a plan to shuffle a number of trained operatives from Sherwood into place amongst those being resettled, then she might be more inclined to identify her operatives and allow them to brought into our plans.
It's worth trying, at any rate.
I hope we'll find a way to liberate more than a few of those people while they're in transit.
In meantime, someone ought to transfigure Stephen Rosier into a rat and feed him to a roomful of hungry kneazles.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-19 02:06 am (UTC)