Order Only: The Prophet

[alt_bill]

(Am waiting in an anteroom to meet the goblin representatives. I think they're taking pleasure in making the wait time a little longer than usual).

I see our erstwhile Minister Rowle had a statement in last evening's edition of the Prophet. Nice touch: 'The Ministry is not a building, it is YOUR government.' There's an owl address for employees to contact to learn the new department locations, which I presume will be scattered throughout the spaces Bellatrix's forces still control. Buckingham and the Palace of Westminster. (Interesting that they're not calling the latter place the 'Museum of Curiousities' anymore.)

Hmm. Rowle's statement is rather buried, on page 4. The news about the battle of Hogwarts fully takes up the first several pages, and the coverage strikes me as leaning toward sympathetic.

Alice, I'll get you a list of all my contacts at the Prophet tonight. We should also be talking with the Wizarding Wireless Network as soon as possible. It's critical that the public understand our story, so they don't gravitate to that of Bellatrix and her ilk.

(I hear them coming; later.)

Comments

[alt_jeremy]

Some people are definitely reading it as sympathetic.

Flue-called my mother to check. They've had two get-well baskets ordered for the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts today. That, with the three -- wait, now four, brought in by the rubbish service delivery crew, is a sign of public support. From at least some of the public.

Private Message to Sirius and Remus

[alt_alice]

Sirius, love, I'm anticipating that were you to offer yourself for an exclusive interview, that'd help turn some heads.

But we do need a consistent media liaison so we can at least present some sort of nods to consistency and transparency. Any thoughts?

[alt_sinistra]

Popular opinion right now would be a help.

Linus went to talk to his father today, and it went surprisingly well. I've seen messages go out to more than half the current Board now from him, and he told Linus that he'd give some indication of how things were going in a day or two.

The argument he went with - well, on one hand it's sort of horrible, but on the other hand, I think it's likely to be very effective with the Board - went like this.

"The Governors have a responsibility to Hogwarts which is both fiduciary and that of oversight of personnel, and if there is dereliction of duty -- with resulting harm, even! -- and the Governors do not take steps to normalise the situation, they themselves may be morally and legally liable for any injuries, death, lossage, damages from interrupted education, or other costs resulting from the absence of the guidance of a competent Head during this sad time."

And then some bits about how if the Board doesn't handle this well, they're going to be the focus for a lot of unhappy parents.

I was going to say we should be ready to give them names, but really the only name we should give them is Septima, if she's willing.

She's been doing the work for years, she is the Deputy, that's what you're supposed to do. She knows the school, all the surviving staff and students know her, know what to expect.

Poppy, I don't think it would be physically demanding, while she's recovering: what we really need right now is someone who can be here and coax the castle, and who the elves feel they can take all the possible orders from, we can give her help with records and supplies and whatever.

And if she doesn't want it after things are more stable, well, we'll be in a better position to figure out what the next thing looks like.

[alt_alice]

That works on many levels -- she's not an Order member, and was second in line to the position already, which helps perceptions of impartiality and continuity; and she also was wounded defending children from harm, which speaks well to her character.

I have a feeling we won't have to push the parents, nor do I want to -- but the more we can tell the story of what happened, the clearer Dolohov's abandonment will be.