Private message to Rachel Lamont

[alt_bill]

I understand that Marcellus Mann of Half-blood Affairs is no longer with Half-blood Affairs.

I also understand you had something to do with this.

Care to explain?

Comments

[alt_bill]

I was considering him for a brand new position, as a matter of fact: Protectorate Affairs Office Elf. Duties include light parchmentwork, stepping in to get cruciated instead of me, fetching tea, and keeping me supplied with lemons.

So tell me: why was he sacked?

[alt_rachel]

Because he falsified the paperwork on his blood purity. He's a half-blood, not a pureblood.

I don't recommend sending him into Mulciber's office in your stead unless you dislike him rather a lot.

[alt_bill]

And so you did him a favour by arranging to have him sacked, I suppose!

For falsifying parchmentwork?!

Bloody hell.

Oh, yes, and of course Mulciber would have a fit at the astounding idea that someone who's really a half-blood might have actually been working in Half-blood Affairs!

[alt_rachel]

I had him sacked for lying on his job application. If someone lies about the small things, how can you trust them not to lie about important things?

[alt_bill]

The Ministry of Magic is built on

Could you at least have had the courtesy to notify someone in the Division before hauling our people down to Personnel to get thrown out on their ear? Well, not Mulciber in this case, but someone else? Maybe me, if only because I have to pick up the pieces?

People are shell-shocked enough after what happened with Communications, much less Mulciber's rampages. I'm trying to keep people from quitting here. Do you have any idea how many people I've had crying in my office in the past week?

At this rate, we won't have anyone sticking around to do the bloody work.

[alt_bill]

Bugger. Now I suppose Mulciber is going to demand that we investigate the background of every bleeding employee.

Thanks a lot, Lamont.

[alt_rachel]

I'll do my best to find all the interesting bits before you get there.

You're not going to be allowed into the files until I'm done with them, anyway. He could be instructing you to hide precisely the sorts of things I'm most interested in (which is not, in any event, secret half-bloods).

[alt_bill]

Don't be daft. As if I'd obey an order from him to hide things from MLE.

[alt_bill]

Never mind it being against my principles, he'd probably just take it as a tailor-made excuse to blackmail me. I'm not that thick.

[alt_rachel]

Believe it or not, Bill, I am trying not to put you into an awkward position between me and your boss.

You seem dead set on finding a way into that position all on your own, though.

In this case, under the circumstances, I wanted him out of the building before Mulciber found out. It didn't occur to me for one minute to let you know about it. First of all, it would have been your job to let Mulciber know immediately. Second of all, if you weren't going to do that, why the hell did you even need to know?

[alt_bill]

Bloody hell.

All right. You're right, okay? I'm being unreasonable. You were just doing your own job.

He's a friend. He's a personal friend that I went for drinks with occasionally. I had no idea he was a half-blood, I swear. I'm angry and I'm taking it out on you because I'm worried about my friend, who has just lost the only job he's had for twenty years. Now that he's outed, he'll probably not be able to find anything else but some shite job, like being a janitor or something.

Will he lose his pension?

[alt_rachel]

It's perfectly reasonable to be upset when a friend is fired, no matter what the cause.

I don't know about the pension. He'll need to talk to personnel about that.

[alt_bill]

If they'll even let him in the building again.

[alt_rachel]

Wait, YOU'RE not secretly impure, are you?

[alt_rachel]

No, that can't possibly be it. Forget I asked.

[alt_bill]

Gladly.

[alt_bill]

What, you're not going to tell me to be un-diplomatic? Good god, Lamont, what a question!

[alt_rachel]

Well it clearly didn't bother you that Mann's a half-blood.

[alt_bill]

Why the hell should I care what someone's blood status is, as long as they can do the work? What, do you expect me to think like Mulciber?

[alt_rachel]

No, but apparently it's really offensive that you might conceivably have a drop of impure blood yourself.

I'm sorry! I didn't mean to insult your family.

[alt_rachel]

Given your squeamishness about the Cardinals, I rather thought you'd understand why I wanted him out of the building before Mulciber found out why he'd been fired.

And firecalling you to say 'why hello there Weasley, I'm firing Mr Mann because he lied about being a half-blood but for Merlin's sake don't tell your boss!' puts you in a rather awkward position. Especially if you're asked about it later.

I apologise for my assumption that you don't wish either to get cruciated, or to have to cruciate anyone else, any more often than absolutely necessary.

[alt_bill]

I may be a mere civilian, Auror Lamont, but you needn't condescend. Maybe I never expected to get hazard pay for the privilege of pushing parchment at the Ministry of Magic, but I am as perfectly capable of doing my bloody job as you are. Whatever is required of me.

You'd best remember that.

[alt_rachel]

Your bloody job is whatever Mulciber says it is this week. Did Mulciber add 'Take firecalls about staff members who are about to be sacked' to your list today?