*He'd rather keep his mouth shut, but it doesn't sit well with Gideon to let Lily be the only voice of dissent. He also knows that, as an Auror, as damned unfair as it is, his opinion might carry a bit more weight.*

I'm not particularly happy about this either, Lily. But there's a real possibility that this is the best tactical choice, the one that keeps the most people safe.

I think it's important, though, that we truly consider all our options. The house-elf thing is out, sure, but what about a coded message? Blackmail? Is that tack no longer of interest?