bait_backup | Come let the truth be shared

*With yesterday's Dementor attack still fresh in everyone's mind, the Order assembles quickly and without even a breath of chit-chat, as Moody has been demanding of them for months. This improvement, coupled with copies of the Leisure Centre incident files on the coffee table, is enough to keep the room at large subdued. Most of the victims had been much too young, so many of wizarding Britain's children shuttled off to swimming lessons early Monday mornings without any mandated primary school to attend, and their small bodies lie almost completely still in the water, backs breaching the waterline as their lifeless eyes look down toward their dangling feet. Moody breaks the silence.*

Well. Time's come.

We need to use what we've got and what we know or this'll happen again, just somewhere else. The Death Eaters haven't claimed any of these, Crouch has been pointing fingers at werewolves all along, but no matter who did this, we've got to get everyone's facts on the table, see the big picture to do any good.

No more handling things on your own, or keeping sources secret. Everyone works, everyone reports. Out with it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think - and someone correct me if I'm wrong - that the concern with blackmail and the code would be getting to Regulus without any of us being exposed. Polyjuice is the most dependable means of disguise, but it takes too long to brew, and we need to act on this quickly. Regulus is...skittish. At best. The longer we wait, the more chance that something will go wrong before we can get to him, if you ask me.

*Even though the papers have been sitting in their flat for a good while. Remus, wisely, neglects to mention that part.*

Understood.

And who would perform the curse? And what is the plan if Crouch throws it off?

I'd guess it needs to be one of you, actually, an Auror. You're the only ones who have an alibi if your wand is ever tested for Unforgivables. As to Crouch....

*He trails off, looking to Sirius and Alice and shrugging.*

He's unstable. He's mad. Have you ever really met the kid? When he's away from his dad, I mean. Not all there. I don't think he has enough wits about him to throw off the curse, and any strangeness from trying to throw it off--well, that's just how he is. Weird.

*Lily doesn't much feel like participating at all anymore, but at this she has to speak up.*

He may be strange but that doesn't mean he can't fend for himself, or that he isn't intelligent.

I'm not saying he isn't. I'm saying that if he managed to throw it off--we could handle it. Better than if we got to someone who makes sense with any kind of regularity.

*But he's not mad. Lily's really thinking about it, discussing it, not shutting the idea down outright, and that's something to be thankful for.*

*Moody's eyes have darted around the room as he remains unusually quiet. Being such a brutally blunt man, always campaigning for action, it's not rare for people to overlook just how much insight Moody knows how to gain of a situation by watching and listening.

He had expected this conversation to come up among them. The morality of if Dark magic can ever be an acceptable means to an end is a debate with no clear right or wrong answer, and he's known decent wizards with both views. Still, it tells him a lot about who to keep an eye on as well as who would be willing to go to the most extreme lengths to gain a much-needed advantage.*

When we do this... we're going to have to be damn sure first. About everything, before anyone lays a finger on that boy. I don't care if he's mad as a hatter, he's Crouch's son, that's more dangerous than any Unforgivable.

I agree. I think we'd need to consider Obliviating him as well, after, if we do this. Carefully, of course, there's no need to harm him. And then there's the question of how to mitigate the risk of Regulus mentioning it to him later.

*Alice nods to Remus, then looks along the table to Moody.*

We will definitely have to Obliviate Crouch afterwards. And I think whoever is operating Crouch will have to reveal that he is not himself at some point, preferably after we've extracted the information. It's the only way to protect Crouch and Regulus - I don't think it's in Regulus's nature to attack his friend, even if it is just his body.

Whatever we do with Crouch, the instructions will have to be incredibly specific. We need someone who knows both of them to help create and carry out the assignment. And Sirius is the only one.

*Alice turns to Sirius.*

I don't think you should Imperius him, but you'll have to be on-hand to help whoever does.

Come let the truth be shared

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