ORDER ONLY: challenge

[alt_harry]

So, I'm assuming everyone got the same challenge, yeah? Here's what my owl said:

'For the next week, challengers will curse any student they find who demonstrates insufficient loyalty to the Lord Protector, or who are aren’t living up to their noble wizarding heritage and gifts.'

Anyways. We should probably give the galleon group a warning so everyone knows to keep an eye out. And let me and Mrs L know once you've sorted stuff out, I guess.

The book thing went well yesterday, I thought. There was a pretty good turnout. Donovan had a lot to say about the Lion series he's been reading. I don't think he's ever talked that much about anything before. I might have to read that next. He said it didn't take long to read.

Oh. And I'm finishing up my report from the last challenge. Sally-Anne, Pans, maybe you can look over what I say about the vision to make sure it's okay? And Ron, you should probably look over what I said about yours, too. Just in case.

Ted's challenge was to be nice. I thought it was part of some sort of bigger plan, but when he filed his report with me, that's pretty much all there was to it. Finnegan had to do this crazy climbing stunt up one of the towers. Blaise reported on his charity donation. Vince and Greg had to challenge council members to a duel over hols, and got their arses handed to them. Bobolis had to denounce a family member. I still don't have everyone's reports in yet, but I think Draco and Hydra were the only ones without something to do.

Comments

[alt_pansy]

Seriously?

I had to go on the black market, brew a complicated potion, give it to a friend and run the risk of it driving her barmy, and Teddy Nott had to be nice for a week?

Ugh.

Crabbe and Goyle are idiots who are wasting space at Hogwarts. So I'll be letting them both know how much I think they've squandered their 'gifts'.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, I got that same challenge. No idea what I'm going to do about it. Not much, I think. Because I'm not cursing people for no good reason.

Did you hear what Zabini did yesterday? Went around and randomly made people sing Tow Row Row, and if they didn't do it well enough, he hexed them with something that made them... wet themselves. Went after a load of second and third years, and some firsties, and, of course, they didn't know the song. Not like the rest of us, who had to sing it all the bloody time.

[alt_sally_anne]

Zabini is a mediocre idiot, speaking of people who aren't 'living up to their gifts.' I would find it hilarious if he got hit with the sudden compulsion to honestly tell his professors that he put in the minimum possible effort to get a passable mark on every assignment.

[alt_ron]

Ha. Well, that I 'd be willing to do.

Except that I don't really want to plant the idea that compulsions to tell what someone really thinks are a great way to go after this assignment. Because, yeah.

[alt_draco]

Alright, I figure I have a few options here.

One: I can go after someone like Macmillan for dating a halfblood Bumbridge-toady like Megan Jones, even though I've got nothing against the bloke, really.

Two: I can go after someone I happen to personally dislike at the moment, like Teddy, or someone who everyone collectively finds irritating, like Midgen, and simply invent a reason for their disloyalty.

Three: I can collude with Order members who are likely to be targeted by others. The Longbottoms, Weasley, Sally Anne... I think you're all likely to be on the receiving end, sorry to say.

Thoughts?

[alt_sally_anne]

If you went after one of us, do you think that would cause other people to NOT come after us (because we were 'taken' already) or do you think we'd just get cursed again as soon as the curse you cast wore off?

[alt_draco]

There's no telling, is there? I can see someone like Padma not wanting to go after someone who was already 'taken,' but Smith probably wouldn't stop and think not to.

[alt_ron]

Well, yeah. You can see how that could go at least two different ways.

It could be painting a giant target on us because everyone else would think, 'Malfoy says they're not loyal enough. Everybody go for them!'

On the other hand, the people who are really competing don't just want to follow Draco and Hydra around and copy what they've already done. So it could mean that we wouldn't be very valuable targets after he's hexed us.

Flip a galleon on that one?

[alt_sally_anne]

Okay. Draco, I think I'd rather you and Hydra didn't target me for this one, because if one of you says I'm 'disloyal,' that could make things a lot harder for me in the future (not in the contest, I mean, just in Slytherin House). If some prat like Smith curses me for disloyalty no one in Slytherin will care, or even Zabini, but one of you -- that would make things a lot harder.

I think Hydra should go after Teddy and let everyone think she saw something disloyal in his head. Draco -- I don't know. If you do go after one of the Longbottoms, maybe you should have Nev just show up somewhere and let you do it. Tell everyone you told him that either he could show up at such-and-such a time and let you do it, or you'd curse him or Evelyn when you had a good chance. It'll let him look like a good Gryffindor and it'll make you look like someone who's already so powerful people will just turn up and let you curse them. That's the sort of thing someone already on the Council can do, you know?

[alt_evelyn]

You're right, it probably wouldn't hurt Nev and me as much, not like it would you. As long as it wasn't about our own disloyalty, but about wasting our heritage or our gifts or something.

[alt_sally_anne]

You're not in Slytherin. So he wouldn't be turning your House against you.

[alt_evelyn]

No, it wouldn't, you're right. But if Finnegan were to decide to target one of us, I suppose it'd make things even worse than it already is in the dorm.

[alt_draco]

It doesn't even have to be about you, specifically. If I curse your brother to have a limp for a few days, for example, well - that would remind everyone about what your mother did to Raz. Bad blood between families, no one would bat an eye, nor look too closely. And if it were presented as Neville offering himself up to me, as Sally Anne suggested, then he comes off as if he's atoning for his parents' sins.

[alt_evelyn]

Yes.

I can see that.

[alt_neville]

I can see your reasoning, too. I'm willing to limp a few days for the cause.

If I 'offer myself up for you,' how and where should we stage it?

[alt_neville]

Or is it better for you to take me by surprise, and THEN I make the offer?

Whatever you think's best.

[alt_draco]

I don't know.. I'm not yet convinced that this is the best strategy. Let me think on it further and get back to you tomorrow.

[alt_hydra]

I don't know about me going after Teddy. He's likely to take it as flirtation.

[alt_sally_anne]

There's that.

[alt_hydra]

I think the others are beginning to see Draco and I as a team. Especially since he's Harry's best friend, and I'm Harry's girlfriend. And we killed an acromantula together (or so they think). If he went after Neville and I went after Evelyn, people might see it as our right, precisely because of the family history, and leave them both alone for the rest of this challenge.

[alt_sally_anne]

The problem with you going after either of the Longbottoms is that everyone knows you're a legilimens, so people will assume you read something disloyal in their minds.

[alt_hydra]

Isn't that the problem with me going after anyone, though?

In which case I suppose it is better to go after someone widely disliked, but I'd still prefer it to not be Teddy.

[alt_evelyn]

Yes. So that means that you either need to go after someone you really want to hurt, or just be careful about the reasons you give for it.

Like if you said it was because of our family history, for example.

You could even say that you know we'll show up because it's painfully obvious we're ashamed of our parents and want to atone.

[alt_justin]

Hullo,

I say, what if Hydra went after Blaise for being a lazy git, what, who uses money to solve any given problem, and left the others with observable poor behaviour to Draco?

-Justin

[alt_hermione]

Ooh, yes!

By the same logic, Hydra could practise her legilimency on Padma or Seamus or any of the other candidates and see if we can find out anything about them, like what they really think of the competition.

That would be amazingly helpful for any future challenges, too.

[alt_hydra]

I already did legilimise Vince and Greg. Well, only for embarrassing secrets.

This is a good idea, and you're right, it would be helpful. Do you reckon any of them have learnt occlumency?

[alt_hermione]

Well, if they have done, it'd still be good to know that.

But I don't know if most of them would think about whether they need to learn it.

[alt_evelyn]

I suppose it depends on whether you thought it'd be enough to get good marks.

You're right, Nev and I are rather obvious choices. If you think that wouldn't hurt your chances, or could make a case for it, or maybe used it to show power, like Sally-Anne suggests, I can see how it could send the right sort of message, and make people leave off trying to copy you.

[alt_susan]

Could somebody go for someone like Belinda Dunstan or Romilda Vane for being more interested in dress robes and boys than in serving the Protectorate, or would that be too naff?

[alt_pansy]

Hah. If I wasn't aiming for Vince and Greg, I might consider that. It is rather true.

[alt_ron]

I didn't get the idea there were any limits on how many people you could hex. In fact, if you're wanting to go for this one, it sounded to me as if the more you did, the better.

So, y'know, if you wanted to go for Dunstan and Vane... it's your call.

[alt_pansy]

Hm. I might have to give that some thought.

[alt_susan]

Do you think it would be convincing enough?

I'm just trying to think of ways that you all could fulfill the task, and keep away from people who are really truly vulnerable without seeming to.

I'd suggest Brown, but it might not be a good idea to go for the girlfriend of a contestant, even if it's Moon.