Private message to The Weasley Family and Alice Longbottom

[alt_bellatrix]

Your daughter/sister is in my Buckingham office. Her injuries have been healed and she is currently playing gobstones with my son.

I have an offer for you: the safe return of Ginny Weasley in return for my daughter.

Alice, I'm sure you will reject the idea out of hand. You've got much mileage out of Hydra's gifts, and it's plain that Ginny doesn't shoulder a role equal to Hydra's. To be frank: Ginny is more expendable to you than Hydra. Come to think of it, so was your own son.

Weasleys, you are left in the undesirable position of either convincing your leader to hand Hydra over, or finding a way to live with the knowledge that you left Ginny helpless, and in my hands.

Comments

Re: Order Only

[alt_fred]

And I highly doubt Ginny's 'playing gobstones with Rigel.'

Honestly, how stupid does she think we are?!

Re: Order Only

[alt_alice]

I will be attempting to engage in negotiation with Bellatrix. I'm choosing to do it where you can see, because I'd rather you learn about the options available directly than second hand through her. Please know we're exploring what limited options there are available to us, and this is one of them.

This bargaining will not be pleasant to read, I can imagine. I am sorry for causing you and your family more pain in the process. She will attempt to use whatever we give her, because she is desperate and an utter stranger to empathy, decency, and honour.

Re: Order Only

[alt_molly]

Alice,

Thank you. I hope with all my heart that it works.

But I fear it won't. I would personally rend Bellatrix Lestrange limb from limb if I could to save my dear girl. But Arthur taught me chess. He taught all the children chess. We all understand that with war must come sacrifice, and we are clearly still at war.

Ginny is a soldier for the Order. She understood the risks, she assumed them willingly, and I won't insult her by saying she didn't, or by begging to be spared from the cost.

I'll be damned before I'll play into Bellatrix Lestrange's hands the way she wants. You have my support, and I know you have Ginny's too. We fight on from here. I know you'll do what you can try to save her. But if we lose Ginny....

Merlin help us, we'll fight on without her.