Order Only - Teddy Nott

[alt_hydra]

Mrs Longbottom has made it clear that we should share with the entire Order when we believe someone is in danger, so that's what I'm doing.

Harry, Hermione - Teddy hasn't decided to stop interfering with the both you. If anything I think he's got worse. You might have noticed he's been trying to follow me around ever since Justin and I yesterday. He sat next to me at supper last night and offered to "take my mind off" things. And then he sat next to me again, tonight, because I was late and couldn't get in next to Remy or Pansy. I tried to be very busy with my woolten pie, but he just doesn't care about interrupting a person. And it's not that he doesn't know he's interrupting, he just doesn't think to care.

Well, he started talking about "Harry's mudblood" and said that he's thinking of changing his strategy. It was then that I started actually listening to him. Because it was about you, Hermione, and this is Teddy we're talking about after all. You see, he thought that Hermione was awfully unconcerned when he threatened to expose her secret, so now he's sure that Hermione's secret must have been a lie. He also thought she was way too certain that Harry wouldn't allow her to do anything she didn't want to do.

I had to start talking to him then, to find out more. And it meant I had to say terrible things. But I just pretended I was Mummy, and it wasn't really so hard, even though I couldn't finish my food because of it.

So I asked if he thought Hermione's secret was very awful, and he said it was awful enough, but then he said "I think that mudblood bitch had the stones to lie to me. To a pureblood! One of her betters! And I want to know why."

I said: "They probably all lie." (because everyone does, honestly)

He said Harry was far too trusting and that it was important we find out why Hermione thinks she can get away with lying, and make sure she knows she can't. Only then I asked him if that wasn't Harry's job, not ours, and he said that Harry's been tricked, and it's our job to look out for him and drop the scales off his eyes.

And I knew then that what Teddy wanted me to do was legilimise Hermione, find out what her real secrets are, and share them with him.

He kept calling me Hides and touching my hair. I thought I'd be sick.

I suppose I paused a little too long, because then he said that I must have "gone soft." (What does that mean? When have I ever not been soft? That's what Mummy's called me my whole life... only I think Teddy believes I'm like her, or he thinks I'm like him, which is a frightening thought. He kept going on about how "we" were both too clever to be fooled by a mudblood, even Harry's mudblood.)

I told him I found his obvious goading a bore, and he didn't like that. Said he'd just find out by himself if I wouldn't help him. So I told him, very low and clear, "I'm not helping YOU. I'm going to find out myself, for myself. How are you going to get it out of her? You don't have the means. I do. If you want me to share with you what I find out then we do it my way."

A really horrible smile crossed his face and he said "Oh, I have means, but yours are less likely to get my arse kicked again."

I tried to get what he was thinking just then, because it sounded so awful. But Teddy isn't easy to listen to. It doesn't seem as if he's afraid of anything, and his mind fires in all sorts of directions at once. All I saw was that he thought his black eye made him look dashing. I told him that it didn't. He must've been flattered that I legilimised him because he only said "you know you think it's sexy."

He's really so repulsive and foul. But he's not stupid at all. I only wish that he were.

So I finally told him that I would legilimise Hermione and find out what she was hiding, but that I would only tell him what I discovered if I was in the mood. He was smug and ever so confident that I would tell him everything, but at least it finally made him leave.

We'll have to think of what to do. Some false secret I can pretend to have legilimised out of Hermione. Or, I don't know, maybe we ought to have Vince and Greg kill him.

I'm sorry. That's a horrible suggestion, I realise. But his head is dark and awful and I know, I know that he's capable of anything.

Comments

[alt_hydra]

As much as he clearly despises muggleborns, he seems a little fascinated, too. He kept asking me if I didn't wonder what their minds must be like, "all dark and primitive." He also kept going on about how she touches Harry's clothes. And then he told me a story about how he and Draco once made Hermione bleed to see if her mud was brown, and he seemed to remember it very well, and I could tell it was a happy memory.

[alt_terry]

Ugh.

[alt_draco]

He told you the story about what?

And it was happy. Well, isn't that interesting. Perhaps it's the memory he uses to cast a patronus.

Private message to Pansy and Sally Anne

[alt_hydra]

There's more. I didn't want to say it where Justin or any of the others could read. Normally, I would only tell Justin this part, but now.. Well, I can't.

He kept touching me. My hair, my shoulder, my knee. He acted as if he had permission, and even though I stuck my fork into the back of his hand he only treated it as some kind of flirtation.

At the end, when I told him I would only report back to him if I was in the mood, he asked "so what puts you in the mood?" And then he said that everyone knew that I only liked Justin because he got hurt by those Beauxbatons boys, and that he must have been like a dog with a broken leg to me.

He asked, "Did he like it when you hit him?"

He thinks that I hit Justin. Does everyone think that? Why would they think that?

I said, very flip, "Will you like it when I hit you?" He said maybe, and I said "it's more fun if you don't." He agreed with me, then, and said "it's always more fun when there's a bit of struggle."

Then, at the end of our conversation, when he was getting ready to leave, he told me I ought not to play too hard to get with him, that I was "damaged goods" and that I might not have as many chances as I think.

Re: Private message to Pansy and Sally Anne

[alt_pansy]

Oh, Hydra.

That's foul. And miserable. I'm so sorry you had to listen to all of that. I mean, it was very useful, but how awful.

He's playing a rather dangerous game. Honestly. Talking like that to you, and messing with Harry like he is. He shouldn't have said that to you.

It's like he's a creepy first-year all over again only far, far worse.

Re: Private message to Pansy and Sally Anne

[alt_pansy]

And no. People don't think that. Teddy does. Big difference.

Re: Private message to Pansy and Sally Anne

[alt_hydra]

If Teddy thinks it someone else probably does, too. It's alright. I know it isn't true.

Re: Private message to Pansy and Sally Anne

[alt_pansy]

We can make sure you have someone to sit next to at meals. And keep company in the common room. We don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I think it'd probably be best if you weren't seen alone.

And if you did ever want to talk, you know that you could.

I'm ever so sorry for what happened, Hydra.

Re: Private message to Pansy and Sally Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

Ugh. That is utterly foul.

We can think about some spells you could use in self-defense, because the thing is, he'd probably like it if you hurt him, you know? Just like he thought being stabbed with a fork was flirtation. But you shouldn't have to put up with him touching you.

You know, you could talk to Professor Lestrange, and ask him to put Imperius on Teddy to make him leave you alone. He'd probably break through it eventually but at least for a while it ought to work.

And Easter hols are coming really soon. Will you have to see him during hols?

Re: Private message to Pansy and Sally Anne

[alt_hydra]

There's going to be a party at Spence. All the challengers are invited, so I expect Teddy will be there. But so will Harry and Draco - and Pansy and Ron, should they decide to attend.

Maybe I'll Imperius him. It would be good practice.

[alt_harry]

Right.

Okay.

Thanks for passing this along, Hydra.

You're right. We can't deal with him like we do other people. He's dangerous. And Dolohov and Raz don't want him on the council either.

[alt_harry]

So what should we do? To help you, and keep him from nosing around Hermione? Because he's not going to stop on his own, and it looks like beating him up again probably won't work.

The more we make a big deal out of it, the more he might think she's hiding something.

I mean, I keep saying it's about his disrespecting me by messing with my property, but I don't think he's taking it that way at all.

[alt_hydra]

He doesn't understand why you care about your "property" so much. She's just a mudblood to him. You can always get another. To care that much is unnatural. So now he's decided that Hermione must've done some kind of sneaky trickery to make you care.

I don't know what to do. Maybe everyone else has ideas, but all I've thought is that Hermione might need to tell me a real secret. Not that she does magic, of course. But something real and believable. I hate that it has to be that way, but I don't know what else will work.

[alt_terry]

What if you told him something that happened between her and Carrow. Because he's DEAD, and he can't contradict anything. Or Miss Professor Carrow.

I'm not quite sure what. But if it involves either Carrow, it could be something sick and twisted, and that might please him.

(Sorry, Hermione.)

[alt_hydra]

It might please him, but it also might not satisfy him at all, because the Carrows are dead he might dismiss the secret as irrelevant since it can't be proven. There's no telling with Teddy.

[alt_harry]

What if it were about Voldemort?

Something she could've picked up in Buckingham, or overheard me saying?

Something that'd get him in trouble if he knew it and blabbed. Like his real name. Or his parents' names. Which prove that he's halfblooded.

[alt_sally_anne]

If Hermione's most shameful secret were that she knew that the Lord Protector were a half-blood

well, on one hand it's a hilarious idea but unfortunately Teddy might decide to kill Hermione to protect Our Lord's secret. I wouldn't put it past him.

[alt_harry]

We can keep an eye out, see what he does with it. He's mad. There's no telling for sure what he'd do.

And yeah, trying to kill Hermione might be one of the things he settles on. But he could also decide to go against Voldemort, too. Or throw them both a tea party. I don't know.

Sorry.

I guess what I'm saying is he could do that no matter what.

[alt_hermione]

Oh, Harry, that's a wonderful idea!

Only it's not my shameful secret, then, is it--it's Voldemort's.

Hm.

[alt_harry]

Well, maybe the key is how you found out?

Or that what you thought at first was that he wanted your BIGGEST secret, like you misheard him, and when you sorted out that it was something shameful, you were so relieved you just said the first dirty thing you could think of?

[alt_terry]

Mmm. Perhaps he might react favourably if you make it clear that it's a secret she's been trying very hard to keep from her master--Harry Marvolo. Something that Carrow did to her.

I dunno. Hermione might have a better idea than me. The two of you know Teddy Nott better than I do. I avoided him any chance I had.

[alt_hermione]

No, it's all right. It's probably my fault first for not coming up with anything worse than making him think I fancied Professor Lestrange and then for not being worried enough when he was talking to me. Only I was so much more worried about--other things. I thought I'd fooled him at the time but he must have decided differently later.

Right. Professor Carrow.... I'm not sure what to suggest, either. It can't be sexual because I had that spell on me for so long. I'd rather not say something like he made me eat cat food or live rats or something like that because what if Nott decides to try it?

Maybe we could say that he once made me and Terry strip naked and serve him and Miss Professor Carrow dinner. With any luck, Nott will find that image so gross and horrifying he won't be interested in a reenactment.

And Hydra--I'm so sorry he's being such a loathsome little cockroach. Maybe we should make sure that Crabbe and Goyle put him in St Mungo's. (Sorry, Madam P.)

Or.... Do you suppose we could beat him at his own game? He's trying to blackmail me, but Hydra, you said he sounded oddly fascinated, too. What if we wrote his father informing Mr Nott that Teddy's been sniffing after me, and not in a wholesome, mudblood-hating, patriotic sort of way? We could send an owl tonight. We'd still have to deal with this situation but maybe over Easter holidays his father will find the right way to frighten him into settling down.

[alt_sally_anne]

I'd be really worried Mr Nott would take things out on you.

[alt_harry]

Oh. Right.

[alt_hermione]

Yes. Fair point.

Damn.

So it's back to putting him in St M's.

[alt_alice]

If this escalates significantly, then yes, that might be an option we'd have to consider.

[alt_harry]

That'd work, yeah.

[alt_terry]

For the secret, that might work, yeah. Especially because Teddy was there when Carrow made all my clothes fall off in the Great Hall, so he already knows that Carrow didn't mind seeing mudbloods from the skin out. And embarrassing them that way. It could be believably something that Hermione kept secret from Harry, to prevent her master from going head-to-head with his professor over his property.

Urgh.

[alt_draco]

It's not your fault.

[alt_sally_anne]

Could you tell him that you know her secret, but you're not going to tell him?

I suppose that would just have him after you, endlessly, though.

Ugh.

[alt_hydra]

I think it would have him after me, yes. He might even like it, and think that I was withholding the secret because I wanted all his attention.

But I can endure it if it's our only or best option. I'm afraid of him, but that doesn't matter.

[alt_pansy]

He probably shouldn't just up and disappear. It wouldn't be like Sarah Fawcett, or even the Pink Toad. His father would make too much noise, and unless we were really careful

And I don't suppose we'd be able to convince the LP that Harry needs to kill someone of his choosing, either.

[alt_sirius]

Hydra,

First off, what a toad.

Second, why can't you simply tell him that you read Hermione's mind thoroughly (I'm sure she would understand if you indicated that it was dull and simple) and that in fact, her dark secret is whatever she told Nott in the first place? It was a crush on the Razzer, right?

Simply tell him that she's such an inferiour creature that she's incapable of anything more sophisticated.

He may not believe you but at least then he's less likely to pester Hermione.


You still know that below-the-belt hex, don't you?

[alt_hydra]

Yes, I still know it. And other ones.

Your solution is simple but maybe that's best. We're all trying so hard to think of something complicated and none of it seems right.

I'm worried, though, that he won't really believe that Hermione's dull. He might be inclined to think that way about muggleborns, but he's very observant, and it's very hard for Hermione to appear dull, even when she tries. Maybe from a distance, yes, but he's managed to corner her face-to-face, more than once.

[alt_alice]

That's a good point -- but perhaps you can think of a way to make it seem like she's just a particularly well-trained pet who's rather good at pretending to be clever?

I agree that being dismissive is far more likely to make him leave off, and the key is to make her appear far less interesting rather than more.

[alt_hydra]

Or, might I say that Hermione thinks that she's clever, because someone once told her she's ever so clever, "for a mudblood," but in truth she's really quite simple, and she's just been trained to be a very effective servant.

Because Teddy hasn't really seen evidence of her cleverness, he just picks up on the projection of it, I think.

[alt_sirius]

Well, maybe not a complete moron, of course, but you could intimate that the mind of a muggleborn is somewhat ... animalistic. So her appetite for a fit male is understandable, if disgusting.

That sort of thing.

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.

And next time he sits next to you, try striking before he gets the chance to open his mouth.

[alt_draco]

No.

This is the worst solution of them all.

[alt_alice]

You and Harry most likely know him best, Draco.

Is there a particular consequence to this that we're not seeing?

What would you recommend?

[alt_draco]

I find it particularly hypocritical that Sirius Black, the great author of the Grim Truth, would suggest that we deliberately degrade a muggleborn in order to get out of this. True, all of us have to partake in public degradation at times, for show, but really? That's the best we have?

When we were little, my Mother didn't like me to have Teddy over to play. Because he had a fondness for vivisection. On animals. He took apart my mother's pet canary because he wanted to know what it looked like inside.

And if his memory of Hermione's blood makes him so happy that Hydra can sense it, then I don't think we want to have him thinking of her as an animal moreso than he already does.

[alt_hermione]

Draco, it's not as if Sirius actually thinks I'm an animal, or stupid, or any of those things.

We're just talking about putting Teddy off the scent. It's fine, I don't mind.

And as for his trying to vivisect me, well, that's why Harry told him to keep his hands off. Besides, it's not as if I can't protect myself, if it's absolutely necessary.

I'm fairly handy with my Obliviation spells, too, or did you forget that?

Besides, if it works and makes him back off, then we've accomplished the goal with a minimum of fuss. If it doesn't, it's highly unlikely anything else would do better.

[alt_draco]

He isn't listening to Harry. He thinks Harry's all mixed-up about you.

He didn't care that the canary was Mrs Lucius Malfoy's pet. He figured, well, she can always get a new one. She's got loads of galleons, plenty to buy another canary. He could apply the same logic to you, and to Harry.

Maybe you should just leave this place. Go to Moddey and be safe. Harry can say that Hydra showed him that way and that he got rid of you.

[alt_hermione]

Oh, now you're just being ridiculous. Moddey? Because of Teddy Nott?

Honestly, Draco, that's possibly the most absurd thing you've ever said.

Look, it's simple, it's fine. If it doesn't work, we'll just Confund him or something. Harry can even hide under his cloak in case Nott tries something.

There are loads of options if we decide we don't have to come up with some alternate story.

[alt_lupin]

Hydra, is Teddy going to expect an answer about this before Friday, or can you put him off? You're all leaving for Easter hols in a few days. Not that he'll forget, but it would give the rest of us more time to think of a satisfactory answer.

[alt_hermione]

The deadline for the blackmail challenge is supper on Friday, so no, we have to resolve this before we go home for the holidays.

[alt_alice]

Not necessarily.

She could hold him in suspense deliberately, and he might take it as her wanting him to do poorly in the challenge.

His behaviour might escalate over the next few days, however, if we aren't careful.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh, hold on, maybe -- what if Hermione did something humiliating for Hydra, and Hydra told Teddy, 'yes, I got her secret, but it's mine now, not yours, so I had her humiliate herself for ME instead of you' -- then it looks like Hermione had a humiliating secret but that Hydra was too ruthless to help Teddy.

Does that work?

Hermione would have to do something humiliating, though.