Hydra Lestrange Finch-Fletchley

Yesterday's was an especially long summons, wasn't it? When our Lord makes an effort to subsume us with His message, He doesn't do it by halves. I anticipate that He may offer a refresher when we're next called to court. It's been known to happen before. Repeat application of such lessons ensures that we think of Him first in all matters, and ourselves second. Rightly so.

But I know that neither of you grew up with Council Members for parents (excepting Uncle Rosier), so maybe you weren't expecting it. I don't know.

I hope that you awoke feeling refreshed and more fully yourselves again, but better acquainted with the measures that He must employ to sharpen us into an extension of His will, and His will alone.

I might go for a run tonight, while the weather is good and coursework still light. If either of you would care to join.

From,
Hydra

Hullo.

I'm not going to ask if you're alright, and I'm not going to tell you it will be alright.

This is the worst thing that's ever happened to you, and it's happened less than a week after the other worst thing that's ever happened to you. This is the most helpless, terrified, and small that you have ever felt. All you thought you could withstand, all the tests you've gone through, none of it prepared you for this horrible weight.

If I were with you, I'd be able to feel it. I'd take some of it away, if I could, if it would help. I'm not the only one who would do that for you, either.

I love your parents. Uncle Lucius - well, not the way Pansy loves him, but he's been in my life since I can remember. And your mother is, in some ways, the only mother I've ever known. I don't want bad things to happen to them.

But when I joined the Order, I had to accept bad things. I knew that I might have to fight your parents, and mine, see them arrested, see them killed. Maybe even kill them myself. And I was ready - I am ready. But maybe you thought you were ready, too.

Bad things have been here all along, we've never been able to hide from them, and I don't think we can never really be ready for them, either... You must have felt so safe, with love like your parents'. They told you everything - the whole world - would be yours. I wish they had told you the truth.

The whole world can still be ours, but it won't come without a price. Just like your parents' love didn't come without a price. They would never accept the son they have now, if they knew him like I do. They wouldn't accept me. But that's not my fault, and it's not yours. They made their choices long ago, and you and I made different ones.

I know some people think I joined the Order for Justin. I didn't. I did it for me.

Don't worry about what the Order wants, and don't worry about what your parents want. What do you want for yourself, and what inside yourself do you hold most dearly?

Hold on to that. I promise that tomorrow, you'll still have it.

Don't worry, I've no plans to tell anyone about your secret copy of Pure Victory.

But if you really want to learn to occlude, you need to work with a willing legilimens. It's the only way to know if you're getting anywhere.

From,
Hydra

Harry,

I had a wonderful evening last night. Thank you for escorting me.

From,
Hydra

Is everything alright? Are you back to the Jugson's yet?

I ask because I think I'm going to need to give you Jack.

I've been keeping him in my room, but Rigel's either found a way in, or he's heard Jack's mewing, because now he keeps asking to see the kitty. Even if I do keep my room locked and warded I'm worried Rigel will make Mrs Baylock get Jack for him to play with. And you remember what happened with Tevis, don't you? Rigel decided he liked him and after that, Tevis never stopped following him around. He still does, even now.

I know we've been teaming up on this challenge, and I've been allowing you to lead the way, mostly. But the next time you come up with a grand idea to turn my life inside-out, how about you discuss it with me and Harry, rather than convincing Harry first, then having him present it to me in a way that makes it impossible for me to say no.

I realise that the fake girlfriend approach has worked well for you, but that doesn't mean everyone else wants or needs to follow suit.

Did you see that my mother wrote me? She wrote me and it's all mad, just mad. She says things about legilimency and how I'll learn that everyone is a frightened animal, deep down, and how I have her to thank because my frightened animal is dead because she killed it when I was still young. Which I suppose must be about all the awful things she did when I was little, and not so little. The whole thing has my skin crawling all over and it only goes to show that she's wrong, I'm afraid all the time. I'm hiding in the loo because I feel I might be sick. Where are you, are you in Noble Arts? Astronomy? I forget. Can you leave?

Mummy,

Do you think you'll be home tonight? Because I was hoping I could speak with you.

If not tonight, then maybe tomorrow?

From,
Hydra

Hermione,

I never did get a chance to speak with you after we made the galleons the other night. I suppose we all got a bit side-tracked by other things.

Anyway. It's not terribly important, I don't think. Only you once spoke about knowing someone else who's a natural occlumens, and I had a question about them. Not about who they are, just about their ability. Is that something you can say more about or should I not ask?

From,
Hydra

Remy,

Do you think we might talk sometime today? Maybe before supper?

I suppose there's no use in pretending: I heard what you said when Justin came over to dance with me last night. I've also noticed that, well.. oh I don't know how to write it, exactly. I'd rather do in person.

I'll try to find you in the common room, all right?

From,
Hydra