(no subject)

[alt_lavender]

I've been thinking about timing, and the way things happen.

I think it's funny how, if you go on holiday, say, and something unpleasant happens at the beginning of your holiday, it's easy to forget about it and enjoy the rest of the time. But if you have a wonderful holiday, and something unpleasant happens at the end of it, it's hard to remember all the other good things that happened before.

I know, because I keep trying to focus on all the really snitch things we did earlier in the week, but all I can think about is Friday and Saturday. We were all ever so shaken on Friday afternoon, and I was so relieved when the Aurors came and gathered us up and got us all safely back to our hotel. I thought it was all over but that was a bit silly of me, I realise now, because of course they would have to question anyone who reported seeing a dangerous criminal. But I really didn't expect that Padma and I would get called back to MLE by ourselves for more questioning.

I've heard people saying all sorts of things about that and most of them are utterly ridiculous. For Merlin's sake, of course they didn't use Veritaserum on us! They save that for criminals, not for kids. And they didn't arrest us or anything either.

It was still a bit scary--I mean, I understand that Aurors have to be very serious and stern because their job is keeping us safe--but Mr Gupta from our demonstration was there and he wasn't smiling or friendly or nice anymore.

He was furious at us, because I guess he thought we were just being silly kids and wasting his time and distracting him from really catching people like Snape and MacNair. He didn't raise his voice at all, it was just so, so icy, and and he said he was disappointed in us--he thought we were better daughters of the Protectorate. I almost started crying (and I squeezed Padma's hand really hard--sorry Padma!) but I was a little angry too, because we really did see something and we didn't do it on purpose just to mess things up for him.

And then a witch came in that we saw at the demonstration but didn't really talk to (I think her name was Forney) and she was really sweet and nice to us, and then said "You know, I was a schoolgirl once myself, and I understand that girls sometimes like to be a little bit helpless so that boys they fancy will notice them. You can tell me if it was anything like that, and I promise I won't tell Mr Gupta or be cross."

And well, if it had been anything like I would have told her all about it, but Padma spoke up right away and said "Of course not, we don't fancy anyone in our year anyway, especially not Weasley." And then she talked to us some more, and I guess was satisfied that we really weren't doing it on purpose for a joke or something. Mr Gupta warned us to be more careful and more observant next time, and they let us go.

I still think we saw something--and it was a person, not a dog--but Ms Forney explained that because we'd been talking about Snape and MacNair all week, our minds were very, suggestible was the word she used I think.

So maybe all was saw was a tall, thin man, and he was only in the bushes going after his dog, but our minds jumped right away to thinking it was Snape. And now I realise how foolish we were to make jokes about Snape and MacNair and try to frighten each other with them, because maybe if we hadn't we wouldn't have been so quick to think we had seen them and made all that extra work for the Aurors.

I'll certainly think twice before I panic that way ever again.

Comments

[alt_draco]

Macnair was tall but not thin at all, he was massive with muscles, remember? Though I suppose he might be thin after a year in Azkaban. But I guess that Snape was always thin, and a bit tall, too. And if he's going to be seen anywhere, it'll probably be where he can get at Harry, so I think you did the right thing to speak up.

Anyway, don't feel bad about Mr Gupta being stern, it's something Aurors do all the time, they play Good Auror/Bad Auror. One comes in and acts fearsome, and then the other comes in and acts apologetic and kind. It's meant to make you trust the kind Auror so that you'll be more likely to tell them everything they want to know.

[alt_lavender]

Thanks, Draco! I feel a bit better now, and not quite so foolish.

And that's good to know, about Aurors I mean. I don't quite see why they used it on us though, since we didn't do anything wrong.

I suppose they just wanted to make really, really sure that we hadn't been playing a joke.

[alt_draco]

It's just one of the ways to get information, and whether someone does something wrong or not, information about people like Snape will always be useful. But yes, they have to make sure that the information is real, first.

[alt_lavender]

Now that I think about it, I suppose they've probably had simply loads of people owling to say they'd seen Snape or MacNair.

Because if people are naturally suggestible like Ms Forney said, it probably works on adults too and not just kids.

[alt_draco]

People were always seeing Sirius Black when he was alive, too.

And it'd probably be dead nift to be able to say you were the one who helped the MLE to catch Macnair or Snape, wouldn't it?

[alt_lavender]

Absolutely it would be!

But I'm not going to open my mouth again unless I'm dead certain I saw something dodgy.

Do you think they might try to come around Hogwarts? I should think MacNair would want to stay far away, since there are loads of people who would recognize him. Unless he had Polyjuice or something...

[alt_padma]

Yes, that's what I realised he was doing, only not until he'd been at it for a while. It was very effective at first! Though I don't know if that was more because we'd seen him being so nice earlier, on our tour and during the YPL activities at school. I mean, if it had been someone else, whom we hadn't already met, you know, someone really fierce like...well, like Mr Travers or your aunt, or Mr Crouch, then I think it would have stayed scary even if we'd known it was more of an act.

[alt_draco]

If you'd really done something wrong they probably would have brought in someone like Mr Travers or Mr Crouch and it wouldn't have been much of an act at all; or, instead of questioning you they would have done legilimency.

[alt_padma]

No, I don't suppose it would be an act in that case. And I don't want to ever find out!

But I meant that even if they were doing it just to get a rise out, I reckon it would be much more frightening than even Mr Gupta. And for someone who's been rather nice on his previous times with the YPL, he was plenty frightening!

[alt_padma]

Well, I was a little frightened at first too, but then I remembered in one of the Interrogator's Guides that sometimes Aurors put on a show of being much more cross than they are, really. So I thought perhaps Mr Gupta was just trying that sort of thing.

And there's what Mr Crouch told Thomas, about how it's better to report and be wrong than not report and find out later that you'd have been right. But I guess I can understand how they might have grown more upset after a full night's looking round and not finding anything, how he might have been more annoyed with us then. So I don't blame him - but I thought Mrs Forney was daft to suggest we'd have made up a story to impress Weasley, of all people!

Anyway, I'm just glad that they talked to us together, usually they don't, if you're suspected of anything dire, and once I figured out that they just wanted to make sure we weren't hiding anything or forgetting anything that might have been important, I wasn't nearly so worried.

I just wanted to make sure they knew that we'd never betray the Protectorate! I really wanted my wand, when he said that!

[alt_lavender]

I was so glad that you were with me--sometimes I think you should be the Gryffindor, you were so brave!

Do they go over these kinds of things in Future Interrogators?

I have to admit I always thought it sounds a little boring before, but now I think I might want to join.

[alt_padma]

Well, not precisely, but I read a few books when I was getting ready for our Model Wizengamot, and one of them talked about Interrogative Technique and like Draco says, Good Auror/Bad Auror is one thing they discussed in the books.

But you should come to Future Interrogators next year, Lav! It's really much more fun than it sounds. And you can practise talking to authorities - not that we'd ever willingly get in trouble! But we'd know next time just what to tell them when we see someone coming after Harry or whatever. And not a dog, either!

[alt_lavender]

Well, I hope we won't see anyone else coming after Marvolo, but with the way people seem to target him you're right that we might!

And it would be useful to know the kind of things that interrogators and Aurors use to tell if someone is really dodgy. So maybe I will come!

[alt_padma]

Well, and honestly, I think it would help you keep an eye on you-know-who who's living in your house.

(Did you see what she wrote to Mr Crouch? Honestly, I think I'd die. Luckily I think he knows you've nothing to do with her. What a lunatic.)

[alt_lavender]

Yeah, she's a bit of a nutter, but she's harmless really.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

Ron, I'm so sorry I got you into trouble. Do you think MLE is going to come ask you questions? You could say you were trying to impress Lav, if you think they won't believe you really did see something and were just mistaken when you thought it was something dangerous.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_pansy]

If I were him, I'd stick with the story of seeing something dangerous. I think it's safer all round, it looks far better, and now we know what they'll say to that version of things, so he'll be prepared to answer their questions.