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[alt_charlie]

Right, Bill and I have run head first into a question. So: Draco, Hydra, Harry, Pansy, if any of you have advice, we'd love to hear it. You know what we're dealing with far more than we do.

It's about Percy's eulogy. We thought to ask Ginny, because she was closest to him, and she's willing to do it, but would that be -- I don't know. Would that be a wrong political move? Is there somebody else we should have do it? Nobody's come to us to say anything about changing around the funeral because he was a Council member, but we don't want to take a wrong step here and wind up having somebody take a closer look.

Comments

[alt_ginny]

Oh JUST LET ME DO IT. If Mulciber wanted to do a eulogy wouldn't he have owled Mum to offer?

[alt_charlie]

It's not that, Gin. I don't want to paint a big fat target on your back by accident.

[alt_ginny]

He was my BROTHER. No one's going to hold it against ME that I did a eulogy when he was my BROTHER.

[alt_ginny]

I mean yes yes you want us to all be safe but you're being RIDICULOUS.

[alt_ginny]

I think if anything we're more likely to get the wrong people cross with us by 'presumptuously' asking them to do a eulogy.

[alt_draco]

If your eulogy is going to be full of capital letters and imbued with as much heated passion as you're displaying right now, perhaps you ought to consider having someone else deliver it.

[alt_ginny]

Oh kiss my arse Draco, really. I am perfectly capable of delivering an adequate public speech. I used to work as a model, remember?

[alt_draco]

Your brother asked for my thoughts, and I gave them.

Do what you like.

[alt_pansy]

Not asking Mulciber to contribute anything would be seen as decidedly odd. It's not necessarily dangerous, but it wouldn't give an ideal impression.

It wouldn't hurt to extend an offer to him, I think, as long as it's worded so he has a very easy way to gracefully decline. If you provided options, for instance, for giving a eulogy or passing along some words of remembrance you could print in a programme, he might take the latter -- it'd be something he could provide with minimal effort that would look better than not having him contribute at all. Especially if he makes an appearance.

[alt_sinistra]

I hope I'm not overstepping, but -

If no one has offered by now, I don't think anyone would be problematically offended not to be asked.

However, what you say - what MissGinny says, is critical. Not just what, but how, and the implications. There will be people looking for weak points, and gaps, and a dozen other things.

Write up a draft, have everyone look at it? I'm not very good at it myself, but I can try.

And again, I'm very sorry.

[alt_ginny]

If I do it I'm going to talk about how he was a good brother to me when I was little. He taught me to read. And he showed leadership at Hogwarts by becoming Head Boy.

And I'll say we were all proud of him when he was chosen to be on the Council which is a lie but I could do a eulogy that wouldn't be ALL lies.

[alt_pansy]

Mulciber really ought to have had the decency to have at least sent along some remarks. I know he's got a cauldron that's past boiling over, but honestly.

[alt_pansy]

But yes. Point. I don't think it'd seriously offend Mulciber, I just think it'd look odd if he wasn't part of things at all, so perhaps giving him a chance to do the bare minimum of what he ought to have done in the first place will make everyone look a little better for it.

[alt_bill]

All right. I sent Mulciber an invitation, as courteously worded as I could manage it, inviting him to provide some remembrances for the programme...if he would be so kind. Rachel passed an eye over it, too, first, to help me avoid any blunders.

Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_bill]

The damnable thing is that the best choice might have been Minerva, if this had happened two or three years ago. She could have talked about him as Head Boy, and how she looked forward to mentoring him on the Council, etcetera.

I've managed to keep the Prophet out of Mum's hands so far. I'd rather not have her see that bloody obituary. I do think she's doing a little better today. I'm being firm that she doesn't need to sit the vigil again tonight...she needs to have plenty of sleep before facing tomorrow's ordeal. Particularly if a lot of Percy's 'mentors' show up.

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Yeah, good call. She doesn't need any of this, really. I wonder if Poppy or Snape know of any potions that could help keep her calm without leaving her drugged?

Merlin, I'm so bloody tired.

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_bill]

Poppy did give me something to give to her tomorrow. It won't conk her out, but it will help keep her calm.

Ginny had quite a good idea, too: Mum's going to wear black, of course, and a formal Pureblood mourning veil during the funeral. One that's rather opaque. She didn't bother with it when Dad died, but it will hide her face so if Dolohov dares shake her hand and she starts to lose her composure--or even if she sticks out her tongue at him--no one should be the wiser. Plus, it should help frustrate any attempts at trying occlumency on her.

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_charlie]

That's a good idea. And if you want, I'll sit with her -- I can probably deter anyone who wants to stir up trouble with her.

Although I'm more worried about Ginny losing her temper, honestly. You might want to take care of Mum, while I keep an eye out on Ginny. As much as I hate to think about it, I could, I don't know, hex her with laryngitis if she starts getting too close to things she shouldn't say.

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_bill]

I can run interference for Mum. I think Ginny would be more likely to keep her head if she sits next to you. She had a heart-to-heart with you yesterday, didn't she?

Fred and George would be willing to sit near her, too, and keep an eye on her if need be. It's clear they're worried about her. And no wonder.

Bloody hell, I wish the two of them hadn't had to see that spectre of Percy.

I wonder...there's been no sign or word of his ghost appearing anywhere else.

Perhaps it was just a temporary apparition, maybe even due to the last flare of magic burning out from his wand?

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_charlie]

I hope it was. I hope the poor sad bastard hasn't got stuck here.