Private Message to Seamus Finnigan

[alt_padma]

I've been thinking about this morning's owl.

You realise some people might try to find out things about you? Make sure you watch out for that.

Also, you'll have to find someone who's either technically less than halfblood (which might be really difficult, unless you target Harry's mudblood and that's a recipe for disaster, he's far too protective of her), or you could try to get secrets out of someone who's a halfblood but of lesser social standing, you know? Someone like, oh, Fitzgibbon or Jill Capper. Someone with no status.

That'd be the best strategy.

At least they've given us a decent amount of time. I've got loads of homework to do and working this in is going to be absolutely painful. Oh, and have you signed up for Apparation? That'll start next week, too. I'm thinking of asking Madam Pomfrey for a wakefulness potion only I'm sure she'd just sniff in that way she has and tell me she's sure I'll figure out a way to get through everything.

Maybe I'll just brew some for myself. If only I had the time!

Comments

[alt_seamus]

Yeah, I think a low-status half-blood ought to work. It needs to be someone else in fostering, though, and it's probably better if they're not fostered with relatives. Perks would do. Or Jones. Not that either is likely to confide any secrets to me VOLUNTARILY, let alone their 'most shameful' secret.

Any fostered half-blood girls in other years who don't have a boyfriend? I could pretend I was interested in them.

[alt_padma]

Well, Jill Capper, like I said.

Or Christina Shelton, maybe. Her father's in the Ministry but I don't think she lives with him. Oh, or there's O'Leary, she's a firstie. You could probably cosy up to her on account of the Irish thing and then find out something horrid.

Only not as horrid as Sophie Fleet because Suitably horrid, I mean.

Does it have to be a girl? I mean, what about boys?

[alt_seamus]

I don't think it looks as good when we go after much younger students, firsties and what not. It doesn't have to be a girl, it's just it seems like the half-bloods in our year who are clearly lower status than I am are mostly girls, especially given Wayne Hopkins left after OWLs.

If I did try to pretend a romance it would have to be a girl, there just aren't that many boys who like other boys.

[alt_padma]

Oh, speaking of that sort of thing: Lines tried (rather artlessly) to get me to tell him something deep and dark and embarrassing about you. I've got him to go looking elsewhere, I think, but it just proves what I said, that people are going to think you're fair game for this one.

I'm working on my choice. Of course, I asked Su Li if she had any ideas and she thought right away that I was going to ask her to let me tell people about her parents but I told her I wouldn't do that to her, not after everything. Brocklehurst, maybe.

Oh, what about Midgen? She's just thick enough to believe you'd finally turn her way.

[alt_seamus]

It's sort of an open question whether Midgen counts as 'lesser' -- she lives with relatives. Then again, so did I, until...well.

Of course, with Midgen there's the question of whether she'll glom on like a barnacle. Remember when Summers broke it off by screaming at her in the Great Hall?

[alt_padma]

It's a risk. But with Midgeon it's a question of class--you have it and she hasn't.

Besides, would you care if you had to humiliate her in order to get rid of her?

[alt_seamus]

Point.

[alt_seamus]

As for wakefulness potion, maybe you could have someone else brew it for you? Someone who's not a candidate, who has a bit more time. Shame Su Li didn't make it into NEWT Potions. You could try Mandy Brocklehurst or Belinda Dunstan, maybe.

I've signed up for Apparation, yeah. It's absurd we still have to take the class when we learned in CCF! But at least we'll only have to come once (or twice, if they don't like our technique the first time).