Private message to Lucius Malfoy

[alt_selwyn]

I'm looking through the lists of students likely coming for the year from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. Are you aware that Beauxbatons is planning to bring a Veela? Or part-Veela, I suppose. No word on whether they have any house-elves in their student body. Or half-trolls. Is this really something we wish to condone?

The student from Britain -- Justin something? -- is rather interesting. Has his mother explained why she relocated to France so abruptly, just as Our Lord was rising to his full power?

Comments

[alt_selwyn]

Count yourself lucky if your clerk does a better job than mine of keeping the most urgent matters on top.

For that matter, I was more than a little distracted by the Dogstar raids. The latest round of threats resulted in owls from Rowle, Desai, and Jugson. I suggested they might do worse than to emulate your wife's example and step up their personal training, if they're actually worried.

[alt_lucius]

My clerk has numerous failings but as for proper prioritising, he has certainly learned the painful lesson. More than once.

But that explains the delay of the last week, not the last month. Though Rowle ought to be accustomed to his name in the papers by this time. And as for Desai, she has no reason to trouble you with complaint.

But speaking of distraction - it would seem you have missed much of the correspondence regarding Miss ... ah, Miss Delacour. Froissart's verified the bloodlines: One-quarter Veela. The grandmother, apparently. Diplomatic relations with the Veela tribes are touch-and-go, so I'm told, which is the only reason the girl was not rejected.

As for the boy - am still peeling back the layers of that story. The mother is some sort of Squib, per the genealogy review that Beauxbatons conducted before considering the boy's admission. Explains the flight, at any rate. Pontner thinks the lad will be useful - once we get him within the wards - at furthering the political agenda in France.

[alt_selwyn]

Mm. Far be it from me to launch a bludger toward that set of goals, though I seem to recall you had ideas about newspaper articles lauding the hometown boy returning, and for the son of a Squib who fled Our Lord that seems like a somewhat risky strategy?

Regarding the Veela -- you realise she's going to be a catastrophic distraction. Which may well be their aim, if the champions from the other school are male.

[alt_lucius]

I had, before the extent of the family history came to light. Pontner's strategy combines techniques - holding the mother for the boy's good behaviour while simultaneously using him as an argument to Rousseau for the greater co-operation and alignment of laws which have been on the table for some time.

[alt_selwyn]

Ah, I see. That makes rather more sense.

[alt_lucius]

Pontner already plans to bring him to the Cup as well - and I think he's talking to your Massopust about a journal for the boy. Publicity campaign, he calls it, so the lad can be coached to write suitably complimentary entries about our methods compared to those of his 'home.'

[alt_selwyn]

Excellent. I can have the journal department send one over as soon as the lad arrives, if that's helpful.

Will Pontner be hosting them personally? Better him than me. I can't imagine how awkward it would be having a Squib as a houseguest.

[alt_selwyn]

Also, I'm not quite sure I follow the rationale here. How does the French government's desire for a treaty with the Veela require us to admit a Veela girl as, in effect, a Hogwarts student for a year?

[alt_lucius]

Their desire for maintaining their treaties translates to a need for token acceptance. If the girl - and there's a sister, as well, though she's too young to be considered as a champion - if the girl is acceptable in all other criteria (and Froissart was clear that all her professors believe her to be the favourite), then for the Protectorate to reject her on the basis of an impure bloodline would be tantamount to a signal that we do not value the indigenous continental tribes. Besides, it's not as if her race were anything truly dangerous, or even effective against any of Karkaroff's or ours.

Except, as you say, as a distraction. But the Veela will likely be more of a distraction to the judges than the champions, if you provide any example.

But then you have always been partial to blondes, haven't you?

[alt_selwyn]

I've always been partial to purity.

Beauty never hurt, though.

[alt_selwyn]

And regarding the Veela, it's well-known that they hold particular influence over teenage boys. I think this is more than likely a ploy to distract the other champions at crucial moments.

[alt_lucius]

Well, there's no guarantee the girl has inherited any of her grandmother's abilities. If so, then I suggest you keep Chloe foremost in your thoughts anytime you need to visit the school over the coming year.

However - the counterargument we have already heard from the French delegation is that she need not be a beauty to distract the males who may be competing. Teenaged boys, after all, can be 'distracted' by nearly any female presence, regardless of powers of attraction.

Believe me, I have been round and round the issue already and have little hope of changing the roster now.

[alt_selwyn]

Ah, I see.

Well, if we must, we must.

[alt_lucius]

Anyway, a champion who is distracted at a crucial moment like that deserves to get a hexing.

[alt_selwyn]

Excellent point.