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alt_aliceI tried following up with Sally-Anne Perks today after seeing how distressed she got at the meeting the other day, and I have a feeling I made things worse, only I've no idea what I said wrong.
I told her that we've got a history of keeping things secret, and that old habits are hard to break, but that we were trying to change for the better. By way of example I told her how we'd kept everything hidden from Neville and Evelyn, and they've only recently started to find out about what we actually do. And then I said whereas we used to keep their group at arm's length and worry about security breaches, that we were trying to be better about sharing information and resources and teach them ways that they could be secure. And while I was talking, she got very quiet, and gave me an angry look, and when I asked her about it, she wouldn't say what was wrong.
I've got some feedback from Hermione which suggests that we've not come off as well as we could when it comes to sharing information, and that on the whole they think we don't respect or trust them. Which is what I was trying to talk to Miss Perks about, but I suppose I wasn't very successful.
Tonks, love, maybe you'll have better luck? I'm not sure if I just rubbed her the wrong way, or if she's feeling particularly hostile towards parents in general, or... well... I'm not sure of anything, really. So whatever you could find out would be most useful.
I told her that we've got a history of keeping things secret, and that old habits are hard to break, but that we were trying to change for the better. By way of example I told her how we'd kept everything hidden from Neville and Evelyn, and they've only recently started to find out about what we actually do. And then I said whereas we used to keep their group at arm's length and worry about security breaches, that we were trying to be better about sharing information and resources and teach them ways that they could be secure. And while I was talking, she got very quiet, and gave me an angry look, and when I asked her about it, she wouldn't say what was wrong.
I've got some feedback from Hermione which suggests that we've not come off as well as we could when it comes to sharing information, and that on the whole they think we don't respect or trust them. Which is what I was trying to talk to Miss Perks about, but I suppose I wasn't very successful.
Tonks, love, maybe you'll have better luck? I'm not sure if I just rubbed her the wrong way, or if she's feeling particularly hostile towards parents in general, or... well... I'm not sure of anything, really. So whatever you could find out would be most useful.
Re: Order Only Private Message to Alice Longbottom
Date: 2013-04-12 02:36 am (UTC)It's hard sometimes to look back at the decisions we've made and judge them in hindsight. Some of the choices we made were out of a misguided sense of what ought to be done, others out of necessity or because we didn't see options that are painfully obvious now. And although we've made some rather significant errors along the way, even with the best of intentions, I think we've done a great deal of good as well.
The best any of us can do is to own up to our missteps and try not to repeat them.
And now that I can see a bit more of where Miss Perks is coming from, I'm hoping it'll help bridge the gap.
I hope
Well.
I hope that even though she's had some negative experiences with the Order, that she's found her time here to be useful. After all, the main reason we came together during these two weeks was to give the Hogwarts group as much support as possible when it comes to OWLs and NEWTs, as well as their own security and safety, and of the members of that group facing OWLs, she is the most at risk. Could you tell whether she's found this time to be worth her while?
Re: Order Only Private Message to Alice Longbottom
Date: 2013-04-12 06:50 am (UTC)So, yes. She was really very grateful about what we've been doing. And she knows we meant to help her as much as we wanted to help the others. She knows it even if she doesn't quite trust it. I know that seems odd after what I said before about her thinking we might not care for her as much as for others. I think she does know that we mean to help halfbloods and muggleborns and muggles, that we do what we do to try to make things right for the people the Protectorate steps on.
But I asked her if she thought she wanted to join us, and she said yes. Yes, she does. She wants to change things, and she knows that we do, too. I asked her which things we do were things she thought were worth taking risks for, and she said saving babies, keeping people out of the camps, and healing people who need healing. She talked some about how glad she was when Madam Pomfrey came and helped her, when the Stretton's muggles had the measles. That showed her that we care about the same things she does, that we care about helping people that most wizards wouldn't cross the road for.
Only, I wish we hadn't gone and hurt her by lying to her about that baby.
But you're right. There are decisions we make that we wish we hadn't or wish we'd been able to do differently but couldn't really have. And I think she'll understand that when she's thought about it long enough. Or when she's joined us and sees how we make decisions.