Bartemius Crouch, Sr, Ministry Record, 27 July 1975

[i_have_no_son]

Name: Bartemius Crouch, Sr
Date: 27 July 1975
Format: Ministry Record
Summary: Crouch, Sr and the Minister for Magic take a meeting.

Comments

[hexed_gideon]

*raises both eyebrows*
For the Daily Prophet employees, too? Crouch, that smacks of controlling the press, when we're supposed to have freedom of speech, don't you think?

Hee, what a wonderfully Crouchian thing to devise for an oath! :D

[i_have_no_son]

*looks annoyed, surprised and suspicious all at once*

This is a war Mr Prewett! Special circumstances apply. Surely you're not to naive to appreciate that.

Hee! Thanks!
But really, what do they do when there's a war on?!

[hexed_gideon]

*calmly*
I understand that you want to sacrifice what we should be fighting for for the sake of security. It's been done before, and it has never led to anything good.

*looks at the bottom of the list again, smiling briefly as he takes in the words*
The Ministry official assigned with putting this to the goblins, could he or she be persuaded to share the memory? I'm sure the Prophet would pay a good deal of gold for such an entertaining thing to publish. Anyone collecting insults should have a field day.

How do you mean? :)

[i_have_no_son]

*struggles to control himself*

What we are fighting for sir, is our lives. Some sacrifices must be made. And if that means the recipe section of the Prophet has to be eliminated for the time being, people will just have to make allowances. *humphs*

Yes well, I know it won't be easy, but since they are in charge of our money, I believe some effort should be made to assure us of their loyalty.

Surely they had to censor what was printed during the wars. It wouldn't make sense for them not to really.

[hexed_gideon]

*watches him impassively*
Some sacrifices are made more easily than others, depending on who's got the power to decide at a certain point in time.

After our track record with each other, humans and goblins, that is, you'll have a hard time of it, I fear. Binn's class may have been dreadfully boring, but I think he managed to impress on at least some of us that this is the most peaceful time goblins and humans have ever had with each other.

Oh, yes, I suppose they would. Truth and freedom of speech sees to be luxury commodities that are done away with first under such circumstances.

[i_have_no_son]

*truly earnest*

This is only a temporary measure Mr Prewett I assure you. As soon as the war is over, we will resume the status quo.

*frowns*

I understand, but I must take every possibility into account. What if the goblins decide to throw in their lot with You-Know-Who? We'd all be penniless.

You have to protect from spies and such the like.

[hexed_gideon]

*sincerely hopes that this will not be so, as they're already in the middle of censoring*
The path back to true freedom of the press is often a stony one. Another lesson from Binn's class.

*raises his eyebrows a little*
And lose so many customers? On the other hand, do you think you could persuade them to freeze all accounts that belong to Voldemort's followers? I can't imagine them doing either. Can you?

[i_have_no_son]

*frowns*

If I remember Binns' classes, he tends to overlook the details.

*raises his eyebrows in return*

If they have all the money Mr Prewett, they won't need customers.

And if the goblins go over to...*can't say it* him, he and his followers will have access to everything.

[hexed_gideon]

*huffs, but his tone is wry*
I do remember that.

*shakes his head a little*
The goblins usually plan ahead a little longer, at least that is what I've found so far, and they're far from stupid. Let us hope that they will vote to stay out of our trouble.

[i_have_no_son]

*also wry*

Then perhaps you don't see the reasoning behind such a measure. I can't let any information that might help the Death Eaters make it into print. We also have to guard against them using the paper as a means to communicate with each other.

*rather brusque*

Who can tell what the goblins will do! That's why we need some sort of formal agreement with them on this.

[hexed_gideon]

*earnestly*
Is there really any way to prevent such communication save by barring any sort of personal ads? Amenable as the editor-in-chief might be, I can't see him give up on the entire money bringing section of the paper.

*one corner of his mouth twitches briefly*
*only commenting on the first part of what Crouch says, because he doesn't think he'll be successful with his agreement* Very true.

[i_have_no_son]

*extremely annoyed by the reality of the situation*

Not really no. The best we can do is have the ads analysed for possible codes and messages and not run them it there are any suspicions. Or alter them.

*humphs, still annoyed*

They may decide to throw in with You-Know-Who just to get back at us.

[hexed_gideon]

*grins briefly, imagining what altered coded messages could possibly transport*
It's all quite annoying, very true.

*levelly*
I think that would require promises from Voldemort that they know he wouldn't see through in the end were he to succeed. Well, I suppose we shall see what happens.

[i_have_no_son]

*gives a small smile in return*

Of course, that works both ways.

*mouth twists down*

On the other hand, they could just decide to take the money and run. From all of us.

[hexed_gideon]

*huffs, amused*
Quite so. Do you manage to crack the codes?

*blinks*
An entire people leave their home and run? *in a self-deprecating way, because he sometimes thinks that he's stupid not to run* Many people have realised by now what's going on, Crouch, yet hardly any of us run.

[i_have_no_son]

*drawls, pleased but not wanting to give away too much*

We have.

*in a dire tone*

No, Mr Prewett. I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I meant that the Goblins would take the money from Gringotts and run.