I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up to No Good

[alt_luna]

Hello. This seems like a rather peculiar thing to write at the top of my journal entry, since I don't actually have anything nefarious planned, but that's how this is supposed to work.

I'm Luna Lovegood, and I promise that I will keep what is written here under this Lock a secret. I understand that I'm also supposed to tell you all something that will convince you all of this. I've been thinking about it all afternoon since Fred and George and Ron talked to me, and here is what I have:

My father, as maybe most of you know, published The Quibbler. He disappeared one night, and I was told he had become ill and died of the plague.

This is my secret: my father had two sets of printing plates for his press. The set he used every day was taken by the Ministry when they took charge of my father's things, when they told me I was an orphan and I went to live with the Browns. But he had another set, too, that he hid before the Quibbler was taken over and shut down, and I know where he had buried them.

The Ministry is supposed to have oversight over all printed material, and so it is very illegal to have the paraphernalia to run an unregistered printing press. In fact, I looked up the fines that would be charged to anyone who even knows about those plates, and it would be more than I could earn in several lifetimes. I suppose they don't want people printing things like the Grim Truth, or other things that aren't what the Ministry wants people to think.

So that's why you can trust that I will keep the secrets written under this Lock. And you can see that I know more than most people about the power of the written word.

As for what I can bring to this group, I'm not quite sure, really. Care of Magical Creatures is my best subject. I'm quite good at noticing things. The sorts of things that other people overlook.

And I am quite good at glitter charms, if that's the sort of thing you think might ever be helpful.

Comments

[alt_neville]

Hello, Luna. They explained to you about how to do locked comments, too, right? You can write a comment on a public post if you use the 'I solemnly Swear' language, using the special ink, and only those of us in the know can read it, not even the person who wrote the original post, if that person doesn't know the secret.

Now that you know, you can go back and look at the older locked entries, too.

[alt_neville]

And...that's quite a secret, about the plates.

And welcome.

[alt_gredforge]

Doubtless we will come up with a corking use for the glitter charms, once we put our minds to it.

Good to have you on the Lock, Lovegood.

[alt_terry]

Hello, Lovegood. They told you about everyone who is also on the lock, didn't they? Once you decided to join in?

[alt_luna]

Yes, and I was quite surprised when they told me about you and Hermione Granger. And then I wasn't surprised, because I remembered that you seemed to be quite fond of Fred and George Weasley. Now I understand a little more about why.

They said that you know that you are a Ravenclaw?

[alt_terry]

Yes, so we're House mates.

[alt_luna]

I remember thinking once that if you had ever been sorted you would have had to have been a Gryffindor, simply because you had to be, to deal with Professor Amycus Carrow all the time.

[alt_terry]

Not really. I'm a terrible coward, actually. Which is why I'm sort of a sneak. Never letting on what I'm really like to the git.

[alt_gredforge]

That's not being a coward. That's being smart.

Which is why you're in Ravenclaw, probably.

[alt_luna]

I wish I had known sooner. I mean, I could have tried to help you learn things, on the sly, you know. Since we're in the same House.

Not that I mean I'd only have helped you because you're a Ravenclaw. Or that's why I've never really done anything to help Hermione Granger, since Ron says she's a Gryffindor.

Oh bother. I'm making a muddle of this.

[alt_terry]

No, no, I understand. The thing is, you always treated me decent enough. Like a person, I mean, not like a mudblood.

That's more than a lot of the students at Hogwarts could ever say.

[alt_sally_anne]

Welcome, Luna.

[alt_luna]

Thank you. It's quite a bit to take in. But I'm glad you've decided to include me. And I will do my best to make it so that you won't regret it.

[alt_luna]

I'm also glad to know what happened to you after you were forced to leave Hogwarts. I'd wondered.

[alt_luna]

Yes, they explained it all to me, thank you.

[alt_ron]

Yeah, glad you're with us, Loons.

[alt_sally_anne]

I wonder how many people have wondered, but don't have anyone to ask?

[alt_pansy]

Hi, Luna.

You don't have to worry about proving yourself, or being useful.

We aren't that sort. Promise.

[alt_luna]

Well, then that will be a rather nice change from the way many people think, won't it?

[alt_lee]

Sure thing.

[alt_luna]

Thanks.

[alt_pansy]

I'd like to think that not everyone really thinks that way, but they certainly have to say it out loud.

[alt_hermione]

Hi Luna.

I hope you aren't offended when you read back and see that I said I didn't know about you, I really didn't know you well enough, I mean, you are always nice to me but so is Hydra Lestrange and so nobody really can know, can they? But I am glad you're here and we all decided you could be.