Order Only: Nick Towler

I've met with Nick Towler a couple of times to try to get a read on what he thinks of his new job and the Ministry. And you, Mr Weasley. We met at his house again last night, and stayed in his room and talked there. I put up one of the charms Fred and George showed me (without him noticing). So I'm sure we weren't overheard. He shares a room with his brother Ken, but Ken was staying overnight with a friend.

I suggested chess, since Nick always liked to chat while playing (drove his opponents mad, in fact). He had opinions about everyone, but he likes Vilas Rupadam (hope I'm spelling that right) and Mr Weasley the best. Vilas has been good about showing him the ropes, and he's brilliant at knowing where every last piece of parchment is. And Mr Weasley because he 'treats people decent.'

He's changed since the Frost Faire. Dunno how to describe it, exactly. Maybe quieter. Less happy-go-lucky. But I'm a long-time friend, so he trusts me, and he opened up more last night. He's been smarting over some remarks he's heard at his job, casual slurs about half-bloods. The thing is, he's a half-blood, although technically he's classified as a pureblood, now, since they 'elevated' his family in blood status when his brother Mark was killed. He knows perfectly well that everyone calls him a pureblood, but no one thinks of him as one. So he takes those remarks he hears dropped all the time as little digs at his competence. Gets him real hot under the collar. It's making him think, maybe for the first time, about other stuff he's heard all his life. He's heard talk around the department since he started work about muggles and mudbloods: about how they're nothing but animals, and dumber than rocks and can't wipe their bums without help--sorry, but that's the way he put it.

Thing is, Nick's a real fan of history. Not just magical history, but the history of England before the Protectorate. 'It's bleedin' crazy,' he told me. 'Muggle England was the navigation superpower of the world, ruling an empire spread across the planet. The royal families ruled for over a thousand years. And now we're supposed to believe that the people who did that are incapable of anything but hoeing turnips for wizards?'

I took a chance. I asked him, 'So do you think the way the Ministry treats muggleborns is right? Or muggles?'

That seemed to make him struggle a good while. But he finally said, 'No.' Looked troubled and added, 'But it's not like I can do anything about it.'

Mr Weasley, I think Fred and George steered you right when they told you to hire him.