Blacks, Blues and Reds - A Code-talking Aggregation Attempt

[wintercreek]

Not that I have the foggiest what it means, but here's an attempt at collecting all the instances to date of Pansy, Ron and Sally-Anne's code-talking posts.

To kick it off, Pansy tells us that "There's a black leopard sleeping in a tamarind tree tonight." [6 Nov] Discussion in comments of whether the leopard can appear blue in certain lights; agreement that the leopard is definitely not red.

Next, in Harry's Quidditch post, Ron and Pansy discuss Ron's hypothetical kittens. [8 Nov] Kittens are projected to be all or mostly gingers, with the possibilities of one black one and/or an oddball with blue eyes.

Pansy reports "There's a dead black raven on my windowsill." [11 Nov] Ron asks if it's after the blueberry Bertie Botts again.

Unclear if this is an instance, but in her post on warming charms Sally-Anne says "Also I found a feather, but it was a black very ordinary feather from a crow, I think. I picked it up to take it with me but then I dropped it out a window to watch it fall." [14 Nov] Discussion between Pansy and Sally-Anne in comments deals with the color red, but in relation to Sally-Anne's warming-charm-induced "sunburn."

Sally-Anne writes "I found a black chess piece in the corridor today. Pansy, is it yours? Or Ron, maybe?" [17 Nov] Ron asks if it might be blue; Pansy says she doesn't know anyone with blue chess pieces and guesses it might belong to a Ravenclaw.

Other instances of code-talking? Guesses at what might be going on? I'm a little worried from Pansy's comment in the most recent post that the new charm on Pansy's quill might interfere with her ability to write in their code - unless she's trying to allude to something with her Ravenclaw remark.

ETA:
Ron asks Pansy if she needs "strong black tea or something?" [19 Nov] Pansy doesn't reply in color code and seems to brush him off.

Pansy tells Sally-Anne to remind her to tell a joke that Ron will like - "He'll laugh so hard his ears will turn bright red." [22 Nov] Sally-Anne responds with " I once saw someone laughed so hard he almost turned blue."

Comments

[lapin-agile.livejournal.com]

I almost made a similar post this evening, but only because beyond observing these instances of what appears to be a code, I've got nothing.

It does appear that Pansy needs to belong to this trio with Sally-Anne and Ron. (I think Draco's problem is not first of all with her, though. I think he is feeling neglected and of dwindling importance (to Harry and in general) in the new, broader community of school. Theo's a bad influence on him (encouraging his assertions of superiority and urging him to be both contemptuous and judgmental of others), but Theo is not a replacement for Harry's more exclusive attentions from their pre-Hogwarts days because Theo hangs out with Michael and really doesn't seem to have Draco's back.

I think Pansy will adjust to her new circumstances (including whatever the punishment charm on her quill will turn out to mean), but I think Draco's the one headed for a meltdown. (Even Narcissa seemed to key into the fact that something might be amiss at school -- and she's obviously got other things to focus on.)

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

I agree about Draco. Insecurity seems to be a major motivation for him. I suspect being so near to his father's disapproval (of Pansy) also makes him pretty uncomfortable, which is part of why he felt the need to differentiate himself from her in his father's eyes, by tattling on her.

But even though he doesn't seem to like her much right now, when she called him ordinary it clearly got to him (http://alt-theodore.livejournal.com/2749.html?thread=60861). So, yeah, pretty insecure I think.

[lapin-agile.livejournal.com]

One observation: the girls always seem to initiate it, and Ron answers. Ron's gambit is (usually? always?) the blue move.

I actually like that they've got this communication link that I haven't cracked: that makes me feel it is a safe link for them (so far), and I want them to have safe ways to communicate.

[wintercreek]

And it's always opened with a reference to something black (ginger kittens aside, since those arguably stem directly from Ron's hair color and not from a code structure).

Interesting possible pattern in the thing discussed - leopard/kittens, raven/crow, chess/?? Pansy made a one line chess post earlier, but it lacks all the color references.

[alt-player.livejournal.com]

http://alt-theodore.livejournal.com/2749.html

[muggleangel.livejournal.com]

Ohh, mystery player, I have run over this post pretty thoroughly and can still find no code references.

There must be something important about all the changling discussion.

[lapin-agile.livejournal.com]

Perhaps the player meant to link this thread instead?

http://alt-pansy.livejournal.com/7460.html?thread=117796#t117796 (http://alt-pansy.livejournal.com/7460.html?thread=117796#t117796)

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

Even in the case of the Ron's kittens post, Pansy is the first to say black, and then Ron responds with blue (eyes). In Sally Anne's case, I think she crossed out black because she didn't want to accidentally invoke the code.

So I am starting to think the entire code is that one person says black, and the other acknowledges that they've got the message by saying blue. But what does it signify? It would probably have to be something fairly simple, like that they need to meet, or that they have left a message in some secret message place, or something else where most of the content was conveyed off-journal and the code was just a signal to look for it.

The black and blue thing is also like bruises, so it could have to do with physical harm coming to someone... but I can't make that connect to anything so for now I'm thinking that's probably not it.

[wintercreek]

Yeah, the pattern of black as initial trigger and blue as response is pretty consistent. How to explain the "definitely not red" reference in the leopard comments?

Here's something else curious: Pansy's "even if I have a Black secret" remark. It appears to be a case of sleep-posting, but I wonder if that's what kicked off the code to begin with.

[muggleangel.livejournal.com]

Well, if black and blue are pain, with bruises, red would most naturally signify blood.

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

And as long as we're theorizing, any ideas what Pansy was going to say about Harry here:

"Oh, come on, Draco. I bet even the Malfoys have disgusting squibs somewhere in their lineage. And if Harry (http://alt-ernie.livejournal.com/1139.html?thread=20083)"

[longstrider.livejournal.com]

Could she have some information about Harry actual parentage?

[alt-player.livejournal.com]

Sirius did give Pansy a clue.

[qwerty88.livejournal.com]

http://alt-pansy.livejournal.com/7843.html?thread=127139#t127139

Ron invokes the code, but Pansy does not reciprocate.

"You need anything? Strong black tea or something?"
"Sally-Anne dragged me out for a walk. She keeps getting on me to eat. But I'm not hungry."
"All right. She's right, though. You should eat something."

[muggleangel.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, well caught.

[qwerty88.livejournal.com]

Pansy used the word "red" without 'black' coming up first..

http://alt-sally-anne.livejournal.com/7482.html?thread=68410#t68410

"remind me to tell you a very funny joke about a Scotsman named MacHeath. It's excruciatngly funny. Remind me to tell Ron too. He'll laugh so hard his ears will turn bright red. So no matter what don't let me forget."

MacHeath was previously referenced as something Marie told Pansy about. So red is a potential important piece of information they can't talk about, but black is to meet?

[brimtoast.livejournal.com]

Yes, since Sally Anne has used blue to respond to the code, it makes sense that maybe red and black have distinct meanings and blue is the response either way. Could red and black be different priorities of message? Like, red is very important or an emergency, and black is less important? Maybe they were using black before to practice the code, but it was only to convey that they had minor messages (like, here is a chocolate frog I got you). That's maybe why, in the first instance of code use, Pansy says that it's definitely not red.

Now would be the first time that red is actually invoked.

[lapin-agile.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of distinct meanings. You guys propose two different possibilities:

1. black = "We need to meet."
2. red = "I have important info."

VS.

1a. black = "important"
2a. red = "emergency"

I think either is possible. I'm not convinced that "blue" is just a neutral "I saw your message, thx!" because they have sometimes responded by asking whether something "black" is really "blue" instead (like the chess piece). This at least leaves open the possibility that "blue" has its own significance as an alternative to "black" rather than merely serving as a confirmation that the message has reached its recipient.

I had been thinking blue was something like "are you okay?" but, if that were so, Sally Anne would surely have replied to Pansy in this most recent MacHeath exchange with that query. But maybe that's not necessary in this case since the post itself asked that question explicitly: "Pansy if you're reading this say hello and tell me how you're doing."

[wintercreek]

The fact that Pansy's referencing MacHeath and red also lends some weight to the idea that red=emergency. We've already seen Pansy say "Lucius is MacHeath. who is macheath?" in her sleepjournaling. (In alt_fen discussion, the lyrics are provided here.)

In Lucius's most recent entry, he says: Also consulted Caldecott yesterday regarding the papers she had him file back in September. All in order; as I recalled from the terms, there should be no impediment to assuming direct responsibility given her condition. He has drawn up a letter of confirmation just in case it's needed.

Narcissa and I have spoken extensively this week and struck upon a course of action that will, I hope, resolve these outbursts definitively. Consequently, plans for the week-end are coming together with adequate results.

So he's making sure he can assume Pansy's guardianship (no problem there) and preparing a course of action to "resolve" Pansy's outbursts (potential problem). Has Lucius done something in the name of disciplining Pansy that's caused her to signal Sally-Anne with the "red" code? With her direct reference to MacHeath, it sounds like she's applying the lyrics of the song and finding out what it means that she dreamed "Lucius is MacHeath."

Oh, the shark, has pretty teeth, dear
and he shows them pearly white
Just a jackknife has MacHeath, babe
and he keeps it, out of sight
When that shark bites with his teeth, dear
scarlet billows start to spread
Just a gloved hand, has MacHeath, babe
and he never shows a single drop of red

[qwerty88.livejournal.com]

I keep thinking that the "laugh" comment from Pansy without reference to colour is another part of the code.

http://alt-sally-anne.livejournal.com/7482.html?thread=68410#t68410

http://alt-pansy.livejournal.com/8592.html could be a reference to her father thinking that he could stay out of the nastiness, but then got caught up and destroyed?

Thoughts?

[forseamo.livejournal.com]

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