Conspiracy Theory (James)

[Deleted]

February 2026

Muffy had almost forgotten how difficult wintertime made any sort of meaningful pamphleteering. Short of going from door to door and caroling with New Salem Philanthropic Society pamphlets in hand, most people didn't really care to stand outside in the cold and listen to her explain why witchcraft was such an obvious threat to their peaceful, everyday lives. Of course, it was partially the fault of those same people for not caring to understand the urgency of her message, but that was another thing.

With February, however, came some slightly warmer weather, the kind that was conducive to being out and about in London once again. As much as she wasn't a fan of the city, it was bearable enough when she could find large enough crowds who actually bothered to stop and listen to what she had to say. After wandering around the vicinity of Covent Garden for a while, Muffy was surprised to find that she had begun to run low on pamphlets again… And maybe, just maybe, she considered rethinking her formerly tried-and-true approach. People just didn't seem to be as receptive in London as in Indiana or even New York City.

Trying to ration out her pamphlets, Muffy wasn't too confident that the next person to approach her would bother to give her the time of day. He was younger, though, in roughly his early twenties. Though most people in that demographic didn't seem inclined to believe in what she had to say (no thanks to the fact that they were always staring at some screen and not the world around them), the recruitment of young people into the NSPS was excellent for the organization.

"Excuse me," Muffy smiled, taking a small step forward as she spoke and hoping that she might catch his attention. "Do you have a minute?"

james sirius potter

[james sirius potter]

Philosophers plot to maul

Nations out of shock and awe

February 2026
@muffet

James stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. It was still chilly out though it wasn’t as bad as it had been at the New Year. James walked, though he could easily have apparated to work or home—even the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. He often preferred fresh air at times and especially when life felt a bit more hectic. It only felt like yesterday that he was carefree and without a worry in the world. The main thing on his mind was the pretty girl he’d met in the library or the upcoming Quidditch match. But, very quickly, that had changed.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he took his hands out of his pockets and tapped on the screen. Once again, he’d tapped too many times and accidentally opened a phone application. James’ brow furrowed in concentration as he navigated back to his messages, but then he looked up when he heard a voice. It was instinct to see if he was being addressed, and if he wasn’t he would go on his way, but in this case, it seemed that he was. It was a woman, rather tall (almost his height). What caught his attention after was her accent—American. By now, he’d met enough Americans at the Ministry to recognize which Aurors hailed from the same regions. This woman’s reminded him of a few.

James blinked a few times and wondered if this woman was a muggle or magical, though most magical folk had no issue recognizing a Potter—he figured muggle. ”Erm—yes? Can I help you?” There wasn’t anyone around him. If it was a matter of a few moments, he could spare that.

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[Deleted]

February 2026

The young man blinked at her at first. He'd been fiddling with something or other on his cell phone, Muffy noticed, not that she was particularly surprised by that. Too many people—most of them young but not exclusively—were too obsessed with their gadgets, in her view. That was how pedestrians could walk straight into oncoming traffic and not realize what they were doing until it was too late, not to mention how mind-numbing all of the applications seemed. From what she had seen, they were designed to keep people even more distracted and brainwashed than they already were. If people's attention spans weren't short enough, somebody sitting in some corporate office could come up with an idea to make them even shorter. All those stupid trends and dances that kids did just for attention from people they didn't know and who could turn out to be literally anyone behind a screen. It was dangerous and addictive.

"Erm—yes? Can I help you?"

Though she stopped short of scolding the young man when she caught his attention, Muffy tried to remain disarming. If she didn't have anything nice to say, she wasn't going to say it at all. She could catch more flies with honey than she could with vinegar—or pointing out the evils of a touchscreen. Rather than doing or saying something to offend him, she maintained a friendly presence, smiling as brightly as she could. "Yes, I was wondering if you had a moment to talk about the New Salem Philanthropic Society?" she clarified, watching the young man to see how he would react.

james sirius potter

[james sirius potter]

Philosophers plot to maul

Nations out of shock and awe

February 2026
@muffet

James’ phone was all but forgotten. Muggles didn’t always speak to him aside from asking for change or directions or apologizing if he bumped into someone. However, this woman appeared to be on some kind of mission or task. There was a pause, and then she answered his question. Her voice was clear and direct, and she didn’t speak nearly as fast as some of the Americans he knew, and they were far less formal. ”The what?” The words had left his mouth before he’d stopped himself. New Salem? That name rang a bell, and immediately his thoughts went back to when his father had gone missing.

His face didn’t change, but he took a second to clear his thoughts internally. Was she associated with the individuals that had driven his father into hiding? If this woman had approached James a year prior, he would have reacted out of anger and grief, but thankfully, he had time on his side. A part of him still felt that bit of anger, but the other part naturally wondered how he could amuse himself without breaking the statute of secrecy. ”Sorry—what is this…New Salen Philanthropic Society?” Mentally, he began to take notes.

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[Deleted]

February 2026

"The what?"

The young man was puzzled, though his reaction wasn't an uncommon one. Plenty of the people whom she stopped had no idea what she was talking about at first. They didn't realize the grave dangers that were posed by witches and wizards. This young man, though, was at least polite, apologizing as he clarified what it was that he meant to say.

"Sorry—what is this… New Salem Philanthropic Society?"

Muffy was so glad that he had asked, and her expression brightened. "Yes, the New Salem Philanthropic Society," she repeated as though the society's existence were common knowledge. "Tell me… Have you ever seen anyone do anything that they couldn't explain?" she questioned the young man, a sort of urgency in her tone. It was easier, she had found, to captivate younger people if she didn't immediately criticize their cell phones and computers.

james sirius potter

[james sirius potter]

Philosophers plot to maul

Nations out of shock and awe

February 2026
@muffet

The befuddled look in his eyes was genuine. And while James didn’t know a lot about this society, the mere mention was a quick way to elicit an eye roll from any witch or wizard. Muggles thought they were on to something. And they kind of were, but they often lacked perspective and responded quickly with prejudice. But for all that James had gone through, he wasn’t one to be bitter. And as long as he stood next to Albus, he never appeared resentful. The woman seemed surprised and happy? No. Delighted that James had asked about the New Philanthropic Society.

There really wasn’t much to lose. If James grew bored of the conversation or it took a strange turn, it was easy to cause a minor distraction and then make his escape. ’Have you ever seen anyone do anything that they couldn’t explain?’ James blinked a few times. He furrowed his brow as if in intense thought. Eyes about as green as his father’s, that magical sort of green. ”Couldn’t explain?” Oh, Merlin, he should have paid more attention in Muggle Studies, for he could hardly think of an example of something mundane. ”Like what?” There was a curiosity rising within him. He needed the woman to give him something he could work with here.

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[Deleted]

February 2026

"Couldn't explain?" asked the young man, sounding keenly interested in what she had brought up. "Like what?"

It was incredibly common for her to be asked questions of that nature, Muffy knew from experience. Many people didn't think about what went on around them. They didn't think about the bigger picture. The proliferation of glowing screens everywhere was probably part of it. People simply didn't have the attention spans to care about anything beyond whatever they were looking at in their hands. Heads down, brains off, apparently.

Muffy brought up a few examples for the young man's consideration, hoping that at least one might stir something in him. "People who disappear in the blink of an eye," she said to start. "There one minute and gone the next?" There were other mysterious occurrences of which her fellow Second Salemers had made note, too. "Lights turning off for no apparent reason? Doors slamming shut without even a gust of wind?" All were relatively innocuous, at least to the untrained eye.

james sirius potter

[james sirius potter]

Philosophers plot to maul

Nations out of shock and awe

February 2026
@muffet

There was a rage inside of James that had momentarily flared when this woman explained her society. He recognized the name and remembered all that had come from it. His father faked his own death and the effect it had on his family but also James in particular. But then it settled. If his father had taught him anything, a grudge was like a parasite that would drain the life out of you if you didn't let it go. And he'd been right. While the period of time after the disappearance had brought him to his lowest, there had been people to help him out of the shadows and find himself again.

But now, this woman was in front of him, and he didn't wish to harm her. He only wondered what made her so angry and focused on eradicating the world of what she interpreted as evil. James let his eyes grow wide. Fortunately, he had always been the kind of kid who showed his emotions easily on his face. Well, all the Potter children basically did. " Well—" James hesitated, trying his best to think of some example that fit into that scenario. " No, it's silly…" He shook his head as if to dismiss the idea. " I was probably just seeing things. I hadn't slept much that night before." James had no doubt that if Lily were watching, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from bursting into a fit of giggles.

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