I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_harry]

Sally-Anne, you okay? Hydra? Justin?

I've been thinking.

And I just wanted to say

Mrs Longbottom and Mr Lupin were right.

I made a bad call. We should've tried harder to get someone at the party to listen, or written them to tell them what was going on. We got lucky, but like Mrs Longbottom said, luck isn't a good substitute for competence. We were lucky that Professor Dolohov removed those curses, and that they stopped when they did. We were lucky that they weren't trying to kill us, just keep us pinned down. And if Arista hadn't had the Felix, it's hard to tell, but it probably would've been a lot worse. And next time around we won't have that.

This is my responsibility. This is my fault, and I'm sorry.

I guess we ought to do a post thing. At least that's what I've been thinking about all morning.

We got Arista and Hector, and we all got out of there alive. Which are all good things. And trying to help Arista and Hector was the right thing to do. The way we did it could've been better.

We didn't know Professor Dolohov and Mr Crouch would come down there like they did. But I think we overestimated how prepared we were for that kind of fight if we were going to run into other people. We're good. The best in our class. Just not good enough yet. And I think that's what got us. Why we thought we could do it on our own. But the reason we succeeded wasn't because of anything we were doing, we succeeded because they decided to stop.

Splitting up was a bad idea. I think. Maybe fighting in a larger group we could've done more, but then they might've got more serious about trying to kill us instead of picking us off one by one. I'm not sure. The Department of Mysteries was confusing with the doors and things, and I think that threw us more than it should've too.

No matter what, though, we need to work harder. Lots. This isn't OWLs, or Umbridge. We've got to be better prepared next time.

Even though they were pretty angry about everything, I think they're still planning on letting us in. The Order I mean. For the people who want it. They would've said if they were reconsidering. But we're going to have to work harder with that too. To show them that we can be depended on. And that we can learn from our mistakes, and sort out when we need to ask someone else for help. And not try to do everything. We've done a lot of good things. And I think everyone on this is really brave, and brilliant, and I'm glad none of you died. And Cedric and Katie and Linus did a good job too.

Anyways. Maybe we could meet and talk about it?

And about the other thing too. The ceremony.

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

If Arista hadn't had the felix, she never would have found her father's diary and we never would have known she was down there. And she'd be dead and none of us would ever know what happened to her.

So.

I don't think there's much point in that particular what if.

Also, Harry, don't be an idiot. I am not your responsibility. I'm your friend. There's a difference.

[alt_justin]

Harry,

I'm much better, thank you, though in truth, nothing of consequence happened to me, not compared to our Sally-Anne or Hermione, what.

(Though I don't mind saying going to sleep was--quite difficult last night. Trusting that closing one's eyes would be all right, if you follow me.)

But see here, old man, you mustn't think you led us into anything we weren't willing to do. I say, it's part of why we started using the Galleon for Defence practice, what. It's part of why we'll continue to prepare ourselves to fight, when we must do.

We were all bally well lucky, but that just means we've a better idea than we ever had before of what we need to learn and practice.

-Justin

[alt_neville]

It's funny...I feel like I let you all down, too. Because I wasn't there--although I wasn't at the wedding because I'm not in CCF. And I'm not in CCF because I crashed my broom in the trials. Although it's even more laughable to think I could have made Professor Dolohov break into as much as one bead of sweat, if I'd tried crossing wands with him. Much less Mr Crouch! I probably would have ended up breaking my wand or something.

I dunno--I probably would have been more useful running interference for you all back at the wedding. Although it sounds like Moon and Diggory and Katie Bell did a fine job of that on their own.

But more than that, I'm just kicking myself that I was playing chess with Evelyn last night and didn't look at my journal once. I could have passed the word onto the Order! I could have let Fred or George or Lee know, and they could have sent the message along.

Ron's right, though, too--if they had known, they probably would have come charging in, and lots more people would have been hurt. Or even died.