Neville Longbottom

[alt_harry]

I was shocked to see the news in this evening's paper about Neville Longbottom. The story wasn't quite clear -- I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to believe that he was a traitor, or if he was the victim of his own parents. It's clear though that he was gravely and tragically injured, and his sister Evelyn has disappeared.

Neville and I were in quite a few classes together, since we were in the same year at school. He wasn't a natural student and did his best to make up for that by working as hard as any two students. He was kind -- not only to his friends but to everyone around him. He never gave up, ever.

I don't know what to believe about why this happened to him. But I know that I never heard him express anything but the desire that the Protectorate should flourish and prosper and grow, and that he be judged based on his own actions, not those of his parents.

I am terribly sad to have lost him. I hope no one feels ashamed to share in my grief. I will always remember Neville. I think all of us will.

Comments

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[alt_terry]

thank you, harry

Re: Order Only

[alt_terry]

what are they really saying in the papers? do they describe how he was injured, or is it all confusion? it doesn't sound as though they're quite sure whether to pin him with the label 'traitor'--or are you just hoping to swing people's opinions to thinking him innocent?

maybe if his occlumency was good enough, and no other evidence surfaces, MLE might decide they were wrong. and we'll be able to...to get him back.

except that his parents being who they are, I suppose it's really unlikely.

Re: Order Only

[alt_harry]

The Prophet had all these unnamed confidential sources and they're all saying different things. They got right that Evelyn and Augusta were missing, and that Neville was left alive but expected to never recover.

But, they have one person saying it was Mr and Mrs Longbottom who cursed him (with a mystery curse, I guess) and another saying he'd been arrested for treason and interrogated by MLE (and that person doesn't come out and say 'it was cruciatus' but it's hinted at). So right now officially no one's saying.

I'm not trying to clear him, honestly, it wouldn't help. Can you imagine Bellatrix Lestrange admitting she made a mistake? People STILL have to talk about seeing the 'imposter Sirius Black' when he's spotted.

I just want people to be able to talk about him and grieve him and not have to pretend they think he must have deserved whatever happened because that's what you're supposed to say about traitors.

Re: Order Only

[alt_harry]

The people on the galleon want to know what happened and I don't know what to tell them.

Order Only - Private message to Harry

[alt_sinistra]

I'm glad you said this. All the good parts. I hope enough people listen. Wonder.

I keep thinking about how thoroughly he ducked the boggart lessons. And why.
How part of why I could love Raz was how he treated Neville and Evelyn fairly despite everything.

This isn't the Christmas anyone was supposed to have, is it? I wish it were different, so many ways.

Maybe the only thing we can do this year is remember and keep going.

I wanted to tell you I was thinking of you. I wanted to tell you I'm not forgetting.

Thinking of you. Of lots of people, right now. But especially you.