Private message to Neville Longbottom

[alt_seamus]

Did you hear from the Weasleys at all today?

They probably know by now -- Percy died today. At Snowdonia.

I saw it happen, but too late -- I mean, there wasn't anything I could do.

Comments

[alt_neville]

No, I haven't. Haven't heard from Ron or any of the others.

That's awful. What happened, exactly? Did he die from a fall or something?

[alt_neville]

And are you all right? That must have been a terrible shock.

[alt_seamus]

It was, yeah. I'm -- well, I've been worse, for sure. This was pretty grim, though. You don't expect something like this on a sunny summer afternoon when you're out with mates.

It was -- do you know what people do at Snowdonia? There are lots of things, but we were there to go hunting.

[alt_neville]

Yeah, that's what I've heard, that Snowdonia's a hunting resort. It's supposed to be the best from what I've heard; I'm surprised that they'd let anything happen to their clients there.

Uh, what were you hunting? Sphinxes, or hypogryffs?

Not dragons, surely.

[alt_seamus]

We were all invited by Cadmus Mulciber. And no, not sphinxes or hippogryffs, we were hunting muggles. They arm the muggles with knives because otherwise there'd be no sport in it at all. I rather thought -- honestly there's very little sport in it even WITH knives, except for the tracking. The tracking's quite challenging, because Snowdonia's enormous.

We'd all met up for lunch. Lana Sandoval was there as well, and Ned Pennifold and a few others. After lunch we split up for a while and Percy, well, he found the muggle he'd been tracking and she was a ginger. Looked a bit like Ginny, actually, only older. And Percy just froze. Almost like he'd been The muggle saw her chance and brought the knife down before I realised -- you know if I'd been a bit faster I could have got her. Maybe. The thing is, she was so close to Percy I could have hit him, instead. But also I thought, 'what's he waiting for?' -- his wand was in his hand, Nev! Even if he was too squeamish to kill her he could've petrified her or some such. I thought he was going to act, and then it was too late. She spitted him like

[alt_neville]

Muggles? I...didn't know that was one of the hunting options there.

His wand was in his hand, but he didn't use it? Maybe he--well, I was going to say maybe he didn't see the knife--except that's stupid, because he must have known she was armed.

Was anyone else with Percy when it happened? I mean you said you saw it, but was anyone else there?

[alt_neville]

It IS odd, though. Percy Weasley was always a champion in the Duelling Club. He had really fast reflexes.

[alt_seamus]

Did he? Well, he's been out of Hogwarts for years, though. I don't think he was one of the ones who'd go run the course at Elysian or anything like that. You have to keep up practice or your reflexes will slip.

[alt_neville]

Suppose that's true. And he worked a desk job the past few years, didn't he? I reckon he didn't spend much time hexing people.

Or Muggles.

[alt_seamus]

True enough.

[alt_seamus]

A couple of others saw it happen from a distance, like I did, but no one was right there with him. Cadmus Mulciber was the one who killed the muggle. He was furious. Embarrassed. You don't want to invite someone on a hunt and then have them taken out by the creature you're hunting, you know?

[alt_seamus]

I know I need to send a message to Ron. Condolences, at the very LEAST, and honestly if he has any questions

But you know, we've never exactly got on.

I feel like the worst Gryffindor ever, not wanting to tell him I might have been able to save his brother, if only I'd been a bit faster. I didn't want to -- well, it's poor etiquette taking someone's hunt from them. But I could have offered him mine. I mean, I hadn't got my muggle yet. (And never did, we all had to go back to the lodge.)

[alt_neville]

I'll need to send him a message, too.

Don't worry if you've never got on; something like this happens, and you just set it aside. He'll appreciate hearing from you anyway; I know he will.

If they've just found out the news today, they're probably preoccupied with family stuff. It won't be thought strange at all if you wait to send a message to him. Especially if you were there. So you have a little while you can use to sort out what you should say to him. At least you can tell him that Percy was always decent to you, yeah?

I'm awfully sorry, Seamus. That must have been awful to see.