Private message to Neville Longbottom

[alt_seamus]

Neville,

I might not be there, on Thursday, and if I'm not --

I just wanted to apologise, for giving you that comic for your birthday. Twice. It was petty of me. I told Mr Rosier I'd like to send you a replacement and he said that would be fine, he'll take care of it if I'm not if necessary.

Also, tell Padma

Anyway. I guess that's all.

Comments

[alt_neville]

...

What is it, Seamus?

It's not like I'm not hacked off at you or anything about the comic. I understand why you got it for me. At least I think I

Did something happen at the World Cup? It sounds like you're in trouble somehow. Can I help in any way?

Don't take this wrong or anything, but I can keep a secret. If you need me to keep one. All you have to do is ask and anything you tell me wouldn't go any further.

[alt_seamus]

There isn't anything you can do.

And of course something happened at the World Cup! A bunch of muggles set off a bomb, yeah? They don't know for sure yet who it was, but they have their suspicions. And I'm

[alt_neville]

Well yeah, something happened at the World Cup, obviously. But what does that have to do with you, Seamus? I mean, no one can possibly think you're involved in that in any way!

Um...what do you need for somebody to do? Because if there if is anything I can do, I would. Even if it's just to listen.

[alt_neville]

Is your guardian hacked off at you for some reason?

[alt_seamus]

I don't need to talk to anyone. It's not going to do any good. There's nothing I need but a portkey back to Ireland, do you have one of those in your pocket you could pull out for me, maybe? I just want to see my mum one more time before

[alt_seamus]

Right.

You know how I've always said that Ireland's got a lot more trouble with muggles than the Protectorate?

Back when we were firsties, the Council told my family they thought they needed a bit more motivation to actually get things under control. So -- some of my cousins haven't come to Hogwarts at all, they just learned at home with tutors, that's why there are SO few Irish wizards at Hogwarts and always have been. But, they said (the Council, I mean), that half-blood boy who's a shadow on your family anyway, we are invoking the Halfblood Fostering rules. You HAVE to send him.

And if anything happens over here -- in the Britain part of the Protectorate, you know, instead of Ireland -- we'll kill him.

Because that should give them motivation, you know. To get things under control with the muggles.

[alt_neville]

Oh my

Seamus I

I can't believe you've been having this hanging over you. The whole time you've been at Hogwarts?!

[alt_seamus]

Yes.

[alt_neville]

Blimey, you do belong in Gryffindor. I think that's one of the bravest things I've ever seen anybody do. Just live with that every single day.

Seamus...I know you say I can't help. But let me think on it. Maybe

Anyway, you don't have to think that nobody else knows now.

[alt_seamus]

Thanks, Neville.

[alt_neville]

And I also wanted to say that I do understand a little about feeling like a hostage. Because of one's family. Even if I don't have to live with a threat like that.

I'll hope that things will become clear enough that I'll get to see you just the same as usual on September 1.

[alt_seamus]

Yeah.

One of the things I overheard back when I was still in Ireland, when they were negotiating, was someone on the Council who said, a drop of pure wizarding blood is more precious than any other substance on earth and may never be shed lightly.

Mixed blood isn't the same.

I think some of the people on the Council think that my family actually is working with the IMA, the muggle terrorist group. And that's why they were so harsh. It's not true, but we they can't possibly prove it. You can't prove a negative.

[alt_neville]

Dunno if you saw, but that Charlotte Somebody or other is claiming that the Dogstar group was behind the bombing. That'd be good news, yeah? I mean, that nobody's claiming it's the IMA.

[alt_seamus]

Yeah, no one believes anything Dogstar says.

It could have been Dogstar. I suppose it makes me feel a little better to see they're saying it was them. But the muggle-style bomb was always sort of an IMA trademark, and that's what they used, there's a whole article in the Prophet about it today.

I'll probably know pretty soon.

[alt_seamus]

Mr Rosier isn't cross with me and he knows it wasn't my fault.

But if it's the Irish muggles who did this --

He's not going to protect me.

He says if we don't know by Thursday I can just stay home until we do know, I don't have to go back to school with this hanging over me.

[alt_neville]

Maybe you could tell him it'd be better if you went back to school. Because it shows you're acting like there's no question that it's the IMA.

[alt_neville]

And maybe getting back to the school routine will help keep your mind off worries. So you don't brood over things.

[alt_seamus]

If it were going to be months I suppose I'd go.

Mr Rosier thinks they'll know pretty quickly.

And if they confirm it was the IMA -- I don't want them to have to summon me to the Headmistress's office and have me leave and all that. I want them to just come and get it over with.

[alt_neville]

I don't want them to come at all. Blimey, Seamus.