Predictably, Neville was left partnerless.

[adjunct]

Hullo, this is Neville Longbottom, I think I've done this right.
Erm, you can leave me a voiceletter. If you'd like.

Comments

private text

[adjunct]

[Can a text sound shrill? Because this text should.]

No it does not! [Neville has never found anything less funny in his life. Well, other than the fact that his DADA teacher for a year, whom he'd had tea with, had been one of the men who tortured his parents into insanity. That had been profoundly, and on many, many levels, not funny either.] Whatever it is that you want, you're not going to get it. I won't let you.

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[liquidsky]

[It doesn't have to. Barty can imagine and, oh, he does.]

As seems to be the norm with us, Mr Longbottom, you've once again already proven yourself useful to me without realizing or intending it.

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[adjunct]

[Oh, Merlin, he doesn't like the sound of that. Neville is just glad for the fact that there's no way Barty can see his hands shaking as he types, because even he has a rough time telling whether it's because he's angry or scared.]

What do you mean by that? What are you doing?

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[liquidsky]

[He is enjoying this, probably more than he should, but it's far too late to grow a conscience.]

I'm merely expressing my gratitude. And it seems you've grown up well. I always thought you had potential.

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[adjunct]

[Why are the only people who seem to say things like that to him either Death Eaters or their horrible Master? Neville is going to develop a complex. (Well, more of one.)]

I don't want to hear that from you!

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[liquidsky]

Who do you want to hear it from?

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[adjunct]

[His parents.]

That's not your business.

And you're not going to get away with it. You're not.

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[liquidsky]

[Aww.]

We're on the same side in this, Mr Longbottom. There is no need for heroic lines. I believe you the Gryffindor even without them.

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[adjunct]

[so much internal screaming]

If we're on the same side then tell me what you're doing, what you meant by that I'd done something useful.

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[liquidsky]

Patience. You will find out soon enough.

What do you think makes a hero, Mr Longbottom?

[What do you think happens if he just keeps cryptically being creepy?]

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[adjunct]

Have you hurt someone?

Standing up to your lot, for a start.

[Like my parents goes un-typed, but it is oh so very there in spirit.]

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[liquidsky]

Not yet. But we will. You started.

I don't have a lot. Especially not here. So you don't need to be so anxious.

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[adjunct]

I haven't started anything!

[And it has never taken an army of Death Eaters to do irreversible damage and ruin lives, not that Neville will give Barty the satisfaction of reading that.]

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[liquidsky]

As you say. Then you shouldn't be worried, should you?

[Barty will be living proof of that, if he isn't already, so the smugness is there anyway.]

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[adjunct]

[Neville tries to reply a couple times, but feeling quite like he'd just gotten completely outmaneuvered, he eventually gives up and cuts the feed so he can go hide out in his room and pretend like he's not profoundly bothered by all of that.]