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

[doggedly]

[As a future prisoner of Azkaban (the future Prisoner of Azkaban)-- well, Sirius has done a bloody good job of ignoring that aspect of the future, mostly because James and his fate have been all-consuming. But there's times when it comes up--deliberately, accidentally--and then he doesn't know what the hell to think.

There's no moment of pause here. It's not always easy, not being selfish, but something like this rates far beyond him.]

first years

[and Merlin, what else do you say to that? First years.]

he did it or he tolerated it
not that it matters
and they know this?

[Harry and Hermione, he means. They can't know it.]

[adjunct]

well he was the one in charge, wasn't he
if he didn't do it then he's the only one who would have had the power to stop it and he didn't, so it's just as bad

they ought to know it if they're not thick, and you know they're not
they saw Dean Thomas while they were out there, he's a muggle-born in our year
some of the 7th years were able to make a run for it because the trace expired, but anybody younger than that...

anyhow even if they didn't get that they know all about how he turned Hogwarts into a Death Eater training camp, how he hired two of them (the Carrows) to torture the students who didn't fall in line, and how he took kids hostage when their parents were causing too much trouble outside.

[The fact that they're not explaining this to the strangers here from other worlds isn't exactly sitting well with him, but the fact that they're not telling even other Order members is making it very, very hard for Neville not to pull his hair out. They cannot possibly buy the stupid martyr story that he's telling so fully that they won't even give their friends and family a fair warning about what sort of things Snape has proven he can live with himself doing, can they? It's ludicrous.]

[doggedly]

[this is a hell of a lot to think about. Sirius is, obviously, always one for hating Snape, for various reasons--but this information gives new dimension to his hatred.

Hogwarts is Hogwarts. it should never have had a battle fought at it, he'd thought that from the start. but a battle after it was turned into some grim parody of itself, where students were tortured, where kids were trained at the ways of the bloody Death Eaters--that makes it all so different. it makes Snape as big a bastard as Sirius always thought that he was--no, knew he was.]

i'll ask them about it
i'll see what exactly they know and i'll tell the others about it as well

[because James ought to know, and Remus--and Lily.]

have you told a lot of people here about this
people that arent from the wizarding world i mean

[and then, after a small delay--]

he won't get away with it dont worry
one way or another he's going to answer for all of this shit

[adjunct]

alright

[They're going to be awfully cross with him about this, he figures. When he had started to say something on the Network, Harry had messaged him and essentially told him to keep quiet about it, if not in so many words. It was complicated, he said.

And then there was the way they defended him on Barty's announcement. Like he was some brave and noble soul, misunderstood and unfairly misrepresented, even though none of the stuff said there had even been a lie. Like he'd been the hero of their war, and not the warden of one of its worst prisons.]

just the two teachers from his school who contacted me to ask about it
I wasn't going to lie about what happened

[Because while he believed Harry at first glance (it was Harry saying it, why wouldn't he), time and circumstances in Asgard had caused him to backslide wildly into being wholly convinced that Snape had fooled everybody, somehow, again. That even if he had truly been working undercover, he'd gone so far beyond anything forgivable in maintaining his secret at the cost of everyone and everything around him that there was absolutely no difference between that and what he'd have done if he'd been on Voldemort's side the whole time.

Neville doesn't think there is any way the ends have justified his means.]

thanks Sirius
I mean it

[doggedly]

yeah dont lie
people ought to know him for what he is
i'm not saying lets publish a book about it but he is a bastard

dont talk about him to barty crouch though
dont talk to barty crouch at all if you can help it
hes not as big a bastard as snape but he's no sweet little puffskein either

[because no one's as big a bastard as Snape, not in Sirius' books. maybe Voldemort, but his problem with Snape is so much more personal and pertinent. he has to sort all of this out, and see what James and Remus have to say--like always--

Merlin.]

yeah youre welcome mate
the least i could do especially after the time youve had of it
let me know if crouch gives you any trouble, same with snape
we'll sort them both

[adjunct]

[The only person Neville hates more than Snape in Asgard is Barty Crouch.]

trust me, I haven't got any delusions about Barty Crouch
and I will
let you know if it happens, I mean