I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I don't know how anyone could think that Neville would need to FAKE tripping over his own feet.

Also, I don't know what I was thinking, packing my journal in my school trunk.

Neville, I'm going to wait until Draco and Harry have calmed down and then point out that you've always been a pillock, if you don't mind. I think it's probably better if Draco thinks of you as stupid and harmless, rather than a blood traitor.

Finally, I want to know what Snake-hating sadist came up with the Slytherin schedule. On Mondays I have Double Transfiguration first thing, then Defence, then Double Potions, then Dark Arts. Two hours of Carrow first thing on Monday AND I'm barely going to have time to go to the loo AND I finish the day with Alecto Carrow.

On the bright side we have a lot of classes with Gryffindors this year. Well, maybe it's not so bright; I hate to think of the sort of trouble Draco could make for Neville in Potions class. Although he really likes Potions, he wouldn't normally cause trouble there. Still.

Comments

[alt_pansy]

That sounds like a plan. And I'll see if I can just get Draco talking to see what he was so worked up about. Because I haven't seen him that angry in a while. At least not over the journals.

And your Mondays sound double uck. I mean, ending with Carrow like that after such a long day and all. Maybe we'll have to come up with a "hurrah, I survived Mondays!" reward or something.

At least we get to go to Hogsmeade this year. Which will be brilliant in every possible way. Tell me the Strettons signed your form. Because it would be just like them to put it off or forget it or not sign it because they haven't signed Jeremy's.

[alt_sally_anne]

A Monday reward would be fabulous! Maybe we should try to let the elves know that Monday is a really bad day to be a Slytherin third year and they should send up extra pudding to our table.

The Strettons said they would owl it. The form, I mean. I hope they do. They were so cross with Jeremy last night -- but if they DON'T owl his and he's stuck at the school, do you really think he'll stay here? He could just leave, he's of age.

They're worried about some friends he made over the summer, I guess. Older friends, people who are out of school. They don't want him going to see them. I think they'll send me my note, though, I haven't done anything.

[alt_pansy]

I don't like the sound of that.

Fingers crossed that they don't skive off or do like they did with your journal at start of summer just to seem 'fair.'

Let's see what we can get the House-elves to do, and we should designate Mondays as "no homework" days. I mean, we can do our Tuesday work on Sunday if we plan for it, and if we're knackered after a long hard day, it might be nice to just not have to do any studying at all, and just listen to music or play games or go on a nice walk. Unless there's an exam or something.

[alt_sally_anne]

That is an excellent idea. I'll be in no shape to do homework after three hours of Carrows anyway.

We have Care of Magical Creatures tomorrow afternoon! I can't wait.

[alt_pansy]

Neither can I! Professor Brutka is so wiz-nift, I'll bet he's a fantastic teacher. You need to introduce him to Sebastian, too. And maybe I can tell him I've been learning French!

[alt_sally_anne]

You should tell him in French that you've been learning French.

I should introduce him to Sebastian. And find out if I can just keep feeding him people food or if he needs special rat food. He doesn't seem to mind eating what I eat but maybe rat food would be better for him?

[alt_pansy]

Well, he'd know, wouldn't he?

And I totally will.

That's an idea to get Draco talking, too. Because he mentioned being okay with practicing our French, and if he thinks other people can't understand what he's saying, that might help a bit.

[alt_pansy]

Ugh. Hang on. I'm going up to get more chocolate from our room. Want some?

I still feel a bit off. Even after the loads we ate on the train.

[alt_sally_anne]

Yes to the chocolate. Definitely.

[alt_sally_anne]

Just don't let Daphne see. She'd eat it all, the pig.

[alt_pansy]

And then write a play about it and make us all have parts in it.

Honestly.

[alt_sally_anne]

Too right.

[alt_sally_anne]

Why did they let those things on the train? Did they really think Macnair was hiding somewhere on the Hogwarts Express? Or Snape?

[alt_pansy]

I don't know. I mean, I guess they were searching? Just in case?

I'm glad I had some with me on the train. Everyone looked just awful after.

Private message to Sally-Anne

[alt_pansy]

And even though Harry was being a total idiot, I was worried about him too. I mean, him fainting and all like that. I got all shuddery and sad and well, you know. But it must have been awful for him if they made him do that.

Re: Private message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah.

I felt utterly awful, worse than -- anything recent, anyway. But I didn't faint. Why do you suppose Harry reacted that way? Do you think he was in a bad frame of mind to begin with, or maybe it's something about living with the Lord Protector?

Re: Private message to Sally-Anne

[alt_pansy]

I don't know.

Maybe he sort of got all overwhelmed because there's people trying to kill him?

I just can't stop thinking about Pirate. It's awful. I hope the rest of term isn't going to be like this.

Re: Private message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, they're not going to be coming onto the school grounds, right? So we just have to be sure to have chocolate when we go into Hogsmeade.

Re: Private message to Sally-Anne

[alt_pansy]

And there's the sweet shop right there in case we run out!

Re: Private message to Sally-Anne

[alt_sally_anne]

I keep thinking about my mum.

I thought about trying to visit this summer. My parents, I mean. Secretly.

If I were a Gryffindor I'd have done it.

Re: Private message to Sally-Anne

[alt_pansy]

I know you want to, but that would have been

well, if you'd been caught, I don't know what I would have done.

But yeah. I'm sorry.

[alt_hermione]

Well and I'll ask Harry about it too, and see what he has to do, and see if he's less angry. I think that maybe he was just - I don't know, but he didn't seem angry at Neville so much. He's angry at Ron though, I don't know why. But Ron is in less bad a position, isn't he.

Anyway.

[alt_pansy]

Fine. Good. That works, I guess.

[alt_neville]

Thanks for that. I think.

No, seriously, you'd be a lot better at calming Malfoy down than I would ever be. I don't mind getting called stupid, so long as they drop that blood-traitor stuff. (And it's even true, I suppose.)

Even if you can't manage that, I'm willing to put up with a lot, so long as they leave Evelyn mostly alone.

I have to admit, it's hard luck that Marvolo came out agreeing with Malfoy, though. And having him be on the outs with Ron doesn't exactly help either.

[alt_sally_anne]

You're not stupid, but you're even more clumsy than Morag. Honestly I don't know how Draco could think you tripped because you were taking the mickey.

And no. I agree about Harry.

What are things like with Finnigan these days? I suppose Thomas still talks to him.

[alt_pansy]

Did you see what Professor LeStrange wrote?

That's pretty good, I think. I mean, it still looks like you meant to make fun, but it sort of doesn't make it into a big deal, and Draco and Harry'll listen to him.

I still think an apology would be a good move, though.

[alt_sally_anne]

I agree.

Pansy, I was thinking maybe Neville could write to him privately to say that he really did just trip and he feels terrible that Professor Lestrange would think he was making fun given that he's someone Neville greatly respects and is eager to learn from? If he wrote it privately, it wouldn't restart the fight with Draco saying OH YES YOU WERE MAKING FUN YOU TRIPPED ON PURPOSE YOU PONCE and so on and back and forth. But he could say something right away, tonight. If Professor Lestrange is on Neville's side that'll help a lot, and he's not a bad sort, you know, in general.

Do you think a private comment is a good idea, or a bad idea?

[alt_pansy]

Well, I think other people would see he was writing a private comment, and would probably guess that it had an apology in it, which wouldn't really be a bad thing -- I mean, it'd be the sort of thing one ought to do, you can't get angry about that. And since no-one but Professor LeStrange could read what was in it, they couldn't argue with it, like you said.

So yeah.

I mean, it's up to you what you say and all, Neville, and you'd probably say things best your own way anyways. But I don't see how it could hurt.

[alt_neville]

I'll do that.

[alt_lee]

Oh ugh. Amycus Carrow's weighed in with Professor Lestrange. That's all that Neville needs now.

[alt_gredforge]

That git.

Carrow, obviously. It's too soon to know whether Lestrange is a git, too.

[alt_sally_anne]

A lot of the grownups dislike Carrow. So hopefully Professor Lestrange is one of them.

[alt_neville]

Well, I did it.

I said some things that I really hated saying, too. I hope he buys it. Thanks for your suggestions, but I think I'm absolutely pants at being Slytherin sly.

(Gah, I think I need some chocolate myself.)

[alt_sally_anne]

Good for you, Neville.

Go tell Percy you think you need chocolate, Siobhan has some so surely he does too.

[alt_pansy]

It really does help. The chocolate, I mean.

[alt_ron]

Why are you all concerned about how Malfoy and Marvolo are feeling? Honestly. That's the most

You're going to tell them Nev's a pillock? Tell the truth, already. Malfoy's an evil, stinking git, and Marvolo's a two-faced twat.

[alt_pansy]

I care about what sort of rumours they are flinging around about Neville where everybody can read them. And I'll do what I can to stop them from doing it, because I don't want him to have a miserable year, and he doesn't deserve it besides.

Today was rotten all round, wasn't it?

Do you have enough chocolate?

[alt_ron]

I'm going to bed. I'm fine.

[alt_pansy]

Well, no, you're obviously not.

But tomorrow will be better.

And today, you sat with loads of people that were happy to be with you, and wanted to hear all about how incredibly snitch your trip to see the dragons was. Because it did sound totally wiz-nift, and I'm so glad your broom worked brilliantly.

And I'm glad I got to see you again, even though the train ride wasn't the best.

[alt_ron]

Oh, fine. Be all reasonable and nice.

It was good to see you again, too, Fisheye.

[alt_sally_anne]

Tell the truth to whom?

[alt_ron]

To them, obviously. All they are is nasty gits, and it's not going to make anything better if everyone pretends to agree with everything they think. How is telling them Neville's an idiot going to make a difference except to make it even worse?

Except, I suppose it'll make it look like you're not really Nev's friends.


Nice.

[alt_neville]

I don't mind, honest, Ron. They're trying to help, okay?

[alt_sally_anne]

You think I should tell Draco that he's an evil git?

That would definitely improve matters for everyone!

Neville IS clumsy, Ron. That's why he tripped. He DOES have trouble in some of his classes. He's not faking it. That's the truth. And I think Draco's far more likely to believe it if I say it in the most insulting (to Neville) terms possible.

[alt_ron]

Just.

Do you have to sell us out to them?

[alt_ron]

You could just not say anything, y'know?

Don't make them think you think they're right.

And we're

[alt_pansy]

You're not. Neither of you. You're not, and Sally-Anne knows it and I know it too.

[alt_pansy]

And it's a roundabout sort of way, but we're trying to tell them that you're not.

It's just that it won't work to walk right up to them and say it like that.

But honest, that's what we're trying to do.

[alt_sally_anne]

Ron, you're being utterly unreasonable. Go to bed and I'll talk to you about this again in the morning if you want.