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[alt_neville]

The Lord Protector Really. Does. Not. Like. Gryffindors.

As soon as he came in, he vanished our House's table and benches, and we weren't allowed to eat. All the Gryffindors had to prostrate ourselves on the floor while he ranted on about Professor McGonagall, and all the other traitorous Gryffindors. Um, Sirius, your name came up.

Harry tried to intervene, but it was like Voldemort didn't even hear him. Professor Dolohov tried using tact to redirect him, but he wasn't listening to anyone.

The students are all right. I mean, none of us were hurt, but everyone's shaken up, and a lot of the younger ones are crying. A few of them spewed, right on the floor, because he...tortured and killed Professor Hooch, right in front of us all. Then he said he was disbanding the Gryffindor Quidditch team(!), and he stormed out.

He was just...raving.

No one's dared touch her body. Merlin, are they just going to leave her there all night?!

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

No one ate much at the Slytherin table either.

Neville I'm so sorry. About Hooch. I know she wasn't one of ours, but

Ugh.

The hospital wing is bedlam right now, all these firsties crying. Not just Gryffindors either.

[alt_luna]

I think you're about to get some more, second and third year Ravenclaws. I think some of them are going into shock. One of the Prefects is escorting them up.

It was AWFUL.

[alt_evelyn]

We're trying to keep everyone as calm as possible in our common room.

[alt_ginny]

I think there are people who really ought to go to the hospital wing, only we can't get out right now.

[alt_sally_anne]

I've made it to the Hospital Wing with Alexa Bawsley and Madam Pomfrey has her in bed.

[alt_sinistra]

Poppy, I'll come up when I can, you'll need more hands.

Pomona's gone down to the sett. Septima said she'd look in at Gryffindor tower if she can, but who knows when that will be.

No idea where Albus is.

It was horrible. All round.

[alt_lupin]

He what?

[alt_neville]

He tortured and murdered Hooch. In front of all those kids. Because she was the Head of Gryffindor.

[alt_lupin]

Did he hurt anyone else from Gryffindor?

[alt_evelyn]

No.

[alt_neville]

The Fat Lady is bawling, and it took awhile to convince her to open up the portrait.

Everyone's sitting around the Common Room in shock.

Sally-Anne, some want to go to the Hospital wing, but I think she won't let us OUT. Anyway, the portrait isn't opening like it should.

[alt_neville]

I can hear someone outside the portrait hole trying to calm the Fat Lady down. Professor Vector, I think.

It doesn't seem to be working yet, though.

[alt_sally_anne]

It's okay. I'm coming to you. I have calming potions from Madam P and sandwiches from the elves.

I think she'll let me in.

Private Message to Neville

[alt_evelyn]

I thought we would be next. After Madame Hooch. When he was going on and on about traitors, I thought

Oh, Pete.

Re: Private Message to Neville

[alt_neville]

I did, too.

Re: Private Message to Neville

[alt_neville]

Or that he'd wipe out the whole House. He seemed insane enough to do it.

Did you see Seamus' face, up there at the Head Table? I thought it looked like he was getting up to join us when the LP ordered all the Gryffindors to grovel, but Professor Dolohov stopped him.

Wonder what he thinks of his cool new friends and Master now.

[alt_alice]

Oh, Merlin, son.

How very awful.

Private message to Mum

[alt_neville]

I thought

We thought

Well, we thought we were goners. But he just ignored us, and went for Hooch.

Re: Private message to Mum

[alt_alice]

Oh, love.

I'm so very grateful that you weren't, and so deeply sorry that you had to face that possibility at all.

You are such a brave person, my dearest heart.

Re: Private message to Mum

[alt_neville]

Well, I sure didn't feel brave. Nor look it, groveling on the floor like that.

I suppose that's one reason he did it. To make us feel like our Gryffindor courage wasn't worth a...a bucket of spit.

Re: Private message to Mum

[alt_alice]

You're right. He works in humiliation and fear. It's what has let him gain a stranglehold on our country, and he is very good at it.

And my dearest, there is such a difference between doing what one must to live and fight another day, and doing what one is told because one knows no other option.

[alt_harry]

I tried. I tried to get him to stop.

It was like he didn't even hear me.

[alt_neville]

Merlin, Harry, no one's blaming you. NOBODY could have stopped him.

How in Merlin's name can he still be running the Protectorate? He's entirely mad, isn't he?

[alt_sally_anne]

I don't think he's precisely running it. I think it's people like Lucius Malfoy who are running it.

Of course, if he keeps sending those people to Azkaban, well...

[alt_pansy]

Point.

[alt_charlie]

Fuck a flying duck backwards.

The rest of you are all right? No one else was hurt?

[alt_neville]

Didn't touch the rest of us.

I won't vouch for how we're doing emotionally, though. Especially the Gryffindors.

Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_neville]

Once I realised I wasn't going to die, there was a part of me that was...this is hard to explain. I was almost proud, you know? Because he knows us Gryffindors are the biggest threat to him, because our House is about courage. And that's what'll be needed to finally defeat him, more than anything.

I just hope we can do it before he kills us all.

Re: Private message to Charlie Weasley

[alt_charlie]

Makes perfect sense to me.

On the one hand -- it's horrible that he killed Madam Hooch just because she was Head of Gryffindor, and it's horrible that you all had to see that. On the other hand ... yeah. When he gets that pissed off and that irrational? It means this is working

Watch your backs, all of you.

[alt_sally_anne]

Neville, that business with Gareth Archer and Fintan McLaggen I saw while I was there, was that normal for the Gryffindor common room? I'm guessing not?

At least Finnigan shut it down.

[alt_neville]

People have been shaken up, so they're looking for someone to blame, and Evelyn and I make an easy target. I understand that. But it's been awhile since anyone's called me a blood traitor to my face.

Strange to be grateful to Seamus, of all people.

[alt_draco]

Sounds like quite the affair. Sorry you're all in the thick of it.

Private message to Draco

[alt_harry]

A few times I wished you were there.

But mostly I was glad you didn't have to see it. And I was really glad Hermione didn't have to.

Re: Private message to Draco

[alt_draco]

Yeah.

Don't jump on my quill for saying it, but for all they're traumatised right now, it might be good in the long run that he did this in front of the student body.

Re: Private message to Draco

[alt_harry]

Well it won't be hard to convince any of them he's a terrible leader.

But they're utterly terrified. So convincing them it's worth turning against him and not just a dramatic way to commit suicide is going to be that much harder.

Re: Private message to Draco

[alt_draco]

Note I said "long run." Most of them will do anything to keep themselves safe, at first, perhaps even trying to display the sort of hyper-vigilance against disloyalty that he demonstrated tonight.

But they're never going to forget what they saw, so there's that at least.