Author's Note: Written for the sortinghatdrabs community on LJ.
"Asteria, dear, why don't you see if Neville would like to play a game of Gobstones?" Her Great-Aunt Eunomia asked, waving her off with one hand as she held her cards in the other. Despite the light tone, Asteria knew it wasn't a suggestion. Standing and bidding her good-byes to Mrs. Longbottom and the other women, she headed for the garden.
It was smaller than the one at home but far more lush, plants and flowers of all kinds in bloom. Fiddling nervously with the string of pearls around her neck, she peered around for signs of the older boy. She couldn't help but hope that he had left, maybe to go see the Weasleys or whoever it was he was friends with from his House. While her aunt was good friends with the Longbottoms, meeting them every other Sunday for tea and cards, Asteria had never said more than two words to Neville.
Something thorn-like jabbed her upper arm, causing her to jump.
"Sorry!" Neville stood behind her, holding what looked like a diseased cactus. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Mimbulus Mimbletonia?"
"Yeah," he grinned. "Birthday present from my Uncle Algie."
Asteria smiled weakly, eyes still on the ugly plant. "It's... nice."
"Thanks." He furrowed his brows. "Did Gran send you to fetch me?"
"My aunt sent me out here." That she'd been sent off like a toddler on a play-date annoyed her. She would be entering her third year for Merlin's sake; she wasn't a child! "She said the garden might interest me."
Neville didn't seem to believe it but nodded anyway. "I've been doing some work around the garden, nothing special..."
"I think they just wanted me out of the room," she admitted. "They were discussing the latest Prophet article; about how Cedric Diggory really died?"
Asteria had read it. That the fugitive Sirius Black had killed Diggory while trying to kill Potter seemed very plausible.
"I know how Cedric died," Neville said, no trace of his earlier hesitation. "You-Know-Who killed him."
Shocked, she laughed. "You-Know-Who is dead. No one can come back from the dead, no matter how powerful they are."
"He did. Harry fought him."
She gaped, wondering if he was having her on. Everyone knew Potter had gone around the twist. "That's not possible. See, the Prophet says..."
"I know what they're saying, but they're wrong. You-Know-Who is back. He murdered Cedric. That's the true story." He gave a small shrug, his tone matter-of-fact. "Anything else is a lie."