Neville entered the Gryffindor common room, and was greeted by the face of every student in Gryffindor House. "Can I...help you?" he asked uncertainly.
"Yeah," said Dean. "For starters, where on *Earth* did you get the balls to say what you did?" He almost looked awed at Neville's courage.
"I...I don't know. I just knew it had to be done, so I did it." Neville stood a little straighter. "I never really approved of how we were treating Harry to begin with, but I thought it was safer to keep quiet. I was wrong. It didn't save Harry, and it didn't help anything else, either."
"Neville." Lavender's quiet voice floated from the back of the crowd. "Did you mean it? That you feel worse than Voldemort-that we all acted like him?"
He nodded. "What was Voldemort based on? Hate, anger, prejudice. In acting as we have, we have fallen to the level of the one we sought to defeat. And he *is* defeated-in body, anyway. We've been helping keep his spirit alive, though, through our actions. Aren't we better than that?"
"He's right." Ron strode through the students to stand next to Neville, Hermione at his side. "I wish that I had been able to see it before now, but I was blind. Not anymore."
"But Ron," Ginny said, confused. "I thought you blamed Harry, you know...because of...." She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Tears sparkled in her eyes.
"For Percy," Ron finished. "I had. But now I realize--no one made Percy take the curse that was meant for Harry. It was the last thing Harry himself wanted. So yes, Percy is dead, and I miss him. However...even though I saw Harry's use of the Unforgivable as a...betrayal...of Percy's sacrifice, now I have to wonder. Who would've died if Harry *hadn't* made his choice? Bill? Fred, or George? You, maybe, Ginny? Hermione and Dean, who are Muggle-born? Seamus, who is half-and-half? How many lives did Harry save? I don't think we can ever count that. And...that is what we should've been focusing on."
"All I want you to do," Neville said, seeing that Ron was unable to continue speaking, "is to think for yourselves. Think on what you know, and what you've been fed. How much of what you know is truth. There is only one important truth that I can think of: Voldemort is dead, thanks to Harry, and we are free of him. What happens now is up to you." He smiled at his friends. "And now, I have been told to get some sleep. I suggest you all do the same. We can talk more in the morning." And with that, Neville went up to his room.
Seamus blinked. "Who knew that Neville had it in him?" he wondered aloud.
No one could answer that. Instead, almost as one, they went up to their beds, to sleep...and to think.
"Yeah," said Dean. "For starters, where on *Earth* did you get the balls to say what you did?" He almost looked awed at Neville's courage.
"I...I don't know. I just knew it had to be done, so I did it." Neville stood a little straighter. "I never really approved of how we were treating Harry to begin with, but I thought it was safer to keep quiet. I was wrong. It didn't save Harry, and it didn't help anything else, either."
"Neville." Lavender's quiet voice floated from the back of the crowd. "Did you mean it? That you feel worse than Voldemort-that we all acted like him?"
He nodded. "What was Voldemort based on? Hate, anger, prejudice. In acting as we have, we have fallen to the level of the one we sought to defeat. And he *is* defeated-in body, anyway. We've been helping keep his spirit alive, though, through our actions. Aren't we better than that?"
"He's right." Ron strode through the students to stand next to Neville, Hermione at his side. "I wish that I had been able to see it before now, but I was blind. Not anymore."
"But Ron," Ginny said, confused. "I thought you blamed Harry, you know...because of...." She trailed off, unable to finish her sentence. Tears sparkled in her eyes.
"For Percy," Ron finished. "I had. But now I realize--no one made Percy take the curse that was meant for Harry. It was the last thing Harry himself wanted. So yes, Percy is dead, and I miss him. However...even though I saw Harry's use of the Unforgivable as a...betrayal...of Percy's sacrifice, now I have to wonder. Who would've died if Harry *hadn't* made his choice? Bill? Fred, or George? You, maybe, Ginny? Hermione and Dean, who are Muggle-born? Seamus, who is half-and-half? How many lives did Harry save? I don't think we can ever count that. And...that is what we should've been focusing on."
"All I want you to do," Neville said, seeing that Ron was unable to continue speaking, "is to think for yourselves. Think on what you know, and what you've been fed. How much of what you know is truth. There is only one important truth that I can think of: Voldemort is dead, thanks to Harry, and we are free of him. What happens now is up to you." He smiled at his friends. "And now, I have been told to get some sleep. I suggest you all do the same. We can talk more in the morning." And with that, Neville went up to his room.
Seamus blinked. "Who knew that Neville had it in him?" he wondered aloud.
No one could answer that. Instead, almost as one, they went up to their beds, to sleep...and to think.