Disclaimer: You guys know the drill.

Soul-Dust: The rack is a medieval torture device. As I said, it's a table with two wheels on either end. Ropes are wound about the wheels and a person's wrists and ankles are tied by these ropes. Then the wheel's are wound up, stretching the person out.

Sesomaru: Well there'll be a short sequel to NM (about four chapters), so a little more Niamh then and I'm going to be writing an AU for this AU. So, Niamh and the rest of the gang'll be around for awhile longer, never fear.

kitty254781: If you're referring to the prophecy from OOTP, no. Parts 5-7 of NM are my own plotlines and the prophecy just doesn't fit in with them. If I ever get around to doing an NM version of OOTP and the subsequent canon books, it'll more than likely have a part.

Not Myself by Saerry Snape

Chapter 172 – The Old Shines Through

"Did you hear?"

"What?"

"Snape and O'Feir beat the Hell out of five Slyth's."

"So?"

"Their own Housemates? What kind of loyalty is that?"

"Hey, you haven't heard the whole story!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Those five tortured Malfoy!"

"Are they nuts? I mean, Malfoy's not someone to be trifled with on his own! Let alone with him being one of Snape's friends!"

"Guess they are nuts. Or were."

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you hear?"

"Hear what?"

"Hear what? All five of them got expelled!"

"For beating up Malfoy? Ow! What'd you hit me for?"

"Haven't you been listening? They tortured Malfoy. And I mean real, honest-to-God torture."

"Damn. What about Snape and O'Feir?"

"Detention."

"Didn't they torture those five Slyth's?"

"I heard they dueled them then beat them."

"Still torture."

"That's not torture. Torture's getting some sadistic pleasure out of making someone else go through pain."

"How do you know it wasn't torture?"

"Heh. I know Snape. Sure he's got a temper and he'd probably curse you rather than look at you but he's not sadistic."

"What about O'Feir?"

"She's the same."

"Oh."

"Who were the Slyth's who got expelled?"

"Parkinson, Zabini, Greengrass, and those two lumps who always follow Parkinson about."

"Crabbe and Goyle, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's great! Five more Death Eater's for You-Know-Who!"

There was a sudden hush.

"You really think he's back?"

"Of course I do! Do you really think Snape would lie about something like that?"

"Well…he is a Snape…"

"Oh come off it! He may be a Snape but he wouldn't lie about something like that! What sane person would?"

"What are you three talking about?"

Seamus, Dean, and Terry Boot looked up suddenly to stare at Neville in horror.

"Oh, hi, Neville," said Seamus. "Talking about nothing…nothing at all."

Dean nodded but Terry rolled his eyes and said, "We're talking about Snape and O'Feir."

"Don't tell him that, Terry!"

"Harry and Niamh?" said Neville.

"They beat up Parkinson and her lot!" cried Seamus.

Neville nodded and said, "Yes, for beating up Malfoy."

"You knew?"

"I knew before everyone else did. Amanda told me after she found out from Tom."

"Brethel, you mean?"

Neville's eyes hardened slightly and he hissed, "Don't call her that!"

"What?" asked Seamus in confusion.

"Don't call her by her last name! Or Harry and Niamh!"

"Why not? They're Slyth's, Nev."

Neville lashed out at the Irish boy, striking an inkpot from the table. The black ink splashed over Seamus' face and shirtfront and Dean leapt out of his seat.

"What's up with you, Neville?"

"They're human too!" shouted Neville, ignoring the question. "Just because they got Sorted into Slytherin, doesn't mean they're lower than us! You – you talk about them like they're – they're – like they're house-elves!"

"Calm down, Nev," said Terry softly.

"No!" snapped Neville. "I won't calm down! You watch it, Seamus! Or I'll – I'll hex you!"

Seamus laughed and anger flashed across Neville's face. He grabbed his wand from its pocket inside his robes and pointed it at the other boy.

A horrified look passed across Dean's face and he cried, "Neville!"

"No!" hissed Neville. His hand shook slightly but his wand was aimed at Seamus' heart and there was a fierce look in his eyes that said he'd really hex him. "I'll do it, I swear I will. And don't you doubt it!"

With that Neville turned and stormed out, his hand clenched tightly about his wand. Seamus and Dean stared after him in shock but Terry laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. He then turned to the two Gryffindors and said, "Now I know how he got into Gryffindor!"

Neville was still fuming as he made his way down to the dungeons. He walked to where Amanda had told him once that the entrance to the Slytherin common room was and pounded on the stones.

"Hey! Open up!"

"Go away, Longbottom!" shouted a voice from inside.

"Or we'll hex you good!" cried another, cackling.

"Hush the lot of you or I'll do some hexing."

The stones shifted and moved, revealing a arched doorway in the wall. Harry stood there, his waist-length hair unbound and falling wildly about his face and shoulders.

"Nev? You look bloody well riled up. What happened?"

"Can I come in?" asked Neville, ignoring the question.

Harry glanced behind him then nodded and said, "Sure. C'mon in."

Neville smiled and stepped into the common room, walking past the taller Harry. Two sixth year Slytherin's who sat near the fireplace glared at him and hissed angrily.

"Stop that," growled Harry as he turned around. "Nev's trustworthy."

"Slytherin's don't trust easy, Snape," hissed one of the two.

"Well you don't have to trust him to let him in. I do."

"Still wrong, I say," grumbled the other.

Harry shook his head and said, "No. What's wrong is this damned rivalry between us and Gryffindor. Y'know, all of them aren't courageous idiots."

"And all of us aren't Dark Wizard in training."

"But until they learn that," hissed the second one who'd spoken, "we won't trust them."

Harry sighed at that. His own House could be as stubborn as Gryffindor sometimes…

"C'mon, Nev," he said, pushing the shorter boy forward. "Ni's over in the Corner with Amanda. Just sit and tell me what's going on."

"Okay. Hello."

"Nev!" exclaimed Amanda, jumping out of her chair as Harry led Neville over to the Hexer's Corner. She hugged him then asked, "What are you doing in here?"

"Couldn't stand it out there," replied Neville, sinking down into a chair. "Not with Seamus going on about what Harry and Niamh did." He looked up at the three of them and hissed, "And he kept calling all of you by your last names!"

"That's usual," said Niamh with a shrug. "They've always done that."

"But now they do it with contempt," hissed Neville. He looked at Harry and said, "I never thought when everyone found out they'd be like this."

Harry smiled wanly as he sat down on the couch beside Niamh, who scooted close to him.

"I did," he said softly. "Figured it had to be like this. Da's just the evil Potions Master to them and I'm just his bastard son. They haven't seen him like he his when they're not around – he hasn't allowed them to. And he never will."

"Why not?" asked Amanda.

"He's protected that side of himself for so long, I don't think he knows how to let go of the other half."

Amanda frowned at that then asked, "What about at Christmas?"

"Again," said Harry, "that's something he'll allow. You guys are my friends so, around you, he let's his guard down a little. But never all the way."

Niamh nodded slightly then leaned towards Neville with a smile on her face.

"Y'know, I've never seen you angry, Nev."

Neville blushed and stammered something but Amanda just laughed and threw her arms about his neck from where she sat on the arm of his chair. She kissed his cheek, causing him to blush even darker.

"My Nev's got a temper," she said, her eyes shining. "You've just got to find it."

Harry looked up at her words and she grinned at him. He smiled back, remembering a conversation he'd had not so long ago with her.

The old Neville, the one she'd used to know, was shining through.

Author's Note

I haven't the slightest idea of how this chapter came about. But it's a Neville chapter! Everyone loves Neville!