Apology

[alt_neville]

The jinx finally wore off so Fred and George Weasley reckon it's finally safe to give me my quill back.

I must have insulted thirty or forty different people. I can understand if some of you don't want to talk to me ever again, but I just wanted to say, I'm awful sorry.

Comments

[alt_terry]

boot knows what it is like. if that helps.

[alt_neville]

What, someone put this jinx on you, too?

[alt_terry]

imperius. same kind of thing.

[alt_neville]

What?! Harry didn't put Imperius on me!

(somebody's put it on you?)

[alt_terry]

boot is mudblood. yes, boot knows imperius.

why do you say you are sorry?

forgot. boot shouldn't talk to student. shouldn't talk to mr longbottom.

shouldn't talk

forget what boot said, boot shouldn't talk

[alt_neville]

No, wait! Forget all that stuff like you can't talk to me 'cause you're a mudblood. I told you, remember? I told you, you could say anything you like in my journal anytime you want, and I won't ever get mad. I promise.

It's not really the same as the Imperius. Is it?

And I don't get how come you asked why did I say was sorry? I hurt a lot of people--Susan Bones was bawling in the bathroom 'cause of something I said.

[alt_terry]

well, it's not the same, not exactly. he didn't tell you to do anything, did he? not directly.

[alt_neville]

No. No, he didn't.

[alt_terry]

that's Imperius, if the caster tells you what to do. but the jinx did make you do something you didn't want to do.

boot heard, back in the camp, that jinx is one of the things they teach them first to train them, so they can go on and learn Imperius. same class of spells.

[alt_neville]

And that's why you think I don't have to say I'm sorry? But I said awful things.

[alt_terry]

You said it to mr marvolo yourself

[alt_neville]

Said what?

[alt_terry]

you said 'at least I'm not mean'

[alt_harry]

It isn't like Imperius! It isn't the same thing at all.

[alt_neville]

No, I reckon it's not the same thing as Imperius. Not exactly.

[alt_harry]

It's okay Neville. I put it on you mostly cause I knew no one would care. If you say mean things I mean. Cause you never say mean things, so no one would think too much about it, cause they'd know it was the jinx.

[alt_neville]

Yeah, well, you sort of forgot there was one person who would care. Me.

[alt_ron]

you did, yeah, but once we cottoned on, it got a bit fun.

S'all right, Neville, really.

[alt_neville]

I guess people understand that it's the jinx that made me say that stuff, but they're all wondering, was I really secretly thinking it, all along? But I wasn't.

I dunno if Susan Bones will ever speak to me again. Or if Sally-Anne will keep helping me with Transfiguration.

[alt_ron]

if there going to let a jinx stop them from being a friend? not much of a friend, I'd say.

[alt_neville]

Yeah, I guess.

Your brothers were real nice to me about it. The twins, I mean. Not Percy. Well, I mean, he suggested I go to the Hospital Wing, which didn't do me any good because I'd already gotten Madam Pomfrey hacked off at me. But Fred and George, they just sat with me in the Common Room and took my quill away so I couldn't write insults in the journal anymore, and they took my mind off of it by telling jokes and they just laughed at me every time I insulted them.

I think they were really interested in the spell. They like charms and jinxes a lot, don't they?

(Maybe they were sort of interested in the insults, too. I mean, they said I'd given them loads of ideas for things they could say to Percy.)

[alt_ron]

You've no idea just how much they like them. Dead frightening, really.

[alt_percy]

I can hardly wait to encounter Fred and George's expanded repertoire of insults.

[alt_neville]

Sorry.

[alt_sally_anne]

Clearly you need to try hexing them with this so they have an excuse to say them.

Even if you tried and it didn't work they'd probably be happy to pretend it had.

It'd probably last for WEEKS.

[alt_percy]

In this case, Ron is right, Neville. Jinxes and hexes are simply part of the education here at Hogwarts, and sometimes students make a little free with them. No need to take things so personally.

[alt_sally_anne]

I looked for you this weekend to see if you wanted to work on Transfiguration but you were hiding in the Gryffindor common room.

I knew you'd been jinxed, you berk, why would I be cross with you? How could anyone who knew you at all think you meant any of it?

[alt_ron]

my point!

[alt_neville]

Well, thanks. I'm glad you know I didn't mean it.

Sorry I missed studying with you. Next weekend, I promise, if you're up for it.

[alt_sally_anne]

Of course.

[alt_draco]

What a dreadful experience for you to have gone through, Neville. I'm sure Harry's very sorry, and no one will have hard feelings for long.

[alt_neville]

That's big of you, Malfoy, thanks. Except I guess your dad at least thinks I deserved it.

Maybe you could explain to him I wasn't trying to 'take advantage' of Marvolo. It was just a dumb Potions accident.

[alt_draco]

Well, sorry, but I don't think I had better do that.

[alt_neville]

On second thought, no offence, but I think the less attention your dad pays to me, the better.

I did send an owl to Harry this weekend, to say I was sorry about the potions accident. And I did talk with Professor Slughorn (when the jinx wore off, I mean) to ask him to please take those points away from Gryffindor and give them back to Slytherin, cause it was my mistake, and not anything Harry did. He said to forget it, so dunno if he will.

[alt_neville]

So no hard feelings on my side, you see.