Back at Hogwarts, Neville immediately turned a glare on the red-headed idiot, braced himself up, stalked across the room until he was right in the face of the other boy and angrily hissed, "You will watch your mouth, Weasley! If you don't be careful of what you say, I'm well prepared to stand as Lord Potter's second in a duel against you! And Lord Potter has already told me he is no longer prepared to put up with crap form anyone; especially, coming from you!"
Ron stood in shock as the usually very placid and shy boy got in his face and scared the Hell out of him.
"Sorry!" he squeaked.
"'Sorry' won't cut it, Weasley," snapped Neville. "If you disrespect Lord Potter in my presence again... Harry might not get the chance to duel you, as I'll have already done so.
"Lord Potter is responsible for the recovery of my parents from over a decade of long term care in Saint Mungo's. As far as I'm concerned, I stand ready to defend him to the death any who come after him. And that includes those who verbally attack him - just like you did.
"My father, Lord of my House, has publicly named him a Hero of House Longbottom. And that's all the excuse I'll need to kill you.
"Do it again in my hearing and I'll call you out. You'll be dead by nightfall! Got me?"
Ron rapidly nodded his head as he was cowering back. He didn't know it yet, but he was about to have a night plagued with little sleep. Neville had scared him that much.
― ― ―
Quickly giving the now charged and folded red note to the elderly owl, Molly ordered it to deliver it to her youngest son the next morning, opened the window and sent it on its way.
Then she returned downstairs to watch how long it took for the hand to move back. It was already back to 'At School' before she got there.
― ― ―
Back at Hogwarts Neville rounded on the other two of his dorm mates and said, "I have answered your questions as to when Harry is likely to rejoin Hogwarts. Just because it is not the answer you want is irrelevant to me; it is the only answer I'm prepared to give. Don't push it!"
That had both other boys quickly nod back with Thomas adding, "Yeah, right-o! No problems, alright?"
Neville just gave them all a final glare before he relaxed again and said, "I'm going to bed. Have a bit of respect for others and try to keep the noise down." Then he quickly began to get ready to go to sleep.
As Neville grabbed his toiletries and ducked into the bathroom to brush his teeth for the night, Thomas rounded on Ron and said, "Merlin, Ron! Are you an idiot, or something? What got into your head to do something like that?"
Ron sagged down onto the side of his bed, sighed and said, "I don't know! I just can't help running off at the mouth. Both Dad and Aunt Muriel said if I don't get it under control soon, it's gonna get me killed!
Looking up and back at them, he whined, "But, I'm try-ing. It's just not work-ing."
A few minutes later, a small beetle flew out the cracked-open window.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Over in the Ravenclaw Third Year girls' dorms, Luna was just walking in when she was confronted by the other five, who were clearly waiting for her.
Shirley Fawcett, one of the ones arrested and charged when Flitwick stood and outed them in the middle of the Great Hall for being thieves, was again leading them.
"Look," she sneered. "It's little Loony Lovegood."
"Look," said Luna, right back. "It's the stupid muggleborn girl, who is one wrong word from me to a professor away from finding herself rearrested, charged, taken back before the Director of the DMLE, found guilty, having her wand snapped, obliviated of all knowledge of the wizarding world - together with her parents and siblings - and tossed out of it on her arse."
Fawcett stared back in shock and looked ready to faint. "Y-you wouldn't!" she gasped.
With an expression devoid of emotion, Luna stared back and said, "I could go right now, if you like. You, standing there in a threatening manner and trying to intimidate me, is all I need."
Letting her gaze sweep over the other four, she continued, "It's also enough for me to have the rest of you before our Head of House. You four, standing with this very stupid bitch, means you are aiding her in bullying. You can and likely would face the same punishment."
Starting to walk forward, Luna walked up close to Fawcett, who was now starting to cringe, and said, "This is your final warning from me, Fawcett. One more word or action against me from you... One!... and you're gone!
"What you don't seem to realise or know, a person's memories can be extracted from their mind and placed in an object that allows others to watch them. It's called a pensieve. Memories can be submitted as evidence in an enquiry. My memory of this event is, therefore, submissable as evidence. That means, whether or not you get to stay in Hogwarts, is now in my mind.
"You and your ignorant friends will leave me alone, Fawcett. You will, from this moment forth, treat me with respect. If you do not, the next thing you will need to do is pack. Do you understand me?"
As Luna stood there and continued to stare the other girl in the eye, Fawcett eventually and fearfully nodded.
Right then, Luna knew that the nice mind-healer lady had not led her wrong. She'd told the little blonde that bullies are, at heart, cowards. If you stand up to them, they will cower away. Fawcett was doing that right now.
She now knew her remaining time in Hogwarts would not be the nightmare she'd experienced for her first two and a bit.
"Good," she snapped. "Now, get out of my way."
Fawcett hurried to 'get'. So did the other four.
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