Order Only: Private message to Madam Pomfrey

[alt_fred]

Madam Pomfrey,

I know you have your hands as full as can be, but do you think you can squeeze in some time tomorrow to apparate to Sherwood and talk to Terry Boot? Or if you can't, can you contact the healer there and ask him or her to keep a close eye on him? A really close eye.

He's sounding pretty bad. It may be delayed reaction from losing his whole Zulu team, but the news about Neville has hit him hard, too, and he's, well, talking as if he's a few ingredients short of a full potion. He says that death is following him around, and I think he's thinking of chucking the whole thing, walking away from everyone he knows, because he's convinced he'll only bring disaster on us.

Or maybe worse. I don't like to think it, but I'm afraid he might hurt himself somehow.

I asked him to come here to spend the night with me and George at the shop, and he said no. He's never turned that down before.

Please, can you fit in some time to see him? And talk some sense into him? I did what I could, but I'm not--well, I may not be what he needs the most.

Comments

[alt_fred]

I dunno if I should say anything to his parents. They have enough to deal with. But he's really distressed, and I honestly don't think it should be ignored.

[alt_poppy]

I'm sorry to hear this, of course. And also scarcely surprised, by which I mean, given the circumstances in which Mr Boot and many of our number are living, and given the losses of this past week, which have struck very close, desperate feelings are an all too common affliction.

You're quite right to take seriously what he's shared with you. I'll note that it's not by accident he chose you to speak with, but I take it that you feel that, for now at least, talking with you hasn't been enough to ease him.

May I ask: what did you mean when you said you may not be what Mr Boot most needs? Do you have an idea what his particular need might be? It would be most helpful to know.

[alt_fred]

I mean, I've talked to him as a friend, but I think he needs a professional healer. Maybe even some potions. What he wants, what he's longing for, is a family. But his first was killed, and then there was the whole history with that carbuncle-on-the-arse Carrow. And he cared for the Headmistress and she died, and then the Longbottoms adopted him, but I guess some of the other kids at Moddey Dhoo resented that. So he left and tried to make a place for himself at Sherwood, and his whole team died.

And now Neville.

I think he's about convinced himself that he's walking doom for anyone he gets near. So he's refusing to see me and George, and he's so sick about how the Longbottoms are taking it that he says he thinks he shouldn't go back to Moddey Dhoo.

I'm just afraid of saying the wrong thing. He needs his family, but he's so convinced that he's a walking curse I'm afraid he may trying ditching us all and disappearing.


I told him it's Voldemort's fault, not his. But he's not thinking too clearly.

[alt_fred]

He mentioned that being boot might be better. I took that for a pretty bad sign.

[alt_poppy]

He's at Sherwood tonight, then? So far as you know?

I will send a courier there with a potion for him and an invitation to return here. I do hope you will follow up with him in the morning. As a friend. To let him know that he has support and an ear and to ask what else he recognises he might need (for instance, to be seen by a Healer).

I will also be notifying the senior Healer at Sherwood in hopes that they have some network in place to provide support to their people in times of stress and trauma. And I intend to speak to Alice. She needs to know.

Thank you for your good instincts and for being a good friend to Mr Boot.

[alt_fred]

Bugger all, I just realised (excuse my language).

He took polyjuice for Susan Bones, so she could slip away for the Azkaban mission. But that means he was THERE, in the stands, watching inferi and werewolves tear people apart (did you know that his boggart was werewolves for a time? Carrow used to threaten to feed him to Remus when he was boot). All while he was pretending to be a Hogwarts prefect, keeping little kids calm that he didn't even know. And Voldemort was there, too.

I think it's dead amazing that he didn't break cover and bolt. But having to watch THAT probably made this...whatever this is, this accumulated shock...a hundred times worse.