"It's just horrible Frank. Poor Lily, poor James, and what about Harry? He has no one now."
"It's all right Alice, I've spoken to Dumbledore, Harry gone to live with Lily's sister," Frank said gently to his wife.
"I know, it's just that the Potters were such a lovely family and Harry and Neville got along so well." Alice gazed down at her son who was watching his parents carefully with curious eyes. He could tell his mother was sad, which made him sad. He started to cry.
"Oh Neville, please don't cry sweetie," she told him as she rocked him gently.
"Should I try blowing bubbles for him Alice? He always seems to like that."
"Alright, the chewing gum is over there, Frank." He grabbed a stick of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum to and began to chew, then he blew a large blue bubble with the gum. Neville instantly stopped crying and watched the bubble grow, happily reaching and trying to grab it with his fat fists. The bubble popped and gum went all over Frank's face. Neville squealed with laughter.
"Now look what you've done," said Alice laughing, "he'll never go to sleep now will he."
"It's not my fault!" said Frank looking rather bemused, "This stuff isn't supposed to pop for days. You try putting him to bed, I'm going to try clean this gum off." She smiled at Frank and he gave her a sticky kiss on the cheek, then gave Neville one, "I love you both."
"I love you too, Frank. Its bed time now Neville, say bye bye to daddy." Neville waved at his father as he left to go clean up. Alice took Neville to his room and put him in his cot. He looked up at his mum and scrunched up his face in concentration.
"What is it Neville?" Alice asked curiously
"Mmm," said Neville quietly.
"What was that Neville?"
"Mmm. Mmm. Mmum. Mum," said Neville.
"Did you just say mum, Neville?" said Alice, getting excited.
"Mum," said Neville proudly. Alice swooped up Neville from his cot and kissed him.
"You're such a cleaver boy Neville!" she told him, Neville giggled.
"Frank! Frank!" Alice shouted down the hall, "Neville just said his first word!" There was no reply.
"Frank? Did you hear me? Neville just said his first word!" Still no reply. That's odd, she thought, they had been waiting to Neville to speak for a while, he was a late bloomer. Surely Frank wouldn't want to miss this. Unless something had happened. No, it can't of. Could it?
"Frank?" she called again, more hesitantly and still no reply. She put Neville back in his cot. "Stay quiet Neville," she told him. Neville watched his mother leave the room. Then he heard a voice he didn't recognize. A woman's voice, shrill and high.
"Tell us where He is!" Neville heard her scream.
"Please, please, I don't know! We don't know!" he heard his father plead.
"You're lying!" the woman shouted, "Crucio!"
Neville heard his father scream in pain. As quickly as the screaming started it stopped and a quiet sobbing could be heard. Alice burst back into Neville's room and slammed the door shut.
"Mum," he said quietly, starting to cry again. Her face was pasty and pale and her hands were clammy. Alice grabbed Neville with shaking hands and put him in the wardrobe with his blanket
"Stay here Neville," she told him, her voice shaking. "Please do not make a sound, mummy and daddy will be okay, Neville. And remember we love you so much and we are so proud of you." And with that she kissed him on the forehead, shut the wardrobe door and left.
"Crucio!" screamed Bellatrix. "Where is he? Tells us what you know!"
"We don't know anything, we don't!" sobbed Alice, trying to protect her husband's limp body. "Please, have mercy!"
"Crucio!" screamed Bellatrix again.
"Maybe they don't know Bella, maybe-"
Bellatrix cut him off. "They know Rabastan!" she shouted at him, wand still pointed at Alice and Frank. "Where has Barty gone?"
"He's looking for the boy," replied Rodolphus.
"Y-you leave Neville alone! He has nothing to do with this!" yelled Alice through her tears.
"You tell us where the Dark Lord is! Or suffer the consequences."
"We don't know where he is! We don't know anything, please, we don't know!" But Alice knew, looking up at Bellatrix, that they wouldn't make it out of there alive.
"Crucio!"
Pain seared through her body and as quickly as it started it stopped. She lay over Franks body, sobbing and panting, struggling for each breath. She knew she must be brave, because what would a Gryffindor be without their bravery.
"Crucio!"
She felt herself slipping away, she thought of Neville. Even if they died here, or worse, she would be with Frank, but they would leave Neville behind, her beautiful baby boy. Alice tried to fight the pain, to stay alive for her son.
"Crucio!"
It was too much, she felt herself slipping away and she whispered, "I love you Neville."
Then she was gone.
Neville spent the night in the wardrobe, listening to his parent's screams and cries. He didn't understand what was happening and he was scared. But like his mother told him, he didn't make a sound. After what seemed like forever the screaming stopped and the house was silent. Neville waited for his parents to come get him, but no one came and after a while he fell asleep. His grandmother found him late in the afternoon the next day.
She held him close for a long time, crying and saying, "Oh Neville, I thought they had gotten you too."
It wasn't till many years later Neville understood what his grandmother had meant. When he went to see his parents and he asked what happened to them. His grandmother told him how his mother hid him away from the Death Eaters to protect him, how they never gave in and how they were brave like true Gryffindor's. Neville was proud of them, and one day he hoped that they would be proud of him too.