Hannah Abbott's POV
"Neville, are you okay?" I asked him, my eyes fixated on him, who was staring at a photo on the mirror. "You look quite sad."
"I'm just thinking about my parents." Neville replied, pointing to a photo of the original order of the phoenix and two people in particular. "When I was younger, a death eater by the name of Bellatrix Lestrange tortured them for information but they never gave in. She tortured them into insanity and now they are permanent residents at Saint Mungo's. I am quite proud to be their son and all I want to do is make them proud."
"Neville, nobody could have done what you have." I said to him, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Ever since Ginny and Luna left, you have taken care of all of us, taught us defensive spells and found us a place of refuge. Your parents would be so proud to have you as a son."
"I don't think that my grandmother would agree with you on that, Hannah." Neville replied, touching an cut on his cheek. "My grandma was always disappointed to have me as a grandson. I think that she would have preferred Harry. She always said that I brought shame on the family."
"Neville, you're one of the bravest people that I know." I said to him, reassuringly. "Your grandmother should be proud to have you as a grandson."
"I'm not brave at all, I'm a nobody." Neville replied, his head bent almost like he was disappointed in himself.
"No, you are not nobody." I said to him. "Since Bellatrix Lestrange's release from Azkaban prison, you have been working harder than anyone else in Dumbledore's army to prove that you are good enough. You're an amazing teacher, Neville and an amazing friend."
"Thanks, Hannah." Neville replied, smiling slightly to me. "I just wish that Ginny and Luna were here. I wonder if they are okay out there. Have you heard anything from them over the last couple of days?"
"No." I said to him. "All I know is that Ginny and Luna were supposed to come back but they weren't on the Hogwarts Express and that death eaters attacked Ginny's brother's wedding."
"You don't think that he's got them, do you?" Neville asked, slightly pained. "I mean, his followers attacked Ginny's brother's wedding to Fleur and I know that Luna attended with her father."
"I am sure that they are fine, Neville." I replied, glancing at the photo then at Neville. "They have probably gone into hiding because it's not safe out there anybody with the snatchers, dementors and death eaters out there."
"It's not safe here anymore either." Neville said to me, sighing. "Snape is headmaster and he killed Professor Dumbledore, no teacher is brave enough to stand up to him, there are dementors and death eaters crawling the grounds and the Carrows are teaching us that muggles are animals, stupid and dirty-"
"They shouldn't have done this to you, Neville." I replied, looking at his scars. "And you shouldn't have provoked them. They are dangerous and vicious, Neville."
"I know that, Hannah, but we shouldn't be using the cruciatus curse on first years as punishment." Neville said. "I have seen what it can do-"
"Professor Moody shouldn't have practiced those unforgivable curses in the classroom." I replied, resting my head on his shoulders. "Especially not the cruciatus curse on that poor spider in front of you after what happened to your parents. There is a reason why those curses are unforgivable."
"It wasn't professor Moody, Hannah." said Neville. "It was Barty Crouch's son, Barty Crouch Jr. He used Polyjuice potion to pretend to be professor Moody to resurrect You-Know-Who. Barty Crouch Jr helped Bellatrix Lestrange to torture my parents and he was the one who put Harry's name in the goblet of fire."
"Oh Neville!" I replied, affectionately. "I cannot believe that he tortured your parents and then came to Hogwarts and performed the same unforgivable curse that he performed on your parents on a spider in front of you. Neville, do you want me to get some medicine for those scars of yours?"
"No, Hannah." Neville replied, adamant.
"Why not?" I asked him. "You might get an infection."
"And you might get snatched by the snatchers." Neville replied, moving to sit down on his bed. "They are everywhere."
"I don't get it." I said, biting my lip. "Neville, what are snatchers looking for?"
"Muggle-borns and blood traitors." Neville replied. "Snatchers are bounty hunters searching for muggle-borns and blood traitors for You-Know-Who. They are paid gold to round them up. If you left, you will be snatched."
"Do you think that's what's happened to Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood?" I asked him. "Do you think that they have been snatched by the snatchers?"
"It's a possibility, Hannah." Neville replied, worried. "Ginny's parents are pure-bloods and they associate with muggles and so does Luna's father. I heard what happened to your mother, Hannah, I'm sorry."
"Don't be, it wasn't your fault." I said, close to tears. "Some death eaters broke into our house and killed her. I wish I could have been with her when it happened. I miss her, Neville. I just want my mom back. I left school for the funeral but it had to be quick and quiet like her life didn't mean anything-"
"Of course it did." Neville replied, wrapping his arms around me. "If the death eaters knew that it was her funeral, they would have killed you too. Do you by any chance know why she was killed?"
"She was muggle-born, Neville." I said, my face buried in his chest. "Her parents were muggles. The death eaters despise all muggle-borns. That's why they killed her. That's why they killed my mom."
"I'm so sorry, Hannah." Neville replied, sympathetically.
"I know that she is still with me and that she is proud." I replied. "My mom always said that we should never give up on our dreams. What's yours?"
"I want to make my parents proud and I want You-Know-Who gone forever." Neville said, stroking my hair. "But only Harry can destroy him so we have to wait until he gets back before You-Know-Who is gone."
"There are dementors, death eaters and snatchers looking for him." I said, quietly. "There are posters with his faces on them. Everybody is looking for him because they think that he was responsible for Professor Dumbledore's death. Would Harry be so reckless as to break into the castle?"
"I know that he will be back." Neville replied, hopeful. "What I don't understand is how anyone could think that Harry had anything to do with Dumbledore' death?"
"Well, he was on the astronomy tower when it happened?" I said to him. "People say that You-Know-Who has taken over the Ministry, they think that the Minister of magic is a death eater. Maybe You-Know-Who is convincing people that Harry killed Professor Dumbledore so that they will find him."
"Nobody can actually believe that Harry would lay a finger on Professor Dumbledore." Neville replied. "Dumbledore trusted Harry."
I was about to reply when Seamus called Neville over and he left.
Recently, I have started to admire Neville more and more especially how brave and courageous he was standing up to the Carrows and Professor Snape the way that he did without even wondering what might happen to him. The respect and admiration I held for him was like an aged cheese. It became stronger with age, more mature, more robust. He has somehow become more masculine, more handsome, less clumsier and more courage which I find extremely attractive. I could help but blush whenever he was around, play with my blonde hair and smile whenever he talked to me. Even though I have had many boyfriends, I have never felt this way about anyone before. I couldn't find my voice when I am around him. I felt my cheeks flushed hot, and my stomach was heavy. When I am talking to him, I feel like I don't have to pretend to be strong when I am actually scared, I can confide in him without him judging me and I know that he knows exactly what it is like to lose a parent so I know that he understands me.
"Hannah Abbott fancies Neville Longbottom!" Susan chanted, smirking at me. "Hannah Abbott fancies Neville Longbottom."
"Will you keep your voice down?" I asked her, annoyed. "I don't want everyone to know that I fancy him."
"I knew it." Susan replied, smugly. "I saw the way that you kept staring at him when he came through the tunnel with the food like he was dinner."
"I wasn't looking at him like that." I said, folding my arms. "Susan, please keep your voice down. I know that he has feelings for Luna and he will never look at me the way that he looks at her."
"How can you possibly know that, Hannah?" Susan asked, disappointed. "For all you know, Neville could feel the same way about you."
"He doesn't, Sue." I replied, sighing. "I have seen the way that he looks at her during the lessons. She might be a little odd but he likes her. When we were talking, I could tell that all he wanted was for her to be here with him."
"You have got to tell Neville how you feel about him." Susan replied, adamant. "At least, he will know that you like him as more than friends."
"If I do tell him, we won't be friends anymore, Sue." I said. "Promise me that you won't tell him."
"I promise, Hannah." Susan replied, moving closer to Lavender and Parvati.
When she left, I looked back at Neville and realized that I might as well get over this one sided crush that I have on him because he is clearly not interested in me.
