Hey, um, just saw the Deathly Hallows (AWESOME:D) and feel the compelling need to write a story based upon what was going on inside our beloved castle while Ron, Harry and Hermione were searching the countryside for pieces of You-Know-Who's soul. So, um, here we go:D
Neville stepped onto the train that day with a long face. His Hogwarts robes seemed to be made of lead as he trudged down the halls, searching for Ginny Weasley. She'd know the truth of whether the Harry and the others were coming back to Hogwarts. During the last few weeks of summer there had been rumors that they weren't going to come back to finish school. Though Neville didn't put much stock in rumors, he hadn't seen them in Diagonaly at all to buy their things..not even at the Weasleys shop. Neville was beginning to think these rumors must be true. If they were, what did that mean for the school?
Neville sighed, not seeing her and sitting down in an empty compartment with his trunk. He could see that even the train had changed. It was quieter with no one running, laughing or charming each other. The train'd always been busy. There was noise, it was the Hogwarts Express! It wasn't...quiet. It wasn't like this.
The door opened and a very tired looking Ginny walked in, pulling her trunk after her. She sat down across from him and looked over at him, eyes weary. Her ginger hair fell gently in her face and Neville noticed that it was frizzy, something he rarely saw on Ginny. "They're not coming." She told him, looking exasperated.
Neville sighed audibly, looking out the window and watching as the smoke billowed out of the train and they slowly lurched forward out of the platform. What he saw next was a tragedy; instead of green hillsides he saw a grey, dull, dead landscape. It darkened his mood so he turned to Ginny with a sober expression. "I wondered." He watched as she looked distantly out the window with a disgusted expression. "Do you know why?" He asked with a strained expression.
Ginny bit her lip, looking around before looking into his brown eyes. She frowned, pulling her legs up to her chin in the seat and looking intently at Neville's confused expression. "Dumbledore gave them a mission." She mumbled, biting her lip. "That's all they'd tell me."
Neville's eyes turned to the window again and he watched Dementors swirl around the train before turning his eyes to Ginny again. "What happened, Ginny?" He asked with a little frown. "What happened with Harry?" He clarified, staring past her normally frizzy hair and into her broken eyes.
Ginny looked at Neville with a little frown. "Nothing really." She mumbled, looking out into the empty hallway of the train before answering Neville without turning to look at him. "I kissed him...to give him something to remember me by..that's it.." She answered in a muffled tone as she buried her face in her knees to hide her expression. "I'm scared, Neville."
Neville nodded, frowning. "I'm scared, too, Ginny." He told her with a frown as a shadow fell over the door and Seamus walked in with Hannah on his arm. He looked down at Ginny and then at Neville before frowning.
"Are we interrupting something?" He asked an insinuation deeply rooted in his voice.
Neville shook his head, looking up at Seamus with a grave expression. "We were just talking about Harry, Ron and Hermione." He told him in a reluctant tone, not wanting to say Harry's name aloud as to not upset Ginny. "They're really not coming back." He informed them and Hannah's expression darkened.
"Harry's not coming back to Hogwarts?" She asked, looking at each of the compartment's occupants in turn with a concerned expression. "What about You-Know-Who?" Her expression was one of erratic worry as she ran her fingers run through her blond locks.
Ginny looked at Hannah with a frown. She then looked at Neville as she stood up. "Where ever they are, I know they're working hard against Voldemort." She told her, eyes blazing. Hannah's face twitched at the fierce expression on Ginny's face and Ginny's expression quickly melted. "I'm sorry, Hannah." She mumbled before sinking down in her seat.
Hannah smiled weakly down at her, stepping away from Seamus and sitting down beside Ginny. "You really miss Harry, don't you?" She asked her, taking her hand and gently squeezing it. Ginny nodded, leaning her head against Hannah's shoulder.
Seamus sat down beside Neville and looked over at him with a little frown. "Any other slightly devastating news?" He asked Neville as he watched the girl's huddle.
Neville let out a long breath before he responded. "Luna's been captured." He told Seamus and Seamus raised a curious eyebrow at him. "Her father was printing the truth about this war in the Quibbler. The Death Eaters and Voldy didn't like that much." He explained before turning to look at Seamus. "So, they took Luna to blackmail him with."
Seamus nodded at him a sober expression on his face. "School's not gonna be the same this year, is it?" He asked but there was no need for that question to be answered. Just the atmosphere of the train was a window into the life they'd soon be living when the Hogwarts Express rolls up to Hogsmeade Station. With Snape as headmaster, only Godrick knows what they'd be up against. He'd probably bring back the detentions hanging from your feet in the dungeon...with Snape as the headmaster, chances are they wouldn't be getting the education they need for the fight that's coming.
Neville scratched the back of his neck, an idea brewing. "Hey, guys...how would you feel about reinstating DA?"
