Hufflepuff
Seventh Year
Category: Short
Word Count: 1770 (Microsoft Word)
Prompt(s): [Speech] "Let's throw caution to the wind and just do it."
"Shh! Someone's coming!"
Neville pulled Ginny and Luna into an alcove. They pressed against the walls hoping that the light from the torches were enough to neutralize the faint moonlight coming through the window, keeping the three Hogwarts students shrouded in darkness. Filch passed by with Mrs. Norris.
"Did you hear something, my sweet?" Filch muttered, scanning the area through narrowed eyes. He was getting on in age so hopefully his vision wasn't too good.
Mrs. Norris sniffed the ground and wandered over to the alcove. Luna dropped an orange peel when Filch wasn't looking. The cat recoiled at the smell and moved on, determining that the acidic smell wasn't worth investigating.
As soon as the old caretaker was gone, Neville released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Coast is clear," said Ginny, chancing a peek.
The three of them continued on their mission to get to Snape's office. According to Luna, they needed to break in and steal the Sword of Godric Gryffindor. It was an important artifact that would help them in the war. She didn't know why yet, but Neville trusted her. It amazed him that with every mad word she spoke, there was also truth.
Neville trusted in anything that would help. For the longest time, he thought Hogwarts was a living hell. Something dangerous was always happening, teachers who thought him a useless lump and would never measure up to his parents, and, of course, bullies who saw an awkward child as a personal punching bag and hexing target. He'd take all that back if it meant getting the old Hogwarts back as well.
With Dumbledore gone, Snape was left in charge by Voldemort. With Ollivander gone, the first years had no wands to defend themselves with. Oh, and the worst two people Neville ever had the displeasure of meeting were on staff. They tortured the older students and ordered them to torture the defenseless first years.
Something needed to change.
Surprisingly, getting into Snape's office was easy. The gargoyle didn't even request a password, it just leapt to the side revealing the staircase. Neville smiled to himself, encouraged by this and knowing that Hogwarts wanted him to fight. Wanted them to complete their mission.
The trio ran up the stairs.
"Where is it, do you think?" Ginny asked, surveying the nearly empty office.
When it belonged to Dumbledore, it had so many items and now… now all that stood out was a massive telescope, the desk, and some paperwork. Even the fireplace was empty, logs cold from disuse. Neville just decided to start touching various items, hoping for a secret passage, Ginny was searching the drawers of the desk, and Luna was talking to the portraits.
Neville then remembered Harry mention once that Gryffindor's sword came to him from the Sorting Hat. He scanned the bookcases and found it on a high shelf. When it was quiet, it could just be any old hat from a second-hand shop. He dragged a chair over and climbed up. As he was reaching for it the chilling voice that haunted his recent childhood broke the silence of the office.
"You are many things, Longbottom, but a thief?"
Neville, Luna, and Ginny froze and faced the Potion's Master. Neville refused to acknowledge him as Headmaster. Snape was staring at them coldly, and though his wand was held loose in those pale fingers, Neville knew that he'd hex them to oblivion before they could even raise their wands.
"How did you even manage to get in here?"
Neville tipped his chin in defiance.
Snape sneered, seeing that he wasn't going to get an explanation from these students.
"Detention," he said, "with Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest. All three of you."
Neville's fear of the Carrows outweighed his fear of the Forbidden Forest. He didn't argue with Snape, instead he merely ducked his head and went back to his Common Room with Ginny.
~o0o~
"Alrigh'," said Hagrid. "We're just going to be lookin' fer unicorn horns. They shed them in the fall and winter and Professor Slughorn would like to use them in potions."
Neville, Luna, and Ginny stuck together, keeping their eyes on the mottled ground, searching for the pearlescent gleam of a unicorn horn. Who knew that they shed their horns like deer did their antlers? Still, that tidbit of knowledge was not at the forefront of Neville's mind.
"We can't carry on like this," said Neville.
"I agree," said Luna.
"But what are we going to do?" Ginny asked challengingly.
Neville saw the idea. It had been lurking in the back of his mind ever since the Death Eaters had looked for Harry Potter on the train. He glanced at Luna and saw her pale gaze on him expectantly.
"It's obvious, innit?" he said. "We start up Dumbledore's army again."
"Great," said Ginny. "Brilliant. Who's going to be leader?"
Neville felt a surge of courage. A need to step in and take charge. For once, he would live up to his parents' legacy, even if it was just in the eyes of his peers.
"I will," he said. "We'll show those bloody Death Munchers that they're not going to break us. No matter what, we're going to keep fighting. Let's throw caution to the wind and just do it!"
"How extraordinarily brave, Neville," said Luna, touching his arm lightly.
Neville blushed and grinned.
"Starting today," he said, "Dumbledore's Army is recruiting once again."
~o0o~
Neville's personality had done a complete 180. He was no longer that shy boy that was assaulted with a series of unfortunate events. Now, he took the bad with his chest pushed forward in confidence. He was still scared. Luna knew he was still scared and saw that slight shake in his hands when she had the privilege of seeing his braverisms first hand. The fire in his eyes outweighed it all.
Luna had always found Neville sweet and thought his shyness endearing but this… she truly believed that now he could take on Voldemort's army if he put his mind to it. She stood right beside him, vandalizing the walls with slogans like: Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting and Support McGonagall, the true Headmistress of Hogwarts.
They gathered supporters in several students. For Muggle Studies they wrote protest essays on why Muggles weren't the scum of the Earth and how they were to be admired for their innovations since they couldn't perform magic for their tasks. For Dark Arts, they refused to perform curses on first years who were set up like guinea pigs.
The other professors were quiet supporters, taking on detentions. Assigning detentions before the Carrows could and blocking as much of the sick torture as they could.
Unfortunately, for every step forward they took, it seemed like the Carrows and Professor Snape dragged them five steps back. It made Luna sick and she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her smile and serene attitude.
The only time she felt calm anymore was when she was with Neville. The Lion of Gryffindor House and leader of their rebellion. She found herself wanting to spend as much time as possible with him. Even when they were being chased through the halls, avoiding capture for their vandalism and protest, she felt safe. Dare she say she was falling for him.
Being a practiced empath, which was the first step to becoming a legilimens, Luna could see it was mutual and that was a comforting thought. She would let him make the first move, but it would certainly happen after they won the war. If they got into a relationship now, the wrackspurts would take over and muddy their thoughts and make them take unnecessary risks. Wrackspurts were neutral beings and couldn't be reasoned with.
Winter holiday finally came, and everyone managed to take half a breath. Half of them wouldn't be returning if they could help it. Unfortunately, Scrimgeour was requiring all students to attend Hogwarts. If they didn't return then the parents would face serious repercussions worse than Azkaban imprisonment.
On the Hogwarts Express, Luna sat in the same compartment with Neville and Ginny who had quickly become her best friends.
"Where will you be staying for the holidays, Neville?" Luna asked.
"Not sure," he admitted. "I already convinced my gran to go into hiding. She and my Uncle Algernon took my parents away somewhere. I don't even know where."
"You can stay with me and Daddy," said Luna, resting her hand on top of his. "You shouldn't have to be alone on Christmas."
Neville smiled shyly, his cheeks turning a charming shade of pink.
Their smiles faded as the train shuddered and slowed to a stop. Luna glanced out the window and saw the black shadows of the Snatchers. Who were they after this time? There wasn't a Muggle-born left at Hogwarts. Luna prayed that they wouldn't find who they were looking for.
Ginny got up and sat on the same side of the compartment as her and Neville. The three of them joined hands and waited with bated breath, hoping the train would start moving again. It was more quiet and more tense than when the Dementors searched the train her second year.
Two Snatchers passed by their compartment. Before they could even release half a breath, one of them back-tracked and flung their compartment door open so fast and hard, the glass shattered. This Snatcher had greasy hair, crooked teeth, and a lust for violence in his cold eyes.
"Found 'er," he said. "Luna Lovegood."
"NO!" Ginny shouted. "She's a half-blood! Her father writes for the Quibbler!"
"Exactly," he said with a malicious grin. "The Dark Lord isn't fond of what dear ol' Daddy is writing. He needs to pay for his actions."
"I won't let you take her!" Neville shouted, jumping to his feet. "Impedimenta!"
The Snatcher flew back into the wall and the second immediately took his place, deflecting the offensive spells easily, even in the small space. He whipped his wand arm, hitting Neville with a spell that knocked him clean out.
Luna shrieked as the first one recovered and wrapped her up in rope, her pencil-thin wand dropping out of her hand and to the ground where it was crushed under a boot. Ginny tried to fight, but she too was flung back.
"Let me go!" Luna cried in vain, all pretenses out the window. The ropes were constricting her chest and her vision had narrowed to a tunnel as her anxiety shot through the roof.
Neville recovered just enough to make eye contact with her before she was taken away.
"Luna!"