A/N - Written for Round 10 of the Quidditch League Competition. Our team character was Neville and I had to write about his biggest mistake. I wasn't sure just what big mistakes Neville really made, as I didn't think that melting your cauldron in Potions really counted, so this is what I came up with.

If you are interested, everyone on my team had to write about a different point in Neville's life and we used small elements from each other's stories to try and tie them all together into the Life and Times of Neville Longbottom. These are the stories that have been written and their chronological order.

1. Emily Rye by Mark Geoffrey Norrish

2. Validity by trollnexus

3. Luminescent by LuxaLucifer

4. The Last Fairytale by vcbxnzm21

5. Rectifying Mistakes by erm31323

6. Shepherd's Pie by Caluminator

7. Night of the Living Verdure by MaryRoyale

8. Vigor by NiceFwoops

March 2000

Neville sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face as he sat at his desk. He looked back down at the parchment in front of him and the words blurred. Neville groaned and rubbed his eyes.

"Rough day Nev?" Ron asked as he sat down. Neville sighed.

"What am I doing here Ron?" Neville asked.

"Paperwork, looks like," Ron said.

"No, well yes, it's paperwork, but that's not what I meant," he said. "I mean what am I doing here, in the Auror department."

"Um, working?" Ron replied, looking at Neville in confusion. Neville just looked at Ron, then shook his head.

"Forget it," he said, waving the other man off.

"Sorry mate, you're really not making much sense," Ron said. "Maybe you should go home and get some sleep."

"Yeah, maybe," Neville replied, looking back down at the parchment in front of him.

"Ron," Harry called. "You ready?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there," Ron called back. "Harry and I are meeting Ginny and Hermione for dinner. You wanna come?"

"No, I've got to finish this and I wouldn't be very good company besides," Neville said with a sigh.

"All right then," Ron replied. "Just don't work too hard." Neville snorted and Ron grinned, grabbing his cloak as he left.

When Ron and Harry had gone, Neville leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. He'd thought becoming an Auror was what he wanted, following in his parents' footsteps, helping round up the rest of the Death Eaters, rebuilding the wizarding world into something they could all be proud of. And it had been all that, although he'd never felt the same way about it that Ron and Harry had. He hadn't felt the pride and the glory that the two of them seemed to when they brought in another Death Eater. Neville was glad they were in custody where they belonged, but he hadn't enjoyed doing the job as he thought he should have. It was simply a job to him, nothing more, a duty he felt compelled to perform.

Now, nearly two years later, things were even more different. They'd caught everyone that Neville thought they were going to. He highly suspected that some of the Death Eaters they hadn't found had probably fled to the Continent or maybe even the States. They got leads from time to time, but nothing solid. Now the most dangerous thing he chased after were the drunks that got just a bit too belligerent at the Leaky. He was starting to hate it, to be honest.

He didn't even have time for his plants anymore. The ridiculous amount of paperwork they had to fill out every time they did any little thing was drowning him. Directly after the war, a state of emergency had been implemented and they'd had clerical help to fill out all the forms so that the Aurors could concentrate on actually bringing people in when their leads were fresh and acting on their information crucial. Now that things had slowed down, the clerks had been needed elsewhere and the Aurors were expected to fill out their own paperwork.

Sighing once again, Neville looked down at the form in front of him and realized he'd filled it out completely wrong. Growling under his breath, he crumpled it up and pulled out a fresh sheet, starting the process once again.

When he'd finally finished, he stood and stretched, intending to do nothing more than apparate home and fall into his bed. His stomach, however, had different ideas. Deciding instead to grab a quick bite at the Leaky, Neville made his way to the lifts and took one of the Ministry floos. Stepping through, he was glad to see that Ron and Harry hadn't come here for dinner. He wasn't up to small talk right now.

Sitting down at the bar, he was happy to see that Hannah was working. She usually was, as she owned the place now, but she did take a night off now and again.

"Hey Neville," she said with a smile as she approached. "What can I get you?"

"A butterbeer please," Neville said. "And whatever the special is tonight."

"Shepherd's pie," Hannah said, opening the bottle of butterbeer and setting it in front of him.

"Perfect," Neville replied.

"So what's on your mind?" she asked, as she waved her wand and his dinner appeared from the kitchen and floated down in front of him.

"What makes you think something's on my mind?" he asked, taking a bite of his food. She shrugged.

"You just look a little off, is all," she replied.

"It's work, I guess," he said once he'd swallowed.

"What about it?" she questioned. There was a pause as Neville thought about how to answer her question.

"It's just, not what I expected anymore," he finally said. "I don't know if it ever really was actually. I think maybe I decided to be an Auror for all the wrong reasons."

"Well, why did you decide to do it?" Hannah asked.

"Because Kingsley was hounding me day and night," Neville said with a grin. Hannah laughed. "Actually it was because of my parents, I guess. I thought it was what I should do, what everyone expected me to do, because of who they were. I mean, they were some of the best Aurors the department ever had. Loads of people told me so." He shrugged and took another bite of his dinner.

"That wasn't the only reason though, was it?" Hannah asked.

"No," Neville agreed. "I was sort of flattered that Kingsley wanted me so badly. I thought for a very long time that I didn't belong in Gryffindor."

"That's ridiculous Neville," Hannah interrupted. "Look what you did that last year against the Carrows and what you did in the war, how you stood up to Voldemort."

"I know, but for a long time, I wasn't brave like that," Neville said.

"What about those points you got first year for trying to stop Harry and Ron and Hermione?" she argued.

"Okay, okay," Neville said with a laugh. "Anyway, the fact that Kingsley wanted me as badly as he did Ron and Harry, well, my Gran was so proud. I couldn't disappoint her." Hannah didn't say anything for a few minutes and Neville went back to eating his dinner. He thought that their conversation was over, so he startled a bit when she spoke again.

"If you could do something else, what would it be?" she asked.

"Something with plants," he said without hesitation. Hannah smiled. She had been Neville's partner in N.E.W.T. level Herbology.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" she said with a wry smile. "So, why don't you do it?"

"Do what?" Neville asked in confusion.

"Something with plants," Hannah repeated Neville's earlier words.

"I can't," Neville said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"I'm an Auror," he said simply.

"Right, because no one has ever changed careers before," she said dryly.

"But," Neville began, but then stopped. Hannah just smiled and moved down the bar to wait on another customer.

Neville stared down at his food, his brow furrowed, contemplating what Hannah had said. What would happen if he quit? Well he wouldn't have a job for one, but if he could get his greenhouse back in shape, he could sell ingredients to the apothecaries in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. They were always looking for quality specimens and Neville knew he could provide them.

His Gran would be disappointed. She had been so proud when he'd gotten his Auror badge. Neville hated to let her down. But then he tried to imagine his life in five years or ten, still working in the department and it made his stomach twist. He just didn't want to do it anymore. He wondered if he'd ever wanted to do it at all.

Neville sighed and put a few galleons down on the bar. He waved to Hannah and stepped outside into the courtyard to disapparate.

When he got home, Gran was already in bed. Neville walked outside to the greenhouse and stepped inside. He lit his wand and walked up and down the rows of plants, seeing just how neglected everything was. His hands began to itch to be in the dirt. Tomorrow was his day off and knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything until morning, Neville left the greenhouse and finally fell into bed.

He rose early the next day and spent the entire morning in the greenhouse. He weeded and pruned, thinned and replanted. By the time he took a break, the sun was directly overhead. He wiped the sweat from his brow, leaving a streak of dirt behind and smiled at everything he'd accomplished.

There was a tapping at the window behind him and Neville turned to see an owl flapping outside. He opened the door and the owl flew in, perching on the table next to him. The owl held out his leg and Neville wiped his hands on a rag before untying the parchment the owl carried.

"Sorry," he said. "I don't have any owl treats out here." The owl hooted and flew back out the still open door.

Neville unrolled the parchment and began to read it, his mouth dropping open the further he went. When he finished, he leaned heavily against the table behind him, a look of shock on his face. He read the letter again and finally smiled. It was from Professor Sprout. She had decided to retire in a couple of years and wanted to train someone to take over for her. She and Professor McGonagall had agreed that Neville was the perfect choice. If he agreed, he would take over the first and second year classes next winter term, the third and fourth years the following fall.

Neville lowered the letter and looked out over the back gardens, which were in about as much need of care as the greenhouse had been. He'd made a mistake becoming an Auror and thinking it was the career for him, he knew that now. He'd chosen it for the wrong reasons and stayed for even worse ones. He glanced down at the letter once more. He wouldn't make the same mistake again. Smiling, Neville picked up the letter and made his way back into the house for lunch and to tell his Gran. And maybe after he had explained things to her, he would finally ask Hannah out too.