I do not own Harry Potter.
I do not own Harry Potter
Neville Longbottom wandered through the chilly corridors of Hogwarts, lost in thought. It was a bright morning a week before Christmas and he had decided to stay at Hogwarts, since everyday seemed to threaten an attack from death eaters. With Dumbledore gone and McGonagall as Headmaster, many people wondered just how long Hogwarts would be able to stay open under such circumstances.
Neville Longbottom was not the clumsy boy he had once been. Sure he had his clumsy times but he no longer added the exact wrong things to his potion and was hardly picked on anymore since most of the Slytherins no longer attended school, their parents saying that the school was much to big a target for an attack, though Neville doubted very much that that was their reason. Most of the people who had left were those who would sooner be attacking Hogwarts than defending it.
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger had not been heard of since Bill and Fleur Weasley's wedding as far as Neville knew. The last time he had seen them was on the train after Dumbledore's funeral, all sitting in the same compartment as usual, but not talking, faces grey with sadness and determination beyond anything Neville had ever seen. It was almost scary to look at them, especially when he would think, So this is what it's come to. Kids having to grow up fast so that they can fight things like this, it isn't right, it can't be.
It was hard to say why it was wrong, because this was all Neville had ever known. His parents hadn't been that old when they had been put into St. Mungo's, his Uncle had gone to fight Voldemort when he was just out of Hogwarts, his year mates had been fighting evil since their first year, but Neville knew there had to be something better, this couldn't be right, there had to be some reason to go on, to get married and have kids, it couldn't possibly be just so that they too could fight, this couldn't be a never ending cycle of fighters, eventually someone had to win, right?
That was why Neville fought. Not only because he knew it was right, but because he knew that he wouldn't want his kids to grow up in a world that only expected them to fight. He wanted his kids to have it better than he did, and know what it was like to be happy, to genuinely laugh and hear people laugh, without the sadness hinting and hollowing their voice, to run around outside in the sunlight and not fear something popping out at you, to make friends and not have to be suspicious of them, and to smile and truely mean it.
There was another person in the castle, wandering through the halls as did their mind, not sure what they were looking for but hoping to find it.
Her name was Cho Chang, and she was at Hogwarts for Christmas, having failed her seventh year because of all the stress of the war that had been going on. She was at Hogwarts because her parents were disappointed with her failure and kept getting on her case about it, and with the added stress of the war, Cho decided it would be best for them and her to spend Christmas apart and think things over. Many people had asked Cho why she had come back at all, it was her seventh year and some people skipped it entirely, look at the Weasley twins. She knew this but knew her parents wouldn't be happy if she did that, not to meantion she would be upset if she gave up just because she failed the first time. She also wanted to protect the place that she, like so many others, dearly loved and as she walked she reminiced with herself.
She had passed the Room of Requirements at one point, and she remembered the enchanted galleons and the brilliant witch who had made them, she remembered kissing Harry around this time sixth year and getting caught by Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad. She had many fond memories of Hogwarts, both before and after the war started.
Why, just this morning she had wandered into the Great Hall during breakfast and saw the tables pushed together as they always were for Christmas break. She saw the few students and teachers who were there, laughing together and talking, even though some wore silver and green and others yellow. Things like that made Cho wonderfully happy. It gave her hope for the future, if this war could end and things go back to how they had been, maybe, just maybe, they could stay that way. Maybe this whole hatred between the houses could stop, along with the hatred between purebloods and muggleborns and halfbloods,maybe the future wouldn't show it's people these cruel times again.
Cho hoped that she wasn't being so wishful to the point of being ridiculous. Of course people would argue, but maybe they could learn for once from the mistakes of others, after all she wasn't sure the world could take another war like this.
As Cho's feet carried her around the fourth floor corridors she became aware of someone walking toward her, looking like they were not paying attention to where they were going, scowling and looking puzzeled at the floor. Cho, realizing who it was, smiled and called to them.
"Hi Neville!" she said in a cheery voice that startled the boy out of his reveries, well, that or the clatter of the suit of armor that he ran into as it hit the floor.
He looked up. "Oh, hi Cho."
He took out his wand and with a swish, set the suit of armor upright and turned again toward the Ravenclaw girl.
"So what have you been up to Neville?" she said, folding her arms in front of her for warmth.
"Oh, not much, just trying to get good marks in my classes and trying to enjoy this break." said Neville, leaning against the wall.
"Yeah, me too."
"So why are you sticking around the castle Cho?" Neville asked, eyes following a spider skuttling across the wall, making sure it didn't get to close to him.
"Oh, just trying to avoid more arguments with my parents." she admitted.
"Yeah, I know how that is," he said, nodding in understanding as he looked back to her. "my gran is always on my case about stuff, even more with all of the stress that this war has put on her."
"Yeah. So have you heard anything about Harry or Ron or Hermione?" she asked, trying to make conversation.
"No, not since Ginny wrote me and said they left for somewhere after her brother's wedding."
"Where did they go?" she asked, curious.
"No one but them knows, though that makes sense, they don't want the wrong people to know probably."
"Yeah. The last time I saw them was at the platform." she meantioned.
"I saw them on the train." he said soberly, remembering the picture that the threeof them made.
"Yeah I haven't talked to Harry in ages, and no one was in a talkative mood at the end of last term."
" Yeah,when I got home my family was all in mourning."
"And you?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, well, I was sad, I recon almost everybody on our side was sad, but I also recon that Dumbledore wouldn't want us goin' around weeping for him, you know? He was all about being happy, Dumbledore was."
"Yes, I suppose your right." Cho was studying Neville, seeing him in a different light. That thought had never crossed her mind, and here she had always thought that Neville was a bit daft, I guess a lot of things had changed in the last couple of years.
"You've really grown up, you know that Neville?" Cho said, still studying him with a kind smile.
"Oh," his cheeks turned pink from her compliment and under her gaze. "Thanks, er-you have too." he blushed even more.
Cho giggled and tilted her head to one side, deciding to not to tease him, knowing he ment well.
"So how are thing in Gryffindor? Ravenclaw's common room is offly quiet these days." she continued.
"Actually Gryffindor still has plenty of kids in it. I think a lot of them still feel safe here, even with Dumbledore gone."
"Really?" she said, slightly surprised.
"Yeah, It was something that Harry told Ginny to tell everyone, something that Dumbledore had told him."
"What was it?" she asked, wondering what words could dispell the fear of loving parents so easily.
"Something like as long as people were still faithful to him, there would always be help available for them."
"Oh, I heard something like that." she said, a little disappointed and yet wondering if there was something she wasn't picking up on.
"Yeah, do you think it's true?"
"I think," she paused, thinking. " That maybe they feeling like staying here will mean some magic Dumbledore set up can help their side in the war, Dumbledore was a very powerful wizard, have you heard the rumors that he may still be alive?"
Neville looked skeptical. " Yeah,I don't think I believe them, not that I wouldn't want him to be here butI think it means that something is here that can help people, if they're on Dumbledore's side, like you said. Did you ever hear how Harry got help from the sorting hat in the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Yes, that was amazing!" she said, her eyes lighting up.
"Well, maybe there are other things, this place is huge, it could be hiding loads of important stuff that we don't know about."
Cho giggled again. "And to think that in my first year I thought that all that this place hid was some empty classrooms and broken down bathrooms."
"Yeah, in my first year I was sure that everything moved just so I would trip or walk down the wrong corridor.
"Yeah I guess I always thought you were a bit of a clutz." Cho admitted sheepishly.
"Yeah, still am really." he said, glancing at the suit of armor.
"Do you want to walk to the kitchen with me? Maybe we could get some hot chocolate?" Cho offered.
"Oh, uh, sure, that would be great!" he smiled.
The two of them began to walk, talking lightly for a while until silence grew between them. As their thoughts wandered Cho spoke something that had been on her mind for a while.
" Do you think that we can win this war, Neville?" Neville was quiet for a while, deep in thought. When he began to answer, Cho starred ahead of her, letting his words wash over her.
"Well, with Dumbledore gone it does look a lot harder, doesn't it? I think a lot of people's faith are winded right now, I know mine was. When I was at Dumbledore's funeral -" he paused and took a breath. "It was one of the saddest things I had ever seen. I half expected him to get up and give a speech like he did after the Tri Wizard Tournament, I mean, even when I was little I remember hearing Dumbledore giving speeches after something big happened. And then I thought, is it wise to let so much faith and confidence rest on one man? Sure he was a great man but, I think Dumbledore, being as smart as he was, must have realised how many people depended on him and seemed to think that the war rested with him. He probably was trying to get us to have more faith in ourselves, since he wasn't immortal and he wouldn't want all of us to just collapse and give up when he was gone. I think that the things he tried to get us into, like unity between the houses, it was probably so that if he left, we wouldn't lose the only support we had, but would have all of those friends and family and stuff there for us. To tell you the truth, I sometimes wish I could go back in time and listen to Dumbledore more carefully when he talked, after all what good would his knowledge have been if he hadn't used it? So how smart are we if we regard him as such a smart person, but don't listen to him? "
They had both stopped walking, though why, neither of them knew.
The Ravenclaw was starring in awe at the Gryffindor standing in front of her. He seemed slightly uncomfortable under her gaze, but held it nonetheless.
"Neville?" she asked after a while.
"Yes?"
"Can you be one of my supports, Neville?"
He looked confused for a minute. " Uh, of course, I'll be here if you ever need someone to listen to your problems. " he smiled.
"Thanks Neville." her smile was so warm with gratitude it made him wonder if he had missed something. Her smile faded a bit and she took a step closer to him, kissing him lightly on the lips.
She stepped back again to see the stunned face of Neville. Neville had never been kissed before, though she didn't know that. He starred at Cho, his mouth seeming to be hexed shut, She's really pretty, he thought. He tried to regain his composure and act cool but only managed to silently stutter. He blushed, cleared his throat and said.
"Er--- how about that coffee?"
"Aren't we getting hot chocolate?"
"Darn it! Yes, hot chocolate of course." he said, making her giggle again.