On a Bed of Chrysanthemum

by SlytherinsFlower317

While the Golden Trio was on the horcrux hunt, Neville Longbottom was trying to protect the other students of Hogwarts. The problem with being the face of a rebellion is that you're the first target for revenge. A short fic about some of what Neville faced his seventh year and help from an unexpected source.

In the aftermath of the Battle, Neville was hounded relentlessly by reporters wanting the "inside scoop" on how he'd helped run a rebel group inside of a Death Eater-controlled Hogwarts. There was one story he'd never share though. It wasn't his to tell. Everyone knew that the centaurs had fought bravely at the battle, but no one else knew that the herd had saved his life.

Shortly before he'd gone into hiding in the Room of Requirement, the Carrows had taken him out into the Forbidden Forest. It was supposed to be a detention, but he knew now that they'd intended to kill him and leave him out there. He'd gone out there knowing torture was coming but not thinking that they'd go against Snape and actually kill him. Alecto and Amycus had taken gleeful delight in spelling out the awful things they were going to do to him before they'd leave him to bleed out or be eaten by one of the forest-dwelling monsters. Neville had fought tooth and nail like any true Gryffindor, and the Carrows had not been unscathed, but Neville was too injured from previous "detentions" with them to escape two adult Death Eaters bent on his death. He lay on the ground and just prayed that the others wouldn't try to avenge his death and find their own in the process.

Just as he was sure he was about to take his last breath, the ground under his face began to tremble. He heard the galloping hooves like a loud roar in his ears and wondered if he'd be trampled under them before they noticed him. The sudden silence when they stopped was deafening and Neville found himself holding his breath as he waited to see what would happen. Everything was beginning to get fuzzy and a whooshing in his ears was starting to take over the silence, but he could still make out that the Carrows were yelling at the centaurs, which didn't appear to be anything good, judging by the fact that arrows were now flying towards them. A chuckle tried to escape him but quickly became a wet sounding cough. Neville grimaced in pain before smiling softly at the thought that if he had to die here, at least he'd gotten to see the Carrows run off by centaurs and denied them the opportunity to see him succumb to death's embrace.

Part of his mind wondered what the centaurs would do with him now that the Carrows were gone. Hermione had said that the centaurs didn't harm foals, but since he was now of age he didn't have much hope in that regard. Maybe they would realize he was dying already and take him to the edge of the forest so more people wouldn't enter their lands looking for his body. Whatever they didn't couldn't be worse than the Carrows so he didn't let it trouble him too much. As his mind went dark, he felt himself being gently lifted into the air. With his last bit of strength, he whispered a thanks before letting the darkness overwhelm him.

The first thing he was aware of was that it was bright wherever he was. The light behind his eyelids was forcing him closer to wakefulness every minute. He wondered why the afterlife had to be so darn bright! Slowly Neville opened his eyes and blinked while he waited for his eyes adjust. Looking around he was terribly confused to see himself still in the Forest. He sat up slowly, waiting for the pain from his much abused body and was flabbergasted to find not even one sore muscle.

He was alone in the clearing as far as he could tell. Someone had made a bed of sorts for him out of soft leaves and obviously healed him quite well. He hadn't felt this good all year, not since the first day when his new "teachers" had used the Cruciatus Curse on a group of first years and he'd intervened. Since then not a pain free day had passed until now. The only other signs that someone had been there were hoof-prints on the ground and a the remains of a small fire that smelled of sage and mellowsweet, something he remembered from his Divination lessons with Firenze.

Neville wasn't quite sure where he was in the forest and was concerned he wouldn't be able to find his way back to the castle on his own when he saw on set of hoof-prints leading away from the rest with a few flowers on the ground. Curious as to what they'd left him, Neville went and gathered them so he could examine them. There was some aconite, begonia, and a daisy. Neville wondered idly if they communicated this way normally or if they somehow knew of his love of herbology because he understood clearly that he was being warned to be careful and to never tell what they had done for him. Smiling, he followed the tracks to the edge of the forest before heading up to the castle and already planning to find some sweet pea to leave at the edge of forest as soon as he was able.