A/N: So I've always wondered how different the story might have been if Voldemort had chosen Neville instead of Harry to kill. Initially I tried to just straight swap, but it occurred to me so many things would be different. So I've set out to write that story. While many of the characters will seem familiar, many will be different, especially Neville and Harry. Also, some events will be similar, as some of outside forces will be the same, but I hope to create a new take on a familiar world. I don't own the universe, I'm just here to play.
"Come on, Neville. The train leaves in 15 minutes." Augusta Longbottom dragged a very reluctant Neville towards Platform 9 ¾. He had only been in England for about 2 weeks, and now his grandmother was shipping him off to some school called Hogwarts. Neville and his Grandmother had been living in the States for most of his life. They had moved there when he was a small child after his parents had passed away.
"Do I really have to go to this school?" Neville spoke with an accent firmly planted in between American and English. He spent most of his time with his English-accented grandmother, but had also spent his formative years trying to blend in with his surroundings.
Augusta sighed, "Yes Neville." Truthfully, she was trying to avoid it. She had been hoping to send him to Muggle schools and be done with the past, but when Dumbledore himself showed up at her not as well hidden as she thought front door, she found that she had no choice. The pair were now at the trains, she turned to face her grandson, and bent down as much as her old body would let her. "I know that we haven't had much of a chance to talk…"
"More like you you didn't talk…" Neville snapped. His grandmother always avoided talking about the past. Always forward. She could hear her say any time he tried to ask about his parents or wizarding. Neville knew he was a wizard. He knew that he could do magic, but his grandmother described it as nothing more than parlor tricks, and a rare family trait. He tried out spells he found in the public library, but anytime his grandmother caught him trying magic she scolded him and stopped taking him to the library.
Augusta let out a sharp sigh, as he was not wrong, "I should have prepared you better for this. I am sorry, just…" She brushed his bangs out of his eyes, her thumb lingering on the lightning shape scar on his forehead. "You can trust Dumbledore. Make friends. Be happy and always forward." Augusta never thought she'd be one to try to outrun her history, but always forward had been the mantra she clung to as she worked past the death of her son and daughter-in-law.
"Okay." Neville honestly didn't know what else to say. Dumbledore was a strange man. He reminded Neville of Gandalf from the Hobbit books. But when he literally appeared in the living room with a loud pop, Neville learned two things. 1. Dumbledore was nothing like Gandalf, and 2. Magic was way more powerful than his grandmother ever lead him to believe. That was the exact moment the resentment began to set in. He didn't get to talk to Dumbledore for long before Augusta shooed him away.
"Just know that I did what I thought was right." She turned the boy around to face the train and sent him off with gentle push. Neville didn't think much on her words. He focused on the train in front of him. He got on, dragging his bag behind him.
As he walked down the narrow aisle of the train, he felt each cabin go quiet as he passed by their doors. Neville had felt something when he and his grandmother went shopping for the most bizarre school list he had ever encountered. The people, strange as they were in robes and funny hats, looked at him as though HE were the strange one. Neville finally found an empty cabin and settled into a seat. Not 5 minutes after he sat down, a girl with wild hair burst into his space.
"Have you seen a rat?" The girl asked, her abnormally large front teeth giving her the slightest lisp on her s.
"No, no rats here." Neville responded.
"You're American." The girl said rather plainly. "I didn't think Americans went to Hogwarts."
Neville felt oddly compelled to defend himself, "I'm NOT American, I just grew up there."
The girl's eyes widened suddenly, "You're Neville Longbottom."
Neville shifted uncomfortable, "Yes. How do you know?"
"Everyone knows your story. I should have recognized you sooner. Even a Muggle born like me knows who you are."
"Oh." His mind was racing. Why did people know him? His grandmother told him literally nothing. He could feel his resentment towards her growing into anger.
"Well, if you see a rat, his name is Scabbers. We are in cabin 8. Oh, and my name is Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you Neville." The girl turned on her heel and was gone in a frizzy flourish of hair. Neville was left alone. People knew his story. What story did he have? His parents died in a freak accident at work, and his Grandmother moved them to the states. His parents were cops, or at least that's what he was told. He began going over what little he did know about his history and wondered how much of it was a lie. Before he could examine his whole life in excruciating detail, three new sets of eyes stuck their head in the door.
"So you're Neville Longbottom." The green-eyed boy said.
"He doesn't look like much." the girl responded, her dark eyebrow raising.
"Can you sign my….. Uh… arm?" The red headed boy asked.
"Really, Ron? Your arm?" The girl looked at Ron with a skepticism.
He looked offended, "I didn't know it would really be him! I forgot to bring paper. If I knew he would be in our year I'd've brought his card to sign."
"Card?" Neville finally interrupted.
Ron pushed past the other two and plopped down next to Neville, "Yep. Your chocolate frog card! Every one famous has one." He reached into his pocket and handed Neville a card. "Here, I got another Dumbledore. You can have it."
Neville took the card from the over eager boy and watched as the grey bearded man waved before walking out of the frame. He had only ever seen one other picture move like that before. It was one of his parents he found in his grandmother's things. When he asked her about it, she dismissed it as one of those parlor tricks his family could do. "Do they all move like this?"
By now, the other two had entered the cabin and sat down across from Ron and him. "Yep, wizard pictures move. It's a thing. I'm Harry Potter, and this is my cousin Cedrella Black. We just met Ron. He seems alright"
"Ella." the girl interjected, "For the love of Merlin, Ella."
"She hates her name," Harry finished. "So I call her Cedrella at every opportunity I can." She punched him in the arm, "Ow. I'm telling your father."
"And what's he going to do? Give me a high five?" She snorted.
"Fair point." He responded.
"So what house are you hoping for?" Ella asked. "I think my dad will kill me if I end up in Slytherin, but I think I like it best."
"House?" Neville asked. He could barely get a word in.
Ron, who seemed to have an endless supply of candy in his pockets, responded through his chews, "Yeah, the Hogwarts houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. I'll be in Gryffindor. Everyone else in my family is."
"I reckon I will be too. My dad was in that house." A small frown flashed across Harry's face.
"I think you're a nutter to want to be in Slytherin." Ron said to Ella.
"Why would that be bad?" Neville asked.
"Slytherins are bad news. No one good came out of that house."
Before Ron could continue, yet another face appeared in the door. "What do we have here, a blood traitor, a half blood, and judging by the state of your clothes and that god awful red hair, you must be the next Weasley." The newest visitor stuck his hand out to Neville, "I'm Draco Malfoy. If you are looking for better friends, come find me. I'll be in Slytherin."
Neville reluctantly shook the blond boy's hand and answered non committally, "Uh yeah, sure." Draco was out the door as quickly as he entered.
"Ugh, so glad that part of the family disowned me." Ella rolled her eyes.
"I don't think they even know you exist." Harry responded.
"Well, either way. That kid's a git. And NOT what a slytherin should be." Ella nodded her head definitively, suggesting her word was absolute. Just then, the frizzy haired face of Hermione returned.
"We are almost to Hogwarts, I'd get in your robes." She paused, realizing who was in the cabin, rather than simply making the announcement she had taken upon her self to make. "RON!" she barked, "Did you find your rat?"
Ron jumped at the harshness of her tone, "Uh yeah, Ella sat on him for a minute. Its fine."
"Good." Hermione stated, "See you at the sorting ceremony. I'm hoping for Ravenclaw."
"My god that girl is intense." Ron exclaimed, mouth full, as the jolt of being yelled at made him forget to chew. His dumbfounded expression elicited chuckles from the whole cabin.
Neville found himself sitting in the biggest room he had ever seen, the ceiling seemingly endless and full of stars and floating candles. There were 5 long tables, each one coloured differently, with the exception of the 5th, the table that he and his new friends were sitting. Dumbledore had made a speech and stressed the importance that the 3rd floor wing was off limits. He then brought out a floppy brown hat. "Let the Sorting begin!" he had shouted, well not so much shouted, but rather said so loud everyone heard.
Much to Neville's surprise, the hat sprang to life as a tall thin woman began shouting the names of first year students. Before long he heard "Black, Cedrella." Ella groaned and stood up and walked to the front of the room. The hat was placed on her head and seemed to be having a conversation with her, though it was too quiet for anyone to hear. "SLYTHERIN" the hat suddenly shouted.
Ella made a small celebration and the table covered in green cheered as the girl made her way to the table. Neville watched with curiosity as the next several students were sorted, and then he heard it "Longbottom, Neville" A hushed whisper spread across the room as he made his way to the front. The hat was placed on his head, the brim nearly covering his vision.
"Oh my, I wondered when I would get to sort you," The hat spoke, although Neville wasn't quite sure it was his ears that heard the voice, but he did definitely understand. "Lets see here, there is some resentment here, be careful with that, perhaps Hufflepuff to help you… No that does not seem right. Maybe Slytherin.. Oh, what is this? Yes… Interesting, Well in that case… GRYFFINDOR" The hat shouted.
Neville hopped off the stool as the maroon table erupted into raucous cheering. He sat himself down at the table next to another first year and across from 3 red heads who looked startlingly familiar. Before long, both Ron, Harry, and Hermione, joined Neville at the table. Hermione looked a bit horrified as she sat down, but no one seemed to question her fear.
The sorting finished and the tables suddenly filled with food of all sorts and the students began to eat. Neville happily tried a little bit of almost everything, staying mostly silent, trying to glean as much as he could from the people around him. They chatted about upcoming classes, and speculated about what could possibly be on the third floor wing. Through dinner he had learned the names of three more Weasleys, and the rest of the first years. He probably wouldn't remember them come tomorrow, but he did learn them. Percy, Fred, George, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, and Parvati. Yeah, he knew he wouldn't remember all those names.
As the feast came to an end, he realised that he had not thought once about the fact that his grandmother lied to him for 10 years and shipped him off to an unfamiliar school full of wizards. It actually felt normal for a bit. That was nice.
Once Percy had led all the Gryffindor's to their dorm, Neville finally had a moment to think back on this "story" of his. He had been so caught up in the day, that he had barely thought about how the girl Hermione had said everyone knew his story. And that he had a chocolate frog card? It seemed to crazy.
He found Hermione in a corner of the common room with a book larger than her lap resting across her legs. Neville cleared his throat to attempt to get her attention. She was unstirred. "Hermione." He said quietly. Still not answer. He finally poked her, perhaps a bit harder than intended, in the shoulder.
"Ow. you could have just said my name you know" Hermione chastised as she rubbed her arm.
"I tried…" he started to protest, but then thought better of it. "I wanted to ask you what you meant when you said everyone knows my story."
"Well surely you know your story." she said as though it were obvious.
"Let's say I don't. Tell me my story"
Neville listened intently as Hermione told the tale of his childhood, and of his parents death. Or at least the story the public knew. She told him about You-Know-Who, leaning over and whispering his name in his ear, she told him about the wizarding war and how she, as a muggle born, would have been a target. She talked about how You-Know-Who came after Frank and Alice Longbottom in their homes, and how his parents fought to protect their son. And how when You-Know-Who went to kill him, it didn't work, and that he disappeared and hasn't been seen since. She finished her tale with a strange sense of impending doom, despite the calmness of the common room from which she told it.
Hermione stared at him expectantly. He wasn't sure what she was expecting so he simply thanked her and headed to his dorm bed. He reflexively reached to his forehead, rubbing the scar. He never really thought too much of where it came from, it was just always there. He now seemed suddenly very aware of its existence, it almost hurt. I guessed knowing where it came from somehow mattered now. And yet, it didn't. It didn't change anything. Knowing he defeated the greatest dark wizard that ever lived at the age of one didn't change the fact that his parents were dead. It didn't change the fact that his grandmother lied. It didn't change the fact he was suddenly an actual wizard. He nestled into his bed and sighed. This was his life now.
Neville spent the first month of school finally getting a grasp on the fact that magic was in fact real. He knew that, technically. He had always in the back of his mind knew his grandmother was discrediting his supposed family gift of parlor tricks, but he never had a reason to truly doubt her. Despite grasping the fact that it was real, he was having trouble grasping it. He figured he was behind because he didn't know about it until a few weeks prior, but when Muggle born Hermione so smugly corrected him on is pronunciation of Leviosa, he realised it was him that was struggling. Nevertheless, he enjoyed his classes, with the exception of potions. The professor, Snape, was a greasy man, and while he seemed to immediately hate both Harry and Ella, he didn't seem to like anyone else either. Neville apparently made a bad first impression by taking notes when he didn't need to be, which of course he thought was an absurd thing to get yelled at for. Which he pointed out, and subsequently got detention for it.
The other professor Neville didn't much care for was Professor Quirrell. He was a strange man, he didn't understand how someone so skittish could possibly teach a class with the word "defense" in the title. History was the worst of all. At first he thought having a ghost for a teacher was the coolest thing he'd ever heard of, but quickly learned that was not the case.
When Neville heard that the first years got to take flying lessons, he was probably the most exciting thing he had heard yet. After he got done having a chuckle at the fact that witches actually DO ride brooms, he realized it meant he would get to fly. Unfortunately for him, flying was not a thing for him. Before class started, Malfoy, the blond haired Slytherin, dared him to race. Malfoy apparently wanted the challenge of beating the "Boy-who-lived." Neville couldn't even manage to get off the ground without turning upside down like a sloth. When Malfoy wouldn't stop laughing, Harry stepped in to take on the dare. Unfortunately for Harry, the race led him by McGonagall's window. Fortunately, McGonagall saw something in Harry and had him added to the Quidditch team.
After what amounted to a particularly embarrassing day, Neville found himself wandering the school grounds. He stumbled across a small shack on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Peering in the windows, he was greeted by a rather large bearded man asking him what he was doing about. Neville quickly learned that the giant like man was named Hagrid. He was the school groundskeeper. There was something genuine about the man Neville found himself rather drawn to. Hagrid, and his little hut, became something of a refuge for Neville. While he had made friends, he felt rather on the periphery. Hagrid became a genuine friend. And when Hagrid happened to have a baby dragon hidden in his hut, Neville felt obligated to help him.
Neville enlisted the help of Ron, who had a brother who dealt in dragons, and Hermione in sneaking down to Hagrid's hut and helping him get the now medium dog sized dragon, off the Hogwarts grounds. He hadn't intended to involve Hermione, she just happened to over heard, and insisted that she should be a part to make sure that they didn't "break any more rules than absolutely necessary."
On the Trios way back to the Common room, the stumbled across Snape and Quirrell having a rather hushed conversation in the hallway. They all three were out well past curfew and did not want to be caught, so they simply waited in silence until they passed. What they weren't expecting is to overhear what they did. Quirrel was demanding that Snape tell him if it really was in the third floor wing. And how on earth to get past the defenses. Snape hushed Quirrell and told him to leave it up to him. Unfortunately the three of them had been spotted, or rather, heard when Malfoy, who had been following them, ran into a suit of armour drawing attention to all four of them.
Much to everyone's dismay, they all were punished with detention. All four of them were sent with Hagrid into the forest to look for clues for what was killing unicorns. Neville wondered how on earth being sent into the forest they weren't allowed to go into was a reasonable punishment, but he trusted Hagrid. While in the forest, they came across an amorphus being, feeding on an injured unicorn. Neville however, hardly could recall the incident because he had a very sudden and very painful headache that caused him to pass out in the middle of the woods.
While in the medical wing, Dumbledore finally made his first appearance to Neville. He had been at school for months, and this was the first time Neville had actually seen of the Headmaster. And all he did was ask him to describe his headache. He found this to be utterly pointless. Dumbledore muttered something about it being "interesting" and "curse scars" but by that point Neville was so annoyed with having to be in the medical wing at all, he gave up trying to figure out what the old man was on about.
A few weeks later, Neville ended up in the great Hall with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ella. Ella, despite being a Slytherin, still ate dinner with her gryffindor cousin, despite the backlash. They were having a spirited debate about which Professor was the worst.
"Clearly Binns" Ron said.
"He's not that bad, just a bit boring maybe." Hermione offered.
"Wait, did Hermione Granger just call a Professor boring?" Ella exclaimed rather dramatically.
"Yes. History is far more interesting than he lets on. Did you know that in the Goblin Rebellions of 1392 that… "
"Oh thank god," Ella interrupted, "Hermione hasn't been bodysnatched." The table broke into laughter while Hermione blushed and trailed off.
"Snape is the worst. I don't know why he hates you and I so much." Harry offered as the laughter subsided. "He likes every Slytherin but he seems personally offended that you ended up in his house."
"Yeah, A few slytherins are to be honest. Malfoy definitely doesn't appreciate it. He calls me "blood traitor Black" at every opportunity. But we aren't here to complain about students!" Ella quickly changed the subject. "Have you heard that Snape used to work for You-Know-Who?"
"Dumbledore hired him though. He can't still be evil though right?" Neville asked.
"Probably not. He's still a git though." Ella responded. "How about Quirrell, he a strange one right?"
"OH I can't believe I forgot this!" Neville shouted. "Remember when Ron and Hermione and I got caught in the hallways, we overheard the two of them talking about the third floor wing and getting past the defenses."
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Oh, do tell more."
Neville shrugged, "I guess I don't really have more, but it was definitely weird."
"Ohh I wonder if they are after what ever Hagrid got out of Gringotts." Ron offered up. Everyone turned to Ron with confusion. He seemed just as confused by everyone's confusion, "Oh, I guess I didn't say anything about that. A few weeks ago Hagrid mentioned being stressed out about an errand for Dumbledore. Something about a package from Gringotts. And then he did that thing he does when he's said more than he should."
"Since when do you spend time with Hagrid?" Neville asked. Its not that he was jealous, he just didn't think anyone but him enjoyed Hagrids company.
"I like his cookies?" Ron said.
"You like those things?!" Hermione scoffed, having been the only other person to have tasted Hagrid's attempts at baking.
Harry seemed lost in thought "What if Snape and Quirrell are working together to steal it?"
"It would be helpful to know what 'it' is." Ella equally lost in thought.
"Oh wait, I remember, Hagrid said something about poor Nicolas… Nicolas Flannel? I don't know" Ron recalled.
"Flammel?" Hermione asked, "as in Nicolas Flammel creator of the Philosopher's Stone?"
"Sure?" Ron confirmed.
"How cool would it be if that's really what it was!" Ella offered somewhat dreamily, that is until he caught the eye of her cousin. "Harry, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"You know what, I think I am…"
"No. No you are not. I won't allow it." Hermione demanded.
Ella rolled her eyes, "And what are you going to do about it?"
"I… I'll… I'll tell Dumbledore!" Hermione stuttered.
"What are you even planning?" Neville asked.
"I think we try to find out what's on the third floor wing." Harry said.
Hermione crossed her arms and huffed. "I want no part of this."
"Fine with me, lets go." Ella stood up and gestured, "Boys?"
The four of them headed toward the third floor. They were met with a poorly lit corridor with a solitary door at the end. The creeped towards the door, expecting something to jump out at any minute. When they reached the door, they glanced back and forth among themselves, trying to decide who should be the one. Ella finally grabbed the door and muttered something about "so much for Gryffindor courage" as she yanked it open. They were met with the hot breath of three heads. Before they even got out a shriek, the slammed the door shut and bolted down the hallway. They managed to end up just outside the library, despite all taking slightly different routes. Panting, they discussed the fact that SOMETHING was up in there.
After several more weeks of speculation, wild theories, and half hearted attempts to glean information from either Snape or Quirrell, the group had almost lost interest in the forbidden corridor and the three headed dog defending it. That is, until Quirrell burst into the Great Hall shouting about a TROLL IN THE DUNGEON. Harry and Neville immediately thought of Ella and the Slytherin dorm. But before they could take off to find her, they saw Snape head towards the third floor wing. Wordlessly, they decided to split up, Harry would look for Ella, and Neville would follow Snape.
Ron and Hermione ended up following Neville towards the third floor. They saw a flourish of robes disappear behind the door, convinced it was Snape after the stone. Ron and Neville knew what lay just beyond the door, and gulped as they slowly pried it open. An enchanted harp played in the corner and the beast snored away. Beneath a paw, they noticed a trap door, and down the Trio went.
When Neville Longbottom showed up at Hogwarts, he never expected he'd end up being the temporary owner of the Philosophers stone, or that he'd end up defeating You-Know-Who all over again. But, the year was coming to a close, and that was indeed his year. He also found a group of friends, true friends. They had managed to snag the house cup, for what apparently was the first time in quite a few years. Probably thanks to the Weasley Twins. He would be leaving in a few days, a full year of schooling behind him. He didn't want to face his Grandmother. He wanted to stay here, but that just wasn't possible. So home he would go. Unfortunately, home was still the states, so he knew he would be spending the summer far far away from his new found friends. He promised to write them, and they promised to return the favour.
Neville was finally beginning to know who he was, where he came from. And he wasn't going to let living with Augusta change that. He hoped so much that she'd start to be honest with him, but he didn't have very high hopes. Not to mention, he wasn't so sure the damage wasn't already done. In less than a week, it would be time to find out.