I do not own any characters or anything that JK Rowling owns (no matter how much I wish I did)
Enjoy!
Rabbits
It was a warm August afternoon as Neville and Augusta Longbottom got into the old vehicle that sat in Neville's driveway as long as he could remember. Neville slid into the sticky leather bench seat in the back of the car and held his charcoal colored stuffed dragon, Nox, close to his chest. Augusta got behind the wheel and pulled out of the driveway heading towards London. As they drove along the busy streets, Neville watched the clouds pass by and the sun shining brightly. He held Nox in the crook of his left arm, and in his right hand he clutched flowers and a card. In his back pocket sat a letter addressed to him from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Neville had been surprised when he received the letter from Hogwarts just a week ago, he knew that his parents were wizards but he wasn't sure if the magical blood was flowing through his veins. When he was young, he showed no signs of being a wizard. Neville wasn't able to cast any particular spells or fly on a toy broomstick, and he never did any accidental magic much to his gran's dismay. By the time he reached ten and a half, Neville was sure that he was just an ordinary muggle. It wasn't until he almost fell off the top of a stepladder that his magic began to show. When Neville's eleventh birthday came around, he anxiously awaited his letter. Much to his disappointment, he and his gran waited the entire day without ever receiving a letter from Hogwarts. Neville was heartbroken. Perhaps he was just a muggle or even a squib. Maybe he dreamt of his magic, and that it never really happened. It wasn't until 11:59 that evening that a letter came through the small flap on the door. The letter was addressed to Neville and Neville alone. He felt a wave of relief wash over him once he opened the letter. Augusta was beaming with pride, but she also showed a look of relief on her face.
The weather had become hotter by the time the Longbottom's reached Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Neville got out of the car and followed his gran into the lobby of the hospital. The reception area was full of healers and patients walking around in their gowns. Neville held onto Nox and the flowers tightly as he followed his gran to the ward on the third floor. When they reached the Spell Damaged wing, Neville stopped and looked at his feet.
"Neville, don't drag your feet. Keep going." Augusta said in a clipped voice. But Neville didn't move. He stayed planted where he was, he felt as though he couldn't move. Augusta let out a strained breath and walked over to the young boy. "Neville what is it? Why are you holding us up? The healer doesn't have all day, she has to-" But Augusta stopped after seeing tears in her grandson's eyes. "Neville? What's wrong child?"
Neville looked up slowly, unshed tears hovering in his eyes. "What if- What if- What if they're not proud of me?" he said in a voice just above a whisper.
Augusta's heart broke at the sight of her grandson looking so worried and defeated. She wasn't sure what to tell him. Of course, she was proud of him, and she knew his parents would be too. But they didn't know who he was, or even who they were and she wasn't quite sure how they'd react. But Augusta never lost hope, she never stopped believing that one day they would know what they came from and who they fought for. "Neville, honestly," she said. "Whether they express it or not, you know they're proud of you. Just be sure to keep making them proud throughout your school work."
She smiled sadly at him and pushed his back to keep him moving. The healer took them to the entrance of the ward and asked them to sign in. Augusta wrote her and Neville's names down on the parchment with the fancy blue feathered quill. The healer led them into the ward and said, "Last room on the right."
Neville followed his gran down the hall to the all too familiar room at the end. When they got there Neville stopped for minute and clutched Nox closer to his chest. He took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Hi mum. Hi dad." He said shakily as he placed the card and flowers on a table. His mum looked up and began to mumble words that sounded like spells under her breath. His dad rocked back and forth on the edge of the bed while staring out the window.
"Alice," Augusta said. "Neville has something to show you. Frank, dear, come over here." Augusta moved around the room cleaning surfaces and tidying up the bedsheets. She conjured a vase and placed the flowers inside and filled it with water. "Neville, go on. Best not to wait, just tell them."
Neville looked at his parents nervously. He took the letter out of his back pocket and opened it as if it was the first time seeing it. He put Nox down in a nearby chair and began to unfold the letter. "Well," he said quietly. "I, I um… I got a letter. It was addressed to me. I'm going to Hogwarts mum! Dad I got the letter, I am magical I'm not just a squib!" By this point Neville was excited, and he showed the letter to his dad proudly. "Look dad! I'm going to be just like you and mum!" Frank took the letter and put it up to his nose. He smelled the parchment and ink and then quickly handed it over to Alice. Alice looked at the letter and dropped it quickly as if it was on fire.
"Rabbits! Rabbits! All of them! Rabbits!" she began to yell. Augusta stopped what she was doing and went to calm Alice down. Neville picked up the letter and hastily put it back in his pocket.
"I- I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I- I- I'm sorry mum!" he cried.
"Now now Neville. Stop your tears and yelling you'll only make it worse." Augusta said. "You stay here. I'm going to get the healer. Watch them, please. Don't say anything else about Hogwarts, it'll just upset them."
Augusta left and Neville looked at his mum who was still yelling about rabbits. "Mum, mum! It's alright, it's okay. There are no rabbits, it's just me mum. It's me, Neville, your son. Please mum it's alright. Don't you remember me mum?"
Alice stopped and looked up at Neville, her eyes meeting his. She stopped shaking and reached out for his hands. Neville took them and looked into his mum's eyes.
"Neville?" She asked, looking at him. Neville looked at his mum in shock, a smile slowly reaching his face.
"Yes mum, it's me. Neville." But as soon as the recognition hit her face, it was gone. Alice's eyes slowly moved away and she dropped his hands. "Rabbits. Rabbits. Wingardium rabbits. Leviona rabbits. Nox nox nox." She chanted.
Augusta came in with a healer in tow. "Come Neville it's time for us to go. They need their rest." Neville moved to get up but before he could Alice pulled his arm and motioned for him to wait. She went over to the nightstand and pulled out a sweet wrapper. She took it and placed it into his hand.
"Alice please, I thought we stopped this. Very well. Neville, you can throw it away on the way out." Augusta said as she collected her things. "Neville, let's go."
Neville took the wrapper and placed it in his pocket with the Hogwarts letter, vowing to keep it, just like he always did. He got up, grabbed Nox and his coat, and headed for the door. Augusta lead the way out of the room and Neville followed close behind.
"Bye dad. Bye mum, love you both." He said as he was leaving. He had just made it out of the door when he remembered and turned around to say, "Oh, and happy birthday mum."