Neville was a very clumsy boy. It was almost as if his body had a mind of its own and was *trying* to injure itself. He would be going down stairs, trip, and get injured all over; all on a regular basis. What was strange is how few people believed him when he told them. They kept insisting it looked like he was fresh from a beating.

And then there was the ghost hunger. The ghost hunger would come and go, but was usually there. It was not effected by how much he ate. One time he decided to eat until it went away, he got a stomach ache and was *still* hungry. He just learned to let it handle itself.

At least he did accidental magic... though for no apparent reason. One day he was watering his bean the next: totally on the roof of the house. No reason, just on the roof. He was stuck there for hours. And then there was the time his hair grew down to his chin in a night. His family decided that meant his magic wanted his hair to be long for some reason: evidently magic helped shape what you looked like.

Random as his magic was, it was enough for his extended family to show him the ropes. And by ropes he meant "things all aurors should know" or when he was talking to his squib uncle "things all bobbys should know." Just tips... and basic martial and tactical training... where he got more bruises, in the same patterns as before but with less tripping... seriously, what the bloody hell?

And then there was the Lord Longbottom training. It was important to note that Lord Longbottom had a very important thousand year old "rep". So he had to learn to speak his mind and be honest, while not pissing anybody off too much. He wasn't very good at it.

The last bit of accidental magic happened when he was ten. He was in the greenhouse working with the tobacco (how the Longbottoms got most of their money was a hobby in legal magical drugs(1)). When suddenly the glass panel nearest him disappeared- which was bad. But Neville was an awesome kid, and instead of lying or denying, he immediately went to an adult and owned up to it. His prompt action averted a catastrophe of outside pests from getting out of hand. Oddly enough this was soon followed with ghost energy, a feeling like he needed to move that he couldn't get rid of.

The only bit of accidental magic that appeared to have a reason was when he was given the traditional bean on his eighth birthday. All Longbottoms were given a bean on their eighth birthday which they had to grow into a bean plant. His grew overnight... to cover his entire room. It's still there.

A couple weeks later, he got his Hogwarts letter. And was shown pride all around (though his squib uncle been a little disappointed since he wanted someone who could live as he did that he didn't have to lie to).

Diagon Alley for all of the things but his wand (he was assigned his father's) and voila! Nothing much else happened. Except a sudden lack of all ghost feelings the day after his birthday. No more bruises either. ...

Neville coughed as he stepped out of the fireplace and hurriedly moved aside. Having someone floo in while you were still in the fireplace resulted in a high speed collision, not a pleasant experience.

"There you are, Neville," said his gran. She had on a blue dress and was wearing her favorite hat, which had a stuffed vulture on it, bobbing as they moved towards the train. "Let's see, your trunk came with you, did your toad?"

"Here in my pocket grandmother," he replied, taking the toad out to show her.

"And you have money for the snack trolley?" her prim and proper tone at odds with such a classic worried mother dialogue.

"Here in my other pocket," this ringamoral used to annoy him, until his uncle told him that it was his gran's way of saying she loved him. She was never touchy-feely, and was too proper to say mushy things, so she provided for him the best she could.

"Good. Remember to behave, do well, make friends, and try not to make enemies until at least a month has passed."

He smiled at her half-serious joke. "Yes, ma'am"

"Well," she said, straight backed and proud, but with a certain stiffness around the mouth showing she was worried, "Off you go then."

Neville took the chance to do something reckless. He quickly hugged her, disengaged, and boarded the train with a quick, "I love you too Gran!"

When he turned around to haul his trunk onto the train he was awarded to a blushing, but not overly distressed grandmother, who promptly headed back towards the floo. Neville smiled at her back as his eyes were pulled towards a fellow first year to be. Short, dark hair, uncomfortably skinny and pale but not distressingly so. Muggle-born? Clothes indicate so. Scar like lightning bolt: Harry Potter, raised by Muggles. Neville finished getting his trunk on board and found a cabin to himself when his observations caught up with him.

Harry Potter was raised by muggles. That would explain why no one could find him. Short was normal for a Potter, being traditional Seekers, skinny was also... but that skinny, something just made Neville want to shove a cauldron cake down the other boy's throat, like it wasn't right. And pale was definitely strange, in fact Potters were known to tan fairly quickly, and with magical heritage influencing where that DMA his Uncle Mickey talked about didn't... something was off. First order of Traditional Longbottom Hogwarts Detecting: WTF Harry Potter What?

But that could wait until after the school year started. Didn't want to make an enemy of Potter on the train ride over. Slow and Steady, unless people are dying. Hmm... How to ensure information no matter what house he was in. He would need to get at least one person from each house to help. The Zabinis traded information, Blaize was in his yeargroup right? Maybe they could resume the traditional "mutually beneficial trade alliance" that had broken during the war. Susan would probably also be training her auror skills, that could be useful. He would have to try and work with everyone at least once... unless in Gryffindor or Slytheren, then he would need to be more cautious. Replace Operation: Potter is Suspicious with "Gain Allies" as first order. Stupid Houses and their stupid rivalries.

Satisfied with the amount of planning done, he pulled out one of the "abridged journals" his family wrote. They would basically take one of their cases and write it in story format. They idea was it was easier to learn stories than memorize facts, so it was a way to learn certain cues that would be otherwise missed. This one was from thirty years ago. "Suddenly Shy" was about a boy who's personality changed over the coarse of a summer and Neville's great-great-uncle figuring out why.

He heard a knock on the door: "Enter." It was an automatic response. The door opened: female, frizzy brown hair, brown eyes, large front teeth, sensible muggle clothing. Muggleborn or Muggleraised half-blood.

"Do you know someone who's lost a toad?" she asked worriedly, they were at the end of the train, there probably wasn't much more space to check. He looked at the toad, looked like Trevor. Checked his pocket: Empty. Probably Trevor.

"Trevor did you run off to find me a friend?" he said smiling. The toad croaked at just the right time to seem like a reply and jumped into Neville's lap. "Hi, my name is Neville Longbottom, what's yours?"

"Um, Hermione Granger. You don't seem very worried about your pet. Is he intelligent?"

"Most magical creatures are smarter than their muggle cousins. I used to worry about him a lot, then a month ago my Uncle Micky tried to startle me and startled Trevor instead. Hopped out of my hands and disappeared in mid-air. I asked my Aunt Rini what happened and it turns out Trevor is a Houdini Toad. Can't trap him in anything, but if you're patient he'll always turn up again, assuming he wants to."

"Where did you get him?" she asked him looking intrigued.

He chuckled "Well, you can't just go out and buy a Houdini Toad."

"Why not?"

"'cuz then they would have to catch and trap them, which is impossible because of how their magic works. I found Trevor in the green house, and he bonded with me. and you never argue when a familiar bonds with you."

"Why not?" This girl asked a lot of questions... that was both good and bad. Maybe he could train her in subtlety and she'd make a good ally.

"The same reason the wand chooses the wizard. A proper bond gives you more power and performance of your magic. But an improper bond won't do anything."

"Oh," she looked thoughtful for a bit... and then she notice his book. "What are you reading?"

"Mystery Novel, based on a true story. Would you like to borrow one? I have plenty."

Her eyes lit up, "You'd really lend me one? But we just met!"

He smiled, "Why don't you go get your things? We can read, and if you finish one before the train arrives you can borrow another."

He face split in a grin, "Oh, thank you!" and she ran off.

Neville took a deep breath. Hermione was going to be interesting to deal with. Her way of looking at the world was too strange a combination between familiar and alien. At least with Luna he knew oracles were supposed to be crazy and hard to interpret and just had to get used to it.

He sighed and looked at his trunk. Which book? It was said experience on the train could effect the sorting, particularly if a person was balanced between houses. He thought she would go into Ravenclaw, but who knew? What book didn't favor a house? He finally decided on one that took place seventy years ago. The Longbottoms had had two sets of twins two years apart, each in a different house. They all worked together to solve mysteries. He picked the first one that had all four of them in it.

When Hermione got back and started reading, it took her five minutes to notice, "Why do all of the characters have your last name?"

"Because I'm awesome," came the flippant response.

"Neville!" She was certainly annoyed.

"John Longbottom was my great-grandfather. My family traditionally learns things we have no business learning for the 'betterment of our fellow students.' And then we write about it so the younger generations don't have to learn everything from scratch."

Hermione gasped, "then this is-"

"Based on a true story, but probably has some embellishments. My family likes to show off."

She blushed, "Oh."

This was about the time the snack trolley came in. He bought enough for both of them, they had a pleasantly educational discussion on wizarding and muggle candy, and they continued their reading.

(1) LotR refrence

...Mini-Neville Omake...

Neville ate a sandwich. Then he ate an apple, then another. Today was the day would finally get full.

He ate some cheese, and some bread. The house-elves were getting concerned.

He ate a chocolate frog, some Berty-Botts Every Flavor Beans. A cauldron Cake. He was starting to have trouble. His tummy was feeling uncomfortable, but everyone said that eating made the hunger go away.

He ate crackers and cheese, and drank tea, until he was ready to burst. He collapsed crying. His tummy hurt so bad. Why was he still hungry if his tummy ached?

"Neville what's wrong? How did-? Why are you eating like a pig!?" Gran shouted. The elves had probably told on him.

"It won't go away!" he wailed holding his belly.

"Of course it won't go away you silly child, you have to wait for the food to go through before your tummy will stop hurting," she was disappointed in him. He must of done something wrong.

"I just wanted to stop being hungry!"

"Well, now you have you silly boy!"

He looked down ashamed and mumbled, "hvn't."

"What was that child?" Why did her tone change? It sounded scared.

Neville blushed even deeper, "I'm still hungry but I can't eat anymore cuz I ate too much." ...

Neville had no idea why they were at St. Mungos, did people normally go to St. Mungos for a tummy ache, were they really that serious? He thought they were only paper cut serious, not broken bone serious. The nurse was waving her wand over him, to take a look at his inside. "Well, that is unexpected!"

"Did someone curse him?" Gran asked. Oh, he hoped he wasn't cursed.

"There is some dark magic clinging to him, but it's all concentrated in his posterior, and wouldn't so something like this. We can do something about that, but it's a dangerous procedure. Your boy's magic core appears to be damaged."

Gran gasped as Neville shifted uncomfortably, his magic was hurt?

"It should regenerate by itself, if not he'll find someone to leach off of. A twiend or a soul-bond."

Gran furrowed her brows, "what, pray tell, is a twiend?"

"A twiend is a friend who is as close as a twin. The biggest problem is finding a match. Most people are fairly self-contained, and even then there is a possibility of bonding with someone he hates. Not that he will have control over it."

"What is the best way for us to find this... twiend?"