They did it, they had won and Volomort was died once and for all, the morning after Battle has been mixed of emotions, everyone wanted to be happy and celebrate but at the same time everyone was sad for the lives that were lost. Neville Longbottom had to get away from the ruins of Hogwarts and the fellow DA members. Sitting on the edge of the black lake Neville could still smell the burning smoke of the quidditch pitch, and hear the screams and cries of fellow students. Neville was so deep in thought that he didn't see a certain bushy haired girl come up behind him. "Hi" said a voice sitting next to him, he knew that voice all too well, his first friend Hermione Granger. Neville turned to see Hermione with dirty brown braided hair, she had dirt on her face, and old scars, her jean jacket and pants were ripped. Even though he had not seen her in a year, Neville was so glad to see her and that she was still alive. "What are you doing out here, I thought you would be asleep?" Neville said. "I am come to find you when I realized you were in the common room or in the great hall, what are you doing out here?" Hermione asked with out looking at him. With a big sighed Neville said, "I needed to get away and think, why are not you not asleep I thought you be after all the hell you three have been through." Hermione turned to look at the boy she met and her first friend from so long ago on that Hogwarts express, she never thought she would see the day where Neville became the hero, with a sad little smile she said " I need to get away for a little awhile also, Ron will be ok with out me and I cant asleep, not right now and Harry is asleep in the common Room." They both turned to look at the sun glowing across the lake, for what seemed like hours they both sat in silence. After a while Hermione spoke "Thanks for saving Ron and I from the snake, you are a true hero." With a little laugh Neville said "I am not a hero, Harry's the hero, his the chosen one." After he said that he realized that he said something wrong, he looked at Hermione who was shocked and he could see sadness in her eyes. Hermione turned around looking at the lake, Neville swore he could see little tears coming on her face, with a gulp Hermione replied "I remember when I first met you were not a very confident person but I know I started to see a different person after the department of mysteries, and what I saw here this morning and in the room of requirement was not the same person I had met on that train that September so long ago." Neville kept looking out on the lake, and said, " I had to…. I had to grow up, we all did, and I needed to be strong". Hermione give him a small smile and with a reply she said "Yes, we all had to grow up but you… you took a stand and restarted the DA with Ginny, and Luna, you three prepared them for battle, I will tell you at first I was upset when I thought you were betraying us but when I heard what you said to Volomort I realized that you were a hero for Harry, and the sword of Godric Gryffindor appeared to you, and you killed one of the last horcouxs, that makes you a hero as much as Harry. Neville couldn't help but smile at his friend, and then he said "I guess Harry was supposed to kill Volomort and I was supposed to stay here and lead and protect the students I hope I made Harry and my Parents proud." Hermione laughed saying, "of course Harry is proud of you and your parents are too." They both fell silent again, then Neville asked, " Are getting your parents back?", Hermione nodded "I will find them and bring them back, I miss them, I hope they don't hate me." After she said that Neville told her "I promise you that they will still love you, and I think after the affects ware off they will be proud just like my parents." Neville said smiling at his friend. "Neville will you and Ginny, Luna tell us everything that happed here at Hogwarts, and Ron, Harry and I will tell you everything that happened to us while we were on the run." Hermione asked with mixture of sorrow and desperation in her voice. Neville nodded but saying "yes, but in awhile not now because it hurts too much to think about" After falling quiet again for what seemed like a long time Neville finally said with hopelessness, in his voice "we will be ok right?" Hermione took a little awhile to answer but then with a deep breath she said, "One day we will be ok, healing doesn't happen over night. It will take time, not next week or in a few months but one day we will be all ok. We will stop having nightmares and feeling guilty. Then Hermione turned towards the ruins of Hogwarts, saying, "She will be ok, she will arise up again and be rebuilt as we all will too." Neville just smiled wondering what the future will hold for him and his friends but now they just wanted mourn for there lost childhood and everyone in that castle, but then he turned to Hermione as if they were thinking the same thing she said "they will be ok, the Weasleys are strong as long as they are together, and Harry will be alright also as long as he has his friends and Ginny, and Ron will be ok also as long as he has me." Neville just laughed saying "I am very proud of you two, finally figuring it out, a long time coming." Hermione just glared at him then, yawned as she was getting sleepy, with that Neville just laughed again and put his arm around the girl that was his first friend and believed in him when no one else did, they both walked back up to the castle where Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys, Luna and the rest of there friends were waiting.