"Slytherin!"
A slow wash of horror overtook him, freezing him in place. He wasn't going to survive the dungeons, Neville knew that with a frightening certainty as polite clapping started up along the table to his far right. The Sorting Hat was ripped from his head without another word, and Professor McGonagall offered him a light pat of reassurance before he was ushered off the stool.
Neville didn't know how long the walk to the Slytherin table took, but it felt like an eternity. His limbs were leaden and mechanical as he took an open spot closest to the teacher's table. He didn't hear a word of the rest of the sorting, barely glancing up as the seats around him became occupied. He knew he was being rude by not acknowledging the other heirs—Gran had taught him better—but the lingering shock still hadn't worn off, even as they were rounded up and lead to the entrance of the Slytherin common room.
"Longbottom! I see you can't be bothered with paying attention. Do repeat what I just said." The black-eyed Head of Slytherin gave him an expectant stare, and Neville could barely supress the whimper at being picked out already. "Seeing I am done talking, you will follow me to my office, Longbottom."
The wizard didn't wait a moment longer, and Neville was forced to hurry after him. The moment the wall slid closed, Neville realised that he didn't know the password to the common room either. He was going to be stuck sleeping outside the common room entrance at this rate.
"Longbottom! I haven't got all night!" The Professor's voice was annoyed, increasing Neville's nervousness tenfold and causing him to nearly trip into the Professor's office.
The man sighed as soon as the door closed behind Neville, and his severe expression became a little more mellow. "Longbottom, I understand this is difficult for you, but for some reason the Sorting Hat found Slytherin to be your most suitable house. And, no, you will not be eaten alive: you will survive the Snake Den. You were placed in my house for a reason; I can hardly believe it's because of your cunning, so it must be your ambition. Ambition, Longbottom, is a very powerful thing."
After a reminder of his open door, Snape allowed Neville to leave his office with the parting words of the Slytherin password 'pure', and a quick repeat of the house rules. The common room took him several attempts to locate and by the time he had found his bed in the dormitories, that also took him a few moments to figure out, Neville was both exhausted and convinced that the next seven years would be straight out of hell.
...oOo...
It took Neville almost half a year to draw enough courage to cross the Great Hall during breakfast. (It had also taken him nearly that long to get the other Slytherins to stop sabotaging everything of his.) Gran had told him about the Potters often, and how Harry should have been living with them all these years instead of wherever Dumbledore had decided.
The Gryffindor table quietened as he came to stand behind Harry. He offered them a small smile, that wasn't reciprocated. Harry glanced at him warily, but offered him a small smile nevertheless. Neville was certain the other Gryffindor boys had already filled his head about the 'evil' of the Slytherins. He still believed it, to some extent, despite being Sorted into Slytherin.
"Harry. Our parents were close friends, before… Gran told me to tell you that if you want to ask questions about them, you can owl her. She said she had found some photos and stuff to send to you, if you would like them." Neville's eyes didn't stray from Harry's, so he didn't miss the brightening of his expression.
"I would love to have them," Harry said. Ron had his mouth open to offer a retort that probably bordered on bullying, but was left, instead, with a slack jaw.
"Harry! Are you sure? He's a Slytherin!" Ron whispered loudly, and Neville very nearly rolled his eyes.
Harry's eyes flashed with some emotion Neville couldn't name as he nodded reassuringly at the Weasley, while Hermione glared at Ron with a harsh, "Can't you see how the Slytherins have been treating him?!"
"You're… Neville, right?" Hermione asked him. At Neville's nod, she smiled, "Would you like to join us in the library to study sometimes?"
Neville shook his head with a wry smile. "I'd rather not make things more difficult with the rest of the Slytherins than they already are. Harry was—is my mother's godson, and family is important to us. So, even if this makes it a little difficult, it's worth it."
Hermione looked at Neville admiringly. "You should have been a Gryffindor."
Neville shrugged. "I'll send an owl to Gran. She'll send whatever she's found to you, Harry. She'll probably also answer any questions you have about your parents, if you have any."
"Thanks, Neville."
Neville waved his thanks off as he headed back to the Slytherin table amidst glares and annoyed stares.
...oOo...
Five years later, Snape's words still remained with him. It had taken him many months to become accustomed to Slytherin politics, and several more to truly understand how favours worked among the Slytherins. It was similar to the politics he had sometimes heard Gran talk about, and it had made Neville almost regret losing concentration during those rants.
Snape hadn't been a lot of help, but he had probably known that it was better that way. It had reduced the number of crutches Neville had started with. Especially when he realised what the 'ambition' the Sorting Hat had seen in him was.
To be recognised.
It seemed like a terribly simple thing, but Neville realised that everything that had been done to him by his family members before his magic had shown itself had unknowingly left a mark on him. He had simply assumed that all those actions had done was make him uncertain and lacking in confidence, when it had done far more—engraving a need onto his very subconscious. It had given him something that would never have been awoken in any other house where other people would feel the need to protect him all the time, where he would allow them to protect him because he knew no better.
Gran had been upset. The howler she had sent him, that she had thankfully only had arrive when he was alone, had been proof of that, but she'd only ever wanted him to be like his parents. She, like everyone else, believed that the only way to that acknowledgement and pride was through Gryffindor; through bravery and courage instead of cunning and ambition. Both could be equally successive, but Neville know which he preferred now.
Slytherin had allowed him to assume the role of a puppet master among the students. It had begun with him befriending Harry Potter, their naïve and heroic (and hadn't that gotten them into trouble more times than Neville was willing to think about) Saviour, which had been extremely simple with the way the other Slytherins had been treating him during his first two years. Harry had felt sorry for him, especially after Neville had told him how they were god-siblings. Neville hadn't expected Harry to want family as badly as he had turned out to, but Neville made sure not to use that against Harry—and prevented any Slytherin who noticed from using that against Harry.
But the Slytherins had eventually warmed up to him, and Harry had accepted it as them growing up and maturing in a way Ron never seemed to—just another thing that had distanced Harry from the youngest Weasley male. He hadn't seen Neville's own actions within his House, since the Slytherins still didn't allow outsiders into their den; and he hadn't realised what a coveted skill his Parseltongue was among the Slytherins. It was the one safe-haven for the Slytherins, and when Harry started defending them from Ron and the rest of the Gryffindors, it only made everything somewhat ironic. Because of kindness, or family, Neville didn't know, but Harry rarely doubted his words and it was difficult, with him being surrounded by Slytherins all the time, not to take advantage of that.
Whatever bonds Harry had with his muggle relatives had long since been snipped, along with any strings the headmaster had attempted to wrap around Harry. Ronald had gone down with the headmaster for the most part and Hermione's pride had taken a heavy bruising, when Neville had allowed Harry's home life under Dumbledore's 'protection' come into the light. Gran had warmly welcomed Harry into their home, as Harry's parents had wanted and without any public protest at him being a Slytherin.
Even the resurrection of the Dark Lord, and Neville believed Harry's words when he spoke of the experience even if no one else did, did little to discourage Neville on his path. With Harry as something of a brother to him, they would both have to face him one day; and Harry would survive that day, because both he and Neville would be prepared. Living in the Snake's Den would only help him keep up with the Dark Lord's movements, and ultimately defeat him.
Neville would make sure of it.