'A Message of Hope' received a lot of attention, so I decided to continue with the theme of filling in the gaps that Joe missed out. Anything that is hinted at, but never fully explained I am going to write a short story about. Each chapter will hold another missing factor. Sorry if I don't necessarily get them in order, but I'm aiming towards setting the events in the right time frame.

This first chapter is found in one of the earlier chapters in DH when Harry mentions the Hogwarts Express. I may revisit this!

Larry, Donald & Daphne

The compartment door slid shut with a rattling thud.

Neville took a seat facing Ginny and Luna. He heaved a deep sigh and stared blankly out of the window. The train had just begun to leave Kings Cross Station and Neville felt as if he was leaving wild society behind and drifting into the unknown. After all, what would Hogwarts become? He had always seen it as an escape; somewhere he could strive to become the person his Gran wanted. But Neville knew his last year at Hogwarts wasn't going to be how he imagined it as a first year.

When he was young and naïve and buying his first set of Hogwarts robes, he distantly thought of the prospect of being seventeen and leaving school. Would he still be a disappointment to his Gran? That was his entire aim throughout his education; to not fail the memory of his parents. Neville imagined himself leaving Hogwarts on the final day with an army of friends, terrible good looks and people asking for his autograph after he'd done brave and dangerous things.

Just like Harry.

But times change. The dangerous and brave things he'd done where nothing like he'd imagined. It wasn't fun and he didn't appreciate the glory. Still, after he'd experienced the brief popularity and dangerous prospects placed in front of him, it made Neville want to earn his Gran's approval even more.

Now the world was a different place and Neville felt a change within him. He didn't want his Gran's approval; all he wanted was her to be safe without him in the house. His Gran's words had committed more crimes than Gillyweed produced oxygen. He feared for her.

Fear can drive people to do crazy things, and at the moment, Neville was full of it.

Harry wasn't here this year. Neville didn't know where he was, but he whole-heartedly guessed that he was with Ron and Hermione. It was a shame, to him, that they were not at Hogwarts this year. It was the time everyone probably needed Harry, Ron and Hermione the most. They were fearless, reckless and powerful in defending Dark Arts. Even more so, they were the brains and inspiration behind any rebellious behaviour. What would the DA do now?

Neville turned his attention to Luna and Ginny. Luna was staring through the wall over his head, a dreamy yet contented look on her face. Neville had so much respect for Luna Lovegood. Unlike him, Luna didn't let things get her down. Meanwhile, Ginny was staring at the ground, a troubled look on her face.

"I knew they wouldn't be here," Neville said, breaking the silence suddenly.

Ginny looked up at him and shrugged, "It's obvious why they're not. Harry couldn't just walk back into Hogwarts, could he? And now even Hermione is on the list of Muggle-borns who didn't turn up for that registration."

"What about Ron?" asked Luna, who was still staring through the wall.

Ginny made quotation marks with her fingers, "He's at home with Spattergroit."

At once, Ginny looked as if she'd made a big mistake. She looked wildly around the compartment, her red hair swishing as she did so, as if she was searching for something no one could see.

"You don't think we're being watched, do you?" she asked.

Luna shook her head, "No. This train is private property. When we reach Hogwarts we'll have to be more careful."

Neville felt relieved. Ginny leaned back in her chair, emitting a large sigh.

"We need code names," Neville suggested.

"For what?"

"So people don't know who we're talking about," he explained.

"Oh!"

"That's a great idea, Neville!" Luna praised.

Neville felt faintly smug yet slightly discouraged by Ginny's lack of enthusiasm. He brushed it off and started to think of suggestions.

"How about Lightning for Harry?" he said.

Ginny grimaced, "No, it's far too obvious."

"Yeah," Neville agreed, screwing his eyebrows together. "How about… Lighty… Laddie… Larry?"

"Too obvious," repeated Ginny.

"Salamander?" put in Luna.

Neville and Ginny stared at their blonde friend with amusement.

"So not Larry," said Neville. "Okay… La-la-Law… Lawrence?"

Ginny bit her lip. After a moment to muse over the name, she finally said, "I like Lawrence. It sounds sexy."

Neville blushed but Luna laughed.

"What about Ron?" asked Neville, encouraging Ginny to get involved.

"Don? Donald?"

"That's a bit obvious."

"Oh, I know how about Di-"

"No, Ginny," Neville warned. He guessed where that name was going.

Ginny laughed, "It could've been funny."

"I like Dameron," said Luna.

Neville chuckled. Luna never ceased to amuse him.

"Daniel?"

"There's a Daniel in our year who knows Malfoy," said Ginny, frowning. "How about Darren?"

"Yes! So we have Lawrence and Darren. We need a name for Hermione now."

Neville didn't even know where to begin. Even Luna was suspended into a silent stare again. Ginny joined him in staring out of the train window. The train was rolling through a field of Daffodils, their golden heads raised towards the sunlight as they danced in the breeze.

"Daffodil?" said Luna.

"Daffy… Daphne… Doesn't really suit her, I don't think," Neville mused.

"Hermy… Hammy…"

"Shirley?" Luna suggested.

"I like that," laughed Ginny.

"Lawrence for Harry, Darren for Ron and Shirley for Hermione, agreed?" finished Neville.

"We have to get used to using them. If we find out anything important from home, we better not let it slip," warned Ginny.

Neville nodded. Deep down her felt as if he'd receive no letters this year – the restrictions on Hogwarts will be severe and only specified post will be allowed through. He doubted his Gran would write to him for the fear saying something she accidentally shouldn't; but he didn't mind. If it kept her safe and him out of trouble, he could live without a letter or two until Christmas when he seen her again.

"I just wish I knew where they were," said Ginny, breaking Neville's train of thought. She had a strangely defeated look on her face, something Neville had never seen before.

"You don't know where they are?" Neville asked, appalled.

"No. They left and never came back after the Wedding. They couldn't come back, not one of them. Our house was being watched from afar," explained Ginny, her brown eyes wide with replaying memories. "Dad sent them a Patronus when he could. We didn't hear anything of them for weeks."

"So you've heard of them since?" asked Neville.

"Sort of," Ginny bit her lip again. "Lupin visited where they were staying. He told Dad about it and he told us. Lupin was really annoyed about something."

"I wonder what he was annoyed about," said Neville, his eyebrows screwing together yet again in deep thought. He hadn't seen his old Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in a few months and he had always felt a lot of respect for Lupin.

"I think he tried to find out what they're up too and they refused to tell them. Lupin should've known they wouldn't tell him. If Harry wouldn't tell me, he'd hardly tell Lupin," as Ginny finished her voice broke, but she kept herself together.

"You mean Lawrence," Luna corrected. Ginny smiled sadly.

"So they are planning something?" Neville asked with hope.

"Of course. Dumbledore only entrusted the three of them with the secret though. I have a feeling it wasn't very pleasant."

"What makes you say that?"

"I know Hermione too well. Harry can hide stuff, and Ron goes into denial but I can read Hermione better than the books she reads," explained Ginny. "She was nervous and jumpy, and she only gets like that when she'd been planning something with the boys. I overheard her and Ron talk one night, long before Harry came to live with us. She sneaked into Ron's room and Ron put on a dim light. At first their whispers were too low for me to hear but then Ron started talking louder."

Ginny paused. She was staring at Neville, who was absorbed in her story, but she wasn't really paying attention to him. Ginny was subconsciously edging closer to Luna and Neville as her story went on.

"Ron was annoyed about something and Hermione said something like 'no matter what happens, Ron, we have to stick with Harry' and Ron replied with 'I know. But that doesn't mean you have to start being reckless.' She laughed at that point, and then said, 'I'm not being reckless, and I'm just saying how anything could happen when we're away. We have to be prepared.' Ron stopped talking for a minute or two and I was about to go back to bed, but then I heard him say, 'I won't forgive myself if anything happens to you' and Hermione replied with 'Anything is a possibility. Ron, promise me if I- if something happens to me, and you and Harry manage to end this war, promise me you'll find my parents and make sure they're alright.' Ron sounded annoyed again and said 'when this war is over, we'll both go and find your parents. I'll promise you that.' It sounded as if Hermione was about to leave at that point, but she stopped at the door and said to him 'Just so you know, Ron, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happens to you either. Goodnight.' That's when I ran from the door and back to my room."

"That was adorable," commented Luna dreamily as if talking about her favourite book.

"Sounds like they had a plan already. I wonder what she meant about her parents?" wondered Neville.

Ginny shrugged, but Neville thought she knew more than she wanted to say.

"Did Lupin say anything else about meeting them?" he asked further.

"Well, Mum was pestering everyone for weeks saying how they must be starving and what not. Lupin said in passing that he might go and visit and after that Mum started annoying him. She wanted to know if they looked well enough, if they were hungry or cold or needed anything. Then she wanted Lupin to tell them what was recently happening in the news, about the wedding and the fall of the ministry. You get the idea. He met Dad somewhere no one would over hear them, and all Dad told us was that Lupin was annoyed. I think he told Dad what happened, but Dad didn't tell us. He said they looked well, but tired and Ron was really worried about the wedding business. Apparently Hermione took the news of the Muggle-Born Registration quite well, and Harry was as headstrong as ever," said Ginny.

"You haven't heard from them since?"

"No. That was quite recently. I hope their alright… I'm the only one at Hogwarts now," she added, sighing again.

Neville could only image what it felt to be Ginny. She was always surrounded by her brothers throughout her years at Hogwarts, and now suddenly they were gone. In the year she probably needed family company the most, Ginny found herself without any family stability to keep her going.

"I know it's small to offer, but you've got us, Ginny. We're going to have to stick together this year. Especially now Snape's headmaster," Neville said softly.

Ginny looked up at him, and after a moment, gave a brilliant smile, "That's wonderful to hear, Neville. Thank you."

"I wonder what it's going to be like with Professor Snape being Headmaster?" asked Luna. She appeared as if she was keeping track of the conversation. "I'm going to miss Dumbledore."

"Harry said Snape killed Dumbledore. I've never really liked him but… I definitely won't be able to look at him the same again," admitted Ginny.

"I know what you -"

The compartment door slid open.

There stood Draco Malfoy and his two cronies. But Draco didn't look like his usual sneering self. If anything, he looked paler than his demeanour the year before. He had black lines under his eyes and a slight shadow of a bruise under his jaw. Yet it was his eyes that shocked Neville; the steely grey looked around the compartment restlessly, as if he was constantly afraid of someone looking over him. Draco's thin hand was rested on the compartment door, and it was gripping the wood tightly with his long fingers slightly shaking. He was a shadow of his formal self.

"Weasley, Longbottom and Lovegood," said Draco, nodding at each of the three friends. "This is where the party's at, folks."

There was a moment of silence. Neville felt tension fill the room, and with it was a feeling in his chest he'd only felt twice in his life; like something was edging him towards words and actions, something he couldn't control.

"They're not here," said Neville, taking a stand.

"I know they're not here," snapped Draco.

"Then why bother checking?" piped up Neville.

Draco eyed him, taking another step into the compartment. "Potter, Weasley and Granger had the right idea not coming back. Mudbloods and Blood traitors aren't going to last long, Longbottom. With friends like yours, I'd keep my head low and mouth shut, wouldn't you?"

"Shut your fat mouth, Malfoy," spat Ginny, reaching in her pocket.

"I wouldn't do that, Weasley," said Draco calmly, watching Ginny's wand tip begin to glow. "It's obvious to me that Granger is with Potter, but your family is still being tracked in suspicion. If my people find out that you, a Weasley, has attacked me, a Malfoy… The consequence won't be pretty, will it?"

Ginny fell back in her seat. Her hand twitched around her wand, and it was clear she was struggling with the thought of not attacking Malfoy. Neville felt a strong hate form within him, more than he had ever felt before.

He stood up to face Malfoy, saying, "No one wants your ego filling out this room, Draco. Get lost."

With one swift movement Neville pushed Draco Malfoy away from the compartment door and slid it shut with a loud and echoing bang.

"Well done, Neville!" exclaimed Luna.

"Thanks Neville," said Ginny, she had turned slightly pink. "I nearly lost it there."

"I can't stand that ferret-face," muttered Neville, sitting back down. He felt a surge of energy from Draco's confrontation. Maybe it wasn't so hard standing up to people like Harry did?

Luna nodded, "You know there's something wrong when Nargles stay away from someone. I've never seen one Nargle float around Draco Malfoy."

Ginny graciously suppressed a chuckle of laughter.

"I thought Nargles annoy people?" asked Neville.

"Oh, they do," replied Luna.

Full of confusion and deep in thought, Neville returned his gaze to the window. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon; they were very close to Hogwarts and a year of unpredictable madness. But Neville knew one thing – he wasn't going to leave Hogwarts the same person. Neville was ready to meet any challenge head on this year and take every set back in his stride. After all, it wasn't only Hogwarts who could change.