An Unexpected Predicament

Chapter 1 – Auror Training Begins

A/N: So this is pretty different from anything else I've written before. It's Harry/Neville, initially friendship but developing into more. I love this story, I love writing it because its such a breath of fresh air from the more common pairings. I just hope there is a section of the HP fans who agree with me and will actually read it!

My depiction of Auror training is based pretty heavily on the British Army, from what I know from friends who are in it. So apologies if my depiction is dreadful or stereotypical, it wasn't my intention, I promise!

As usual, I own nothing but the idea for the fic. I'm just tweaking JK's amazing story and characters! I hope everyone is in character, fingers crossed!

Well, Enjoy! :)

When Harry woke up on the 1st of September and realised he wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts he felt out of place. It made things both easier and harder when he considered the fact he had missed his last year. He would be going to the station anyway, to see Ginny off. At the moment Grimmauld Place was a little bit busy, a hub for the heartbroken of sorts.

Harry had left for the house not long after the final battle, and he hadn't been surprised when Hermione and Ron followed him. In the long run Hermione had wanted to find her parents, and Ron needed to go home to help the family deal with Fred's death, but they weren't ready for that just yet. They had stayed for a week or so then left, Ron to go home and Hermione to search for her parents. Sometime towards the end of June Ginny came round and sort of moved in, she couldn't cope with the burrow and the fact everyone was miserable all the time, she wanted to get away for a while, so here she was. Harry didn't particularly mind, he enjoyed the company.

He and Ginny attempted to rekindle things, but it was a slow-process which was still on-going now in September. They weren't together, but they weren't denying that they had feelings for each other either, it was complicated. Ron and Hermione were both back too, Hermione had found her parents and Ron had moved back in shortly after Fred's funeral. They were sort of unofficially together, but considering they were planning to get a flat together in London, it was official to all who knew them.

Around Harry's birthday Luna had arrived on the doorstep, her Father had been forced to go away for a couple of weeks for work so she wondered if she could stay. She said she didn't feel safe home alone anymore, Harry didn't blame her.

'Alright kids, you ready?'

Ginny rolled her eyes, 'Kids?'

'Well you're still at school,' Harry reasoned with a smirk.

Luna smiled at this and said, 'We are only one year younger than you Harry.'

'That's not the point,' Ron said with a wave of his hand, 'You're still my baby sis Gin, and Luna, you're still my baby sisters friend.'

'Personally I think Luna and Ginny are more mature than you Ronald,' Hermione pointed out with a smirk as they left Grimmauld Place and huddled on the doorstep.

'I agree with that statement,' Ginny said with a chuckle.

'Can you apparate Luna?' Harry asked, he knew Ginny could but he wasn't sure about Luna.

The Ravenclaw nodded and Harry told the others to go, saying he would follow with their luggage. When they all arrived outside the station in an alley it was a mad rush to get through Kings Cross and onto Platform 9 ¾. It felt like home to Harry almost, and it was with a pang that he realised he wouldn't be getting on the train with Ginny and Luna.

The platform was crowded, nothing looked any different from any other year. It was like things had just gone back to normal, but Harry knew they weren't normal again, not yet anyway. It had only been a few months since the final battle.

'Have a good year,' Harry said as he hugged Luna, and then turned to Ginny.

'Promise to write?' Ginny asked as she hugged Harry.

'Promise,' Harry said with a smile.

'I'll miss you,' Ginny admitted with a sigh.

'I'll miss you too,' Harry said as he hugged her again, 'I'll see you at Christmas,' he added as he kissed her on the cheek.

Ginny nodded and with a quick hug to Ron and Hermione rushed onto the train with Luna. Harry, Ron and Hermione waited on the platform as their friends waved from the window and the train sped away.

'Kind of wish I was going back with them,' Ron said with a sigh.

'Me too,' Harry said honestly.

'I'm quite glad it's over to be honest,' Hermione said, 'starting a job seems the next step. I don't think I could go back to school after last year.'

Harry nodded, thinking about the following Monday when he would begin Auror training. Ron had contemplated it too, with the high standards required to become an Auror having been changed. So many had died in the war that the numbers were greatly needing to be increased so the rules had changed, to qualify for training a person had to have fought and survived in the final battle without switching sides. In the end Ron had decided to sign as co-partner of the shop with George. He was struggling with Fred's death, but the shop was to stay open for business. As George had said, it was more important than ever in the aftermath of the war for people to be able to laugh. Ron had already been working for the last couple of months, but Harry and Hermione began their new jobs in mid-September.

Ron and Hermione were moving into their new flat above Diagon Alley in the next week, and Harry would soon be leaving Grimmauld Place too. Auror training was as intensive as ever, despite the drop in entry requirements. For three years he would be going out on training missions and going to lectures at the training centre, but he would also be assigned a partner on his first day of training, and as part of training he was required to live with that person in accommodation paid for by the Ministry for the remainder of training. Luckily the Auror training centre was based in London, so he would always be close to Ron and Hermione. He was miles and miles away from Ginny however which was the only downside to the whole thing.

'Good luck today Harry,' Hermione said as she dropped in to Grimmauld Place with a plate of toast, 'try and eat something.'

Harry nodded and swallowed, he was incredibly nervous. Today was the day he started Auror training, 'thanks Mione. Shouldn't you be at work?'

'I still have half an hour till I start,' Hermione said, and to Harry it still looked odd, seeing her in a black skirt and a white blouse, she looked so professional. Hermione had gotten a fairly minor position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but she planned to work her way up.

'Oh, okay,' Harry said as he picked at the toast.

'Harry, you have nothing to worry about. I bet training will be a walk in the park compared to the things you've done in your life,' Hermione said with a smile as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, 'and I bet there will be someone there you know. There's been a lot of applicants this year with the changing rules and all.'

'Yeah, you're probably right,' Harry said, giving Hermione a genuine smile and relaxing a little.

'You'll be fine,' Hermione assured him as she threw some floo powder into the fire of Grimmauld Place and kissed him on the cheek, 'come by the flat tonight if you can, to tell Ron and I how it goes.'

'Sure, course I will,' Harry promised with a smile as Hermione walked into the flames and vanished.

Glancing at his watch Harry got up and took a deep breath. He grabbed his coat, left the house and apparated to the training centre from the doorstep of Grimmauld Place.

When he appeared outside the training centre Harrys first thought was that it looked like it would fall down at any moment, it was obviously Victorian but looked like it hadn't been inhabited for years, possibly due to a fire due to the blackened exterior of the building and the long blown out windows. He then realised that this was likely due to anti-Muggle charms, to shield the place from prying Muggles.

He took a few steps closer and the building transformed, but not as much as he expected. The building still looked old, dingy and intimidating, but rather than having blown out windows it had bars on the windows.

'What is this, a bloody prison?' Harry muttered to himself.

'For the next three years it will be,' a wizard at the gate leading up to the old building said with a smirk, 'welcome to the Auror training centre recruit.'

'Thanks for the warm welcome,' Harry said sarcastically.

The man chuckled, 'Wait until you meet the folk who will be training you up,' he said, 'front doors just up that path.'

'Thanks,' Harry said gratefully as he began to walk up the path towards the building. He felt relieved when he got closer and saw others making their way through the front doors into the building which was a little more inviting on the inside, but that wasn't saying much. The walls consisted of dark wood paneling and an exposed wooden floor, the room was bare of hangings or décor, and even of furniture. The only thing in the room was a large wooden desk with a grumpy looking old woman sitting behind it.

Following the other 3 people Harry walked up to the desk and waited until he was first in line. He smiled at the woman and said, 'Hi, I'm Harry Potter, I'm here for Auror training.'

'Take the tag, three floors up, first door,' the woman drawled as if she was bored, she thrust a nametag into Harry's hand which he stuck on his shirt. He found a dark, dingy stairwell and like the woman had instructed he followed it up onto the third floor and entered through the first door he saw.

The room he emerged into was fairly small, but almost full. There was a circle of chairs arranged in the room and a blackboard at the front. It was fairly dark with small, thin windows. In the circle there were 11 seats, 8 of which were filled. Most of the people here looked about his age, a couple maybe one or two years older, yet he didn't recognise anyone and he felt as though he should have. People stared when they saw him, realising he was Harry Potter, it irritated him but he ignored the staring and whispering and sat down in one of the vacant chairs next to a blonde-haired boy.

'Hi Harry,' the boy said.

'Hey,' Harry said a little awkwardly as he tried to place this person, 'Sorry, do I know you?'

'Kevin,' the boy said with a smile, 'Kevin Entwhistle, we went to Hogwarts together.'

'Oh,' Harry said, feeling guilty immediately, 'right.'

'I was in Ravenclaw,' Kevin said awkwardly, 'we spoke a few times.'

'I don't remember, I'm sorry,' Harry said apologetically, 'so did you get in because you fought in the final battle?'

'Oh Merlin no,' Kevin said, he was very well-spoken and sounded very upper class, 'no I got in on my grades alone.'

'Right,' Harry muttered, immediately discarding the guy as a pompous ass and hoping he wouldn't be partnered with him.

As he looked around the room properly Harry did actually recognise a few people, he was surprised to see Seamus on the other side of the room, he grinned at Harry when he saw him and Harry couldn't help but wonder how long Seamus would last here. He also recognised Susan Bones, a Hufflepuff who had been in his year at Hogwarts and who he knew had been part of the DA, as he recalled she had also fought rather well in the final battle. However he didn't recognise the other 5 people in the room, but they all looked slightly older than him.

As Harry contemplated if this was everyone a man walked in, dressed in an Aurors uniform with a buzz cut and a lot of scars covering his face. He was grimacing at them all, probably not a good sign. He took one of the two remaining seats, leaving an empty chair between himself and Harry. He didn't say anything as he surveyed the group of recruits, Harry was beginning to feel incredibly uncomfortable until someone he knew well walked into the room.

'Neville!'

His fellow Gryffindor caught his eye and grinned, sitting down in the empty seat next to him, 'Hey Harry, can't say I'm surprised to see you here.'

Harry chuckled and said, 'I thought you wanted to do something quiet after the war?'

'Changed my mind,' Neville admitted sheepishly, 'I enjoyed the adrenaline rush.'

'Between you and me, so did I,' Harry muttered as the man in the Auror outfit stood up and addressed the room.

'I'm aware that our new Minister for Magic has changed the entry requirements so we can replenish our resources after our heavy losses in the war,' he said as he paced the length of the small square room, 'however I don't agree with his method. I've never seen a more sorry group of kids in my bloody career, and believe me I've been doing this a long time.'

'We did kind of fight in the biggest battle, ever,' Susan pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

'I don't care what battles you've fought in, or how many wars you've been through,' the man said curtly, 'the entry requirements to this programme may have been lowered but the standards we expect here have definitely not been,' he came to a stop in the centre of the circle and paused as he surveyed them all.

'Status means nothing in this building, I don't care how many dark lords you've killed or how many snakes you've beheaded,' he said as his eyes lingered briefly on Harry and Neville, 'in this building you are all recruits and none of you will get any special treatment. Am I understood?'

Everyone nodded and the man continued, 'there are 10 of you sitting in this room. By the time you emerge from this programme as fully-fledged Aurors there will be four of you left. One of you will probably die, two of you will be asked to leave, two of you will crack under the pressure and one of you will transfer to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement before the year is up.'

Everyone in the room was looking around at each other now, wondering who would be here by the end of the training period.

'That's right, have a good look around,' the man said, 'the people in this room are your competition. You will have two allies in this building during your time here, your training partner and me. My name is Senior Auror Sumner, and those of you who learn to do exactly as I say are going to be the ones who emerge fully qualified in three years' time.'

'Now get on your feet,' Sumner said, 'it's time for the grand tour.'

There was a flurry of movement as everyone rushed to get to their feet and follow Sumner out of a door and down a long, dark corridor.

'He seems like a cheery bloke,' Neville muttered sarcastically.

'This isn't exactly what I expected when I joined up,' Harry said honestly as they were led down winding corridors until they came to a stop.

'This is the hospital wing,' Sumner said, pointing into a fairly large bright room, 'trust me you'll all see it at some point in the next three years, if you don't you aren't doing your job right.'

He led them a little further along the corridor and down some concrete steps, 'this is the dining hall, you eat here three times a day. Meal times are at 7am, 12 noon and 6pm every day, miss it and you go hungry.'

Harry really hadn't realised quite how intensive this would be, as Sumner led them through more corridors to a different wing. Like most wizarding buildings this place was much bigger on the inside than it appeared on the outside.

'This is the training hub,' Sumner said, leading them into a large hall with a duelling platform that rose from the floor, 'you'll meet here at 7.30am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for duelling practice. Next door through here,' Sumner said as he walked through a door into another sizeable room, 'is the fitness centre where you will spend your afternoons on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.'

The room was basic, with dummies to shoot at and weights to lift. It was raining outside so instead of taking them out to the outdoor area Sumner showed them through one of the cleaner windows in the duelling room.

'Outside in this area is where you will spend Tuesday and Thursday mornings,' he informed them, 'you run the track to increase your stamina, and you do the obstacle course until you can all do it in less than 30 seconds.'

Leading them away from the window Sumner took them up another level to a large library, 'This is where you'll find everything you need for your written assignments and exams,' he said, 'and over here is where you'll study,' he added, showing them into a large study hall across the hallway.

'You'll get your lecture timetable later today, you get 6 a week,' Sumner said as he took them up to the final level of the building, the attic floor where the windows were tiny slats that were so dirty you couldn't see a thing through them.

This hallway was long and thin with several doors leading off of it, the doors had plaques on them but none of them had names yet. There were 6 doors in total.

'This is where you'll sleep,' Sumner said, '5 dorms, you share with your allocated training partner. Each room has its individual bathroom and at the end of the hall you have a common room which tends to gather dust and never gets used. Any questions?'

'You never mentioned Saturdays and Sundays,' Kevin piped up, 'do we get the weekends off?'

Sumner laughed manically at this, 'Get the weekends off? No of course not! You have lectures boy, they could easily fall on a Saturday or Sunday! Most Saturdays you'll be training on the broomsticks, and usually you'll be in the potions labs on Sundays. You get time off when I say you get time off. You eat, sleep and work on this base, you leave when everyone else leaves. Got it?'

Again there were plenty of nods, satisfied that the new recruits had seen all they needed to see Sumner led them down to the duelling hall once more. Everyone was silent as they followed the Senior Auror, this was a shock for all of them, not just Harry. They all had ideas and expectations of what Auror training would be like, and none of them had imagined this.

They eventually ended up back on one of the lower floors in the duelling room where they were told to sit down in another circle of chairs that Sumner had conjured. He stayed on his feet as the recruits took their seats.

'The first two tasks you will be set with today are menial, I expect you all to be able to perform them. If you can't, you're walking out the door of this place for good, understood?'

Everyone nodded.

'Good. First things first, you're all going to introduce yourselves. Tell us a bit about yourself and why you want to be an Auror,' Sumner said curtly, 'after that I'm going to be pairing you up randomly for doubles duelling. Once I've seen who works well together, and who doesn't, I'll assess over lunch who your training partners are going to be.'

'What happens after lunch?' a woman with dark hair asked.

'I'll tell you that after lunch,' Sumner said sharply, 'so who wants to start us off? Potter, you seem to like talking about yourself to the papers, why don't we start with you?'

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he spoke to the group, 'Uh…I'm Harry Potter, most of you probably know what I've been up to for the last couple of years if you've ever so much as glanced at a paper. Contrary to common belief I've only ever given one interview, and that was to the Quibbler in my 5th year,' he glanced at Sumner who seemed vaguely amused, 'and I want to be an Auror because I realised when the war was over that the only thing I'm actually any good it is kicking death eaters arses.'

'Good answer Potter,' Sumner said with a smirk, 'I think we're going to get on just fine. Longbottom, you're his sidekick, carry on.'

Neville chuckled and said, 'I'm Neville Longbottom, contrary to common belief I'm not Harry Potter's sidekick, I'd have to be ginger or female for a start,' there was some chuckling at this as Neville continued, 'I spent the last year leading the guerrilla war inside Hogwarts and I want to be an Auror because I like the adrenaline rush of being in a fight but I didn't really realise that until the war.'

'Well done for not mentioning snakes, clearly you're more modest than your Father,' Sumner said with an amused glint in his eye, 'he detailed everything of importance he'd ever done in his opening speech.'

At this Neville smiled, and Harry realised that Neville's parents must have gone through training together, Sumner had clearly coached them.

Sumner continued to go around the circle, and Harry listened carefully, getting to know the people who could theoretically be his competition.

'I'm Susan Bones, I was a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts and spent my whole school life being treated like a push-over. I joined Dumbledore's Army when I was in 5th year, and I fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. I knew I wanted to be an Auror from about 3rd year really, I guess it's just been my calling in life since pretty much all of my family have been involved in law enforcement in some way.'

Harry remembered Susan more than a lot of the others here because she had been in the DA. She had red hair, slightly lighter than Ginny's and green eyes.

'Me names Seamus Finnigan, I was in Gryffindor at school, part of the DA like a few others here and I did my fair share of fighting in the final battle. I helped blow up a bridge which took down tons of death eaters. I want to be an Auror because I enjoyed fighting in the war, I felt pretty good at it and I want to do it for the rest of me life.'

Harry and Neville were smiling slightly, they both liked Seamus but they had doubts on how long he would last. He could fight, but they doubted he'd do well in the potions lab, or on the brooms, or in the written part of the process in general.

'I'm Kevin Entwhistle, I was a Ravenclaw while I was at Hogwarts. I got the best grades I could have done in all of my subjects and I want to be an Auror because I want to do some good in this tragic post-war world,' Kevin said pompously, even Sumner snorted at this as he moved onto the next person in the circle who Harry couldn't believe he hadn't recognised until he spoke.

'I'm Lee Jordan,' Lee said, but he looked so different, his dreadlocks were gone and with short hair he was almost unrecognisable, 'after seeing one of my best friends die in the war I decided to change my career path to do some good, you know? Put away the people that hurt those I love and keep the world a safer place, so I joined the programme.'

Harry smiled briefly at Lee as the next person spoke, he vaguely recognised her with her striking blue eyes and dark blonde hair, 'I'm Daphne Greengrass, some of you may remember me from Hogwarts, I was a Slytherin so I'm pretty surprised you even let me into this programme. I didn't stay to fight in the final battle, although I did punch Pansy Parkinson in the face and knock her unconscious after we were led away to the dungeons. I want to be an Auror because I want to go down the career path I want, not the career path my family want for me, and I've always wanted to be an Auror since I was a pretty little kid. I blame the sorting hat, I think I'm the only person who's been a hat stall between Gryffindor and Slytherin.'

There was some chuckling at this, and Harry smirked slightly because he himself had been a hat stall between those two houses, but this wasn't something he wanted to share with the group.

'I'm Hamish MacDougal, I'm 20 years old, and I was in Ravenclaw when I was at school. I joined the Department of Magical Law Enforcement after leaving school, but I wanted to be an Auror I just didn't have the grades. When the rules were lessened I took my chances and joined up,' the man speaking looked a little wild with a dark beard and long hair, Harry knew there had been someone called 'MacDougal' in his year, a Ravenclaw, but he couldn't remember anything else about them. This person might have been an older brother after all they were both very broadly Scottish.

'I'm Regina Davies,' a girl with dark brown hair said with a smile, she was fairly pretty and looked maybe a year older than Harry, 'my brother has just finished Auror training and he's been pretty smug about it, and pretty pissed that his sister got in too,' there was some chuckling at this, 'I've wanted to be an Auror for the last three years, ever since my brother got into the programme and told me about all the stuff he was learning.'

The last person to speak up was also a girl, she too was fairly pretty with light brown hair, 'My name is Olivia Wood, my brothers called Oliver, yeah I know our parents weren't very inventive,' even Sumner chuckled at this, 'like Regina's brother he's an Auror too, sort of. He's in his last year so thankfully I won't see him much around here since he'll be out on placement a lot. My story is pretty similar to Regina's, I've wanted to be an Auror ever since my brother came home the Christmas of his first year of training and told me about it.'

'Alright, niceties sorted,' Sumner said as he got to his feet and clapped his hands, 'wands at the ready,' he added as he raised the platform with a hand motion. It was larger than the one they had used in the duelling club at Hogwarts, higher and wider, with steps leading up to it.

'Ladies first,' Sumner said to the 4 women in the room with a slight smirk, 'Davies and Bones, I want you two partnered up first against Wood and Greengrass. You know how to duel in doubles?'

All four girls nodded so Sumner ordered them up onto the platform. For the next little while the 4 girls duelled, switching around so they all had a short chance to duel with all of the other girls. Harry and Neville watched with the other 4 boys and realised quickly the strongest of the group was Susan, but Daphne was fairly good too. Regina and Olivia were fairly standard to them, but then they expected a high standard considering what they had just witnessed only months earlier.

When Sumner had taken enough notes and seemed satisfied he called them down and handed them each a bottle of water. Only Regina and Olivia really needed it though, Susan and Daphne barely touched theirs.

'We'll take this in turns,' Sumner said to the 6 males, 'like I told the girls the whole point is to assess who works well together, everyone has a duelling style and some complement each other while others don't. Longbottom and Entwhistle, you two up first against…' Sumner contemplated this, eventually deciding, 'MacDougal and Finnigan.'

Harry and Lee were left to watch with the four girls, nobody said much and it was pretty apparent, to Harry at least that Neville was more than a match for Hamish and Seamus, even with Kevin being pretty useless he took them on his own. Neville tended to use defensive spells, but he was clever with them, deflecting them, sending them back, shooting his own in between putting up shield charms. Harry realised once more how much he had underestimated Neville Longbottom, he really had transformed in recent years.

Pretty quickly Sumner changed things around, putting Lee on with Neville and Harry on with Hamish. It was more even, but Lee and Neville both used defensive spells so it didn't work out great and Harry wasn't very compatible with Hamish since he kept running in front of Harry's spells accidentally.

After about 10 minutes Sumner switched Neville for Seamus and Hamish for Kevin meaning that it was now Seamus and Lee versus Harry and Kevin. It worked out alright for Seamus and Lee who had a good rapport and worked well together, but Harry was trying with all his might not to curse Kevin who was doing his head in. Sumner was laughing his head off as he noted down in his notepad, 'Potter and Entwhistle – NO'.

Sumner switched them around again after less than 10 minutes. This time switching Lee for Kevin and telling Harry to sit down so Hamish and Neville could team up. Kevin and Seamus were good together surprisingly, with Kevin taking more defensive and Seamus being on the offensive, but they still weren't the best Harry had seen. Neville and Hamish clashed a bit, but as a whole they were okay.

Kevin and Lee were paired up next, and they were to duel against Harry and Seamus. That was the biggest disaster of the day so far. Harry learned that although he liked Seamus he definitely couldn't duel him and Kevin and Lee weren't the greatest pairing either. Sumner got bored quickly and switched things around once again. This time it was Neville and Seamus against Hamish and Kevin. Both teams worked well together, but as Harry watched Neville he realised that nobody would be a better match for him than he himself. Seamus and Neville knew each other's style well, but Harry and Neville naturally worked well together and Harry had a feeling that would be true of their duelling methods too.

The next pairs were Harry and Lee versus Neville and Hamish. Sumner laughed loudly at the fact Harry and Neville pretty much took over the duel since Lee and Hamish weren't doing much. Almost every pair had been exhausted as Sumner brought together Hamish and Lee once more and finally paired Harry and Neville. The two Gryffindors shared a smirk and completely dominated the duel. As Harry had suspected their duelling styles were so different they melded perfectly together with Neville deflecting spells back at Lee and Hamish while Harry took the offensive and bombarded them with spells while their own flew back at them.

When it was over Sumner looked positively delighted as he sent them all to the dining hall for lunch.

TBC! :)

General Opinions? Please leave a review, or favourite or something. Let me know there is someone out there who loves Harry/Neville as much as I do!