The ingenious Ms. Rowling owns Harry Potter and its characters, I claim only the plot.

Neville started at the crackling sound beneath his foot.

Bending over, he picked up a crumpled piece of parchment. He carefully unfolded it to see the word "Lost" emblazoned across the front followed by an odd list of missing possessions:

1 Earring (with beetle wings)

A pair of stripey socks

School cloak-black

Purple Quill (woodpecker with special markings)

Bubble Bow Booster Kit (still in wrapper)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Easy Spells to Fool Muggles

A bottle of Sum-Solving Ink (Turquoise)

As he read to the bottom his heart sank:

Please return all property to Luna Lovegood by the end of term.

Thank you!

While most people would not have hesitated to help a fellow student, Neville knew that Luna's dreamy voice and bizarre beliefs made her an easy mark for just about anyone. Maybe they'll just skip over the name at the bottom and not notice, he hoped.

But this hope was dashed as he rounded the corner.

Draco Malfoy was currently tearing down each of the notices that Luna had hung along the walls. Neville watched in horror as Malfoy muttered a quick "Incendio!" and the crinkled papers were engulfed in bright flames. He watched as the last glowing embers faded against the stone floor.

Before he fully realized what he was doing, Neville stepped out into the corridor.

"Leave them alone, Malfoy," he demanded.

Malfoy grinned as he ripped another notice to shreds.

"Well, well, well, what's this? Loser Longbottom finally decided to get himself a spine, did he? So what's got your wand in a knot?"

"I told you to leave them alone."

"And why would you do that? Ahh, I see. You fancy Loony Lovegood, is that it?"

Why was he doing this? Maybe because he knew how it felt to be tormented by his peers, seen as odd and useless. Maybe because she had stood by his side and bravely fought off Death Eaters so he felt she deserved some respect.

And yes, maybe because he fancied her. But only a bit.

"I'm telling you for the last time: leave them alone."

Malfoy only laughed. "Or you'll do w—?"

"Levicorpus!"

"Bloody hell, Longbottom, put me down!"

"I don't think you're in a position to be making demands, Malfoy. Now, I suspect you know where at least some of the things on this list are and you're gonna tell me where."

"And why would I do that, you fat lump?"

Neville stepped forward until his nose hovered an inch away from Malfoy's.

Because I'll use such a bloody powerful Furnunculus curse that your pasty white face will never be the same again."

"You wouldn't dream—"

"You really want to test that, Malfoy? Go ahead, I dare you."

Malfoy couldn't quite place why he felt a flicker of fear as he scrutinized Longbottom. Maybe because he was shocked the great oaf had stood up to him. Maybe because he recognized the unmistakably cold fury in the other boy's eyes. Maybe because he was hanging upside with Longbottom's wand pointed at his throat.

Whatever the reason, Draco Malfoy was slightly afraid.

"I nicked that Bubble Kit from her bag, alright? Last I saw, Malcolm Baddock had it down by the Black Lake.

Neville was already hurrying down the corridor as the last word left Malfoy's mouth. Draco heaved a sigh of relief before he realized he was still suspended above the ground.

"Just wait until my father hears about this, Longbottom!"

But Neville never turned around. He was on a mission.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Neville surveyed the grounds until his eyes settled on a pair of boys standing at the edge of the lake dressed in silver and green. Malcolm Baddock and Graham Pritchard were using a toy to shoot a stream of bubbles across the lawns at some unsuspecting first years on their way to Care of Magical Creatures. As Baddock reloaded the weapon—rather like an arrow in a bowstring—Neville's mouth thinned to a grim line. Crossing the grass, he shouted to the pair.

"Oi, Baddock! Give it here!"

"Well if it isn't Lardbottom! Come to see the fun, have you?"

"I'm telling you Baddock, give it to me. Or I might just have to tell Professor Hagrid that you were harassing his students. You know Hagrid…the one who holds his detentions in the Forbidden Forest.

Malcolm paled.

"We were just having a laugh, Longbottom. No need to get so tetchy about it. Take it if you want it so much, then."

He held out the device and its wrappings. Irritated at this turn of events, he trudged to stand at the edge of the lack. Moments later he was hurling stones across the surface for all he was worth.

Neville carefully tucked the kit into his rucksack before facing Baddock once more.

"You haven't seen any of these other things, have you? Think hard, Baddock. I wouldn't want to wander over to Hagrid's while I search for them…"

Malcolm frowned as he studied the list in Neville's hand.

"Now that you mention it, I did see a pair of girl's shoes hanging on one of the archways near the Great Hall."

And with that Neville sped towards the castle.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Neville sighed as he looked at the jumbled tangle of knots that were once Luna's shoestrings.

It hadn't taken him long to find them. In fact, they were rather difficult to miss. The once-black shoes were covered in a shimmering pattern of silver spirals that spun lazily across the leather. He spotted them tossed over one of the stone arches, dangling twenty feet above the ground. While levitating them down had been simple enough, the snarled mess in front of him was rather daunting.

Just as he was contemplating how to ask Hermione to charm them loose, a cackling blur zoomed around the corner. He dove to the floor as the shape hurtled towards him, its cloak billowing out in a shockingly Snape-like manner that had Neville whimpering in fright.

I've had nightmares just like this, he panicked.

Just before the figure crashed into him, it swerved and flew past him. He watched as the figure banked sharply at the end of the hall before rocketing back to where he sat.

"Is that namby wee Neville there on the ground? Come now, why the long bottom?" it taunted from beneath its hood.

"Peeves? Is that you under there?"

But the poltergeist only laughed as he pushed back the fabric. The movement drew Neville's attention to the clasp of the cloak, where he caught sight of a shining Ravenclaw emblem and the "L.L." embroidered at the edge. He tried to reach out and grab the garment, but Peeves whirled away.

"Ah, ah, ah. Play nice with the other kiddies, Namby."

"Give it back, Peeves, or I'll…I'll call the Bloody Baron!"

Peeves instantly soured but reluctantly shrugged off the cloak and tossed it to Neville.

"Thank you. Have you happened to see any other of Luna's things?"

Peeves glared at him but began to chant:

"Look now here at what you've done

Ruining all Peevsy's fun

But though you've been a meddling twit

Go to the kitchens, have a sit

With those who bake and those who cook

There you'll find the one who took

A small and grubby little elf

Who stole the socks from off the shelf

I'll put an end to this here spat

Off you get, you bloody prat!"

Blowing a raspberry, Peeves streaked down the corridor and out of sight. Again Neville resumed his hunt, anxious to track down the next of Luna's possessions.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The kitchens were bustling when he stepped through the portrait hole. In fact, he was so distracted by the mouthwatering sights and heavenly smells, that he didn't notice the house elf until it tugged on his robes.

"Is there anything Ziffy can get for you, sir?"

"Er, yes, actually there is. You see, I'm looking for an elf—"

"There are many elves here, sir! Would you like Mimsy in baking or Tippy in drinks? There's Muffy in roasting and Duffy in toasting and Jilly in—"

"I'm actually looking for an elf with a pair of striped socks. I believe his name is—"

But before he could finish, Ziffy slapped a hand over his mouth.

"We do not speak his name! He is a disgrace to us other elves! Oh we is polite to him, sir. Never do we reveal our shame at his behavior. Though Ziffy shudders to think of the things he does. But if sir wishes to see him, then Ziffy will lead you."

The elf wove through the press of bodies with Neville, offering apology after apology as accidentally stepped on various toes, following behind. Eventually they came to an alcove tucked into the deepest corner of the kitchen where Neville was confronted with a most unusual sight.

It appeared to be a singing pile of laundry.

Upon closer inspection he realized that, beneath a multitude of scarves, hats, sweaters and socks, there was an elf.

"Are you Dobby, by any chance?"

"Indeed, sir."

"Well, I heard that you're the person to see about clothes."

At this Ziffy huffed and walked away, shaking his head with blatant disgust. Dobby watched the display with a tired gaze, before turning his mournful eyes to Neville.

"The other elves refuse to clean the common rooms, sir, now that Miss Granger has insisted on hiding clothes on unsuspecting elves. So Dobby does it since he is a free elf. But the others…they see it as a sign of disrespect to the school. But Dobby will not stop, sir. He knows Miss Granger is Harry Potter's friend and is only doing what she thinks best."

"Well, I think that's very admirable of you, Dobby," Neville said sincerely.

"But what is it Dobby can do for you, sir?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you had come across a pair of striped socks while cleaning the Ravenclaw common room recently. My friend has lost hers, you see."

"Which friend is this, sir?"

"Luna Lovegood."

"Oh," he said, "Dobby knows exactly where those are."

Trotting over to a trunk pushed up against the wall, Dobby rummaged around inside. Moments later he returned clutching a hideous pair of knee-length neon orange, lime, purple and mustard striped socks.

"Too bad," he said wistfully, "Dobby was just about to unravel them. But he is not sorry to see them go, sir."

"Thank you, Dobby," said Neville. "You haven't happened to see any other of Luna's things, have you?"

"Oh yes, sir. If I'm not mistaken, Miss Lovegood's earring is up in the Divination classroom."

Neville grimaced, but thanked Dobby once more before striding towards the exit.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Reach out with your inner eye, my dear, and feel your way into the beyond…"

Neville groaned as he listened to Professor Trelawney. Her voice was similar to the pungent incense that wafted from her room: cloying, overpowering and lacking substance. To make matters worse, it seemed that Lavender Brown was attending a private lesson. Facing one of them was frightening, but two…

Come on you coward, he thought, do it for Luna. She wouldn't hesitate to do it for anyone else.

"I see a face," whispered Lavender. "A tall, hook-nosed man…Professor Snape! And I see…darkness, yes. Melancholy. He is a plagued by a great sorrow, one that causes him to lash out. It will be his undoing…"

"Ah yes, my dear. I, too, have often sensed such whisperings from behind the veil…"

Neville rolled his eyes. You didn't have to see the future to know that Snape was going to remain a vile, unpleasant troll for the rest of his miserable life. Screwing up his courage, he ascended the rope ladder into the Divination room.

The two women were seated on cushions around a low table. A crystal ball rested between them, swirling with cloudy tendrils. Lavender was staring into its depths as if in a trance while Professor Trelawney was slumped forward, watching her intently. His entrance, however, caused her to look up at him.

"My dear boy, how has your grandmother been since we last spoke?"

"Still in perfect health, Professor."

"Oh," she said, her tone almost disappointed. "How lovely. But I sense that you are here for another reason, my child. Your aura pulses with turmoil, yes. Tell me, how I may guide you."

Just as he was about to answer, he noticed Luna's earring dangling from the cloth covering the table.

"You know, Professor, I think that some of your herbal tea would certainly help the situation."

"Ahh, yes. Quite rejuvenating," she agreed. "I'll fetch us some immediately. Lavender, my dear, could you please take out your dream journal? We'll start on that next." With that she disappeared behind a beaded curtain into another room.

Neville sat at the table and began to surreptitiously unhook the earring from the edge of the cloth.

"I didn't know you needed extra lessons, Lavender," he said.

"I don't," she sniffed. "Unlike some, I possess the gift. Professor Trelawney agrees that I'm far beyond our classmates, so she's giving me advanced assignments."

As she was telling him this, Neville watched her pull a notebook and quill from her bag. He studied the quill. It was a deep purple with small white dots that looped intricately around the edges. A woodpecker quill.

"Lavender, where did you get that?"

"W-what?" she stammered, clearly startled by his question.

"That quill. Where did you get it?"

"I-I…I found it. Yes. I found it."

"You took it, didn't you? You took that quill from Luna Lovegood!"

"So what if I did?" shrieked Lavender, jumping to her feet. "She just left it lying out on her desk during potions, didn't she? Didn't think how it could be ruined or what have you, did she? She didn't deserve it! My inner eye told me that I could put it to better use!"

"Well my inner eye is telling me that you'd better return that quill before Trelawney hears that your aura isn't quite as pure as she thinks."

Neville watched as Lavender huffed out a breath before tossing the quill across the table where it came skittering to a halt by his hand.

"I was going to return it anyway—I wouldn't want my aura polluted by anything of Loony Lovegood's. Merlin, people would think I'd gone round the twist."

"Because clearly spending time with Trelawney doesn't give that impression," Neville muttered.

"Ah my dears, it seems that I'm all out of tea. Perhaps a palm reading will do the trick—"

"Actually, I really must be going," Neville interrupted. "But before I do, might I ask if you've seen any of Luna Lovegood's things about?"

Professor Trelawney closed her eyes and put a handle to her temple. After a moment her brow furrowed.

"I see…a dimly lit room, yes. And shelves…shelves filled with…books…" Her eyes flew open.

"I have seen it, dear boy, and you must go to the library!"

Neville sighed.

"Er, right. Thanks. I'll just be off then."

As Neville turned the corner, he was suddenly knocked backward in a flurry of parchment, quills, books and ink.

"Merlin, I'm so sorry Neville!"

Looking up dazedly from the floor, Neville caught sight of Hermione Granger as she scurried to pick up her fallen supplies. Slowly, he shifted to his knees and began to gather the papers within his reach. As he was absentmindedly reaching for a bottle of ink, his gaze landed on a small book that had landed nearby.

"Hermione, where did you get this?"

She turned to him and looked at the tattered book in his hand, Easy Spells to Fool Muggles just barely legible on the spine.

"Oh that? It's been lying around the girl's dormitory for months. There was no name in the cover, so I just decided to return it to the library before the end of term. I was leafing though it on my way down here—when I hit you, I'm still so sorry about that!—and some of those spells are really useful. But Merlin, there are a few of them that are just ghastly! 'How to Confound a License Instructor' or 'Transfiguring Parking Meters to Pole Lamps?' I can hardly believe that's legal! In fact, I'm sure—"

"Hermione? Would you mind terribly if I kept this? I'd like to return it to its proper owner."

"Oh by all means, Neville."

"Thanks…you haven't seen any of the items on the list that Luna's posting about the school, have you?"

"Hmm…I can't say that I have. Maybe someone in the Common Room has? Anyway, I've got to hurry—I'm just positive there's a regulation about that parking meter trick in the Ministry bylaws…"

Neville watched as she walked through the nearest set of doors.

The doors to the library.

With a wry smile, he began to climb the stairs to Gryffindor tower.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Ron, you know she's going to be angry."

"Bugger off, Ginny. She won't know if you keep your bloody mouth shut."

"Ginny's right, mate. Hermione'll be bloody furious."

"Oh sod off, Harry."

Neville heard the voices arguing as soon as he stepped through the portrait hole. Glancing around the room, he saw Ginny and Harry leaning over a desk where Ron sat furiously scribbling on a piece of parchment. Dropping into an armchair near the fire, he pulled out Luna's list and began to study it once more. Yet try as he might, he could not ignore the rising voices as they floated over to him.

"Ron, do you really think Sinistra won't notice? On the angular size calculations for Merlin's sake!"

"No offense, mate, but you're bloody awful at those…

"Not to mention it's not in the standard black. I mean, what is that? Turquoise? Honestly, could you be any more obvious?"

At this Neville started and, rising from the chair, he strode across the room.

"That wouldn't happen to be Sum-Solving Ink, would it?" he asked.

At the mention of the banned item, the tips of Ron's ears flamed a brilliant magenta and his eyes darted about nervously.

"You're not going to snitch on me to Hermione, are you Neville?"

"Where did you get it?"

Ron gave shot him a hopeful look. "So you're not going to rat me out?"

"Ron, where did you get it?" he said impatiently.

"Well, Luna left in on her desk when we were leaving Charms. I was going to return it to her, honest, I just…I thought I might put it to some good use first." He admitted sheepishly.

"Give it here, Ron," Neville said, holding out his hand.

As his fingers closed around the bottle, he couldn't help the smile that began to spread across his face. Now I just need to locate her copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and I'll have everything, he thought. Thinking of places to begin his search, he started up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

"So…this means you won't tell Hermione, right?" Ron shouted.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Neville paced back and forth across the room; he had looked everywhere for that book. The Great Hall, the classrooms, the corridors, the greenhouses, the grounds, the Quidditch pitch…he had even asked a first-year to check to the Ravenclaw common room for him. The train would be leaving in just a few hours and still there was no sign of the text.

You've found everything else, he reasoned, one book isn't going to matter. But he couldn't help but feel miserable that he wouldn't manage to return all of Luna's belongings.

As he pivoted to continue his pacing, he caught sight of his open trunk.

No, he thought, that would be ridiculous of me. Yet even as he argued with himself, his feet marched over to his trunk.

I mean…Gran would believe that I lost it, not like that's a stretch…and I don't really intend to take Care of Magical Creatures anymore…

Coming to a decision, he snatched the thin red book from his trunk and hurried towards Ravenclaw tower.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Luna peered out the window of the train, studying the Scottish countryside as it whirled by. A small book lay in her lap, opened to the title page. Her fingers absentmindedly traced over the N.L. scrawled in the corner.

She was sure Neville thought he was stealthy, leaving her possessions outside the door of the Tower like that. It was easy to see that he was too modest to give them to her outright. She could picture exactly how he would've look, all pink-eared and mumbling. So embarrassed by his chivalry. No, Neville wasn't one to accept thanks for such things…

A high-pitched whistle broke interrupted her thoughts, and she felt the train begin to slow as it entered the station. Gathering her things, Luna quickly hurried through the car and down the steps to the platform. As she made her way toward the exit, she caught sight of him. Neville. Standing awkwardly to the side as he searched for his grandmother in the crush of bodies.

No, Neville didn't like to play the hero. But the gesture had been so sweet…

Straightening her shoulders, Luna began walking determinedly in his direction. So intent was he in his search, he didn't notice her until she stopped in front of him.

"L-l-luna," he stammered, turning as pink as she had imagined, "w-what are y-you—?"

Standing on the tips of her toes, she quickly pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaning to his ear.

"I hope you have a fantastic summer, Neville," she whispered.

Then, hugging his textbook to her chest, she walked out of the station.

A/N: Thank you for reading. As always any reviews and constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated!