Just a simple Neville story.
Neville LongBottom finally had everything he ever wanted. He was married to the most beautiful woman he ever knew. Luna Lovegood, he had a job teaching his passion herbology at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was going to be a godfather to Harry's son. For once in his life everything was going swimmingly. That particular night he couldn't sleep. His first day of teaching was tomorrow and he was too excited to sleep. To keep his mind occupied he had decided to take a stroll through the grounds.
He walked through the grand hallways where he got lost as a young boy quite frequently. When he was eleven everything about this school seemed be against him. His mind brought him back to a memory of when he was eleven years old and just beginning his days at Hogwarts.
Shoelaces untied, robes a mess, papers falling out of his school bag. He was just trying to get to class in one piece. Panting as he ran through the big hall to transfiguration he slipped on his shoelace. His papers went flying as he hit the ground. Groaning he picks himself up and tries to collect his papers. A pair of shoes enters his sight. He gulps and looks up to their owner. Above him was McGonagall looking down at him.
"Late on the first week Mr. LongBottom?" She asks him quizzically.
"I'm sorry professor, I got carried away in herbology and lost track of time." He stammers out.
"I take it herbology interests you?" She asks him.
"Yes professor but I like transfiguration too." He says to her.
With a smile McGonagall helps him gather his things.
"Now Mr. LongBottom, I expect you'll be on time next time."
"Yes professor." He says going into the classroom quickly.
Neville smiles at the memory. Professor McGonagall had shown him grace a lot that year and all the years to follow. As a kid he never realized it. When he was eleven she always made sure that he was in the right track with the spells she taught. She always accepted his homework no matter what condition it was in. She was always patient. He had never told anyone but it was McGonagall who helped him chose to be brave. He looks up at her portrait on the wall.
"Thank you Professor McGonagall. For being patient and understanding. Thank you for helping me be brave."
He continues to walk down the corridor until he reached the door to the north tower. Trelawny was always a character to him. He never found deviation exciting but always respected the professor who taught it. He knew that she was the Neville of the teacher's table. She was clumsy and spilled things all the time. He knew was a joke among her coworkers but he liked her. She reminded him that he wasn't the only clumsy person in the school. She was never mad when he broke things in her class. Rather she was fine about it.
It was Neville's fifth year at Hogwarts and he was in deviation learning about coffee grounds. Trelawny was going on about the omens in the cup when a crash was heard. Neville looked down expecting to see his broken cup on the ground but instead he saw it still in his hand. For once he hadn't broken anything yet. He glances by Trelawny's feet to see a broken cup.
"I saw something bad." She tells the class. "I saw the omen of discontent "
With a quick wave of her wand the cup was back in one piece and put back on the shelf.
Twenty minutes later Neville's cup slipped from his hand and smashed in the floor. Suddenly all eyes were on him.
"I-I saw something bad." He stammered out.
The whole class suddenly started laughing but not Trelawny.
"See me after class Mr. LongBottom."
That day after class Neville stayed behind. After the classroom was empty Trelawny approached Neville. He was bracing himself to be punished. Instead she asked him a question.
"Did you actually see an omen Neville?"
"No Professor. It just slipped out of my hand."
Trelawny was quiet for a moment and said.
"It's okay Neville. I break those cups daily. I'm the clumsiest person I know."
Suddenly it occurred to Neville.
"You don't think I'm a bother?"
Trelawny smiles. "No my dear. I see purpose in you."
Neville looks at her. "You do?"
"We are who we believe we can be, Neville."
Neville looked at her confused.
"You are not just some clumsy boy Neville. You were not a mistake. You were put here for a purpose. Everyone has a purpose. Sometimes it's very clear like Mr. Potter, other times like with you and me, it's a little harder to see but it's still there. Don't ever forget that." She tells him.
Neville let those words sink in. He smiled. A real genuine smile. He had a purpose. He hoped one day he would find it.
Neville smiles at that special memory. He wished he could go up to her room and tell her that he found his purpose. He figured out where he was needed but he knew couldn't. He knew that she had died during the battle at the Hogwarts. He picked up one of her old teacups and says.
"Thank you Professor Trelawny. For helping me understand who I am."
Placing the tea cup on the table he took one last look around the room. It hurt him that she didn't make it. He wondered if she had found her purpose. He knew that she was one of those unsung heroes that no one knew about. During the final battle she dropped crystal balls on death eaters heads. She had saved many lives. A sick feeling fills Neville.
She wasn't wrong.
She had predicted the death of every person's death in the war.
Trying to clear his mind he finds his way to the wide open field where he had his first flying lesson years ago. He rubs his wrist at the memory. He had been so scared up on that broom having no control of where he was going. When he hit the ground he remembered how everyone wanted know if he was okay. Madam Hooch was frightening but not Snape frightening however she could be very gentle. He remembered how frightened he was when she walked him to the infirmary. He remembered crying but it wasn't because his wrist hurt. He was crying because he was afraid of what Madam Hooch would do to him. She reassured him that accidents happened and he was not in trouble.
"Thank you Madam Hooch. For teaching me that Everyone is different on the inside."
He makes his way down to the dungeon where Snape's room was sitting empty unused for years. He had mixed feelings about that room. He had his share of bad memories in there but at the same time Professor Snape helped him get through Hogwarts. All the extra homework that was assigned to him was Snape's way of helping him understanding the next lesson before it happened. This had only occurred to him after his sixth year when he had to make a potion to help Luna get better. He only understood how to do it because Snape has given him so much homework. A memory of his fifth year floated into his mind.
He was in his third hour of endless potions homework full of terms and ingredients he had never heard of. He had to spend a lot of his day in the library looking those things up. Frankly it was getting frustrating. Sighing he opened another book up. The next term on his list was gillyweed. He looks in the reference for the page it was on until he finds it. Picking up his quill he writes on the parchment.
Gillyweed: An plant that can bring its user the ability to breathe underwater.
He had no idea that Luna was standing right behind him. Glancing over his shoulder she reads what he was writing.
"Didn't Harry use that a few years ago in the tournament?"
Her voice breaks the silence that surrounding Neville. He jumps a mile letting out a startled sound. Luna couldn't help but giggle.
"Blimey Luna. You startled me." He says grasping his heart.
"Sorry Neville. What are you up to?" She asks him.
"Preparing for OWLS." Neville tells her. "Professor Snape says that I need more practice working with potions ingredients. He gave me this long sheet of words to write the definitions for. It's just a big waste of time anyway. He knows I won't do well on them."
Luna looks at his homework. "Maybe not."
"What do you mean?" Neville asks her.
"Maybe Professor Snape believes you can do well, maybe that's why he gives you all this homework."
Neville ponders this. Did Snape really believe in him?
"Even if he doesn't believe in you. I do." Luna says to him.
Before he can stop himself he was kissing the blonde fourth year. She wasn't pulling away. The kiss a sweet short kiss.
They gently pulled away from each other. The world around them seem to stop and fade away. The only thing that could see was each other nothing else existed to them.
His heart warmed at the memory. They had grown closer since that moment and after the war ended they married as soon as possible. Luna now was a teacher of her own sort. He smiled at the empty room. Luna was right that day. He has passed potions every year because of Professor Snape and on top of that he found his love for Luna."
"Thank you Professor Snape. For all that extra potions homework."
Continuing his walk he ends up by the Gryffindor common room. He re breed the countless hours he had spent working on herbology in the comfort of that room. He remembers all the plants he enjoyed working with. Some of them did not care to work with him back. His ear still hurt from the biting rose. Chuckling he continued his walk back to his now greenhouses that eb sent many wonderful hours with Professor Sprout and her pet toad Frankie. He loved that class. He looked forward to it everyday. Professor Sprout was his favorite professor and he was her favorite student. The first time he had made a mess he was so sure she'd be mad instead she chuckled and simply told him.
"I've worked with Sybil Trelawney for 16 years. I don't mind messes."
He smiled at the plants around him. They had brought him a sense of self confidence. He remembered the first comment a Hogwarts professor ever gave him.
It was only 7 words and it was from Professor Sprout.
"You're good at this. Keep it up."
His heart still warmed at her words. Even though he made messes and messed things up and aggravated the plants. Professor Sprout never made him leave.
"Thank Professor Sprout. For giving me a chance."
Smiling he returns back to his back to his chambers for a well deserved good night's sleep.
Before he drifts off into a sleep he whispers one last thank you.
"Thank you Hogwarts. For everything."