Neville and the Battle of Hogwarts
A/N: I do not own anything at all from the world of Harry Potter. At all.
A huge thank you to the lovely The Lady Arturia aka Arty for betaing this fic for me and helping with the title!
This isn't my best work, and I really am not happy with the way my ending is so abrupt but if I'm being honest I am too tired to come up with anything right at this point and the comp ends in just under 27 hours. So... I will endeavour to fix it all (including the very short cover age of events considering Neville would've done and gone through so much more) when I have the time. On the plus side, this will help The Order to continue their lead in the Diagon Alley II New Years Battle (hopefully) :) hence why I'm publishing it now...
This is set between the death of Colin and Lavender etc in the first part of the Battle of Hogwarts (not long before Moldywarts decides to call a temporary break for Harry to surrender) and when Neville goes and attacks Nagini and has the burning hat placed on his head. Hence, most of it is inspired by the book canon (although there is some movie parts).
Once again, I would like to thank all readers for their reviews, follows and favourites- I do notice and really, really appreciate each and every one of you :)
The prompts used (though not very well) are listed below:
Battle 10 [You may not use any Horcrux Prompts and must use at least 1 prompt that has the condition of death.]
Death 10 [You may not use any spell or potions prompts.]
"Harry Potter has fallen! The Dark Lord is unstoppable!" 3 [Plus 1 point if you mention Harry's canonical death.] (4)
Harry Potter 4
Lavender Brown 4 [Plus 1 Magical Objects Prompt if you include this character's death.]
Neville Longbottom 7 [Plus 1 Spell Prompt of 1 point if you include Nagini's canonical death.]
Colin Creevey 4 [Mentioning his canonical death negates a condition on any one Prompt.]
Draco/Harry 5 [Plus 1 point if you include an instance of either saving the other.] (6)
Neville/Luna 5 [Plus 1 point if you mention them helping Harry find and destroy Horcruxes.] (6)
Magical Object (5) Cloak of Invisibility, Sword of Gryffindor, Crystal ball, the Philosopher's Stone, the Goblet of Fire
Veritaserum 4 [Negates 1 condition placed on any prompt.]
Muggle-Repelling Charm 1 [Defensive. Incantation: Repello Muggletum] [You may choose two Pairing Prompts.]
Disarming Spell 1 [Defensive. Incantation: Expelliarmus] [Use this to negate the condition on the Killing Curse.]
Killing Curse 4 [Offensive. Incantation: Avada Kedavra] [You may not use any light characters or pairings.]
=70 points
2773 words
The air was permeated with the overpowering stench of sweat and blood as distant cries continued to fill the early morning sky.
Letting out another deep breath, Neville lowered his wand. The cloaked figure before him had finally fallen to the ground in a crumpled heap, his dying shrieks unheard above the piercing wail that the mandrake in front of him had let out. He hadn't meant to rip the plant from its roots and thrust it into the man's face; nor had he really put much thought into ensuring that the man couldn't run away from it. He had simply rooted him to the spot with an easy flick of his wand. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to bask in the glory of finally casting a charm without fault- his moment of brilliance was only a result of the anger he felt at the death of the young boy lying not a metre from him.
Allowing himself a moment to stop the trembling of his body as it replaced his adrenalin rush, he bent over and clutched his knees. Every inch of him ached—his muscles protested from all the running he had done, and his head throbbed painfully from the bump now swelling on his crown. Red scratches gleamed beneath the sheen of sweat on his forearms, and he took a few more minutes to concentrate on their jagged formations, rather than sprinting off to his next battle.
They had won this round, yet he didn't feel any sense of accomplishment. In fact, he felt useless. If it weren't for him, his peer would have still been alive. If he hadn't fumbled with his wand as he tried to cast a shield, if he had only blasted the man off of his feet. Yet he didn't; as usual, he had shouted some nonsense, and watched with wide eyes as a Death Eater shot a green light towards them, his own wand refusing to alight. As the words 'Avada Kedavra' slipped from the masked man's lips, all he could do was look on as Colin's body toppled to the ground.
Turning to his comrade, he slowly bent down. If he moved too quickly, he would surely collapse next to him, unable to get up from the pain flowing through his tired and stiff legs. Carefully, he extended a shaky hand to the boy's unseeing blue eyes and gently closed each lid, blocking off the reflection of the stars twinkling above them mockingly.
He didn't feel the lone tear as it trickled from his own eye, nor did he feel the sting from its salty caress as it bored into the deep scrape embedded on his face. It was as though his face had become numb, freezing itself in the vain hope that it would allow him to remain the innocent, youthful boy he once was.
A Hufflepuff girl came to his side, also bending down to the boy, and he could only offer her the grimmest of smiles. With strength he himself no longer possessed, she hooked her arms under Colin's stomach and lifted him from the ground. A second person came to her aid, and together, they dragged the boy back towards the crumbling castle.
The only thing he could do was sit there quietly and watch. At least this time his friend's death was quick; it had not been the slow and torturous affair that had befallen Lavender. He knew that her demise at Greyback's hands was not his fault, yet he couldn't help the feeling welling in his stomach that he had let her down as well. He didn't have to taunt the throng of werewolves on the bridge, yet he did, and though he had been sure to fight off as many of the beasts as he could, he could've waited to make sure none had slipped past.
He squeezed his eyes shut as images of her severed neck devoured his mind, the slashes across her body leaving scars burning behind his eyelids. It had been when he was halfway to the lake to meet up with his group that he had first heard her agonising screams. By the time he had returned to check on, it was too late- she had passed away, her wounds still gaping open. The images of flowing blood continuing to flash past and so he quickly opened his eyes again.
The weak moonlight cast pools of light around the grounds, illuminating the progress of students, staff and even a few Order members as they retrieved their fallen. Watching their slow progress around the sprawled out bodies of Acromantulas—their legs still twitching—and Centaurs alike, something inside him spurred him on; he had to keep going.
Pushing himself upright, he allowed his legs to carry him onwards. He didn't register many of the faces zooming past him, their wands raised and feet slapping the hard ground as they ran. He didn't even realise that his lips murmured a few Disarming Spells here and there as he stumbled past, the long practiced "Expelliarmus" flowing from his mouth without care.
It was only when he knocked heavily into a body that he realised where he was. Yelps of defeat and hollers of triumph echoed off the cold stonewalls as he quickly steadied himself. Had it been an enemy, he surely would've not survived a second longer.
As it was, he found himself staring into familiar green eyes- eyes that were darting back and forth, too busy to take in his own brown orbs. Holding onto the tapestry that flanked the Room of Requirement, he quickly gathered his thoughts, knowing that there was a chance he could still be helpful.
"Harry, mate, tell me what to do," he tried not to sound too desperate as he clung onto the boy's shirt.
"I've got to go-"
"I'll do anything. Just tell me."
"Neville, mate, listen, I'm in a hurry."
"Please-" he gazed imploringly at the raven-haired boy, hoping to find a path to redemption.
However, Harry seemed to be too busy looking around him. He was motioning for someone to follow him, motioning to the Cloak of Invisibility he held in his arms.
Neville peered behind the boy's shoulder, only to see an unconscious Gregory Goyle leaning on a stuttering Draco Malfoy. A strange scent of smoke and she wafted around the corridor as loud sobs could be heard from the corner.
"Wha-"
"Uh, no time to explain." Harry had noticed where his gaze was directed, and if Neville's mind wasn't so foggy as it tried to clear itself of the events of minutes before, he could've sworn that the boy's rosy cheeks were from more than running around the castle.
"Please, just tell me what I can do."
Looking again to the blond, Harry bit his lip hesitantly. Neville thought that he would walk to the boy, but instead he brushed past quickly, heading towards the staircase he had just ascended. Turning back, he appeared to be waging a mental war with himself.
"Look mate, I probably won't be coming back," his green eyes seemed to harden, "so there is something important you can do. I, well, we're looking for things that are special to Voldemort- no time to explain- but if we find them and destroy them, we can kill him. I need you to kill-"
A loud blast from nearby prevented him from hearing what the boy had to say. Spinning his head towards the noise, he saw one of the Weasley twins running past, a slight cackle escaping him as he raised his wand. He moved forward to investigate further, but realised that he needed to ask Harry to repeat himself.
Unfortunately, the boy had disappeared from sight, leaving him to swivel his head from side to side to catch a glimpse of him. His head pounded- the confusion of the task given driving him to tug on his hair in despair. What was he supposed to do now?
Another blast sounded, closer this time. With a jolt he realised that both Malfoy and Goyle had disappeared, and began to jog towards the sound. He wanted to find out what was going on, perhaps even to blast away a few more Death Eaters. However, a light grasp on his arm turned him around.
"Don't go that way," Luna's soft voice murmured in his ear.
"Why, what's going on?" he looked at her questioningly, only to see her slowly shake of her head.
"Trust me; you're better off coming with me."
He allowed her to grip onto his hand and pull him away. Still grasping it, she led him down a separate corridor to the right, gracefully stepping over fallen statues and piles of mortar as though they were delicate daisies that she did not want to ruin. He concentrated on her blonde hair as it cascaded freely down her back, ignoring the scratches aligning her small frame.
They continued walking towards the Entrance Hall, neither one breaking the comfortable silence that befell them. She smiled encouraging at him as she dragged them towards a small alcove, away from the witches and wizards milling about over the still bodies of friends and family. Sitting down on a broken bench, she patted the spot next to her, and he sank down onto the hard wooden surface.
As minutes ticked by and more bodies were carried in on stretchers, he continued to think about what Harry had meant. What was he supposed to do? Who was he supposed to kill? Bellatrix? He would gladly end that bitch's life, but as sadistic as she was, he doubted Voldemort would suffer if she died. Surely Harry had not meant Voldemort- if he was so easy to kill, then none of them would be sitting there, mourning their losses.
No, that task was up to Harry- Neville could never do it. He wasn't strong enough, he wasn't brave enough, Merlin, he wasn't even smart enough. When Professor McGonagall had first ordered the students to defend the castle, he had cast Repello Muggletum, thinking it would help. It was only the stern look that the professor had given him that he had realised that all he had managed to do was repel Muggles from the castle- as if any of them would willingly jump into battle against magical folk in a building they couldn't even see.
Harry was their saviour, he always was. He was strong, he was brave, and he was smart. Every year the boy had saved him and his classmates from impending doom. First year, he had rescued the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort's clutches, second year he had used the Sword of Gryffindor to kill a basilisk, and managed to live to tell the tale. The boy had also managed to free Sirius Black and won the Triwizard Tournament despite not putting his name in the Goblet of Fire in the first place, whilst managing to come back and create a defensive club to go against Umbridge.
Sure, Neville had helped him in these situations when he could, but his efforts to be useful only seemed to hinder the boy. Giving Harry gillyweed had only allowed the boy to be placed ahead in the Tournament where he ended up witnessing Cedric Diggory's death, not to mention the role of his clumsiness in causing that crystal ball to shatter when they were at the Ministry the year after. Apparently it had held a prophecy that could have been useful to Harry, yet thanks to him, the boy had to go without learning its message.
He wasn't a hero, he couldn't help them. He would only cause more suffering, more deaths.
"I bet the Nargles have helped us win," Luna piped up, drawing him out of his self-pity party.
"Huh?"
She pointed to the open doors where people were streaming through. Taking his hand again, she pulled him outside, joining the throng of witches and wizards as they stood whispering.
"It can't be, it just can't."
"I don't believe it!"
"Harry!"
"No, it's not true."
Voices travelled back and forth, and Neville pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
The first thing he saw was the looming figure of Hagrid, contrasted against the dark forest behind him. He was holding someone as they lay limp in his arms. To either side of him, Death Eaters appeared, their wands pointed towards them and twisted grins plastered on their faces.
He quickly located Bellatrix as she stood smirking, twisting the tip of her wand through her tangled black mane. His blood boiled at the sight of her, his heart now beating rapidly to the tune of revenge. He wanted to rip that smile from her face, to claw at her porcelain skin. However, it was the cold voice that reverberated across to them that faltered his advance.
"Harry Potter is dead," redeyes looked around at them all, daring them to challenge him.
More protests could be heard, as the Death Eater's cackled above them. Some went so far as to shout about the way he died, Bellatrix included, "Harry Potter has fallen! The Dark Lord is unstoppable!"
He blinked furiously, hiding the tears that had sprung to his eyes. Harry couldn't be dead, he just couldn't be. He tried to get a glimpse the wizard in Hagrid's arms, hoping that it was some other boy with spectacles and messy hair.
Voldemort silenced his followers. When they obeyed, he began to speak fondly of Harry's cowardly retreat, of the way he had abandoned each and every one of them. He knew that the words were not true- Harry was the bravest of them all. He wouldn't let any of them down.
His breathing became shallow as the man continued to spout slanderous words. He could feel his hands shake and knew that he must have been red in the face. How dare that man say such lies?
Voldemort needed to be hushed, he needed to be killed. He would do anything to achieve it. Wracking his brains again for what Harry could have possibly wanted him to do, he almost missed the slight squeeze on his hand.
Looking to the side, he saw Luna smiling serenely at the group across the lawn. She had pressed something into his palm and was now humming an odd tune. Unfurling his hand, he saw that it was a small bottle half filled with clear liquid. A small yellowing label revealed that it was a sample of Veritaserum, made by the hands of none other than Severus Snape.
Confused, he looked to her for answers. How had she gotten into the potions store? He knew that they had spent some time in the last few months dodging the recently re-established Inquisitorial Squad and the Carrows, but couldn't understand why she would have bothered to risk getting something like that. She continued to stare at the enemy as her mouth moved inconspicuously.
"It doesn't have a taste to it, funny that, isn't it?"
"Luna, what are you tal-"
"You know Neville, lying isn't really nice, but I'm afraid not many people believe me when I speak. I suppose they just don't want to accept that Nargles are real."
"Uh-"
"You know, you are quite brave when you want to be. You're also very smart," she had stopped humming and was now looking at him sideways.
He didn't know how to respond to that. On any other day, his heart would have soared at the characteristically odd comment from Luna; yet his heart was pulled back down to earth at the circumstances- they had lost the war and he couldn't do anything about it.
Voldemort continued his speech, spurting lies about how he would spare all who obeyed him. He felt his blood boil at the thought of all the witches and wizards who would be killed, and the children who would be left without their parents. His body once again began to shake, and he gritted his teeth from screaming out obscenities as he thought about how many more of his peers would suffer at that monster's hands.
"You know, if I am to be honest, I never really liked that snake either. I think its head is too full of Wrackspurts, don't you?" Luna focused her gaze on Voldemort and the creature writhing around at his feet.
He wasn't sure how she knew about the task Harry had set him, but he could've kissed her as realisation dawned upon him when he followed her gaze. She tapped his back, urging him forward. He wasn't sure how he would manage it, but he was determined to prove his worth; he still had a chance to be useful after all.