Oh how the few are
chosen…. Heh, I figured I'd start a new fanfic in which the main
character is Neville Longbottom, and he was chosen instead of
Harry. HOW WILL IT TURN OUT! OMG!
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Chapter
one Harry
Potter
The house was not particularly tall, nor was it particularly interesting. It's grey walls were very old and bits of moss grew here and there. The chimney was lopsided and the small square windows were placed in such a way that was not at all favorable, because from a distance, they looked as if they were glaring at passerby's. The roof was brown and mossy, and magpies lay in nests in the weeping willow trees that shrouded the small square dwelling, only adding to it's menacing appearance. The door was it's best feature, although not handsome in the least. It hung there in a crooked fashion, the small brass doorknob that was once shiny and new, was dulled and looked as tried as the rest of the house.
It was this house in which that a young boy lived, unaccompanied by any human other than his adopted father, Sirius Black. Sirius had taken care of him since the night his parents and grandparents were killed, and bought this house because he felt it was safer than living in the Black's manor. Not that the boy minded living in that particular house. He was often wandering through the halls and finding all sorts of passageways and secret rooms. Sirius loved the boy as if he were his own son. This worked out fine, because the boy, as it were, thought he was his son.
"Neville! Wake up would you?" Sirius announced the morning in his usual way, walking into the room and having to pull the sheets off the bed completely in order to rouse the twelve year old boy.
"Ungh… I'm tired!" And the boy reacted in the usual way, by rolling over and hiding his face from the morning sun by burrowing it into his pillow.
Sirius sighed
and waved his wand once, causing the mattress to tip over, spilling
it's contents all over the floor.
Neville Black landed on the
oak floor with a thud, rolled over and grabbed the blankets, and
proceeded to attempt sleep again.
"We haven't got time for that today," His father chuckled, "Your owl came. Now get up."
Upon hearing this, the boy sprang up and rushed over to the window, where a hefty brown owl was perched, holding an envelope in its beak. He took the letter and produced a bronze coin from his nightshirt, which he placed in a leather case tied to its leg.
"Thanks very much!" he exclaimed as he opened the letter with shaky hands.
"Well? What does it say?" Sirius asked, although he already knew the answer.
"I've been accepted!" The boy whooped and rushed over to his wardrobe, hastily pulling on a pair of pants and a shirt.
"Can we go now? Can we? Where do we go first? Ooh! Can we go to Ollivander's? Please?" Neville spewed an excited amount of questions, and hopped on one foot, attempting to get his pants on faster. His manner made Sirius laugh.
"No, we can't leave yet. The next train doesn't leave for London for another hour. Besides, you need to eat breakfast, and we'll be meeting your aunt and uncle there. Harry already got his letter today," He explained,"So we're meeting up with the Potters."
"Aww… Do we have to wait? Can't you just apparate us there instead? I hate trains…" Neville made a face that resembled a kitten stuck in a drain pipe, trying to plead with Sirius.The tall man laughed.
"No, I don't think so. Now come on downstairs and we'll have some orange juice."
"Okay, you win. But hang on a sec, I need to brush my teeth." Neville walked off to the bathroom and looked into the rusting mirror. His reflection squinted back at him, his mouse brown hair sticking up all over. In the middle of his forehead, a lightning shaped scar glared out at him. He'd had that forever, and didn't bother trying to hide it. In fact, he didn't mind it at all. He snatched his toothbrush out of a tin cup, put tooth paste on it and scrubbed. He thought to himself that he looked very much like his cousin Harry, except that he was a bit taller and his hair was brown. Oh and the scar, he thought. We'd look pretty much like brothers if a few things were changed. He was tall for his age, already almost five feet and six inches. His lanky appearance actually made him seem taller than that. But I get to go out in public today, he thought, and Sirius says that I don't have to wear an invisibility cloak!
Sirius never had told him why it
was that people were not to know about him, but then again, he never
really cared. However, for some reason, he was wondering about it
now. Also, he wondered, why hadn't Sirius ever told him about that
scar? He'd asked before, but was told that it was not the right
time. So he had dropped it, but now his curiosity had bubbled to the
surface. He spat and rinsed out the sink, then trotted down the
stairs to see Sirius conjuring up some French toast and orange juice.
Well, Neville thought, better ask him now. He
cleared his throat.
"Uh, Sirius? Can I ask you something?" He wrung his hands, anxious and unsure of what to hear.
"Sure you can. What is it?" His father plopped down into a chair and looked at him. Neville wished he hadn't done that, as it made him very nervous.
"Ah… um… about my scar… You never told me how I got it…. And I was also wondering-" Sirius cut him off.
"You got your scar form Voldemort." Neville went white, and swallowed hard.
"W-what? Wasn't he… But you said… And I thought…" Sirius cut him off again.
"Yes, I know. Big bad dark wizard.
Now listen while I explain. Voldemort did something, yet no one can
explain why. He killed the Longbottom family, remember?" Neville
opened his mouth as if to ask something, but instead closed it and
nodded.
"Well… before I tell you this next thing, I want your
word that you won't become angry. Promise?" Neville nodded again.
"You are not a Black. You are a Longbottom. I was given you to
raise you, and over the years I began to treat you as my son.
Dumbledore had your name changed to Black to avoid suspicion. Please
don't hate me… I should have told you sooner…"
Sirius looked away form Neville and went back to making French toast.
Neville's head was surprisingly steady. He sat there and took in all that he had been told.
"What about my parents? Why didn't Voldemort kill me too?" It seemed as though his mouth was working on automatic.
"They died in St. Mungo's. Your Grandparents were killed trying to protect you. Voldemort couldn't kill you. We don't know why, but their sacrifice protected you. Neville?" Sirius looked at him, his eyes threatened to weep. "You hate me now, don't you?"
Neville looked at Sirius, who stood there with pleading eyes and decided that everything was alright, Sirius Black was, after all, only human.
"No… I don't hate you… Dad." He smiled
at the only man he had ever known as his father. And then, they had
juice.
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The morning fog still hung thick in the air when the Potters were warmly greeted at the door. The magpies had started warking, and they all sat around the breakfast table chatting until it was time to go. Upon leaving the house, they walked round to the back of their old shabby hut to the backyard which was covered in thick growth. This suited their purpose just fine, as not to be seen by muggles who may be walking about. Harry held onto Lily's arm, and Neville grabbed Sirius'. With a crack, they disapparated from the yard and, suddenly, were all in a public restroom.
"Well, time to catch the train." Sirius smiled down at Neville and Harry. They all walked out of the bathroom and down the street chatting with each other, and how big both Harry and Neville had gotten. Neville and Harry walked a bit behind the adults and caught up on what each had done to prepare for Wizarding School.
"Neville! I haven't seen you in forever!" Harry grinned and punched him playfully in the arm.Neville had indeed not seen Harry in a very long time. They had grown up together, but over the past few months had been kept apart for various reasons, only sending each other letters. Harry did not own his own owl yet, nor did Neville. And seeing as today was Harry's birthday, Neville had already decided what to get him.
"Hey… you know this scar thing I got? Did you ever find out how I got it?" Neville looked at his friend and could tell he knew.
"Oh... er… that… No...," Harry shifted his eyes and looked away, "Why would I know something like that?" Neville smiled. Harry never could lie.
"It's okay, I found out this morning. No big deal, alright?" Harry relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank god! I don't know how long I could have kept a secret from you… You're my best mate!" They grinned at each other and started discussing the Quidditch match they had watched last night.
"Harry, Neville, come up here a minute," Lily Potter called to them, "I was wondering if you had any money to buy lunch on the train?" Neville blinked. He had a few Knuts, but had never really had any real money to buy anything with, Sirius did all the shopping.
"Yeah mum, I've got a few Galleons that I could split with Nev." Harry looked up at Lilly, beaming.
"Galleons? Where'd you get those?" She maliciously grinned, plotting to tease her son. Sirius wiggled his eyebrows, clearly joining in on the fun.
"A few lucky ladies eh?" He said, winking quite obviously at Harry.
Harry turned crimson and stammered; trying to explain that wasn't the case. Neville laughed and Harry punched his shoulder.
"I-it isn't funny!" He stuttered. Harry always had issues with girls. However, his friends speech impediment made him laugh more.
"Ah, we're here! Look, there we are. Now boys," said Mr. Potter in a tone that snapped them to attention, "here are twenty Galleons each. If you spend it on things you don't need… eh, just don't let Mrs. Potter find out." He whispered and winked at the two eleven year olds grinned, first at him, then to each other. The five of them stepped onto the rickety tram and stood in a corner until their stop came.
Neville looked about the streets of London, often being
dragged away from the windows where muggle "electronics" were on
display. Once, a police officer gave Harry a queer look when he asked
why the manikins only showed one pose. James walked up and quickly
explained that Harry hadn't taken his medication. The very startled
police officer gave a quick nod and then resumed his patrol, while
Sirius and Lily were desperately trying very hard not to laugh.
At last, they came to halt in front of a tavern with a very worn
sign that read "The Leaky Cauldron", and Neville was met with the
stagnant aroma of either very old books, or very old vomit. He
quickly came to the conclusion that both was the most plausible
answer he could think of.
"Hello Tom," Sirius chirped rather gaily to the wizened old barkeep, "you seen Hagrid around-Ack!" Black was cut off short by a very tall, very heavy looking man who had picked him up, in what sounded like, a back-cracking bear hug.
"Sirius! Ah haven' seen you in fer'ever! How ya' been? Good I hope. Ole' Dumbledore sends his regards ter Mr. an' Mrs. Potter o' course. Hello there young mister Potter!" The gigantesque man smiled a crinkly smile at the two boys. His thick mane of hair was a tangled and unkempt as his wiry beard.
"An' you must be
young master Black. Nice ter meetcha!" Hagrid exclaimed as he
picked Neville up into a less tight bear hug.
Neville gasped for
air and squeaked out a welcome to the huge man, then greeted him
properly when he could breathe again. Harry laughed and Neville cast
a glare at him, which made him laugh more.
"Well, 'pose yeh'll all be off to Diagon Alley then, eh? Mind if I tag along? I've actually got teh go to Gringotts, now tha' you mention it." He asked, addressing the group with a smile.
"Actually, we were wondering if perhaps you'd like to take them shopping. We've actually go to get going. You wouldn't mind, would you?" Sirius patted him on the arm and smiled. Hagrid grinned and laughed so loudly that the mugs on the bar jostled about, making tinkling sounds.
"O' course I wouldn' mind. Tha' is if the boys
don' mind." He turned to the boys and gave them a warm smile.
Harry spoke for the both of them. "No, we don't mind, do we
Neville?" He said, looking at his friend. Neville shook his head in
agreement.
"Aw' righ' then. We'll be off. Yer' mum an'
dad'll greet ya at the platform then. C'mon, let's go."
Hagrid said, turning on his giant boot heel and walked to a door in
the back. Neville and Harry followed, and came to a halt in the dead
end where Hagrid pulled out a pink umbrella and tapped a sequence of
bricks on the wall. When he finished tapping, the bricks pulled apart
and formed a passageway into a very busy street filled with bustling
people and colorful signs in each window of the animated stores.
Harry had, of course, been here before, and couldn't keep from
laughing at Neville's wide eyed, open mouthed stare.
Their new
friend glanced at him and smiled a toothy grin.
"Never been here, eh? Perhaps we'd best get all yer schoolin' supplies firs' an then let young Harry here shows you about?" He shut Neville's mouth and laughed. Harry joined in with his laughter when Neville answered by nodding.
"So. Where bout's did yeh wanna go firs'? Gringotts I s'pose ought the be firs'. Well, come on boys." Said Hargid gaily and led them on down the street.
