Off to Hogwarts
Neville Longbottom, was a short, round faced, dark haired boy, and as he hurried around the house anxiously trying to remember everything he had forgotten, he couldn't help but be nervous about his first day at Hogwarts school of Witch Craft and Wizardry
It was a miracle Neville had gotten in in the first place. He didn't start showing signs of magical ability until age eight, a year later than most wizards and even then it was only small things. He had made a spoon float half an inch off the table, or he had made the vulture on his grandmother's favorite hat make a nearly imperceptible twitch.
The first time he had done anything magical it was out of fear more than anything else. His Great Uncle Algie was constantly trying to scare him into doing magic, the one dad he had been hanging Neville out of a window when he accidently dropped him. He then watched in astonishment as Neville bounced through the garden and all the way out to the road. The family was thrilled, especially his Gran with whom he lived. His Great Uncle even bought him a toad, which was just as much as an I'm sorry gift as it was a congratulations one.
However as the next three years drug on Mrs. Longbottom became less and less thrilled as Neville kept repeating the same few tricks never improving any. "How could you have such little power!" she shouted hopelessly one day after Neville had passed out trying to get a spoon to fly across the room. "Your mother and father were two of the most celebrated witches and wizards of their age and you have less magical ability than a house-elf!" She had regretted the words almost immediately after she had said them, Neville could see it in her eyes, and could tell that she was truly sorry, but he honestly didn't care.
He had never really known his parents nor of their magical ability they had gone insane when he was very young. He had heard stories about them, seen countless pictures, and knew that they had fought You-Know-Who until the end, but this was little comfort to a boy who had grown up without a mother and father.
None of that mattered today though he was going to be at Hogwarts by the end of the day, warm and snug in the dormitory of whatever house he was sorted into, after have eaten more than his fill of the magnificent feast that, according to his grandmother, always welcomed students after the sorting. He was certain he had packed everything when his grandmother came bustling in with the last of his freshly laundered school robes.
"Here you go Neville", she said as she set them at the top of the trunk and closed the lid,"Have you got Trevor?" she asked. He let out a gasp he had almost forgotten his toad! He looked around nervously trying to see where he had tried to escape to this time.
"Oh dear", his grandmother said with air of hopelessness "accio Trevor", she called and the toad flew straight into her hand, "now try not to lose him on the train, It wouldn't give a good impression to cause chaos right off the bat"
Trevor had been a gift from Neville's Great Uncle Algie, he, as had the rest of Neville's family, had been thrilled when Neville was accepted into Hogwarts. However Trevor did not seemed too thrilled to be a pet, and he was continually trying to run off every chance he got.
"Yes ma'am", said Neville while struggling to keep Trevor in his grip.
"Now we better go or you'll miss the train", she said wiping off dust unnecessarily from Neville's muggle clothes. "Do you have everything?"
At this Neville went slightly red, Neville hardly ever had everything he needed, and even though he had quadruple checked that he had everything he was still not entirely sure. "I think", he said unconvincingly.
"I suppose when you figure out what you've forgotten I can send it to you with the post tomorrow", she said sternly. Most of Neville's family was elderly like his grandmother and, Neville felt, had forgotten what it was like to be a kid, and were constantly harassing him about everything he did.
"Well come on then" she said, and he grabbed hold of her arm with one hand while trying to keep hole of his trunk and Trevor in the other. Suddenly he had the feeling that he was being sucked in on himself like soon he'd be just a tiny spec that within which his entire body fit. He was side-along-disapperating with his Gran something he had done many times before. Then as suddenly has it had started he was unfolding and when he looked around he was no longer inside his living room, but in an alley beside Kings Cross station.
"Alright Neville this way", she bellowed.
"Gran?" Neville began timidly.
"Yes, Neville", she said
"What was dad like?"
"What?" she asked only half paying attention
"Dad, what was he like on his way to Hogwarts?"
Augusta was giving him his full attention now; she always jumped at a chance to talk about her son. "He was a bit afraid at first; the thought of having to walk through a wall seemed to scare him a bit." Neville knew exactly how he must of felt, it was scaring him too. "He was very brave though; quiet keen not to show his fear." Neville imagined his father, trying not to show his mother what he was afraid of. "He of course had been preparing since he was three", she said disdainfully, "He had been able to do all kinds of magic by the time he went to Hogwarts". At this Neville's insides had turned ice cold, as they did every time his Gran made a reference to how little magical ability he had shown.
Then suddenly Neville was overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of Kings Cross. He had never been there when it was so full, specifically so full of wizards, and it was painfully obvious who was, and who was not a wizard. Many witches and wizards wore odd assortments of muggle clothes, including one man who was strolling around in a top hat, a women's blouse, a skirt, and a pair of knee high socks that were coming out of sandals.
"Pitiful", spat his Gran as she too saw the man walking by "you would think these people would put a little more effort into concealing themselves."
Neville, who chose not to answer, continued starring around at other wizards. One was strolling around in night clothes, while another was wearing an odd assortment of clothes including a tail coat and a pair of tap shoes.
Some witches and wizards were making no effort to conceal themselves at all, but simply walked around with their robes flowing proudly.
"Alright this way Neville", prodded his Gran with a hint of patriotism in her voice, "just stand here between platform number nine and ten". Neville's heart raced as he did as his Gran said, his breathing quickened, and he could feel a lurch in his stomach. "Alright now when I say so just lean against the wall and you will slowly fade into platform 9 ¾ ." Neville did as his Gran said and soon he was standing next to a magnificent train with a scarlet pipe blowing steam. His Gran soon followed.
"Alright Neville now you behave while you're here and don't cause any trouble, I will not stand for a delinquent grandson you hear."
"Yes ma'am", said Neville thinking he was too scared to cause any trouble any way.
"Alright now come here", she said, grabbing Neville by the shoulders and turning him towards her. "You write whenever you get home sick", she continued, although she did not sound as convincing as Neville would have liked."You'll be home for Christmas holiday sooner than you think, and maybe by then you'll be able to control your magic better." She said the last part in a kind enough way, but Neville could hear the hopefulness in her tone, and could tell that she vary much wished that he would have something impressive to show to the rest of the family when he returned.
"I'll miss you Gran", Neville said, although even he could hear the small note of gratefulness at being able to get away from her, and her continual nagging.
"Alright well you better get on the train so you can get a compartment", she said, and as he did so he felt a sensation of freedom and relief mixed in with his fears and apprehensions.
He found an empty compartment and settled down as the train slowly began to fill with other students. Then fifteen minutes later as the train started to take off Neville stuck his head out the window along with several other to say a final farewell to his Gran, however when he searched the crowd for her, she was no longer there.
