HERO FROM THE HEART

(For: Elizabeth Black Malfoy)

Voldemort preferred to attack the Longbottoms, Alice and Frank died trying to save their baby and the poor Neville was raised by his grandparents and as a hero in the magic community. What will it happen when Voldemort returns? Who will turn out to be the hero?

CHAPTER I

The Elect

Lancashire, September 1st 1994.

The morning lukewarm sunbeams, the soft song of the birds and the fresh autumn breeze blowing among the branches of the trees, it is a new day in the depths of the Bowland's forest. In a clearing of the forest which this covered with the first autumn leaves is a beautiful elegant house, despite of not being very big attests to have harbored several generations of oneself family, skirted by pretty gardens that get lost among the forest and with a roomy entrance, there is Longbotton's Manor. It remains like for decades, hidden of the curious looks of muggles and magicians, and protected by the tranquility of the forest. Their stone walls and columns of refined marble to the Greek style together with their enormous windows that go from the roof to the floor, give testimony of the importance of the magicians that live there. Its gardens count the infinity of banquets of those that have been witness for thirteen years.

In the superior floor a balcony stands out in the facade, it is the only room with a balcony that looks toward the front of the house, the enormous door that gives toward the balcony this closed one and its magnificent curtains green emerald are draw to allow to the small prince that sleeps in that special room to sleep until late, that is because for thirteen years, Neville Longbottom, the one boy-that-lived is been a spoilt youth, for their grandparents and for the whole international magic community, not only to be the liberator of the magic world but also for the tragic price that had to pay since he was only a baby, without having election.

It is early in the Longbottom's house but the servitude has already begun with its daily tasks, quavering of the birds accompanies the busy domestic elves in its tasks of pruning the garden. This way it begins another day, another school year, while a blond fourteen year-old young boy lies in his bed collapsed in a serene dream, with the forehead marked by a curious scar which is guilty of his darkest and most hide hardships which rest in the deepest in his heart and also the reason of his fame, his success and the culprit of his wealth. Ironically, to have defeated "The Dark Lord" has been the most tragic thing and the most brilliant thing he has made in their life, although in fact he doesn't remember it, it is a curious and cruel dichotomy of which has always tried to take out the best profit. For the fact of having been orphan he has been much spoiler than all the children that he knows and their fame has given him the opportunity to create a great business, the business of Neville Longbottom marks registered, his emporium goes from T-shirt with its face in them, books about his life and his family, interviews, events, energy drinks, in fact Neville is the most famous figure in the magic world. The fact that he doesn't know what it really happened that night it is completely irrelevant.

The little Neville like his grandmother tells him, always got up after 9 am and that didn't change although it was September 1st, accustomed to never make any domestic task, his small elf, an easily frightened and clumsy creature, called Alf, was who prepared, from very early all that must take in his trunk. And to enlist their frog Trevor new mansion swamp, which was not more than a great box of glass of the size of a cage, which had a charm that recreated their natural atmosphere a swamp of clear waters which maintained their ideal temperature every day of the year. The peace that is breathed in that room at that hour is so dense that it doesn't seem normal, suddenly a great roar runs off with like an explosion breaking the tranquility, Alf has just allowed to fall a glass sphere, waking up immediately, to its irascible master.

The small Neville - as their grandmother usually calls him - always got up after of the 9 am and that didn't change not even because it was the first of September. His small elf - an easily frightened and clumsy creature, called Alf – he was who always prepared all that must take in his trunk because Nev is accustomed to never to make anything, not even to enlist its frog, Trevor, in its new mansion swamp which was not more than a great box of glass of the size of a cage with a charm that recreated the natural atmosphere of a swamp which maintained its ideal temperature every day of the year.

The peace that was breathed in that room at that hour was so dense that it didn't seem normal, suddenly a great roar runs off with like an explosion breaking the tranquility, Alf has just allowed to fall a glass sphere, waking up immediately, to his irascible master.

"What rays do you think you're doing?" the sweet Nev screams with sour look on his face, he always hated to be wakened up, that made him remember the worst in its life.

"Alf is so sorry, my master; Alf didn't want to perturb the master's sleep... – he says helpfully while makes a reverence in which their nose arrives until the floor.

"But you did it, get out of my presence, I don't want to see you." – He answers in bad ways the Elect.

"But Sir, Alf doesn't finish of..." But Alf could not finish speaking because his master had gotten up of the bed with a threatening look in his face.

"I said get out!" - Neville screams beside himself.

Completely terrified and knowing what can be capable his master when he is in a bad mood Alf disappeared in a dry "plof" without, at least, think it for two seconds. When he was alone, Neville tried to be calmed thoroughly breathing some three times with his closed eyes, then he opened them slowly and looked at its magnificent room. The walls were high, colored with green and silver fringes, in the wall hung the poster of the Slytherin's team for the last year and in the center of it, there he was. This would be their second year as captain of his house's team and - the same as the last year – his grandfather would take charge that they were made publicity, not alone in Hogwarts but also in all the newspapers and magazines around the magic world. Their grandfather loved to administer the Neville Longbottom's emporium. Beside him, in the poster was Draco Malfoy his best friend and the searcher of the team, much less hefty that him but quite athletic and similar of high, also blond but of a much clearer and more silver tone than Neville's and with that distinguished-looking - which cannot be learned - that can only be inherited by blood and which differentiated them.

Embedded in the front wall a gray marble fireplace and above it a shelf in which there are only three pictures, the only three pictures of their private life that have never become public and which any newspaper would pay millions of galleons to have them. In the first picture is Neville when was only a baby with his parents and he is smiling and his parents making him cajoleries. In the other one - a little bigger than the previous one - he appears with about six years old and beside him a little girl of long blond hair which fall as cascades to their sides and with a necklace of corks around her neck, to the bottom of the picture this the forest and the little Neville is helding out a small carnation to the girl who already has the head full with all the flowers that he has given to her. And in the last one, there are he and his friend Draco Malfoy at their first year in Hogwarts. Since their first year they became inseparable, they have already seen each other but however they had never crossed more than three words when being in the same house, to be roommates and also to share the same passion for the Quidditch, the bonds arose.

The Remembrall that his grandmother gives him when he began his first year in Hogwarts, was on the unpolluted white carpet, in pieces; that should have been what cause the roar that woke up him, with a displeasure grimace, he got close to the pieces of the object was reduces, crouched down and took one of the pieces:

"That damned and clumsy elf" He mumbled, raised his head, looked to the surroundings, touched the pockets of his pyjamas and then with a click of his tongue, exclaimed "Alf come here, disgusting elf".

"Yes, Master" the elf said after appearing immediately and while he was doing a reverence.

"Where did you hide my wand?" the blonde asked.

"Alf didn't hide it Master, it is beside the clothes which is bent in his desk, Alf planned to pack it in your trunk.

"For what? Don't you see that should take it with me, in my pocket?"

"But remember what your Grandmother said after what happened the last time…"

"Shhh, Do not mention it again. And be careful to not tell anything to grandmother, because if it happened, it surely, will be very bad for your safety. Is it clear, Alf?"

"Of course, my Master. It's clear as water" The elf said and made an enormous smile.

"Now go away. I'll finish packing because you cannot make it, without causing a disaster"

The elf disappeared and Neville took his wand and with a simple murmur repair the broken Remembrall and finished packing with magic too, been friend of the Minister had its benefits, just his friend Draco knew about his freedom in the use of the magic, thanks to it, they had done lots of deeds. While he remembered the most recent an evil smile draws in his face but his memories were interrupted by his grandmother.

Augusta Longbottom stopped in the threshold of her grandson's room more outlandish than never completely dressed in dark blue with an black fur overall, her pointed top hat which had a hawk dissected in a side and with a severe expression in the face, looked at her grandson he was so similar to his father when he was his age but his face was unfathomable. His grandmother had always spoil him by giving him all that he had wanted and allowing him to make whatever he wanted the etiquette's norms and good manners, but she had never demonstrated him affection with caresses or hugs, the biggest samples of her appreciation was the flatteries that frequently she lavished him, when he carried out some of his feats in the Quidditch or when she told him that he looked exactly like his father used to.

But for the expression of her face Neville could infer that she didn't plan to praise him this time, but he didn't have enough time to discern the thoughts that already furrowed its grandmother's mind, because the woman I spoke:

"Oh! Nev, what are you doing? Aren't you ready for the breakfast, yet? Finish immediately packing and get down for breakfast, I don't believe that The Hogwarts' Express Train is going to waits for you once again."

"Right away, grandmother, I was picking up the disaster that Alf made" he responded quickly, like a boy that has just been close to be catch playing because in some way it was what happened. He added - I have told you, that elf is already senile.

"Stops complain for littleness and get down soon" She said with a look that didn't admit any answer.

"Yes, madam" I answered Neville with weary voice.

His grandmother left for the corridor and when she got loose of his sight he could breath with calm, it had been close to be catch making magic at home. After that, he ran to the bathroom of his room to take a shower, his grandmother was right The Hogwarts' Express Train would not wait for him twice, and it was already late, even for "The Elect."

His bathroom was big the predominant color remain been green and the taps had form of snakes, his fascination for the reptiles was not a secret for anybody. His favorite ones was the snakes but it was the only thing that had been denied to him since he was a little boy, his grandmother alleged that they were very dangerous for a little boy and also that in the school only accepted rats, owls or toads, for that reason he chose Trevor, his frog when his uncle Algie took him to the Diagon's alley to picked his birthday's gift. Although, it was not a snake at least it was reptilian. His frog was his most faithful company, he went to everywhere with it even sometimes he feels that it understand him without saying a word and that was something that somebody as narrow minded as Neville thanked, he had never been good to explain his feelings.

There he was in front of the mirror -admiring himself- when Neville notices that if he was not famous and had not that scar in his forehead, he would go totally unnoticed. He was not precisely handsome, in fact, the handsome one had always been Draco by the other hand his looks was very common, he had blond hair as the wheat, brown eyes and not particularly perfect white skin. Moreover, he always had the tendency to be chubby-faced which he blame to his grandmother' sister, Enid, uncontrollable tendency of squeezing his cheeks, he had always hate that but despite these damages he was the leader, "The Elect". But he was no longer a little boy, it could be said that he was already almost mature he was high and hefty (thanks to all the sports that its grandfather had forced him to practice) a little clumsy sometimes (mainly with the hands) and he lacked that grace of elegance that admired in Draco but all those defects were overshadowed for his immense fame, his great self esteem and his swollen account bank.

After admired himself long while in front of the mirror and after a quick shower, he left the bathroom, dressed with one of his new blue very elegant tunics which enhanced the width of his shoulders, combed his hair to the back as his grandmother liked it - as his father used to do-, closed his trunk and after hiding his wand in a pleat of the tunic got down to the dining room.

His room was in the third floor of the house and it was the only room of the whole floor, beside its room there was a great living room and after that the hothouse which had an immense glass dome and was the place where his grandmother passed most of the time, there she cultivated all type of ornamental plants and it had a beautiful view of the forest and the gardens of the house, Neville also enjoyed pass the day in there taking care of the plants, the Herbología was one of its secret passions. He also seemed it as a very good place to read and to be alone when the ghosts of his past invaded him and when he wondered how the things would be if his parents had not died and if he was not "The Elect".

He knew what everybody knew about the prophecy: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies"However, when he had 8 years old and had slipped away to the kitchens at night, he listen a conversation between his grandparents in which they mentioned another possible elect but when he had been about to know his name the fool of Alf got his attention in a high voice tone, alerting his grandparents about his presence. So, he never knew who was and when he asked his grandmother about it she played down importance to the matter and told him that it was just stories and rumors without foundation, "tall stories" as she call them.

When Neville arrived to the ground floor which faces to the hall, a magnificent space of double height with his relatives' many squares, The Longbotton's Dynasty like as he liked to call it. The floors were made of polished and brilliant marble that seemed mirrors, the stairway descended in a curved giving it the appearance of sober elegance to the room, at the end of the stairway by right a great visitor's living room and at the right side there was the main dining room and at the bottom of the hall an oak's solid door with a red varnish lead to his grandfather's study where he passed most of the time and from where he directed all the publicity of "The Elect."

Neville hurried up to go to the dining room where his grandparents were already, his grandfather - as always- reading "The Quibbler" and his grandmother preparing him the coffee with two of sugar and a quarter of cream; it was their morning's routine, it seemed as any other ordinary day. The dining room was big room with great windows that face to a side of the house and at the bottom a great marble fireplaces, very similar the one that was in Neville's the room but above it, in the superior shelf had some souvenirs of the family's trips, one of the time they went to visit the Ruins of Babylon, the Pyramids of Egypt and one in the statue of The Freedom's Statue. Neville had a seat without saying a word and his grandmother gave him a reprobate look, then immediately as he has sat down on a tack he said:

"Good morning"

"Hello son. How do you feel for the new year?" His grandfather said with his accustomed cheerful and enthusiast tone.

"Fine, I suppose" Neville answered not very convinced, since his sleep was interrupted so abruptly that morning he had not felt in a good mood; without any explanation he felt irritated.

"Of course, this year promises to be very interesting" said his grandfather in the same tone but a little more thoughtful this time.

Neville remembered the last time he heard his grandfather say those words with exactly that tone and that time the things didn't ended up well for him, it was not a long time ago, it was at the beginning of the last vacations when his grandfather arrived with very good news, they would go to the World cup of Quidditch even so they had tickets for all the matches with royals boxes' seats.

Flashback

Neville was euphoric, the Quidditch was his favorite thing in the whole world, he began to pack the cases with a week of anticipation in order to do not forget anything and two days before their leaving at eight in the morning, which was a very early hour for "The Elect", he received a black and elegant owl with a haughty look -he knew it- thousands of times it had brought him gifts and letters was one of the owls of the Malfoy's house, as almost everything that this family owns, emanated manners worthy of the royalty; in fact, that owl in particular was Draco's favorite one. Its insistent pecking on window on his bedroom's window interrupted his sleep.

So, he went to the windows and took the letter, as he supposed it the letter belonged to his friend, informing him that he would also go to the World Cup and that he already knew that he would go too, because the newspaper had pointed out him as the official inauguration's speaker. When he readied these words Neville gave a loudly scream and had to sit down to cope with the impression. Inauguration's Speaker? Since when was he a circus attraction? And still worse, he had not prepared any speech.

This time his grandfather really had exceeded in his desire to exploit him as a public figure. With that last thought in mind and with the firm determination of face him up for the first time in his life took a shower, dressed himself as fast as he could and I got down to the dining room. His grandfather was sat down in the head of the enormous rectangular table of the dining room; as always, he was reading his favorite newspaper: "The Quibbler". Neville's abrupt entrance doesn't go unnoticed for his grandfather neither his grandmother who looked at him surprised. His grandmother was the first one in being recomposed of the impression, she told him with sweet tone:

"Darling, are you well? It is very early for your breakfast. Did you have fallen of the bed?"

"Good morning, grandmother! And no, I didn't exactly fall of the bed; but it is almost as if it has been so. I have just found out that I will give an inauguration's speech in front of the whole magic community. A speech I don't know anything about." He said while their voice tone ascended until it almost becoming an undecipherable scream.

The surprise in the face of Augusta showed its ignorance regarding the topic, and now both looked at Franklin Longbottom with an interrogation sign in their faces.

"Oh, come on! Isn't it brilliant?" I exclaim Mr. Longbottom with his face overflowing of emotion.

"You've gone too far this time, Frank."

"It is nothing to write home about, it would not be the first time that you show up in public, the speech is also written already and if you forget it you will have a prompter in front of you, so you could just read" - his conciliatory grandfather said.

"Well, I don't know" a hesitant Neville said "I don't know."

"I remember that your father had the gift of speech" his grandmother remembered while her eyes filled with a fog of her tears that she never shed; she mentioned her deceased son while she looked at his memory in her grandson's eyes, his son's son, the remembrance that his adored Frankie left in the world before he passed away. Although there was also much of their mother in him, according to what some people had told him, his grandmother and nobody of his family mentioned his mother, Alice, but not even by mistake.

"Good, you know that speak in public is not one of my favorite things in the world; perhaps I have inherited it by my mother's side." He said a little irritated for the unfairly form in which they was trying to manipulate him, with his deceased father's memory, was as if the whole time he lived under its shade, it could end up being exhausting.

"If there is something we must admit, none of your parents were cowardly, so I don't doubt that you are able to do this simple task which also would be very good for your image" Promptly added his grandfather with a smile and stopping his wife to say something against the deceased's Alice memory. "Moreover, everybody is already waiting to see you there"

"Ok, I'll do it but next time that you plan to make something on behalf of my image, I'd love, you to ask me about it before" Resigned Neville said. Once again as always he finished giving up to his grandparent's desire and following his orders.

"Of course, this year promises to be very interesting." He said with all cheerful one but something pensive.

"This year?" Neville said with caution

"Good, now that everything is clear, let's go to have breakfast. Nev, would you mind to have a seat?" his Grandmother said with her usual cheerful-educated tone and avoiding, this way, the confrontation that seems to come.

Neville got close parsimony to his seat just as a robot, he didn't have any appetite. The news hits him in the liver, even after its grandparents finished their breakfast he had not eaten neither a slice of bread, to reluctantly he took some fruit when its grandmother gave him a severe look, the conversation was controlled by their grandparents who discussed the generously that the ministry had been in the organization of the World Games of Quidditch.

"Remind me to invite Bertha after the games" Franklin Longbottom said in casual tone. And he added "she was who help me to plan all your presentation in the inauguration" he said while it winked an eye to Neville.

"That woman is a disaster! She is able to destroy the house before the dessert." Their grandmother exclaimed a little confused.

Their grandparents continued discussing on the defects of Bertha Jorkins but he no longer paid attention, he was sunk in his thoughts when, suddenly, he remembered that Draco's owl should still be waiting his answer, he rose immediately and excused himself by saying that he should go to the bathroom and ran to his hideout, his room.

When he arrived the elegant black owl looked at him as if it was indignant for his delay. Neville ignores it while he sat down in its table and began to write in a parchment piece when he finished, he bend it and put it in one of its official envelopes with his stamp and a magic inviolable insurance that his grandfather had given him the last Christmas, there weren't any secret in the letter but Draco would think it so, he'd love to play him those jokes like; because he knew that it bothered him, it was an implicit form to say him that he (Neville) was an much more important character. He wrote an alone short note confirming him that they would meet in the World Cup and promising that there he would give him more details.

End of the Flash Back

Definitively those words could not mean anything good for him but at the moment Neville play down the importance to his grandparents and all that they have to say and focus on his breakfast, being satisfied with the idea that in few hours he would be no longer low their surveillance the whole time and it could relax himself and to be himself, the prince of Slytherin, "The Elect."