Neville Longbottom and the True Rumors

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Summary: Everyone knows what happened to Harry in Deathly Hallows, but not much is known about the occurrences at Hogwarts. What really went down at Hogwarts while Harry was off Horcrux hunting? NEVILLE-CENTRIC

A/n: I spent the day pouring over my DH book. And pieced together a rough outline of what happened before we met up with Neville in the book… and we aren't given much to work with, so I am taking a lot of liberties with this story.

Thanks for all the reviews, they made me smile.

And just as a heads up, I have changed my pen-name... but it is still me!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. If it was… I MUST NOT TELL SPOILERS!!! This disclaimer will be edited when I know most people have read DH.

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Chapter 1: And When We Thought Things Couldn't Get Better

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What were they going to do?

Sit it out, that was all that they really could do. Neville wanted to go see that everyone was okay, but was put under almost immediate house arrest. In his Gran's eyes, he was still a child, and a child had no place in such a war-torn area. Besides, word was received that the Weasleys were all safe. And there was therefore no reason for her grandson go leave.

But it soon began to get a bit out of hand. The next morning's headline for the Prophet had nothing to say about what had happened, just a large picture of Neville's friend Harry Potter… the Boy Who Lived… The Chosen One.

WANTED FOR QUESTIONING ABOUT
THE DEATH OF ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

The headline filled Neville with so much anger and hatred he just wanted to go find the nearest thing and… UGH! The Death Eaters had obviously taken over the Prophet too. Meaning it was worth just about… nothing. More fear settled into Neville's gut. There had been a decent amount of fear growing in him since he discovered that You-Know-Who had taken over. He had immediately written a letter to Luna, to make sure she was okay. She hadn't responded yet.

And Neville was still being treated like a child. Like he didn't have a right to know. And damn it! He did! He wanted to know. It happened on day when Gran was talking to Uncle Algie.

The two were speaking in hushed voices about the coverup of the Ministry take-over. And Neville had been out in his garden (what? it was a good stress reducer!) when he walked in and they immediately stopped talking. Gran was in the middle of a sentence.

"What's going on?" Neville asked slowly as he looked between the two of them.

"Nothing Neville dear," Gran said with a so obviously faked smile it made Neville feel sick. "Now go wash up and get ready for dinner."

Neville promptly shook his head and glared at them. "What's going on?!" he repeated, a bit more forcefully this time.

"Neville, please," Gran said with that harsh tone of her's that made Neville flinch.

But the Gryffindor stood his ground. "I'm seventeen years old! My friends are in danger. WHAT IS GOING ON!?"

That stunned his relatives into silence. The two of them just looked at the now legal wizard standing in front of them.

It was Uncle Algie that broke the silence. "No one knows about You-Know-Who except a few of us… Prophet is saying that Scrimgeour resigned. We know that isn't true."

Neville looked at the man. He knew that wasn't all. He saw a brief passing of discomfort in the man's eyes as his gaze remained hard on him. It was almost as if Neville was intimidating him and not the other way around as it usually was.

"They're making all Muggle-borns register. With the ministry." Neville could feel more anger and fear welling up inside of him. Some of his best friends were muggle born. "They… stole magic."

"Stole magic!?" That was preposterous! A sudden pang of fear hit him.

Hermione. Dean.

"What… what are they doing to them?" Neville asked, his voice small again. Small and fearful.

His Uncle refused to answer, so they were in silence for a few very long moments.

"Azkaban," his Gran whispered.

Silence.

Azkaban. Just for being a muggle-born? For having magic but being a muggle!? That was… that was…

Neville didn't realize his dirty fists were balling up tightly as anger spread through him. His Gran stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. "We have to go along with this Neville," she said softly, a tone the woman rarely ever used before. "The Order will come up with something. As we speak they're forging relationships between Muggle-Borns and Wizarding families. To save them."

Neville relaxed slightly. Maybe… maybe they would be okay. Maybe everything would be all right. Yeah. Right.

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Neville and his grandmother stayed out of the limelight for the next month. He went and got his Hogwarts supplies at Diagon Alley. Gran was even acting differently in public. Acting like a Pureblood… like she was better than the rest. Neville knew it was just an act, but it was so disheartening to see it. So disheartening that she had to do that.

He got a letter back from Luna and he felt some of the weight come off his shoulders; he felt some of the fear leave the pit of his stomach.

She was okay. It was like many other Luna letters, and brought the first smile to Neville's face since his birthday.

But it was soon broken as September 1st rolled around. Neville was not looking forward to going back to Hogwarts for the first time ever. And the headline of the Prophet only made things worse:

SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER

"I'm not going back," Neville said quickly as soon as he saw that headline. He let his trunk fall on the ground and he sat on top of it. It earned him a nasty glare from Gran.

"You are going back! All students must be educated at Hogwarts or face Azkaban," his Gran snapped. Neville had obviously forgotten that little tidbit. He quietly stood back up and continued reading the article. And a new Muggle Studies and Defense teacher? He had never taken Muggle Studies, but had opted at the end of last year to take a sort of elective in it, because Muggles were fascinating. Now he wished he hadn't.

He of course knew about Charity Burbage. He had spoken to her once or twice a year and she was such a pleasant woman (wonderful at Herbology as well). Neville just enjoyed sitting and talking with her. She had gone missing, and Neville knew she was dead. He just… knew…

"Let's go Neville," Gran said harshly. "We don't want to miss the train!"

"Can't I Apparate on my own?" Neville asked quickly, he hated side-along Apparation.

"Don't be silly Neville. You haven't passed your test yet!" and with that, the woman popped away, Neville and his trunk in tow.

The only reason Neville didn't pass his test was because new law stated you failed once, you couldn't try again for another seven months. He managed to apparate a yard away from where he was supposed to, and the Ministry failed him. A yard! Three feet!

He could have fallen over and made it inside the circle and passed it if he would have thought fast enough.

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Soon they were on the ever crowded Platform 9 3/4. But it was not as crowded as it usually was. Many students seemed to have been missing. His heart thought achingly of his muggle born friends, probably rotting away in Azkaban for no reason besides being born. He had heard nothing about Hermione… or Dean. And Harry was the Most Wanted Man in the Wizarding World, so he obviously had heard nothing from him.

Neville gave his Gran the customary kiss on the cheek as he grabbed his stuff and got onto the Hogwarts Express. He should have no issue finding a compartment, but the search was more tedious than he thought. He soon found the compartment with Ginny in it. The girl looked upset and scared. But who didn't anymore.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked as he knocked on the glass.

Ginny turned to him and nodded silently. Neville saw that in her eyes it seemed as though she had gone through so much. And he probably didn't know half of it.

There was another knock at the compartment door and there stood Luna Lovegood. She didn't even ask as she came in and sat down and began reading her Quibbler upside down.

"Nice to see you again Neville Longbottom… and Ginerva Weasley."

Little did the three of them know exactly how dependant on each other they would become in the coming weeks.

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A/n: Many thanks to all the reviewers. I love each and every one of you. So I'm actually writing this up in advance and I'll post it every now and then when I remember to. I have a decent plot going and want to finish this up before I lose my muse.

Leave some love!