Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the characters and situations in this story.


Chapter 2. Lesson Learned

Neville Longbottom could never understand why he had been sorted into Gryffindor. He wasn't brave. Shoot he was hardly a wizard. He tried to be brave. He tried to stand up to Harry, Ron and Hermione whenever they were going to do something that got points subtracted. Hermione told him to stand up for what he believed, but it was so hard. In fact the first time he tried to do it he had ended up on detention with Hermione, Harry, Draco and Hagrid. The next time Hermione had literally stopped him dead in his tracks.

Now Hermione, Ron and Harry had skipped school for this their seventh year and were off to who knows where for who knows why. The only thing everyone knew was that Harry was being hunted as number one on the most wanted charts and Hermione and Ron were aiding and abetting. Ginny had come back to school and was not certain what was going on. She was broken hearted that they had left her behind without a word and no knowledge of the plans.

Luna was in a world of her own, like always, except that now it made more sense than usual. Her father was continually writing stories for the "Quibbler" in support of Harry and providing a counterpoint to the ministry slanted "Daily Prophet" which these days were neither daily nor prophetic. There seemed to be an "extra" edition every time someone thought they might have seen a black haired, green eyed man with a ginger male and a bushy-haired brunette female. The yellow journalism rag was constantly predicting their demise at the next borough, town, village, city or farm up the road.

These three had formed an unlikely trio tied together by the D.A. coins that they carried. He was scared that they would not survive, but Hermione's voice kept him going. Someone had to organize the rebellion reorganize the D.A. in order to protect the students against the group of Slytherins that were the successors to the Inquisition Squad which Umbridge had instituted. Muggleborn witches and wizards were not allowed to return even if they were not afraid for their lives. Some of the half-bloods had returned to Hogwarts this year and someone had to keep them alive. Someone had to protect what few first years that had come from the unfair punishment meted out by the Carrows. The Unlikely Trio was also unique in that they were all pureblood by birth and blood-traitors by conviction. This was their saving grace and kept them alive throughout school-year.

At first they just tried to create havoc. Well, not exactly try, but they had a mission. Ginny had told Luna and Neville that Dumbledore had willed the sword of Godric Gryffindor to Harry. She felt it was her mission to get it for him because it had to be important. Neville, in this first mission, was apprehensive. The success was not going to be easy because it was in the Headmaster's Office and Severus Snape was Headmaster. They made it in, but were caught in the act. Detention was meted out and points subtracted from Gryffindor to where the House was over one hundred points in the hole.

Neville was the staid base of the U.T. He was not a flighty person like Luna, nor was he as fiery and short tempered as Ginny. He constantly was reminded of Hermione's faith in his abilities. His memories of her counsel were his guiding star. When he was discouraged he would remember how she helped him in the D.A. classes and the patience she had when he failed in the spells he learned to cast. Harry had led the classes, but Hermione had been the one who stepped up to help and encourage as well.

Luna had disappeared from the Hogwarts Express on the way home at Christmas. Nobody knew where she was, but it was rumored that her father was being blackmailed with her life to stop printing the Quibbler. It worried Neville, but he knew the small witch was much smarter than most thought. Luna Lovegood was a Ravenclaw after all. After her kidnapping, the Weasleys had kept Ginny home for her safety as well. Neville was the lone member of the Unlikely Trio still at Hogwarts.

Neville had been on the run from the Carrows for failure to use Unforgivable Curses on the lower grades. When he passed the tapestry across from the Room of Requirement it opened, there was one hammock in which to sleep. It also provided a w.c., but when he needed food at the end of the first day, he didn't know what to do. Then he remembered another lesson Hermione had taught him-resourcefulness. Since you cannot make food out of nothing, he needed an answer to this conundrum. He asked the room for a way to obtain food. A picture frame appeared on the wall. The picture in the frame was a rural lane that led away from the room. He noticed a figure moving down the lane toward him and when it got near he was pleased to see a young lady. She beckoned for him to follow her. The picture swung wide to reveal a tunnel. When he followed it to the end Neville was surprised to find himself in the upstairs sitting room of the Hog's Head. He was greeted by Aberforth Dumbledore, the bartender. Neville told him what he needed. Aberforth told him to come for food and if there were messages he would send his sister, Ariana, through to get Neville.

The former members of the D.A. still had their charmed Galleons, so he sent a message to Lee to join him. Soon this was where the reports from "Potter Watch" were broadcast. More and more of the students were coming and going from the Room of Requirement when they needed to get away from the torture that awaited them in the halls of Hogwarts. Neville put more of Hermione's lessons together because there needed to be some organization of the students who were in the room. There needed to be enough students in the classes so as to not arouse suspicions, but Neville was not even certain that the teachers cared because they seemed to omit roll call. Neville would come and go from classes taking punishment as meted out, but always remembering that he needed to stand up for what he believed.

This is where they were on the day that Ariana came to fetch Neville one day in early May. Harry had returned to Hogwarts! The fact that he had been able to keep the students' morale up and keep them prepared for the time when Harry would come back was not lost on those who would be holding the reins of power in the school. This is why he was the first student offered an apprenticeship in years, one in Herbology. Neville Longbottom's constant endeavoring to stand up for what he believed had proven him a brave Gryffindor.


Hogwarts School, Major & Minor Arcana Class Assignment #1

Task: For the first task of the term, I would you like you to write about a character gaining important advice, wisdom or a lesson in life from another character.

Word Count: Minimum 500 words, Maximum 2,000 words.