A/N: This one's for the most under-rated character out there.

Neville Longbottom.

Chapter 2- Sillier

It was the start of another school year at Hogwarts and Neville Longbottom sat at his desk, breathing in the fresh smell of the plants all around him in the Greenhouse. He had his favorites all lined up at the back where he had a clear view of them anytime; many of them were his self-grown imported exotic varieties. He loved Herbology and he loved to teach and nothing could diminish Neville Longbottom's happiness at being back at Hogwarts.

Except-

"Yo Professor, my mum sends love", said James Potter loudly, swaggering into the class with the other second-years.

That kid, thought Neville. God spare him from that kid. He might someday even be worse than Fred and George.

Fred. The name sent a pang of sadness, for the loss of one of the nicest Gryffindors, through him. He shrugged it off. Not the moment.

"Yes. So. Welcome back kids. Now this year we're going to be dealing with more complex plants. So behave yourselves please. Yes so now, to start. Mandrakes."

Mandrakes had always been a special topic for Neville. Since his second year. When they had been used to revive the Petrified ones. From the monster. In the Chamber Of Secrets. God, no. He didn't need to think about that right now. Not when he had kids like James Potter in his class to deal with.

"Okay now everybody grab a pair of earmuffs. All done? Yes okay. So Mandrakes are plants which have a roots that looks like a humans, as you will see soon. When matured, their cry is fatal to any person who hears it. Now these are still young plants so they will only knock you out for a few hours but unless you want to miss your next two classes I suggest you use those earmuffs. Now can anyone tell me how to identify a matured Mandrake?"

Not a single hand went up.

Everyone was staring at their plants.

"Hello, second years? Did no one bother to open their books?"

"My God! What's gotten into all of you?"

Neville suddenly realized."Take off your earmuffs everyone. I told you to take them from the shelves, not wear them," he sighed in exasperation. He pulled off the first kid's earmuffs. He could've sworn some of the kids, who now had taken them off, were giggling. If James Potter was somehow behind this ...

"Yes, so after successfully wasting 15 minutes of my class you will summarize the chapter on Mandrakes for me as extra homework and no, this time I will not forget to collect it."

Several accusing glances, unnoticed by Neville, were thrown in James' direction.

"So now, put your earmuffs on and start putting these in the soil."

Neville went around the class dishing out advice and correcting techniques. To no-one's surprise, before he was half-way around the class, chaos broke out. He couldn't put it past James to cause trouble even on his very first day back.

"James Potter, it is not funny to blow up a mud- filled pot in another person's face do you get me?" yelled Neville. "One more funny incident from you and I shall report you to the Headmistress and this year I shall not be fooled by your silly excuses and 'sir mistake's"

"Yes sir, sorry sir", said James meekly putting on his best I'm-innocent face while trying not to laugh. Neville could be really funny when he was angry.

"Class dismissed", sighed Neville, shaking his head.

Grateful glances this time, unnoticed by Neville, were shot in James's direction.

"No wait. Not you. You're helping me clean this mess," he added. He watched exasperatedly as James high-fived several of his classmates on the way out.

Twenty minutes later Neville dismissed James as he started to get the class ready for the first years. First-years were the best, thought Neville. Meek and timid tiny little midgets who were too scared to cause much trouble. Well, at least for their first few weeks here.

The first-year Gryffindors quietly filed in and Neville directed them to their places in the Greenhouse.

"Settle down, settle down", said Neville. "All here? Okay good. You at the back, yes miss, you, stay away from those plants, they bite. So today we will be doing an introduction to Herbology. And if there's time left and the end we will also introduce ourselves since I'm going to have great trouble remembering your names looking at my memory." Everyone laughed. "So can anyone tell me what Herbology is? "

One hand promptly went up.

"Yes, Miss Granger.", said Neville without thinking.

Before Rose Granger-Weasley could answer,"Sir but you don't know our names yet, how do you know her's?" the girl standing next to her piped up.

"Oh yes, well", said Neville realising. "The number of times I've heard 'Yes, Miss Granger' in a class" he chuckled to himself. "She seems to have inherited her mother's in-built reflex for punching the air every time a question is asked in class.", he told them, laughing. "Granger-Weasley, isn't it?", he said to Rose.

"Yes sir," she answered meekly.

"Well that's one name I'll remember so far", said Neville smiling. "Yes, so you were saying?"

But again, before she could answer the Headmistress walked in.

"Professor Longbottom, I just came to check if everything was okay considering you just had James Potter in your class." said Proffesor McGonagall.

"Yes Professor McGonagall, no I mean, yes, everything's fine," said Neville. Why he protected that kid, he had no idea.

"Good then. First-years I see." said McGonagall looking around. "Gryffindors? Well Neville, it's your job to ensure they don't get into as much trouble as you did in your school years", and on that note she walked off.

Neville wished she'd stop referencing his former silly self. Okay, sillier self.

Fortunately for him, the rest of the class went smoothly. He was right about first-years, he thought to himself smugly as he ushered them out of the class.

He sat back and smiled to himself. First-years or no first-years, Hogwarts was the best place in the world.

A/N : Was that too long, or is it just me? Also, shout out to FanGirlForever19, my very first follower. You guys are so supportive, it blows my mind!

Love,

SilverStars14