Written by: hpgirl4ever
House: Gryffindor
Character: Neville Longbottom
AN: This was a drabble for the awesome Judges of the HPCF challenge wide competition! Hope you liked it! =D
Neville Longbottom sat in his favorite place atop the Astronomy Tower on one of the rare nights that it was unoccupied, and looked out over the grounds. The moon was suspended high in the sky, it's bright, luminescent light shining over the emerald lawns and reflecting on the still glass lake.
He sighed to himself as he felt the relaxing breeze as it fluttered through his brunette locks, gently teasing them. The brown eyed boy shivered as he heard the sounds coming from the Forbidden Forest, stopping his thoughts before they could stray to the fearsome creatures it held within. He scowled to himself, feeling ashamed at such an unnecessary fear. He was a ways away from the forest, and a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake. As his Gran always said he needed to do his house proud, his parents proud . . .
It was reminders like these that sometimes caused the quiet teen to question exactly why he was placed in Gryffindor, the house known for its bravery. He wasn't like Harry who could face anything without a second thought. Neville wasn't like Ron who could let his fiery temper lead him into anything without worrying about the consequences. The shy Gryffindor wasn't like Hermione who let her intelligence give her boosts of confidence to stand up against bullies and teachers like Snape. Amongst his housemates he could easily see all of their bravery. Seamus, the energetic Irishman would let his passion drive him wholeheartedly into whatever endeavor he sought, and Dean, the somewhat quiet teen who wouldn't back down in a fight if it was something he cared about.
So where did Neville fit in? It was such a simple task of spotting his friends' courage and strength, but it felt nearly impossible to see his own. He wasn't stupid, he knew what some people thought of him and he sometimes felt as if they were right. He shook his head, trying to dispel the negative thoughts that were starting to overwhelm, him. He had come to this spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the castle, and enjoy the beauty of the grounds, not be reminded of his Gran's insults and his own shortcomings.
Looking back out onto the grounds he thought back to first year, when he had first been sorted. Back then all he had been happy about was being put in a house. First year, he remembered how great it had felt to win the House Cup . . . The brunette couldn't help smiling as the memories of how he had helped earn last minute points came back to him. He supposed Dumbledore was right when he said that it was brave to be able to stand up to his friends, and he had to be brave to be the only one willing to face all of the odd plants in Herbology, and he actually managed to beat Hermione in the number of questions answered and house points earned in said class.
Leaning back on the ground of the tower, Neville stared wistfully at the stars, smiling despite his earlier depression. Maybe his Gran was wrong, hopefully his parents really were proud of him, and maybe, just maybe the Sorting Hat had known what it was doing when it placed him in Gryffindor.