Chapter 10: New Precedences

Neville opened his eyes to Harry, Dean, Hermione and Ginny looming over him. Hermione had been gently patting his face in an attempt to rouse him.

"Welcome back…" began Dean. "Gave us a little scare there mate."

Neville sat up and brought a hand up to his head.

"Oh, and uh, I almost forgot…" continued Dean with a huge grin beginning to grow on his face. "Welcome to the team!"

"Oh…" Neville began.

"I told you you'd make the team, Neville!" exclaimed Ginny, wrapping him into a hug.

"We're going to let you choose the position you want since overall you did the best and played equally well in all of the positions," said Dean.

This was a lot for Neville to process.

Dean stuck his hand out for Neville to grab and pulled him up.

"We'll give you time to think about it if you need to," Dean continued. "Anyways, congratulations again and we'll see you in the common room. C'mon, Gin."

Neville was still a little bit wobbly and had to hunch over for a moment to steady himself.

"C'mon, let's head back," replied Hermione, rubbing his back.

"I-I…I'm on the quidditch team…" mumbled Neville in disbelief.

"Well, believe it mate!" said Harry. "Congrats."

The three of them started to walk back.

Finally after not saying much Hermione decided to add her two cents.

"Well, I think you need to go pay a visit to Madame Pomfrey."

"No, I'm fine now. I just overexerted myself," he answered.

"Neville…" she firmly insisted.

As soon as they reached the gryffindor common room they were met with cheers and whistles and a chanting of Neville's name. Ron even got everyone to sing 'For he's a jolly good fellow,' but quickly stopped when he saw how embarrassed Neville was.

"Oy, congratulations mate!" Seamus greeted him, slapping him across the back. He then led him to the center of the room where everyone was gathered in a large circle. Hermione followed and suffocated Neville in an overwhelming hug and a kiss on the lips.

"So how does it feel to be our newest quidditch team member?" asked Seamus.

"Uh…good?"

"You bet our arses it does!"

Pretty soon everyone in the room had come up to him and congratulated him and gave him a pat on the back and he couldn't believe this was happening. It didn't seem real. He had never been the center of attention in his life and he wasn't sure whether or not he liked it.

Even the girls who had never before given him the time of day were coming up to him and talking to him. He was never important enough before for people to go through as much trouble as to throw a celebration in his honor. In fact, he hadn't ever even been thrown a proper birthday party. Neville had never been worth anyone else's time before, so why now?

Hermione grabbed Neville and pulled him away from the crowd to a secluded area.

"Listen," she hissed. "Forget what I said about breaking up…I don't think Ron's learned his lesson yet."

"Er," but before Neville could protest Ron came over.

"Hermione? Could I talk to you for a second?"

"Oh," began Hermione rather surprised considering she had just mentioned him.

"Ronald. Hi."

"So?" began Ron again. "Can we talk?"

"Of course."

Ron led Hermione the other end of the room.

"Listen, Hermione. I uh, just want to let you know that I…"

"Yes, Ron?"

"I…I've been an insensitive jerk and I'm sorry."

"Thank you, Ron…" she replied quietly.

"So uh, the truth is…" he began. "I've missed you. I uh, mean talking to you that is."

Hermione smiled.

"Really?"

"Why wouldn't I Hermione? You're my best friend but for once I have to tell you that you were wrong…"

Hermione's eyebrows rose.

"When this first all started," Ron explained. "When you said I didn't need you," Ron hesitated for a moment and then finished. "You were wrong. I do need you."

"Oh, Ron!"

Hermione threw herself at Ron, nearly knocking him down.

"I've missed you too! I absolutely hate it when we fight!"

From across the room Lavender saw what was happening and was not very happy about it. The glass she held in her hand shattered and she marched over to them, grabbed Ron by the scruff of his collar and dragged him away.

"So," began Neville walking over to a bewildered Hermione. "You two make up?"

"Yes," she replied, watching as Lavender screamed every obscenity in the book at Ron and then proceeded to run out of the common room in tears.

After about an hour things started to die down and people began to retreat to their dorms.

The only ones left in the common room now were Neville, Ron, Harry, Seamus and Parvati.

"Harry, can I uh, talk to you?" Neville asked, figuring this was as good a time as any to get him alone.

"Sure."

They made their way up to the boys' dorms and sat down on Harry's bed.

"Alright, so what's up Harry? What'd you need to talk to me about?"

Harry took a deep breath.

"Remember when we went to the department of mysteries? Remember the prophecy that everyone was trying to get their hands on? Well…"

"Oh," began Neville. "Yeah, I already know about that."

"Look, I know this must be a lot to deal with right now and believe me I would have told you about it sooner but Dumbledore made me swear not to."

"Wait. How long have you known about this?"

"Since fourth year…" Harry admitted sheepishly, suddenly feeling guilty that he had known for so much longer than the other boy.

"Francis told me everything and I kind of freaked out over it, couldn't talk to him for a few days."

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you'd been told," began Harry. "I mean, you deserved to know and if nobody had told you by now then I was going to tell you myself."

"Francis told me that Dumbledore wanted him to come back and join the order and give us some special training…"

"I'm ready," started Harry darkly. "I'm ready to face Voldemort and do whatever it takes to defeat him once and for all."

Neville nodded and began to wonder if he'd ever be as brave as Harry.

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While everyone else rounded off to go eat dinner Neville remembered that he had told Francis he would go visit with him.

He made his way to Francis' office and knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

"Ah, hello Neville, have a seat."

Neville sat down.

"Where is your dinner?" asked Francis, looking up after taking a bite of his own.

"Oh, I uh, wasn't very hungry."

"Nonsense! A growing boy your size? Go get yourself something to eat and bring it back here. Go on."

'A growing boy your size? Even he thinks you're fat.'

"Umm, okay."

Neville entered the great hall, grabbed a plate and began eyeing the food. He wanted something light but enough to make it look like he would be full when he was finished.

"Neville? What are you doing?" asked Hermione.

"I told Francis I'd go eat with him."

"Oh," she replied.

He grabbed a piece of buttered bread and ripped it in half and then he grabbed a small chicken leg and a salad.

Neville told his house mates bye and headed back to his uncle's office.

He sat down and immediately began to pick the crispy brown skin off the chicken leg.

"So tell me Neville, how were quidditch try-outs?"

"Good," he replied softly. "I made the team."

"That's excellent, Neville! What great news!"

"Yeah, I uh, was really surprised."

"Well, anything you put your mind to you can accomplish," replied Francis.

Neville nodded and stared down at his plate.

'So much for grabbing something light! This is all so fattening!'

There was a small pool of grease under the chicken leg that dribbled down and touched the bread.

Neville was disgusted and had to refrain from gagging out loud.

"What position will you be playing?"

"I haven't decided yet…I'm thinking I want to be center chaser though."

His uncle was watching him closely with curious, flashing eyes.

"Dumbledore wants me to begin meeting with you and Harry at the beginning of next week. We've already let too much time go to waste and we need to get started with your training immediately."

"Training? What sort of training?"

"That's for another day, Neville. Right now I want to talk about you."

"Oh."

"Have you had a chance to think anymore about how you feel about all of this? I'm here for you to talk to if you wish."

"Well, I talked to Harry…"

"And?"

"I feel a little better. We both know now what's in store and I feel better knowing that I'm not alone in this. I mean, he's got it much worse and everything but still…"

"Anytime you feel overwhelmed about anything you can come to me, alright?"

"Sure thing," replied Neville.

"Right how are classes going?"

"Oh fine I s'pose except for potions. Professor Snape hates me…"

"He does now does he?"

"Always has, he's hated me since I first started. He hates Harry too. I've never done anything to him…he just hates me and manages to humiliate me in some way everyday."

"I think I may need to have a talk with Severus and kindly inform him that there is no need to bring issues of the past into his classroom."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, when we were all in school Severus was a bit of an outcast. He didn't have any friends and he was tortured and humiliated every single day- which is most likely why he is so eager to humiliate you and so many of his other students. Anyway, the only people in the entire school that gave him the time of day were your mother and Harry's mother, Lily. Everyone knew that Severus was in love with Lily and he grew resentful towards her when he discovered she did not return his feelings. The hurt and the hatred grew even more when Lily began to date Harry's father, James."

"So, is that why he hates Harry?"

"I would presume so. Severus was never one who took much lightly."

"So then why does he hate me?"

"Well, during our seventh year Severus grew even more withdrawn and was sneaking around at all hours of the night, leaving the school grounds and your father began to grow suspicious and followed him one night. He discovered that Severus had become a Death Eater and he sold him out to Professor Dumbledore."

"Professor Snape's a Death Eater?"

"Was," Francis corrected. "Years later Professor Dumbledore offered Severus a trade. He would teach at Hogwarts and keep an eye on Harry while he was there and in return Dumbledore gave Severus his word that he would be kept safe from the other Death Eaters who were out for him after he fled. He now works as a spy for the Order."

"Wow," began Neville.

"So while he may be an insufferable pain in the arse he is very crafty. He is a very powerful wizard and we're lucky to have him fighting for our side."

"What? B-but professor Snape can't possibly be- I mean, once a Death Eater always a Death Eater right? It just doesn't make sense…"

"Albus Dumbledore is no fool, boy. If he sees fit of Severus Snape then I trust in that. Like I said, he may be unpleasant, wretched and cruel but he would never harm anyone…" Francis paused and then quickly retracted what he had just said. "Well, seeing as he's done plenty of harm to you let's just say he'd never physically harm anyone. This is exactly why he couldn't handle being a Death Eater. The tasks demanded of him were too evil…even for his tastes."

"Even with that being said I'll never like or trust him… ever," stated Neville firmly.

A few moments of silence followed and Francis let out a heavy sigh.

"Food not very appetizing?" he asked, taking notice that Neville hadn't touched any of it.

Neville looked over at his abandoned plate.

"Oh…"

He grabbed the chicken leg and scarfed it all down in a matter of seconds and then shoved the bread into his mouth.

"Mmmm," muttered Neville, grimacing through his mouthful of food. "That was good."

His uncle raised his eyebrows and smiled kindly at him.

Neville swallowed the food and looked around the room anxiously.

"Would you excuse me?" asked Neville suddenly. "I uh…need to use the restroom."

"Of course."

Neville grabbed his plate and quickly ran it to the kitchen and then made his way to the nearest washroom.

He locked the door, placed a silencing charm and ran to the toilet.

He could not believe he ate that disgusting chicken and buttered bread. He had almost been able to feel his arteries clogging just by looking at the food so he didn't even want to imagine what was happening after actually eating it.

As soon as every last bit of food came up he felt relieved.

He knew he wouldn't have long otherwise his uncle would wonder what took him so long.

He splashed water on his face and rinsed his mouth out.

He made his way back to Francis' office and sat down, hoping that his uncle wouldn't question his red, puffy face and bloodshot eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked as soon as Neville sat down.

"Yeah…ran there and then back."

"Would you like more chocolate? I've got tons more sweets I'm trying to get rid of."

Neville frowned.

He had just gotten rid of his dinner and now Francis was offering him sweets. What exactly did he take Neville as?

"Um, no thank you. I'm stuffed."

Francis shrugged and leaned back in his seat.

"So," he began unable to hide a sly grin. "Have you got a girlfriend?"

Neville blushed.

"No…well, not exactly."

"Ah, well that's alright I wasn't really all that interested in girls when I was your age either."

Neville's blush deepened.

"In fact," he continued. "I don't believe I even went on a single date until I was damn near twenty-one."

When Neville fell silent Francis continued.

"I'm sorry Neville, I'm rambling."

"It's okay."

"I bet your gran will be proud once you tell her about making the quidditch team."

"I doubt it. She thinks I need to be focusing more on my studies."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better she was the same way with Frank and I when we were growing up. As I'm sure her parents were with her."

Francis reached under his desk and pulled out a tin can full of kettle corn and began munching on it.

"Would you like some?" he offered.

Was he kidding? Couldn't he see how fat Neville was? And that he had absolutely no business eating. Neville was beginning to wonder if he needed to start wearing a 'do not feed' sign around his neck from now on.

"N-no thanks. I'm trying to cut back on all of that junk…more so now that I'm on the quidditch team. Gran was right, I feel so much better now that I'm being more watchful towards my weight."

"Oh," began Francis. "Can't argue with that now can we?"

More silence followed.

"Neville, I've got something I think you might be interested in…"

Francis grabbed a box behind him and began rummaging through it. He pulled out a small, black leather bound book and handed it to Neville.

"It was your father's. He wrote in it all throughout our years here and it may give you a little insight into the kind of person he was."

Neville opened it up. The pages were brittle and stained with age but the writing was still in near perfect condition, as if it had only been written in yesterday.

He began flipping through the pages.

"I grabbed it for safe keeping before I left home. Frank had forgotten it at our parent's house and I knew mum would have a heart attack after reading some of things he'd written about in there so…he just assumed he misplaced it. He never knew I took it."

"T-thank you," replied Neville.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm sure I'll come up with many other things you can have. Actually, we're going to have to continue this later, Neville. It completely slipped my mind but I'm having my first meeting with the order in a half hour."

"That's fine. See you later."

"Good night. Oh and remember Neville, please don't hesitate to come and talk to me no matter what about. You know anything- school, friends, girls or if there is ever anything troubling you."

Neville nodded.

"Thanks."

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As soon as Neville entered the gryffindor common room he was met with the sound of someone crying.

Neville followed the sound and found Lavender lying on the couch, her face buried in a cushion.

"Lavender, are you alright?"

She looked up at Neville and shook her head furiously.

"No, I am not. Do I look alright to you?"

"Sorry, I'll leave you alone then."

"No, wait."

Lavender sighed and sat up, clutching the cushion tightly to her chest.

Neville sat down.

"It's Won-wo- I mean Ron…we had a fight and I'm afraid we're going to end up breaking up."

"Oh why?"

She sniffled and grabbed a tissue to blow her nose.

"I love him but I don't think he loves me…"

Neville suddenly felt overwhelming sympathy for Lavender. He knew exactly how she felt and it was a horrible way to feel.

"I think he's in love with Hermione. I mean, I'm not stupid…I know how to read between the lines."

"Have you talked to him about this?"

"No…because I know if I do then that'll be it,everything will be over."

"But if you don't talk to him you aren't being fair to yourself, because if he does have feelings for someone other than you then you deserve to know so you can move on. Sometimes you just need to focus on you. You have plenty of time to find love. You just have to make sure that person feels the same way about you as you do them. If you continue to spend your time and energy on someone who doesn't feel the same way about you then that's just more time wasted. Relationships aren't meant to be one-sided. It's important to give back as much, if not more than you receive sometimes."

"You think our relationship is one-sided?" she asked sadly.

"Well, no…I don't know. I'm just saying you need to talk to him because if his heart is set on someone else then you need to move on and find someone else who can make you just as happy, if not happier."

"Aren't you bothered by the fact that Ron loves Hermione? I mean, you two are dating aren't you?"

"Everyone seems to have that general idea…but no, it doesn't bother me. If they love each other then that's that. You can't stop true love from happening."

Lavender slowly stood up and began walking towards the girls' dorms.

"Thank you for listening," she replied softly before retreating up the stairs.

Neville set his dad's journal on the fireplace mantle and made his way out the astronomy tower. His mind was racing and he needed a good place to think.

As soon as he reached the top he saw that someone else obviously had the same idea as him. He turned and began to walk back down the steps until a voice called out to him.

"Wait! Neville, you don't have to leave."

It was Ginny.

"Oh, hi Ginny…just figured you'd want to be left alone."

"No, I could always use some good company."

He walked over and stood next to her and they both stared out at the school grounds.

"So, Mr. quidditch superstar," Ginny teased. "You're about to find out what it's like to be famous…well, maybe not famous but popular."

Neville scoffed.

"Uh, yeah right."

"So," began Ginny. "What do I get now that I've won our bet?"

Neville's eyebrows rose and he turned to look at her.

"Our bet?"

Ginny's grin grew.

"I was right! I won the bet! You made the team."

"I know but I think you're forgetting that that was your bet Ginny. I didn't put anything up on it."

Ginny playfully slugged him on the arm.

"Bollocks! That doesn't matter; you still agreed to the bet and lost! So that means you have to own up."

"Fine, what do you want?"

"Alright, since I won…the only thing you have to do is stop saying bad things about yourself."

"That's it? Well, I'm sure I can manage that…what about thinking bad things? Do I still get that pleasure?"

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I mean it! You're my friend but I won't hesitate to throw a bat-bogey hex on you if that's what it'll take to get you to stop putting yourself down all the time…and don't think I won't!"

Suddenly the sodalitas ring on Ginny's finger began to heat up.

She felt a pang of guilt as she continued to ignore it but she and Dean had been fighting almost non stop lately and she was tired of it.

"Well, I hope Hermione's prepared," Ginny started. "Because I promise you you're going to have girls screaming your name and following you around all the time…she's going to have to beat them off of you with her books."

"Oh really?"

"Yep," replied Ginny in a matter of fact tone.

"And what do I get if you're wrong?"

"Wha- that's not fair! You can't do that!"

"Why not? You had no problem tricking me into a bet," he teased.

"Yeah, but that's only because I knew I'd win! It was inevitable! You can't challenge me! I mean look at my track record so far, one and zip."

Neville couldn't help but smile, her arrogance was so cute.

Ginny smiled back. She hadn't noticed before now that he had dimples. This was something easy to miss considering he rarely smiled.

She thought he was so handsome when he gave a genuine smile rather than the lopsided grins and nervous smirks he usually wore.

"You should smile more," she told him. "It does wonders for you."

"Yeah? What are you going to tell me next that I should be a supermodel?"

Ginny giggled.

"Yeah, maybe! Let's see your catwalk."

"Ginny, I can barely walk down the corridors without falling over my own feet…I don't think a career in modeling would welcome such clumsiness."

"Well, you never know," she began. "After all, you were also so sure you'd muck up at try-outs."

"Well, I appreciate your enthusiasm but I'm pretty sure there isn't a modeling contract in my future."

"What time is it?" she asked suddenly.

Neville pulled out his pocket watch.

"Quarter to nine," he replied.

Ginny's ring began to warm up again and the glowing brought Neville's attention to it.

"I'm sorry if I'm keeping you…"

"No, Neville, it's fine."

"That's a sodalitas ring, right?"

"Yeah, Dean got it for my birthday."

"It's nice," he replied.

"Thanks."

"Well Neville, I think I am going to go ahead and go back inside. Are you coming?"

"No, I'm going to stay out here for a little bit longer. It was nice talking to you Ginny."

"You too. I'll see you tomorrow."

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Author's Note: I haven't got much to say but if any of you do- you know what to do! :) Coming up next…chapter 11!