Author's note: Btw, I have made up a spell here. Tilio means to tie and Detilio means to untie. Thought you'd wanna know.

Slytherin Common Room

"Unfortunately, our house has turned into a bit of a mess," said the Head Boy of Slytherin coldly, as he paced the floor, looking down at Neville, Pavarti and several other students who previously had not been in Slytherin. Their hands had been tied behind to their chairs. Several prefect Slytherins sitting in the front of them sniggered.

"It seems that the Sorting Hat wants us to get along with each other, but as you have probably realized," he said, stopping briefly to look at Parvati with disgust before carrying on walking, "We think otherwise."

"I can't kick you out of here but I can do other things. I know that Mundungus Fletcher was up to something, and I want to know what!" he uttered.

"What has Mundungus Fletcher got to do with the Sorting Hat?" said a previously fifth year Hufflepuff bravely, glaring up at the Head Boy.

"Silence! I don't care what you think, skunk! Let's just say that we have our connections..." he said proudly.

"I want you all to do as much as you can to find out what's going on! I know that what Dumbledore and the Prophet have stated is not the end of the story, so it's your job to uncover the truth!" said the Head Boy scornfully.

"If you're so desperate to find out, why don't you slimy worms do it yourself?" said Neville hoarsely. He had made a decision to not back down but fight up against them. If he had fought against Voldemort and killed part of his soul, surely he could beat these idiots.

"Longbottom huh? So you think that by becoming a supposedly "legendary hero" like Potter you will just be loved by all? FAT CHANCE."

"Stop it!" said Pavarti next to him.

"You are all just a bunch of moldy prunes you are! What have you done matched to him? It's time you Slytherins learnt the difference between right and wrong!" she carried on as Neville looked at her with shock.

"Talking all big now, are we?" said the Head Boy. "I know where my alliances lie. But I think it's time that you learnt where yours will now be," he whispered, staring at her menacingly as the Slytherins sniggered again.

To both Pavarti and Neville's surprise, the Head Boy undid her hands from her back, but she took no time to stand up quickly and try to grab her wand from the table where they had taken all of their wands.

"Oh, no no no," said the Head Boy, pulling her away. "I wasn't gonna let you go, you're coming with me. Come on!" he ordered as the Slytherins left the room, Pavarti struggling against the Head Boy's grip as she stared frantically at Neville, yelling in desperation for them to let her go.

"What are we going to do?" asked the Hufflepuff student.

Neville looked around the room for something, just something that could help them. Nothing. He sighed in frustration before looking back towards the others. When an idea popped into his head.

"Stay there!" he said as he shifted his chair towards the side table where their wands were. With his legs he slowly pushed the table down as the wands rolled on to the ground.

"What are you doing?" said a second year cautiously, but Neville paid no notice as he used his feet to pick up a wand and put it into his mouth.

"Detilio," he mumbled as the ropes of the person nearest to him became lose.

"Wow! Thanks!" said the first year before trying to leave as fast as he could.

"Oi!" said the the Hufflepuff in annoyance. "Untie us before you go mate!"

"Oh, sorry," said the first year with regret, and gradually he got everyone free. But Neville wasted no time to try and find Pavarti.

"You guys get out of here!" he said to them before exiting the room and running down a dark corridor, having no idea where Pavarti could be. It didn't take long though, for he immediately recognized her voice.

"Let me go!" she screamed from a room just further down from where Neville was.

He ran as fast as he could but then soon heard more footsteps coming up behind him.

"Go away!" he yelled as he turned around, only to face the other students from the other room.

"We owe you this much," said the first year shyly as Neville grinned back. Never in a million years would he have thought back when he was in his first year that people would respect him. It just showed that times really were changing. Even if some people didn't realize it.

They moved swiftly down to the room where Pavarti was being held before Neville slammed open to door to find Pavarti with her shirt half undone and the Slytherins crowding around her.

"Confringo!" he yelled as a huge explosion dispersed in the room, causing a lot of black smoke.

Neville ran into the room as the smoke settled to find the Slytherins lying unconscious on the ground. Pavarti lay half-conscious as Neville tried to pick her up.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah, I think so..." said Pavarti wearily. "Thank you Neville."

"Well, I guess we'll all have to stick together from now on, won't we?" he said, as the others nodded in agreement.

It was at this point that Neville knew things weren't going to be too bad after all, in fact, maybe this was exactly what he needed, to be in Slytherin, an excuse to prove to himself that he wasn't empty, that he did in fact belong in Gryffindor.