Neville Longbottom
1. He wished it had been him.
If Voldemort had chosen to kill the Longbottoms instead of the Potters, things could have been different. It wasn't that he wanted the glorious title of the Boy Who Lived. He had no desire to fight Voldemort for years. Neville did not wish to be a hero. At least if it had been him, and his parents had died instead of been tortured, Alice and Frank would have been at peace. The only thing he wanted to change was the torture they were put through, the consequence of insanity.
2. In his first year, he found peace.
When everything was crashing down around him, Herbology was his outlet. In the greenhouse, he was safe from everything. No Slytherin could harm him. No memory could haunt him. He was in his sanctuary. Nothing could touch him there.
3. In his second year, he found hope.
Sure, someone opened the Chamber of Secrets. A basilisk was running -er, slithering- around petrifying people. Somehow, the Gryffindor found himself an inspiration. He met Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister. Before then, he had never had much confidence. After befriending Ginny, that changed. The young redhead taught him more about himself than he had ever imagined.
4. His heart was never broken by a girlfriend.
But that was because he never really stuck it out there. Neville was afraid of being hurt, weary of the pain that would follow. It was inevitable to be hurt your first time falling, wasn't it? That was the only reason he never dated in school-not that no one wanted to date him.
5. He hated visiting his parents.
St. Mungo's gave him the creeps, really. Some people like his parents were checked in permanently, their conditions too serious to be released. Others left, but in body-bags. As much as he loved his parents, he dreaded his visits, for even other than the hospital being unnerving, they hardly ever remembered his face from visit to visit.
6. He wanted to play Quidditch.
However, after his incident learning to fly first year, he knew it wasn't meant to be. When his flying never really improved to a Quidditch-standard level, Neville knew it would never happen. Instead, he supported his team at every event. He never missed a match.
7. Ginny asked him to the Yule Ball.
As friends, of course. Neville had blushed, but of course he said yes. She really was his best friend. At first he thought she was just asking him because she knew no one else would, but he soon found out -when she told him- that she wanted to go with him. Why? Because they were friends.
8. She was so beautiful.
His first love. Of course, he never told her. He could never risk the friendship Ginny had helped him form. She was Ginny's best friend and therefore became his, so he could never risk it. He only admired her from afar, wondering what would happen if he asked her. He never did find out.
9. When he brought the sword down on Nagini, it was for his parents.
But not just them. It was for Cedric Diggory who died before his time. It was for Sirius Black who was killed by his own cousin, the woman who destroyed Neville's own life when she tortured his parents. It was for Dumbledore who was murdered for the cause. It was for Mad-Eye Moody whose death was meaningless. It was for Remus Lupin and his wife, Tonks, whose child would never have parents; Neville knew all too well what it was like to be raised by a grandmother. It was even for Snape who had been rotten to him as professor, but prepared him for life as a man. It was for Harry who had been so courageous. With reasons like that, he did only what he knew he had to do.
10. His heart was broken, but not by a girlfriend.
Neville had decided he would finally tell his fist love how he felt. It had been two years since the final battle. When he got lost in her blue eyes, he knew he was doing the right thing, but as they conversed, he found she was deeply involved in a relationship with another man. Heartbroken, he left for the nearest pub, where he reunited with an old schoolmate, Hannah Abbott. The next year, he married her, but he never got over that blue-eyed blonde who he had fallen so hard for.
A/N: Get the hints? He was in love with Luna! Why? Because I love that shipping. Personal preference, people!
Speaking of Luna, she'll be the next chapter, followed by Nearly Headless Nick.
See! I am still alive! Want to see where I've been, what I've been up to? Check out www. Sonoramagic .com to find out!