Chapter Twenty Six

Neville spent the afternoon in abject misery. Most of the Gryffindor seventh years were in the common room or the library, working; he could not concentrate even on a fascinating essay Professor Sprout had set on the magical properties of the plants found around the Galapagos islands. Neville knew he should edit the first draft he had completed that morning, or else start some of his Charms work. He could even have attempted something for Defence or Muggle Studies, but instead retreated higher up into the tower and sat down on his bed, where nobody but Seamus would be able to disturb him.

The sky had darkened completely before Neville moved. On realising he could barely see the torches in brackets fixed to the stone walls, he pointed his wand at the nearest one; a moment later it began to glow with a flame that would not burn out. Flickering light filled the circular room and Neville checked the time. He sat motionless again for the next few hours, until at last he stood, feeling that he should eat some dinner. This he did, finding once he arrived at the Great Hall that he was actually quite hungry, then returned to Gryffindor Tower.

Neville took his essay upstairs to the room now shared by only himself and Seamus, trying to convince himself that he would work on it as he waited for midnight to arrive. He found somebody waiting outside the room, though, and it wasn't Seamus. Ginny stood on the steps, toe tapping impatiently. They entered together to find Seamus practicing some transfigurations that Neville didn't recognise; Seamus' hair had vanished, and his eyes were purple. Neville felt his own cheeks flush red as he and Ginny seated themselves, he on his bed and her on the one that Ron had always used.

"This isn't what it looks like," Neville said, and Ginny shot him a scowl.

"It looks like you two are planning something, aren't you?" Seamus asked.

"Oh, sort of," Neville stammered, wondering why he had spoken in the first place; it wasn't like he and Ginny had walked in holding hands. He didn't feel that way towards her; quite aside from the fact that she was in his mind still Harry's girlfriend, she also had too much confidence and temper for him to feel entirely comfortable alone with her. Luna, on the other hand…

Seamus glanced from one to the other and back again, obviously confused, causing Ginny to take control. "We did have a plan," she said. "Us and Luna broke into Snape's office, but we weren't quick enough to get back out again."

"You're not expelled?" Seamus asked the very thing that Neville had been trying to understand all afternoon.

"Of course not, they can't, we're pure-blood so by law we have to be here," Ginny said, tossing her flaming hair out of her face over her shoulder.

Neville sat quietly as Ginny explained what had happened over lunchtime. So that was why Snape hadn't sent them home on the next train… Suddenly he felt a little braver.

The surge of courage had long since deserted Neville when the time grew close to midnight, to be replaced with a sense of determination. He knew he wouldn't like what was to come, but he also knew that he would manage to face it. He and Ginny hadn't been able to formulate much of a plan, for the simple reason that they didn't know what Snape had in store; they reached the Entrance Hall still unsure, to find Luna sitting on the bottom step of the marble staircase, humming to herself.

Neville smiled at Luna, who returned the expression. The three sat then without talking, knowing better than to scare themselves further by speculating. After a few minutes, though, Neville wasn't so sure that the two girls were in fact scared. Ginny's leg twitched, but the tips of her ears were red with anger. Luna seemed to be quite content as she hummed, her eyes unfocused and her mind elsewhere.

Midnight came and went, with no sign of Snape. Neville wished he would just arrive; the sooner they started, the sooner they would be finished. He would very much appreciate the opportunity for a little sleep before breakfast and the following Muggle Studies lesson, but this didn't seem likely. Maybe he could eat, then use one of his few remaining Skiving Snackboxes to leave the class. After all, a bed in the Hospital Wing was still a bed.

This train of thought was abruptly derailed by a creaking sound that echoed through the quiet chamber. Neville hadn't realised that Luna had stopped humming, but the sound of the large oak front doors opening made him realise he could hear nothing else save the girls' breathing and his own heartbeat.

Neville pulled his wand out of his jeans pocket; before the doors were fully open there were three wands pointing in that direction. The students had expected Snape to appear on the marble staircase, and didn't know who was approaching from the grounds. A moment later, though, all three wands dropped. Neville felt his lips twitch almost into a smile as he recognised Hagrid and he stood up. The students approached him, the two girls clearly as pleased as Neville himself.

"Hullo, you three," Hagrid boomed. Indoors, his voice echoed off of the walls. "Yeh'll be comin' wi' me. I heard abou' yer detentions, so I told Snape I had some unpleasant an' dangerous work needed doin' in the Forest. Got yer wands?"

Neville nodded, feeling a little courage return. "Are we going into the Forbidden Forest, then?" he asked.

"We are," Hagrid told him, and Neville was pleased to find himself nodding in acceptance. "There's things I want to talk to you about, you three," he said in barely more than a whisper. Neville understood at once; it wasn't possible to say or do anything within the castle without the risk of being overheard. "Yer in big trouble, all of yeh," Hagrid said then, much louder. "Yer not going to like this at all," he added with voice still raised as if he suspected that Snape might be eavesdropping, then gestured towards the open doors.

Neville, uncertain, followed Hagrid out into the moonlit grounds.