A/N: I wished I owned Harry Potter. Alas, I do not. Ms. Rowling, I'd be happy to take it off your hands.

Chapter 27: Burdens

December, 1994

"Neville, could perhaps explain why this is so important to you?" Remus asked as he helped the sturdy looking Gryffindor to his feet. Neville knew he was staring to grow some muscle, enough that he could keep up with Harry most nights with his nightly muscle building exercises. Every now and then his best mate had a very serious and driven look in his eye, and Neville knew he would be tough pressed to keep up. But Remus's eyes still widened just a little bit when Neville grabbed with his forearm and levered himself to his feet, not making the eye contact that had become a staple of their training.

"I don't know," Neville said despondently. "A few reasons come to mind."

"Well, why don't you cycle through them, and we can try and work on it?" Remus's eyes filled with worry. "You can't keep this up. It looks like you haven't slept all week."

"I haven't," Neville told him. "Every time I'm about to, my mind just starts whirring. Reviewing the spells, I wasn't able to do keeps me up, before I even realize, it is morning. It's mentally exhausting at the moment, but it keeps me sane even if it is exhausting."

"You realize that's a contradiction?" Remus replied with a faint smile. Neville just stood there silently. "So what do you think the problem is?"

"Well, it might be Harry."

"Harry?" Remus was startled. He seemed to think that Harry seemed much better adjusted with Neville as a best mate. While Hermione was Harry's rock and he seemed to develop a relationship with Akira that made them closer than the blood that bound them, everyone needed a best friend of the same gender, male or female respectively. Neville was that person for Harry where he could talk about pointless stuff that only guys his age understood, where there was truly no topic too stupid or off limit. For Neville to be questioning that friendship was quite a surprise to the ex-professor.

"Not like that," Neville said, seeing Remus's surprise. "No, Harry and I have gotten really close. He's really remarkable. Now that I practice with him in the morning as well as at night, I see how special he is. He has been learning with Akira for 6 months, and occasionally he'll knock Akira back. Once I even saw him flip Akira over with one kick. He is a genius, and now they use spells while they fight hand-to-hand. It's insane. That's not it, though. I see Harry improve by leap and bounds every day, certainly every week. I feel like I can't keep up. That I'll be left behind by how brilliant he is."

"Neville, I've spoken to Akira. Harry is significantly more talented than your average student, and with a hunger and drive for ability that almost no one has. You should not measure yourself by Harry. You should measure progress against yourself. When my friends and I grew older, I understood that some of my friends would be stronger magicians than I, so I studied. Rather than go toe to toe with them, I found my own strength."

"Well, Harry is smarter than me too, not to mention stronger magically and physically."

"Neville, have you ever considered that your strength may not be related to school or battle?" Remus asked, a glint in his eye. Neville looked at him curiously. "Harry can be moody and irritable, even to a point where Hermione gets frustrated at him. You never snap at him, and you have supported him through ever trial he has faced. You always have his back. That is more important to Harry than you think."

"I guess," Neville said, not entirely convinced. But as he talked, he realized Harry wasn't the problem. "I guess Harry isn't really the problem."

"I didn't think so," Remus said with a smile. "So what is actually bothering you?" Neville wracked his brain for an answer other than the one staring him in the face. It hurt to admit it to himself, so it would only be worse if he was forced to say it out loud.

"Hannah," Neville finally admitted. Remus was even more startled than this. Neville had looked worried when talking about Harry. Now he looked totally crushed. Remus knew from his interactions with Harry's various friends and Harry himself that Neville looked like a different person once he and Hannah labeled their relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend.

"I'm sorry?" Remus was baffled but was instantly galvanized into action. While he would never call himself a genius at relationships, this was certainly an issue that required his full attention.

"Here," Neville said, taking out a letter from his bag. He handed it to Remus. Remus saw the formal greeting at the top, and realized the letter was Neville's grandmother. Seeing the look on Neville's face, Remus opened the letter and read silently. His eyes widened a little bit near the end, and Neville knew that only respect for his grandmother was keeping Remus's reaction silent.

"Well, that's…" Remus simply couldn't find the words. There were many half-platitudes or clichés he could tell Neville, but the boy would see through the lies.

"Thanks for listening, Professor Lupin," Neville said, slipping his robe back on over the clothes he had been using while the had practiced. He took the letter back and put in his bag. "Seems like I am a little stuck. I don't have the heart to tell Hannah, but I guess I can't get around it much longer."

"Neville, I won't say something stupid like how love conquers all. But I think that if this is important to you and you tell your friends they may surprise you. You have a lot of friends who care about you, and between all of them they may be figure something out. I wouldn't give up just yet." Neville nodded but Remus could see nothing he said was getting through, and the boy walked out of the classroom, and all Remus could do was watch silently.

Neville absently-mindedly cast "Tempus," and saw it was 6:30 in the afternoon. He got out of class early on Wednesday which is why it was so early despite his exhaustion. For the last few days, he had been doing extra training with Professor Lupin in order to increase his spell repertoire for at least a few hours. Professor Hayashi was deep into tournament preparation with Cedric, as was Professor McGonagall with Harry. When Neville asked Harry for some private practice, Harry had suggested Professor Lupin to which Neville had eagerly agreed.

His practice was certainly helping, even if Akira floored him in the morning, Remus flooring in the afternoon, and Harry left him gasping in the evening. He could tell he was improving, and on Monday morning Professor Hayashi had held him back to tell him he was improving at a remarkable rate. Monday had been a nearly perfect day, and he spent the evening snuggled up to Hannah in the library. It just felt right, and Neville usually loved when his grandmother's owl landed Monday night for her weekly check-in.

This week's check-in had been anything but pleasant. While she was pleased at his new friendships and his improving studies, she had strong words in other areas. Neville was almost tempted to stand up to his grandmother, but years of obedience, as well as the contents and explanation in the letter kept him quiet. Only Remus knew, and Neville was worried to tell someone else. If Harry was not in the midst of extreme preparation before the Christmas break, Neville might have gone to him, but Neville didn't want to put this issue on Harry's plate.

Neville wondered if Remus was right as he showered. As he had left the training session, it seemed like Remus had suggested that he tell his friends. But there were very few people who would really understand the points his grandmother had made in the letter. As much as he hated the idea of pureblood supremacy, he needed advice from another pureblood if Harry and his indomitable conception of right and wrong wasn't available. They might be able to understand his conundrum better. Even if Hermione was his smartest friend, she simply wouldn't be able to comprehend his current issue.

He briefly considered Daphne but discarded that idea. Daphne was definitely well versed in pureblood ideology or law, but she had turned colder since her split with Harry. She might not even realize it, but she was as cold now than she was before their first meeting this year. There were no more Friday meetings with Harry, and when she could be bothered to come to study group, she barely talked or showed emotion. Neville hoped that Harry and her could return to being friends, and that she could reset. But for now it would have to be someone else.

Susan might have the best advice, but she would certainly not be the person to discuss this with. Although Susan was a pureblood, she had a personal stake in the situation. While Susan could be trusted to help, she would inevitably draw other people including Hannah into this mess of a situation. Neville wanted to exhaust every option before this made its way to Hannah. Susan was also very close to Cedric, who had his own issues with being a powerful pureblood that would eventually affect the normally even-keeled Hufflepuff House in a way that might cause an instant backlash.

But there was one other person who could actually help him, that Neville had forgotten that was a pureblood, and who, despite her reputation, could actually keep a secret if it was important. She had been one of the key reasons that he and Hannah had slowly begun to become more comfortable around each other, and was the only person not named Harry that Neville had gone to when considering asking Hannah to actually be his girlfriend.

There was no denying her influence over the group, even if it wasn't overt. She worked quietly and efficiently, keeping things ticking and making sure that fights didn't spill over to the whole group. She would never admit it, but Neville suspected that she was the primary reason that Harry and Daphne's split hadn't fractured the group in two. So later that night, Neville sought out Lavender Brown for a quick chat.

"Nev!" Lavender said, throwing her arms around his neck, and quickly removing her arms under Hannah's glare. "I feel like it's been a while since we talked."

"Yeah, can we talk privately for a sec?"

"Of course." Lavender let Neville guide her away from the study group and into a corner in the library. "Ooh, alone deep in the library. What would your girlfriend think?"

"Not today Lavender," Neville said, his tone betraying his exhaustion. "Just be serious for a second." Neville saw Lavender straighten a little.

"Ok." Lavender nodding, readjusting her mindset. Neville looked tired, but he also looked like he was walking towards the hangman's noose. "What's wrong?"

"I just have an issue with Hannah that I need you help with."

"Not you too," Lavender groaned. "It's hard enough being around Daphne and Harry while they mope around, still clearly crazy about one other but both preferring to suffer in silence rather than try and work out their problems. What problems could you and Hannah possibly be having?"

"No, it's not like we have the problem." Neville took out the letter and handed it to Lavender. "I got this from my grandma on Monday. I don't have the heart to talk to Hannah about it, so I was wondering if you had any advice."

"Your grandma?" Lavender took the letter and started to read. "Dear Neville, I am glad to hear your extra training is going well." She looked up at Neville with an eyebrow raised.

"Third paragraph," Neville explained.

"I am pleased to hear that you have decided to pursue a romantic endeavor with a young girl at your school. However, upon my investigation of her family, I am afraid I must ask you to terminate your relationship. The Abbot family, while they sit upon the Wizengamot have heavily different politics than I, and to have you seen with that girl in public would undermine any type of legislation I attempt to pass. I wish you the best." Lavender folded the letter up and handed it back to Neville.

"Well?"

"Well, I think you've got a problem," Lavender said.

"And?"

"And what?" Lavender was genuinely confused.

"Any advice?" Neville asked.

"Oh." Lavender paused for a moment. "No, not really."

"Seriously?" Neville was a little surprised. If Lavender was really giving up without a thought, was he best served giving up?

"Your grandmother has never visited school, and you are not going home for Christmas?" Lavender asked. Neville nodded. "Well, then your problem really doesn't matter at the moment. Winter exams are a bit of a more pressing issue."

"We won't have winter exams," Neville blurted out, and then instantly covered his mouth. The Yule Ball was a closely held secret, and while Lavender could be trusted to keep the contents of his letter to herself, there wasn't a chance in the world that if she got ahold of news about the ball that she would keep it a secret. If the source of the leak was traced back to Neville, quite a few people would be upset, especially Daphne since she had only told him and Harry in confidence. The last thing Neville needed was Daphne Greengrass angry at him.

"You know something," Lavender said, closing to within a few inches of him. "Spill it, Longbottom."

"Very clever," Daphne said from behind her. "Using hostile speech patterns to intimidate him." Lavender almost jumped. "Sorry, I was just getting a book for care of magical creatures. I hope I didn't interrupt anything." She gave Neville a pointed stare, clearly indicating that she knew Neville was on the verge of telling Lavender something he would not.

"Drat," Lavender mumbled as Daphne walked away. "So, you were saying about winter exams?"

"Look, do you have a solution or not?" Neville asked.

"I'll think about it," Lavender said, "but you've got 6 months until you see your grandmother again. For now, just ignore it. I don't think anything good will happen from getting into an argument about it, either with you grandma or Hannah. Sound good?"

"I guess," Neville said, and they went back to the study group. Neville could tell from the glances of concern that Lavender kept throwing him that the problem was bothering her more than she had let on, and that there wasn't a high chance of her miraculously coming up with an answer anytime soon. Hannah seemed to know something was wrong, but was bogged down with charms and Susan and Hermione were working with her on that essay. Dean and Lavender were doing history of magic, and Neville decided to join them.

-O-O-O-O-O-O-O—O-O-O—O-O-O—O-O-O-

Krum was pouring over books desperately looking for the mention of the creatures the girl Luna had been talking about. There wasn't a thing that even mentioned Nargles or Wrackspurts, and he was starting to get desperate. Of course it was all well and good that he was learning about the languages of the well-known creatures, and he was almost done with his research on that. Karakoff might have betrayed him by bringing him to the tournament, but the Hogwarts library had indeed had extensive literature on the language of Goblins and Giants.

While he was excited his book was almost done, his few discussions with Luna had lit a fire in him. What if he was able to study the languages of these unknown creatures and put forward studies or books on those? If he wanted to truly pursue a career as an academic, these would make him more than a rising star. It would put him in a position to teach anywhere he wanted. That was an incredibly exciting preposition for him.

All of this led him to the library every night, and he kept searching for the names of the creatures that the young girl had told him about. He had caught one brief mention of the Nargle, but it had only been a paragraph about how they were nearly impossible to spot. Krum never admitted defeat, and he knew his tenacity was one of the reasons he was such an excellent seeker. But his frustration was building up.

He normally loved researching, but getting nothing night after night was starting to drive him up the wall. Without the occasional meetings with the other champions he might have gone crazy. None of them had made any real progress on the egg beside a nasty headache from the screaming of the blasted thing. Harry had admitted he was a few weeks away from seeing if he could destroy it. But Krum had found all three of the other champions absolutely fascinating in their own way.

Cedric was an interesting blend of character types. He was studious, funny, serious, skilled, and a jokester in equal parts. He was a strong and clever wizard, with a passion for learning and a drive to make impactful change in government as much as magically. Apparently Hogwarts did career counseling earlier than Durmstrang, and Cedric had expressed an interest in getting a mastery in DADA as well as going into the ministry for a few years with his father in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Eventually, Cedric was hoping one of these jobs would give him the chance to travel for a while before eventually settling down.

Fleur, once she decided to actually open up, had a good story to tell as well. She was still fairly icy towards all the other male champions, in part because when she used her active allure he and Cedric could still be influenced. She had a hard time trusting anyone who could be affected by her allure, even though he and Cedric were close to immune to her passive allure, especially after consistent exposure. But Krum could tell Fleur was fascinated with Harry, who, while 3 years younger than he was totally resistant to her allure no matter how much magical power she pumped into it.

Harry Potter was the biggest enigma. It was through Fleur's knowledge that they learned he was a practicing martial artist. A discussion with his headmaster a little while ago had revealed that Harry would, one day, be a master martial artist regardless of his magical skill. However, the champions had conducted a few mock duels and Harry could hold his own even if he didn't use his unnatural speed and agility. Krum wasn't confident that even in a one-on-one confrontation with Harry's feet nailed to the floor that he would be able to win, though if push came to shove he would back himself.

Krum shook his head to clear his thoughts, turning back to the book in front of him. There had been a passage a few hundred pages earlier that seemed promising about rare creatures, but it looked like it had been a dead end. He had heard of all of the creatures, and none of them had a language that he could study, in part because they were so rare that none of them lived in a large enough group to learn about.

"That book is no good," Luna said, sliding into the seat across from him. "The Wrackspurts are all over your head."

"Wait a minute," Krum set, setting the book down. "You can see them?"

"Of course not, silly," Luna said with a patient smile that drove Krum wild. Luna was fascinating, but she treated him like a child sometimes and it made him want to smash her over the head with a book. "But I can tell they are around you. If you want, we can try and make some Spectrespecs."

"What are Spectrespecs?"

"My father says that if you use them, you can see Wrackspurts. Then we can work on getting rid of them, and maybe you won't be so confused." Luna explained.

"Alright," Krum said, and Luna's face lit up. "It's not like I have too much more to do tonight." So Krum spent the remainder of the night collecting colored paper and learning origami as Luna laughed at his clumsy attempts. To Krum's surprise, Luna's teasing didn't bother him as much as he would have thought. A few of his fellow Durmstrang students came by and gave him curious looks, but all it took was a glare by him to send them scurrying.

"You can ask them to help," Luna finally said after he scared yet another student away. "You are awfully clumsy for a seeker."

"You like quidditch?" Krum asked, surprised. Even though he had met a few people through Cedric and Harry who were not interested in hanging out with him purely for quidditch, Luna was the only one who had never mentioned it.

"Oh, I find it fascinating," Luna said. "It is a very fun to watch. I was disappointed that I could not go to any of the World Cup matches, but my father and I were searching for Crumple-Horned Snorkack in Sweden." Krum ground his teeth in frustration. This was yet another creature that was news to him.

"Could you tell me a little about this Crumple-Horned Snorkack?" Krum asked.

"Of course I could," Luna told him with another patient smile, and Krum sat in fascination as Luna explained all about yet another amazing creature that he had never read about. Meeting her had really been a godsend.