'Remember, focus on your happiest memory!'

Luna screwed up her face in concentration. 'Expecto Patronum!'

While she had only previously formed shapeless mist, this time, something spawned from the tip of Luna's wand. It skipped around the room before returning. Luna was wide-eyed as she looked at her Patronus.

'It's a hare!' she pronounced excitedly. 'Expecto Patronum!'

Everyone around the room stopped what they were doing and turned around to watch as Luna's hare skipped through the air once more.

'Congratulations, Luna!' Hermione squealed, hugging the younger girl. 'Here,' she handed her a piece of chocolate, 'It'll help you recover some energy.'

The others got back to work. Ginny was the next to succeed. Her Patronus, like Luna's, was just as Harry remembered. The horse galloped around the room, casting its light and warmth on all the occupants, before dissipating into mist.

Neville groaned and muttered something under his breath. 'You'll get it, Neville,' Harry said quietly when he passed, 'It takes practice. It took me weeks before I could cast it for the first time.'

Neville nodded and turned back to his casting. 'Expecto Patronum!' he tried again. With effort, another wall of shapeless mist formed out of his wand.

There were more shouts of the incantation as the five continued trying to cast the Patronus Charm. Ginny and Luna managed it several more times before both collapsed down onto one of the sofas, utterly exhausted.

It was another fifteen minutes before Susan cast her corporeal Patronus for the first time. Her hedgehog scurried once around the room before she lost concentration, utterly exhausted from the effort it took to conjure it.

'Looks like it's just you and me again, Neville,' Daphne said with a smirk. 'Want to double the stakes?'

'You should only say that when you're sure you could win, you know,' Neville shot back. 'Bring it on.'

Harry observed the two as both started working harder than ever to outdo the other. It was an interesting dynamic for sure. Neville never seemed to have so much confidence as he had when he and Daphne were good-naturedly taunting each other. It seemed like Neville had found a partner for competition in the Slytherin girl.

'Expecto Patronum!' Neville shouted. Instead of formless mist, a huge, majestic creature came gliding out of his wand. He turned and tracked it in awe as it swam around the room. Even Daphne stopped her casting to gawk.

'What is it?' Neville asked breathily.

Hermione scrunched up her eyebrows. 'It looks like a…a…a dolphin? It's got the fins and the long snout…'

'That's quite…uncommon,' Ginny commented.

'Is it?' Harry heard Neville say faintly. 'I wonder why mine takes that form. I'd have expected it to be a Flobberworm or something.'

'Nonsense,' Ginny said. 'It really is sort of fitting.'

'Wh-What do you mean?'

'Well, you're powerful, just like dolphins, but you don't go around flaunting it,' Ginny replied. 'You just radiate a sort of…strength…you know? Especially this year. But you don't even think about using it to hurt others.'

'I…I do?'

'Of course you do, Neville,' Hermione said. 'Who's the first one to master a spell? Four out of five times it's you, Neville.'

'Well, I just sort of…work on it…' Neville muttered.

'And what do the rest of us do, sit around play with our hair? Take the compliment, Longbottom,' Daphne deadpanned. She reached into her robes, pulled out ten Galleons, and handed them to Neville. 'I'll get you next time,' she promised.

That seemed to bring Neville back to reality. 'Don't even dream of it, Greengrass.'

'Sure. I don't need to dream of it anyway. It'll be a reality.' She raised her wand and concentrated hard. 'Expecto Patronum!'

And to even her own surprise, it was not just silver mist that appeared out of the end of her wand, but a large, winged animal. It flew around the room, flapping its wings only once or twice as it did so.

'It's an albatross!' Luna said, recognizing the animal at once. 'Daddy says they have natural Wrackspurt-repelling abilities!'

'They have what?' Daphne asked, confused. Hermione shot her a look that communicated 'No idea'. Her Patronus faded into mist and she looked like she was going to collapse from the exertion of casting such a powerful spell for the first time. Her knees wobbled. Only with Neville catching her did she manage to not fall on her arse.

'Well, I think that'll be enough for today,' Harry said authoritatively. 'Hermione, do we still have some Invigoration Draught left over?'

'Uh…' She walked over to the trunk in the corner of the room. 'Yeah, we have one flask left,' she called.

Hermione walked over to the table and conjured five cups. Into each, she poured a bit of the potion. 'Drink up,' she ordered in a shade of her bossy voice, 'It'll give you enough strength to get back to your Dormitories. Don't try to cast anything tonight, please. You need rest.'

They each drank their share of the potion and bade Harry and Hermione goodbye. Neville, however, remained behind.

'What is it, Neville?' Hermione asked concernedly.

'I…uh…do you have time?'

Harry nodded. 'Do you need anything?'

Neville looked at his feet. 'Well…uh…not really need…'

Hermione leaned forward towards him a little. 'Is there something wrong, Neville?'

'Well…you know how next Saturday's the Hogsmeade trip?' Harry and Hermione nodded.

'And uh…'

'Does this involve you and Luna?' Hermione inquired shrewdly.

'Yeah…it's just…I don't know if it's working…' Neville muttered. 'Neither of us really want to…to progress any further than…than…just p-pecks on the cheek and th-things. And…and well…we wrote over the summer, but it was just…friendly things, you know…not love letters. I think…I know we're better off as just friends…and I think Luna knows it, too.'

Not everything that happened in the future was going to happen now, then, Harry thought. Perhaps there was something that pushed them together in the years after the Third War that was missing now.

'Then why don't you talk to her?' Hermione advised. 'Let her know that you think that the two of you are better off as friends. It sounds like she's saying the same thing. Just get it over with, Neville. Do it before things go so far that you two can't split apart amicably anymore.'

'B-But aren't you s-supposed to…supposed to g-get married?' Neville stammered. 'Or something l-like that?'

Hermione laughed. 'Neville, I went out with Ron Weasley of all people in the "old timeline" before Harry. Look what he turned into, both in the future and now. Nobody expects you to marry the first girl you date, Neville.'

Neville was blushing furiously scarlet now. 'But wh-what if I c-can't find someone e-else?'

'I found Harry eventually, didn't I?'

'Well, but you two are…different…you know?'

'Oh, stop it, Neville,' Hermione chided gently. 'Have you seen yourself recently? You're getting straight "E"s in your classes. You've just mastered the bloody Patronus Charm! And not to mention your training's made you quite…ah…physically fit, too.'

'I won't have to worry about Neville stealing my wife, do I?' Harry joked, wagging his eyebrows at Hermione. She just stuck out her tongue at him maturely.

Neville shrugged. 'I…maybe…'

'Come on, Neville,' Hermione said, squeezing the boy's elbow. 'Luna will be your friend no matter what. Just get it over with and move on. Besides, I'm sure at least one girl is quite interested in you.'

Harry cast Hermione a questioning look. Who was she talking about? Hermione replied with a mysterious and secretive expression.

'Y-You're right, Hermione,' Neville finally replied with a nervous nod. 'Uh…I think I should…talk to Luna t-tomorrow?'

'I think you should, Neville,' Hermione agreed softly. 'Good luck!'

Neville tried to give a brave smile before he turned and left the room, muttering under his breath and blushing furiously.


Neville walked into the Great Hall the next morning and steeled himself. He scanned the Ravenclaw table and found Luna sitting at one end. He walked over deliberately, taking deep breaths as he went. Hermione was right. He needed to do this, and it was better this get done sooner rather than later.

'Morning, Luna,' he said lightly, popping down on the table opposite her.

Luna smiled mysteriously. 'Hello, Neville.'

'Uh…well…good day?' Neville stammered, at a loss for what to say.

'It can always be a good day if you set the standard of "good" right,' Luna replied dreamily.

Neville was in panic mode now. Luna was not making the conversation any easier. How could he broach this difficult subject without offending her?

'Uh…look, Luna…what do you think about…you know…us?' Neville asked clumsily, hoping that he had not made a terrible mistake.

Luna examined him with her protuberant grey eyes like some sort of magical beast she was studying. 'Hmm…well, I think we're friends, aren't we?'

'Yes, yes, we are, Luna,' Neville said quickly, hoping that she had not taken offence at his words. 'It's just…uh…would you be happy if…if we were just friends?'

'It would be pleasant,' she replied.

'And…uh…what do you think of this…uh…relationship that we're s-supposed to have?' Neville continued. 'D-Do you think that it…do you think we're better off being "just friends"?'

Luna nodded. Neville wanted to let out a breath in relief that she was not frowning or looking disappointed. Then again, though, this was Luna. Her facial expressions could be peculiar at times.

'I think we're better off being "just friends", Neville,' she replied after a minute. 'Whatever it is that we tried wasn't going anywhere. Besides, I think that you're better off with someone else.'

'Wh-What?'

Luna smiled enigmatically. 'The Nargles have chosen.'

Neville rather thought that that was no answer at all. 'So…friends, Luna?' he asked, changing the subject to actually existent matters.

'Just friends,' she affirmed, blinking once.

'Okay. Great. Yeah, brilliant,' Neville spouted, rising from the table. 'Uh…I'll see you Thursday night, yeah? If we don't see each other before that.'

'Make sure you listen to the Nargles, Neville!'


Quidditch try-outs were held the second Wednesday after term began. Angelina was Quidditch Captain again, just like she was in his old fifth year. Hermione had tried to talk Harry out of trying out, but he had been insistent.

'Come on, Hermione,' he argued. 'I'm not going to kill myself. And besides, Quidditch is one of the few fun things here that don't involve death and Riddle and Dark Magic.'

'What if someone attacks you when you're out there flying?' she shot back shrilly. 'You, hundreds of feet up in the air, with no one nearby to help you. What if someone jinxes your broom like Quirrell did in your first year? What if someone's under the Imperius to attack you during a game?'

'Hermione, someone Imperiused can attack me when I'm walking through the corridors! I don't need to be in the air for that to happen!'

'Yes, but if you're on the ground, they'll have to actually curse you!' Hermione shrieked, her face beginning to grow red as they argued. 'If you're up in the air, all they need to do is knock you off your broom, or jinx a Bludger. Harry, I'm worried about you!'

Harry sighed. 'I know, Hermione,' he said in a quieter voice. 'But I can defend myself, can't I? We've never lost an even duel. And besides, as ridiculous as Dumbledore is about everything, Death Eaters still fear him, don't they? And for all they know, I'm still his "golden boy". Do you really think they'll be crazy enough to attack me under his nose?'

Hermione walked up and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck. 'You promise to be careful?'

'Of course.'

'All right, go on,' she conceded with a sigh. 'But please watch out for yourself and the others. And I'm sorry I shouted.'

'No, it's fine. I did, too.' He placed a kiss on her lips. 'Love you.'

Having missed Quidditch try-outs in his fifth year in the old timeline because of the pink amphibian, Harry was surprised at the number of people who had turned out. There was the old crowd, of course, the Chasers Katie, Alicia, and Angelina. The only difference from the past was the absence of Fred and George. The last he had heard from Ginny, they had acquired premises in Diagon Alley and were already busy setting up their shop. As a result, at least ten hopefuls had come out to the pitch to try their luck at landing the Beater position.

Ginny was there, too, and attempted a cheerful wave at Harry when he arrived. She did not look too happy, however, and Harry soon saw why. Ron was standing a distance away to her left, loudly arguing with an enormously wide boy who could only be Cormac McLaggen.

'So Ron's trying out,' Harry grumbled.

Ginny sighed. 'Yeah, he is. Don't know how he managed to get a new broom, said that he got a Nimbus 1993 from an anonymous donor. Eight-year-old broom, but still pretty good, especially for a Chaser. I'd take it over a Cleansweep any day of the week. No idea who'd be daft enough to gift him one, though. He can barely even stay airborne through a sharp turn.'

The whole circumstances sounded rather suspicious to Harry, but he let it leave his mind. 'What're you trying out for?'

'Chaser, of course,' Ginny answered with a grin. 'Doubt I can bump Katie or Alicia off, but I think I've a good chance at getting the reserve spot. That way, I'll get to train with the team and hopefully make it next year.'

'Good plan. And Ron?'

Ginny frowned. 'Keeper. He could barely block fifty percent of the shots when we played at home. He's facing McLaggen, though, and his keeping ability is the inverse of his ego.'

'Are those the only ones for Keeper?'

'Well, them and a third-year. My money's on the third-year, honestly.'

Angelina blew her whistle. 'Keepers! Line up over there,' she pointed to a spot to her right, 'Chasers, to the right of the Keepers! Beaters on their right, and Seekers on theirs!'

The hopefuls organized themselves according to Angelina's instructions. Harry was, once more, uncontested for Seeker. Since there was no one else to try out, Harry was made Seeker immediately. Angelina then moved on to the Beaters.

The Beaters were a sorry sight for the most part, though one boy, who Harry recognized as Jimmy Peakes after several minutes of memory-searching, landed six of the seven Bludgers that he hit. His companion, Jack Sloper, managed four, with another only barely missing. Angelina put Sloper on the team with Peakes, though she did not look happy about it.

The Chasers were up next. None of them – except for Ginny, that is – seemed serious. They all seemed to understand that no one was breaking up the triad of Angelina, Alicia, and Katie. Unsurprisingly, Ginny, who flew miles better than the competition – not that that was saying much – was awarded the reserve Chaser spot.

Finally, it was the Keepers' turn. McLaggen was called forward first. He strutted arrogantly up to the middle of the pitch and mounted his broom.

'I hope that broom breaks in two from your weight, McLaggen!' Ron shouted with a sneer which McLaggen returned with interest.

The enormous boy made his way to the goal posts on one end of the pitch. The three Chasers began running complex offensive manoeuvres, attempting to score goals from different, difficult-to-cover angles. McLaggen missed his first save, then his second, before barely saving the third. He lucked out on his fourth with a dive at just the right time before missing his fifth.

'Stewart!' Angelina called from up in the air. The third-year boy mounted his broom and walked out onto the field, looking rather nervous.

Stewart saved the first goal that Katie threw his way. It was a difficult save that not even Oliver Wood would be guaranteed to make. He missed the second but made up for it by saving the third and fourth before pulling off a spectacular rolling manoeuvre and headbutting the fifth away from the ring.

'Weasley!'

It was Ron's turn. Just before he picked up his broom, Harry noticed a flash of reflected light and a momentary spark of gold from his direction. He at first thought nothing of it, but then noticed Ron turning away from Angelina and fumbling with something small in his hands.

Harry turned towards him to investigate. Ron had done a terrible job at hiding what he was doing. In his hands was a small vial containing a golden liquid. Harry did not need more than a split second to recognize it.

'Stop!' he shouted to Angelina. His wand was already in his hand. 'Angelina, come down here!'

'Accio Felix Felicis!' Harry yelled. Instantly, the golden vial flew out of Ron's hand. Harry, proving his worth as a Seeker, caught it in mid-air.

'What's going on?' Angelina barked the moment she got off her broom. 'What did you Summon from Weasley?'

Harry held up the bottle of golden potion. The wax seal around the stopper had not yet been fully removed. It seemed that Ron had not planned his cheating well at all. If he had been any smarter, he should have drunk the potion before coming out onto the pitch. There was easily enough for four hours of luck in the little vial.

'Is that what I think it is?' Angelina gasped.

Harry nodded. 'It responded when I cast "Accio Felix Felicis". The golden colour and the glimmer are unmistakable. It has to be.'

'Weasley, get over here!' Angelina ordered furiously.

Ron walked over, looking stunned and outraged at the same time.

'What was that for, Potter?' he spat.

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'Why were you about to use Liquid Luck right before a Quidditch try-out? You do know that's illegal, right?'

Ron looked genuinely confused. 'Liquid what?'

'Don't play dumb with me,' Angelina snapped. 'Liquid Luck, Felix Felicis, Lucky Potion. Why were you trying to use it before your Quidditch try-out? That's illegal, as Harry said.'

Ron did not look like he was just playing dumb, though. 'I thought…the person I got it from…he told me that it was just a potion to improve my endurance. He said he really wanted me to make the t-team and gave it to me to help.'

'You accepted a potion from a stranger without even questioning what it was?' Angelina asked, incredulous. 'How thick are you? What if it was poison?'

Ron shrugged. 'He wasn't really a stranger, I mean…'

'Who was it, then?'

'It was – ' Ron was stopped by his tongue rolling back into his throat.

Harry realized immediately who had given Ron the potion. For some reason, Dumbledore must have thought it was important enough for Ron to get on the same Quidditch team as Harry to break multiple laws and Hogwarts rules. He did have an unnatural interest in his and Ron's relationship that Harry could not understand the cause of.

'Whoever it was must've hexed him so that he couldn't say their name,' Harry whispered to Angelina, leaving out his suspicions of Dumbledore. 'Maybe we should just get on with the try-outs.'

'Well, Weasley certainly isn't trying out,' Angelina fumed. 'Go to the stands and stay there. We're going to have a word with McGonagall later. You can forget about trying out for the Quidditch team.'

'What?' Ron shouted in disbelief, 'I didn't get a new broom for nothing!'

'Maybe you should've thought of that before you tried to take Felix Felicis,' Angelina replied coldly.

'Let me up,' Ron demanded, 'I can out-do that Stewart any day of the week.'

'If you're so confident in your abilities, then why did you need Liquid Luck?' Angelina sneered, 'Go sit down in the stands and get out of my sight.'

'That's unfair! If Fred and George were on the team – '

'Well, they're not!' Angelina shouted. 'And even if they were, I doubt they'll take kindly to their own brother cheating his way onto the team! Get out!'

Ron glared daggers at Angelina, but even he could see a fight that he could not win. He retreated to the stands, fuming and grumbling under his breath all the way.


The morning of the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, the Daily Prophet broke another major headline.

PROPHECY EXISTS REGARDING BOY-WHO-LIVED AND HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED, SOURCES REPORT

This was followed by a sensational article written by, unsurprisingly, Rita Skeeter. It seemed like the Unspeakable that Kingsley tasked with this operation had been smart enough to leak the information to the one source that would blow it up the most. As for the article itself, there was nearly no actual information besides the names of Harry and Voldemort and the fact that the Prophecy was stored in the Department of Mysteries. It was, however, filled with outlandish speculation as to what the contents of the Prophecy might be.

Harry should have expected that Dumbledore would respond to this news. Near the end of breakfast, McGonagall approached Harry.

'The Headmaster has asked you to report to his study right after breakfast,' she said, her voice dripping with distaste. 'Do be careful,' she added in a quiet voice, 'The Weasley incident involving Liquid Luck reeks of the Headmaster's involvement.'

Harry and Hermione nodded and finished their breakfast in silence before hurrying up to Dumbledore's study. Harry wanted nothing less than to get this over with and leave for Hogsmeade. Dumbledore was not worth missing a trip for.

'Ah, Harry, come in,' Dumbledore said jovially, 'Miss Granger, you may join your friends in Hogsmeade.'

Harry frowned. 'I've already made this clear, sir. I want Hermione in on everything we discuss.'

Dumbledore sighed. 'Harry, discretion is very important…who we disclose information – '

'Sure,' Harry interrupted, 'That's why I don't spill my heart to any random first-year. Hermione, on the other hand…if you don't accept her presence, then we'll both leave.'

'Very well. Take a seat, Harry, Miss Granger.'

Harry and Hermione sat down opposite Dumbledore and looked at him with blank expressions. Harry consciously strengthened the defences of his mind and avoided looking Dumbledore directly in the eye.

'You must have seen the, ah, "article", published in the Prophet this morning,' Dumbledore began conversationally.

Harry nodded. 'We have.'

'Harry, you do recall when I told you that the information on the Prophecy must be kept confidential?'

Harry nodded. 'I do.'

'Then may I ask why you decided to disclose this information to the Daily Prophet?'

'I did not disclose the information to the Prophet,' Harry said flatly, 'You read the article, sir. An unknown source in the Department of Mysteries did. I didn't even know that the Department of Mysteries kept a record of the Prophecy until I read the article.'

Dumbledore frowned. 'The Unspeakables swear an oath to never disclose the secrets of their Department, Harry.'

'Then someone must've broke it,' Harry replied simply.

Dumbledore looked at him for a few seconds and Harry felt a sudden intrusion into his mind. He shifted his mind magic and directed his Legilimency probe away from the truth of his plans with Sirius and towards his feigned surprised reaction when he first saw the article that morning.

'That is a possibility,' Dumbledore conceded when he withdrew his Legilimency probe. 'But the news of secrets being leaked from the Department of Mysteries brings with it a second problem.'

'Which is?'

'The Ministry could very well use this as an excuse to persecute innocent people, Harry,' Dumbledore said seriously. 'Could you imagine what would happen if the Ministry spins this story to justify another round of arrests and interrogations? They could very well be throwing people who still stand a chance to be made to see their wrongs into Azkaban.'

'You mean Death Eaters or pure-blood supremacists that would join them in a heartbeat?' Harry asked sharply.

'Harry, that is a very black-and-white characterization of the world that you must avoid.'

'That I must avoid?' Harry shot incredulously. 'These are people who have no problem subjugating people that they consider "lower" than them, that use the excuse of "pure-blood" to justify unacceptable prejudice and violence. How could you think that they do not deserve to be punished for their crimes?'

'Forgiveness is important, Harry,' Dumbledore said, unfazed, 'To demand retribution for every small wrong is the path to Going Dark.'

'You obviously believe strongly in this, sir,' Harry replied, attempting to sound respectful, 'But I have to disagree. If small offences are not met with fitting punishment, then does that not implicitly condone greater offences in the future?'

Dumbledore sighed and remained silent for a few moments, looking pensive. 'Harry,' he said finally, 'I have been…concerned…by your choice of friends in the last year.'

'How so?' Harry demanded.

'First, you shunned Mister Weasley over a petty issue of his teenage insecurity,' Dumbledore recounted. 'In his place, you befriended Mister Longbottom, Miss Weasley, and Miss Lovegood, all of whom, I daresay, are less…devoted…to your well-being than Mister Weasley. Then, you continued by befriending Miss Bones. Her aunt, as I am sure you know, is a very powerful individual in the Ministry. Pardon my bluntness, but that appears like a play for political power that does not suit your best interests in the long run.'

'Finally, you became acquainted with Miss Greengrass. Although, I should say, she is not one with the likes of Miss Parkinson or Mister Nott, she still comes from a grey background. I am…concerned…that you're being pushed more towards the dark by her influence, Harry.'

'Let me make this clear, Headmaster,' Harry replied in a clipped tone, fuming. 'I did not shun Ron because of "petty insecurity", as you said. He verbally abused both me and Hermione on countless occasions. He tried to dose us with Amortentia, Headmaster. Have you heard about this incident? If you had, I'm surprised that he has not been expelled from school – '

'Mister Weasley's infractions have been dealt with, Harry.'

'Sure they have,' Harry spat. 'I didn't see you hand out any punishment for his actions, Headmaster. Or do you secretly condone them? I'm only refraining from pressing charges with the DMLE because I don't want the rest of his family to be negatively affected by his actions.'

'Be that as it may, Harry, I am the Headmaster of this school, and I have been let known about this incident and have handed out the appropriate measures,' Dumbledore said in a voice that demanded finality. 'I ask that you do not discuss this again. However, I am still concerned about the rest of the group that you associate with and call your friends.'

'I did not realize that I had to justify my personal relationships to you, Headmaster,' Harry said acidly.

'You are my student, Harry, and I have a right to be concerned.'

'Then I'll tell you that there's no reason to be concerned,' Harry replied, 'They're all my friends. They're loyal and care for me, Hermione, and each other. All of them are fifty times the friend that Ron ever was.'

Dumbledore frowned. 'Perhaps you still should re-evaluate your choices, Harry.'

'If I wanted to, I will do that on my own accord and not on yours, thank you, Headmaster.'

Dumbledore sighed. 'Very well. Perhaps you should not head into Hogsmeade this morning, Harry. After all, I'm certain that you would not like to be bothered by the fallout of this…gossip…'

'Headmaster,' Harry growled, his patience at an end, 'I've been gossiped about and slandered from the first day I set foot here. Never once have you done anything to help. Why is it that you're telling me this now? Why is it that you wait until now to try and "protect" me from gossip? No, Headmaster, I'll be okay. I'll be with my friends, friends that you never bothered to understand the value of in your fixation with Ron Weasley.'


A/N: Why is Neville's Patronus a dolphin? I was looking on the list of Pottermore Patronuses to pick one for him and I thought the dolphin (which is an uncommon variant) was perfect. As Ginny said, dolphins are strong and intelligent marine mammals that are nonetheless gentle to things they do not consider food or thoroughly annoy them. They thrive best in tight-knit pods. Neville was a loner who thought himself a near squib until he found his group. It is also an unusual form, and Neville is certainly an unusual wizard.

Susan's Patronus is a hedgehog, which I thought suited her since she is generally gentle and minds her own business, but if you provoke her (ahem, Ron), she will fight back with her 'spikes'.

As for why Daphne's is an albatross…there is a reason.

I originally intended for the final pairing for Neville to be with Luna, but I'm just nowhere near as good at writing Luna as I am at writing some other characters and as such really neglected the development of the N/L relationship. So instead of forcing an inadequately developed pairing on the story for 'wish fulfilment reasons' like writers whose names start with 'J' and end with '-ing', I decided to end the Neville/Luna relationship right now and pursue a different route that made more sense in the context of where this story had gone and the chemistry between characters. To be clear, this is not an indictment against the Neville/Luna ship (which I like a lot more than Ron/Luna and Neville/Ginny), but rather an adjustment that had to be made as the story progressed. Fore warning, I will not be explicitly pairing everyone by the end of the story, but I will be giving Neville a clear pairing. I think these last few chapters throw out some hints on the final pairing for Neville.