This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Word Count: 589

Title: Finding My Feet

Note:

Warnings:

Beta: Kidasong, Butterflies765

Golden Snitch

[Name] Crissie

[School] Uagadou

[House] Ogyinae

Quidditch League:

[Team]:

[Position]

[Theme]: Quidditch Supplies

[Prompts]:

[Theme]: Book Club

[Prompts]:

[Theme]: Pokemon

[Prompts]:

International Wizarding School Competition:

[School]: Durmstrang

[Prompts]:

[Theme]:

[Position] Exchange

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

[House]:

[Assignment]:

[Task]:

The House Cup:

[House]: Gryffindor

[Class] Charms

[Prompts]: [Character] Neville Longbottom

[Category]: Drabble

Hogwarts

Assignment 8: Oneirology: Dreams - Halloween Edition: Write about someone feeling powerless

Yearly:

Seasonally:

Quarterly:

Writing Club:

Oracle Challenge:

Fortnightly:

1:

2:

"Neville. For once, stand up for yourself!" Luna demanded.

I felt my face pale even more; I didn't like when Luna got angry. She was usually so calm; it wasn't typical for her to lose it. Then again, she probably wasn't used to dating guys like me. I often wondered why I was chosen for Gryffindor despite my vehement protests. I was scared of a lot of things, but topping that list was Luna Lovegood when she finally lost her temper.

Malfoy had been harassing me again, calling me stupid and fat, but even he went quiet when my girlfriend showed up. Picking on her was easy too, but it didn't seem to be as satisfying for him to bother the blonde without the reaction I have- dropping her belongings and almost tearing a seam on her robes trying to gather the items that fell.

"Longbottom, even your girlfriend thinks you're worthless," Malfoy sneered, gesturing for his cronies to follow him.

I was so frazzled I had stopped collecting my things. I sat frozen in some sort of strange limbo, wondering: if I sat there long enough, would the floor open up and swallow me?

Luna sighed, seeming to realize her temper wasn't helping matters, but instead of helping me gather my things, she stared at me for a full minute before leaving as well. Perhaps she remembered the last time I was bullied- she tried to stand up for me, and somehow just made them taunt me more.

tThe students scattered, and I wondered if the bell had rung, and I just hadn't heard it. Something finally seemed to click, and my awareness returned to what I had been doing—sitting in the middle of the abandoned hallway with my belongings all around me, I started grabbing books and stuffing them haphazardly into my book bag.

"Mister Longbottom, why aren't you in class?" The voice belonged to none other than the headmaster himself, Albus Dumbledore.

"Sir, I had a bit of an accident," I admitted, looking at my shoes as I got to my feet.

"I see that," Dumbledore said, his eyes glittering over his half-moon glasses. The silence continues between us, and I am forced to say more.

"I am a bit worried about being late for Potions though, sir," I admitted reluctantly.

To my surprise, the headmaster laughed. "Professor Snape scares the best of us sometimes," he shared with a conspiratorial wink. "Come. I can help with that." He tilted his head in the direction of the Potions classroom, and I followed Dumbledore, wondering where the voice inside me that had spoken up to the headmaster had come from, and if that voice would ever be able to speak up to Severus Snape himself.

I was right behind Dumbledore as he opened the door, interrupting Snape mid-lecture. "My most sincere apologies for keeping Mr Longbottom, Professor. I was speaking to him about some important business."

Snape seemed to suspect knew he was lying, his eyes narrowed in disbelief and his jaw was clenched, but by some miracle, Snape just nodded in agreement, indicating that I should take my seat. The entire class was watching me, eyes wide, and I felt my nerves returning. I had to focus on my feet, making sure to reach my chair before my legs gave in beneath me.

One step at a time, I will someday find my courage; but today, it was enough to not trip and fall in front of my least favorite teacher and the classroom full of Slytherins.