Chapter Eight: To Forgive.
Snow had been falling lazily over the
gardens of Hogworts for the last week. It was bitterly cold in the light of
pre-dawn as the horseless carriage arrived. Professor Dumbledore and Professor
McGonagall greeted Neville and Hagrid as they disembarked.
Later that morning, Neville was
re-introduced to the Gryffindor house at their banqueting table in the Great
Hall. Everyone was initially surprised to see Neville and welcomed him back in
the polite yet duplicitous fashion of those who have been gossiping about him
but were now once more his best friend once more.
Harry and Ginny both asked to see if
Neville was okay, only to be reassured frantically and with some irritation:
Neville did not seem to be bearing up well under all of this attention.
Hermione stood up and sat next to him to hold his quivering hands until Neville
felt much better.
There were dark whispers coming from the
Slytherin table. Draco was staring into the back of Neville's head, which Harry
could see from where he was sitting and duly returned the stare. The Ravenclaw
and Hufflepuff tables talked quietly and gossiped about the two rival Houses,
knowing that something big and possibly bloody was brewing once more between
them.
Professor Dumbledore and his phalanx of
tutors arrived and the Great Hall settled down to yet another morning's
breakfast. Tutors and pupils from Bauxbatons and Durmstrang were here too, so
the Great Hall was more richly decorated than usual. The food came and went,
and Hermione noticed that Neville was eating little, his knife and fork
slipping once or twice from his uncontrollable fingers. Hermione reassured him
throughout and at the end of the meal, Neville rest his head on Hermione's
shoulder, sweating and exhausted from the apparent difficulty of the task.
Ron and Harry were staring and whispering
about Hermione and Neville throughout breakfast, but Hermione suspected they
might and shot out many harsh and accusing stares as Neville rested at her
side. Professor McGonagall patted Neville on the shoulder after coming to sit
opposite him and Neville seemed to brighten up.
Professor Dumbledore usually said
something to the assembled pupils before they started each day, and today was
no different, although his usual upbeat and inspirational manner was not with
him today as her stood up.
"Good morning Hogworts. Today, I am
not going to talk to you or lecture you. Today, someone here, a fine pupil, has
asked to speak to you all. At first, I was unsure, but he felt it was a most
necessary thing to do. And after hearing him, I am certain you will agree that
what he has to say will affect us all. He is being very brave for doing this,
so please do show some compassion and try and understand what it is that he has
been through. Neville Longbottom, if you will, please come up here."
Everyone turned to stare at Neville in
stunned silence. Hermione stood up immediately and began to clap her hands as
Neville began to rise next to her. Within seconds, every Gryffindor had joined
in and soon the applause had spread to the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. The
Slytherins hissed amoungst themselves and looked disgusted.
Neville reached the head table and as the
applause stopped, realised that all eyes were on him. He looked at Ginny as he
began. Ginny dared a glance to Harry, who returned it equally bewildered.
"M-many." he said and stopped. Professor
Dumbledore held his arm to support him and feeling slightly more confident, he
took a deep breath and continued.
"Many of you will have heard, or
thought you have heard about what has happened between myself and Draco Malfoy.
Many of you will have heard about what has happened and some of you may even
have heard why this has happened. The simple truth is, I don't know why it
happened."
Pupils began to mutter amoungst themselves
and Draco and his table of Slytherins were becoming more and more unsettled.
But Neville took another breath and continued.
"I am here to apologise to Draco
Malfoy. I am here to say sorry for using the Cruciatus spell upon him. I never
intended for this to go this far and I beg forgiveness from all of you here
today."
Draco Malfoy stood up and called "You
should be expelled Longbottom! It's against the law to use any of the forbidden
curses and you know it!" he yelled and his tablemates began chanting
"Out! Out! Out! Out!"
Professor Snape allowed his House to upset
Neville's speech and ensure all of the other Houses were up in arms when he
decided to put his own House in order, as did not wish to appear weak in front
of the other teachers. He stood up and bellowed "Silence! We will not
allow our House to sink to the level of name-calling. I have already ensured
Longbottom is punished severely enough. Now quietly sit down!" As the
grumbling Slytherins began retaking their seats, Snape added callously
"You may continue your begging, Longbottom." And at this, the Slytherins
roared with derisive laughter.
Victor Krum and his visitin contingent of
Durmstrang pupils smiled, but Victor saw the disapproval in Hermione's face and
remained quiet.
Many of the Gryffindor pupils were
complaining and muttering in anger, but Professor McGonagall did nothing to
object to Snape's outrageous insults. Eventually, all eyes turned back to
Neville. Neville looked around and without any warning, vaulted the top table
and strode towards Draco Malfoy, his eyes fixed upon him. Everyone watched in
stunned fascination.
When Neville was in the middle of the
Hall, he stopped and called "Please could you come here Draco?"
"Make me Longbottom!" sneered
Draco.
"I cannot make you, I only ask you. I
will ask you again-"
"No way Longbottom!" called
Draco. Everyone began chatting around the Great Hall.
"Ok, then I will come to you
Draco." said Neville wearily.
Professor Dumbledore waved away the
pesterings of his fellow teachers as Neville bore down on Draco. As Neville got
to within a few feet of Draco, he fell at his feet. The Durmstrang tutor
Karkarov sat back at smiled at the display unfolding in front of him, admonishing
the attempts to keep order in his head.
"I am sorry for using the Cruciatus
spell on you. Please accept my apology. I vow never to do this to you again in
Hogworts." called out Neville.
Draco placed one foot on Neville's
shoulder and pushed him over. "Get away from me Longbottom." he
sneered. "I'll see you expelled for this."
Gryffindor table exploded and pupils from
all tables began to shout out against the others.
"This is too much!" cried Ron to
Harry. "We can't let them do this to Neville - we just can't!"
"But what can we do?" replied
Harry.
Ron stopped. He could not think of an
answer that would not result in someone else getting punished or expelled.
The House tutors regained calm and silence
instantly. In the heated silence, Neville had returned to the centre of the
Great Hall. He turned and addressed everyone.
"When I was much younger, my parents
were hit by the Cruciatus spell whilst battling against an agent of Voldemort.
I visit them every fourth weekend in their beds, from which they have yet to
wake up from. I have no parents to look after me or help me cope with the many
pressures of Hogworts. I know I am not alone in this, so do not use this solely
as an excuse."
Neville looked at Harry briefly, then at
Ginny, and then back to Draco before continuing over the background whispering
pupils. "What I did to Draco was an act of evil. The Cruciatus spell is
something I live with every day of my life. Sometimes, when I see happiness in
others, I am jealous. Sometimes, when I am threatened or pushed too far, I feel
like surrendering and using the Cruciatus spell myself. I slipped and used it
against Draco. For this I am truly sorry. But let us not forget that we are
here to learn to overcome our differences and defeat those who would side with
Voldemort and crush us all with evil. Let my weakness be a source of strength
for you all."
Everyone stared at him, open-mouthed.
"Erm... That's it." he muttered.
Neville looked strangely calmer as he
returned to his chair. The Gryffindor table burst into applause and the Great
Hall all began cheering. Ginny smiled at Neville.
Hermione held his hand and beamed "Oh
well done! You were very brave!"
Neville smiled.