I dropped the brush and stared at myself in the mirror. Maybe. Maybe today my parents will look up and see that the round-faced boy in front of them is their son. Maybe, they'll smile and hug me and we'll be happy again. Then, I'll hand them a chocolate frog and we'll share it together. They'll tell me how clever I am for remembering that chocolate frogs are their favorite snacks. Then, outta nowhere Dumbledore will appear! He'll hand me a trophy and a badge that says, Head Boy. Snape willt ell me, "Neville you have an A+ in my class." Mum'll leave a red lipstick mark on my cheek. A glance of a photograph from a few Christmases ago showed me trying to hug me Mum n Dad. Dad was absentmindedly ripping a newspaper but Mum was disturbing. She stared expressionless in the camera. Blankly, forbiddingly. I remembered a visit from when I was very young. Gran had told me "that my parents were different now". Tha they would probably "never be the same". She said that they had almost drowned in the river. Gran really never did tell me the truth. I learned from gossip. The truth...... that You-Know-Who had killed my parents. They were trying to be light. Bright light taht dances up and down and everywhere. Light that's so happy and joyous......... could be a song or a piece of music. But He-who-Must-Noy-Be-Named wanted dark.. Dark that seeps through your mind , covering your mind with living hell. When I visited them for the first time, I rushed over to Dad, hoping for him to pick me up and swing me around like always. But he tunred around........ walked the other way. And I sat, and I cried deeply. Wondering why? Why wouldn't he pick me up? Why wouldn't he love me? It would never happen. Mum n Dad would never be the same. "Neville?"Gran asked softly. She was ready. Red handbag, hat with stuffed vulture and all. "Time to go."she hoarsely whispered. Gran was getting on in her years and it showed. Never, never, never. The harsh word reverberated in my mind like a tom-tom drum. Never, never, never. But, as we were leaving I stuffed a chocolate frog in my pocket. Just in case.