Chapter Eighteen – Visits of Reassurance

Snow now covered the Hogwarts grounds, and the excitement of the Gryffindors winning the Quidditch Cup still was recognizable in the air. The decorations still lingered in the common room, and people still came up to Harry to congratulate him on his amazing ability to run a team.

But the three friends continued to endlessly worry about their missing friend, Hagrid. Harry continued to take care of Treacle, though the owl was usually found in the owl tower along with the others.

Dumbledore would occasionally come to them in the halls, and say, "He is fine," but this wasn't reassuring enough to Hermione, Ron, and especially Harry.

Though they trusted him to say if anything were wrong, the three repeated words weren't enough to keep them from finding out themselves.

"Treacle, find Hagrid, and give this letter to him," Harry said one night, up in the owlery. "Don't let anyone have it but Hagrid, okay?"

Treacle nipped his finger, and flew out the window, leaving Harry to his thoughts.

As he turned to walk out, another person ran into him, causing Harry to fall into a pile of owl feces.

"Oh, sorry Harry," Neville said. He walked over to an owl, and tied a letter to him. "Didn't see you there."

Harry sneered. "That's okay, Neville. Whom're you sending the letter to?"

"My grandmother. Just confirming that we'll be going to see someone during Christmas break."

"Your parents?"

Neville jumped, startled by Harry's reaction. "What?"

Harry bit his lip, remembering that Neville didn't know that Harry knew about his parents. "Sorry, Nev."

"How do you know about my parents?"

"Just a guess, Neville. I don't know anything," Harry lied.

Defensively, Neville said, "They're going to get better. Someone's going to help me. And I'll have my parents back!"

Harry looked at him sadly. "Neville, it's okay. Lots of people don't have parents."

"Like who?"

Smiling, Harry said, "Well…like me, for instance."

Neville forced a smile back. "I'm sorry, Harry. You…you just don't know what it's like."

"Well, Neville, I guess I don't. But this guy…he's really going to help you? He must be a good guy."

Neville smirked. "Think what you want, Harry," he said, and left.

Harry just stood with a strange expression on his face.

^*^*^

Neville stepped off the Hogwarts Express, and found his grandmother waiting for him near the back of the small crowd. He waddled his way towards her, beaming brightly. He welcomed her with a hug, and then hurried back to the train in order to get his few bags which he brought with him.

"Gram, remember that my…friend, will be joining us when we visit mum and dad," Neville said as they began to leave the station.

Gram smiled at him. "Of course, dear. It'll be nice for me to see you get with your friends."

Neville just nodded, slightly ashamed for lying to his own grandmother.

Just as he began to leave, a hand suddenly fell upon Neville's shoulder.

"Neville, I know what you're doing."

Neville turned and faced Draco Malfoy, who was staring at him with intense, gray eyes.

"Huh?"

Draco glared at him. "With your parents. With Voldemort. And Harry."

He shrugged Draco's hand off his shoulder. "What are you talking about, Malfoy?"

"Don't do it, Neville. Don't become me." Draco blinked sadly at Neville, and then turned and walked away, head down.

Neville glared at the back of Draco's head, cursing him silently.

*^*^*

"I'm dreadfully sorry, Neville, I really am. But due to circumstances…"

"But you promised!" Neville shouted, daring to discipline a man who had never been disciplined in his life. "And I thought Voldemort was a man of his word."

Voldemort frowned. "Oh, I am, Neville! I really am. But you see…"

"But I see no reason for you not to come to my parents, and set things right. Unless, you did in fact lie to me, in which case there'd be no reason for me to assist you in the killing of Harry Pott—"

"I will help you!" shouted Voldemort, in a rage. "But you must understand! There are some matters that will come first. Such as, your funeral arrangements, if you persist…"

Neville gulped at the threat, and sighed. "Yes, My Lord…"

He walked out.

Shawn blinked at Voldemort. "Master, why do you let him treat you so...well, he's just...not a real Death Eater, it seems."

Voldemort shook his head. "Because of me, Neville is growing braver. The braver we get him, the quicker he'll destroy Potter. Besides, if we make him strong, it will allow him to feel good about himself. And when he realizes the it was because of joining me, he won't want to leave."

^*^*^

The doors swung open, and Neville walked in, followed by his grandmother. His expression was how it always was; sad, disturbed, and lonely. But the expression of fear was not visible in his eyes, like it usually was when he stepped into Saint Mungos. He gradually began to lose his fear when he started working with Voldemort.

Down the hall, to the right, fifth door on the left. Knock. Open, sit in the empty chairs. A routine he had been through hundreds of times. He looked at his parents, who were in wheelchairs, staring blankly out the window.

Neville and his grandmother sat there for hours, just watching, and speaking to Genevieve and Frank, though they knew quite well that there was no way they could communicate back. Neville was used to that. But the idea that there was some way they could be better, some way they could be okay, and they weren't getting that opportunity, was unnerving to him. He cursed Voldemort for letting him down, but knew that he would help his parents eventually. After all, Voldemort's a man of his word.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Neville's grandmother stood, and motioned for Neville to say goodbye to his parents. He stood and kissed each on the cheek. He then whispered into his father's ear, "Don't worry dad. I promise, you'll be okay. Tell mom. You two are going to get better. I have it under control."