Disclaimer: Harry Potter, his friends, enemies and all respective items and characters (beasts or beings) from the novels and novellas of J. K. Rowling are hers by moral right and legal copyright. All new creations are my own fictions by moral right.
Authors Note: I am not sure about this chapter. I think I have pushed Neville too far. What do you all think? It might need to be toned down a bit. Chapter 7 ,where Neville and Snape meet again, needs this to be right.
Neville "Romeo" Longbottom
Chapter 6 - The Wrong Day
Crabbe told his friend Goyle "Lets have some fun!" indicating a favourite target of their bullying headed their way, down the corridor. No one else was in sight.
"So if it isn't our old friend, Longbottom." Crabbe said as Neville approached. Without Draco there to direct, Goyle and Crabbe made a tragic mistake. They failed to notice the very different expression on their intended victims face than the one he usually wore.
"So Longbottom, how was the Weasley girl. I have been thinking of seeing for myself. After all, if she will sleep with you, she would sleep with anyone. Ha ha" Goyle laughed but not for long.
"You picked the wrong day, Goyle!" Neville replied and Goyle went down like a sack of potatoes, Neville's fist having made a sizeable dent in Goyle's face. Crabbe leaped forward, fists raised but Neville grabbed his arms and smashed his head into the boy's nose. Crabbe too, fell to the floor with a bloody face. Neville walked over the two bodies and continued on his way.
People in the corridors that afternoon wondered about the look on the face of the Gryffindor's fifth year. It held a fierceness they had never seen there before. That and the blood on the forehead made most of the students move aside from his path.
"Neville, are you bleeding?" Hermione asked him as they met in the Entrance Hall outside the Great Hall.
"Bleeding? No, I don't think so. Why?" Neville replied.
"On your forehead, Neville, it looks like blood." Hermione told him. Neville wiped his hand across his forehead and it came away with dried blood on it.
"It must be Crabbe's," Neville replied nonchantly, puzzling his friend more.
"LONGBOTTOM, How dare you!" Draco stormed into the Entrance Hall. "Goyle and Crabbe are in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey says it will take a week to heal the damage you did to their faces."
"I thought it was an improvement, myself." Neville replied calmly.
Draco was speechless with rage and his face flushed purple. He went to draw his wand but Neville drew his so fast, his hand seemed nothing but a blur. Draco was looking straight into the wand of Neville Longbottom, his own still trapped in his pocket.
"Don't even think about it, Malfoy or you'll be joining your friends in the hospital wing." Neville hissed with such a threatening tone that everyone in the Entrance Hall stopped dead in their tracks and stared.
Draco knew he couldn't win, for now. "You'll keep Longbottom." He said as he turned and walked into the Great Hall.
"Neville, what have you been doing?" Hermione asked in a very concerned tone.
"What I always wanted to do, Hermione." Neville replied seeming unconcerned, "Shall we go in for dinner?"