Harry Potter and the Warriors of Zelcara
Neville Longbottom
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, not even sure he had heard him right.
"Well, I visit my parents every chance I get during the summer holidays, and when I do I read to them, usually from the Daily Prophet. Anyway, I was reading them a back issue, the one which discussed the Azkaban prison break. I came to the part about the Lestranges', and my mother and father's heads snapped around like I'd said "You-know-Who's name. then, now I don't know why I told them this (I haven't even told Gran everything about it), but I told them all about our . . . er . . . escapade down in the department of mysteries.
"I told them all the details. I told them how I had failed, and succeeded. I told them how I had been preparing, and how I had friends now. I told them about a girl I was starting to like. I just kept talking, ending with when I watched Bellatrix Lestrange get away.
"Do you know what they did then?" Neville's voice was wavering, yet he kept it low, so that no one else could hear. "My mother hugged me and said 'My poor baby.' My father said 'Atta boy Nev.' They have never even looked straight at me before, let alone acknowledged me as their son, or called me by name. I called the nurse and doctor, and told them what my parents had just done. Well they thought that I upset them and made me leave and said I couldn't come back for a few days.
"Two weeks later they flooed Gran and said that Mum and Dad were actually improving. That they were now actually recuperating. They could recognize pictures of old friends, they could speak coherently. They still didn't understand where they were, or what was happening, but they have been getting better.
"Gran says that they should be well enough to come home by the end of the term. She said they wouldn't be able to take care of me yet, but they would be well enough to leave St. Mungo's. I've been trying my best not to get my hopes up. When I was little I would always tell myself that it would only be a matter of days before they would get better. It always hurt when they never did."
Neville was visibly doing everything possible to keep from crying. Neville looked up with water eyes and said to Harry, "I know what my parents were really doing. My father told me about the Order. That is why I have been . . . trying to improve myself. I want to be like him. I want to be brave, I want to be strong, and I want to be someone my father is proud of."
Harry put his arm around Neville's shoulder's and said, "He would have no choice but to be proud of you Neville, you are already brave and you are getting stronger every day. What do you know about the Order?"
Neville let a smile sly smile cross his face, "I know that it used to be comprised of certain Potters, and lead by one Albus Dumbledore. My father also said that he knew a secret that only four other people knew. It was regarding the secret keeper of your parents Harry. Sirius didn't betray your parents, it was another friend of theirs."
"I know Neville. I met Sirius and Peter Pettigrew in our third year. Also Prof. Lupin was one of them."
"We'll I think you probably know more about the Order than I do." Neville was gathering himself again, "Tell them that when they're ready, that a Longbottom wants to carry on the family pride."
Harry couldn't help but smile. "I'll do more than that mate. I'll tell them that they just have to take you."
"Oh, I believe that was already the plan," Said a wise voice from behind them. The three teens turned around and found Prof. Dumbledore standing behind them. "Mr. Longbottom, it has been my plan, especially since seeing the way you conducted yourself in the Dept. of Mysteries, to induct yet another Longbottom into the Order, but you would have to wait, you are after all only sixteen." It was Dumbledore's trademark smile that he displayed now. The one that let you know he had more planned than anyone could possible imagine.
Dumbledore left with them all feeling better about where the day could go. The image of Malfoy admitting his father had never loved him was a good pick me up too.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I know this chap was short, but I wanted to set it aside and point out and explain the Changes Neville is going through, so some events in the future don't seem so out of the blue. I wanted to makes sure this part got attention. Don't worry, Harry gets to have a nice long chat in the next Chap.
Next chap: Of Padma and Parvati
Neville Longbottom
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, not even sure he had heard him right.
"Well, I visit my parents every chance I get during the summer holidays, and when I do I read to them, usually from the Daily Prophet. Anyway, I was reading them a back issue, the one which discussed the Azkaban prison break. I came to the part about the Lestranges', and my mother and father's heads snapped around like I'd said "You-know-Who's name. then, now I don't know why I told them this (I haven't even told Gran everything about it), but I told them all about our . . . er . . . escapade down in the department of mysteries.
"I told them all the details. I told them how I had failed, and succeeded. I told them how I had been preparing, and how I had friends now. I told them about a girl I was starting to like. I just kept talking, ending with when I watched Bellatrix Lestrange get away.
"Do you know what they did then?" Neville's voice was wavering, yet he kept it low, so that no one else could hear. "My mother hugged me and said 'My poor baby.' My father said 'Atta boy Nev.' They have never even looked straight at me before, let alone acknowledged me as their son, or called me by name. I called the nurse and doctor, and told them what my parents had just done. Well they thought that I upset them and made me leave and said I couldn't come back for a few days.
"Two weeks later they flooed Gran and said that Mum and Dad were actually improving. That they were now actually recuperating. They could recognize pictures of old friends, they could speak coherently. They still didn't understand where they were, or what was happening, but they have been getting better.
"Gran says that they should be well enough to come home by the end of the term. She said they wouldn't be able to take care of me yet, but they would be well enough to leave St. Mungo's. I've been trying my best not to get my hopes up. When I was little I would always tell myself that it would only be a matter of days before they would get better. It always hurt when they never did."
Neville was visibly doing everything possible to keep from crying. Neville looked up with water eyes and said to Harry, "I know what my parents were really doing. My father told me about the Order. That is why I have been . . . trying to improve myself. I want to be like him. I want to be brave, I want to be strong, and I want to be someone my father is proud of."
Harry put his arm around Neville's shoulder's and said, "He would have no choice but to be proud of you Neville, you are already brave and you are getting stronger every day. What do you know about the Order?"
Neville let a smile sly smile cross his face, "I know that it used to be comprised of certain Potters, and lead by one Albus Dumbledore. My father also said that he knew a secret that only four other people knew. It was regarding the secret keeper of your parents Harry. Sirius didn't betray your parents, it was another friend of theirs."
"I know Neville. I met Sirius and Peter Pettigrew in our third year. Also Prof. Lupin was one of them."
"We'll I think you probably know more about the Order than I do." Neville was gathering himself again, "Tell them that when they're ready, that a Longbottom wants to carry on the family pride."
Harry couldn't help but smile. "I'll do more than that mate. I'll tell them that they just have to take you."
"Oh, I believe that was already the plan," Said a wise voice from behind them. The three teens turned around and found Prof. Dumbledore standing behind them. "Mr. Longbottom, it has been my plan, especially since seeing the way you conducted yourself in the Dept. of Mysteries, to induct yet another Longbottom into the Order, but you would have to wait, you are after all only sixteen." It was Dumbledore's trademark smile that he displayed now. The one that let you know he had more planned than anyone could possible imagine.
Dumbledore left with them all feeling better about where the day could go. The image of Malfoy admitting his father had never loved him was a good pick me up too.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, I know this chap was short, but I wanted to set it aside and point out and explain the Changes Neville is going through, so some events in the future don't seem so out of the blue. I wanted to makes sure this part got attention. Don't worry, Harry gets to have a nice long chat in the next Chap.
Next chap: Of Padma and Parvati