Disclaimer: Harry Potter is from the creative genius that is J.K. Rowling.
I am not her. This is merely a fan fiction to tide us over until Book 6.
A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. I have two more chapters to post than this is finish. I'm sure the next one will just blow a few people's minds. It will be posted along with the last one hopefully by Wednesday. Thanks for reading.
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Neville woke up the next morning confident and determined. Today was potions, and he knew the Veritaserum inside and out. He also was in a very chipper mood after dreaming of Ginny and that kiss.
He stretched out and flung his feet over the side of the bed. Once again he ran over his plan for the day in his head. Before breakfast, he was going to whisk Ginny off to somewhere private and share a couple more of those kisses at least. Then, he would grab a piece of toast at breakfast and rush down tot he dungeons to prepare everything for the contest. He's made the Veritaserum perfectly, get some answers from Snape, find Lestrange, revenge his parents and make sure she never got near Ginny again. Then, hopefully, he'd make it back to Hogwarts and Ginny Weasley's arms.
Getting out of bed, he looked around the dormitory room. Everything was normal, except for Ron's bed. He looked over to see the red head with a permanent scowl n his face and his brow twisted in anger – obviously in a petrificus totalus.
Neville smiled and looked over at Harry's bed. The other Gryffindor was pulling on his glasses to get ready for the day.
"I take it my wards worked Harry," Neville said gesturing toward Ron.
"Yeah, but next time just cast a silencing charm will ya?" Harry said groggily. "We don't need to hear you yelling Ginny's name out in your sleep or Ron trying to kill you."
"Jealous you don't have your own dreams?" Neville teased.
"About Ginny? No way. I've seen the Weasley temper and she has it in spades," he explained, before pulling open the chest of drawers to look for some clothes for the day. "Neville, what are you going to ask Snape today?"
Neville shrugged, although he knew perfectly well what all he was going to ask the potion master. "Just why he's a big git."
"You know Snape might not be that bad," he said, although it sounded forced. "He might have his reasons."
Neville scoffed. "I never thought I'd hear you defending Snape. I just want to know that's all."
"Nothing else?"
"No," he said forcefully, before getting up. "I'm going to get dressed than go find Ginny."
"I – I think maybe she already went down to breakfast or to the library," Harry said thinking quickly. "OWLS you know."
Neville grumbled, grabbed his clothes and dashed to the loo. The very pleasurable part of his plan had been side tracked, all that left to do was to grab the toast and go to the dungeons.
He had managed to make it down to the dungeons before anyone else had even really gotten to the Great Hall for breakfast. Opening the door, he saw Snape at his desk leaning over a stone basin that Neville immediately recognized as a Pensive.
"You're early Mr. Longbottom," Snape's cold voice echoed off the walls of the dungeon classroom.
"Last time I checked that wasn't a crime professor," Neville said harshly, pulling out his cauldron and setting ingredients out on the table.
"I was just about to write the instructions for Veritaserum on the board," Snape said grimly. "I do not wish for you to poison me because of your ignorance in potions."
"There is no need. I know the potion inside and out," Neville said strongly.
"Really? Forgive me for not having much faith in your potion making abilities," Snape snapped. "Afterall, I've been watching you fail for more than five years now."
Neville huffed and suddenly found himself angrily spitting out the instructions and ingredients for Veritaserum. Finally, he was nearing the end of the instructions, "Normally this takes a full moon cycle to mature –"
"Then tell me Mr. Longbottom how we can make it in one class lesson?" Snape interrupted smirking.
Neville returned his smirk and continued, "Normally this takes a full moon cycle to mature, however by adding four moonflowers at various stages of growth can produce as strong as Veritaserum as one made for the full moon cycle. However, its durancy will be shorter.
"Interesting," Snape said blandly. "Obviously you've been studying for once."
"Can we begin professor?" Neville asked harshly.
"I believe so," Snape said then pointed his wand at the door and muttered something before turning back to Neville. "Because of the sensitivity of this potion I have posted a notice to the rest of the class that this session is cancelled for them."
Neville frowned, but began to get to work.
An hour later, both Neville and Snap stood over two boiling cauldrons The potion inside both was clear and without fragrance.
Neville took a ladle and dipped it into the potion. Despite it boiling in the cauldron, the liquid cooled as soon it was lifted with the ladle. Quickly he poured it into the class. He noticed the potion master doing the same. Turning, the two stood face to face before exchanging glasses.
"I am surprised that it appears you have made the potion correctly Mr. Longbottom," sneered Snape.
"Bottoms up professor," Neville said sternly watching the professor drink his potion before driving his. Sitting the glass down, Snape turned to Neville.
"What is it you want to know Mr. Longbottom?"
"Many things professor," Neville said feeling the potion take affect. "First off why the hell you act like a prat to everyone – especially the Weasleys. Everyone I should say except your slimy Slytherins."
"I would appreciate it if you do not insult my house Mr. Longbottom," Snape said sternly. "But to answer your question, it is not my job to be a student's friend. It is my job to teach them potions and that takes dedication and strict rules. Students need to know no one will hold their hands throughout life. They need to pay attention to what they are doing or there could be deadly consequences. The Weasley's have a history of not looking at the consequences of their actions. If making sure they do things correctly makes me a 'prat' then I am happy to have that designation. There are many other reasons, but they are too lengthy to go into details. Now my questions – why are you so concerned about how people treat the Weasleys particularly Ginny Weasley. I understand you injured Mr. Malfoy recently in a fight over her."
"He was saying horrible things about the woman I love!" Neville said, realizing that it was the first time he actually said he loved Ginny out loud. "I'm going to marry Ginny Weasley and no one is going to hurt a single hair on her head."
"Trying to protect her like you father did your mother?"
"Yes,' Neville growled, his hands turning to fists. "I know you were there that night. Tell me what happened!"
"I can show you," Snape said walking over to his desk and picking up the Pensive. "You know what this is?"
"A Pensive."
"I assume you know what it does then."
"Yes."
"Then let's have a look at what happened that night."
Neville looked into the stone basin. Soon he felt himself twirling as he entered Snape's memories.
A/N: Sorry this has taken so long. I have two more chapters to post than this is finish. I'm sure the next one will just blow a few people's minds. It will be posted along with the last one hopefully by Wednesday. Thanks for reading.
======================================================================
Neville woke up the next morning confident and determined. Today was potions, and he knew the Veritaserum inside and out. He also was in a very chipper mood after dreaming of Ginny and that kiss.
He stretched out and flung his feet over the side of the bed. Once again he ran over his plan for the day in his head. Before breakfast, he was going to whisk Ginny off to somewhere private and share a couple more of those kisses at least. Then, he would grab a piece of toast at breakfast and rush down tot he dungeons to prepare everything for the contest. He's made the Veritaserum perfectly, get some answers from Snape, find Lestrange, revenge his parents and make sure she never got near Ginny again. Then, hopefully, he'd make it back to Hogwarts and Ginny Weasley's arms.
Getting out of bed, he looked around the dormitory room. Everything was normal, except for Ron's bed. He looked over to see the red head with a permanent scowl n his face and his brow twisted in anger – obviously in a petrificus totalus.
Neville smiled and looked over at Harry's bed. The other Gryffindor was pulling on his glasses to get ready for the day.
"I take it my wards worked Harry," Neville said gesturing toward Ron.
"Yeah, but next time just cast a silencing charm will ya?" Harry said groggily. "We don't need to hear you yelling Ginny's name out in your sleep or Ron trying to kill you."
"Jealous you don't have your own dreams?" Neville teased.
"About Ginny? No way. I've seen the Weasley temper and she has it in spades," he explained, before pulling open the chest of drawers to look for some clothes for the day. "Neville, what are you going to ask Snape today?"
Neville shrugged, although he knew perfectly well what all he was going to ask the potion master. "Just why he's a big git."
"You know Snape might not be that bad," he said, although it sounded forced. "He might have his reasons."
Neville scoffed. "I never thought I'd hear you defending Snape. I just want to know that's all."
"Nothing else?"
"No," he said forcefully, before getting up. "I'm going to get dressed than go find Ginny."
"I – I think maybe she already went down to breakfast or to the library," Harry said thinking quickly. "OWLS you know."
Neville grumbled, grabbed his clothes and dashed to the loo. The very pleasurable part of his plan had been side tracked, all that left to do was to grab the toast and go to the dungeons.
He had managed to make it down to the dungeons before anyone else had even really gotten to the Great Hall for breakfast. Opening the door, he saw Snape at his desk leaning over a stone basin that Neville immediately recognized as a Pensive.
"You're early Mr. Longbottom," Snape's cold voice echoed off the walls of the dungeon classroom.
"Last time I checked that wasn't a crime professor," Neville said harshly, pulling out his cauldron and setting ingredients out on the table.
"I was just about to write the instructions for Veritaserum on the board," Snape said grimly. "I do not wish for you to poison me because of your ignorance in potions."
"There is no need. I know the potion inside and out," Neville said strongly.
"Really? Forgive me for not having much faith in your potion making abilities," Snape snapped. "Afterall, I've been watching you fail for more than five years now."
Neville huffed and suddenly found himself angrily spitting out the instructions and ingredients for Veritaserum. Finally, he was nearing the end of the instructions, "Normally this takes a full moon cycle to mature –"
"Then tell me Mr. Longbottom how we can make it in one class lesson?" Snape interrupted smirking.
Neville returned his smirk and continued, "Normally this takes a full moon cycle to mature, however by adding four moonflowers at various stages of growth can produce as strong as Veritaserum as one made for the full moon cycle. However, its durancy will be shorter.
"Interesting," Snape said blandly. "Obviously you've been studying for once."
"Can we begin professor?" Neville asked harshly.
"I believe so," Snape said then pointed his wand at the door and muttered something before turning back to Neville. "Because of the sensitivity of this potion I have posted a notice to the rest of the class that this session is cancelled for them."
Neville frowned, but began to get to work.
An hour later, both Neville and Snap stood over two boiling cauldrons The potion inside both was clear and without fragrance.
Neville took a ladle and dipped it into the potion. Despite it boiling in the cauldron, the liquid cooled as soon it was lifted with the ladle. Quickly he poured it into the class. He noticed the potion master doing the same. Turning, the two stood face to face before exchanging glasses.
"I am surprised that it appears you have made the potion correctly Mr. Longbottom," sneered Snape.
"Bottoms up professor," Neville said sternly watching the professor drink his potion before driving his. Sitting the glass down, Snape turned to Neville.
"What is it you want to know Mr. Longbottom?"
"Many things professor," Neville said feeling the potion take affect. "First off why the hell you act like a prat to everyone – especially the Weasleys. Everyone I should say except your slimy Slytherins."
"I would appreciate it if you do not insult my house Mr. Longbottom," Snape said sternly. "But to answer your question, it is not my job to be a student's friend. It is my job to teach them potions and that takes dedication and strict rules. Students need to know no one will hold their hands throughout life. They need to pay attention to what they are doing or there could be deadly consequences. The Weasley's have a history of not looking at the consequences of their actions. If making sure they do things correctly makes me a 'prat' then I am happy to have that designation. There are many other reasons, but they are too lengthy to go into details. Now my questions – why are you so concerned about how people treat the Weasleys particularly Ginny Weasley. I understand you injured Mr. Malfoy recently in a fight over her."
"He was saying horrible things about the woman I love!" Neville said, realizing that it was the first time he actually said he loved Ginny out loud. "I'm going to marry Ginny Weasley and no one is going to hurt a single hair on her head."
"Trying to protect her like you father did your mother?"
"Yes,' Neville growled, his hands turning to fists. "I know you were there that night. Tell me what happened!"
"I can show you," Snape said walking over to his desk and picking up the Pensive. "You know what this is?"
"A Pensive."
"I assume you know what it does then."
"Yes."
"Then let's have a look at what happened that night."
Neville looked into the stone basin. Soon he felt himself twirling as he entered Snape's memories.
