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: So I lied. There will be a chapter after this one. Enjoy!

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"Why did you show me that?" Neville asked pointedly as soon as he was back in the classroom. Nothing much about Snape really made sense anymore, and he had to know the reason why Snape would show him that night. What was it he wanted to accomplish?

"It was something you needed to see to understand. Did that answer your questions?" Snape asked calmly.

"It created more than it answered. You're a spy and a vampire," he stated.

"Yes and partially. My father was a vampire. Only a small portion of blood runs through my veins of that species. Surely you pay attention enough in your defense class to know true vampires cannot go out in the sun," Snape said harshly. "If you have any more questions I would urge you to ask them now. You spent quite a bit of time in the Pensive, your potion will be worthless soon."

"As will yours," snapped Neville. Closing his eyes, he could still see the image of his parents on the floor in their kitchen. He could still see Bellatrix's smirk as she drank her tea, the same smirk she used when talking about torturing Ginny last year. Before he realized what he was truly doing, he was screaming at Snape. "WHERE IS BELLATRIX LESTRANGE?"

A scowl settled on the potion master's face, "She is with the Dark Lord."

"Where is that EXACTLY?"

"You would never get to her," Snape said condescendingly. "You would be dead before you reached the gates of the house."

"NO I WON'T!" Neville yelled almost in a fury. "She needs to pay for what has happened to my parents and for what she wanted to do to Ginny. I will NOT let her go by unpunished!"

"I will not let you kill yourself for some vendetta," snapped Snape. "Your parents deserve more of a fitting memorial than you foolishly running off to face something you know nothing about. You are unprepared and overconfident thanks to that idiotic placebo confidence potion Miss Granger dubbed you into taking."

"What?" Neville said confused. "You're lying."

"If I am that you didn't brew your Veritaserum incorrectly," Snape smirked.

Neville's thoughts raced. Hermione hadn't given him a confidence potion. Everything he had done was his own doing, not the potions. He had kissed Ginny, fought Malfoy, and stood up to Snape all on his own. Could he kill Lestrange too?

"Where is she?" he repeated, not as strongly as before.

"Would you truly get yourself killed for this?" Snape hissed. "You state you love Miss Weasley. How do you think she would react to this? How do you think your parents would?"

"Leave them out of this!" Neville snapped. "You didn't know them."

"I knew them longer than you did," Snape's cold voice stated. "The Dark Lord and Bellatrix are in his family home. You won't be able to even reach the door before you will be killed or made so you wish for death."

"That's where you're wrong," Neville said angrily. "I can."

"Not today Mr. Longbottom," came the grandfatherly voice of Professor Dumbledore from the doorway.

Both Snape and Neville looked at the headmaster. He wore a stern expression on his face as he looked between the two.

"I trust you let him know what happened Severus?" he asked gravely.

"Most of it headmaster," Snape replied straightening his robes and taking a seat at his desk. "But there are more questions Mr. Longbottom has that I'm afraid I do not know the answers to."

"I see," Dumbledore said before turning to Neville. "I believe I have the rest of the answers you seek."

"Unless it's where Bellatrix Lestrange is I don't want to hear them," Neville said sulking.

"You are not the only one who has a reason to go after her. However I understand your need to do so, but you are unprepared as of yet," the headmaster said taking a seat in one of the student chairs. "Mr. Potter, as I am sure you are aware, has been taking extra care to learn defensive spells and extra work in various classes. I am asking you to do the same. I know I cannot prevent you from seeking your revenge, but I can help prepare you for what happens."

"I don't want to wait. You didn't see it. You don't know what happened," Neville said angrily.

"I have seen Severus's pensive. I know what occurred."

"My mother didn't even have a wand to protect herself with."

"Ah, I believe that is partially my fault."

Neville looked up at the headmaster astonished. "What?"

The old man sighed, showing some of his age. "I learned last year from Mr. Potter not to try to keep things from people to protect them. Your mother and father, along with Mr. Potter's parents and others were part of a group called the Order of the Phoenix. Our goal was to defeat Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Your mother lost her wand two days prior in an attack. She was planning to go that next day and get a new one. There is also something else you must know that involves you and Mr. Potter, though I ask you not to ask him anything about it."

Confused Neville looked at the headmaster, but nodded that he would do as instructed.

"There was a prophecy made just before both you and Mr. Potter were born. Basically it stated that the one to vanquish Voldemort would be born late July to parent who had thrice defied him -- both your parents and Mr. Potter's had done so. However, the chosen one would be marked by Voldemort as an equal. Voldemort marked Harry the night his parent died."

Neville looked down trying to figure everything out in his mind. Just a jumble of information had been thrown at him in such a relatively short time. He could have been the one that would have had to kill He-Who-Shall- Not-Be-Named, his parents were part of a secret group to defeat Death Eaters, Snape saving him, his parents tortured. It was all too much.

"I understand this is a lot to take in," Dumbledore said softly. "But you needed to know."

"I know, but I still Bellatrix," Neville replied. "I have to make sure she doesn't do that again to someone I love."

"I presume you are speaking about Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore smirked, a twinkle lighting up in his eyes.

"Yes."

"Have you spoken to Miss Weasley about this and her role in why you want to go after Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"Well, no," Neville admitted.

"How do you think she'd react?" the headmaster asked glancing over at a slightly amused Professor Snape.

"I don't know."

"Ah, well," Dumbledore said standing up. "I happen to know at this moment Miss Weasley is in my office. I will excuse both of you for the remainder of the day's classes and you can discuss this with her. She does need to know, then if you still want to try to go after Bellatrix soon we will discuss it."

Neville nodded. Dumbledore opened the door to the classroom and motioned Neville to exit in front of him. As he did so, Snape came up behind the headmaster.

"Do you think this wise headmaster? After that little episode last night he may be safer going after Bellatrix," Snape said in all honesty. "I mean even Azkaban prisoners are given blindfolds before they are administered the kiss."