Next in Line

By: Chibi Pyro Duo and Sailor Ronin Usa

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: their respective owners own all Sailor Moon and Harry Potter. The story line belongs to Duo-chan and Usa-chan.

He blinked and sank out of the comforting darkness. Squinting from the oncoming light he blinked again and tried to sit up. "Mmmm..." he groaned and lay back down.

An unfamiliar female voice assaulted his eardrums, "You hit your head extremely hard." He groaned again in response, "My apologies, I didn't mean to scare you. I always forget that people are scared of me."

Neville opened his eyes and looked for the girl talking to him. On a chair next to his hospital bed sat the same blonde girl with a funny hairstyle in her medieval white dress. He did the only logical thing his mind could think of. He screamed.

The golden haired teenager covered her ears and whimpered.

The matron dressed in black and white threw back the hospital curtain, "What's wrong, child?" Neville pointed at the thin air that Serenity sat in. Madame Pomfrey looked at Neville, "Dearie you bumped your head rather hard on the floor. Are you sure that there is something there?" Neville nodded his head vigorously. Madame Pomfrey sighed, closed the curtain, and walked out of the Hospital Wing.

Neville looked at the girl, named Serenity if he recalled correctly, in fear. Serenity played with some of her endless supply of hair, "Oh, no need to be afraid of me. I'm harmless."

Neville gulped, eyed her very carefully, and started to back away slightly, "How can you be harmless?"

Serenity rolled her eyes and floated, "Oh, I can't do much besides floating." She lifted herself off the chair and moved towards Neville's bed. Neville backed away to the edge of the bed, "Oh come now, is that any way for Voldemort's defeater to act?"

"I'm not who you think I am." countered Neville as if saying the dreadful words would make the girl's words true.

"Of course you are." Serenity's eyes held total faith in him. Something the meek Neville was not ready cope with.

"I don't have the scar." The shy boy admitted almost silently, his voice holding no confidence in himself.

Serenity came nose to nose with Neville ceasing his protests, "You don't need a scar, that's purely superstition." Her cerulean blue eyes held a spark of annoyance at being disbelieved.

Madame Pomfrey ripped back the curtain, scaring Neville and he fell off the edge of the bed, "See Minerva something is wrong with him. He is talking to thin air."

"I'm sure the boy is fine Poppy," Minerva McGonagal snapped her disdainful gaze towards a sheepish looking Neville, "Don't want him to miss any more class." The former Deputy Head Mistress mumbled.

Poppy Pomfrey sighed as she lost another battle to keep a student from harm, "As you wish Head Mistress." Madame Pomfrey summoned Neville's clothes from a laundry basket. She placed the clothes on his bed and closed the curtain.

Neville lifted himself off of the chilly solid marble floor. Serenity floated above the bed with her legs in a cross-legged style. He reached for his clothes, and unfolded his jeans, "Umm Serenity do you mind?"

The naïve princess looked at Neville in confusion, "Hmmm?"

Neville shook his head and lifted up his jeans. Serenity blushed and promptly turned around. Neville also flushed in embarrassment as he himself turned around needlessly and changed.

After a couple of minutes of the two in question blushing from the rustling, zipping, and snapping noises Neville's voice told Serenity, "Okay you can turn around now."

Serenity floated around and smiled, "You look more comfortable now." Neville's eyes looked towards the ground in spineless shame, he yanked open the hospital wing curtain, "You know it would be nice if you listened!" Serenity silently thought, Oh he's just like Harry never listening. She floated after him down the halls and into the Gryffindor Common Room.

Noise of all the students that were socializing in the common room rang through Neville's ears, "McGonagal's the new Head..."

"Don't feel as safe as I use to..."

Neville sat on a couch and sighed, he heard two female fourth years prattling among themselves, "Since McGonagal's the new Head who's going to teach Transfiguration?"

"I hear they got an Auror to do it. Her name is Tonks. I hear that she's going to be the new Gryffindor head too."

"Wicked."

On the couch across from him he heard Ginny Weasly, the ruby haired sixth year and a few of her friends talking, "Snape has got to be the worst Defense Professor since Umbridge!"

"At least we learn more Potion skills from Professor Cortez. She doesn't hover around us like an overgrown bat, waiting for one of us to make a mistake."

"Sure, but who do you reckon they will get as the new Deputy Head?"

"I don't know Snape, Flitwick, Sprout. Someone who has been here a long time."

Neville saw Serenity floating over next to the students listening to their gossip.

Neville used Serenity's distraction to go to his dorm alone.

He opened the door and felt there was something different about the room. Harry's bed and trunk were missing. Neville choked back a sob and sat on his bed. It's not like he and Harry were the best of friends. But he was one of the first people who hadn't seen him as a loser and had truly befriended him. He was the first one who knew about his parents, and he was the only one who truly understood him.

A tear almost escaped Neville's eye when Serenity's golden head popped out of the bed, "You shouldn't run off like that. I was worried about you!"

Neville jumped six feet into the air in fear and surprise. It was not like he wasn't used to seeing ghosts pop out of halls, rooms, and doors. But even in his seventh year Neville still couldn't help but be jumpy when he saw it happen. The resigned Neville straightened himself up, "Why would you be worried about me, I'm a nobody."

Serenity brushed the comment off, "Oh don't be silly, you are the only one who can defeat Voldemort."

Neville shuddered as he heard the dreaded Dark Lords name, "That's impossible!" his shy voice rang softly upon deaf ears.

Neville turned from Serenity and her head popped up in front of him again. Neville jumped back again, "No it is very possible." The long since dead monarch was growing more irritated by the second. This one would not ignore her. She had waited at least twenty years for the savior of the world to find her and she wasn't going to let the exquisite planet of her Endymion be destroyed because the boy had self-esteem issues.

Neville was not going to lose this debate, it would prove that everything she was saying was true, and that he couldn't accept. There was absolutely no truth in the ghost. If he was really the savior of the world, why had he been ignored all his life, picked on by bullies such as Malfoy, and generally tormented by Snape and various other teachers for his poor performance in his classes. "How can I defeat You-Know-Who when Harry couldn't even lay a scratch on him!" Yes Harry the superior one. He was everything Neville strived to be, courageous, bold, self confident, and preformed well and had the approval of every teacher. (Well Snape didn't really count in his book).

Serenity floated all the way through the bed, tired of having ignorant Earthlings denying her demands. "I've been thinking, ever since Harry died. He never acknowledged me after he came to Hogwarts. But he was able to see me at one time. Perhaps it was a fluke, perhaps it was because Voldermort had marked him as his own, or perhaps he really was our savior, but chose to ignore it. It does not matter anymore, what matters is that......... Neville Long bottom, where are you going?" her irritation and shock at being ignored was apparent.

Neville did the only practical thing that come to the meek, yet sometimes-brave boy would do. He jumped off his bed and ran downstairs to find his smartest friend and confidant.

"Hermione, Hermione!"

Hermione looked up from her book her eyes a little puffy, "Yes Neville?" Answered her quivering voice, wondering what the timid boy was so worked up about.

Neville bent over to catch his breathe, "Her..mi..ne.." he took a big gulp of air and caught his breath, his thoughts running a mile a minute throughout his head, "There is this ghost that has been following me around."

Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled a bit at how Neville was still afraid of the ghosts that they had now known for several year, "Peeves again?"

Neville shook his head, his head stopped reeling with thoughts and possibilities. He hesitated, it could sound like nonsense, but maybe she would believe him. No, Hermione had to believe him, if she didn't than he really must be going nuts. "It's this girl, she looks our age. And she says that I'm the only one who can defeat You-Know-Who."

Hermione's eyes hardened, how could she have felt pity for the boy almost seconds earlier when he was clearly mocking her dead boyfriend? "Stop that nonsense talk, Neville. If you're hallucinating you should go see Madame Pomfrey."

Neville started getting alarmed, if he couldn't get Hermione to believe him, no one would believe him, he would be regarded as crazy and be even more mocked than he already was, 'Ghost Seeing Boy' didn't sound like an ideal nickname, "But Hermione she is so real. She says Harry wasn't the chosen one and that's why he died and..."

He was cut off by a hard smack to the face. Hermione was glowing with anger, "HOW DARE YOU! How dare you talk about Harry like that, like he wasn't good enough," tears fell from Hermione's eyes, "He was worth a dozen of you Neville Longbottom!" Hermione's ran upstairs her face drenched howling her beloved's name.

Ginny threw dagger looks at the usually sensitive boy, "You just had to bring Harry up. Do you know how long it took me to get her down here?"

Neville looked at the red carpet ashamed that he acted without thinking of Hermione's feelings, "I'm sorry I was just scared because..."

Ginny interrupted him in a rage that blinded even her, "Neville, we are all scarred about what's going to happen. But that doesn't mean that you need to go around making up stories!" Ginny stormed up to the girl's dormitory determined to stop the mourning girl from jumping from her window.

Neville looked around the common room, he saw all the stares he was receiving and heard the whispers, and "I never knew Longbottom was such a jerk."

"Knew that kid was mental..."

Neville put his head down and walked back up to his own dormitory. He reached the door and sighed again. How is it possible that I mess up every time I get around them? He thought.

He threw the door open and collapsed on his bed.

He saw Serenity floating above his body with her legs crossed again, a smug look set on her face, "So are you going to listen now?"

Neville groaned, turned over, and shoved a pillow over his head, mumbling it's only a dream it's only a dream. Serenity put her head in her hands, "I guess that's a no."

Sun pored through the window, birds chirped, one partially sad snow owl sat at the windowsill waiting for her master to return.

An evil snake-like voice whispered in a commanding voice, "What can stop me now, Lucius? What?"

Another male with a submissive voice answered, "Nothing my Lord."

An evil laugh filled a young boys head. It was drowned out by a sweet female voice, "Neville... Neville..." The boy groaned, "Neville..."

The boy's eyes slowly opened. He saw the familiar cerulean eyes an inch away from his own chestnut brown, "AWWW!" Neville sat up and knocked heads with Serenity. Neville rubbed his head and gave Serenity an annoyed yet weary glance, "I thought you were a ghost."

Serenity rubbed her own forehead donned with a golden crescent moon, "I am, only those who can see me can touch me remember?"

Neville got up again slowly, being sure to avoid touching the ghost princess. He opened the curtain wincing at the new light assaulting his eyes. He stretched and got off the bed. He picked up his clothes off his trunk and looked up to see Serenity giving him a curious look, her head sitting in the middle of the scarlet curtain. Neville jumped back for what seemed like the umpteenth time since he met the ghost and hissed, "Will you please stop doing that!" in his meek yet demanding voice, still fearing what the students would say about the scene from yesterday.

Serenity cocked her head and smiled her moonlight white teeth glimmering in the sunlight. Neville sighed in defeat and walked towards the bathroom. Serenity floated all the way out of the red curtain and after Neville, "Neville what are you doing? Neville? Nev.." CRASH! The Moon Princess lay sprawled out on the floor, "What the?" She tried again to float through the door, CRASH! "Owie" Serenity sat at the foot of the door scratching at it, like a puppy waiting for its master to return.

Neville opened the door fully garbed in his Hogwarts uniform with his tie draped loosely around his neck.

Serenity fell backwards, "What were you doing?" She latched onto his arm, "You disappeared and I was so worried when I couldn't get through the door."

Neville flushed in embarrassment of the attractive princess hanging on his arm. He politely peeled Serenity off his arm, "One of the first things you learn at Hogwarts is that ghosts can't enter bathrooms.

Serenity poked the space between the door and bathroom, a little spark of electricity zapped her. She scooted away rapidly and drew a pink wand out of nowhere and started threatening the wooden door, "What is Myrtle's trick?"

Neville looked at the ceiling avoiding Serenity's curious kitten-like eyes, "People think it's because she died in the bathroom." Serenity was no longer listening to Neville's explanation but was occupied with the "evil possessed chunk of wood" A shy yet peaceful smile appeared on his face. He grabbed his robe, walked out of his room, and shut the door behind him. Neville stopped and listened at the door, hearing Serenity's threats he walked downstairs and out of the common room.

"Neville... Neville... Hey Nev!" Neville jumped at his name being yelled in his ear. He spun around and Serenity fell from the sky laughing, "You should have seen the look on your face!"

Neville flushed from embarrassment, turned around abruptly and walked towards the Great Hall for breakfast. He wasn't going to be embarrassed in front of the princess anymore, if he could help it.

Serenity had followed him around all day. Because of her he had fouled up things more with Hermione, which earned him another slap, had violently destroyed his third cauldron that year, and made him look like a fool in front of Snape, who had started picking on Neville even more because Harry was not with them.

Serenity's voice had begun to grate on his nerves, "I really don't see what Snape's problem is with you. Your parents never picked on him." Serenity was doing what she seemed to be best at, talking, "Speaking of your parents, I haven't heard them talked about since Voldemort," Neville visibly winced, "was overthrown."

Neville tensed up, no one but Ron and Hermione knew about his parents, and he didn't plan on telling anyone else anytime soon.

"Neville what's going on with them?"

Neville turned his eyes down to look at the marble ground and mumbled, "Mind your own business."

Serenity continued to pursue the topic at hand, "You know Neville you've been moody today. I'm sure Alice and Frank must have..."

Neville cracked, "I SAID MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" He glowed with anger, while Serenity glided back hesitantly in fear, "Leave me alone, I'm not who you think I am so leave me and find who you are really looking for!" tears of frustration crept into Neville's eyes. He didn't want to believe the ghost. He just couldn't he would not desecrate Harry's memory like that. To believe her would be to believe that Harry was not good enough, and that he was, which was something that was simply not true.

A gruff female voice laughed hideously, "Talking to yourself Longbottom? Maybe he's trying to resurrect Potter, Draco."

The blonde Slytherien looked at Pansy like she was delirious, "Pansy, Longbottom is talking to someone. Probably a Hufflepuff from the looks of her..."

"Draco what are you talking about?" asked Pansy who was getting worried about Draco.

Serenity smoothly sailed over to Malfoy her white dress billowing somewhat behind her, "You can see me?" the hesitation in her voice was obvious.

The young Malfoy heir looked at the princess like she was insane, "Of course I can, what do you take me for a blockhead?"

The only surviving member of the Silver Millennium slowly glided back as she looked quickly between Malfoy and Neville. She laughed nervously and disappeared into the floor.

Neville and Malfoy both watched her vanish. Malfoy grabbed Neville's robes and growled, "Explain Longbottom!"

Author Note: Okay not much plot here until the end.

Duo's Response:

Queen Diamond: Yep I think this is a record for me to get a chapter done this soon after the first chapter was posted (although I had about half of it written when the first chapter was posted ; )

Lunar Princess: Yeah it was all Usa-chan's idea to kill Harry off, I just wanted to shift power to Nev-kun. But I will also take credit for putting the idea into Usa-chan's head. I'm glad you like the idea though.

Sapience: The question will be answered soon. (It can't be this soon, it'll ruin the story )

Yami Nocturna: I'm glad you like all those elements. I hope you have enough Neville and Serenity this chapter. Although nothing romantic has happened... yet.

Tsuki no Tenshi: I'm glad you enjoyed it. Yeah that idea is how this whole story came about.

Silver Moon Goddess1: I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Maiden Genisis: Glad you enjoyed it

Pira: sequels I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You're one of my favorite authors