Chapter 7 - Training begins

The next morning in the Gryffindor common room Ron and Hermoine were just about to head down to the great hall for breakfast when the portrait hole opened and in came Harry and Neville. Both were soaking wet and covered in mud. Neville could barely stand and if Harry hadn't have helped him back, he would still be lying in the mud on the new obstacle coarse behind the glasshouses.

"What happened to you two?" Hermoine asked

"2 hours of physical conditioning" Harry gasped. Neville just continued to gasp for air.

"You look dead mate" Ron told Neville.

Neville tried to reply "I… I wasn't very good… I only made it some… of the way through… the obstacle course." Neville said bitterly between breathes and collapsed onto the floor, lying down, eyes closed.

"You did really well Neville." Harry told him "You made it further than I did the first time."

Neville's eyes flicked open. "I did?" he replied

"Yes, now get up. We have to shower and change quick or we will miss breakfast. You're going to need it for the rest of the day." Harry said dragging Neville up off the floor. "Wait a few minutes for us guys"

"Hermoine, I think they're both mental. I mean why are they doing it?" Ron asked his friend.

"I know why Harry is training but Neville?" Hermoine replied.

Soon the two early risers were back having grabbed a quick shower and changed into their school robes. Neville was still unsteady on his feet. The four of them went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry and Neville sat at the Gryffindor table, both starving after their early morning workout.

Soon the food appeared in front of them like always but this time something was wrong. Instead of the bacon, sausages, kippers and other things Neville usually had for breakfast, this morning glasses containing six raw eggs appeared in front of him and Harry. Other things appeared around it, none of which Neville recognised.

Neville looked on as Harry picked up his glass of raw eggs began to swallow them in a series of quick gulps.

"Err yuck! that's disgusting." Ron said as Harry finished and with a grimace on his face put his empty glass down.

"It's the special diet for our training Ron. Neville, it doesn't taste so bad once it's down. Go ahead."

Neville picked up his glass and tried to think of other things as he began to swallow. Harry had lied. It was revolting and Neville had to concentrate not to throw it all back up.

Neville gave Harry a dirty look. Harry laughed. "Misery loves company Neville. The rest of the diet isn't too bad. Protein shakes, stewed fruit, yoghurt and a few vitamin supplements for breakfast, lunch is another protein shake, and lots of salad and dinner is steamed vegetables with a little lean meat and fruit with yoghurt for desert. Soon you will lose a lot of that baby fat and replace it with muscle tissue." Harry said and began to demolish the food in front of him. Neville followed suit. What else could he do? At least Harry had not lied this time, the food was not as bad as the raw eggs.

Harry read his program aloud as Neville finished his food.

"Two hours of Strategy Studies, then a ten mile hike with full field pack around the lake, lunch, followed by 2 hours of battlefield tactics, 2 hours martial arts and weapon drills, 2 hours of military history, dinner, 1 hour of weight training and then we are finished for the day. I figure we will have about half an hour to ourselves before we have to get to sleep."

Neville thought (not for the last time) perhaps this wasn't a good idea. But he knew that this training was his only chance. So he forced his body up from the seat and walked out of the Great Hall with Harry on their way to the Strategy Studies lesson. At least it couldn't be as bad as potions, he thought to himself.

Ron and Hermoine watch them leave and then began a quiet conversation between themselves with unusually earnest expressions.