A/NJune 1, 2005:

"Back again, Harry?" Dumbledore aproaches slowly as Harry backs away.

Voldemort pops in next to Dumbledore and laughs at the terrified boy. "There is no good and evil, there is only power! Join me and to gether we'll do extraordinary things!"

The sorting hat cannot stand staying quiet any longer. "You could be great, you know. It's all here in your head, and Slitherin will help you on the way to greatness, There's no doubt about that. No? Well, if you're sure...Better be... GRYFFINDOR!"

: Okay, when I say "Neville zapped out of the corridor" please do not think he's some sort of space alien! I didn't wan't to say he "popped out" because it's overly used! Grumble grumble... :
:Yay! 20th chapter... I've got somethin' special today! Something sweet as candy ;) :

DarkLordLongbottom: Reviewer's response in my profile page. Thank you for reading!

Turning Your Time Around

By: Cheelalaucha

Chapter dedicated to: Whomever is reading this.

Chapter 20: "Lost & Found Part One"

Second floor, Hogwarts School 1974:

"What exactly are we doing?" Lily asked skeptically as they reached their destination.

The three crows cawed loudly and started flying all around in the gloomy weather they'd been placed in. Lily turned to Neville who was standing next to her. Neville didn't seem to understand what was going on either which in turn made her let out a great sigh.

Hagrid, who was standing by the closest window, seemed utterly bored at the moment. He had walked these corridors for more than a decade, and it was an understatement to say that he was tired of the same thing day after day. He had nothing to do! Try to imagine living at a place where you were not wanted day in and day out. People were not quick to forget something as bad as he'd been accused of in his school days. No, they were definitely not, as some seventh year Slitherin had taken the opportunity to remind him this morning. But, maybe there was hope for some fun yet. This Neville fellow was lightening up his mood and it was barely the middle of the day, so who knows what could happen next.

After the Neville fellow had mumbled something sounding like, "Not again." he went into some sort of trance. Hagrid tried, unsuccessfully, to snap him out of it. Hagrid eventually slumped back down to his rock and waited for something to happen. Five minutes passed, then ten, and then fifteen. Hagrid was about three seconds from leaving when the other boy just fell over face first into the grass. Hagrid tried again to wake him up but his poking and yelling didn't make any the difference.

He finally gave up and carried the strange kid to the Hospital Wing. The redheaded girl nearly lost her marbles when he brought Neville in, which would have been funny had not the young girl started crying. He grumbled and told her he'd be fine and said it was not worth worrying because he'd be fine. Girls, gee did they ever stop tearing up? They had stayed by his side until he woke up (not too long ago) and talked to a painting like a crazy person. Nobody has conversations with paintings, was he nuts? Paintings weren't people, they were just something to decorate with and they sometimes would not shut up.

Hagrid's opinions of paintings were that of most wizard's and witches in that age. Paintings were not people, they were decoration. By the time the Potters, Longbottoms, and the Thomas' had been killed, tortured and only Voldemort knows what else, things had changed dramatically. Some of the older families kept their thoughts of the past and still to this day don't care one wit about what they saw moving in the frames. But, many more in the Wizarding world believe that if it can think, talk and move, then it's worth giving respect to. That is, if the certain painted person/animal showed the same in return. Paintings tended to be the same as humans... there were good ones and evil ones. It would not be surprising to find out that there was a character painted who was as equally monstrous as Grindelwald or Voldemort or Zudan. Despite what wizards may think, there are worlds beyond their own.

A startled yelp made Hagrid forget about his thoughts and jump back into reality. "Wha'? Why yer yellin'?" he snapped at Neville who looked terribly frightened.

"It talked to me!" Neville breathed, waving his finger at the crows who continued to make noise.

"Wha'?" Hagrid asked, taking a step forward and examined the animals.

"I did no such thing!" the smallest of the three birds replied with a caw of amusement.

"See!" Neville waved his had more frantically at the painting.

Even though Lily was bit wide-eyed, she managed to get a question out. "What did it say?"

Neville kept his gaze on the three birds and tried to remember what they actually had said. Just then, it came into his brain and realization hit him hard. "Move!" Neville yelled and shoved Lily sideways. He'd almost gotten out of rage, but his foot was not quick enough. A small dome formed around Neville, and he only just saw a minute later that he'd stopped in mid air and was hovering only a foot off the ground. Hagrid pulled Lilly (who was on the floor) away further, and made to get Neville too but was yelled at by one of the crows to stay were he was.

Fear and uncertainty was visible on all three of their faces; Lily was worried for her new found friend and vice versa, Hagrid was just plain confused. Maybe all of them should have stayed in bed this morning.

Lily got up from the floor of the cold corridor and tried to get to Neville, but Hagrid pulled her back. "Neville!" Lily yelled out to him but the Gryffindor did not respond. However, the boy looked up at the two who he considered almost friends now, and waved with a grateful smile. In an instant, Neville zapped out of the corridor, and out of 1974.

Now Hagrid was even more confused as he gawked at the place where there was a boy floating a second ago. Lily yelled out the Gryffindor's name, and then repeated it but by this time there was no sound coming from her mouth. She struggled less and less and finally just quit altogether. Hagrid turned her around to face him but he could not bring himself to remove his eyes from where that one friend had disappeared.

The girl was somewhat in a state of shock, I mean, after all, someone just went Poof out of a place that you were not supposed to be able to go Poof out of! It couldn't be a good thing, could it? No, her friend must have disintegrated or vaporized or - well he didn't just POOF! What in Merlin's name did poof mean!

Hagrid tore his eyes away from that one spot only when the girl began scratching at his shirt. Lily was going on hysterical and it sure was obvious. Looking down at her he saw small tear trails on her cheeks, and parts of his ripped shirt in her fists. He kneeled down on his knee and the younger girl looked up. She was about to apologize for his shirt (or was going to try, considering how she was acting now) when the half-giant's arms wrapped her in a gentle hug. Oh no, she was going to cry again. This poor man had seen her cry earlier this morning, why did it have to happen again? She tried her best to hold it in but was unable to keep it from coming. She decided to have a nice, long cry into his ripped shirt.

-

Who knows where, who knows when:

Neville felt his stomach do a flip inside his body but did not have time to think about it as he crash-landed on the hard dirt ground. Spitting up dirt, Neville got to his hands and knees. Something crunched under him as he tried to stand, and he wondered for a moment if it was glass. But, taking a closer look showed that it was just an ice cream cone - not that it seemed any less-weird to him. A tiny cough from behind him made him turn around so quickly, he nearly fell back over again.

A young boy (about six or seven) with short, very light brown hair had his head bowed in front of him in a way that made it seem as if he was being punished for something. "Erm, sir, could I have my ice cream cone back, please?" the boy asked nervously.

Neville took a look around and noticed he was in some place that resembled a desert, but with piles of soil, not sand. The kid and him were the only ones to be seen for miles in the daylight. Neville glanced down at the ice cream cone which he'd crushed and then back to the top of the boy's head. For a second he was unsure of what he should do, but then guessed the younger one would not like a dirt cone for a snack and reached into his pocket for something. Neville could only find his wand, but he dug deeper and then found what he was looking for. He pulled out one of the yellow wrapped candy he'd gotten from his grandmother the day he'd been sent back. Over the last few days he had eaten one and told himself that things were going to be fine. He wasn't sure if that was true, but it kept him going each day.

Holding out the candy in his hand, Neville spoke shyly and hoped the kid would except his offer. "How about you take this, it's much better than that little mess over there." When the boy didn't move, he tried again. "It's okay, really. They're good, try it. I'm sorry I broke your ice cream cone, I didn't mean to."

A small hand reached up and removed the candy from Neville's hand slowly. The boy still didn't look up, but replied, "It's alright, sir. It wasn't very good to begin with. My mother knows I don't like ice cream but she bought me some anyway." The young one's voice lacked emotion, sort of like the tone of someone who's lost and despairing. That brought new thoughts to Neville's brain and he frowned.

"Are you lost?" Neville asked him, and once again he kneeled down.

"My mother forgot me here," the boy told him sadly. He sat down right where he was and twisted open the candy wrapper.

Neville looked around once more. All he could see was the sun, the boy, and dirt and far as the eye can see. His mother forgot him here? More like his mother dumped him here. Taking a seat next to the boy, Neville started to wonder for the first time where he was. He thought maybe the boy would know, so he asked him, but he just got a shrug as a reply. Sighing, Neville searched in his pocket for another candy. He popped one into his mouth also and reclined on his arms.

"So," Neville began a bit casually, as if this was a normal occurrence. "How did you get here?"

"Walked."

"How long have you been here?"

"Hours."

"Which way did you come from?"

"North."

"Which way's north?"

The boy pointed to his left but he kept looking at his hands. Neville jumped up abruptly and put a hand down to help the boy up. When they both were on their feet, Neville walked north and the boy followed without comment.

About twenty minutes of walking in silence had just about drove Neville crazy, and he could only imagine how the boy felt. Shouldn't this kid be jumping up and down and annoying him to no end? Yes, he should. But he didn't, that's what made Neville curious. He was just about to comment on the weather to break the silence when a rooftop caught his eye as he looked up. Neville's heart nearly flew away from him in happiness. Finally! Civilization!

Neville tapped the boy on the shoulder and pointed in front of him at the little town in the distance. Not even bother ing to ask, Neville reached for the kid's hand and gripped it tight. The young child had no choise but to follow in the running of the sixth year Gryffindor. They ran until they reached the edge of the town, at which people were walking around the streets with shopping bags in their hands and children in the other. There must have not been a single adult without a child in this town, Neville observed.

They proceeded down one of the streets that went to the center of town. Neville still had the boy's hand but neither seemed to mind. They passed many windows with various wizarding supplies and even some muggle shops mixed in. A sign shined above their heads and Neville read that it was a candy shop. He could always use more candy, and he probably should get something to say sorry for squashing the boy's ice cream cone.

They entered the shop and instantly a sweet chocolate smell reached their noses. Neville smiled and wondered over to one of the cases of displayed candy. "What would you like?" Neville asked the small boy. He wasn't sure he'd get an answer, so was surprised when the kid pointed at something behind the glass. Neville's eyebrows rose as he saw what was the choise of candy. A box of yellow that said Lemon Drops was exactly what the kid wanted.

"You sure?" Neville asked him.

The boy nodded and replied, "Please, sir?"

Neville stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out the last of his money (left over from the train to Hogwarts) and gave it to the person behind the counter. The man smiled and handed over the box.

"Have a good day, Jim," the man told him as he left.

Neville looked back at the man through the window when they were outside again. I'll just assume he calls everyone that.

They browsed for a little while longer until Neville realized he still didn't have the faintest idea where he was. Oh well, best to stay calm for the kid, he told himself. He glanced down at the boy who was eating one of the candies, and actually seemed alive compared to how he'd been in the dirt piles.

"Isn't that the same as what I gave you before?" Neville asked the boy as they walked. A nod was his answer yes. "You like them then, hm?" Another nod. "Good."

I need to find this kid's parents.

The thought had barely left his mind when they walked right past a building with the words 'Lost & Found' on it. Hm... this boy had been lost, hadn't he? He'd been found, hadn't he? Perfect!

Neville told the boy that maybe they could find someone to help. Walking into the building, Neville almost didn't realize that a man was following them, but turned just in time to see the young child, who was holding onto his hand, get wrenched from him. The boy yelled and dropped his box of Lemon Drops on the ground. In the blink of an eye, Neville had his wand out and pointing at the man. Whoa, where had that reflex come from?

"Let him go!" Neville ordered the much older man.

He's twice my size, what am I thinking! Don't be stupid Neville!

His brain screamed run, his heart screamed help. His heart outwon his brain very quickly. "Petrificus Totalus!"

The man's legs and arms snapped together and he fell onto his back right there on the hard ground. The boy ran over to Neville and wrapped his arms around him, and held on for dear life.

"It's okay, I've got you," Neville reassured the small kid. No one even seemed to care one wit about what had just happened in the middle of the road. People continued what they were doing and never thought about it again. A glance at the man on the ground told him that the kind shop keeper who had helped them before was a lunatic. The candy shop owner was now petrified (thanks to Neville) and looking very angry. "What is wrong with this town?" Neville muttered under his breath as he patted the boy's back gently. "Come on, let's get out of plain sight." Neville took the kid's hand again and this time let him lead so that he could watch behind both their backs.

Entering the building once more, Neville and the boy walked up to the secretary behind the desk, which happened to be two steps into the place so it was very cramped.

Looked bigger outside.

"Yes, may I help you?" the nice-sounding witch asked with a smile.

"He's lost, and I don't know where his parents are," Neville told her, not returning any type of friendliness.

"Oh, you poor boy. Why don't you come with me?" she asked sweetly, holding out a hand.

Neville pulled the boy back. He wasn't making that mistake again, these people were weird, and probably dangerous also. "I'll take him, just show me where," Neville insisted.

The woman straightened up and replied stiffly, "Very well. Follow me."

She led him through a door on the right and into a large room where there were about twenty people walking aimlessly around, each one had worry in their expressions. Every single one of them reacted when Neville and the child came through that door; some sighed, some yelled in frustration, and some even cried. That is, all but one person acted negatively.

A man with hair to match the young boy's ran up to them and embraced the boy so quickly, Neville didn't think he'd seen it until he blinked a few times. "Father!" the boy yelled happily and wrapped his arms around the man's neck. "My boy," the father half cried, half laughed out.

After a moment the kid's father looked up at Neville and asked, "Where did you find him?"

"Out there somewhere," Neville replied, and waved his hand in some unimportant direction. "Lots of dirt out there," he commented.

"Yes, that there is," the man agreed and smiled. They really did look happy together. Neville wondered briefly if the kid had been telling the truth about his mother when he'd said that she'd left him there. "Thank you for bringing him back. I've been worried out of my mind!" A hand was offered and, after getting over the shock of it, Neville shook with a smile. "You don't look like your from around here," the boy's father said.

"Nope. I'm pretty far from home, I imagine."

"So, you're lost just like this one was?" the witch asked with a tilt of her head.

Neville nodded and said, "I best be going. Goodbye."

"Farewell," the man said to him as he turned around. "That was one odd young man," he murmured, and the witch nodded in agreement.

As Neville walked back out of the building, he saw something yellow shimmer on the ground. When he was closer, he saw that it was the Lemon Drops he'd gotten for the kid earlier. The shop keeper was gone, but Neville had expected as much from the creep. Picking up the small box, he ran back into the building and up to the young boy and his father.

"Here, you forgot this," Neville said, and handed him back the candy.

"Oh yeah! Thanks, sir!"

The boy finally looked up into his face for the first time. Neville's eyes grew round as oranges at what he saw.

"Bye," Neville muttered quickly and then turned and ran back out, leaving some even more shocked people in his wake.

Neville didn't stop running until he was at the edge of the town again. Trying to catch his breath, he put his hands on his knees. He knew those eyes, the eyes of the young boy. Those blue eyes were the first thing he'd seen and liked of Hogwarts. He wasn't scared of them, or the person they belonged to.

Even though he wasn't scared of them, Neville was getting extremely worried. Why shouldn't he be? He had a good reason, he thought. After all, you had to go back pretty far in time to see a seven year old Albus Dumbledore. But the thing that made him nearly want to jump off a bridge was the fact that the 100-something year old headmaster would be the one to tell him he was expelled for underage wizardry, as soon as he was in the correct year. Now Neville was thinking one thought alone: should he even go back at all?

A/N: Ohh Kayy... What did you think of it?
You can't possibly believe that this was Nev's last day in 1974, can you! That would make no sence, now would it? No. It wouldn't, so don't think it! Hmm... Neville will have a few very good reasons for going back - if he even DOES get back. I'm not saying it's going to be a fun time though...sigh... Hehehee! Review, please!

Preview of the same chapter as the last I previewed (make sence? Good.) :

"How does it feel to be on the losing end?" Pettigrew taunted them. Silence answered his question. "Hmm, who shall I kill first? How about you, Snivellus

Wormtail walked before Severus Snape and aimed his wand right at his heart. Snape looked as if he didn't even notice, he was so calm. Wormtail oppened his mouth to speak the Killing Curse, a smile tinting his lips.