Chapter Ten – Giants Crossing

"Again."

Neville shuddered as the words come out of Professor Snape's mouth. Neville opened his mind to Harry and waited. This time he was instructed not to try to force Harry out.

When Harry and Neville told Snape that they had seen the future, Snape's face became even paler than it normally was. That had been two hours ago. And they were still practicing Legilimency, and they hadn't seen anything of importance yet.

After ten minutes, Snape finally told them to break the connection. Neville hoped that this would be the last time. He was tired and hungry. The bell for dinner had hour quite a long time ago. They'd probably have to sneak into the kitchen for a quick snack.

"Longbottom," Snape said slowly, "I want you to try Legilimency this time. Potter, open your mind and don't try to force him out."

Neville's eyes went wide. He had been preparing for this, but somehow actually breaking into Harry's mind felt wrong.

"Okay," Neville stammered. Harry nodded to him encouragingly.

Taking a deep breath, Neville said, "Legilimens."

Harry was throwing a punch at Draco Malfoy in a location Neville didn't recognize. Harry was young, maybe six, and watching his cousin laugh at a dead baby bird. At the Yule Ball, dancing with Parvati. More images danced in front of them.

"Enough." Neville heard Snape say, and he tried to break the connection with Harry.

"Did you see anything important?" Snape barked.

"No," Harry said. Then under the gaze of the professor, added, "No, sir."

"Again."

"Sir," Harry said angrily. "It's been two hours, and we're tired and hungry. Can we take a break?"

"No," Snape said simply. "I will let you know when you are both free to leave. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Neville muttered. He had a headache. But this was a lingering headache. His forehead almost felt like it was burning.

Neville faced Harry again. Harry shook his head, looking fairly angry. Neville grabbed the bottom of his sweater vest and said the incantation.

More visions could be seen. Nothing important. Neville was slightly amused of a vision of Harry surrounded by cats. But then…

It was a rocky coast overlooking the ocean. A small red lighthouse next to a church could be seen in the distance…The ground slowly began to shake and at least ten Giants were moving in a pack towards the sea…

Harry pushed Neville out of his mind. At the same time, they both said, "Giants?"

"You saw Giants?" Snape snapped.

Harry looked at Professor Snape. "Yeah. Maybe a dozen? They were heading towards the ocean," Harry said softly.

"The future again?" Neville asked. "Why else would we see Giants?"

"I believe," Snape started, "That most of your visions before this have happened in real-time. This is no different. We have had word from France that a pack of Giants are on the move. I need to know every detail you can give me from that vision."

Neville closed his eyes and tried to remember what he had seen. "It was rocky. And there was a lighthouse…" Neville trailed off.

"There was a church right next to the lighthouse," Harry added.

Snape brought his fingertips together. "Good. You both are dismissed. I need to speak to the Headmaster straight away."

Snape left the room hurriedly. Neville rubbed the back of his neck. "This is getting weirder and weirder."

"I know, mate," Harry said. "Let's get some food and then talk to everyone. Hermione said she has some ideas."

"Where do you want to talk?" Neville asked.

"If we're quiet, we can just talk in the common room," Harry said casually.

"Do you think we could go to the Room of Requirements or the Greenhouse instead?" Neville asked hopefully.

"I guess," Harry said. "Why?"

"I'd like Luna to be there, if that's okay with you," Neville started. "I mean, she's in this with us."

"True. That's fine. We'll go to the Room of Requirements," Harry said. "You're right, Luna should hear this too."

Neville smiled, pleased that Luna would be included. He knew she wanted to help in any way she could; it wouldn't be fair to keep her out of the group simply because she's in Ravenclaw.

As they predicted, the tables in the Great Hall were cleared of food by the time they got there. Harry said he'd knick some food from the kitchens while Neville ran up to get Luna.

Getting Luna was more complicated than it sounded. Neville knew the password to the Ravenclaw common room, but he didn't think it would be right to just waltz in and ask for Luna.

Luckily, he didn't need to worry. Padma Patil was going into the common room when Neville got there. He asked Padma if she could ask Luna to come out.

A few minutes later, Luna emerged from behind the painting. She had changed out of her uniform, and was wearing a pair of jeans and a light pink t-shirt. Her hair was in braids, piled on top of her head, with her wand behind her ear. Her feet were bare.

"Is everything okay, Neville?" Luna asked worriedly.

"Everything's fine," Neville said quickly. "We're going to talk about the prophecy in the Room of Requirements. I wanted you there."

"Oh," Luna said. "Let me put on some shoes. I'll be right back."

Luna disappeared and Neville waited patiently. Terry Boot and Lisa Turpin left the common room, holding hands. Neville tucked that information away; he hadn't known they started dating.

"Little far from your neck of the woods, eh, Longbottom?" Terry said, smiling.

"I'm just waiting for Luna," Neville said. Just then, Luna came out. Neville nodded to Terry and Lisa as Luna grabbed his hand and they started walking.

"How was your session with Snape?" Luna asked as they walked through the hallways.

"We'll probably talk about it in a bit," Neville told her. A few minutes later, they entered the Room of Requirements. It was set up quite nicely; six comfy armchairs in a circle.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were already sitting down in the chairs. Harry and Ron were both sitting Indian style in the chairs, while Hermione had one leg crossed over the other, holding a notebook and Ginny had both legs draped over one side of the chair.

"Here ye, Here ye," Ginny said in a deep voice. "I call this session of Wizengamot in session."

Everyone started laughing, which immediately eased the tension in the room. Hermione then cleared her throat and started. "Did Professor Dumbledore give you any idea what the power you have but not Voldemort has?"

"He said it was my heart," Harry mumbled.

Hermione looked around for a moment. "I don't understand."

"Basically because I can feel things, I have a heart and Voldemort doesn't. Ron, will you stop shuddering at his name!" Harry shouted.

"Sorry, mate," Ron said, looking offended.

"I'm sure Voldemort has an actual heart," Hermione said. "Dumbledore must mean a figurative heart. Love."

"I guess," Harry shrugged.

"So love is the power he knows not," Hermione mused. "It doesn't give any clue what you're supposed to do with that power, does it?"

"Nope," Harry said. Neville couldn't notice how uncomfortable Harry was talking about the prophecy. It must be because they were holding the most important part back from the group.

"I really hope you don't have to love you-know-who," Ginny laughed. "Maybe you should invite him out for tea. Get to know him a bit."

Harry broke out in a small laugh then. Ginny had the ability to make people when they really needed to.

"I certainly hope not," Harry said, shaking his head. "Dumbledore also mentioned that Voldemort gave me powers just by giving me a future."

"That's not a power though, if you're the one who can vanquish him. You're guaranteed a future until he's defeated."

"I don't know about that, Hermione," Neville said timidly.

"You must be the only one who can defeat him," Hermione continued. "I was wondering why Professor Dumbledore didn't try to kill him in the Department of Mysteries. He can't."

"That must be it," Harry said.

"I wonder if Dumbledore didn't hear the entire prophecy," Hermione mused. "It feels incomplete."

Neville glanced at Harry, trying to telepathically tell him to just go ahead and tell the group the rest of the prophecy. But Harry looked straight into a corner, ignoring Neville completely.

-

"Does that hurt?" Snape asked Luna. She was sitting on a stool in the dungeons, having some blood drawn for their research.

"I'm fine," Luna said dreamily. She looked a little lost in her own world. Neville smiled, watching her. Then he went back to the blood samples they had from last week. He was to divide the blood into eight different vials for Professor Snape.

A few minutes later, Luna jumped off the stool and walked over to Neville. He groaned inwardly, knowing what was about to happen. Luna gave him a kiss on the cheek, and Snape automatically said "Five points from Ravenclaw." Neville tried to explain to Luna that a kiss on the cheek wasn't worth losing five House points, but Luna wouldn't listen.

"I'll see at dinner," she whispered and left the Potions classroom.

They worked in silence for the next hour. Neville could almost forget that he was working with Professor Snape and pretend that he was alone. True, he wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but this was a great learning experience.

There was a loud bang and Neville looked up quickly, only to see Snape covered in a green muck. Apparently, his cauldron exploded.

"That combination clearly didn't work," Snape said, trying to keep his dignity. It took every once of Neville's strength not to howl with laughter. Snape looked just like Neville did whenever something went wrong in Potions. He couldn't wait to tell Harry.

"Would you like help cleaning up, sir?" Neville snickered.

"No, thank you, Longbottom," Snape said. "That's enough for today. I'll clean up here."

Neville practically sprinted out of the dungeons to find Harry and Ron.

-

"When did you and Luna break up?" Hannah Abbott asked after Muggle Studies one day.

Neville stopped in his tracks. "We haven't broken up," he said quickly. "She's still my girlfriend."

Hannah looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she said. "I always get things wrong. I just assumed since she was spending so much time with Draco Malfoy that they were together now. That would be a weird couple."

"Nope," Neville said firmly. "They're friends, that's all."

"Okay then," Hannah said happily.

Neville shook his head. That was the third person in the last month to ask if he and Luna were still together. To be honest, Neville was getting tired of it.

Classes were done for the day, so Neville headed towards the Greenhouse. Luna was waiting there for him.

"I thought you'd be here eventually," she said, sighing.

"Anything wrong?" Neville asked, alarmed.

Luna shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to see you."

Neville smiled, momentarily forgetting about the rumor that Luna and Draco were together. But then it came back. He opened the Greenhouse and they both walked inside.

"Luna?" Neville asked.

"Yes, Neville Longbottom?" Luna replied. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Neville sighed. He hated feeling insecure like this. Normally, his relationship with Luna was the one thing he had the most confidence in.

"Why do you spend so much time with Draco?" Neville asked timidly.

Luna took a step back from Neville. "What do you mean?" she asked warily.

"I don't know," Neville said. "Hannah Abbott came up to me asking when we broke up, and it just upset me a bit, I guess."

"I have breakfast with him. You and I have lunch with him. If he's down in the common room, we'll do homework together, but that's not very often," Luna said, her hands on her hips.

"You hate me," Neville moaned.

"Of course I don't hate you, Neville," Luna said, sitting down on the ground. Neville sat down next to her. "I think you just don't understand."

"Explain it to me," Neville said. "Use small words."

"Neville!" Luna said. "Why would you say something like that about yourself?"

"It was a joke," Neville said meekly. He wasn't sure if it had been or not.

"I've been in the exact same position Draco's in, Neville. I know what it's like to not have a single friend and to have everyone look at you like you're crazy," Luna said firmly. "I don't like seeing anyone else go through what I went through, before I got to know you all fourth year."

"Oh," Neville said, feeling extremely foolish.

"And if simply spending time with him makes Draco feel like he's not completely alone in the world, I'll spend time with him," Luna told him. "Trust me, he's not interested in me. He's still pining over Pansy. They were betrothed and her family broke the contract."

"I didn't know that," Neville said.

"And I wasn't supposed to tell you. So please don't go running off and telling Ronald or Harry," Luna said adamantly.

"I won't," Neville promised. "Don't worry."

"Good. Do you understand now?" Luna asked, draping herself over his shoulder.

"I do," Neville said. Then added, "Did you feel like you were alone in the world?"

"A fair bit of the time," Luna said sadly. "But not since fourth year. Having that empty compartment on the Hogwarts Express was the best thing to ever happen to me."

"I thought I was," Neville grinned.

"Okay, the second best."