Chapter Eleven – The Face of an Angel
"Go! Go! Gryffindor!" Neville shouted along with the rest of the spectators. It was the first quidditch match of the year, Gryffindor verses Hufflepuff. Right now, Gryffindor was up seventy to fifty. Ginny Weasley had scored five of the seven goals. Rumor had it that she was thinking of turning pro after Hogwarts, and there wasn't any doubt in Neville's mind that she could play at the professional level. She was simply that good.
Madame Hooch blew her whistle, indicating a foul. Everyone was on pins and needles waiting for the call.
"Gryffindor Chasers. Finnegan and Bell. Foul for Stooging! Penalty shot for Hufflepuff!" Madame Hooch cried.
The Gryffindor side let out a moan of disapproval. Stooging was called when two or more chasers entered the scoring area at one time. Neville watched Harry fly down to Melanie Bell and talk to her quickly. She was young, and bound to make a mistake now and then, especially in her first game. Ernie Macmillan made the penalty shot easily. Now Gryffindor was only up by ten points.
While everyone around Neville was on their feet, Luna, who was supporting Gryffindor today, was sitting down, her eyes wandering quickly. She was looking for the snitch and not paying attention to the game at all. Though Neville had to wonder how she saw anything with that hat of hers. She had shown Neville how to use it, and every time Gryffindor scored, he made the hat let out a huge roar. It was great.
The snitch proved to be quite elusive today. The score became two hundred and seventy, Gryffindor to two hundred and forty, Hufflepuff. Finally, Harry made a spectacular dive and caught the snitch with no competition from the Hufflepuff seeker.
Neville yelled and yelled until his voice finally became hoarse. The game lasted three hours, quite long for any game that Harry was in. He took Luna's hat and he helped her out of the stands. She needed a treatment in two weeks, and was becoming weaker each day. Though she insisted that she had enough strength to wear her hat for the game, she did let Neville carry it back to Hogwarts.
"Do you want to take a walk tonight?" Neville asked hopefully as he walked her to the Ravenclaw common room.
"Not tonight, Neville," Luna said, sounding tired. "I'm going to take a nap and work on my homework. I thought sixth year would be easier, but I guess not."
"Just wait till next year," Neville moaned. "Every day the professors are reminding us how important seventh year is, that it will affect the entire course of our lives."
"Well, it will, won't it?" Luna asked plainly. "How's your new wand working out?"
"It's better than the last one," Neville said. "It feels absolutely perfect when I use it."
"Good," Luna smiled. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and said the password, which had changed since the last time he dropped her off.
Neville walked back to the Gryffindor common room quickly. He knew there would be quite a party going on when he got there; there always was when Gryffindor won. As he walked up the stairs, he saw Hermione talking to the Fat Lady. He really didn't mean to ease drop.
"What's an easy one to remember?" Hermione asked.
The Fat Lady simply shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever you want to use is fine, dear."
"Ooh," Hermione said quickly. "Let's use Frater Helleborn. We pruned them in Herbology not too long ago and Neville did a great job with them."
"What are you doing, Hermione?" Neville asked.
"Neville!" Hermione squeaked. She turned bright red. "I'm just changing the password for the common room. It's been my job since fifth year."
Realization came upon Neville. "Is that why it's always been plant names? For me?"
Hermione nodded. "I know you don't have the greatest memory, Neville. I just wanted to help out a bit."
"Fifth year you chose Mimbulus Mimletonia, even before term started, didn't you?" Neville asked.
"You were so excited about it on the train, I thought it would be easy to remember for you," Hermione said apologetically.
"It was," Neville said approvingly. "When that was the password I didn't forget it once."
"I hope I haven't offended you," she said, biting her lip.
"Offend me?" Neville asked. "Hermione, that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Thank you."
She blushed. "It's nothing. I just kept remembering how many times we'd find you out here when you'd forgotten. I hope it's been better since fifth year."
"It has," Neville said. "It really has. I've only been locked out a few times. Not nearly as many times as I used to."
"Good," Hermione said. She looked like she wanted to say something else. "You know…when you asked me to the Yule Ball?"
"That I remember," Neville laughed. "I had the biggest crush on you then."
"I know," Hermione said. "It was kind of obvious. But back then, I was a little sad that I already had a date when you asked me."
"Really?" Neville asked. "Huh. That's good to know. Well, at least it worked out okay for both of us, right?"
"Very true. I'll admit I was wary at first, but Luna's your match, Neville," Hermione said, smiling.
"As Ron is yours," Neville countered.
"True. Though I still don't know how we managed to finally get together after everything," she laughed. "And that we manage to stay together even when we fight so much."
Hermione then said the password and Fat Lady opened up, revealing a victory party already in full gear. Neville groaned right away. Someone must have been sneaking some canary creams into the food. Dean Thomas had feathers falling off of his body, and the students were laughing loudly.
The party lasted most of the night, until Hermione ordered fourth years and younger to bed. Neville ended up with a group sitting around the fireplace, watching the embers die.
"Ron, we need to think up what we want to do as a class socially," Hermione said, yawning. Ron had his arm around her and Hermione had her head on his shoulder.
This got quite a few seventh years interested in the conversation.
"Let's just have a Halloween Ball like last year," Ron said.
"It's too late to plan that, Ron. Halloween is less than three weeks away," Hermione said.
"We need to something," Lavender Brown said eagerly. "The seventh years always have something."
"Well," Hermione said slowly. "I was thinking we could have Secret Santas this year."
This drew a blank from many of the students from wizarding families and a murmur of approval from the ones from muggle families.
"Santa?" Ron asked. "That big ol' nutter with a white beard and a red suit who gives out presents?"
Hermione nodded. "The problem is, not everyone knows about Santa."
Parvati sighed. "Padma and I are Hindi," she told the group. "We don't celebrate Christmas. Not everyone at Hogwarts celebrates Christmas, you know."
Hermione stretched her arms above her head. "I hadn't thought about that."
"You went to the Yule Ball with Harry," Ron said accusingly. "That was on Christmas." Parvatti proceeded to give Ron a dirty look. Ron started to open his mouth to respond but Hermione stopped him.
"Parvati's right," Hermione said, laying her hand on Ron's forearm. "There are Muslim and Jewish wizards here, too. It wouldn't be right forcing them to participant in a Secret Santa."
"Who's Muslim?" Seamus asked.
"There's a second year who transferred from the Sihir Institute in Turkey," Hermione answered promptly. "She's in Ravenclaw and I've never seen her without a headscarf."
"But what about the Yule Ball?" Ron asked again. Neville thought again that one of Ron's greatest strengths, and weakness, was his inability to let go of a question until he had the answer he was satisfied with.
"It's called the Yule Ball," Parvatti said, trying to look dignified. "Not the Christmas Ball. Yule implies the winter season."
"That's it!" Hermione said happily. "We'll have a Winter Solstice Celebration!"
"Winter Solstice?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded. "It's perfect. Everyone can go and not feel like we're forcing them to celebrate Christmas."
"So we're basically just going to have a Yule Ball but call it a Winter Solstice Ball?" Seamus sniggered.
"No, it won't be a ball at all," Hermione said. Neville could tell she was thinking as fast as she could. "It could be a day before all the students leave for Winter Break, in the afternoon, when classes are done. We can have games and food and make it a mini-carnival."
"Do you know anything about celebrating the Winter Solstice?" Dean asked.
"No," Hermione said honestly. "But by tomorrow I will."
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It was decided quickly. Hermione brought the idea up to the other prefects, who in turn asked their houses, and everyone agreed that it was a great idea. Hermione then started forming different committees among the seventh years. Neville was assigned to the decorating committee.
Luna left Hogwarts the Friday before Halloween to have a treatment at St. Mungos. He knew she would be back Sunday afternoon, but he couldn't stop thinking about her all weekend. He kept remembering seeing her in the hospital last Christmas, looking so pale and weak. He had to tell himself over and over that she would be healthy for another three months when she was back at Hogwarts.
Everyone was excited about the Halloween Feast. It was usually leaked a few days ahead of time what the entertainment was, but this year, not a word was spoken. Because of that, everyone was even more excited about what it could possibly be. All the students had fun guessing and speculating.
Halloween this year was on a Friday, and no one could think of a better way to start the weekend. Luna joined the Gryffindor table for the Feast, which made Neville very happy. Right before the Feast started, a student Neville had never seen joined the group. Ginny whispered to Neville and Luna that it was Tonks. She morphed as a student to join in on the fun.
Dinner was fantastic, that was the only way to describe it. Pork Tenderloin that just melted in your mouth. Soups that caused smoke to come out of your ears, and bread that was baked every color of the rainbow. Everyone agreed that the food was the best in their seven years at Hogwarts.
Just when everyone thought they couldn't possibly eat another bite, the plates cleared. Neville couldn't wait for dessert. He had a soft spot for the Pumpkin Pie.
The House Elves were smart, and allowed everyone a few minutes to let their stomachs settle before dessert appeared. But suddenly, Neville was overcome if a headache. His forehead was on fire. He clutched it, and saw that Harry was doing the exact same thing. And then he was overwhelmed with a vision.
Death Eaters were in a closed space, firing spells in every direction…People dressed in costumes were running everywhere, scared for their lives…A Death Eater took aim, and a little girl dressed as an angel ran in front of the Killing Curse, causing her to fall to the ground slowly…
He stood up, a little unsteady. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna stood up as well. Luckily, they had been sitting at the end of the table, near the exit, so their departure wasn't noticed by a lot of people.
Luna took his arm, and Ron said, "Let's get to the Room of Requirements."
Did you see that? A voice in Neville's head asked. It was Harry's voice.
Neville looked at Harry, more confused than anything else. Yes, he thought, and Harry nodded.
"Did we?" Neville asked. Did he and Harry just share a thought?
"I think so," Harry said weakly.
"What are you two talking about?" Ginny asked worriedly.
"Tell you when we get inside," Harry said.
"Neville?" Luna asked.
"I'm fine," Neville whispered.
They finally made it to the Room of Requirements. Hermione walked in front of the door and opened up the room. The same configuration of six arm chairs in a circle was set up. Neville sat down quickly, Harry sitting in the next chair. Luna didn't sit in a chair, but perched herself on the arm of Neville's chair.
"What just happened?" Hermione asked, sitting on the edge of her chair.
"I don't know!" Harry said, clearly sounding upset. "One minute I was thinking about candy corn and the next minute I have a vision of a little girl being killed! Death Eaters were killing people!"
"What?" Ginny asked in horror, putting her hands over her mouth. "You saw someone being killed?"
Neville nodded, and Luna put her arm around Neville's shoulder. The warmth immediately made him feel a little better.
"But you weren't doing Occlumency," Ron said. "You were just eating."
"I don't understand it," Harry said, shaking his head.
"I think the better question is," Luna started, "Was that the present or the future?"
Harry and Neville both stood up, with Neville almost knocking Luna off of the chair. "We need to tell Dumbledore!"
Hermione stood up as well. "Wait a minute, please," Hermione begged. "Professor Snape was sitting at the table. If there were Death Eaters attacking, he'd be there."
Neville saw Harry grabbed his robe in a fist. "I'm not playing the hero, Hermione, I swear," Harry said angrily. "If this is the future, I have to tell someone."
Hermione's face changed immediately. "You're right. Go."
Harry looked at Neville and together they left the Room of Requirement. As they walked, they started talking.
"Neville, I heard you in my bloody head," Harry said. "What's going on?"
"I heard you, too," Neville said quietly. "That's never happened before."
"Ever," Harry said adamantly. "I don't know what it means."
"Probably a lot more sessions with Snape," Neville joked, trying to lighten the mood just a bit. The vision of the little girl flashed before his eyes, and he felt awful just for making a joke.
They made it to the outside of the Great Hall, where they heard erupting laughter from the students inside, and then shattering applause. Neville heard students getting up from the benches.
"The Feast must be over," Neville said.
"Good," Harry muttered. "Let's go inside."
Neville followed Harry, and looked right to the Head Table. Professor Snape was gone. As soon as they stood in front of Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster asked, "You left the Feast early. Follow me."
Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall stood up and went into a little room off the Great Hall that Neville had never been in before. He remembered it as the room the school Champions went into the year of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
As quickly as they could, they explained the situation to the professors. Neither lingered, but went to alert other Order members, leaving Neville and Harry alone, and with no idea of what possibly could be happening.
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A/N - Sihir (Arabic) - magic