Chapter Eighteen – The Power of Love
Luna and Neville were in the Greenhouse, trying to get some work done. Neville felt like he had an absolutely insane amount of homework to get done. Fifth year was nothing compared to this. And the professors! They acted like the student's entire lives rested on the results of the N.E.W.T.S. And Neville knew, in a small corner of his brain, that that was possibly true.
Neville was concentrating on his wrist movement for a particular tricky charm he was trying to learn when Luna stood up and started jumping up and down.
"I. Don't. Like. History. Of. Magic," she said on each jump. Neville couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you working on?" he asked.
"History. Of. Harpies. And. Hags," she said, jumping again each word. Then she stopped. "I've got absolutely nothing against them. According to Daddy, some of our most famous historical figures have been part hag or part harpy. But do we really need to learn the entire history?"
"Don't forget the history of vampires, goblins, trolls…" Neville trailed off. He knew he had learned the history of some other magical creatures, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what types.
"And Giants, and werewolves and House-elves," Luna said, sitting down again. "I wish this course wasn't required for seven years."
"How else would any one take it?" Neville asked. "No one in their right mind would take History of Magic if it wasn't required."
"Except for maybe Hermione," Luna said. "She would take it."
"True enough," Neville smiled, and then looked down at his Charms book again. Suddenly, he felt a little dizzy. His head was pounding.
"Neville?" Luna asked softly.
"I'll be fine," Neville said unconvincingly. He felt like his entire forehead was on fire. He put both hands on his forehead, trying to relieve the pressure.
Luna scooted over, so she was sitting next to him. "You're not fine," she said. "These headaches have been happening a lot more lately. What does Professor Dumbledore say?"
"He doesn't really know," Neville admitted.
"I thought you said you told him!" Luna said angrily.
"I did tell him in the fall," Neville said defensively. "But I haven't told him they've gotten worse."
"You need to tell him," Luna said.
"I know," Neville nodded. The pain was beginning to go away. "I will."
"Let me take a look," Luna said. She bit her bottom lip and pushed back the hair off of his forehead. Neville became worried when she simply stared at one spot on his forehead for almost a minute.
"What's wrong?" Neville asked worriedly.
She didn't say a word, but stood up and held out her hand to help him off of the ground.
"What are you doing?" Neville asked. "What about our books?"
"Leave them," Luna said, still holding his hand. "You need to see this."
With his other hand, Neville felt his forehead, trying to see if he could feel anything unusual. "Luna, what have you seen?"
She shook her head, as she silently led him through the different hallways to the first floor girl's bathroom. Luna started to take him inside the bathroom.
But Neville stopped her. "I can't go in there! That's the girl's toilet."
"No one ever goes in there, Neville. Please," Luna said.
"Fine," Neville said and Luna took him inside and placed him in front of a mirror.
"Look at your forehead," Luna instructed.
Neville lifted the hair away from his forehead and looked in the mirror. When his eyes registered what they were seeing, his jaw dropped.
There, on the right side of his forehead, very faint, was the outline of a scar.
A scar shaped like a lighting bolt.
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"Why didn't you tell us the headaches where getting worse?" Professor Dumbledore said gravely, looking at Neville from over his desk.
Neville felt very uncomfortable, knowing that Professors Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall were all staring at him. Even Harry was staring.
After he had seen the outline of the scar, Neville went right to his dorm to get Harry, and together they went to Professor Dumbledore's office.
"I didn't even realize it," Neville said. "The pain changed a bit, and I've been so busy lately, I didn't even think that the headaches were happening more often."
"Albus, what does this mean?" Professor McGonagall asked worriedly.
"This means, Minerva, that Mister Potter and Mister Longbottom are more connected than we could have ever predicted," Dumbledore said seriously.
"But, sir," Harry asked, "How could my scar be transferred over to Neville? I thought that's the mark that Voldemort gave me to mark me as his equal."
"I don't believe your scar is going to be transferred, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I believe you've now both been marked."
"Albus…" McGonagall started.
Dumbledore held up his hand. "Prophecies are tricky things, Minerva."
"We couldn't have gotten it wrong, could we?" Professor Snape asked.
"The one thing I am certain of is that this prophecy will be fulfilled. Apparently, fate has not decided which of these two will actually be the One," Dumbledore said softly.
"You mean…" Snape trailed off.
"I mean, that we must act like either one of these two could have the power to destroy Voldemort," Dumbledore said, staring straight at Neville. "Whether you realize it or not, Mister Longbottom, you were marked by Voldemort, just as Harry was.
"Now, your marks can't be seen, and they weren't actually given to you by Voldemort, but rather by his staunches supporters," Dumbledore said.
"The memory charm gone wrong," Neville said simply, understanding instantly what Dumbledore was trying to say.
Dumbledore nodded. "Not a physical mark, like Harry's scar, but a mental one. And now, because fate appears to be undecided, your mental mark is becoming a physical one."
Neville's mind was racing at a million meters an hour. He glanced over at Harry, who looked just as confused and lost as Neville felt. Their eyes met.
So it's either one of us, then.
That's what it looks like, Harry.
At the same time, Neville and Harry both jumped out of their chairs and stared at each other.
"What has happened?" Professor Snape practically barked.
"We just spoke to each other in our minds," Harry said in an odd voice. "That hasn't happened since…"
"Halloween," Neville said, finishing the sentence. "Didn't we tell you then?"
"You certainly did not mention that you were communicating through your mind," Snape said angrily.
"It was only a sentence," Harry said quickly. "And that's all this was."
Professor Dumbledore stared at the ceiling. "What were you both doing before all of this?" he asked.
"I was studying with Luna," Neville said promptly.
"And you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
"Spending time with Ginny," Harry said, turning slightly red. They had actually been snogging in the boy's dorm. Neville had walked in on them again when he went to tell Harry about this.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but most every time you two have shared a vision, either using Occlumency or not, either one of both of you have been in an emotionally heightened state," Dumbledore said.
"I don't know about that," Harry said.
"Your first vision ever, about the Daily Prophet, what had you two been doing right before then?" he asked seriously.
"Nothing really," Harry said while Neville started blushing furiously, remembering that night last year.
"And you, Mister Longbottom?" Dumbledore asked.
"It was Valentine's Day," Neville mumbled. "I was with Luna. We had really nice night, that's all."
"I see," Dumbledore said. "You both care for your girlfriends a great deal, do you not?"
The two boys nodded.
"Would you say you love them?" he asked.
"Yes," Neville answered promptly, while Harry said more hesitantly, "I think so."
Professor Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and let out a deep breath. "I have a theory. Only a theory," he said slowly. Everyone in the room looked at Dumbledore eagerly.
"I have known for a long time that Harry and Voldemort share a connection. Fifth year confirmed it, when Harry saw Arthur Weasley being attacked through the snake's eyes. And now Mister Longbottom seems to be thrown into the mix. A shared connection between three minds," Professor Dumbledore said.
"Does that mean Voldemort could plant memories in Neville's head, like he did mine?" Harry asked quickly.
"Possibly," Dumbledore answered. "However, I have a sneaking suspicion that Voldemort realizes that a third party has entered into the mix, but is not sure who it is."
"He'll figure it out," Harry said flatly.
"At some point in time, I'm sure he will," Dumbledore said. "But at the same, you two are doing powerful damage to him without even knowing it."
Neville leaned forward, eager to hear what would next be said.
"It has been reported that Voldemort seems to be getting slightly weaker. He's become quick tempered and rash, something that is normally not associated with Voldemort. And it has become worse since Halloween," Dumbledore said, giving the two boys a meaningful look.
"I don't understand," Harry said.
"Don't you?" Dumbledore said, smiling for the first time. "You both are hurting Voldemort mentally with love."
It took every ounce of Neville's strength not to simply repeat the word 'love.' He didn't want to appear like an idiot, but he didn't understand what Dumbledore was talking about.
"You both are giving and receiving love every day, and it is slowly driving Voldemort mad. A man who has never experienced what true love is, is now being tormented by two men who are in love," Dumbledore said.
"Think about your headaches, Neville. Have most of them occurred when you have been in the presence of Miss Lovegood, or have just been in her presence?" Dumbledore asked.
Neville thought long and hard. Every single headache he could remember had happened either during or right after a moment with Luna. Even the visions that Harry and he shared outside of using Occlumency had happened the same way.
"Love is the one weapon that Voldemort has always underestimated," Dumbledore said.
"Is that how we destroy him?" Neville asked. "Through love?"
"I believe it is, Mister Longbottom," Dumbledore told him. "I believe it is. I will admit, when you two came into this very room last February and explained what had happened to you, I started preparing for this exact possibility."
"That the prophecy has been altered?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Not quite altered, but intrepreted differently," he said softly. Then to Neville and Harry, "Haven't you two noticed anything when you've dueled this year?"
Neville thought for a moment. "We haven't dueled each other at all this year. Not in class, or in the D.A," he said truthfully.
"I see," Dumbledore said, looking at them over his spectacles. "Would both of you be so kind to stand up?"
They stood up slowly, not quite sure of what they were being asked. "Face each other and send a small spell the other's way."
Neville shrugged, while Harry's face had a look Neville didn't quite understand. "You mean…" Harry trailed off and faced Neville.
Neville and Harry said a spell at the same time. Without warning, the beams of light connected, and Neville felt a strange sensation in his hand.
"Break the connection," Dumbledore ordered.
Neville wasn't sure how. But Harry seemed to know what to do. "Fawkes gave another feather, then?" Harry asked dully.
Professor Dumbledore nodded slowly. "If there is more than one way to destroy Voldemort I need to be ready for every possibility," Dumbledore said seriously.
"I don't understand," Neville said honestly. "Why couldn't our spells hit each other?"
"Because our wands our brothers," Harry answered. "Just like yours and Voldemort's wand."
"What?" Neville squeaked. "You-know…and my wand…"
"Neville, I had Hagrid destroy your wand purposely last year," Professor Dumbledore said gravely. "I needed to know if this wand would choose you. And it did."
"So what's that mean?" Neville asked. "If our wands are brothers?"
"It means you can not do battle against Voldemort. Or Harry for that matter," Dumbledore said.
"Oh," Neville said. Reality seemed to be hitting him square in the chest. Never in a million years did Neville ever think that he might have to be the one to destroy Voldemort. And what if he couldn't? That was even a more horrible thought.
"So what happens now?" Harry asked.
"Neville, you need to start practicing Occlumency every night before you go to bed. We cannot have Voldemort realize who might be breaking into Harry and his connection," Dumbledore told them. "Other than that, continue as you were. Continue to love.
"You'll be hurting Voldemort in a way he never dreamt possible."