Chapter Twenty-Three – Saying Good-Bye

Neville walked slowly through the empty halls of Hogwarts. He somehow had to find the strength to go into his dorm and quickly pack his trunk, since he would be going home to his grandmother for a few days.

He didn't want to face Harry or Ron, who he knew would be waiting up for him. There was no doubt in his mind that Ginny would have told them that Professor Dumbledore had wanted to see Neville on his own.

Right before he reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Neville stopped. He took the small leather frame out of the pocket of his robe. There he was smiling happily with Luna. Slowly, he turned the frame over and looked at the picture of him as a baby with his parents.

More than anything, Neville wanted to sit down and cry. But the tears wouldn't come. It seemed the most unfair thing in the world. That just when his mother was coming back to him, Death Eaters ripped her away. Again.

Taking a deep breath, Neville gave the Fat Lady the password and stepped into the common room. He hadn't expected Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and even Luna to be waiting for him.

"Is everything okay, mate?" Harry said uneasily.

Neville shook his head. He could tell that Harry knew something was wrong. They all looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. But he couldn't. He couldn't say the words out loud to his friends. Saying it out loud would make it real.

So Neville said nothing. He walked past them all and walked up the stairs. Luna's voice stopped him before he opened the door to his dorm room.

"What's happened, Neville Longbottom?" Luna's voice asked. Neville felt her wrap her arms around his waist and lean against him.

He remained silent.

"Please don't shut me out," Luna whispered. "Please let me help you."

Neville turned around quickly, catching Luna slightly off guard. "My parents are dead, Luna," he said quickly.

Much to Neville's relief, she said nothing. In fact, she stayed motionless, except for her eyes widening a bit.

"They were killed, by…" Neville took a deep breath. "By Death Eaters."

Luna stepped towards him and silently wrapped her arms around him. Neville rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes.

"What can I do to help?" she whispered.

Neville stood up straight and look at her. "Just stay with me," Neville said. "I just want to grab my trunk and go to Gran. Dumbledore's already told her by now."

"All right," she said, putting her hand on his cheek. He was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Neville."

"I always figured they would die young," Neville said honestly. "But not…not to be killed."

"How long are you going to be gone?" Luna asked.

"I don't know," Neville told her. "I'm sure there will be some sort of funeral. After that, probably."

"You'll let me know when, right?" Luna asked seriously.

Neville nodded. "Why don't you come in?" he asked. "Stay with me while I pack."

"Okay," Luna said, squeezing his hand. "I love you, Neville Longbottom."

He reached towards her and gave her a kiss that practically knocked the wind out of him. Neville wanted to cry. He couldn't understand why he couldn't cry.

"I love you, Luna," he said, opening the door to his dorm. He put his finger over his lips and motioned for her to be quiet. He didn't want her waking Dean or Seamus.

Luckily they both seemed to be sleeping soundly. Neville quickly packed his trunk and brought it back out to the hallway. Luna helped him get the trunk down the stairs, and he faced his friends.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked.

"There was an attack on St. Mungo's tonight," Neville said softly. "Just a squirmish, really. But the Aurors seem to think that the Death Eaters came specifically for my parents…"

Neville looked helplessly at Luna. He didn't want to say the words out loud again. She seemed to realize how hopeless he felt and squeezed his hand. "His parents were killed," she told them. Neville stared at the ground, not wanting to see the looks of pity on his friend's faces.

"Oh, Neville," he heard Hermione whisper.

"I'm going to be gone for a few days," Neville said. Ron put his hand on his shoulder and Neville could feel Harry's sympathy. "I need to go. I've got to catch the Knight Bus."

"Luna," Harry said, "Take my cloak and walk with him. Then you can get back to the West Tower."

"Thank you," Luna said. Neville and Luna walked into the hallway. Quickly, Neville cast a charm on his trunk so that it floated behind them.

They walked in silence the entire way to the entrance. He saw her shiver slightly as they stepped outside.

"Will you owl me when you know when you know when the funeral is?" Luna asked softly.

Neville nodded and threw out his wand arm. A moment later, the Knight Bus appeared in front of them. He quickly gave Luna a kiss and then headed on the Knight Bus.

Almost an hour later, Neville got off of the bus and looked at the house where he had grown up. Every single light in the house was on. He could see his Great Uncle Algie's profile from an upstairs room.

His grandmother was sitting at the dining room table, looking older than Neville had ever seen her. Her head was buried in her hands.

"Gran?" he asked.

She looked up suddenly, as if Neville had surprised him. "Oh, Neville," she said weakly. "I didn't expect you so soon. Do you want some tea?"

"Sure," Neville said and sat down at the table, next to where his grandmother had been. "Are you okay, Gran?"

"As well as can be expected," she said bitterly. Neville closed his eyes and listened to the familiar sounds of her making tea.

A few moments later, she placed a cup in front of him. "Uncle Algie's here?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm so thoughtless. Would you like a biscuit?" she asked, standing up again.

"It's okay, Gran," Neville said quickly.

"But you love biscuits with your tea," she said. "Just like your father…"

Neville stood up and walked to his grandmother. She was holding a tin of biscuits in her hand. "These were Frank's favorite type…" she said hoarsely. She tried opening them, but the lid wouldn't budge.

"Let me open them," Neville said gently.

"Can't even open a tin of biscuits," she said, wiping a tear from her eye. Neville took the tin, opened it, and placed it on the counter. He then looked at his grandmother. She looked completely lost.

"We're going to be okay, Gran," Neville said, placing his hand on her shoulder. He was completely unsure of what to do next. He and his grandmother rarely showed affection to each other.

"Oh, Neville!" his grandmother cried and started sobbing on his shoulder. Neville awkwardly put his arms around her.

A few minutes later, his grandmother stepped away, dried her eyes, and seemed to be all business again. "There's a lot to do," she said briskly. "But I think we should get some sleep and work on it in the morning."

"Okay," Neville said hesitantly. Neville didn't think he had any chance of sleeping tonight.

But the hours somehow passed. The next morning, Neville came down stairs to find his grandmother and great-uncle sitting at the table a visitor.

"Professor Moody!" Neville stuttered. Professor Moody was the last person Neville expected to see here.

Professor Moody waved his hand. "Don't call me 'professor,' Longbottom. Mad-Eye or Moody will do fine," he told him.

"Yes, sir," Neville said and sat down at the table.

"The Ministry of Magic has offered to pay for the funeral," his grandmother said.

"Really?" Neville said.

"Frank and Alice were good Aurors," Moody said gruffly. "As far as I'm concerned, they were attacked all those years ago when they were on duty. It's our responsibility to look after our own."

"Thank you," Neville said.

Over the next day or so, all of the details were arranged. Neville had hoped for something quiet, but his grandmother had different ideas. When Madam Bones herself suggested an official Auror memorial service, his grandmother seemed to jump at the chance.

The service was to be on a Saturday afternoon. Early that morning, Neville stared at the window. To his surprise, he saw the Knight Bus pull up in front of the house and Luna get off it.

At first, Neville didn't even realize it was Luna. She was wearing a black witch's hat. He had seen her wear wizarding caps before, but never an actual hat. Usually women didn't wear those until they had graduated Hogwarts. Her dark green robe looked like it was made out of velvet.

Neville practically ran downstairs and opened the door for Luna, who proceeded to throw herself in his arms.

"I've missed you, Neville Longbottom," she whispered.

"Me, too," Neville said. "Come inside."

"Has it been awful?" she asked.

"It doesn't seem real," Neville said. "I haven't even seen their bodies. I'll be able to see them before the service."

"That's good," Luna said.

"Who's here?" his grandmother called from upstairs.

"It's Luna, Gran," Neville shouted back.

Luna took off her hat and put it on the floor. Her hair was up in a simple French twist. Neville looked her over. He had never seen her look so much like an adult. She was of age, they both were. But today, Luna actually looked it.

"I haven't been able to cry," Neville said. "I know I need to cry eventually."

"Crying will help," Luna told him. "But only when the time is right."

"I guess…" Neville trailed off.

"You'll see your parents again," Luna said serenely.

"I know," Neville said. "Before the service. I told you."

Luna shook her head. "I mean as they were. You'll be reunited with them someday."

Neville felt strangely comforted by those words. Luna sounded so confident that Neville almost believed her.

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It was the longest afternoon that Neville had ever known. First, his Gran, Uncle Algie, Luna and he flooed to the Ministry of Magic, where the memorial service was to be held. A grave looking wizard stood in front of a door.

"That's where they are now, Neville. Go on and say good-bye," his grandmother told him.

Neville looked at Luna. She stared back for a moment and said, "This is something for you alone."

"Okay," Neville whispered and walked up the wizard guarding the door. The wizard opened the door and Neville walked inside. Two coffins were laying side by side, opened. Neville looked inside and saw his parents.

They were wearing identical black robes with high collars. The collars covered up where their necks had been hit with a severing charm. Their eyes were closed, and all Neville could think was that they looked peaceful. His father wasn't rocking back and forth on his bed. His mother wasn't walking restlessly around the room. They finally looked like they were at peace.

And Neville didn't know why that hurt so much. Maybe because he liked to think that somewhere, deep inside, his parents were fighting to get back to him. But they were certainly fighting no more.

After a few minutes, Neville said his final private goodbye and left the small room. His grandmother went in after him.

Luna reached out her hand and he squeezed it tightly. People were starting to come into the hallway. Neville and his grandmother would have to get to the front of the service room soon.

A minute later, his grandmother left the room. Neville offered her his arm, which she took, and together they headed towards the front of the room.

The room filled quickly. Neville was amazed how many people came to the service. And so many Aurors! Every Auror wore an identical navy blue dress robe with a wide black leather belt that rested on the hips. Neville had a picture of his parents wearing the exact same robes. They hadn't changed for centuries.

There were a number of adults that Neville didn't recognize as well. Though later he would find out that almost the entire Order of the Phoenix was there. A number of his friends were there: Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Even Seamus and Dean were there. Neville got a little shock when he looked to the very back. All the way at the last row was Draco Malfoy.

The service was brief, but meaningful. Earlier in the week, Neville had been asked if he wanted to say a few words and he refused. Neville didn't even try to pretend he was a public speaker, and anyway, he knew he would be too emotional.

Professor Dumbledore spoke. He talked of Frank and Alice's bravery and the love they had for their family. Neville knew if there was ever a time to cry, that would be it. But still, the tears wouldn't come.

And before he knew it, he was back at his grandmother's house. They were hosting a dinner for close family and friends. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all were there. And Luna never left his side, which Neville was grateful for.

Neville tried to be a good host, he really did. He went up to different Aurors, all who beamed at him and told him how they remembered how happy Alice was to have a son. But how she was also excited to get back to work.

Professor Moody started telling a story about how his parents escaped from Voldemort and Neville couldn't take it anymore. He excused himself as politely as he could and told Luna he was going to the bathroom.

But instead, he went upstairs. He went into his closet and sat down and tried to hide himself. Neville remembered doing to the exact same thing after his grandfather's funeral. For almost fifteen minutes, Neville sat in silence, lost in his own thoughts. But then he heard, "Neville?"

It was Luna. After he realized that he was about to stay silent and ignore her, he called, "I'm in the closet."

She had taken off her witch's hat then, and her hair was down around her shoulders. She looked more like the Luna he knew.

"When we had people over after my mother died, I spent the entire time in the closet," she smiled. "Closets seem to understand, don't they?"

Neville nodded as Luna sat across from him. "What are you thinking?" she asked.

He looked into her large, grey eyes and tried to push the thoughts away. "That it's my fault they were killed," he said, trying not to sound upset.

Luna tilted her head to one side. "Why would you think that?" she asked.

"How can it not be?" he asked. "They weren't hurting anyone in St. Mungo's. Then suddenly, Harry and I place a vision in Voldemort's head and a month later they're killed!"

Luna took his hand and started playing with it a bit. "I read in the paper that they think Bellatrix Lestrange killed them. Is that true?"

Neville nodded. That's what the Aurors had told them.

"Neville, I saw her that night…in the department of Mysteries," Luna said gently. "She looked like she was insane then. There's no doubt in my mind she would be the type that would want to finish the job."

"You think so?" Neville said. He could feel himself tearing up. He desperately wanted to believe what she said.

"I do," Luna said simply. "This wasn't your fault. You have to believe that."

Neville took a deep breath. "I want to believe that, Luna," he said, almost gasping for air. "I do…but…"

The tears Neville had held back for so long were finally released.