Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Jo Rowling does in the Harry Potter books.
Note: This story takes place after the fifth book, starting at summer vacation.
Title: Strength in the Weak and Courage in the Afraid
Chapter One: Summer Vacation
The train was slowing down… the King's Cross is in view.
Fifteen-year-old Neville Longbottom gazed out the window. He was sitting alone on the train, with no one to talk to or chatter excitedly with. He sighed heavily and gathered his luggage. Neville could see his grandmother waving to him from the platform.
"Neville, I just got a letter in the mail."
Neville's grandmother called to him from the kitchen. He got up from his chair and slowly walked next door.
"It's from a boy named 'Draco Malfoy,' " his grandmother said stiffly.
Neville froze. Malfoy? Writing to him?
He shakily accepted the letter, opening it carefully.
Inside was a murky, thick liquid that oozed all over Neville's fingers.
"AHHHHH!"
The liquid burned, leaving extreme scotch marks on Neville's hands.
"WATER!"
Neville's grandmother was busy reading the Daily Prophet, but at the request, she handed him her scalding tea.
Neville quickly dumped the cup on his fingers, assuming that it was icy water.
"AHHHHH! I'M DYING!"
"Now, now, Neville dear, it's not that bitter."
"This Malfoy boy put WHAT in the envelope?"
"Some sort of hot liquid! IT BURNED MY FINGERS!"
Neville started to cry, but his grandmother showed no sympathy.
"You idiot! You shan't cry over such a thing! You should fight back! Teach him a lesson!"
Neville moaned, "But how?"
His grandmother screeched, "WHAT? DON'T TELL ME YOU SAID 'HOW'! I SHALL TEACH YOU MYSELF IF I MUST!"
But of course, she was too lazy. She merely hired a karate teacher for Neville.
"One, two, three , four, FIGHT!"
"Ughhh…."
Day one at karate class. Neville was beaten to a pulp by a five-year-old.
Day two at karate class. No improvement.
Day three, ditto.
Day fifty-six, however, MAJOR improvement.
"KEEEEEEEEEE-YA!"
SMASH. BREAK. DESTROY. EAT. KILL.
Neville successfully knocked his teacher into a coma. Proudly, Neville showed off his black belt on live muggle TV. Of course, a Memory Charm here and there, and nobody got in jail.
"NEVILLE! YOU MUSTN'T MURDER YOUR TEACHER NEXT TIME! I HAVE ENROLLED YOU IN SUMMER MAGIC SCHOOL TO TEACH YOU A LESSON!"
Five weeks later….
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"NEVILLE! DON'T USE AVADA ON YOUR TEACHER!"
"But it was on our exam…. How do you do the Killing Curse?"
"NOT DO IT ON YOUR TEACHER! AHHHHHH!"
A couple Memory Charms….. and voila. No one in Azkaban.