Title: Attraction To A Hufflepuff
By: Smurf
Pairing: Nedric (ahh… the Nedric goodness!)
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any related trademarks. I don't make any money from writing these works. No infringement is intended.
Summary: Nedric. Neville's POV. Companion piece to Attraction To A Wallflower.
Note: This part is short, and it feels a little rushed to me, but I just couldn't think of anything else to do with it. No real Nedric yet, that comes in the next two chapters. I'll try to update faster, but for now, enjoy the Nedric-ness!
Attraction To A Hufflepuff
Part II
Neville's second year at Hogwarts wasn't as cheery as the first- that is if you could call his first year cheery. It had started out all right, with Ron and Harry causing somewhat of a stir by arriving at school in a flying car that had crashed into the large and rather aggressive Whomping Willow that grew on the school grounds. But the year had quickly gone down hill.
Neville had started the year being afraid of the usual things; Professor Snape, the rather unsavory Slytherin's who tended to bully him and taunt his dorm mates, disappointing his Gran, failing out of Hogwarts (though everyone assured him he wouldn't, and Hermione Granger- angel that she was- had promised to help him as much as she could in order to keep that from happening), and several other small things like losing Trevor.
Other fears were added to that list fairly quickly. For instance, during the first few days of school in one of his first DADA class of the year, Neville acquired a new phobia, Cornish Pixies. Not that Pixies were frightening in the least, it was just that once he had been carried around by his ears, hung by his robes, and left dangling from the ceiling by a gaggle of them he could hardly be expected to look at the small mischievous creatures in the same way, now could he?
He had decided right then and there, after Harry Ron and Hermione had helped him down, that Professor Lockhart was a complete menace. And though he was famous, rather good looking, and had experience coming out of his perfectly proportionate ears, Neville was absolutely certain that he had no business teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts at Hogwarts- of course that could have just been his humiliation talking.
Then there was the odd sensation that plagued him at the oddest of times, like during meals, or when he was in the halls, or even when he was out and about the grounds; it was as if he were being watched. It wasn't in that uncomfortable way either. No; it was very different, curious. Yeah, that was the word for it. Curious. Of course, Neville was unused to attention and so the fact that someone was studying him made him a little nervous.
Then the attacks started. It began with Mr. Filtch's cat, Mrs. Norris, being petrified. Others met the same fate, among them Nearly-headless Nick, Justin Fitch-Fletchery of Hufflepuff, Penelope Clearwater a Ravenclaw prefect, and his fellow Gryffindor's, Colin Creevy, and Hermione Granger.
Word around the castle was that somebody- the heir of Slytherin- had opened the Chamber of Secrets; what exactly that was, Neville didn't know, everyone was reluctant to speak of it. He did know that it was said to be hidden somewhere inside the school only nobody seemed to know where exactly… except, of course, whoever it was that had opened the chamber, and popular opinion was that the heir was none other than Harry Potter. Not that Neville believed that for one single instant. Harry was most defiantly not responsible for the attacks on the student body, he just couldn't be. Even with all of his faith in his friend, the round-faced boy couldn't help but be frightened. Most of the petrified people were muggle born, or of mixed parentage; Neville knew that he was neither one of those, however, his talent with magic was- as he was continually told by several students, and one rather scary potions professor- sub par, putting him one step up from being a squib.
Yes, one more thing to add to the seemingly ever-growing list of fears. He was afraid of being attacked next. Thankfully, that never happened.
What did happen was that Dumbledore was relieved of his position at the school, Hagrid was imprisoned in Azkaban, and Ginny Weasley was taken into the Chamber. Those events lead to Harry Potter, and Ron Weasley being thrust into the role of hero once more. Nobody was really certain of what happened down in the Chamber, only that whatever it was, Harry, and to some extent Ron, had succeeded in rescuing Ginny, and Lockhart had lost his bleeding mind! Dumbledore was reinstated as Headmaster, and Hagrid was released with a full pardon.
Neville couldn't have been happier to see the end of the year. For once he was actually looking forward to going home, and being regaled tales of his parents greatness by his domineering grandmother… and even her horrid hats.
During the train ride back to platform 9 ¾, Neville once again got that curious feeling, as if he were being watched. He looked around him, trying to find the source, but found it difficult as the aisle of the car was crowded, though, he did recognize a few faces, he saw Cho Chang, and Cedric Diggory (whom in his opinion was a much better looking bloke than Lockhart), Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas, and several faces he couldn't quite place.
Shaking his head, the young Gryffindor slid open the door of a compartment and took a seat, closing his eyes, and falling into a light sleep for the rest of the journey back to Kings Cross station.
Here ends this installment.
Please review. I like reviews.
Again I don't like this bit, it seems muddled and rushed; the next bit is better, so forgive me.