A/N: So, this is my Harry Potter story. When I wrote the letter, I didn't have a book in front of me to reference what was said. I just went with what sounded good. I'll change it later if you want me to. Anywho, enjoy!
He heard the tapping on his window and looked out. The large tawny owl was resting on his window sill. He rushed over to open it and took the envelope. What was the decision? Would he be able to spend his last year a Hogwarts, to get away from his house and face his fears? He ripped open the seal and pulled out the letter.
Dear Mr. Longbottom,
We are pleased to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will remain open for this school year. Due to the current circumstances, security at the school has been improved and safety will not be an issue for the students. We are restricting visits to Hogsmeade this year as the village is open to any wizard and cannot be guarded by Aurors or the professors.
The list for your school books has not been included. We will acquire your needed textbooks and they will await your arrival in your dormitory. Term will start on September first, with the Hogwarts Express departing from platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross station at 10 am.
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School
Neville grinned. He was going back. He then noticed that there was another sheet with the letter. He thought that the list for school books wouldn't be included. He flipped the sheet over and looked at it. His mouth dropped open.
Dear Mr. Longbottom,
We have received word that Mr. Weasley will not be attending Hogwarts in his final year so he will not be able to fulfill the duty as Head Boy. The duty has been awarded to you.
Please arrive at King's Cross station one half hour early before the train departs at platform nine and three-quarters. Details shall be explained upon your arrival.
Congratulations,
Minerva McGonagall
Headmistress of Hogwarts School
"Me? Head boy?" Neville squeaked. He heard a knock on his bedroom door and his grandmother entered the room.
"Is that your letter? So, what's the verdict?"
He looked at her. "It's open. And they made me Head Boy."
"They what? Is this a joke, Neville?"
"No, Gran. They said that Ron wasn't going to be at school, so I got the job."
"Why didn't they give it to Harry Potter?" Neville shrugged. "Oh well. I guess we should go get your books, then."
"They said we weren't supposed to. They're going to get them for us. Safety reasons, I'm guessing."
"Well, that's good. Once I get you on the train, you can worry about your own neck."
"Gran…"
"Oh, Neville, you know I don't mean it. Come on, you have to go to the Ministry to get your Apparating license."
Neville gulped, placed the letters on his desk and followed his grandmother. He didn't think he was ready to make him self disappear and reappear fifty yards from where he was going to start from.
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Neville hugged his grandmother and hopped aboard the train. He looked for someone who would talk to him, and found a conductor waving at him. He approached the man.
"You be Longbottom?" he asked.
"Yes sir."
"Right, in you go, then," the man said opening the door to a compartment for him.
Neville entered the compartment and found Luna Lovegood already sitting inside. She looked up at him. "Hullo," she said dreamily.
"Hi, Luna," he answered and took a seat across from her.
They waited a few more minutes before the door opened again and Professor Flitwick entered. "Hello, Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Lovegood. I'm going to tell you what your duties are going to be for the year. Now, first off, we will only be using two dormitories this year since not many students are returning. It will not be Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, it will just be a boys' dormitory and a girls' dormitory. Understood?" They both nodded. "Excellent!
"Now, as Head Boy and Head Girl, you two must help protect the school. Here are lists of when you two will be patrolling the corridors at night." He handed them two sheets of parchment. "On the nights you patrol, you will not have classes the next day, so that is already arranged." He went on discussing everything on what they would have to do with their new jobs. Finally, as they heard students finally board the train, Flitwick said, "I believe that's everything. Are there any questions?"
"What are the passwords?" Luna asked as she stared at the piece of parchment.
"Oh, right. The girls' password is 'flibbergast,' and the boys' password is 'Nurinda Tipitarus.' I do hope you will be able to remember that, Mr. Longbottom."
"Neville smiled. "It's a plant. I think I can remember it."
"Good! Well, then, off you two go to secure yourselves a compartment and to start patrolling the halls. Some prefects will take over for you after the first half hour."
They both nodded at him and left the compartment. As soon as they shut the door, they heard a small pop so they knew that Flitwick had Apparated.
"Do you have a compartment already?" Luna asked.
"Yeah, I dropped my stuff off at the last one on the train before I came up here. You can put your stuff with mine, if you like."
She smiled. "Thank you." She turned into the compartment they were next to, and soon she had her trunk floating in midair behind her. "Lead the way," she said simply.
He walked down the corridors, looking into each compartment as they passed. Flitwick was right; there were about one or two people to every other one. Soon, they arrived at the last compartment on the train. He opened the door and saw the familiar red hair of a petite girl staring out the window.
"Ginny!" he said, unable to hide the happiness he felt when he saw her.
She turned around and saw the person who called her name. She gave him a small smile. "Hello, Neville. Hi, Luna."
"You seem negative. Does your aura need to be cleansed?" Luna asked as she placed her trunk above the seats.
"No thanks, Trelawney, I'll be fine."
Luna sat down across from Ginny and pulled out a copy of the Quibbler and began to read.
"How was your summer, Ginny?" Neville asked as he sat down next to her.
"Oh, peachy. I spent the entire summer locked up inside my room for protection. Of course, she let Ron run off with Harry and Hermione, but I had to beg her to let me come here. I mean, what I'm doing is safer than what Ron is doing."
"What his he doing?"
"Chasing You-Know-Who."
Neville was shocked. "Why would he want to do that?"
"Because he's stupidly loyal to Harry, who's stupidly noble."
He frowned. "Are you upset that you couldn't join them?"
"No, I'm upset that Harry thinks I'm a little child and can't do anything for myself. I got my O.W.L.S. back. I received almost the exact same scores as Hermione. But no, I'm still a little kid and Hermione is older and wiser. What a bunch of bollocks."
Neville furrowed his brow. "Are you jealous of Hermione?"
"No!" she said automatically. "I don't know," she said sighing. "Maybe I am. She spends so much time with Harry. I think she has feelings for him."
"I thought she fancied Ron?" Neville said.
"I think it's more him than her. I just…I feel she might steal him from me."
"Ron? I don't think you'd miss him too much."
"No, Harry. I mean, he and I….it was so quick. But, of course, he's Harry Potter, and I'm just silly Ginny Weasley."
"You're not silly," Neville said.
She smiled at him. "Thanks. But I feel that way to Harry." She paused. "Maybe I should send him an owl, it might be reassuring. He did promise we would be together after all of this was over."
Neville's heart sank. No one knew it, but he had a mad crush on Ginny. He had liked her almost since her first year. They had run into each other a lot that year, and spent most meals together. He was hurt, though, when she revealed that Tom Riddle's diary was her only friend. Neville didn't stop, though. He continued to strike up conversations with her whenever possible, and when the Yule Ball came around, he got up the nerve to invite her with him (after a practice round on Hermione). He thought they had made some progress when he ruined the evening and she ran off with the boy who could dance. Even though he still talked to her, and they confided in each other, she moved on to Dean, and then on to Harry. He hoped she wouldn't date Seamus before she would ever consider dating him.
He was brought back to present day when he realized that Ginny had spoken to him. "Neville?"
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"I asked you how your summer was."
"Oh, it was…uneventful. I got my Apparating license."
"That's wonderful! You truly are becoming a better wizard every day," she said with a smile. She did have confidence in him, and it did help him to know that at least one person believed in him.
They spent the rest of the train ride talking mostly about nothing; Luna jumped in quite a few times to discuss an article from her father's magazine. They soon were putting on their school robes and waiting for the train to stop.
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The Sorting Hat ceremony did not occur, as there were not incoming first years and separating them into houses was not necessary. Professor McGonagall said a few words and they all tucked in their feast before splitting off and heading up to the new dormitories.
After a few failed attempts to get the boys' attention, Neville decided to speak up. "Listen up!" he screamed. The boys instantly stopped making noise. "I'm only going to give you the password once, so you're going to have to remember it, all right?" All the boys grumbled in response. He turned around to the portrait hanging on the wall. "Nurinda Tipitarus!" he said loudly. The centaur in the portrait nodded and allowed the boys access into their new dormitory. All boys split off into their years and headed up the stairs. Neville looked around the room and headed back out. It was his night to patrol the corridors.
A/N: So that's chapter one! Review so I remember to update. I tend to forget sometimes...:)