Written for Assignment #3 on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry forum: Gardening, Task #5 – Write a fic featuring a character under 11 years old. Word count: 380.
Late Bloomer
Plumpish, dark-haired boy sat in the corner of the living room, still unnaturaly pale and shaken after what had happened just moments ago. He tried to remove mud from his dark blue robe's sleeve, nervously looking at his gran and uncle. They were talking animatedly, but quietly enough to prevent him from hearing actual words.
He straightened his back when they looked at him; gran hated slouching. But she didn't look angry right now. She even smiled a little; and that could surprise anyone who knew Augusta Longbottom.
"I'm so happy, Neville," she said, coming closer. She hugged him shortly, and the boy tensed, not used to such affection from his grandmother. "We will go to the Fortescue's… But you need to change first." Of course she noticed the mud on his robes.
Sitting in the Fortescue's ice-cream parlour, with a chocolate cone in his hand, Neville was slowly realising that he did magic. He did magic, for the very first time in eight years of his life! This, however, did not make what uncle Algie had done any less scary.
"You will thank me for this!"
Algernon Longbottom was entirely sure that he did the right thing. A Longbottom could not be a squib, he would not have it! That left the option that the boy was a late bloomer and he just needed a bit help. So a helping hand would Algie give him!
"Uncle Algie, please!" begged Neville. "Please, pull me back in!"
Most of wizards would not call hanging kid upside down outside the window "help". Algie did.
"You can do this yourself, lad" replied the man decidedly.
Next thing Neville would recall afterwards was the grip on his ankles loosening, and paralysing fear that this time he was going to die. And then he bounced. Almost like a ball; except a ball would not scream. He did. When he flew almost back to the window, when he started falling again and when he was sure that he would never stop bouncing. He stopped eventually, all the way down the path in the front yard. By this time gran had come outside.
"Maybe we will make a wizard out of you, Neville," mused Augusta, as he finished his ice cream cone. "Do you want one more?"