Guardians Of Hogwarts ch 5: Neville Longbottom
Harry sat of the train headed to Hogwarts. He had the window seat. Ron and Hermione were engages in some sort of 'argument'. It was clear to him that the two of them liked each other. He wondered when they would get overt his phase and just get on with it. Harry turned to stare out the window and got lost in thought.
Harry snapped out of his mindless musings when the door slid open to reveal Neville Longbottom. He was a bit pink and when Harry looked more closely, he saw that Neville had his trunk with him still.
"What're you doing luging around your trunk?" Ron asks bluntly. Hermione rolled her eyes and got up to help the boy in. Neville flushed.
"Er… Thanks Hermione. I was wondering if I could sit with you? Malfoy and his friends sort of took my spot." Neville asks, staring at the floor.
"Of course you can sit with us" Harry spoke. Watching Ron help Hermione heave Neville's trunk onto the rack next to his. Neville sat down relieved.
"Thanks" Neville says.
"Don't mention it" Harry responds. The four of them look at each other in an awkward silence for a moment.
"Did you know, that you mum is my godmother?" Harry asks. Neville snaps his head in his direction. His expression clearly told him that he hadn't known that, and definitely wasn't prepared to be told. Hermione and Ron had known, having seen his memories about everything, but didn't know he was going to bring it up. They stayed silent.
"W-what? Really? I-I hadn't known" Neville stutters. Harry smiles softly.
"That means, that we're brothers, god-brothers more precisely, but brothers. If you ever need anything, Nev, tell me. I'll be there for you. So will Hermione and Ron" Harry offers. Neville swallows hard when both Hermione and Ron offer their verbal agreement. If they saw Neville's eye tear up, they didn't mention it.
"Oh! I know, How about a game of-"
"No" both Harry and Hermione state immediately to Ron's request of a game of chess. Neville looked amused until Ron's hopeful look went to him.
"oh, er, I'm not that good, "Neville says.
"That's okay, Harry sucks as well" Ron brushes aside his comment before setting up his board in front of Neville. Harry grins at Neville while Hermione gave him a victory sign. For the rest of the train ride, Ron began teaching Neville chess tactics and Hermione and Harry discussed DADA.
…
The four of them took a carriage up to the castle after watching the firsties clatter onto the boats for their first time seeing Hogwarts. Harry briefly pet the zombie like horse, making Neville stare at him for a second before carefully going around the thestral. On the way up, Harry commented on the oddity of Malfoy not giving them their yearly greeting on the train.
"Maybe's he's taken the Professor's warnings to heart?" Hermione states, sounding doubtful of her own conclusion.
"More like plotting some scheme to excuse Harry, more like" Ron huffs.
"Er…Sorry?" Neville asks, confused. Hermione bit her tongue, literally, and Ron smacked himself. Harry watched slightly amused as his two best friends stamper to come up with something believable. Harry chuckles lightly, drawing attention to himself. He crosses his arms lightly.
"Well, you see Nev…" Harry sighs, telling his god brother the truth.
"So you're a werewolf only…different" Neville asks, not sounding afraid, just curious.
"Yeah, basically. Mooney doesn't know why or how it's happened. He's an uncle of sorts to me. He helped e when I first turned…it'd easier for a werewolf to have a pack. For some reason, I wasn't able to go under him, but his wolf treated me like an apprentice of sorts…not pack, but not enemy…something like allied family or something. I don't know, Mooney didn't explain it too well." Harry admitted.
"Oh…okay then" Neville shrugs. Hermione stared at Neville before looking quite pleased. Ron just gaped. Harry for his part had a small half smile.
…
The Golden Trio plus Neville sat down at the Gryffindor table near the other Weasley's. They sat through the sorting, clapping when they got additions to their house. Harry watched two newbies sit near them in a gap between them and everyone else.
"We're not going to bite, you know" Harry told them after the feast begun and they hadn't moved to eat. Hermione face palmed at the bad joke while Ron looked on amused.
"The food might though" Neville adds. The newbies pales slightly.
"That's only if the twins mess with the food. If they asks you to try something, don't" Hermione tells them.
"I'm Harry; this is Ron, Hermione and Neville. What're your names?" Harry asks, having heard already but was trying to be polite all the same.
"I'm Stephan, and this is Chris" Stephan says before nervously adding, "We're muggle borns"
It was obvious to the four of them that they had experienced the pureblood welcome.
"So am I, don't worry, you'll get used to it within you're first month here. Make sure you make friends, they help…a lot" Hermione says.
"I'm a half blood, though both my parents were a witch and a wizards...my mum was a muggle born. I'm muggle raised. It's all fantastic, really" Harry adds, smiling, looking up to the ceiling where it was enchanted to look like the night sky.
"We're purebloods, we're not all gits. I'm Ron and this is Neville. Actually, it's really only the Slytherin gits that're ass-"
"Language, Ronalds, they're first years!" Hermione scolded. Ron raised his hands in surrender. Both first years giggled at the display.
"If you need any help, just let one of us know." Hermione offers to them. The rest of them nod their agreement.
"Thanks!" Chris says, finally reaching for the food. Stephan soon following.
…
The trio and Neville only saw from Chris and Stephan a few times outside the common room, whether helping them off a moving staircase or directing them when they were lost, most often had been when the two made some friends and were playing around.
Neville grew apart of the golden trio's group easily. He just fit.
It just so happened that it was nearly a full moon. Harry began not talking as much. Ron would wait an extra twenty minutes to go to breakfast, allowing Harry the extra time to work past his aching body. Harry began to look under the weather. Neville took notice of the change instantly, and was worried. He'd seen Harry look like this every so often, but now he knew why, and he felt for his god brother.
Harry sat down with Ron one morning and just slumped over and laid his head on the table.
"Feeling a little under the moon?" Ron asks, barely keeping a straight face. Harry glared at his friend before cracking. Hermione huffed and gave a roll of her eyes.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Neville asks. Harry nods.
"It's the full moon tonight." Harry replies. Neville hesitated but asks-
"Is there anything I can do?"
There was a collective pause before Harry shook his head. Hermione gave him a look but Harry gave a 'this is final' look.
"What?" Neville asks, confused.
"What Harry doesn't want to tell you is, is that you could become an animagus, but he's worried that he'll influence what you become…like he unknowingly did with Hermione and me" Ron says, ignoring Harrys glare.
"So how do I become one? Isn't there a law-"
"There is," Hermione's voice became defensive at this, "but we've come to terms that this is for a good cause and-"
"There is, but we're over looking it for our best mate" Ron cuts Hermione off mid-rant. Hermione pursed her lips before sighing and nodding.
"Is it hard?"
"…"
Harry rolls his eyes.
"No, it's just confusing at first. The potion you take helps you identify what animal you'll become…or supposed to become anyway, and then you try to transfigure yourself into that animal, limb by limb. Most difficult part is getting used to the different senses and the breathing difference. As any animal, you breath fast than a human because you'll have smaller lungs. Physically it's fine, but mentally you're still used to breathing as a human so you try to put you're mind over body…doesn't quite work that way" Harry offers. Neville looks determined.
"Alright, I'll do it"
Harry watched as Hermione and Ron start to talk to Neville about becoming an animal. Harry hopes that Neville doesn't become a wolf. He would always welcome him into his pack, if that's what he chose, but Harry didn't want him to want that life.
… … … …