Chapter 16: The Pound of Cure
"We need to go over this very thoroughly. There will only be one chance to fix things. We have to make certain it is done correctly."
"Yes, sir," said Neville, knowing this was going to be the most important thing he was yet to do in his life.
"Once you get back to the school, you will be on your own" said Zaman, trying to impress the seriousness of the situation on him. "Who are you going to get to assist you? It has to be someone you can trust implicitly and who can do what it takes to make certain you wake up and do not reopen that doorway."
"I think Hermione Granger is the best person to help me. She is very smart and nice. I am sure she will be able to handle the responsibility."
"What will you say to her? You can't give away what is going to happen."
"I will tell her I feel a little ill this morning. I will ask her to please take care of me if anything happens to me in class. The others will just laugh at me."
"Okay. After you have spoken to her, where will you go? You cannot allow two Nevilles to turn up in the same room. You need to be very careful to not raise suspicion by being in two places at once, either."
"She likes to go to the library before class. I will watch for her to leave the hall after breakfast. I will meet her on the way to the library. After I talk to her, I will find a quiet place in the back of the library and wait for it to happen."
"That sounds good, Neville. I am sorry this is going to end this way, but take solace in the fact that once the event passes, you will no longer have any recollection of the events of the past days, or in your case, years. I know it will be a great loss to you, but it is for the best of the universe. Trillions of lives are counting on you."
Neville relinquished his watch and coin purse. They were not going with him. Once gone, he was expected to be Neville Longbottom, the nervous, timid, young Gryffindor.
Zaman carefully inscribed the place and time on a slip of paper. He folded it and handed it to Neville. Neville walked to the clock. His hand was shaking as he slid it into the slot.
"Be well, Neville," said Zaman. "Great things are waiting for you in your proper timeline."
The clock came to life with numbers moving as the clockwork whirred and clicked. Then he was gone. Zaman felt a shake in the fabric of time, like when someone shakes a towel or blanket before folding it. He looked at his watch. The red light was now bright green. Time had started readjusting itself. He pulled the paper from the clock, causing it to whirr and clatter some more. Neville was not coming back. He tore the paper into bits and tossed it on the plate with the scone crumbs.
Neville found himself outside the entrance of the castle. He carefully pushed the door open. Students were moving about, mostly on their way to breakfast. He saw several of his Gryffindor housemates go by. Ron and Harry passed, flanked by Fred, George and Dean. Hermione passed by, talking with Ginny and Penelope Clearwater. Then he saw himself, walking with Seamus. It was a very strange feeling.
He waited a few moments, and then he walked to position himself to intercept Hermione when she came out of the hall. Time passed and many students exited. Finally, Hermione came out with Penelope. The two of them parted company as Hermione started off toward the library. He hustled until he was close enough to 'accidentally' walk upon her.
"Go-good morning, Hermione," said Neville as he neared her.
Hermione turned and looked back at him. "Good morning, Neville. Are you going to the library?"
"Yes," he replied, walking up beside her. "I want to get a couple Herbology books. I am interested in reading about some water plants I heard about over the summer."
"Oh, I am just looking for some light reading, and to return these books I borrowed over the summer."
"Can I ask you a favor?" said Neville in a very nervous voice.
"Sure, Neville. What is it?" she asked as they approached the doors to the library.
"I…uh…I'm not feeling well this morning. I am worried about class. If anything weird happens, can you make sure I am okay? I don't want the others to laugh or pick on me."
"Of course, Neville. But you'll be fine. It is probably just first day jitters. I had them so bad last year. I worried myself into a panic. I thought I was going to explode. It's actually kind of funny to think back about it. But nothing is going to happen. Just relax. Take some deep breaths if you feel ill. That always helps me."
"Okay, thanks. I think I'll be okay. I just worry too much some of the time, too."
As they entered the library, they parted ways. Neville headed off to the Herbology section. Hermione went in the direction of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. As soon as she was out of sight and sound, he headed deep into the back recesses to await the inevitable event.
He found a chair in a back corner and sat down to read in a herbology book he had grabbed along the way. He hoped it would distract him. Maybe it would ease his mind. A lot was cooking inside it. The weight of his impending loss was threatening to overwhelm him.
"Ah, Merweed," he thought. "This is the stuff that is supposed to be able to turn merpeople human and humans into merpeople. It is only found in the center of the Sargasso Sea. Interesting. And, hmmmmmm, it must be picked during a full moon, but only when the moonlight is obscured by clouds. You must feed it to fish, then eat the fish. Amazing! Who figured this out?"
The distraction worked for the duration of the article. Then another wave of grief flared in his head.
"Kendra! Forty plus years of marriage…a perfect marriage. No one could be happier." All of it was going to be gone in a few minutes. Tears were starting to flow freely down his cheeks. "And my wonderful kids, Lily, Alice and Frank. They'll all be gone."
Neville was now on his knees, sobbing. "All my grandchildren, and my new great-grandchild, little Neville. He is only one month old. I can't bear it. I have to stop this."
Neville leapt to his feet. He had to stop Hermione from saving him in the greenhouse. He had to save his family. He started to run out of the library, knocking over several stacks of books in the process.
Meanwhile in the greenhouse, Neville had just fainted during the lesson on repotting mandrakes. Professor Sprout told the class to just leave him. She led them through the repotting process and then asked them to follow her outside.
"We can't just leave him, professor," said Hermione, as the others moved passed her and stepped over Neville. "That's not fair."
"He'll be okay. Now come along. We'll see to him when we return."
"I want to stay with him, professor. I am worried about him."
"Do what you want, Granger. But you will still be responsible for the lesson in the garden," replied Sprout, annoyed that one of her best students was disobeying her on day one.
Hermione was now on her knees by his side, feeling his forehead with her hand. She had made a promise that she never expected to have need to honor. Now, presented with the unlikely situation, she was determined to stick to her word.
Neville made it to the main corridor, wiping the tears that were blurring his vision. He headed toward the exit leading to the gardens and greenhouse. He knew there was still time because he was still here. But he also knew time was of the essence. He ran faster than he ever had run in his life, passing Colin Creevey, who tried to stop him to talk.
"Sorry, Colin," he said, barely breaking stride. "I am in a bit of a hurry."
Hermione stayed beside Neville, rubbing his hand, wishing she knew what she could do to help. At least she would be there when he came around. It was all she could do, but she was committed to her mission.
Neville made it to the exit, still running, even though his chest was now pounding, desperate for air. "I'm going to make it. I've got to make it," he kept telling himself. "I'm going to save my family."
Neville started to move, coming back to life. His eyes blinked and he made a few guttural sounds.
"Are you okay, Neville? It's me, Hermione. You're okay. I am here with you like I promised."
"Wha-what happened?" he spoke in a faint whisper.
"You fainted. But you are okay," said Hermione, trying to reassure him. "I'm here like I promised."
Neville burst into Greenhouse One. He was almost there. Just a few more seconds. "Go, go, go," he said, encouraging himself.
Neville started to rise up. Hermione grasped him to help. "Wait," she said, reaching toward his hand. "Your sleeve is snagged on something."
Neville, burst through Greenhouse Two. It was just a few more feet to the entrance to Greenhouse Three.
Hermione unsnagged his sleeve and helped him wobble into a standing position. "Don't want to tear your robe on the first day," she said with a warm smile.
Neville grabbed to handle to open the door. He had made it. "Yes," he thought as he lifted the latch. "I'm coming, Kendra."
"There," said Hermione, giving the loose board a couple stomps to push it down into place. "Don't want anyone to trip on that. They need to nail it down before someone gets hurt or worse."
In his office, Professor Dumbledore suddenly jerked and stood up out of his chair, interrupting a conversation on the school's holiday programs with the Minister of Magic. "Did you feel that Cornelius?" he asked.
"No. What do you mean?" said Fudge, looking around with the concern of a person who just realized they may have missed something important.
"It was a most curious sensation like the whole universe hiccupped or perhaps sneezed. Maybe I just need a cup of tea, or a brandy. Let me get both of us one."
"Oh, Okay. Thank you. That would be pleasant."
"Where is everyone?" asked Neville, still fairly foggy.
"They are out at the gardens. They should be back in a bit."
"Thanks, for staying with me," he said. "Why did you stay? Why didn't you go with the rest of the class?"
"I promised you I would stay with you like you asked this morning."
"I asked you that?"
"Yes. On the way to the library."
"Uhhhh, okay. I guess I'm still a little boggled," he said, rubbing his head and looking at his earmuffs. "I don't remember any of that. But thanks. That was very nice. How long was I...uh…unconscious?"
"Not too long. A few minutes, I guess."
"Wow. It feels weird like it was fifty years or something," he said, still shaking off the effects.
"No, just a few minutes," chuckled Hermione. "I don't think I would have hung around fifty years."
Just then, the class started to return to the room. "Let's look at our mandrakes and see if they are happy," said Professor Sprout. "Longbottom, are you okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," he replied.
"Okay, then you and Granger take your places. Time is valuable. We haven't got forever. No time for wasting it dilly-dallying."