Neville was nervous. He had been dragged onto the train by his grandmother, stuck to a seat by a spell, and was unable to move until the train was moving for at least two hours. A very talkative, bushy-haired witch had sat down across from him and it took another thirty minutes before the charm wore off and Neville could even shift his seat. Of course in that time Trevor had managed to slip from the room. Once Neville could move, he decided it was time to find Trevor.

Naturally, the girl…Hermione…wanted to come too.

It was after searching up and down the train that they came across the last compartment, with two small boys in it. As they did, Hermione noticed the red head with his wand out and called him.

"Oh, are you going to do magic? Let's see then!"

The three watched as Ron incanted a silly rhyme about turning a rat yellow, only for nothing to happen. Ron looked depressed and Hermione's words only seemed to make it worse.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? Well it is not very good. Is it? I've read all the books. For example!"

Neville watched as she moved to Harry and repaired his glasses. Then introductions happened, with Hermione preparing to go on a rant about reading of Harry. It was then that Harry spoke.

"Pleasure to meet you Hermione, Now about these spells, I have read transfiguration can be very complicated, which may be what Ron was attempting. To be honest, none of us knows just yet if it is a real spell. If it is, we will probably learn it in later years. If it is not, then maybe we can all learn how to do it together."

Neville then saw something which awed him. Hermione was quiet.

Somehow, Harry Potter had managed something Neville couldn't do in three hours of knowing the girl. While she was nice, this was beyond impressive to young Neville. He knew Harry would never be his friend, but seeing that alone left him with a new role model.

Harry's next words solidified that spot for years.

"Neville, have you thought to ask a Prefect to summon Trevor?"

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"Of course, being the show off he is, my husband did figure out how to make the transfiguration work with that poem about five years after they left Hogwarts. He then managed to teach Ron who then showed off to Hermione. To say she was shocked would be like saying the Potters are an old family. True, but only in the simplest of senses."

The lady smiled this time. It was a genuine smile, the likes of which few outside her the Family had ever seen. It made several uncomfortable, but a few found it endearing.

"Of course, this was far from the end for young Neville. Neville Longbottom would grow…"

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"Harry, can I talk with you?"

Harry looked over to see Neville Longbottom standing to the side. Neville had grown in leaps and bounds over the past few months as a member of the DA, and Harry could honestly say he was impressed. The shy, quiet, unassuming boy had become a force of nature.

"Sure, what's up Neville?"

Neville didn't speak for a moment. Harry could see the boy trembling, and was about to comment when Neville moved. He drew a Daily Prophet from his robes and threw it on the ground before Harry.

"Harry, what do you know about my parents?"

Harry looked at the picture of Bellatrix on the front page. It was the edition about the recent escape from Azkaban. He moved his gaze back to the shaking boy.

"Not much, honestly. Is there anything you would like for me to know?" Harry tried to remain neutral, unsure of what would come next. What did was unexpected.

"My parents currently reside in the long term care ward at St. Mungos. They were Aurors. Powerful ones too, some of the best. And yet, it seems not to have mattered. Once V-V-Voldemort fell to you, my parents were still attacked. That Bitch-" Here Neville indicated the paper before him. "-and her husband, brother-in-law, and another death eater attacked them. Cruciatus exposure. Left them both in a rather rough state. Now Bellatrix is out."

Harry simply watched as Neville unloaded this. The anger pouring from the boy left his eyes glowing not brown, but almost gold. And Harry could relate. Neville spoke the name Bellatrix with nearly the same amount of contempt as Harry mentioned Voldemort.

"Harry, I want more training. I want…I need to be good enough. I need to be able to handle Bellatrix."

Harry and Neville stared into one another's eyes for a moment before Harry nodded. And so their training began.

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Harry was beyond exhausted. He had been to the Ministry with his friends, then simply had the prophecy dumped on him by Dumbledore who for some reason felt mentioning this after the loss of Sirius was a good idea. After fighting Bellatrix. After dueling Voldemort. After being possessed by the red-eyed one.

Dumbledore had no business running a school if he felt that was all right.

So Here Harry sat, awaiting the rest of his friends. They would be returning from the ministry shortly, taking time in the Hospital Wing was bound to happen, considering their injuries.

So he expected, as they came in, for Ron and Hermione to be unconscious. He noted the pure exhaustion on both Luna and Ginny. He knew they would not be able to stand much longer and quickly helped the two into bed. Then he returned to Neville who was sitting between Ron and Hermione. Neville had just twisted his leg.

"Harry, we need to get better."

"I know."

"I won't go down in a fight against that trash ever again."

"Neither will I Neville."

"Harry, can…can I ask something of you?"

Harry considered the young man before him. For years, Neville had been timid, but he had just watched the boy decimate fully trained death eaters with a wand in his hand. More than that, Neville was standing with Harry in the end. If it was in his power, Harry would give it to Neville.

"What is it Neville?"

"Will…will you swear a blood oath with me?"

Harry heard a gasp. He looked over to see Ginny and Luna watching them with wide eyes. Harry didn't know what was going on, but he knew it was big considering the serious look on Luna's face.

"What is a blood oath, Neville?"

"It…it means I am swearing to do something on my life with the threat of falling into fealty to the other. It is more serious than an unbreakable vow because my blood is involved and therefore my family. Should I fail, so shall my family name fall."

"Neville, you can't do that!" Harry looked appalled at what Neville was suggesting. He had no idea what Neville wanted to swear to, but the look of vengeance in his eyes made it seem like an awful idea. Harry watched the considered look in Neville's eyes.

"Harry, I don't have any friends. I have people who don't mind hanging out with me, but no friends. Yet you have been nice to me. You have supported me and you have not judged me. If there is anyone I can trust to make an oath to, it is you. Please?"

Harry spent time looking at Neville's eyes. He knew the power of the young man beneath. Further, he had learned of the convictions carried by Neville. More than that, Harry trusted Neville.

"Yes Neville, I will."

After walking Harry through the procedure, both boys split their palms and grasped hands.

"I, Neville Francis Longbottom, do hearby swear a blood oath. In all things, I shall fight beside and follow Harry James Potter, My Blood Brother, so mote it be."

That had not been at all what Harry was anticipating. He watched as the magic held, waiting for him to accept it. So Harry, trying to figure out the next steps, spoke more than his expected words.

"I, Harry James Potter, do hereby swear that I shall accept Neville Francis Longbottom as my blood brother, never forcing him to answer to me but gladly fighting by his side. So mote it be."

In that moment, Neville's respect for Harry grew further. Neville had quickly and honestly sworn himself to Harry. Harry, being who he was, did not care. He even changed the words of the oath to release the fealty part of Neville's oath.

No matter what came, Neville Longbottom would support Harry Potter.

"Neville, I'm sorry about your wand."

"Eh, I just hope my gran doesn't kill me. It was my dad's."

The silence which followed was astounding. Harry considered that, Neville was already nearly as strong as Harry and he was not even using a matched wand? How powerful would Neville be in the end?

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"And so Harry's left hand became. Neville did get a new wand. He became incredibly powerful. Once he fully matured, Neville was easily stronger than either Dumbledore or Tom Riddle. Should things have remained, he would have been stronger than Harry as well. In their duels before, Neville did not have a matched wand, but Harry had the Horocrux sapping his strength. Harry, however, had supernatural reflexes, making him the dominant one, if only.

"But once both of those barriers were removed, Neville became the second strongest wizard to live since Merlin, beat only by his blood brother, Harry James Potter. And Neville was his left-hand man, the Enforcer."

"What is this nonsense, horocruxes, Tom Riddle? Are you making stuff up?" A blithering old man in puff blue robes stood from his seat. As mutterings began, the Chief Warlock did not even need to bang his gavel as the prisoner's voice rang out, cutting off the noise.

"ENOUGH! Mr. Umbridge, do be quiet. Trust me when I say we shall get to your poor excuse of an ancestor. I do wish it was a case of survival of the fittest with your family, but obviously evolution failed you.

"Now we begin the loves of my life, the family…"