Title: Neville Longbottom And Dumbledore's Army
Setting: Mainly Hogwarts between September 1997 and June 1998. As you can tell though this chapter is set on the train.
Summary: Neville Longbottom goes back to Hogwarts in his 7th year, and leads a rebellion against Snape, along with Luna Lovegood and Ginny Weasley.
Author's Note: Thanks for the 2 reviews. I also had a few people subscribing to the story please review, thanks. This chapter is rather long, two times as long as the previous chapter! I had considered splitting it up but decided against it as I wanted to get to Hogwarts as soon as I can, and I presumed you lot did. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling, these are her characters. I'm just using them. If I was JK I'd probably doing something better, like swimming in a pile of money.
Chapter 2: The train
"There are still a load of Death Eaters watching the house," he told Ron as he ate, "More than usual. It's like they're hoping we'll march out carrying our school trunks and head off to the Hogwarts Express"
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Magic is Might – Page 187 – UK version
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It was mayhem at the Longbottoms house that morning. Neville and his Gran were both scurrying around collecting stuff Neville had forgot to put in the night before, while Uncle Algie sat around reminiscing about the time he had duelled 2 hags, a vampire and a witch single handed.
"Only 12 items this year!" exclaimed Neville's Grandmother "that's a new record... let's just hope we don't forget your robes like in the 3rd year." Neville winced inwardly, he had to wear the same robes for 3 days straight – he had been avoided even more than usual. Nodding at his gram he realised that despite everything that had happened over the past few weeks, Neville was well... excited! He had a good idea what to do at Hogwarts this year if things were as bad as he expected. He had practised all summer and just recently he had got the hang of it. Transfiguration wasn't his strong point.
"Ha! I was right," he heard his Gran exclaim, "'SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER' dear – listen to this: "Severus Snape, long standing potions ma..." Neville heard no more. He had frozen and his ears had stopped working. He was 99.99 sure that Snape would become Headmaster all throughout summer, but to see it written in print and his grandmother reading it out loud, it pierced Neville's heart. Suddenly he wasn't excited. He didn't want to go to Hogwarts. He wanted to stay away from Snape – his most feared person, the person who killed the greatest wizard ever, the man who had tormented Neville for 5 long years of his life - was now ruling the place where he would spend the majority of the next 10 months.
And then he snapped out of it. 'Think of the plan, Neville,' he thought. Yes the plan. The plan he had spent all summer on while Harry and Hermione (perhaps Ron too) had been hiding for their lives. He felt disgusted with himself. He was scared of going back to school where he would have a warm bed, nice food, see (some) of his friends without the chance of getting killed and yet he was frightened! He pulled himself together and zoned back in just to here his grandmother finish off:
"'uphold our finest wizarding traditions and values' –what a load of codswallop!" sighed Gran rather quietly. She glanced at her watch: "Is that the time already! We better be off dear, say good bye to your uncle Algie." Neville bade his goodbyes to his uncle - but wasn't sure that his uncle had heard them as he was now telling the cat about the time he had duelled two hags, a vampire and a witch at once – picked up his trunk and walked out the door after his grandmother. He left feeling a little bit nervous but mainly excited, when he returned his feelings would have changed quite a lot...
ooo
In his mind's eye Harry seemed to see the scarlet steam engine as he and Ron had once followed it by air, shimmering between fields and hills, a rippling scarlet caterpillar. He was sure Ginny, Neville and Luna were sitting together at this moment, perhaps wondering where he, Ron and Hermione were, or debating how best to undermine Snape's new regime.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Magic is Might – Page 187 – UK version
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Neville arrived at Kings Cross station with 15 minutes to spare, he pushed his trolley up to where the secret entrance to platform 9 ¾ was, and then stopped and stared. It had turned to a kind of dark brown colour. Puzzled he looked sideways at his Gran who gave him a sharp look that obviously said 'Not here'. He shrugged his shoulders and ran quickly through the barrier onto platform 9 ¾.
His first impression was how big the platform seemed to look compared to last time he had been here. It took him a couple of seconds to work out that it wasn't the platform that had become bigger; it was that there was far fewer people were there on the station. Neville didn't expect any muggle borns to be there but it seemed like he had vastly underestimated the number of muggle borns that were actually at Hogwarts, there seemed to be to be only 2/3 (if that) of the number Neville was used to seeing. A frown started to creep over his face.
Then he saw them, the two people he had been dying to meet over the summer holidays to talk through his plan, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. They were having a whispered conversation slightly out of the way. Luna saw him and with a beaming smile on her face beckoned Neville over. He started off after him when his Gran grabbed his arm.
"Neville," started his Gran, "Be careful. I know you're going to try and do something to undermine Snape because you're a brave boy, worthy to be your mother and fathers son." Neville smiled at this praise but rather puzzled nonetheless. "Don't do anything to stupid. Don't get yourself killed, or worse... I don't want to be visiting 3 people in St.Mungos this Christmas."
"Gran..." replied Neville, "I can't promise that... but I can promise I'll do everything I can to not let that happen. Can I ask you about the barrier?"
"Anti Muggle born repellent charm on it," She stated sadly. "Be careful dear." And with that she hugged her Grandson, turned her back on him and walked back into the muggle world.
Neville slowly picked up his luggage and wandered over to where Ginny and Luna were still conversing. Like Neville, Ginny was in Gryffindor. She was also very pretty girl, like all Weasley's she had Ginger hair and a rather brave and feisty personality, Ginny was the queen of the bat-bogey hex. Yet there was something rather odd about her this time around. As for Luna, she was a rather eccentric Ravenclaw. She had blond hair and her voice was very soothing, if a bit strange. Neville was glad to see both of them; they had a lot to discuss.
"Hey," Neville said rather sheepishly. "No Ron then, Ginny?"
"Nope," she replied rather sadly, "He's out wit... I mean he's out of school in bed with spattergroit" Neville suspected that she wasn't telling him the whole truth, he noticed Malfoy was nearby and realised why she had changed what she was saying last minute.
"I had a rather nasty version of spattergroit, when I was a child. Luckily my father cured me with a potion made from a hair from the tail of a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, some dirt from Australia and a nargles tongue brewed under a full moon. It was luckily that my father had just discovered the cure a week before I got ill. I can ask daddy to make Ron some if you want?" Neville and Ginny shared exasperated looks.
"Err... how about we discuss it on the train? We'll be going soon," suggested Neville. The others agreed, as they boarded the train, he realised what was different about Ginny, he had no older brother with her, and Neville struggled to remember the last time he had seen her without one of he brothers near (or Harry).
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For almost the first time in Neville's whole time at school, he had no trouble finding a carriage. With less people going to school, there was much more room on the train – although there seemed to be the same number of Slytherins on the train. Neville, Ginny and Luna found an unoccupied carriage and slipped in.
"Muffliato," Ginny said waving her wand at the carriage door, "It's a spell that stops people listening in, I picked it up from Hermione before she went... away" she explained to Neville and Luna.
"C'mon Ginny, tell us, what's going on? We know You Know Who's back; we know Harry's hiding somewhere along with Hermione and Ron. Spill the beans!" demanded Neville. Ginny looked worried, she didn't seem to want to spill anything.
"Ginny, you can trust us," said Luna in her usual dreamy voice. Ginny glanced at Luna and then back at Neville. She sighed:
"My mum promised me not to say anything but you two deserve to know. Basically, in the summer the Order of the Phoenix, you know them don't you Neville nodded vigorously, Luna just smiled Well they had to get Harry away from the muggles alive; which they managed. However during the process Mad-Eye Moody died and George lost an ear." Neville was stunned by the news that Mad-Eye was dead. He never knew the real Moody, but he did know he was the best auror of his generation. Ginny began to continue the story:
"Harry and Hermione were staying at our place when the news came through. It was Bill and Fleur's wedding, when we found out. Death Eaters started to apparate in to try and seize everyone and look for Harry. However he escaped alongside Hermione and Ron. I don't know where they are, but I know they're alive." She sounded like she was stifling a sob by the end of it. Luna was also looking a bit shocked and Neville just sat there with his mouth wide open.
"Right, I've got a plan you two," Neville said finally breaking the silence. "If Snape's rule of school is half as bad as I expect it to be, then we're going need to help stop it in any way we can. I've been thinking over the holidays whether we should... well... if you two wanted too, you know..."
"Restart DA?" asked Ginny, "It's what me and Luna were talking about on the platform; we think it might be worthwhile. I say we give it a day before we plan anything concrete though, he might not be that bad. I know he's a Death Eater and all but still." While Neville was happy that Luna and Ginny agreed about bringing back DA, he was a bit annoyed that Ginny was taking charge already, which rather surprised him. Usually he didn't want to be doing anything others could see.
The next 20 minutes of the train journey passed without much going on, the trio were sat in silence, not uncomfortable but sad. Ginny was staring out of the window ('Probably thinking about Harry' thought Neville) and Neville was thinking all about Dumbledore's Army. Only Luna appeared her usual self, spending half the time upside down reading the ancient ruins page of the quibbler, which had a picture of Harry on the front.
"Hey what's that Luna?" asked Neville pointing at the Quibbler.
"I don't know," she replied, "Do you think it might be a nargle?!" she said looking at the thin air next to the quibbler. Neville ignored this and grabbed the Quibbler, the front page storyline read:
HARRY POTTER, NOT INVOLVED WITH DUMBLEDORE MURDER
"How can they print this?" asked Ginny, "Surely this is the exact opposite of what the Death Eaters want coming out from the press?"
"Yes well daddy believes in the truth," this made Neville snort, struggling to hold his laughter, Luna ignored this and carried on, "so he decided to run the story no matter what, it's selling pretty well, the last time I heard." She smiled. Neville was still rather puzzled as to why and went to change glances with Ginny when the compartment door flew open.
"Well look who we had here," said a sneering voice, it was Draco Malfoy. Neville stood up along with Ginny, Luna just glanced up, grabbed the quibbler Neville had dropped and continued to read as before. "Sit down blood traitor, and you two Longbottom, I don't want to frighten you or anything" continued Malfoy with a wicked grin.
"If you don't want your face full of bats I presume you eff off," suggested Ginny rather fiery with Neville looking uneasy next too her. Malfoy laughed:
"It'd be worth it for the torture you would get from the Carrows," he replied, "things are going to be different now that the Dark Lords in charge of the country." He smiled rather evilly but backed out of the compartment nonetheless. Neville slammed the door shut.
"Who are the Carrows? More Death Eaters?" enquired Neville.
"Yup," replied Ginny, "They're brother and sister; they're the new Defence Against the Dark Arts and Muggle Studies teachers respectively. It was in the paper today, didn't you see it?" Neville shook his head, it must have been when his mind had panicked back at home.
"He's not very nice is he, that Malfoy." Stated Luna. 'You can say that again' thought Neville. Instead he asked yet another question:
"Do you think he heard anything? Because if he did..." he left it hanging, Ginny however shook her head rather frantically.
"No, that spell works and I did it exactly right, I'm more worried about the whole 'torture' business, he must be bluffing." Neville nodded. The rest of the train journey passed with them all discussing whereabouts Harry, Hermione and Ron might be. Luna was adamant that they were probably hiding in a heliopath cave somewhere, while Ginny didn't have a clue and Neville thought they might be camping out.
ooo
"I Think we should do it tomorrow," said Harry
Hermione stopped dead, her jaw hanging; Ron choked a little over his soup.
"Tomorrow?" repeated Hermione. "You aren't serious Harry?"
"I am"
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Magic is Might – Page 189 – UK version
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When they finally got off Neville again noticed the missing pupils, it seemed that there was an awful lot less First Years as in previous years, he tried not to think of all the first years that would be now sitting at home, able to do things they couldn't understand. He was just moving towards the carriages when he heard something he did welcome
"Firs' years, Firs' years," shouted half-giant, gamekeeper Hagrid. Ginny spotted him too and waved. He raised a hand in reply and smiled rather sadly. The trio made their way to the carriages pulled by Thestrals, they jumped into a carriage where they were soon joined by Seamus Finnigain, who was on his own. This surprised Neville:
"No Dean?" he enquired quizzically, he heard Ginny, move uneasily opposite him.
"No," replied Seamus in his strong Irish accent, "He sent me a letter in the holidays... it said that he couldn't prove his parentage... so rather than give himself in... (Neville noticed Seamus seemed to be holding back tears at this point, he understood why: Seamus and Dean were best friends. Almost brothers) he's on the run." An uneasily silence settled as again the 4 of them were feeling depressed. Neville broke the silence:
"They'll just be us two in our dormitory then," he told Seamus: "Harry is on the run, while Ron is in bed with spattergroit." Seamus just nodded his head. Again they lapsed into uncomfortable silence, which lasted till they reached the Great Hall.
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As the 4 entered the great hall, Luna said her goodbyes and wandered over to the Ravenclaw table while the 3 Gryffindors sat down on the Gryffindor table, as far away from the teachers table as they could. As Neville scanned the table he saw familiar faces, Sprout, the teacher of his favourite subject (Herbology): Flitwick, Trelawney and Snape... not looking as smug as Neville expected him to look. Sat either side of Snape was the Carrows, both looking incredibly similar, they looked dark and moody.
The main doors suddenly swung open and Professor McGonagall came sweeping in followed by some very nervous looking first years. As she plonked the hat down on the chair, the whole hall drew breath and waited for it to sing.
It didn't.
Neville gave Seamus a questioning look, who shrugged his shoulders. However McGonagall took it in her stride and began reading out the list of names. A bigger percentage than usual was sorted into Slytherin, Neville couldn't help but wonder whether the hat had been tampered with, albeit slightly.
When finally the sorting was done, the whole hall diverted there attention to Snape, who gave a rather short speech:
"Hello and welcome to Hogwarts. As you know I am now Headmaster after Dumbledore's unfortunate death, which seemed to be have caused by Harry Potter," at this a large proportion of Gryffindor house members and some Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, screamed "no!" and general cries of disbelief. "Yes; Harry Potter. If you continue to deny this you shall be punished (he gave the hall a menacing stare). Which leads me on to my other point, may I welcome the Carrows, Professor Carrow (motioning at Amycus) will be taking over... Defence Against the Dark Arts (Snape said this in a rather false voice, Neville could already guess the defence part would be a load or rubbish). As well as this Professor Carrow (pointing at Alecto) will be taking over muggle studies which you will now all be studying, by law. The Carrows will also take control of ALL detentions. That is all. You may eat."
However few did, most were exchanging words with the people sitting next to them about what Snape had just said:
"Harry? Never"
"Muggle Studies?"
"The Carrows are doing all of the detentions?!"
Neville just sat there in disbelief in what he had just heard. There was no doubt in his mind that speech meant two things. The detentions are going to be harsh, that DADA will now be more Dark Arts and muggle studies will probably be Carrow telling everyone how bad Muggles are. To relive his anger he stuck his fork in a chicken leg and tucked in.
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AN: Well we're now finally at Hogwarts where the fun can begin, well not for Neville, but for us. Hope you enjoyed it. Read and review please.