Chapter 4: The Hogwarts Express
Neville slumped down beside the girl, while the two boys stared. He growled under his breath.
"Take a picture, it will last longer!" He snapped. This was a phrase Neville had picked up from watching muggle TV. Ron, however, took the expression literately.
"My mom didn't pack me a camera, not in the budget." Ron whined.
"It's an expression, Ron!" Hermione laughed. All three boys could tell that Hermione was a know it all.
"Oh." Ron muttered as Harry roared with laughter. Neville looked uncomfortable. Hermione, noticing this, tried to make friendly conversation.
"We're so rude, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Hermione Granger."
"Harry Potter."
"Ron Weasley."
Neville shook their hands, "Neville Longbottom."
"We know!" Ron smiled excitedly.
"Do you know any spells yet?" Hermione asked.
"We haven't even gotten to school yet!" Ron shook his head at Hermione.
"Well I learned the repair spell and a disarming spell." Hermione said in her "I know it all" voice.
"Show me!" Neville was suddenly warmer and eager to learn. He had, for the time being, forgotten all else. Neville was just a normal 11 eleven year old boy.
Hermione pulled out her wand. "But what's broken?" She asked. Ron them grabbed Harry's glasses and snapped them in half.
"HEY!" Harry tried to snatch them from him, but he held them out of his reach.
"Sorry, man. I want to see this!" Ron apologized, still holding Harry's glasses out. Neville laughed, as Ron handed the glasses to Hermione.
She pointed her wand at them. "Repairo!" She was concentrated on them for a second and them the two halves mended themselves.
Neville and Ron clapped, while Harry muttered a quick "Thanks" to Hermione before pushes the glasses up his nose. He blinked a couple times.
"Where'd you learn that?" Neville wore a grin, the likes of which Harry had never seen. It looked as though Neville had just discovered that his mouth could curl up that way, and he was eager to continue the new skill.
"A History of Magic, by Batilda Bagshot. She does an entire chapter on the history of the spell." Ron made a snoring noise.
"Laugh, as you wish, but O.W.L.S are in five years, and we should all start preparing know!" She smiled as she spoke, giving the ok to burst into hysterics. Hermione wiped her eyes, which had begun to tear from laughter.
"So where are you planning to go, if you've got the choice?" Harry asked the group.
"Go?" Neville looked questioningly at Harry. But Hermione answered first.
"Your house."
Truthfully, Neville hadn't thought much about it. He had been dreading this day for long, he'd never quite though about what would happen when it came.
"All my families been in Gryffindor. I wonder how they'd react if I wasn't." Ron trailed off a bit at the end.
"I'd want to be in Gryffindor too. Like my parents, and godfather." Harry was also sentimental.
"Well I think Ravenclaw is for me. Where those of wit and learning, always find their kind." Hermione quoted.
Neville though about this silently. Certainly he would not be in Hufflepuff, for he was neither patient nor loyal. And well Ravenclaw…. Neville had never been any good at the muggle schooling that Grandmother had made him learn. And Slytherin, but this was a defiant no. Neville was about as sly and sneaky as a large parrot. Then there was Gryffindor. Where dwell the brave at heart. But was he brave?