Part VIII

[The Scene:] Platform 9 ¾

Neville was sitting on a bench with his suitcase in hand. He was tapping his foot anxiously on the ground. It looked like he really had to go to the loo, but in actuality, he was extremely nervous. Here he was, preparing to embark on the journey to Hogwarts for his seventh and final year, but he didn't really have permission to do so.

Gran probably figures I'm still with Ron and Harry, he thought to himself. He and Gran Longbottom hadn't shared a personal conversation since the beginning of the summer. Mrs. Weasley had agreed to intervene, telling the dear old woman she was watching Neville at the Burrow, and he was earning his keep in the neighboring town. However, after Bill and Fleur's wedding disaster, not even Molly Weasley knew where Neville Longbottom was, or was heading too.

Of course, it was pretty obvious. They could make a good guess and show up at the platform right before it took off, blowing the entire plan. That's why Neville was so nervous.

The conductor was shouting, "All aboard!" and soon-to-be first years eagerly clambered into the compartments as mums and dads stood waving goodbye. Little ones held on to their mother's skirts, crying for a brother or sister like they were going off to war, not a boarding school. The older children piled on after that, and as the students got progressively taller, Neville got progressively more anxious, and the tapping sped up like a marching army. To an innocent bystander he might appear to be having a seizure. The time was ticking away, any longer and he might miss his shot to get back to Hogwarts altogether-

A hand grasped his shoulder tightly. It was all over. He was too late. A familiar voice whispered in his ear, "Did you really think I'd let you go?" And Neville cursed himself for having waited so long.

"Dang it, Ginny, why'd you give me such a scare? I thought you were Gran!"

Neville and Ginny were sitting in a train compartment on the Hogwarts Express with Luna Lovegood and Hannah Abbott. Ginny sat across from Neville with Hannah, who kept staring at Neville as though he was a vision in white, and Luna sat next to Neville, holding his hand discreetly under the table. Luna was never discreet, which was why the gesture was so startling to our hero.

Ginny smirked. "Sorry, love, but it was too tempting to resist. You were sitting there looking so anxious, and I've been feeling low lately." Neville didn't need to ask her why. It was clear that she was worried about her boyfriend, brother, and best friend who were off chasing horcruxes and would not be joining the group for another year at Hogwarts.

Neville looked around. "Where are Dean and Seamus?" Luna giggled, and the sound came out like pixie bells. "Silly, don't you remember Seamus' outburst at the end of last term? He swore he wasn't coming back, and when Ron told him he was a coward that was letting his mum make decisions for him, they got into a fight."

Neville did remember that, only too well. Seamus had berated Neville after the brawl for not helping him 'pummel that ginger.' "Right then, how about Dean?"

Hannah piped up now. "No one's heard from him since about a month ago. I heard he ran away from home." Neville was dismayed. "Great, now I'm the only male of the group left. People will start to wonder," he joked. Deep inside, however, he really was upset. Dean and Seamus had been his closest friends, besides Ginny, and now she was all he had left. Except Luna, and possibly Hannah, of course.

The four chatted and shared stories of summer, munched on snacks from the kart when it came around, and gossiped. Neville not so much on the latter, because as a male his natural instinct to gossip was to not get involved and let the women do the talking.

They seemed to lose track of time, because the train abruptly stopped as the sun started to set. "We can't possibly be there yet," said Ginny, who turned to look out the window. The chatter of the other students in the neighboring compartments grew still, and the train got eerily silent. Then, the door to the car opened, and a single man came on board.

He wore nothing to suggest that he was a Death Eater or from the Ministry, but something about the man's haggard, bearded face was sinister. Neville cringed as the man walked down the aisle and opened each one, peering in and then silently moving on. What was he looking for?

As the man approached their car, Neville suddenly wondered if it was Harry he was looking for. That would explain why the creepy dude looked so, well, creepy. Guys like that were always after Harry.

The man reached the compartment just adjacent from theirs, and after a quick glance at the frightened eyes of Hannah, the flaming cheeks of Ginny, and the emotionless face of Luna, Neville was shot with a boost of confidence. Someone had to stand up to this guy and tell him what was up.

He stood and faced the door. Just as his position was situated, the compartment door was furiously flung open. The sinister-looking gentlemen glared at Neville with a how-dare-you sort of expression. Neville took a deep breath and spoke.

"Loser, he's not here."

The man smirked at Neville and replied with a thick Russian accent. "All the same, I'll keep searching. I might see something I like." He lowered his gaze to Hannah, who was pressing herself against the wall like her life depended on it. The vile spark in the man's eyes made it seem like her life probably did depend on that wall. The man took a step into the compartment and Neville broke. "Don't you touch her!" he shrieked and jumped at the man, but he was sent flying into the window with a backhand to the face.

"I'll do as I please," the Russian returned, and with an evil smile to the three girls, he slammed the door shut and continued on his raid.

Neville allowed Ginny to fuss over him and Hannah to cry and hug him multiple times, and he even allowed Luna to mend his broken nose. The pain was not that big an issue, though, because despite what had just occurred, he felt better than he had in a long time. He had stood up to somebody. With a smile to himself, he decided to do that more often. Harry wouldn't be at Hogwarts to be the hero, so maybe Neville could take his place. It was worth a shot.

Well guys, I finally got past my writer's block. Here's the next installment, R&R if you wish.