A/N: Yay! Chapter six, finally, all I'll say is I have the attention span of a goldfish. :P Anyways, I kinda struggled with this one, so I don't know how good it is, I find it a lot harder writing serious scenes than my usual 'Faith acting like a nutcase' ones, so, hopefully it's alright. :/ Oh, and in my mind the Hogwarts robes are the ones in the films, which explains Faiths cardi (makes sense when you read it, or should do…)

Anyways, as usual only Faith is mine, and I hope you enjoy. :D

Chapter Six: Trouble in Defence

The next morning at breakfast the minds of many of the residents of Gryffindor tower were still firmly with Dumbledore's speech from the previous night. Along with introducing the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, 'Mad-Eye' Moody, Dumbledore had announced that the school would be playing host to a great event throughout the year, the Triwizard Tournament. A competition which meant Hogwarts would be playing host to students from two other schools and a number of spectacular challenges throughout the year. The one draw back to this, as far as Faith and the boys could see, was that entry was to be restricted to those students who had come of age, something which for them was over two years off.

"I really wish we could enter" Dean commented wistfully.

"Aye, it would be amazing wouldn't it" Seamus agreed "but what are the chances of us getting in I mean we're a long way off 17, and Dumbledore's well aware of it."

They both glanced up to the table at the other end of the hall where Dumbledore was conversing with Professor McGonagall over breakfast.

"Well surely there's some way we could get around that, I mean we have magic at our disposal" debated Dean.

"So does Professor Dumbledore" pointed out Neville "and I think he's slightly more experienced."

The other two boys shot him frustrated looks.

"Do you have to bring logic into this?" Seamus asked.

"Someone had to" Neville informed him shrugging.

"You lot really ought to talk to Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber" Faith added through a mouthful of toast.

The boys shared confused glances.

"Who?" asked Seamus.

Faith swallowed her toast "Fred and George, they've got it into their heads that they're gonna enter."

"How are they gonna manage that, they're not of age yet are they?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, I swear we'd have noticed that party" Dean chuckled.

Faith shook her head "Nah, they're not, not 'til April, they're trying to come up with some sort of scheme, have been seen Dumbledore mentioned the tournament last night."

"And you're not helping them?" Dean asked, looking up from where he was pouring pumpkin juice for himself and receiving an 'Oy, watch it' from Seamus when the juice nearly ended up over his breakfast.

Faith giggled, enjoying seeing Dean as the one causing chaos for a change and explained "Apparently I'm a liability."

"You're a liability?" Neville asked in disbelief "This from the same twins who tried to give my toad wings last year?"

"Yup" she confirmed "I'm dangerous where potions are involved apparently, something about a habit of bunging random stuff in to see what happens."

"Well that's true enough" Dean pointed out "You have caused more minor explosions in potions than anyone else I know."

"Hey!" Faith exclaimed "That isn't true! My partner over here is at least equal with me" she gestured towards Seamus.

"Yeah, but the difference is I don't do it on purpose" Seamus pointed out.

"That's not something to boast about" Faith grinned, at which point Seamus just stuck his tongue out at her and went back to his breakfast.

"So the twins plan on making some kind of potion?" Dean asked Faith, in an attempt to prevent the bickering he could see coming.

"I assume so, or it's one of their ideas at least, but they wouldn't tell me" Faith said slightly bad temperedly.

Seamus, his mouth full of bacon was away in his own little world again "Eternal glory" he muttered, through the food "I really wish we could enter!"

"Don't talk with your mouth full" Faith scolded, grinning.

"You're one to talk" Seamus shot back, after swallowing his food.

Faith stuck out her tongue.

"You really think you could win?" Dean asked.

"Course, I am the amazing Finnigan!" Seamus stated proudly, puffing his chest out.

They all laughed at this, Faith snorting and nearly chocking on her latest mouthful of toast, until Dean pounded her on the back.

"What, even up against fully trained 17 year olds?" Neville asked.

"Sure, why not? Just 'cause they're older doesn't mean they're wiser."

"Yeah, just look at my beloved brothers" Faith grinned.

"Oy! Watch it Mrs!" came Fred's voice from behind her. Turning she saw he, George and Lee had paused on their way out of the Great Hall.

"Yeah, or we may have to reconsider our policy of exempting you as a victim of our pranks!" George threatened.

"Oh you're terrifying!" Faith replied sarcastically "It's not like you've taught me anything or I know how your minds work is it?"

"She may have a point" Lee acknowledged.

"But if she's not expecting it" Fred said.

"Yeah, if it's a sneak attack" George agreed.

"You've just told me you're gonna do it" Faith said, in the sort of voice she might use when talking to a very young, or particularly slow child "and you're hardly the greatest at sneak attacks."

"That's 'cause we've usually got you and your two left feet with us" Fred pointed out "Without you…" he waved his hands in her face in a way Faith suspected was supposed to be mystical but only resulted in him knocking Dean's arm causing the jug of juice he was holding again to spill and actually hit Seamus' food this time.

"Yeah, good luck with that" Faith grinned, while Seamus grunted and prodded at his now soggy, pumpkin flavoured breakfast.

"Well that was a fun first day back" Faith groaned, flopping onto a sofa next to Neville as the other two boys collapsed into armchairs. It was that evening and they had just returned to the common room after tea.

"I thought you liked being outside" came Seamus' voice from the depths of his armchair.

"Yeah, but not so much when there's pus, guts and evil little scorpion things involved" came Faith's feeble response.

"At least you didn't have to sit through double Divination" Neville pointed out, shooting her a look that was something akin to jealousy.

"Aye, if I have to listen to Trelawney predict one more gruesome death…" Seamus began.

"See there's a very good reason I do Arithmancy instead" Faith reminded them all.

"Because Trelawney got sick of you sitting giggling through every lesson?" Dean questioned in an innocent voice.

"No, well, maybe slightly" Faith grinned sheepishly "It's not my fault she's completely batty and I can't take her or a word she says seriously!"

"I don't think anyone can" Neville smiled.

"Yeah, apart from Lavender and Parvati" Faith agreed "I swear that's all they talk about half the time."

"True, well at least someone will be enjoying the mass of homework she gave us" Dean whined.

"Another reason I love Professor Vector" Faith grinned smugly "He didn't give us any!"

"Yeah alright, don't rub it in!" Seamus complained, chucking a nearby cushion at her and hitting her square in the face. Faith tried to throw it back at him but misjudged it and instead sent it sailing over the armchair and into a nearby fifth year boy. She quickly pretended to be engaged in conversation with Neville, while the boys tried not to burst out laughing and the boy she had hit looked around, spotted her and lobbed the cushion back.

"How did he know it was me?" she exclaimed to the chuckling boys as the cushion thumped into her once again.

"It's you" pointed out Dean.

"And the other two reasons are tall, red headed and heading our way" Seamus added.

The others turned to look in the direction he was gesturing and sure enough the twins and Lee were making their way across the room towards them.

"Hey kids!" exclaimed Fred grinning manically, as the three reached the younger students, and then he happily plonked himself down on top of Faith.

"Ow! Get off you big oaf!" came Faith's muffled objection.

"Ouch, I'm offended!" Fred put his hand on his heart dramatically (not that Faith was in any position to see this) "Just for that I don't think I'm going to move!"

"Move it! You're squashing me!" Faith complained, shoving Fred as hard as she could and succeeding in pushing him off so he was sat between her and Neville. While this had been going on, George and Lee had perched themselves on the arm of the sofa and of Dean's chair respectively. They and the younger boys now sat laughing at the scene before them as Fred and Faith had a small play fight.

"Sooo" began George "you lot had a good day?"

"Yeah, great" said Faith sarcastically, from where she was sat with her arms pinned to her lap by one of Fred's hands.

"If you ignore the pus, guts, burns and death predictions" added Dean.

"Ah, so you've had Trelawney then" replied Lee, grinning "Although I'm not sure where the guts and burns come into anything…"

"Hagrid's latest great idea" Dean informed him "Vicious little things he calls Blast-Ended Skrewts" he held out his hand where he had been burnt by one of the creatures.

"Lovely, well luckily for you we have some good news for you" Fred said, finally releasing Faith and instead placing his arm around her shoulders.

"You're gonna love Moody!" continued George excitedly.

"He's good?" Seamus asked.

"Amazing" Fred began "he's really seen it, you know!"

"Been out there and fought You-Know-Who" continued George.

"Really fought, not like Lockhart" clarified Fred.

"Yeah, and wasn't he fun" Faith rolled her eyes.

"Oh shush, Tig" Seamus told her, sticking his tongue out.

"We don't have Defence until Thursday" Dean said, sounding slightly dejected.

"Aye, Harry and Ron told us" replied Lee.

"But it's something for you to look forward to" Fred pointed out.

"Unless, as our dear Divination Professor has no doubt predicted you die by then" George grinned.

Faith rolled her eyes again, it was true. She had only taken Divination for two weeks the previous year before she had gone to Professor McGonagall pleading for her to let her change to Arithmancy, which she had been allowed to (on the conditions that she catch up with the work and not land herself in detention for at least a month, which she managed, just). But even in that time she had heard Trelawney predict multiple deaths and disasters for her students, none of which had actually happened.

The group continued to talk for a while, with the four younger students badgering the others for more information on Moody's lesson, which ended with a large crash when Fred used Faith to demonstrate a move he claimed Moody had shown them for disarming and controlling an opponent. This move resembled something a muggle wrestler might use and ended with Faith sprawled with the top half of her body hanging off the sofa, close to cracking her head on the table, her legs still on the sofa with Fred sat on them grinning at her, all of which suggested that he had made it up. Faith then wriggled free, smacked Fred around the head a few times with a cushion and was subdued by George hugging her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides, all while the other boys just sat and laughed.

At this point Fred announced "Well, we have important business to attend to elsewhere."

"Oh Yeah?" Faith asked, wriggling in George's grasp "Fake beards and wrinkle charms?"

George released her, but not before the cushion had been moved out of her reach, and replied "Slightly more advanced than that, but yes, that's the general idea."

"And I still can't help?" Faith pouted.

"No, 'cause you don't take it seriously and just laugh at us" George pointed out, giving her a stern look which soon faded into a smile.

"And?" Faith objected.

"Goodbye Tig" Fred smiled, moving away and adding "Gentlemen, it was a pleasure."

Faith rolled her eyes and waved as the twins and Lee departed, shouting after them "Bullies!"

They turned around halfway across the Common Room, grinning.

"We know!" George started.

"Great isn't it?" Fred finished.

And then they were gone, leaving the three boys and a slightly flattened and bruised Faith to continue their conversation.

It turned out that the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson of the year was anything but something to be looking forward to. It started well enough, Faith and the three boys were excited about the lesson, and apparently were not the only ones, the whole class (minus Hermione who came shooting along the corridor at the last minute) were early to the lesson, and milled about in the corridor excitedly, waiting to be let into the classroom. When they entered Faith and the boys found seats in the centre of the classroom, with Faith sitting next to Seamus and Neville and Dean sitting just behind them.

Moody took the register and before long the class was underway. The topic was the Unforgivable Curses, something which Faith had heard of but knew little about. Moody (much to Faith's discomfort and, she saw, Ron's terror) used spiders to demonstrate these curses. Moody began with the Imperius Curse, under which he was able to force the spider to dance and back flip, much to the class' amusement, until he pointed out the effect the curse could have upon people, the things they could be forced to do when under it's influence.

It was when the next demonstration began that events took a turn for the worse however. As much to Faith's surprise as anyone else's it was Neville who supplied Moody with the name of the next curse, the Cruciatus curse. It was an awful thing to watch, and even though it was a spider being subjected to the curse it was easy to tell it was suffering excruciating pain and if it could, would be screaming. Therefore when Hermione shrieked "Stop it!" it came as no surprise to Faith, at least until Dean kicked her chair to get her attention, gesturing towards Neville. Neville looked horrified, his hands were clenched into tight fists, the colour had drained from his face and he looked shaken and lost. Seamus, Dean, and Faith shared a concerned look and Faith reached out to place her hand over Neville's, he looked up at her when she did so but nowhere in that look was the Neville she knew, it was too distant, too horrified, just not him. Faith didn't know what to say to him and just at that moment she heard Moody's gruff voice

"Miss Higgins, Mr Finnigan, if you would be so kind as to concentrate."

They turned around quickly, but Faith was unable to concentrate throughout the rest of the lesson. She copied down the information Moody wrote up on the board, but was unaware of what any of it said. Her mind was elsewhere, with her best friend and the horrified face she had seen the curse produce from him. She was worried.

When the lesson finally ended Neville had his stuff packed up and was out of the classroom before any of the others could do anything, still seemingly in some sort of horrified trance. Faith grabbed her books, parchment, and other things and stuffed them in her bag as quickly as she could, as did the boys, but still much of the rest of the class were making their way towards to door by they were ready to leave. Faith shot Seamus a worried look and the two hurried out of the room in search of their friend, with Dean hot on their heels.

Faith was worried still, frantic even, she had never seen Neville like this, sure he rarely showed the same lovable, intelligent, even brave person she had come to know as her best friend publicly but neither did this terrified, lost, distant boy appear. She hurried through the corridor leading away from the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom (at least she hurried in as much as one can through a corridor full of chatting, milling students) with Seamus and Dean close behind her, all wearing matching expressions of concern.

The three friends pushed their way through a group of students, including Lavender and Parvati, who were moving very slowly down the corridor, chattering excitedly and then finally spotted Neville. He was stood a short distance away talking to Harry, Ron and Hermione, or at least they were talking to him, Neville was still looking pale, shaky, and more than a little out of it and seemed quite unresponsive. The moment she saw him Faith made to dash to his side, however she was suddenly thrown off balance by a bulky figure who elbowed his way past the students in the corridor. When she had righted herself, with some help from Dean, she saw Professor Moody limping down the corridor towards Neville. He spoke briefly with the group and then he was leading the boy back up the corridor past them, one of his hands resting on Neville's shoulder, propelling him first closer to them and then away up the corridor towards Moody's office.

Faith reached out as they passed, grabbing Neville's hand and squeezing it, which briefly gained her his attention and, when her sad worried eyes met his, it only served to increase her concern. The expression she saw there was so far from the Neville she knew. She held onto his hand as Moody led him past her and the boys, but had to release it as he moved out of her reach. Even Faith wasn't brave enough (or daft enough) to contradict Moody after that lesson and the story she had heard from Ron of Moody turning Malfoy into a ferret as punishment.

The three friends watched as Neville was led around the corner out of their sight, then turned to one another, with varying degrees of concern in their expressions.

"I've never seen Neville like that" said Dean, his voice low.

Seamus shook his head slowly, agreeing with Dean "He looked, I don't know, haunted, I hope he'll be alright" he glanced down the corridor in the direction Moody and Neville had gone.

"Nev" Faith murmured, in a voice barely above a whisper, her own expression full of anxiety and seemingly close to tears.

The boys turned to her and seeing her face both put an arm around her.

"He'll be alright" Dean soothed, squeezing her shoulders "Moody'll talk to him."

"It should be us, he needs his friends" Faith's voice was soft, but there was still a frantic note to it.

"And the minute Moody lets him out we'll be there, but we can't do anything right now" Dean told her.

"Except maybe get a head start on what the problem is" Seamus observed quietly.

Faith nodded slightly, resigning herself to wait until Neville was released from Moody's office.

"D'you have any ideas Tig? He talks to you most" Seamus asked her.

"No" her expression was still sad and worried, her voice soft "But it must be bad, really bad, I mean did you see him… he wasn't… well he wasn't Neville."

The boys nodded their agreement and the three began making their way slowly down to the Great Hall for tea, Faith more being propelled by the boys' arms than under her own steam, as she was quite ready to wait in the corridor for Neville to reappear.

It wasn't long before Faith, Dean, and Seamus were sat by the fire in the Gryffindor common room in a worried silence. Neither Faith or Dean had eaten much and although Seamus' appetite was, as usually, completely unaffected by everything around him the three had very soon given up on tea and returned to Gryffindor tower in the hopes of finding Neville there, but so far had had no such luck.

They had been sat in the common room for around fifteen minutes, saying very little and jumping every time the portrait hole opened and someone else entered when Neville returned, a book clutched tightly to his chest. Dean waved to him, hoping to get his attention but he seemed completely oblivious and walked straight through the common room and up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

Dean turned back to the other two "He's still not in there is he?"

They shook their heads.

"We need to go talk to him, check he's alright" Faith said.

"You should go" Seamus told her "you're closest to him, and he's more likely to talk to you without us there."

Dean nodded his agreement "Yeah, that's true."

"Ok" Faith got up slowly and made her way across the common room to the boys' staircase.

She made her way up the stairs to the fourth year dorm and upon reaching the door knocked and waited before opening the door and sticking her head in (rather than just charging in at top speed as she would normally). Neville was sat at the head of his bed, his knees tucked up to his chest and the book he had been clutching next to him on the bed, on the opposite side to the door. His expression was not as horrified and lost as it had been earlier but he was still not the Neville she knew.

"Nev, are you alright?" she called softly, moving into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Yeah, yeah, just Moody gave me this book, and I thought I'd read it, and you know. He's great isn't he, Moody…" Neville's gaze was on his knees and the book, anywhere but on Faith.

"Nev, you're rambling" Faith pointed out, a slight, sad smile on her face as she sat down next to him on the bed "Look, you don't have to tell me, but I'm worried about you, you've not been, well you, since Defence. You know you can tell me anything right?"

She reached forward, grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He looked up at her for the first time since she entered the room and much to her surprise there were tears in his eyes which began sliding down his face as he looked at her.

"Oh, Neville" she sighed sadly, moving closer to him and placing her arms around him. Neville leant against her shoulder, with one hand grasped tightly to the back of her cardigan (she had left her robe down in the common room), the other clenched in his lap, as the tears burst forth. Faith hugged him closer to her rocking and soothing him as he cried. It was a few minutes before Neville was able to form coherent words and even then they made little sense.

"I just…it's…today…It's just, it's awful…it's how they must…the pain…didn't deserve"

"Shh, shh, it's alright" Faith soothed, wishing she could do something more.

"They, they didn't deserve that" the tears had slowed now and Neville had pulled away from her slightly and lifted his head to look her in the eye. As their eyes met Faith realised she herself was close to tears seeing her best friend like this.

"Who Nev?" she questioned quietly.

Neville sighed and looked down, another tear rolling down his face "My parents" he said softly.

"Your parents?" Faith asked, confused slightly.

Neville nodded slowly, biting his lip to hold the tears at bay "I've…I've never told you why I live with Gran have I?" He looked down at his knees again before continuing in little more than a whisper "I've never told anyone."

Faith reached for his hands again and held them with her own, shifting around on the bed until she sat facing him "You don't have to if you don't want…"

"No" Neville interrupted her, looking back up and meeting her eyes once again "I want to, I need to tell you."

Faith nodded slightly "Ok."

Neville looked down once more, sighed and seemed to collect himself, before looking back up and beginning his explanation in a soft voice.

"My parents were Aurors, they fought against You-Know-Who, you know, the first time, back when we were tiny."

Faith nodded and squeezed his hands, signalling him to continue.

"They did a lot in the war, Gran's told me they were heroes, and they survived it, at least…at least until after he fell."

"Oh Nev" concern was written all over her face "What happened?"

"They…they were" Neville's grip on her hands tightened as he looked down at them and gulped back the new onslaught of tears "they were tortured" he explained softly, his eyes meeting her own, now horrified and tear filled. "by his followers, they wanted, I don't know, revenge I guess, they used the Cru…the, the curse he showed us in Defence."

"Oh Neville" Faith murmured her voice full of horror and thick with the tears she would not let fall "I'm so sorry, I mean that's awful, what, what…"

"What happened to them?"

Faith nodded slightly.

"It…broke them" Neville began "They're in St Mungo's, ever since I can remember. They're just…their brains…" He shook his head sadly.

"Oh my, Nev, no wonder" she sighed sadly and leaned forward, pulling him into a hug. He clung tightly to her, his head burrowed into the crook of her neck.

After a minute or so they pulled back and Faith once again took hold of his hands "That must have been awful earlier."

Neville nodded, his eyes shut "It made me realise how much they must have suffered, I mean I always knew they must have, but…"

"Never saw it first hand" Faith finished quietly.

He nodded again "I'll be alright" he assured her "I just wasn't expecting that today."

Faith smiled at him slightly "You know I'm always here right?" she said, squeezing his hands.

A small smile appeared on Neville's red, tear stained face "I know, thank you Faye, I'm…I'm glad someone finally knows, it feels good to have someone to talk to."

Faith smiled at Neville and sat back next to him with her arm around his shoulders. Neville settled himself in close to her, his head on her shoulder and Faith's own head fell to lean on top of his. They sat together like that for quite a while, at first talking softly still and then in comfortable silence, as Neville regained his composure somewhat.

After a while Neville lifted his head and spoke up again. "You should go back down" he told her softly "They're gonna wonder where you got to."

"They know exactly where I've got to" Faith replied "Besides making sure you're alright is much more important than what Dumb and Dumber down there think."

"I thought that was the twins?" a small smile was starting to show on Neville's face again.

Faith shrugged, smiling too "It could apply to any of them."

"Go on" Neville insisted "I'm sure they're waiting 'patiently' for you to go tell them I'm alright."

"And are you?" she asked, searching his face.

"I will be, I just need some time."

Faith nodded slowly "You're sure?"

"Go!" he exclaimed "I'll be alright, I'm gonna look at this book Moody gave me, then get an early night."

"What book did he give you?" Faith asked curiously, leaning over Neville's knees to peer at it.

"It's a Herbology one, apparently Professor Spout's told him I'm good at it" there was a small proud smile on his face "Now stop stalling, I'll be fine. Thank you."

He leant towards her and kissed her quickly on the cheek, before pulling away just as swiftly, blushing bright red from ear to ear. Faith felt her heart leap at this action, but fought the feeling back, reminding herself that this was Neville, this was her best friend! She glanced over at him and seeing the colour of his face and his bashful look as he stared intently at the book he now held in his lap, smiled, he may still be red around the eyes and not quite himself, but the Neville she knew, her Neville, was definitely starting to reappear.

She got up off the bed "Bye Nev, you know where I'll be."

He nodded, still concentrating on the book, before glancing up briefly, smiling slightly "I know, I'll see you in the morning."

Faith made her way across the room, but turned back when she reached the door, her hand resting on the doorknob.

"Wait, what d'ya want me to tell the boys?"

Neville looked up at her "Can you, um, not tell them about, you know, my parents, I'll tell them, I'm just not ready yet."

Faith nodded, smiling comfortingly at him "Of course, I'll just let them know you're alright, or will be."

"Thanks Faye."

"Stop thanking me Nev!" she scolded, smiling "You're my best friend, you don't have to thank me for any of this."

Neville just smiled and nodded.

"See you later Nev"

"Bye Faye"

With that Faith left the room, closing the door softly behind her and made her way back down the stairs to the common room, where Dean and Seamus still sat exactly where she had left them, chatting quietly with a number of papers and books spread out on the table in front of them. Seamus spotted her first as she made her way across the room and, when she got close enough asked:

"He's alright?"

"He will be" Faith sighed, plonking herself down on the sofa next to Dean and leaning against him. Dean lifted his arm around her and gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"Do you know what was wrong?" he asked.

Faith nodded.

"You're not gonna tell us are you?" Seamus observed.

Faith shook her head "I promised I wouldn't, he's not ready yet."

"Ok, we understand" Dean assured her, then changed the subject trying to brighten the mood "So, you any good at Divination?"

"You know I'm not!" Faith pointed out "I only survived two weeks, remember?"

"But you do have a good imagination" Dean said.

"Yeah, c'mon help us create some Trelawney pleasing predictions Tig! There's no chance of us getting this stupid thing done properly" Seamus pleaded.

Faith smiled "Ok then, if I must."

With that Dean gave her shoulders another squeeze then released her and moved forward in his seat so that he could lean over his work. Faith tucked her legs up, so that she sat cross-legged on the sofa. The three of them soon distracted themselves and cheered themselves up inventing increasingly ridiculous and obscure predictions of what would happen to the two boys over the next month.

This continued until around half ten when Faith left the boys to it and made her way to bed, hoping that when she saw him in the morning Neville would have recovered something of himself.