Chapter 6: A Bit of Light Reading

July 17, 2007

The next day Bella sat in the library wearing a set of plain school robes that had been left by a former student. She'd spent the morning perusing a book entitled 'The Second Wizarding War: From Hogwarts to Horcruxes'. Neville had been mentioned a handful of times, but it only left Bella anxious to discover more.

Finally she found a book called 'Heroes of the Last Great War', and she began reading about his life. There wasn't a lot mentioned about his earlier years, but a few key events stood out. Some of them were heartbreaking, like his parents being tortured into insanity by four Death Eaters, including the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange. Some stories made her laugh, like the Defense Against the Dark Arts class that ended with Cornish pixies lifting Neville onto a chandelier. Then some events made her feel confused, like the irrational sense of jealousy she felt when Ginny Weasley (now Ginny Potter) accompanied him to the Yule Ball in his fourth year.

But as she continued to read, those petty feelings faded into a more somber attitude. She cried after reading about the end of his fifth year, when Bellatrix tortured him in the Department of Mysteries. Then she bawled as he led Dumbledore's Army in his seventh year at Hogwarts, narrowly escaping torture and death to save those who couldn't defend themselves. But when she read about him pulling the Sword of Gryffindor from a fiery Sorting Hat and slaying the snake that contained last hidden portion of Voldemort's soul, she was in complete, unadulterated awe.

She was just getting to the passages about his role with Aurors during the aftermath of the war when the all too familiar wizard's voice startled her.

"Bella, I didn't see you at lunch, so I thought you might be – are you alright?"

She sniffed, wiping her eyes quickly. "Yeah, I'm great. Thanks, Neville."

He sat beside her and tipped up the corner of the book until he spotted the title. "Ah. I see you've been catching up on your history."

She let out a hysteric exhale that sounded more like a muted shriek. "Yep."

Scooting a bit closer to her side, she could suddenly feel his warmth through the fabric of her robes. "It doesn't change who I am, you know."

Bella coughed incredulously. "When I was fifteen...I was worrying about how to flirt with boys and not trip over my own two feet. You were fighting dark wizards and trying to save the world. And then just a couple of years later you did save the world."

"You're thinking of Harry."

"I'm thinking of you." Lately she couldn't stop thinking about him. "Maybe you weren't the Chosen One who got all the publicity and the spotlight, but you are a hero. I feel like I'm not even worthy to be in your presence."

"Don't be ridiculous," he sighed. "They only dramatize the good sounding stuff in there. Before all these things happened, people used to call me a squib. They didn't even think I had any magic. My own family – pure-blooded wizards, the lot of them – thought I was might be the shame of the family."

"Your own family?" She felt a pang of sympathy for him. "That's awful."

"It is," Neville shrugged, "but I proved them wrong. And whether you're a muggle, or a witch, or some strange thing in the middle, you're going to prove that you're worth it too."

Her cheeks grew hot, and she turned away to hide the blush. "Thanks."

"Now come on, I made the house elves save you something good to eat."

"House elves?" She was learning more and more every minute. "Just a sec, I need to put these books back."

Just before closing 'Heroes of the Last Great War' she noticed Neville's birth-date in small letters near his name. Making a mental note to herself, Bella returned the book to the shelf. She would get him something, and she would let him know he was worth it too.