Chapter: Remembering The Past Character: Neville Longbottom; Prompt: Nostalgia

The Harry Potter franchise belongs to all those involved which include but are not limited to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastic Books

The day was a quiet one in the Longbottom household. The weather outside had turned grey and wet as the thunder storms came quickly, drenching everything, including one now very wet little girl. She had called for her Daddy rather loudly as the tears mixed with the rain. Neville had opened the door to look at the now sobbing child before him. "Daddy, I wa-was playing on the swinging set and… and… the th-thun—" The child couldn't seem to get the word out as if it burned her very soul. The sobs were quiet but they broke dear old Neville heart so greatly. Ignoring the wetness that was his daughter, Neville picked her up and brought her inside where it was warm. "It's so scary, Daddy." She told him, her light brown eyes boring into his. He walked up the stairs to her bedroom and put her on the rug as not to wet her bed.

"I know, Alice." He told her. Neville went around the room to grab the necessary items that would be required to change Alice's outfit before taking her by the hand. "Do you remember what Mummy and I told you about it though?" He asked her on the way to the bathroom.

"It can't hurt me." Alice said, mocking her parents' voices through her own. "But it's still scary, Daddy!" She informed her father, her voice a few pitches higher than was necessary. Neville just nodded and continued their short journey to the loo. He had known all about being scared around her age, only it was so much different now. By the age of six, he was scared of Death Eaters coming for him after they had gotten his own Mum and Dad; his Ali was afraid of the thunder coming to take her away from Mummy and Daddy, despite how many times they had said it wouldn't.

"I know it is scary, Ali. I really do. But the thunder can't get you, pet. Daddy promises." Neville picked her up to set her on the counter and pulled the shirt from her body. He placed a kiss to her nose just as a loud clap of thunder crashed over the sound barrier. It was made to make her smile – giggle even, which the kiss gave him the desired effect. "Did the kiss make the scary thunder go away yet, love?" Alice just nodded. Her Daddy knew how to make everything all better again.

Satisfied that his daughter was placated, Neville finished changing her clothing. As it was almost time for dinner, he just decided to put her into her jammies. Hannah would be home shortly after leaving the Leaky Cauldron for the day and then the small family of three could eat dinner, get ready for bed, give a few bedtime stories, and then get to sleep for the next day.

Alice was then placed on the ground with her floral nightie on that reached down to her ankles. A last pat to the top of her head and Neville left the bathroom followed by his child. However, while he went into the family room, Alice took a detour and made her way to her parents' room. While she had snuck in there last time, she had found something she wanted to ask Daddy about – as it was on his side of the bed.

Reaching into the drawer, she retrieved the small clear ball and it began to mist up a dark grey then turn red. Her eyes were transfixed on the object as she stood there. Daddy rarely ever went into his drawer as it contained many of the things he had treasured when he still lived with Grandmum and Granddad. He made sure to tell little Alice all about them. They were amazing parents he would tell her. He loved them dearly; but sadly, they were in St. Mungo's now.

Daddy had never told her why and she had wondered about that momentarily, but Daddy would tell her when he was ready. He always told her. "Ali?" Alice jumped when she heard Daddy's voice just outside the door. The clouded ball fell from her hands onto the carpeted floor and Alice gave a great sigh of relief when it didn't break. Daddy opened the door to reveal himself and Alice stood there, stock still as he looked from her to the ball on the floor she had dropped. "Alice Hannah, what in Merlin's name are you doing with that?" Alice looked into her father's eyes. They didn't show anger more curiosity.

"I-I'm sorry, Daddy… I didn't mean to drop it. It didn't break; I just wanted to know what it was. You don't talk about Grammy and Grampy so I wanted to know more. I'm so sorry, Daddy…" The child was becoming hysterical and Neville moved over to pick both his old Remembrall up as well as his daughter.

"Shh, shh Ali. I know you're sorry." Neville told his daughter. "I just wanted to know what you were doing in Mummy and my room without permission."

"I wanted to know more about Grammy and Grampy." She told him. "I didn't mean to accidentally almost break something of theirs." Her voice was sincere.

"It's alright, Alice. This wasn't Mum or Dad's Remembrall." He told her. "My Gran gave it to me so that I would remember the things I forgot."

"Oh." Alice said.

"I got it my first year of Hogwarts. Gran had sent it to me because I have a lot of trouble remembering things."

"You don't use it now, do you?"

Neville glanced down at Alice. "No, I don't. I'm not as forgetful as I was when I was eleven. However, this old thing has a lot of memories to it."

"Like what?"

"Well, like during my first time learning to fly, I had it with me. I lost control of my broom and I had broken my wrist. It had fallen from my pocket and Malfoy picked it up."

"Really?" Alice's eyes were wide. She never heard of stories from when Mummy and Daddy were at Hogwarts. Her stories consisted of Harry Potter and his defeat of the greatest dark wizard, and of stories about Merlin.

"Yes, really. Well, you remember my friend Harry Potter—"

"You were friends with Harry Potter?" Neville chuckled as he remembered he never did tell her about the relationship between him and Harry.

"Yes, love. He was my friend; shared a dorm room with him at Hogwarts for six whole years."

"Wow." The awe that he saw in his daughter's eyes almost wanted to bring Neville to tears. He was sure to have won 'Best Daddy of the Year' that year and it was all because he had told his little girl something about her two greatest idols – Harry and himself. "Daddy? What did Harry Potter do when the boy took your ball?"

"Well, he got on a broom right after he was told not to and stuck up for me. Well, kind of. He told Malfoy to give him the Remembrall back. Malfoy had called me some pretty mean names and it didn't make Harry happy one bit."

"It sounds like Malfoy was a real bully." How his daughter spoke in that moment, reminded him of Hermione; stating the rather obvious. It brought another smile to his face as Hermione had also been one of the first people to truly be nice to him – despite petrifying him in their first year. He totally looked over that small tid bit.

"He was, Ali. But I've heard he's mellowed out some. Even has a son."

"How old is he?" Neville truly laughed. Hannah had always told him he should watch out for boys when Alice got older. He never wanted to believe her, thinking of his own baby as the victim to boys, rather than the opposite.

"I don't know, Ali. I'm not friends with him." Alice just nodded, accepting her father's answer for what it was regarding Malfoy.

"Did Harry Potter give you the ball back and tell you about what happened?"

"He did, Al. And I thanked him for sticking up to Malfoy. The boy was bad news and I knew it." Neville leaned down to place a kiss on Alice's forehead.

"Nev? Ali? Where are you two hiding?" A voice shrieked from the front hall.

"Mummy's home!" Alice jumped off the bed and ran out of the room, leaving Neville to bask in the memories of Hogwarts. Before his last year, everything had been splendid. He had friends who were there for him, people didn't look up to him as much as in his seventh year with the War going on, but those first six years were years he wouldn't trade for the world.

Hannah came into their bedroom with Alice on her hip. "Evening Neville." He looked up at his wife. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hogwarts." He stated simply. "Ali was digging around in our room looking for things that would tell her more about my Mum and Dad. She ended up finding this." He held up the Remembrall.

"Mummy, Daddy said Harry Potter stuck up for him and got it back from a bully."

"Did he now?" Alice nodded and laid her head on her Mummy's shoulder. "Well, that was very nice of Harry Potter." Neville smiled and stood up to give his wife a kiss.

"Here Ali; I think it's time you got the Remembrall. Keep it safe for me, will you?" His child nodded and took the ball from his hand, watching as it remained clear this time. She had always forgotten to ask her Daddy about his family. And now; she remembered.

Author's Notes: Well, here's my second installment to the Ten to One Challenge on HPFC. Hope it's good. Beta'd by good friend Innocent Guilt =)