A/N: So here it is. The last chapter. It took me awhile, and it was hard. You're allowed to cry in this chapter. I almost did. Please enjoy and R&R!

Chapter 4

Flipping the page, Luna saw the writing of a very angsty Neville.

JULY 5, 1997

I'm still mad at Gran for talking that way about Luna. She has no right to do that! I'm so mad I don't even know how to write it here. So this entry will be ridiculously short.

JULY 6, 1997

Things got better today. Sometime in the morning, Gran came into my room and apologized for the way she acted and talked about Luna. She said she shouldn't have talked about my friend like that and she wouldn't do it again. I forgave her and apologized for yelling at her.

So happy day. This afternoon, I got a letter. Guess who from? Well, Luna of course, but I got another one. From Seamus. I guess he *finally* got to writing letters. There wasn't really anything special in the letter, just a bunch of hello's and how are you's. But it really touched me that he just took the time to write it.

Luna smiled at that. She wondered how long the letter actually was. Seamus didn't seem like the type to write long letters.

JULY 15, 1997

Today Gran took me to Diagon Alley, mainly because she couldn't stand sitting inside the house doing nothing. So apparated to get there (we learned apparation this past year) and we basically just wandered around the shops for awhile. But, while I was looking at the books in Flourish and Blotts, I heard a high-pitched little voice behind me shout, "Neville Longbottom!"

I'd know that high-pitched squeak anywhere. I turned around, and there he was. Nigel Wespurt, the most adorable little chipmunk I've ever met. Don't tell him I said that. When I say adorable, I mean little-kid adorable. Well, come to think of it, Nigel isn't that much of a little kid anymore. When I look at him, I still see the twelve-year-old Nigel from the DA meetings. But really, he's almost fourteen now, and he'll be going into his fourth year. I even think he might be hitting puberty: he's gotten taller, and I think his voice is getting lower. Now *that's* a shame.

"Nigel!" I went over to him, put him into a headlock then ruffled his hair. "How ya doing?" I let go of his head.

Nigel laughed, then tried to fix his hair. "Alright. I'm finally hitting my growth spurt, though. My mum says I've grown an inch in the past two weeks!"

"That's great, Nigel," I said. "Have you been keeping up with your friends lately?"

"Oh, yes I have," Nigel said. "I write to Dennis Creevey. And sometimes Seamus Finnigan." Nigel leaned in and lowered his voice. "He tells me you fancy Luna Lovegood. Is that true?"

I chuckled. I knew Seamus sometimes wrote to our chipmunk buddy Nigel. Seemed just like Seamus to say that, though. "It's complicated, mate."

Nigel made a face. "I don't get love. Or girls."

I patted Nigel's head. "Oh, just you wait, Nigel. Someday, they'll be all you think about."

"I don't want that day to come."

That made me laugh. Sometimes, Nigel just amused me. It was nice to just stay in a childish world at times.

"Oh, I see my mum. I have to leave. Bye, Neville!"

"Bye, Nigel."

And with that Nigel was gone from the shop. I honestly hadn't expected to see my chipmunk buddy while out and about. But then again, I'm a wizard. Anything can happen.

This entry amused Luna, too. She remembered Nigel. She always had to resist the temptation to ruffle his hair. He *was* adorable - and she too referred to him as a chipmunk - who didn't? She'd have to catch up with him someday, just to see how much he'd grown.

JULY 30, 1997

Today's my birthday - my seventeenth. I'm excited. I really hope that this year would be better than last year.

When I came downstairs in the morning, Gran fixed me up breakfast, and as I was enjoying it, I noticed only one present on the table. That disappointed me, seeing as all my friends had sent me presents last year. Oh well. What with Voldemort rising and killing people, they might have had other issues to deal with.

A few hours later, Gran asked me to go out to Diagon Alley and pick up some ink for her quills. I was a little upset at that. Who makes you go run errands on your birthday? But nevertheless, I went anyways. It took me quite a bit to get, since they ran out then had to get it from the back of the store.

When I got back, the house was quiet. Too quiet. Gran was nowhere to be seen.

"Gran? Where are -"

Then suddenly, my vision was blinded by thousands of pieces of confetti exploding in my face, and noisemakers pounding my eardrums. Then six people popped up from various pieces of furniture, all shouting, "SURPRISE!" I immediately knew what this was. A surprise party.

"Happy Birthday, Neville!" Dean and Seamus said, blowing their noisemakers once more. I figured they had to be muggle noisemakers, since wizard ones would probably be a hundred times louder.

I took in the scene. The whole place had been decorated. There were snacks on the table, a big cake on the counter, and now confetti covering the ground. There were six people here: Seamus, Dean, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Luna. Harry was absent.

I brushed confetti out of my eyes. "You guys didn't need to throw me a birthday party."

"Oh, but we wanted to," Ginny said.

"And from what you've told us, you've never had one before," Ron said. "And it's in the summer, so why not?"

"Still, you guys really didn't need to go all out and plan this all for me."

"No, it wasn't all of us," Seamus said. "It was just Luna, actually. She planned the whole thing herself. With the permission of your Gran, of course."

I looked over at Luna, standing behind a chair with a noisemaker in her hand. "You planned this entire thing? Just for me?"

She nodded. "You deserve to have something nice on your birthday."

After a few seconds of silence, Ron said. "Well, let's start with the festivities, shall we? Presents first!"

As we all took our seats on the couches, Hermione said to me, "Neville, you should know that Harry wanted to come, but it's too risky to bring him out here. He sent his present, though."

"Alright, thanks, Hermione."

We sat down on the couches and I opened up all the presents. I'm not going to waste time by saying what they were and who gave them to me; that'd take too long.

After presents, we listened to Dean tell a story about his cat digging up a skull in the backyard just last week, which put us in a dark mood. Then Seamus lightened up the mood by telling us a story about how two weeks ago, he managed to blow up his entire kitchen with only a potato. Now *that* was an interesting story, right there.

Soon, Ginny and Hermione and Ron said they had to go.

"Mum didn't want us to come here in the first place," Ginny said. "But after begging and pleading she finally let us, but she only permitted a few hours."

"We really wish we could stay, mate," Ron said. "But we have to go."

"We'll see you later, Neville, okay?" Hermione said.

"Okay. Bye, guys," I said.

"Bye."

And then they apparated out of sight. I wonder when the next time I'll see them is. I have a feeling Harry and Ron and Hermione might not come back to Hogwarts this year. But I hope I get to see Ginny.

I turned my attention back to my current house guests. I was sitting next to Luna, and Seamus and Dean were on the other couch. Dean and Seamus suggested a game of truth or dare. I didn't want to play, but Luna was so enthusiastic that I agreed anyway.

Seamus had a big grin on his face. "Alright, then. I think the birthday boy should have the liberty of being asked a question first." Uh-oh. In my gut I had a moment of turmoil. Truth or dare? Truth or dare? Seamus was bound to ask the deadly question in a matter of seconds.

"Truth or dare, Neville?" Seamus asked. BAM. There it is. The deadly question.

"Erm...dare, I guess," I said.

Dean pretended to look shocked. "Neville Longbottom asking for a dare? What's happened to you?"

"Lighten up, Dean, I've got a good one for him," Seamus said, grinning. "Neville, I dare you to kiss Luna."

My heart sank into the pit of my stomach. Somehow, I knew he would ask something like that. Kiss Luna? Of course I wanted to kiss Luna! It's all I wanted! But kiss her in front of Seamus and Dean? No way. It'd be too awkward, and Seamus'd probably wolf-whistle. What to do? Then suddenly, my brain thought of a great idea.

I leaned over and kissed Luna on the cheek, like she had to me many times before. She smiled a bit, which brought out some of her lovely features. Like the way happiness seemed to ooze from her every pore, or the way her hair shimmered in the sunlight, or how her lovely eyes glistened. Oh, I cannot get over how beautiful she is.

Back in reality, Seamus and Dean groaned in disappointment. "What was that? You were supposed to kiss her on the *lips,*" Seamus said.

"So? You never said the lips, you just said to kiss her," I said. Dean laughed while Seamus muttered a swear.

"Alright then, my turn," I said. "Seamus. Truth or dare?"

"Dare! I'm not a wimp like you."

"Alright. I dare you to try to blow up my entire front yard. With only a toothpick."

Seamus snorted. "I can do it."

"Okay," I said. I went to the kitchen, found a toothpick, went back to the couches, then placed it in Seamus's hand. "Wand, please."

Seamus took his wand out of his pocket and put it down on the table. "I'll be back in sixty seconds."

After Seamus walked through the front door, Dean gave me an alarmed look. "Um, Neville, you shouldn't have done that."

"Why?" Luna asked.

"Because, you know Seamus's record of blowing things up," Dean said.

"Yeah, so?" I asked.

"Trust me, I know it better than you do. And he's gotten better at it. He'd blow up -"

Then came a deafening *BOOM* from outside. The three of us rushed to the front door, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked out.

My entire yard had been blown up. Not a single blade of grass survived. Every inch of ground was either black and scorched, lit aflame, or gone. I turned to Seamus, who was looking quite proud of himself.

"And to believe I did all that with a toothpick," Seamus boasted.

"Seamus! How did you...what did...we have to fix this before my Gran finds out!"

So the rest of us spent the next hour fixing up my lawn. And during that time, I realized to *never ever ever* underestimate Seamus and his ability to blow things up. You never know, that might come in handy one day.

One tidied-up yard later, we were back in the house, and once again it was Seamus's turn, who dared Dean to find him at least seven dust bunnies in my house, which he did. They were all shaped like bunnies, too.

Now it was Dean's turn. "Hmm...Luna. Truth or dare?"

"Truth. I don't see any harm in that," Luna said. My stomach knotted.

"Alright. Is there anyone that you just happen to fancy?" My knotted stomach did a backflip.

"Well, fancy doesn't seem like the right word. You might fancy a hobby, but fancying a person sounds wrong. But in answer to your question; no, I guess not."

I'm surprised Luna didn't notice the disappointment in my eyes. I know Seamus and Dean did. I'm pretty sure they were watching my reaction.

"Mind if I use the loo real quick?" Luna got up and made her way to the bathroom. When she shut the door, Seamus and Dean leaned in towards me and started whispering.

"I was *sure* she'd say yes," Seamus said.

"She doesn't like me, guys," I said. "Not like that. Trust me, I know Luna. If she did, I would know."

"I know, but one would think," Dean said. "that she would. I mean, just look at the two of you. You practically act like a couple already."

Then Luna came out of the bathroom, so we acted like we had said nothing while she was gone. Luna then admitted she didn't feel like playing truth or dare anymore, so for the next few hours we played a few different games until Seamus and Dean said that they had to leave. When they were gone, Luna scooted a bit closer to me. We talked for quite a long bit, until Luna also had to go. She kissed my cheek before she left, and then she was gone.

Luna remembered this. Yes, it was true never to underestimate Seamus and his ability to blow things up. And it *would* come in handy later; just look at what it did in the Battle of Hogwarts.

She remembered seeing Neville's face when they'd surprised him. He'd looked just so happy. Luna had been glad she had put it together - and it had been no trouble at all.

The game of truth or dare sounded different coming from Neville. He sounded as if he wanted to kiss her and didn't want the pressure. Luna had just interpreted it as a friendly kiss. And it didn't seem like his crush on her was going away...when would it?

SEPTEMBER 1, 1997

Things at Hogwarts have changed.

I'll start on the train. As suspected, Harry, Ron and Hermione aren't returning this year. I met Ginny and Luna on the train, and we sat together. We talked about the grave times that were ahead. Ginny briefly talked about her brother Bill's wedding, which Luna had also attended. I felt jealous. If I'd been invited, I probably could have danced with Luna!

Unfortunately, Death Eaters arrived on the train to search it for Harry. Cormac McLaggen (dunno why he's still at Hogwarts; probably failed all his classes and had to repeat his seventh year or something) greeted them by angrily saying, "My father *will* hear about this." Funny. I thought that was Draco Malfoy's line. Come to think of it, I'm not sure he was on the train, either. I saw Crabbe and Goyle, though.

Annoyed with the Death Eaters on our train, I stood up and faced them. "Hey, losers. He isn't here."

Giving me an angry look and a grunt, they left the train. I sat back down.

"That was real brave, Neville," Luna said. Brave? I just wanted them out of my hair.

"It was nothing. I just wanted them gone," I said.

"Nothing? You kidding me? I wouldn't have been able to say that! They're giving me the look of death!" Ginny said.

Luna patted my hand. "See? You *are* brave."

I was red-faced until we got to Hogwarts. But when we got there, it didn't feel like Hogwarts. It was too dark. In feel, not in light. Snape is the new headmaster, so the castle's overrun by Death Eaters. And muggle-borns aren't allowed in the castle anymore, so Justin Finch-Fletchley, Kevin Entwhistle, and the Creevey brothers aren't allowed in and they haven't come back. Hermione wouldn't have been allowed in anyways, even if she'd shown up. A whole lot of other kids didn't show up, either. Dean is nowhere to be seen. We know he's half-blood, but the Ministry doesn't believe him. Parvati and Lavender showed up, and I haven't even looked for those other two Gryffindor girls of my year. I'm not sure anyone has looked for them. I'm not sure anyone cares.

When it was time for us to go to bed, it was then that I realized that it would only be me and Seamus in our dorm. We both just stood in the doorway, and we noticed how empty it seemed. Over half of the room's residents were missing. I could literally see Seamus trembling. I knew he was brave, but this was quite a bombshell. It made sense for him to be scared. *I'm* scared. But he'll toughen up soon. I know it.

I patted Seamus on the back. "It'll be alright, Seamus. It'll be okay."

Seamus lessened his trembling and nodded. And then we started getting ready for what was sure to be a long night.

Now, normally, Seamus has the bed closest to the right side of the door, with Ron on his right, Harry on Ron's right, me on Harry's right, somewhat across from Seamus, with Dean on my right, nearest to the left side of the door. However, this year, all our stuff was set up in our respective beds, but Seamus migrated his stuff to Dean's bed to be closer to me. I understand that. If he hadn't moved, I'd have moved over to Ron's bed.

Neither of us have slept at all yet. I think now Seamus can *see* me writing in here. That'll just make him find out about this book faster.

Luna frowned when she read this. She remembered that day. It was the beginning of a series of dark days for her.

She was also a little glad that there wasn't too much talk of her in this entry. Maybe Neville's crush on her was *finally* starting to go away.

OCTOBER 14, 1997

I hate the Carrows. Stupid, bloody Death Eaters. They enjoy torturing us, you know. Today I made one snide comment to Alecto and she beat me across the face. These people make Umbridge look tame! Seriously!

Today I was sitting in the library with Ginny and Luna. When no one was watching, we were talking about how awfully the Carrows are treating us.

"You know, I think we should get Dumbledore's Army back together," Ginny eventually said.

"Dumbledore's Army?" I repeated.

"That's an excellent idea, Ginny!" Luna said.

"But Harry isn't here. Who'd be our leader?" I inquired.

"You'd be our leader, of course," Ginny said.

"W-what? Me? Who'd want to be taught by me?"

"Oh, Neville, you're too modest," Luna said. "You know lots of spells, you're brave, and you've got seniority."

And so it was decided that Dumbledore's Army would be reformed, to rebel against the Carrows, and I would be the new leader. We went around to a bunch of old DA members, telling them about the reformation and asking them to join. Seamus, the Patil twins, Lavender, Nigel, Michael Corner, Anthony Goldstein, Terry Boot, Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, and Ernie Macmillan all immediately said yes. And apparently, news spreads fast, because we got two new recruits: Romilda Vane and Leanne Moon. We used the old coins that Hermione made for communication, and luckily we found two extra to give to Romilda and Leanne.

I just hope this all works out.

Luna remembered this. Not specifically, but Neville's entry brought it to memory. To her, Neville had been the obvious choice for the leader. She wondered why he always doubted himself. Though, in the Carrow days, he was more brave and self-confident.

DECEMBER 3, 1997

The DA is going okay, I guess. We try to pull stunts like rescue first years from the dungeon. Although when Michael Corner went out there he got a pretty nasty punishment.

The Room of Requirement's been quite a lifesaver. I stumbled across it when trying to escape the Carrows, and it's been perfect. I basically live here now. More people started joining me. Ginny and Luna were first, then Seamus soon afterwards, mainly because I don't think he can stand sleeping up in that tower by himself. All the other DA members have gotten in here by now, and sometimes the occasional first year stumbles in for the night.

It's kinda weird, having people look up to me for guidance. I used to be Neville Longbottom, the klutzy loser. Now I'm Neville Longbottom, leader of Dumbledore's Army. I call all the shots on almost everything. Ginny and Luna are my close second-in-commands, though. And that means I get to spend extra time with them. I really do love spending time with Luna. I mean, Ginny's cool, yes, but she's not the same as Luna. No one is. Even in these dark times, she has a bright side to everything and keeps me happy.

So here I am sitting on my hammock in the Room of Requirement, gazing lovingly at Luna from across the room. She's so beautiful when she's asleep. She almost always manages a smile (dunno how that happened) and it's kinda like...dunno. Like the moon's looking at you? I can't really explain.

Oh no. I woke up Seamus. How can I be loud? I'm in a *hammock.* He must have sensitive ears or something. Uh-oh. He sees the book. He's coming over here and-

Ha! Neville's got a diary! I wish I'd found out about this earlier. And for those people reading this who stole it from Neville's trunk, this is Seamus. I stole his diary. And now I'm writing in it. I'm not bothering to read it, since it's dark and I'm lazy. But I'm *so* going to tease Neville about this when this is all over, and possibly read it.

Luna shook her head. So Seamus *had* found out about the diary eventually. She wondered if he still remembered it. He probably wouldn't.

Luna looked like a moon when she slept? Apparently it *hadn't* gone away yet.

JANUARY 3, 1998

Oh my God. Oh my God. Luna's gone. Oh my God. Oh my God. Bloody hell. How could this happen? She was here before Christmas and now...gone.

People say she was kidnapped by Death Eaters. Some say she's being held somewhere. I'm so terrified she'll be tortured or something. All I want is to have her here, safe in my arms.

Oh my God. I just had an *AWFUL* thought. What if she's being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange? With the torture spell? What if she loses her mind? No. I will *not* allow that to happen. If that mad woman lays a *finger* on lovely Luna, she will pay and pay dearly.

All day I've been pacing the floor, wringing my hands, biting my fingernails, and saying "Oh my God" at random times. Everyone knows it's because Luna's missing. Seamus and Ginny have been constantly trying to calm me down, but it hasn't really worked. I'm still worried sick. Thinking about my Luna, down in a dark dungeon cell, watching helplessly as another beam of red light comes upon her...

AARRGGHH! I'm so anxious I want to scream. I almost threw a book at Lavender Brown today because she had talked to me in a state of deep anxiety. Luckily, Seamus used *wingardium leviosa* to slide the book out of my hands, so I threw nothing but air at Lavender, who scurried away anyways.

"Neville, what is up with you today?" Seamus asked. "You seem a bit on the edge."

"It's Luna," I said. "I'm worried sick about her."

"Yeah, we're all worried about her," Seamus said.

"No, it's just...you don't understand," I said. Suddenly I was glad there was no one else in the room after Lavender took off. "I can't stop thinking about her. I'm worried that someone might torture her, and I - we might never get her back. We'll never be able to see her beautiful - I mean, her again."

"Oh, Neville, would you just face it?" Seamus said. "You're in love with the girl! Don't deny it! And don't try to say that it's not love, because it is. I know it is. I see the way you look at her every single day, and the way you talk to her and look into her eyes, itch to hold her hand. It's love, Neville. Don't try to convince me, or yourself, of anything different."

I thought *long* and *hard* about what Seamus said. I literally think I didn't make another sound all day. And I was still thinking about it when I was lying in my hammock. Still am, actually.

Could it be love? I *know* that it's bigger than a crush. But love? True love isn't supposed to be meant for kids. It's meant for mature adults. But then again, we're probably as mature as we're going to be now. And Ron loves Hermione, I know that for a fact. We all do.

So, I guess...maybe it could be. I don't wanna think about it. All I know is that tonight I'm going to have nightmares about Luna screaming in pain of being tortured.

Luna's eyes widened reading this. Love? No, no, no! This wasn't supposed to happen! Neville didn't have feelings for her now, she knew it. But love...love never goes away. Not entirely. Reading this entry, seeing how much Neville worried about her, wanted her safe in his arms, and reading how Seamus said he loves her...

Could it be possible? That Neville loved her? And still did? For once in her life, Luna considered the possibility. But she didn't ponder it long.

APRIL 14, 1998

Ginny's gone now. She's not missing, we know that. She just voluntarily chose not to come back after Easter. After the initial shock of the news, I didn't give it much thought.

I'm still worried sick about Luna. After my initial blowout on that first day, I sort of went back to normal. On the outside, at least. But on the inside, it's like a pit of acid. I know there's no normal without Luna here with me.

Seamus, my new second-in-command after Ginny and Luna were no longer to be seen, is trying to be supportive. He knows I'm shaken, but he says I need to keep up my role as a leader if we're going to make it through this. Ernie Macmillan went to go free some first-years from the dungeons last night, with no causalities, thank God. Michael Corner says he's going to go down there tomorrow. I wish him luck.

Today was pretty grim, after Parvati Patil came back bloody from a beating. There was a silence as Lavender and Romilda Vane helped her to her cot and then started to clean her wounds. I couldn't help thinking about how if Luna were here, she would help to lighten up the mood with her airy flights of fancy. Everyone would appreciate even a talk of nargles and wrackspurts right then.

I can't stop thinking about her. Her voice, her hair, her face, just...Luna. Luna Luna Luna. Lovely Luna. Who I can't bear to spend a day without. Who I want to be safe and near so dearly.

As I lay in the hammock tonight, sure everyone else is asleep, I whisper, "You were right, Seamus."

Now Seamus either wasn't asleep or I just woke him up, because now I hear shuffling in the hammock beside mine and he says, "Right about what?"

"Luna," I say simply.

"Pardon?"

"You were right. I do love her, Seamus."

Even though I can't see him, I know he has a big grin on his face. "About time you saw it, mate. First time I've been right about anything, too..."

I heard snoring right after that comment. And as I lay here, I know there will only be one thought in my mind as I try to fall asleep:

Yes, I do love Luna Lovegood.

This entry both made her as happy as could be and made her stomach sink. She was glad that Neville had finally figured out his feelings - it was always frustrating to be in a fuzzy mess of thoughts. But she knew Neville wasn't supposed to love her - they were just friends. And Neville didn't love her now...or did he?

Luna stopped herself from pushing away her thoughts and *really* thought about these past few years. She thought about things that she remembered, and she took these diary entries into account, too. She thought of all the times she and Neville had sat outside together in the quiet moonlight, all the times Luna had caught Neville looking at her, the times she had sat up against Neville, or had rested in his arms, all those nights talking, and, according to this diary, all the times Neville thought about her, worried about her, and wanted to hold her...

It was then Luna realized that even now, Neville loved her. Really, truly loved her. And all these years, she hadn't noticed until now. She felt awfully guilty about not even seeing it.

Guilt in her heart, she flipped the page.

MAY 1, 1998

Harry's back at Hogwarts. Everyone was excited. Like, freaking out and screaming excited. But you'd think Harry coming back would be excitement enough, right? *Wrong!* Know why? Because after Harry and Ron and Hermione climbed with me through that portrait hole, a few minutes later came Luna! *Luna!* And Dean, too, but mainly Luna!

I was so excited that I shouted her name and squeezed her into a hug. I'm *SOOO* happy that she's alive, safe, well, and here with us. I think she was happy to see me, too.

I could sense every pair of eyes on us (not including Seamus; he was too busy hugging Dean), but I didn't care. Every person in the room knew I was in love with her - except Luna. It crossed my mind - when am I going to tell her? I know I needed to, now that I had clarified that myself, but when? And how?

Harry was going on about how he needed to find some crown-looking thing, and I knew it was important, but right now my mind's elsewhere. I think you can guess where.

We urged Harry to get a good night's rest before searching again. He protested, but we insisted. I think it was really Ron and Hermione that convinced him.

Four more Gryffindor hammocks were added, along with Luna's over in Ravenclaw. It's a shame she has to sleep over there instead of here with us.

We're all attempting to sleep now, but it's not really working. Harry's real antsy. And I get the feeling something big is coming tomorrow. I dunno what, but it's just that feeling.

Luna knew what was coming next - the Battle. That was one of the clearest days in her life. But she wasn't thinking about that right now.

Neville had planned to tell Luna that he loved her? Why didn't he? Either something went wrong in his plan, or he just didn't find the courage.

Not exactly knowing what would come next, she flipped the page.

MAY 2, 1998

The Battle of Hogwarts. Probably one of the biggest days of my life. No joke. This was HUGE.

First thing in the morning, Snape ordered us to the Great Hall, said Harry Potter was in the castle and wanted us to give him up. Then Harry stepped out in the open and confronted Snape, who eventually fled, and the Battle began. Preparations were made, McGonagall sent stone soldiers to guard the castle, and a lot of the teachers were setting up protective enchantments. I couldn't believe my ears when McGonagall said we could blow up the entire Covered Bridge, and she said I should get help from Seamus. I believe her exact words were, "Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnigan? As I recall he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics." And Seamus's reaction was, "I can bring it down!" I found that quite humorous.

And yes, Seamus's talent *did* end up coming in handy one day. On the bridge, I kept watch for Snatchers, three of which were obliterated by the protective field. I taunted the helpless Snatchers by saying, "Yeah? You and who's army?" It was all great fun until Voldemort destroyed the shield. And then I was running for my life down the bridge away from Snatchers. However, I cast a spell to completely destroy the bridge (Seamus's favorite spell, I may say), killing all the Snatchers. I barely managed to get a handhold on the ledge and pull myself up. That would have been *bad.*

So then I fought with everyone else in the Battle, and watching people drop dead beside me, I realized that I might not make it. I might die fighting today, and then I won't ever be able to tell Luna that I love her. It seemed more desperate to go and find her by the moment, but it was impossible to. I had to keep fighting.

By some odd stroke of luck, we had a little "intermission" or "break" as you may call it, when Voldemort temporarily retreated his forces. Everyone was in the Great Hall, and there was mourning and death everywhere. I saw a lot of people who I knew who'd died: Lupin, Tonks, Colin Creevey, Lavender (to believe some of my last thoughts about her while she was alive was how much I wanted to throw a book at her), and Fred. They were all blows to me, but I was glad I didn't see Luna among the bodies. In fact, I saw her alive and well, tending to the wounded. I wished I could go over to her, but I only had enough energy to sit down on the nearest bench.

Soon, there was a commotion outside. We went and checked it out, and there was Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and Hagrid, carrying...Harry's dead body. No. Harry dead? It didn't seem real.

"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort declared.

"No!" Ginny cried out.

Then Voldemort called for volunteers to join his side. Draco Malfoy reluctantly joined his parents, and received an awkward hug from Voldemort. I honestly could *never* in my life see Voldemort giving a hug, but that's what he did.

Bravely, I stepped forward. Not to join the other side, no. Not ever. Voldemort asked me my name, and he and his Death Eaters laughed when I told him. I gave a speech about how even though a lot of people died, it wasn't in vain, and Harry did care for us. Then I pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, which just happened to be in my hand (forgot how it got there), then Harry suddenly sprang up out of Hagrid's arms, and the Battle commenced again. An irritated Voldemort cursed me back into the rubble while the battling went on. After a bit of simply lying there and trying to get up, I finally did get up, and then found Harry and Ginny in the castle.

"Neville, are you okay?" Harry asked me.

"I'm great! I feel like I could spit fire!" It was true; adrenaline rushed through my veins. "Hey, have either of you seen Luna anywhere?"

"Luna?" Harry asked. Oh, Harry. As if you didn't know."

"Yeah. I love her, I've got to tell her. We both might be dead by tomorrow." With that I clutched the Sword harder and went off to find my Luna.

Unfortunately, even in times of need fate loves to torture me, because I could not find Luna no matter how hard I looked. Grr. Stupid fate.

However, slithering by me was Voldemort's gigantic snake. I remembered Harry saying something about how killing the snake was vitally important, and it needed to be dead at all costs. So I did my beat to follow the snake as fast as I could, lugging the Sword with me. Good thing I hurried, too, because the snake had cornered Ron and Hermione, and was preparing to lunge at them, so I ran forward and sliced the snake's head clean off with the Sword. The snake's head lolled off to the side, and then it disintegrated completely, leaving nothing but ash. Ron and Hermione didn't even get a chance to thank me, because I was off again, looking for my love.

Eventually, I witnessed Harry and Voldemort's duel, and after Harry disarmed Voldemort, he hit him with another curse and then...he was gone. The Dark Lord's body shriveled into a million pieces and then blew away.

There were cheers, I think. The Death Eaters retreated, and the survivors made their way into the Great Hall.

I heard Mrs. Weasley killed Bellatrix Lestrange. If I didn't respect her before, I *certainly* respect her now. She just killed my mortal enemy! Who I swore I would kill in revenge for my parents!

I still held the Sword of Gryffindor as I sat down on one of the tables in the Great Hall. I needed a rest after all that excitement. But I felt my heart speed up when Luna sat down next to me. She looked particularly well.

"It's over," I said. "And we're still alive."

Luna nodded. "Yes, we are."

I wanted so badly to tell her that I love her. Or to even kiss her, perhaps. But all the courage had been drained out of me. Besides, this really didn't seem like the moment.

So we just awkwardly sat there, until eventually we were forced to get up. McGonagall, taking charge of things, said we would spend one more night here, help to pick up tomorrow, and then be sent home. She told us to get in groups of eight for our sleeping arrangements, so I got in a group with Luna, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Seamus and Dean. We were all really tired, so when McGonagall said it was time for bed, we all slept right away. Except for me and Seamus, who were taking a bit longer.

"So, I assume you found Luna in the Battle and told her about your undying love for her?" Seamus asked.

I sighed. "No."

Seamus sat up. "No? What d'you mean, no?" He was talking a little fast.

"I couldn't find her to tell her."

"So why can't you just tell her now?"

"It's not the same, Seamus."

"If you don't do it soon, you're gonna regret it, mate."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now, go to sleep, Seamus. This time you're the one keeping *me* up."

And with that we fell asleep. Of course, I didn't actually write this on the day of. I didn't bother going to find this bloody book. It's May fourth now. I found out Gran's dead. I don't really like to talk about it. So I alive alone in my house now, but I can take care of myself.

I've visited Luna once since the Battle, and I think I will again tomorrow. I might write letters to everyone else, too.

Luna had to fight to keep back tears. Neville had spent the entire Battle thinking about her. He had wanted to find her and tell her...tell her that he loved her. And all that time, Luna had just been focused on fighting. She didn't like to recall that day, even though it had been just a few months ago. Battle...fighting...she remembered Neville's speech. She thought it was well-given. And she thought Neville was so brave when he'd beheaded that snake - he'd basically killed Voldemort, right then.

And how heartless Luna was, knowing Neville for all these years, who had loved her from the beginning, and not loving him back. Sometimes she wished she could, but she just didn't love him...

Did she?

She didn't want to, but for Neville's sake, she delved into her feelings. She thought about how whenever Neville was around, she felt happy and complete, and whenever he was gone, she felt cold and empty. How she enjoyed the feel of his arms wrapped around her, how she enjoyed his warmth when she pressed herself against him, how she just loved to look in those green eyes of his and see them sparkle, how she even adored his stutter. How Neville always listened to her talk about mystical creatures, and how he never, not once, called her Loony Lovegood. How he was kind and honest and caring and brave, and how he was the very first person to bring a splotch of pink on to her pale face. How when they were sitting on that table after the Battle, she was yearning for a kiss...

That's when Luna deemed it possible that she might indeed love Neville. It was a possibility. But she wanted to read the rest of the diary first. There were only a few more entries left.

MAY 29, 1998

I dunno why I spend time on the Hogwarts grounds. Maybe because there's really nowhere else to go that feels like home. Either way, I still get to spend time with Luna here. She comes here everyday, as well. Sometimes we just sit on the grounds, and sometimes we sit by the Lake. One time we threw rocks into the water for all the people we knew who'd died in the battle. We picked a purpley-pink tinted one for Lavender, a small grayish-brown one for Colin, a funny-shaped one for Fred, a round white one for Lupin, and for Tonks, one that seemed to change color when you moved it around. We've stopped playing those games, though.

But here's a blow: a few weeks ago, Luna pointed out some huge, deep gash in my upper arm. I dunno how it got there, but it sure looks ugly, and I'm sure it's a battle wound. I assured Luna it was fine, and that I didn't need to go to the hospital.

But it was a lie. Today, it hurts like hell. A searing pain shooting through my upper arm and spreading throughout my entire body. It hurts. It hurts like nothing else I've ever felt before. But I'm lying so that I don't worry Luna. She's got enough on her mind. She doesn't have to worry about me right now. I can deal with my own injuries.

This time, the tears actually did fall from Luna's eyes. So Neville *had* been hurting. Hurting badly. And he lied just so he wouldn't worry her. Luna cried about how sweet that was. But she would have loved to have known, so she would have been able to get help faster. It might even be too late now.

JUNE 1, 1998

I sick. REALLY sick. Barely move. Can barely hold quill.

I tell Luna I'm fine. Got to spare her the worry...

I love you, Luna.

That was the last entry. The next page was blank, which Luna's tears fell onto.

Neville's last written words were *I love you, Luna.* How could you get more sweet and caring than that? Luna didn't see how Neville could love her more.

All she felt was guilt. Him loving her, but her only having a possibility of loving him back. But, now that she thought about it...she could...but she couldn't...it just wasn't possible...oh, but it was...no it wasn't...

Luna came to the conclusion that she couldn't deny it any longer. She had to stop telling herself things. She faced the truth.

She was in love with Neville Longbottom.

As she thought about this, she realized she had loved him all along. Ever since that first day in the carriages, she'd been fascinated by him. She'd grown closer to him, learning of his wonderful personality. She willingly let herself hug him, kiss his cheek, lean against him, stare into his eyes...telling everyone else it was because of her slight looniness, and telling herself it was because he was her best friend.

Wrong. He was much more than that.

She thought about him, even when her mind was cluttered to the bursting point. The sight of him made her stomach flutter. Even sometimes brought a flush to her face. He was the only one who ever did that.

She loved him. She truly did. There was no doubt about it now.

Luna looked out the window to see bright daylight. It was just about time to go to the hospital to see Neville. And tell him she knew about the diary.

She hid the diary in a trunk up in Neville's room, so she knew exactly where to find it later.

Then she apparated out of Neville's house, and into St. Mungo's.

There, she didn't feel the need to talk to the nurse, but she stopped her anyway.

"Miss Lovegood, before you go in there, you should know something," the nurse said. "Overnight, Mr. Longbottom got worse. *Much* worse. We don't think he'll make it through today."

Luna's heart stopped hearing this, and she resisted the urge to cry. But she remained strong. "Well, I'll just have to make the most of his last few moments," she said. Then Luna went in to see Neville.

Already, Luna could tell he was worse. His face was pale, there were bags under his eyes, and the gash was all swollen. Luna sat on the side of his bed, either way. She took his hand in both of hers.

"Luna," Neville croaked. "How are you?"

"Fine," Luna said. "The real question is: how are you?"

"Not so good, Luna. I feel worse. The nurse says I might not make it."

A single tear fell down Luna's cheek. "I know."

"What is it, Luna? I can tell you want to tell me something."

"I do." Luna took a deep breath. "Neville, I went to your house last night, and I read your diary."

Neville was silent as he took this in. "That old thing?"

Luna nodded. "Yes. And I want you to know...I know everything. I know that you love me."

"I do, Luna. I still love you," Neville paused. "But you don't love me, do you?"

"That's another thing, Neville. I feel guilty about not seeing it for the past few years, and I realized...I love you too, Neville. With all of my heart."

"Oh. Well, that's...wonderful to hear. I love you, Luna."

"I know. And now I feel that it's finally time for you to get something you deserve. Something you should have got a *long* time ago."

And that's when Luna leaned in and kissed Neville, full on the lips. This was to make up for the first kiss he should have gotten in the fifth year.

When she drew away, she saw a hint of a smile on Neville's face. "Luna, all my life, that's all I've ever really wanted. A kiss from you."

And to make Neville's wish come true even more, she leaned down and started kissing him again, in a fashion Seamus would have called, "snogging." She kissed him passionately, to make up for all the kissing she failed to give him in the past years. Although, she knew in her heart it would never be enough to satisfy herself.

She reluctantly drew away, knowing it had to end sometime. She gripped his hand slightly tighter. That's when Neville said to her, "Luna, would you do me a favor?"

"Yes, Neville, anything."

"Make that when you get the chance, you tell Harry and Seamus that I *did* end up snogging Luna Lovegood."

That put the tiniest hint of a smile on Luna's face, but only for a second. Neville had closed his eyes and put his head back down on the bed. He wasn't moving.

Then Luna could feel his heartbeat stop, sense his pulse go still, and feel his body go cold.

And then Neville was gone.

A/N: And that's the end. It's all over. However, I COULD post another chapter IF i get ten requests (from ten different people) over reviews for another chapter by September 8th. Ten reviews. You have one week. Or else...it ends here.