This was a lot of fun to write. I love Neville and I wanted to reread the series... so enjoy.
Cassius Michael Campbell was super excited as he walked along the Hogwart's Express, looking for an open compartment. He quickly found one with a cute boy inside, he had blond hair and murky blue eyes. "Hiya, can I sit here?"
The boy nodded. "Um, yes, I guess...I'm Neville Longbottom."
"Nice to meet you, Cassius Campbell." They sat together, while the train moved along. "So, um what is it like growing up a Wizard? I read about the Sacred Twenty eight, your a pure blood right? I'm a Muggleborn."
Neville sighed, and a great sadness overtook his face. Cassius barely restrained the urge to mother him. "I... it's alright, I guess..." There was a slight sound, a rough sort of sound. They both turned and saw a small toad. "This is Trevor, My uncle gave him to me after he dropped me out of a window." At the horror was clear on Cassius' face, Neville backpeddled. "It's alright, he was testing to see if I had magic... I bounced along the road and it was better than when he pushed me into the lake-"
"Not okay. No one deserves that. If you had no magic, you'd have died Neville. You deserve better, anyone would."
That made Neville smile, it was small but sweet. "Really?"
"Yes... listen, I have like zero friends in this country, so I am officially adopting you."
Neville chuckled. "Really?"
Cassius held out his hand. "Friends?"
"Friends." They shook on it. " So... um... you said in this country, you're American, right?"
"Born and Bred, but My great Grandma was from Scottland. I'm an orphan currently, I came here on a trip so my dad could get a job opportunity and he just left me here when he left. I was okay with it, I hated him. I basically raised myself, so when I got put into an orphanage, I was able to adapt and be okay."
"Oh... that's good... maybe, I mean maybe, if you need a place to stay in the summer, my gran will let you stay with me? If we are still friends, by then."
And that made Cassius' day almost as much as finding out he was a Wizard. "That's sweet... so... um... wanna prepare me for going into Hogwarts, what kind of stuff are we going to be doing? I read all the books, annotating what I could, but it was a lot. Do you have any classes that you liked particularly?"
Neville beamed. "Herbology is my favorite, I have been working in my family Green House for a few years!"
This went on for about an hour until Trevor ended up missing. They looked for him until they ran into a bushy haired black girl. "Hey, Miss... can you help us find a Toad? His name is Trevor... he belongs to Neville here."
She nodded. "I can help. I'm Hermione Granger!"
"Cassius Campbell."
And like that they separated and looked for Trevor. They gave up after about twenty minutes, returning to their compartment. "Gran is going to wallop me." Neville sighed.
"We can have someone cast a summoning charm or something, that exists right?"
Neville nodded, wide eyed. " That is a brilliant idea! I really hope we end up in the same house..."
"Same. I think Slytherin sounds the best, Merlin himself was in it!"
Neville went pale. "Slytherin?"
"Why not, qualities of cunning and ambition, I wanna rise high and burn bright. I have a lot of dreams, so why wouldn't I want to be there?"
That calmed Neville. "I... I never thought of it like that... but I know no Muggleborns are accepted into that house. Ever. It is a rule, unofficial of course, but still."
"Well, that's not right... maybe Hufflepuff, hard work and loyalty are good qualities. All the House could be great given the right time. It's just the four Humors anyway." At Neville's confused look, he explained. "The Four Humors are four fluids the ancient greeks believed regulated health and personality traits. They fit almost perfectly with the Four Houses."
"Wow, you know a lot, don't you?"
"Reading and writing have been salvation for a great many, myself included."
They spoke on a great many things for the rest of trip, from books they both enjoyed to candies they liked to their favorite time of year, until it was time to get dressed for Hogwarts.
A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."
The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry? C'mon, follow me—any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!" Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. "Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."
There was a loud "Oooooh!"
The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers. Cassius felt a great sense of awe at the sight of it.
"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Cassius got a boat with just him, Neville and Hermione.
"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then—FORWARD!"
And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.
"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.
"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said The Gaint man said, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.
"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.
They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.
"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"
Ha raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.
Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.
This was a joy to write.
Love, your Ninja Overlord,
Mika.
