This is the 100th chapter of Things That Should Happened in Canon! I was aiming to get to 100 chapters before the end of 2024 and I made it with about a month and a third to spare! :)

This chapter comes from an idea suggested by a guest reviewer on Oct 13th, 2022 in the chapter 51 reviews. This one has Harry explain to Neville that Harry knows what happened to Neville's parents.

Harry Potter felt very uneasy.

He had seen a part of Barty Crouch Jr.'s trial in Dumbledore's pensieve and had heard a reference to the Longbottoms.

He had later asked Dumbledore if the Longbottoms referred to in the memory in question had been Neville's parents.

Dumbledore had explained to Harry that the Longbottoms had been tortured into insanity after refusing to give information and that they were in St Mungo's. Dumbledore had explained to Harry that this was why Neville was raised by his grandmother and that Neville visited his parents in St. Mungo's but that they did not recognize him.

Dumbledore had warned Harry not to tell anyone about Neville's parents and that Neville could tell people about them when he was ready.

This made sense, but something made Harry uneasy about having this knowledge.

After a few minutes and few nanoseconds of quiet thought brought Harry the realization that what was making him so uneasy was the fact that he had deeply personal knowledge about Neville's life and family without Neville knowing that he knew.

Harry knew that he would have to tell Neville that he knew about the situation regarding Neville's parents.

This would be a very uncomfortable conversation, but Neville had the right to know that Harry knew.

Harry retrieved a slip of parchment and his eagle feather quill from his trunk and wrote.

Dear Neville:

Hi, this is Harry Potter. Can you please meet me in Classroom Eleven tonight at 11 P.M.? There is something important I need to tell you. I should warn you that this will be a very uncomfortable conversation, but I think we need to have it.

-Harry.

...

Next day, Harry slipped this note to Neville in Herbology and Neville had written, yes Harry on the same parchment and handed it back to Harry.

So, at 11 P.M. Harry and Neville met up in Classroom Eleven.

Harry made sure the door was shut and locked and performed Privacy Charms on the room to make sure no sight or sound could escape it.

"Okay," said Harry matter of factly, "This is not going to be a pleasant conversation. But there is something I know that you don't know that I know that you have the right to know."

"Do you know about my parents?" inquired Neville queasily.

"I do," admitted Harry gently, "Though I did NOT seek out information about what happened to them. Yesterday I fell asleep in Divination."

"That's not a hard thing to do," smirked Neville, "The perfume in that room is an excellent cure for insomnia."

"Anyway," continued Harry quickly to stay on track, "I had a very bad dream. I consulted Dumbledore about the dream. While I was in his office, his pensieve caught my attention and I saw a part of some of the Death Eater trials. The name Longbottom was mentioned."

"Whose trial were you seeing," Neville asked Harry clearly.

"Barty Crouch Jr," replied Harry simply.

Neville suddenly had a very angry and menacing look on his face.

"He is one the people who tortured my parents into insanity, along with Bellatrix Lestrange," said Neville tensely.

"I caught a glimpse of her," acknowledged Harry, "She was declaring her loyalty to the Dark Lord, proclaiming that the Dark Lord would rise again and that she would be honored beyond her dreams by him when he did."

"That's the sort of thing she would say," said Neville bitterly, "She was always very passionate, just like Crouch Jr."

"Dumbledore explained to me that your parents are insane and that you visit them in St Mungo's, but that they do not recognize you," explained Harry with a deep uneasiness in his voice."

Neville's expression turned from bitterness to heartbroken.

"Harry, do you know why Herbology is my best subject?" asked Neville softly.

"No," answered Harry honestly.

"It's because I am hoping to discover a medicinal cure for my mom and dad at some point and want to be as knowledge about all magical plants as I can be. Time will tell if they can be cured. But I'm going to find the cure or exhaust myself trying."

"So," continued Harry, "Dumbledore warned me not to tell anyone about your parents because it was your right to tell people when you were ready."

"He should have also told me that you knew," spat Neville, "At the very least, he should have made sure to tell you to tell me."

"True," nodded Harry, "That's why I'm meeting you here tonight. Because I know you have the right to know that I know. It's better if you find out I know now that have the fact that I know slip out at an inappropriate time or place."

"I would prefer that you don't know, given how personal this is to me," admitted Neville, "But since you do know, I do have the right to know that you know, regardless of how or why you found out."

"That's exactly it," agreed Harry, "I won't push a conversation about this topic on you both because I can see how queasy and uncomfortable this topic makes you, and understandably so, and because it is literally none of my business and I should respect that it is none of my business. But you do have the right to know that I know."

"Thank you for telling me, Harry," said Neville quietly, "And thank you for not pursing further conversation about this topic with me."

Harry and Neville quietly looked at each other for a few minutes and a few nanoseconds.

There wasn't much more for them to say to each other.

Harry had informed Neville that he knew, and he had assured Neville that he would not further engage Neville in conversation about it.

What had needed to be said was said, and they both realized after those few minutes and nanoseconds of each other that it was time to leave.

The conversation had been tense and uncomfortable, but Harry left feeling more at peace knowing that Neville knew that Harry knew about Neville's parents.

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As this will be the last update to Things That Should Have Happened in Canon before Thanksgiving, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. Be safe everyone!

Much love from Arizona for all the support. Love you all-Michael. :) ❤️