Silence can be a precursor to a storm. Neville Longbottom, once easily intimidated, had transformed under John's tutelage into a wizard who refused to be oppressed. At this moment, his resentment towards John had reached its zenith. Unbeknownst to Neville, John observed from the shadows, recognizing that the time for action had arrived. Neville needed a 'good guy' to lead him out of this darkness, and Percy Weasley seemed like the perfect candidate.
Neville's behavior had taken a peculiar turn ever since he realized John's disdain for him had led to his isolation. Draco Malfoy's provocations, which once would have elicited a response, now went unanswered. "Did I push him too hard?" Malfoy wondered, sensing he might have overstepped in his bullying. John, watching the scene unfold, noted Malfoy's lack of insight into Neville's silent accumulation of emotions.
As Malfoy's attention shifted upon catching a glimpse of Astoria, John turned to Daphne, who appeared lost in thought beside him. "Your sister just walked past," he remarked, prompting a confused response from Daphne. John sighed, lamenting the superficial nature of their family ties.
With the Yule Ball a week away, Daphne was torn about extending an invitation to John. It was then that Fleur Delacour approached John with a proposition. "John, would you like to be my dance partner?" she asked, her eyes darting towards Daphne with a smirk that seemed to taunt her.
Daphne, unable to contain her frustration, stood up abruptly. "No!" she protested. Fleur, unfazed, challenged her, "You didn't invite John. Why can't he be my dance partner?" Fleur's intervention was born out of her belief that Daphne would have already asked John, and with the ball approaching and no invitation extended, she decided to step in.
Daphne, at a loss for words, weakly argued that John was unavailable, to which John surprisingly agreed, apologizing to Fleur for his unavailability on the day of the ball. Fleur, taken aback, accepted his response and left to find another partner.
Upon Fleur's departure, Malfoy returned, oblivious to the tension. His inquiry about John's invitation to Daphne was met with a glare from her. Meanwhile, Astoria's question about her dress choice was interrupted by a plate of egg tarts flying towards Malfoy.
Neville, meanwhile, was plagued by nightmares. He dreamt of his parents being kidnapped by an infiltrator who demanded he leave Hogwarts under a sinister threat. The dream was vivid, filled with mocking laughter and the ultimatum of his parents' disappearance should he refuse to leave.
Awakening with a start, Neville found himself in his dormitory, reassured by Ron's sleepy inquiry. Unable to return to sleep, he rose from his bed and gazed out the window at the falling snow, contemplating the nightmare's ominous message. The sound of the wind whistling through the crack of the door was eerily reminiscent of a ghost's wail, piercing the silence of the night. Neville, moving with a quiet determination, opened the door and stepped into the deserted common room. The lights were off, and the room was empty, its usual bustle silenced. The Yule Ball was just two days away, and Neville had yet to find a partner. He walked over to the sofa and sat down, his fingers absentmindedly brushing against the star badge he wore—a badge he had grown attached to but hadn't realized he was still wearing. As he touched it, his expression turned to one of sorrow.
Suddenly, as his fingers grazed the badge, a phantom message from Percy appeared. "Neville, I can't believe it, John has lost his mind." Neville was startled by the message and quickly inquired about the situation. The messages kept coming. "John has left the school." "Heinrich mentioned he was obsessing over the hospital or something similar." "He called it a disgrace and vowed to rectify it." "He plans to imprison a man where he'll never be found." "I followed him, and it seemed he was heading towards the Whomping Willow." "No, he's found me!"
The messages triggered a memory of a dream Neville had, prompting him to leap to his feet and dash out of the common room, coat forgotten in his haste.
Inside the Screaming Shack, John sat with two wands laid out on the table before him. Percy, having sent a desperate plea for help, looked at John with a mix of confusion and fear. "Is this really your plan?" John responded with a shrug and a nonchalant tone, "The occasional kindness you showed him became his lifeline, didn't it?" The Star Society had isolated Neville, and Percy's acts of kindness were the only solace Neville had found. Now, John was poised to sever that connection, leaving Neville in turmoil.
Percy sighed, a sense of resignation in his voice. "I know I can't change your mind." His gaze drifted to the bed where the Longbottoms lay sleeping peacefully, a result of John's audacious plan to extract them from the hospital with the help of Tang Mi and Jin. They had to finalize their plans here, with Percy carrying the potions they needed.
"Percy, we need to face reality," John said, just before a flash of red light stunned Percy. John waited patiently, knowing Neville would soon arrive, having triggered the magical trap set in the Whomping Willow tunnel.
As Neville burst through the door, John feigned surprise, his face still twisted in a mix of ferocity and paleness. Percy lay on the ground, his fate unknown. Neville, fueled by Percy's last message, was overcome with rage and charged at John. John's initial panic quickly faded as he cast an expulsion spell, sending Neville crashing against the wall.
"Neville Longbottom, you dare to confront me?" John taunted, looking down at Neville with disdain. "Why? Why attack Percy? Wasn't he your ally?"
"Ally?" John scoffed, mocking Neville's naivety. "He was merely a pawn. Did you honestly believe I would consider the Star Society as equals? How utterly ridiculous." With a cruel smile, John pointed his wand at Neville and cast the Cruciatus Curse. "Crucio!"
Neville's screams filled the room as he writhed in agony, his eyes bloodshot and fixed on John. John's laughter echoed, the curse torturing Neville with relentless cruelty. "You see, Neville Longbottom, you were nothing more than a tool for me to gain power. Let me tell you, you have made me Neville's heart pounded with a mix of fear and rage as he faced his tormentor. "Sick. What a pure blood, but it's just a dog wagging its tail, begging for mercy," John sneered, shattering Neville's last shred of hope.
"Shut up!!!" Neville, cornered and desperate, growled lowly, his voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly, two figures caught his eye from the corner of the room. He turned towards the bed, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. "Mom and Dad?"
"Oh? It seems you've discovered the 'gift' I prepared for you," John's voice dripped with malevolence, his laugh chilling to the bone. "Do you like it? I can only blame you, Neville. You brought this upon yourself by refusing to disappear."
Sensing his momentary advantage, John sauntered closer to Neville with a leisurely pace. Neville's mind raced with thoughts of vengeance. It was then he noticed the magic wand, carelessly protruding from John's waistband. A plan quickly formed in his mind, and with a burst of adrenaline, he measured the distance between them. Once close enough, Neville charged at John with all his might.
Caught completely off guard, John stumbled and fell, the wand slipping from his waist and into Neville's grasp. Overcome with fury and years of pent-up resentment, Neville raised the wand, his voice thundering with the force of his emotions. "Crucio!"
The spell, honed by countless rehearsals in his mind, now found its voice. Neville stood, wand outstretched, the embodiment of righteous anger, ready to confront the darkness before him.
_________
If you are tired of reading I also have this converted to an audio novel on my youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@NovelAudioForge/featured
Direct Link to playlist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_Hg-qsW4rM&list=PLKskshYG-OcPTR4-Nw7IWFEBZm07D8pBV&ab_channel=NovelAudioForge