A Neville Si chapter 21
"Hello, Gran" he replied. "It's good to see you." "Come along, let's get you home," she said, taking charge and holding out her hand for Neville to grasp. When he did, she instructed, "Hold tight, okay? Remember, don't let go." Neville nodded, and Augusta apparated them both out of King's Cross station.
Neville felt a pulling sensation, as if he were being squeezed through a tube, and then it was over. They landed in front of a large gate, and beyond it stood an impressive manor house, the setting sun casting a warm glow behind it.
Seeing the manor, Neville said, "That's huge," as he let go of Augusta's hand.
She straightened her clothes and, with a smile, said, "Welcome to Longbottom Manor, Neville" as the gates opened.
….
Neville woke up to his now familiar room in the Longbottom Manor.
Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Neville swung his legs off the bed and stood up, walking off to the attached bathroom.
It had been a week since Neville had come back for his winter break.
Neville was treated to a feast by his gran on the day of his arrival and was shown to his room.
During the feast, Augusta had been proud of Neville for his academic performance and was happy that her grandson was finally coming out of his shell.
Augusta asked, "So, Neville dear, how are you adapting to Hogwarts after... well, after everything?"
Neville scooped another spoonful of chocolate pudding into his mouth and replied, "It's great, Gran. I've made a few friends." He paused for a second before adding, "All except for the troll incident, everything is well."
Neville had deliberately told her about the troll incident, wanting to know if Dumbledore had told any of the parents about the incident. He wanted to know if Dumbledore was hiding it from the parents.
And as expected, Augusta paused mid-bite. She was happy to hear that Neville was making friends and adapting well to the magical world after he had lost his memories, but hearing about a troll, she paused, placing the spoon back on the plate. She asked, "What troll?"
Neville cocked his head to the side and asked, "Huh? Weren't you told about the troll on Halloween?"
Augusta's eyes narrowed as she asked, "Troll on Halloween? Explain, dear. Why wasn't I informed?"
Neville swallowed his pudding and said, "I don't know. I think the Headmaster would have informed you of the incident, especially with me getting injured by it. Well, a troll was set loose in Hogwarts on Halloween. I wasn't aware of the troll as I was out looking for one of my friends. Earlier that day, she was bullied, and that got to her, and she had been crying in the girls' lavatory for the whole day, she didn't have much friends—she can be a bit much—and I was one of her only friends, so I went looking for her." He paused to scoop a spoonful of pudding and continued, "Well, anyways, when we were heading back to the common room, we came across the troll and I had to kill it, and got injured doing that." He rubbed his ribs and said, "Madam Pomfrey said that I broke my ribs and bruised my spine; had to stay in the hospital wing for the day."
Augusta's face whitened as Neville told the story, and she asked at the end of the tale, "You got hurt" she exclaimed "and managed to kill the troll?" Looking concern and angry at the same time.
Neville paused and said, "Yeah, killed it with a sword and the Depulso charm—blasted the sword into the roof of the troll's mouth. You can ask Harry, Ron, or Hermione about it; they were there when it happened. Oh, thank you for the books you sent me—the spells in that book came in handy."
Augusta looked angry at the very end of it but also looked proud at Neville and told him so, that she was proud of him. And she hadn't heard of a first year slaying a troll before, but told him that it was dangerous and next time to get to a teacher.
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The next day, Neville woke up to find a note from his gran that she had gone to take care of some business, Neville smiled reading that as he knew that she had gone to Hogwarts to give Dumbledore a piece of her mind for not informing the parents and guardians about the troll incident, and if he remembers correctly, she was part of the Hogwarts Board of Governors.
Neville spent the morning being shown around the manor by his house-elf, Tinkle.
The manor was huge; it was a large castle and castle-like. According to his gran, it was the ancestral home of the Longbottoms and had been in the family for hundreds of years.
According to Augusta, the Longbottoms were very wealthy and made their wealth by selling potion ingredients and even having some potion distilleries; they also exported potion ingredients to other countries.
All in all, the Longbottoms were among the wealthiest families in Britain.
Neville also found out that he was able to practise magic in the manor. According to Augusta, the Trace doesn't work in magical households.
The Longbottoms had a library; it was vast and contained many books on Herbology and Potions. According to Gran, the books she had sent him were part of this very collection. He spent most of his time, when not practising spells, in the library, and there he found something interesting.
While browsing through the numerous shelves, Neville found a book on Occlumency—something he had been eagerly seeking—and he began practising the exercises within.
As Neville had expected, what was written in the book and what he remembered Snape teaching Harry about Occlumency in the Order of the Phoenix were completely different. Neville thought, "So it's true then—Snape was making Harry more vulnerable to Voldemort." He had always suspected that the way Snape taught Harry was somewhat suspicious, and now this confirmed it—it must have been Dumbledore's manipulations.
According to the book, Occlumency is more about organizing thoughts and calming the mind and controlling emotions, and it takes time.
The rest of the week was spent practising spells and his Occlumency, and spending time with Augusta and Augusta teaching him about the Longbottoms and their history.
---
After getting dressed for the day with a red festive sweater and a green scarf around his neck, Neville made his way downstairs to the living room.
Entering the room, he greeted his grandmother Augusta Longbottom, "Merry Christmas, Gran."
Augusta looked up and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Neville. You look quite handsome today."
Neville smiled and said, "You too, Gran."
She then said, "Well, let's eat breakfast then. I'm sure Tinkle made a feast."
After breakfast, Augusta got up off the armchair and said, "We should get going if we are to come back before your Great Uncle Algie comes for dinner."
It turns out that usually on Christmas they would attend one of the Christmas parties hosted by the Ministry or one of the allied houses, but due to him losing his memories she didn't want to overwhelm him and decided to host a small Christmas celebration at home, inviting only Great Uncle Algie.
Walking over to the Floo, Augusta handed him some Floo powder and said, "You remember how to use the Floo, right, Neville?"
Currently, they were going to visit Neville's parents at St Mungo's.
Augusta didn't go into much detail but said that Neville's parents, Alice and Frank Longbottom, were in St Mungo's and were Aurors and heroes of the previous wizarding war.
They were currently in the Permanent Spell Damage ward and had been there for ten years.
Taking a pinch of the powder, Neville stepped into the fireplace. "St Mungo's Hospital!" he declared, throwing the powder at his feet. Green flames enveloped him, and after a dizzying whirl, he stepped out into a grand atrium lined with fireplaces.
Gran appeared moments later, dusting soot from her robes. Placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, she guided him through the bustling corridors. He noticed the respectful nods and greetings from staff and visitors alike as they passed.
"Gran, everyone seems to know you," Neville observed.
She gave a modest smile. "The Longbottoms have long donated to St Mungo's. It's important work they do here."
They reached the entrance to the Permanent Spell Damage ward. Neville's heart pounded in his chest.
Neville was nervous as this would be the first time him seeing the original Neville's parents; he hadn't even seen a picture of them and he wasn't sure if he should see them with him now occupying their son's body.
They approached a room where two patients sat by the window, gazing out at nothing in particular.
"Frank, Alice," Augusta greeted softly. "Look who's here. It's Neville."
Neville froze upon seeing them—his mother and father. They looked remarkably like the parents he remembered from before. His mind raced, emotions swirling.
Both had vacant expressions, their eyes dull and unfocused. His mother's once vibrant hair was now a lifeless shade of white, thin strands framing a face etched with lines of pain and time. His father sat stoically, hands resting limply in his lap.
Gran moved to Frank's side, recounting stories of Neville's achievements at school, her voice filled with a mix of hope and sorrow.
Neville stood rooted to the spot, tears welling up in his eyes. "Mum? Dad?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
His mother turned slowly, her gaze drifting past him. For a fleeting moment, a spark seemed to flicker in her eyes. She reached into her pocket and shuffled towards him, extending her hand.
In it was a sweet wrapper.
Neville blinked, a tear escaping down his cheek. "For me?" he asked softly.
She gave a faint smile, one that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Without another word, she returned to her chair by the window.
He clutched the wrapper tightly. "Thank you, Mum," he whispered.
The rest of the visit passed in a blur.
Neville sat silently the whole visit, watching them while Augusta talked about her day to both Alice and Frank—now his mum and dad.
Neville's mind was racing, thinking, "Maybe there is a way to cure them. Think, think, but first I need to know what's wrong with them. If I remember correctly, their minds broke after prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus Curse."
At this, his fist tightened at the thought. He swore, "I will make them pay."
Standing up, he left the room and went up to the reception.
He approached the lady. "Excuse me, ma'am," he said politely.
Not looking up from her work, she asked, "How can I help?"
Neville asked, "Could I have a copy of Frank and Alice Longbottom's medical report, please?"
She paused, looking up. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you that—it's confidential."
Neville pleaded, "Please, ma'am, I need to see them. They're my parents, please." His eyes had tears in them.
The lady hesitated, looking at the crying child. "I'm sorry, I can't," she said gently.
Just then, Augusta walked over. "Neville, there you are. What are you doing here?" she asked.
Neville, wiping his tears away, said, "Gran, can you get me Mum and Dad's medical reports? I... I need to see them."
Augusta paused, seeing Neville in this state. She hesitated and asked, "Why do you want them, Neville?"
Neville grabbed her hand. "Please, Gran, I just need to see them... Maybe there's something I can do. Please, Gran." He looked determined as he said that.
Augusta hesitated but, seeing Neville's determination, she let our a sigh and asked the nurse, "Can we please have a copy of the reports?"
The nurse, not knowing what to say, replied, "I... I need to ask the healers first." With that, she left to find them.
Later that night, Neville lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling. They had returned to the manor after their visit.
The healers agreed to send them the report files.
As Neville lay there, he thought, "Why do Neville's parents look like my mum and dad? Were they transmigrated here too? Or is this a sign that they can be saved?"
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