It Started With a Kiss

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The next few days were draining emotionally and physically for Neville. He along with Hannah, Ron, Hermione and Ginny had begun attending all the funerals for the people they had met during their time at Hogwarts. He and Harry had started up the D.A again and before the first tutoring sessions were to begin a couple of hours later all the members had gathered together all to practice some defensive magic just to refresh their minds of lesser spells and manoeuvres. Anything that would help their prospective students.

‘SOD IT!’ Neville bellowed in frustration after another attempt at a non verbal Stunning spell went by unsuccessfully and Hermione getting him with a Jelly Legs curse ‘Damn this non verbal crap!’

‘You say it brother’ Hannah said in a fake Bronx accent.

‘Hmmph’

‘Are you okay?’ Hermione asked helping him to his feet.

‘Yeah I’ll live I’m just frustrated is all’ Neville said adjusting his clothing and taking a firmer grip on his wand ‘I hate non verbal magic, I’m no good at it’

‘Only because you don’t practice it’ Hermione said diplomatically ‘The more you do it the better at it you’ll get’

‘Something you told Dennis Creevy shortly after we all began hiding in the room of requirement and were working on the Leg Locker Curse’ Hannah said amusement etched on her face.

‘Follow your own advice Neville’ Hermione said with a grin ‘Shall we try again?’

‘Well I suppose after being reminded of that I can’t very well say no can I?’ Neville said shooting Hannah a mock death glare ‘Thankyou very much dear’

‘Anytime sweetums’ Hannah replied with a great snort.

‘Oh vomit you two are nauseating’ Ron said making a face and feigning vomiting.

‘Not half as bad as you and Hermione’ Harry said with a grin ‘You know last night Neville they....’

‘He doesn’t need to know!’ Hermione shrilled ‘Don’t be so immature Harry you’re like Ron’

‘What groa-‘

With Hannah and Neville shaking with suppressed laughter Hermione pointed her wand at Harry and bellowed ‘SILENCIO!. The spell had no physical effect but instantly Harry’s voice died and he looked severely disappointed not to finish his sentence.

‘Okay okay I deserved that’ Harry said a moment later once Hermione had removed the spell ‘Mind you I’m surprised you didn’t properly hex me’

‘Next time I will’ Hermione said her face still a brilliant shade of red ‘Ready to go Neville? You’re a mature grown wizard and have a brain bigger than a walnut’

Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hannah laughed.

‘Yeah let’s re-start things’ Neville said ‘No holds barred yeah? Everything but an unforgivable’

‘You want to duel?’ Ron exclaimed in surprise as they turned to walk back to their original starting positions.

‘Yeah why not?’

‘Okay on the count of three’ Hermione called form the other end of the room her sleeves rolled up and her wand held at the ready ‘ONE TWO THR-‘

‘STUPEFY! Neville bellowed inwardly.

Hermione was partially unprepared for Neville’s initiative and copped the stunning spell on the shoulder. She winced then one handed she returned fire.

‘TRIPUDIO!

Neville saw the flash of silver from the spell race toward him and with the agility of a figure skater he jumped in the air leaping over the trip jinx. Just as quickly the spell came back for a second go and once again Neville leapt over it. He then cast a shield charm and watched as the Trip Jinx raced by and hit it’s caster. Hermione squealed as her feet were swept from under her dropping her wand which rolled away with a clatter.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hannah clapped enthusiastically as Neville went to Hermione and helped her to her feet.

‘What were you saying about being no good at non verbal spells?’ Hermione said dryly picking her wand up ‘Nice stuff that’

‘Ta. What did you do to the Trip Jinx? I’ve never seen one come back to have a second go’

‘It’s a technique I read about in ‘The Olde Defence’ an obscure book about wand techniques in defensive magic that I found in the room of requirement last Friday. Apparently if you flick your wand like a stock whip you can make any curse, jinx or hex come back to your target for a second, third or fourth go if your initial casting doesn’t hit it’s target’

‘I’ll keep that in mind’

‘Pity Smith isn’t here or I would try it on him’ Hannah said fingering her wand.

‘Don’t go hexing anyone even gits like him it won’t solve anything’ Neville said ‘Plus it would be a waste of magic’

‘Awww I dunno ’bout that’ Ron said ‘I wouldn’t mind seeing what he’d look like with a pair of tusks’

‘Or that hair thickening hex Flint got Katie with back in fifth year’ Harry said with a grin.

‘Oh you two lads are awful’ Hannah said with a grin.

‘Hannah my dear it’s a Gryffindor man trait!’ Ron said theatrically clapping a hand over his heart.

‘So must be being a nitwit’ Hermione muttered.

‘Okay we better be going’ Neville said to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny who had just come from working with Pavarti ‘See you all back here tonight yeah?’

‘Yeah take care mate and tell us how your session went okay?’ Harry said enthusiastically.

‘Will do’

Hannah and Neville left the fourth floor and made their way up to the Gryffindor Common room.

Let’s portkey from here yeah?’ Neville suggested after summoning a broken quill from a nearby table.

‘Neville it’s only eleven o’clock we don’t have to be at your place til one!’ Hannah exclaimed.

‘I know but I want to show you around home’ Neville said drawing his wand from it’s holster ‘I especially want to show you Algie’s greenhouses. Plus we can have lunch before out students arrive’

‘So is this the first date then?’ Hannah said with a grin as Neville enlarged the quill.

‘No for a first date I want to do things properly. Flowers, a fancy dinner and maybe a walk down the Champs Elysees at night’

Hannah lit up.
‘You’d do that for me?’ She said softly.

‘Hell yeah I do things properly whatever they are. Flowers a fancy dinner and a walk down the Champs Elysees at night is what Uncle Algie did when he took Aunt Enid out on their first date and it sounds like a good idea to me’

Hannah kissed Neville on the cheek.
‘I look forward to it’ She said with a smile that made Neville’s insides turn to goo ‘Let’s go huh?’

‘Yup...Portus Longbottom Manor!

The quill portkey activated and a moment later Neville and Hannah left the Gryffindor common room and zoomed through the nothingness till they arrived in a heap on the edges of the grounds surrounding Neville’s home.

‘Oooof’ Hannah grunted as she got herself up and re-arranged her robes ‘Elegant landing that’

‘Yeah sort about that’ Neville said getting to his feet ‘Well welcome to Longbottom House’

‘Wow it’s gorgeous!’ Hannah exclaimed looking down the drive at the early Victorian style manor ‘Is that Pinkton’s Ivy on the outside?’

‘Yeah my late Pop brought a cutting back from Italy about five years before he died and it’s grown like stink’ Neville said ‘It’s not in full flower now but when it is the whole house is covered in purple and white blooms’

‘So who does the gardening now?’ Hannah asked walked off a few paces to sniff the bloom of a green carnation like bloom.

‘A bit of everyone’ Neville said ‘My Gran and Great Aunt Enid and Great Uncle Algie all contribute, though the greenhouses are Algie’s thing. Gran has a thing for roses, orchids and carnations so if you see any around she planted them’

‘Have you planted anything?’ Hannah asked.

‘Yeah a few things, The gerberas by the pool, the hydrangeas down the west side of the house and the Parisian Orange Bushes by the back porch’

‘Oh I love gerberas!’ Hannah exclaimed ‘Are they the muggle or magical ones?’

‘Both’

‘Oh I’ll have to look at those’

Eventually after showing Hannah the entire front garden Neville led Hannah into the house.
‘Now I can properly welcome you to Longbottom House’ Neville said hanging up his cloak ‘This is the foyer’

Hannah hung up her cloak next to his.
‘I can smell chocolate’ She said sniffing appreciatively.

‘That would be Enid cooking her chocolate self saucing pudding’ Neville said ‘C’mon I’ll introduce you to her’

‘Hang on a sec there’s something I want to do first’ Hannah said.

‘What?’

Hannah grinned.
‘Kiss you’ She said lacing her fingers through his.

‘Oh do you now?’ Neville said ‘You’re-‘

‘Neville?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Shut up’

Hannah stood on her toes and pressed her lips to Neville’s. Neville closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist responding enthusiastically.

‘I could do this all day you know’ He whispered a moment later as they broke apart.

‘One day we will’ Hannah said kissing his forehead.

Neville ran his fingers through Hannah’s hair and once again pressed his lips to hers. He was a nano second away from letting his hands wander further south than Hannah’s waist when an amused voice interrupted them.

‘Really Neville couldn’t you be a bit more discreet?’ Enid said with a chuckle ‘Snogging in the middle of the foyer?’

Neville felt his face burn in embarrassment as he and Hannah pulled apart.
‘Oh sod off Enie!’ He exclaimed ‘In a house this big you couldn’t find somewhere else to keep busy?’

Enid laughed.
‘No I couldn’t dear I had to check on lunch’ She said ‘And who’s this pretty girl you obviously know so well?’

‘This is my girlfriend Hannah, Hannah this nosey prat is my Great Aunt Enid’

Enid gave Hannah a quick hug.
‘Lovely to meet you dear’ She said ‘Welcome to Longbottom House. I have no doubt this will be the first of many visits here. Has Neville taken you on the grand tour yet?’

‘No not yet ma’am we only got her twenty minutes ago. He’s shown me the gardens out the front though’

‘Oh you must go out the back and inspect Algie’s greenhouses. Neville told us when he was home last week you both share a love of Herbology. Algie’s greenhouses rival the Hogwarts ones I am led to believe’

‘That’s our next stop the greenhouses’

‘Well dear it was nice to meet you, I’ll let you make your way out to the greenhouses see you for lunch. It’s on the back porch seeing as the weather’s so nice’

‘Thankyou ma’am’

‘Oh for goodness sakes Hannah dear call me Enid or Enie I hate all that formal rubbish it’s only needed for poncy dinners. And I have a feeling you’ll be here again and several times after that so formalities are unnecessary’

‘I can live with that’ Hannah said with a grin ‘See you at lunch then’

‘Ohmigod how embarrassing was that?’ Neville said as he led Hannah from the house and out to the spacious back yard ‘Is there ever going to be a time where we don’t get sprung snogging? First McGonagall then Enid I’m starting to think there’s a memo out asking people to keep an eye on us!’

Hannah snorted.
‘Oh come on it’s not that bad’ She said ‘It wasn’t half as embarrassing as being sprung by McGonagall. And we were snogging right in the middle of the foyer. At least McGonagall’s office was hidden from the castle populous’

‘It was still embarrassing’

‘Well lets go somewhere private next time then you big nong!’ Hannah said with a grin.

‘Oy you initiated things girlie it’s all your fault’ Neville said with a grin.

Hannah grabbed Neville’s shirt and pulled him close to her crashing her lips down on his.
‘You’re a whinger’ She said with a grin ‘But I like that’’

‘Oh yeah what else do you like?’ Neville said with a grin and a raised eyebrow.

‘Sex, potions and rock ‘n’ roll’ She said with a great snorting laugh ‘C’mon nosey show me these greenhouses’

Neville took Hannah’s hand and led her down the long path to the first of the greenhouses.

‘This is the propagating greenhouse’ Neville said holding the door open for her ‘In here we plant seeds and grow them in hydroponic potions til they’re ready to go into the seedling greenhouse’

Hannah went into the greenhouse and was greeted by a soft melodic humming sound.

‘Oh you’re growing hummingbird orchids!’ She exclaimed ‘Oh I love those!’

‘We’ve had a bit of trouble trying to grow them in the past but we added Essence of Screechsnap leaves to the potions they’re grown in and now they’re growing like stink. We’re supplying the various magical florist shops in northern England with the mature plants apparently they’re popular in bride’s bouquets’

‘So is this what you were going to do once you left Hogwarts had you not been invited to train as an Auror?’ Hannah asked ‘Work alongside your great Uncle?’

‘Yeah that was the plan’ Neville said ‘I might still in some capacity you never know what the future holds’

Hannah bent over a slightly more mature Hummingbird Orchid and tickled it under it’s tiny petals then giggled as it squirmed and trilled a high note.

‘You could open up your own chain of Herbology shops’ She suggested wandering down one aisle ‘Not just a florists. You could sell various magic plants then dispense bits and pieces of advice for people with their own gardens’

Neville looked amazed.
‘How did you know? He said incredulously ‘How did you know that? That’s exactly what I had thought of doing with my future! Are you a seer?’

Hannah giggled.
‘Nah I’m just intuitive’ She said with a smile ‘And anyway seers are really rare’

Neville took Hannah through the first three greenhouses giving detailed explanations of their contents he then walked her to the fourth greenhouse.

‘This is the greenhouse we house all the dangerous plants in’ He said ‘Algie’s just done the mandrake re-potting so we won’t need earmuffs but you still have to be careful the Fanged Geraniums are adolescent and bite like mosquitoes’

‘Lovely I like the dangerous plants’ Hannah said eagerly walking through the door Neville held open for her ‘Any Venomous Tentaculas?’

‘Oh yeah loads of those’ Neville said ‘They’re the biggest part of Algie’s business exporting dangerous plans. He had to get a special licence from the Ministry to be able to do it. The only other person I know who has such a licence is Professor Sprout’

Hannah jumped back as a wiry vine like plant identified as a ‘Venomous Tentacula’ by its label lunged forward and snapped at her with a loud growl.
‘Oh behave yourself’ She muttered walking past the plant and investigating the others.

‘Algie calls that one Grumpy Guts’ Neville said as he and Hannah walked past a row of ‘Spitting Ivy’ ‘Actually he gives pet names to a lot of his plants’

‘Is that something you’d do’ Hannah asked with a giggle.

‘Yeah maybe’ Neville said his cheeks turning pink ‘I can’t say it’s something I’ve done yet but I’ve never had reason to before’

‘If you were to name something after me what would it be?’ Hannah asked scooting close to Neville her lips inches away from his.

‘Aww maybe a Hummingbird Orchid seeing as you like them so much’ Neville said ‘Or some of Gran’s Gerberas. Or maybe I’d cross them both and create a hybrid calling it a Hannah Orchid. That sounds pretty, like you really’

Hannah blushed furiously.
‘You think I’m pretty?’ She said softly.

‘Of course I do’ Neville replied tucking a stray bang of hair behind her ear ‘Like a sunrise or a new daisy or even...’

But Neville’s words died in his throat as he and Hannah’s eyes met. He took a deep fortifying breath as he stepped close to her. Never before in his seventeen years had he been so aware of his physical feelings. He could hear the rapidly increasing pounding of Hannah's pulse as he placed his hand on her thumping heart, she whimpered slightly as Neville looked into her eyes. The Greenhouse suddenly felt too warm, she could feel tiny beads of sweat gathering at the base of her spine. She was nervous, but she didn’t know why. It wasn’t like they hadn’t kissed before, but this felt like it could lead to more.

She exhaled softly, but desperately craving the air that she inhaled, she felt like he was looking into her soul. She could see the awareness written in his eyes, he knew what she was feeling because he felt it too. His thumb came down and rubbed across the bridge of her knuckles and he brought her hand up and kissed each one individually, before kissing the top of her hand.

He felt like a pen of Cornish pixies had been set free inside his stomach, as he looked at her. He had never felt like this about anyone in his entire life, he had never met anyone as soft as Hannah. He was nervous that was for sure, but he wasn’t nervous in a bad way, it was that sort of nervous excitement he got before watching a Gryffindor VS Slytherin quidditch match, or when Professor Sprout had a new plant to show him after a hard day. His fingers felt like they were jazzed with muggle elektrinity or whatever Hermione called it. But one thing was for sure. He wanted to kiss her. He needed to kiss her, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Neville encircled Hannah’s waist with one arm and drew her close him then wordlessly he lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Hannah let her eyes flutter shut and leaned on him her body fitting his like two pieces of jigsaw. Their kiss deepened and only lack of oxygen brought them apart.

‘My god that was hot!’ Hannah murmured her stomach cart wheeling in a manner worthy of a muggle gymnast ‘Where did you learn to kiss like that?’

‘Nowhere really’ Neville said ‘I just followed my instincts’

‘Well you can follow you instincts any time you like’ Hannah whispered in his ear her breath tickling the nerves up and down Neville’s neck.

‘Like now?’ Neville murmured his lips so close together he could see the light scattering of freckles that covered the bridge of her nose.

‘Uh huh’

Their lips touched again and soon the pair were lost in each other reveling in each others touch, smell and senses. Neville slid his hands down Hannah’s hips and let them come to rest on her ample (But not fat) backside. He then picked her up and carried her over to a nearby empty workbench where he put her down and kissed her hard and long not missing a beat.

After a full minute Hannah broke their kiss and pressed a finger to his lips.
‘Wait a minute’ She whispered kissing his ear.

‘Now what are you going to do?’ Neville murmured huskily.

Hannah didn’t say a word as she trailed a line down Neville’s neck along the line of his collarbone and back up to his ear where she started giving him a hickie.

Neville wasn’t stupid and knew exactly what she was doing.
‘That’s going to show you know’ He said squeezing her hips.

‘Nothing a simple Concealment Charm won’t fix’ Hannah replied.

‘I’m starting to think you planned this’ Neville joked as a thrill of excitement raced up and down his spine.

‘Remember I’m a Hufflepuff not a Slytherin planning something this crafty would be a Slytherin thing’ Hannah giggled dropping a kiss on his lips.

‘Maybe you’re on the cusp of Slytherin’ Neville joked.

‘Ha ha’ Hannah replied rolling her eyes ‘Nah probably Ravenclaw I’m to much of a bookworm to be on the cusp of Slytherin’

A moment later while Neville and Hannah were engaged in another heated kiss they were interrupted by a loud ringing bell coming from the direction of the house.

‘Al that’s the lunch bell’ Neville said as they broke apart ‘Now you have to try one of Enid’s lunches she’s an ace cook’

‘Okay then but I’d rather stay here and snog’ Hannah said with a grin sliding off the workbench with Neville’s help.

‘Next time we’ll go to greenhouse three nothing in there will bite’ Neville said with a grin lacing his fingers through hers ‘Or there’s a pond at the end of the path we could sit on the grass there’

‘You’ll have to give me a tour of the entire grounds’ Hannah said as they left the greenhouse.

‘I’ll do that, how abut after our Patronus tutoring session?’ Neville suggested ‘We’ll be finished mid afternoon and will have loads of time ‘When’s your Dad expecting you home?’

‘I didn’t give him a time but I said I would owl or floo call him if I was going to be late’ Hannah replied ‘He’s helping the Ministry in banishing these rouge dementors you know? Louise, Jake and Zac are staying with Mum’s parents in Dorset while he’s off on his mission. He didn’t want to leave us but Louie threatened to hex him if he didn’t go and to quote her ‘Sod the statute for underage wizardry’

Neville laughed.
‘You Abbott girls seem a determined lot’ He said with a grin.

‘Oh we are’ Hannah said ‘All the Abbotts are I think it’s something we got from Mum’

‘You miss her don’t you?’

‘Like crazy’ Hannah said ‘But the D.A getting together again and doing their bit to clean up society gives me heart that she didn’t die in vain. I think that’s why Dad has volunteered for the Dementor mission he wants to do something that proves Mum didn’t die in vain. I think it’s the same for Susan with her Aunt Amelia she was tortured by Death Eaters before they killed her you know’

Hannah’s breath caught in her throat and Neville stopped in his tracks enveloping her in a hug.
‘Believe me I know what it’s like to have someone taken from your life because of Voldemort and his cronies but I don’t dwell on it because it doesn’t help to move on. I’m not telling you not to be sad but put all your energy into supporting your family and doing what you can to help things move forward. I am and feel better for it’

Hannah conjured a hanky from thin air and blew her nose. She then stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips.
‘Thanks for making me feel better’ She said sniffing loudly ‘But sometimes it’s just so hard you know?’

‘Yeah I know believe me I know. I thought that all this year when we were holed up in the Room of Requirement. There were times I wondered if it were worth it’

‘Trust me it was’ Hannah said ‘You’re a wonderful teacher Neville I think if you taught tic tac toe you’d be successful at it’

‘I’ll keep that in mind when I submit my idea for Tic Tac Toe to be classified as a sport to the Department for Magical Games and Sport’ Neville said with a snort ‘But I think it would be slightly less exciting than Hippogriff Polo’

Hannah rolled her eyes.
‘Oh ha ha smart alec’ She said ‘C’mon lets get to lunch I’m starving’

Hannah and Neville walked back up to the path to the back porch where a table had been set and Enid, Augusta and Algie were waiting for them.

‘So did you two do the grand tour of the greenhouses then? Enid asked them.

‘Oh yes all four’ Hannah said enthusiastically ‘I love the Hummingbird Orchid seedlings they’re so dear!’

‘They make a great vase display’

‘I suppose this is the lovely Hannah you’ve been banging on about?’ Algie said in amusement to Neville.

‘Algernon behave yourself!’ Augusta and Enid chorused.

‘Yeah Algie this is the lovely Hannah I’ve been banging on about’ Neville said his race going bright red ‘Hannah this is my Great Uncle Algie. The person responsible for the greenhouses we were just looking at’

‘Lovely to meet you dear welcome to our home’ Algie said grasping Hannah’s hand and kissing the back of it. So you like the Hummingbird Orchids huh? I’ll send you home with one. Neville told me you’re partial to Herbology’

‘Oh yes sir I am. I thought of doing something in the field prior to getting this apprenticeship offer from my father and uncle but now I think I’ll just enjoy having my own patch of greenery’

‘Oh yes what is this apprenticeship for?’

‘Jewellery manufacturing. Both my father and uncle are jewelers and ever since I was small I’ve loved what they do and in the school holidays I’ve worked in their Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade shops earning a few Galleons. Just before the beginning of this school year they offered me an apprenticeship. So I’m going to make a go of making jewellery for a living’

‘So it’s a family business then’

‘Oh yes Dad and Robert decided to buck the trend of entering the Ministry upon graduating from Hogwarts and backpacked around America where they learnt their trade. They then came back here and started up the shop in Diagon Alley before opening up the shop in Hogsmeade in the Summer of my third year. My father made my Mum’s engagement ring and my Uncle Robert did the same for his wife my Aunty Jas’

‘Lovely’

Neville and Hannah spent a leisurely hour and a half having lunch on the porch then excused themselves to go upstairs to get ready for the arrival of their ‘students’

‘I really like your family Neville’ Hannah said as they walked along the first landing ‘Algie is a scream. I’ve not laughed so much in ages’

‘Yeah Algie is hilarious you should see him when he’s had one too many firewhiskeys. He went streaking through the house at a family Christmas function once a few years ago’

Hannah let out a great snorting laugh.
‘Ha ha ha! Not a tradition you’ll continue on with then?’

‘Hell no, no way in the world. Not if you paid me a million galleons. That saying I wouldn’t do it sober. I can’t guarantee anything if I were as drunk as Algie was that year’

‘Have you ever been that drunk?’ Hannah asked with a grin shrinking the huge Chesterfield lounge that was situated in front of the fireplace and levitating it to the other side of the room to rest on an empty bookshelf.

‘No way, the closest I’ve come was the hours following the battle. If it weren’t for Slughorn’s Hangover Draught I think it entirely possible I could’ve gone racing nude through the Halls of Hogwarts’

Hannah let out another great snorting laugh.
‘If it ever happens that you are Patronus me so I can arrive with a camera or one of those muggle video cameras Mr Weasley was going on about’ She said.

‘I think if I get to that point I’ll be incapable of producing a levitation charm let alone a Patronus’ Neville said dryly ‘Look at Seamus during the post battle celebrations. He tried to produce a Patronus half cut and gave Dean walrus tusks’

Hannah sniggered.
‘I just remember that’ She said ‘And didn’t McGonagall have to undo the spell?’

‘Yeah all the time while Seamus had his arm around her slurring ‘I love you p’fesser!’

Hannah laughed then leaned against the nearest bookshelf her laughter quickly dying away.
‘It’s amazing it’s all over innit?’ She said pensively ‘Not the whole world being full of Dark Magic thing but the immediate threat of the Dark Lord. I mean my whole life he was an ever present threat and now he isn’t’

‘Yeah I’ve thought about it every night before going to sleep since the final showdown’ Neville said ‘Imagine how Harry feels. He was the one most closely connected to the Dark Lord and now he doesn’t have that connection. Now I know he’s glad to be free of the burden but to have that gap in your life however bad the filler was must be hard to handle’

‘Yeah he seems to be handling it okay though’

‘Yeah he seems to be’ Neville said ‘But I’m not so sure. I can’t put my finger on it but I think to a certain extent he’s putting up a front’

‘Have you said anything to him? I mean he is your best mate’

‘Nah I haven’t I mean how do you bring something up like that? Oh gee Harry I was talking to Hannah the other day and I think you need to see a shrink. He would hex my balls off’

‘Well you don’t need to put it quite like that’ Hannah said dryly ‘You’re a very subtle person I’m sure you could put it in a way that sounds like you don’t think he’s going around the twist’

‘I don’t think he’s going around the twist…well not yet anyway’

‘But if you don’t say anything he could and you’ll feel rotten if he suffers from it’

‘True I’ll have a word to him on the weekend. He and the others are coming back here to spend the weekend at the Manor’

‘Sounds like the perfect opportunity’

A few minutes later the library fireplace burst into green flame and the first ‘Student’ a young man in his late twenties arrived.

‘Hello hello!’ He said brightly striding over to Neville ‘Neville and Hannah?’

‘Yeah hi mate you are?’ Neville said shaking the man’s hand.

‘Matt Havers and old Gryffindorian’

Neville grinned.
‘Great nice to meet you you’re the first to arrive’

‘Lovely jubbly how many are coming today?’

‘Another nineteen after you the minute the last one gets here we’ll start it’s important we get as many Patronus producers out there as possible’

‘Well I’ve been practicing on my own since I received you owl. I don’t know if I’ve improved any. Transfiguration was my strength at school not charms’

‘Well that’s what Hannah and I are her to help you with’ Neville said ‘It’s out job to help you perfect your Patronus…what form does it take?’

‘A Wedge Tailed Eagle. That’s the form it took back in seventh year when I first tried to produce a Patronus but since then when I’ve tried to produce it it’s been a barely discernable form’

‘Well by the end of the session we’ll get it to take a form. And by the end of the week we’ll have you out on missions banishing dementors’ Neville said

‘You really think so?’

‘Of course’

‘It’s all about confidence’ Hannah said as the fireplace once again burst into flame ‘If you have the confidence in yourself you can do anything...including non verbal magic’ She added with a grin at Neville.

‘Ha ha’ He replied dryly.

Within fifteen minutes all the expected students had arrived and were standing in two rows of ten parallel to each other.

‘Okay everyone I don’t plan on boring you with useless talk but you al know why we’re here’ Neville began pushing up his sleeves and drawing his wand ‘It is the aim of the new Ministry to banish all the thousands of rogue Dementors out there and part of that aim it needs for as many witches and wizards capable of producing a Patronus to go out in society and do the banishing. So it is the responsibility of people like Hannah and I to teach those of you not able to produce a corporeal Patronus or not confident of producing one to in fact produce one good enough to banish a Dementor’

‘Now Neville and I don’t want to sound pompous but we are confident that we as your tutors can teach you well enough so by the end of the week you will be able to go out in the field and banish dementors on your own’ Hannah said ‘We’ve been able to cast corporeal Patronuses since we were fifteen and out teacher has been able to cast his since he was thirteen...’

‘Thirteen? A woman who had earlier identified herself as Janey exclaimed ‘Hells bells I’m thirty five and haven’t tried to cast one since seventh year! We didn’t even learn the theory of casting a Patronus Charm til sixth! What is happening in the Charms curriculum at Hogwarts these days?’

‘We didn’t learn it in Charms’ Neville said ‘We learnt it in Defence Against The Dark Arts in shall we say extra curricular activity. Everyone that was in that group could cast a good solid corporeal Patronus inside a week and with a little bit of hard work on the part of you guys this group will be the same’

‘Gee I hope so’ One man who didn’t look much older than Neville ‘There was a Dementor near my house two days ago and my Patronus did squat. I resorted to apparating off’

‘Did you manage to produce anything? Hannah asked in interest ‘Because even a shield Patronus can hold off a Dementor’

‘I can’t really remember. I remember some white stuff but then I sodded off I wasn’t going to hang about’

‘It sounds like it did enough to allow you to apparate away’ Hannah said with a grin ‘It must’ve been effective to some point because apparating does take some magical energy and that is what a Dementor drains. Sounds like you did a great job’

‘Er ta well I’m here to learn how to produce a fully fledged one’

‘And that we’ll get you to do’

‘Okay let’s get started’ Neville said ‘The root for creating a corporeal Patronus are happy thoughts. It is essential for you to have a clear happy thought before you even think of speaking the incantation. Your first task is to think of that thought and focus on it. Run it over and over in your mind. Close your eyes if need be’

All twenty of Hannah and Neville’s students closed their eyes to think of their thought and Neville took the opportunity to squeeze Hannah’s hand and flash her a wink.

‘Okay now the incantation is ‘Expecto Patronum’ Hannah said ‘Now without drawing your wands annunciate it’


‘EX-PEC-TO PAT-RO-NUM!

‘Again with a little more feeling and focus on your happy thought this time lose yourself in it’ Hannah said prowling up and down the row of students like a tiger at a zoo ‘Let that thought fill you up’

‘There may be a time where you’ll need to produce a Patronus instantly where you won’t have the time to let your thought fill you up so of you practice the process you’ll be able to produce one without thinking about it’ Neville said ‘If you’re good at producing a Patronus your good thought will instantly fill you up when you need to produce a Patronus get it?’

A rumbling of agreement ran though those gathered.

‘Okay time for wands!’ Hannah announced ‘There’s no specific wand movement to cast the Patronus Charm so technically you can do whatever wand movement you like. Just keep in mind when confronted with a Dementor out in the field you don’t want to waste time with a fancy pants wand movement. I just go with the flick out of the holster movement grab and cast your spell. Of course you can tailor this to wherever you keep your wand’

For the next few minutes the air was filled with loud cries of ‘Expecto Patronum!’ as the students worked on the Patronus Charm. Neville and Hannah worked the room working with each student and within twenty minutes the library air was thick with a magical ‘Fog’ as the shield Patronuses lingered.

‘Brilliant stuff guys great work’ Neville said striding over to the library’s main window and flinging it open to allow the Patronus fog to escape ‘Did anyone’s Patronus take shape? I reckon I saw something that looked like a badger’

‘I think that was mine’ A short thin witch said softly raising her hand ‘How ironic is it for an ex Hufflepuff alumni to have a Badger Patronus?’

‘Hey at least it’s not weird’ Another witch replied ‘Mine’s a mouse! I can’t imagine it charging down a Dementor I mean they’re huge for pete’s sake!’

‘Size doesn’t matter’ Hannah said ‘If your happy memory is strong enough your Patronus whether it be a mouse or an elephant will banish a dementor. Just wait and see when you’re out on the field. I guarantee it’

‘So when does size matter?’ Janey said with a great snorting laugh.

‘It ALWAYS matters’ Matt joked puffing himself up with typical Gryffindor confidence ‘Nowhere does it never matter’

‘Yeah I’ll go along with that’ Archie a former Slytherin said joining in the joke ‘It’s Slytherin House’s motto you know’

‘Oh brother’ Louise another Gryffindor who proudly wore a Gryffindor Crest tattoo on her upper right arm muttered ‘I heard it’s Wank On Wank off’

Neville and Hannah couldn’t help themselves and burst into hysterical laughter as the other students joined in on the good natured ribbing.

*******************************************************************

‘Okay ladies and gents that’s it for the day we’ll meet back here at one tomorrow afternoon’ Neville said an hour later ‘You all did really well. Go home and practice when you can but don’t overdo it you’ll need your energy for tomorrow’

‘No worries Neville today was fun I learned loads’ Matt said shaking Neville’s hand enthusiastically ‘I’m a little bit more confident about going out on the field now’

‘Well that’s what Hannah and I aimed to do, see you tomorrow yeah?’

‘Yeah no worries’

All the students left by floo and that left Hannah and Neville alone to re-organize the library’s furniture.

‘That was loads of fun’ Hannah said resizing the lounge with a poke from her wand ‘I can see now why people like Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick have been in teaching for so long. It’s great to have someone learn a skill’

‘Thinking of getting into teaching then?’

‘Nah I don’t think I have the patience for it, I reckon you do though’

‘You have patience in spades’ Neville said in amazement ‘How can you say you don’t? You’re getting into jewellery making that would have to be one of the most fiddly jobs out there. You’d need patience and then some to deal with the tiny bits of jewellery putting them in the right place’

‘I suppose so’ Hannah mused ‘But maybe it’s a different type of patience to what is required for teaching I mean in jewellery manufacturing you don’t need to deal directly with people in teaching that’s 99.9% of the job. Sometimes I have no tolerance for stupid people or questions and you’d run into that all the time as a teacher’

‘If I asked you a stupid question would you get snarky with me?’ Neville asked her with a goofy grin.

‘Depends on the stupidity’ Hannah said with a grin leaning over the couch and kissing him on the cheek ‘You might be the only person I could stand stupid questions from’

‘Great I’ll start thinking up some stupid questions then’ Neville said with a laugh.

‘Prat’

*******************************************************************

After tidying up the library then having afternoon tea with Algie, Enid and Augusta Neville and Hannah returned to Hogwarts to find what was left of the Entrance Hall obscured by backhoes and bulldozers the clearing up process in full swing.

‘Gee that was quick’ Hannah said in surprise as one of the bulldozers dumped a bucket full of debris into an obviously magically enlarged bin ‘I didn’t think the heavy artillery was going to come in til the weekend!’

‘I reckon it’s part of the effort to rebuild the school before the new term starts’ Neville said ‘Work has to start happening now or there’ll be nothing for the students to return to’

‘It’ll be a miracle if it is ready by then’ Hannah said as they headed toward the side entrance by the greenhouses.

‘I know but the Ministry’s getting all the specialists in an effort to get things done’ Neville said ‘If as many people as possible are in on the re-building project it will be done. What’s the worst that could happen? The new term starts a bit late’

‘What do you reckon the likelihood of any students coming back here are?’ Hannah wondered as they entered the castle and began ascending the nearest case of stairs ‘So much devastation happened here and no one that stayed behind to fight escaped injury free. Seamus got severe concussion, Lavender broke her ankle, Ernie, Justin and Susan either broke or sprained something and all three looked like triplet pandas with the black eyes they got. Luna broke her nose, Hermione busted her knee Ron broke his nose and Harry looks like shit, I mean he copped an Avada Kedavra curse! And it burnt a hole in his shirt! That scar will be with him forever. Even you got that horrendous laceration across your shoulder. Parents aren’t going to want to send their kids back when the people left from the light side copped such severe injuries’

‘Yeah but with Voldemort gone the risk of being a victim of a grisly homicide has gone’ Neville said ‘If I had kids I would send them back. Nothing is achieved from running away all the time. And not sending one’s kids back to Hogwarts is akin to running, running from a fear that is now baseless’

‘You’re right’ Hannah said ‘And Hermione is returning. When word gets out that one of the Golden Trio is returning it is possible some students will come back. But I think it more likely that they’ll go to foreign schools’

‘What about the rest of your family?’ Neville asked ‘Will your Dad send your brothers and sister back here?’

‘I don’t know I haven’t talked to him about that’ Hannah replied ‘I would think so. I mean he sent us back here after Death Eaters got Mum and if that didn’t stop him nothing would. My Dad isn’t a limp wristed nancy boy he’s got the bollocks of a Hippogriff he won’t let the memory of a homicidal megalomaniac affect the Abbott family any more than it already has’

‘He sounds like a Gryffindor’ Neville said with a laugh.

‘He was he’s the only Abbott ever to be in a house other than Hufflepuff all his brothers and sisters were in the house of Puff and in his first year he was sorted into the house of Gryff’

‘That sounds so gangster rapper’ Neville said with a snort ‘Where’s your bling?’

‘I can’t believe I heard the word bling pass your lips!’ Hannah exclaimed ‘That is so...so..’

‘So what?’

‘So..so..so not you!’ Hannah finished rather lamely ‘You barely swear let alone say words like 'Bling’

‘So if I said ‘Yo homie wot up babe’ you’d birth a Hippogriff?’ Neville said with a great snorting laugh.

Hannah playfully slapped his arm and Neville fell back against the banister theatrically feigning great injury.
‘Ow you’re hurting me!’ He declared.

‘Neville Longbottom you are so full of shit it’s seeping out of you pores!’ Hannah exclaimed trying and failing miserably to suppress a fit of hysterical giggles ‘Yo homie wot up babe? Oh puh-leeeze even gangster rappers don’t say that’

‘Please Miss please stop hurting me!’ Neville said in a small voice but a wide grin.

‘It’s not worth burning the calories to hit you again’ Hannah said with a grin ‘You ought to join the wizarding theatrical company that performance was worth worthy of a wizarding Oscar and quite possibly a muggle one too’

Neville sniggered.
‘Aww I dunno given a bit of effort I could improve’ He said with a grin worthy of a Cheshire cat ‘Should I try?’

‘No then you’d just be a try hard’ Hannah with a giggle grasping his hand ‘And that’s decidedly unsexy’

‘And what is sexy?’ Neville said softly stopping in his tracks and dropping a kiss on her lips.

‘Oh loads muscle bound quidditch players with strategically placed quaffles and mahooooosive wands’ Hannah said with another great snorting laugh.

‘Oh ha ha’ Neville said dryly ‘I meant in me’

‘Well in you I’d definitely have to say your sense of humor’ Hannah said with a smile that made Neville feel gooey inside ‘And your listening abilities. You listen to what someone has to say and don’t interrupt them. You’re caring, brave, loyal and fair. And best of all you’re you. You’re not pretentious. You’re a good and true friend, You don’t pretend to be anything you’re not. You don’t give a rats arse about what someone has you care about who they are. And you’re a sensational kisser’

‘Oh and the last one’s the most important’ Neville joked edging closer to Hannah and tucking a stray whisp of hair behind her ear.

‘Neville do you know where we are?’ Hannah said ‘We’re in the staircase hall at Hogwarts. Literally the middle of the school. Anyone could catch us’

‘Sod them’ Neville whispered brushing a barely there kiss against her lips.

Hannah was hesitant at first but then relaxed and melted into Neville’s embrace they shared several hot kisses barely noticing when the staircase they were on moved half a dozen times before they came apart their cheeks flushed.

‘C’mon we better get back to the Gryffindor Common Room and give Harry our session report’ Neville said ‘As much as I would like to stay in the middle of the staircase Hall and snog for the rest of the night’

‘We’ll do that some other time I’ll make sure of it’ Hannah said with a girly giggle.

Hannah and Neville eventually made it up to the seventh floor and entered the Gryffindor common room where a spirited game of Twister the muggle party game was in progress. Despite having suffered serious injuries Seamus was on the mat his bum in the air and his arms and legs crossed. While Harry was underneath him bent over backwards like an upside down crab. Lavender was in charge of the wheel and with enthusiasm spun it.

‘RIGHT FOOT ON BLUE!’ She shrieked bursting into laughter.

Seamus went to move his right foot but slipped wobbled and fell on top of Harry with a grunt.

‘OW!’ Harry bellowed ‘Bloody hell Finnigan you weigh a ton!’

‘Harry wins!” Hermione declared ‘Neville have a go?’

‘No way’ Neville said as Harry and Seamus disentangled themselves from each other ‘I’m not that flexible’

‘You don’t have to be’ Hermione said ‘If you play sensibly you don’t have to end up like these two numnuts’

‘Oy I resent that!’ Seamus declared theatrically ‘My nuts are not numb!’

‘Anyone care to verify that?’ Dean said to no one in particular.

‘Lavender?’ Came the collective reply.

‘Oh sod off’ Lavender muttered her face glowing like a light bulb ‘Neville I don’t care what you say you and Hannah are up next, Harry as the winner of this round you’re the wheel spinner ‘Four to a game Ron, Hermione you’re the other pairing’

‘Okay I’m keen’ Hannah said keenly taking off her cloak and tossing it onto the nearest chair ‘I don’t know what the name or point of this game is but I’m keen’

‘The name of the game is Twister’ Hermione said ‘It’s a muggle game. The idea is to get at least three people two on the mat and one wheel spinner. A body part and colour will come up such as right hand on red or left foot on green. The players on the mat have to put the body part on the colour without falling over. When a player falls over they’re eliminated. The last person left standing as it were is the winner and therefore becomes the wheel spinner in the next game...got it?’

‘Yeah seems pretty simple’

Harry took Lavender’s spot on a patched and worn pouffe and placed the wheel on his lap. Neville tossed his cloak on top of Hannah’s and pushed up his sleeves.

‘Okay ladies and gents get ready!’ Harry declared ‘Finnigan where’s the firewhiskey?’

‘Leave it to me’

Seamus left the common room and with a flourish Harry flicked he needle of the wheel.

‘Left hand on blue!’

Neville stepped onto the dotted mat and bent down putting his left hand on blue.

‘Are we allowed to use our wands?’ He asked no one in particular.

‘No that’s an automatic disqualification’ Harry said with a grin ‘He who uses a wand has to do a dare’

‘Since when?’ Hermione yelped ‘Harry that is not a Twister rule!’

‘It is now’ Harry said with a grin ‘You scared Granger?’

‘As if, I’m not afraid of anything’

‘Not smart Hermione he’ll get you to do something dodgy now’ Dean said with a grin.

‘Yeah might get you to streak through the Slytherin common room’ Harry said with a great snort.

‘You’re assuming I’m going to use my wand’ Hermione said ‘And Harry you shouldn’t dare anyone to do anything you’re not prepared to do yourself’

Neville laughed so hard he almost fell over.
‘He’s got you there mate’ He said.

‘What would be the point of streaking through the Slytherin common room?’ Pavarti said ‘There’s like four Slytherin’s here. You’d be better off streaking through the staff room. At least all the teachers are here’

‘I will personally take anyone who has the balls to do it on a pub crawl through Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley and Muggle London’ Harry said.

‘What if more than one of us does it?’ Pavarti who had the air of someone readying for a fight said.

‘As I said I’ll take anyone who does it’ Harry said ‘Especially if it’s one of us who normally wouldn’t do such a thing’

‘Neville?’ Everyone chorused looking at Neville.

‘No way in the world!’ Neville exclaimed ‘You’re mentally ill!’

‘Who’s mentally ill?’ Seamus asked arriving back in the common room with a box containing bottles of Firewhiskey.

‘Everyone but me’ Neville said ‘They all want me to go and streak through the staffroom’

Seamus snorted in laughter.
‘Why don’t you?’ He said ‘Give ol’ McGonagall a bit of a thrill’

‘You give her a thrill you big git’ Neville shot back as Hannah snorted loudly.

‘Get me drunk enough and I’ll flash anyone’

‘Left hand on red!’ Harry announced.

‘Hey I overheard McGonagall say there’s going to be an end of war celebration ball in the Great Hall once everything’s cleaned up you could do your flashing act there’ Ron said to Neville.

‘Oy excuse me I do not have a flashing act and even if I did I wouldn’t do it at something like that!’ Neville announced as everyone else sniggered ‘Didn’t you hear Seamus? Get him drunk enough and he’ll flash anyone. Seamus Patrick Finnigan not Neville Frank Longbottom’

‘I’m going to brew some Polyjuice potion and transform into you and then do it’ Seamus said with a cheeky grin.

‘Merlins balls you will’ Neville exclaimed.

‘Hello? Game of Twister in progress here!’ Harry announced waving his hands in front of them ‘Right foot on green’

Hermione was the first to be eliminated from the game when she fell on her bum a few minutes later after unsuccessfully trying to put her left hand and right foot on the same green spot.

‘Nuts!’ She exclaimed ‘This is no fun anymore’

‘That’s because you’re not winning dear’ Ron teased.

‘If you weren’t bent over with your pompous arse in the air I would hex you’ Hermione shot back half heartedly.

‘Oh get a ROOM!’ Everyone chorused

‘Okay I will!’ Ron announced stepping off the Twister mat and seizing Hermione in a fireman’s lift ‘C’mon ‘Mione!’

Everyone fell about laughing as Hermione uttering profanities no one in the room thought they’d ever hear pass her lips allowed herself to be carried from the floor up into the boy’s dormitories.

‘REMEMBER YOUR SILENCING CHARM!’ Seamus bellowed after them.

*******************************************************************

After all the hilarity had died down and Ron and Hermione had emerged from the dormitories (Looking happy and flushed) Neville and Hannah gathered with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the corner of the room to discuss the first Patronus tutoring sessions.

‘So how did yours go?’ Hermione asked Neville in great interest.

‘Pretty good actually’ Neville said ‘All the students managed to get their Patronus to take some form by the end of the hour and I reckon all of them can be out on the field by the end of the week’

‘Great then you can take on another group’ Hermione said enthusiastically ‘There’s a waiting list now’

‘Really?’ Hannah asked in surprise.

‘Yeah there’s two hundred current and ex ministry workers conducting the sessions now, plus all of us from the D.A’

‘So how did your session go?’ Neville asked Harry ‘Did you get any groupies?’

‘No surprisingly, see Hermione didn’t say who was going to take the session when she sent out the owls so no one knew who their instructor was until they arrived. I reckon it might be common knowledge to those outside the castle walls now though’

‘Well Professor McGonagall isn’t letting any of the press in so you should be safe from any of the nuts from the local and foreign media’ Hannah said.

‘I hope so’

‘Has anyone in the D.A been asked to go out on one of the Dementor banishing missions yet?’ Neville asked after several minutes of companionable silence.

‘Not yet but I reckon soon we might be asked to’ Ron said ‘There have been reports of Dementors coming closer and closer to muggle and wizarding populations and I know that’s worrying Kingsley a bit, he’s got enough to worry about getting society back to normal’

‘It’s like now they’re not under anyone’s command they’re running rampant and it’s only because of the general vigilance of the Wizarding communities that there have been no attacks’ Hermione said ‘That’s my theory anyway’

‘Maybe at the end of this week of tutoring we ought to volunteer to go out and help’ Neville said ‘One of Hannah and my’s students lives by the coast in Dover and he says they seem to be populating there’

‘Well it’s up to you wether you go out or not’ Hermione replied ‘Don’t overexert yourself though’

‘Nah I won’t I’ve done a lot of that in the last few days’

*******************************************************************

‘Neville, Neville get up!’ Came an urgent voice hours later shaking Neville from his deep slumber.

‘G’way’ Neville mumbled snuggling into his pillow.

‘Neville dammit get up!’ Ron’s voice said more loudly.

Neville consented to turning over just as a searing stinging pain of a hex shot through his leg and the bright light of the dorm poked him hard in the eyes.
‘Ahhhhh!’ He exclaimed clutching his leg where he’d been hexed and shading his eyes ‘What the hell was that for?’

‘We’re needed down in Bristol’ Ron said ripping off his pajamas and pulling on a pair of underpants.

‘What for?’ Neville asked following Ron’s lead and hurriedly getting dressed.

‘A riot Kingsley reckons it’s a residual Death Eater thing, the thing is the Aurors are held up with another one in Doncaster. Sounds like it’s a planned thing. Retribution maybe’

‘So it’s just us going?’

‘No Hermione is coming along too’

‘So four of us has to quell a riot?’ Neville yelped pulling on his trousers.

‘To start with but Kingsley did say if we got into a spot of trouble we could call on the D.A’ Harry said hurriedly lacing up his shoes.

‘Oh this is brilliant’ Neville said sarcastically pulling on a shirt ‘How are we getting there, portkey?’

‘It’s the quickest way’ Harry said from the other side of the dormitory where he was pulling on a jumper ‘Hermione is just getting ready’

‘How have you two not woken Dean and Seamus up?’ Neville hissed pulling on his jacket and sitting back down on the bed and summoning his sneakers ‘Your noise would’ve carried to the first year dorms six levels down’

‘Muffliato’ Ron explained.

‘Muff-‘

‘No time to explain’ Harry said zipping up his jacket ‘What the hell are we going to use for a fucking portkey?’

‘Here’ Neville said levitating a coathanger over to him.

‘Ta...HERMIONE! c’mon hurry up!’

‘Yeah yeah hold yer horses’ Hermione’s voice said drifting up the stairs ‘You lot decent?’

‘No I’ve flopped my cock out’ Ron said dryly.

‘Ronald Weasley you are crass don’t be such a prat’ Hermione scolded marching up the stairs and into the room ‘Hey Neville ready to go?’

‘Yeah I’ll leave the makeup and aftershave for formal occasions’ Neville said tucking the laces of his shoes into the side and charming them to stay there.

Despite the tense atmosphere Harry, Neville, Ron and Hermione sniggered.

‘Okay lets go’ Harry said picking up the coat hanger and retrieving his wand from his bedside table ‘Ready?’

Simultaneously Neville, Hermione and Ron grasped the coat hanger and with a tap from his wand Harry muttered ‘Portus, Lockinge Valley’

Instantly the Portkey activated and with a lurch Neville left the dormitory and flew through nothingness. Just when he thought he was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen the pressure on Neville’s chest released and he arrived in the small village of Lockinge Valley which in no way resembled a valley. Instant ear splitting bangs, crashes and explosions broke the air and when he opened his eyes Neville saw utter devastation in front of him. Tall figures clearly Death Eaters stalked down streets and alleys casting flame throwing charms at all the dwellings both magical and muggle.

‘FUCK!’ Ron bellowed ducking as a ball of fire whizzed over their heads and hit a nearby street sign that used to read ‘Dewdrop Close’.

‘NEVILLE APPARATE TO THE END OF THE ROAD AND DO WHATEVER YOU CAN TO STOP THESE PRATS!’ Hermione bellowed over the screams and sounds of shattering glass ‘GO!’

Without a second thought Neville turned on the spot and apparated to the end of the long road where no damage had yet been done. With the reflexes of someone with years more experience Neville cast protective Charms on the undamaged houses and steeled himself for the oncoming curses. Someone in the group of Death Eaters saw his disapparation and apparition and threw a curse at him Neville ducked and barely missed the curse which hit a hedge and set it on fire.

‘PROTEGO MAXIMA! He screamed ‘STUPEFY!

It quickly became apparent that the riot had been started in a mainly magical area of Bristol when several people emerged from their dwellings holding wands aloft. Neville had not time to ponder this fact however as a curse broke through his shield charm and raced toward him. He leapt out of the way over a small low garden wall just as that curse hit a letter box and caused it to explode with the ferocity of a neutron bomb.

‘Y’alright laddie?’ A short muscular man asked in a broad Scottish brogue running over his wand held aloft.

‘GET DOWN!’ Neville bellowed grabbing the scruff of the mans shirt and pulling down with all the strength he could muster.

The man hit the ground just as the flash of a Killing Curse flew overhead.

‘HOLY SHIT!’ He bellowed.

‘Listen to me you need to get out of here!’ Neville yelled the front of the man’s shirt still in his fist ‘Take your family and get the hell out of here. Go anywhere. Anywhere but Doncaster there’s another riot on there’

‘But-‘

‘No buts just go!’

The man gave Neville a long searching look then with a crack disapparated. A second crack a moment later from within the house indicated he had gone back inside. With the curses still flying overhead Neville took a former grip on his wand and re-entered the fray.

‘Well well well what do we have here?’ A tall thin Death Eater Neville recognized as Antonin Dolohov drawled his wand tip pointing directly at Neville’s heart ‘Neville Longbottom what a surprise to see you here’

Blind terror filled every fibre of Neville’s being and it took all his will to train his wand at the Death Eater’s chest. Antonin Dolohov one of the Death Eaters who was responsible for much of the bloodshed in the Great Hall and was directly responsible for Remus Lupin’s death an incident that Neville had witnessed and still troubled him at night in the minutes before true sleep claimed him.

‘I could say the same thing about you’ Neville said using all his self control to hide his fear ‘Not content to wreak havoc at Hogwarts eh? You had to come here and murder too? Remus Lupin had just become a father!’

‘I have no use for half breeds or their spawn’ Dolohov sneered ‘Lupin was just filth the wizarding world has no need for such parasitic beings. The Dark-’

‘Lord is dead you might’ve have heard’ Neville said with sarcasm that surprised even himself ‘So there’s no point in this rampage is there? You have no leader there’s no one to get approval from there-‘

‘That is irrelevant’ Dolohov sneered ‘The Dark Resistence is here to carry on the Dark Lord’s work to rid the world of muggles blood traitors and mudbloods’

Neville snorted.
‘Thr Dark Resistance?’ Is that what you lot call yourselves now? I don’t know wether to vomit or laugh you lot really must be as stupid as you look’

Dolohov swelled with pure evil malice.
‘How dare you!’ He seethed ‘You stand there you filthy blood traitor..you-’

‘Heads up you worthless piece of shite’ Neville said cutting Dolohov off mid sentence ‘STUPEFY!

Neville cast the stunning spell with all the energy he could muster and with the force of a rifle kickback the flash of light erupted from the end of his wand streaked forward and hit Dolohov before he could finish uttering the Killing Curse. Dolohov fell like he had been hit by a car and within a nanosecond his fellows stepped forward into the fray to get back at Neville who was now fighting six Death Eaters on his own. A heavy sweat had broken out on his forehead and his fingers ached from gripping his wand too hard.

‘PROTEGO MAXIMA!’ Neville screamed.

An invisible force erupted from the end of Neville’s wand like the wind before a thunderstorm and just as quickly he cast a Disilousionment charm on himself.

‘WHERE’D HE GO?’ One of the death eaters bellowed going to walk forward but being impeded by Neville’s shield charm ‘FUCK!’

‘Neville wrenched his D.A Galleon out of his pocket and pressed the tip of his wand to it.

‘Come everyone you’re all needed!’ He hissed urgently feeling the coin grow hot ‘Lockinge Valley Bristol...COME ON!

Neville shoved the coin back into his pocket and with a deep breath re-entered the battle. Right on the off he floored an unidentified Death Eater with a stunning spell. His shield Charm had been cast so strongly none of the standing death eaters could penetrate it. And despite the severity of the situation Neville couldn’t help but inwardly laugh when one death eater hexed herself when a stunning spell that had rebounded off the shield charm and hit her directly over the heart.

A second later there was a crack and Ron apparated beside him.
‘NEVILLE YOU HERE MATE?’ He bellowed as with a great sucking noise the shield charm was broken and once again hexes, jinxes and curses resumed flying their way.

‘Yeah just here!’ Neville grunted leaping out the way of a leg locker curse and sending one of is own forward.

‘Are you wearing Harry’s cloak?....SHIT!’ Ron bellowed as the flash of a killing curse crackled by ‘JELLEXIO!’

‘No...TRIPUDIO!’

Seconds later the air was filled with many short sharp popping noises as various members of Dumbledore’s Army apparated into Dewdrop Close.

‘Did you call them?’ Ron bellowed ducking a flame throwing hex and sending forward a full body bind curse.


PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!’ Neville screamed bringing down his wand much like a beater would to smack a bludger ‘Yeah I did there’s no way we’re going to stop this on our own...PROTEGO MAXIMA’

The strength of Neville’s Shield Charm gave him and Ron the opportunity to cast some more protective charms on the nearby houses before another Killing Curse broke through and hit a nearby plane tree that immediately burst into flame. In unison he and Ron hit the floor and the other D.A members that Neville recognized as Ernie, Luna and Hannah rushed forward to take up the fight.

‘ARE YOU GUYS MENTAL?’ Neville screamed covering his head with his arms as yet another killing curse rushed forward narrowly missing Luna.

‘Yeah but in a good way!” Ernie yelled temporarily stopping one death eater with a particularly vicious stinging hex then flooring him with a stunning spell. With a casual flick of her wand Luna summoned his wand and with a second she conjured ropes out of thin air and bound him from head to food so he had no hope in hell of escaping his predicament.

Despite the fact Neville, Ron, Ernie, Luna and Hannah were fighting with all the strength they could muster it quickly became apparent they were fighting above their weight. Anything that was flammable was on fire and all bore injuries from their fighting efforts.

‘You don’t now how to give up do you?’ Dolohov sneered at Neville lazily throwing a hex at Neville which he easily dodged ‘You’re worth nothing Longbottom none of your kind are...you’re-

But what Neville was, was lost in the bangs and crashes of their surrounds as Hannah ran forward pure unadulterated rage on her face

‘YOU SON OF A BITCH!’ She screamed scrunching her hand into a fist and landing a textbook perfect right hook into Dolohov’s chin ‘You-filthy-stinking-ARSEHOLE!’

Momentarily shocked by her onslaught of physical violence Dolohov stumbled back almost dropping his wand as Hannah punctuated each word with a slap or punch. But he quickly got his bearings grabbed a handful of hair and poked his wand hard into the side of her neck much like a muggle attacker would with a knife. Neville felt his stomach drop and his face must’ve drained of what colour it had left as Dolohov sneered.

‘No what are you going to do now Longbottom?’ He sneered ‘You are powerless...I have your pretty little girlfriend here and you can’t do a thing about it!’

Neville looked into Hannah’s emerald green eyes and her look of terror made him want to vomit right then and there. He had never seen someone look so hopeless even during the battle of Hogwarts and this riot was a children’s tea party compared to that.

‘HOLY SHIT! Ron bellowed just seeing Neville and Hannah’s predicament ‘HARRY!, HERMIONE!....stupefy!

‘Shut it Weasley’ Dolohov sneered deflecting the Hex with a flick from his wand and then just as quickly pressing it back into Hannah’s neck.

The attention of everyone in Dewdrop Close that has come to fight for the good side and the bad was drawn to the current hostage situation; Ernie, Justin, Luna and Ron were standing with Neville their wands drawn in combat. Harry, Hermione, Susan, Terry Boot and Michael Corner were on the other side of the commotion each fighting a Death Eater and could do nothing to help Hannah.

‘Okay now here’s how we’re going to do it’ Dolohov said ‘Each one of you are going to surrender your wands and end this charade...The Dark Lord may not be around anymore but the Dark Resistance will carry out his work of weeding out all mudbloods and blood traitors. Proper wizarding society doesn’t need the likes of you in it...’

‘I could say the same abut you’ Luna said with out of character sarcasm ‘You bas-‘

‘Luna!’ Neville said shaking his head slightly but keeping his eyes on Hannah who was making Dolohov’s job of keeping her upright most difficult by leaning on him ‘Not now’

‘Yes sweetie shut your mouth’ Dolohov spat ‘We should’ve been done with you when we had the chance’

‘Bit slow on the uptake are you?’ Neville said with indifference that seemed to infuriate Dolohov even more ‘Oh no hang on all you Death Eaters are’

‘You’ve gone to far!’ Dolohov raising his wand from Hannah’s neck ‘Avada Ked-‘

Hannah took the split second opportunity Dolohov’s attention wasn’t focused on her and brought the heel of her left foot upwards and into his testicles with a well aimed kick. He bent over in agony which gave Ron the opportunity to disarm with a yelled ‘EXPELLIARMUS!. Neville grabbed his wand threw it up in the air and screamed ‘BOMBARDA!. The short wand disintegrated with an ear splitting bang and then the battle as back on in earnest. Now wandless and unable to defend himself or disapparate Dolohov scarpered in the hope of getting away.

Neville ran after him and bellowed ‘TRIPUDIO!. Dolohov yelped as he was brought down with the simple tripping jinx and snapped into the foetal position his arms over his head.

‘Don’t kill me!’ He pleaded not looking Neville in the eyes.

‘Give me one reason I shouldn’t’ Neville shot back flicking his wand to bind the Death Eater with thick ropes then flicking it again to cast an anti-Disapparation jinx (Well he had to be sure) ‘You deserve to die you piece of scum what you’ve done is unforgivable..you-‘

‘Neville don’t!’ Hannah yelled from where she was dueling ‘He’s not worth it’

‘She’s right you’re not worth it’ Neville said to Dolohov spitting on the ground.

The rest of the Death Eaters had cornered the D.A members into the cul de sac of Dewdrop close and they were quickly running out of places to fight. Luna was the first to go when she was floored with an extra powerful stunning spell that sent her flying across the driveway of one house and into a cement bird bath with a sickening crunch. Neville had no time to react as he stepped into the fray and took on the short fat Death Eater Luna had been fighting. Most of all he wanted to send a Patronus to the others who had defended Hogwarts during the battle but with one of their comrades down for the count he didn’t have a chance.

Then the chance arose when Hermione in a moment of split second inspiration cast a Smoking Hex which created an enormous screen of smoke much like what was seen in night clubs. That gave Neville the chance to run behind a Four Wheel Drive thrust his wand into the air and scream EXPECTO PATRONUM!. A short fat Welsh Mountain Pony erupted from the end of his wand and trotted onto the neatly manicured lawn of the house whos yard they were fighting in.

‘GO TO GRAN!’ He bellowed ‘THE D.A’s IN DANGER RIOT IN LOCKINGE VALLEY GET THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX! ANYONE WHO CAN FIGHT!.....GOOOOO!!.

The pony took off at a gallop and with the speed of a racehorse and the elegance of a showjumper it leapt over the bordering fence and disappeared into a formless mist just as Hermione’s Smoking Hex faded and once again the hexes, curses and jinxes began flying their way. Neville, Hannah, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Ernie, Susan, Justin, Terry and Michael were using the four wheel drive as a shield while they set forward hexes.

‘On curse and this car is going to blow sky high’ Hermione muttered dropping down after sending a hex the Death Eaters way.

‘We have to get Luna!’ Ginny hissed in panic ‘If we leave her there they’ll get her!’

‘Ginny we can’t go out there!’ Neville yelped transfiguring a stone into a ball of cardboard setting fire to it with a poke from his wand then lobbing it over the bonnet of the car ‘We’ll get killed!’

‘So will Luna if we leave her there!” Ginny shot back with the venom of a thousand vipers.

‘Gin come one be sensible Neville’s right if any of us go out there we will get killed’ Harry said to Ginny softly over the bangs and crashes of the fight ‘Luna wouldn’t want that...’

‘How-‘

‘But Ginny’s retort was interrupted by Hermione.

‘I think Luna’s going to be okay!’ She hissed jerking her head to where Luna lay ‘Look she’s breathing.

A moment later Luna disappeared and Ginny yelped.

‘Where’d she go?’

‘I reckon she’s cast a disillusionment Charm on herself’ Terry Boot huffed ‘JELLEXIO TRIPUDIO!’

Several grunts and loud thumps were heard from the other side of the four wheel drive as Terry’s double hexes hit their marks. That was followed by several more loud popping and snapping as the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix apparated into the street.

‘Bollocks this hiding the only way we’re going to get rid of these bastards is if we get out there’ Ron said as he started to get to his feet’

‘Are you mental?’ Hermione hissed pulling him down.

‘Hermione Ron’s right if we stay here and a curse hits the petrol tank we’re a goner’ Harry said urgently ‘Come on the Orders here we’ve got more on our side now. They’re outnumbered!’

‘Oh alright’

And together the D.A members got to their feet hexes, jinxes and curses flying all around them and once again faced another battle.

‘Come out from your little hidey hole now have you?’ Came Dolohov’s voice from behind Neville.

Neville turned around to face the Death Eater and the next thing he knew was a flash of red an excruciating pain to his abdomen and head then total blackness.

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A/N2: There you go peoples my version of a cliffie. You'll all have to tune in again next time when you'll find out what has happened to Neville. My thanks go to LadyVoldemort87 who wrote that little scene where Neville and Hannah pashed on in the greenhouse. She's BETA-ing this story as we speak but because I'm an impatient git I'm posting before I get the BETA'd work (She reckons my chapters are tooo long therefore they take longer to go through). Anyway I hope you liked it now all you have to do is review it! (Hint hint nudge nudge...LOL)