Hogwarts: Neville's Insert Chapter 111
He glanced upward slightly, like he was thinking it through.
"Somewhere no one's ever broken into…"
A beat.
"Gringotts, maybe."
There it was.
That tiny reaction.
Small.
But real.
Neville's eyes flicked back to her.
"…Your vault?" he added, almost casually.
Bellatrix laughed.
Sharp.
Mocking.
"And what if it is?" she said.
Neville shrugged. "Then I'd move it. Because now someone else knows."
Bellatrix didn't respond.
But something had shifted.
Neville flicked his wrist—
A loose strand of her hair snapped free and flew into his hand.
Bellatrix froze.
Neville glanced down at it briefly.
Then back at her. "…this will be useful." He stepped back. "That's all I needed."
For a second—
Nothing.
Then—
"YOU—" Bellatrix lunged forward, slamming against the bars. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she shouted, her voice sharp, cracking at the edges.
Neville had already turned.
A small snaped his fingers
Her voice cut off instantly.
Her mouth still moved.
Soundless.
Neville didn't look back, undoing the Muffliato as he walked.
He reached Augusta's side.
"…We're done, Gran," he said simply. "Let's leave."
Augusta studied him for a brief moment.
Then gave a small nod.
"Very well."
Behind them Bellatrix struggled against the bars, silent, furious.
…
Monday, 3rd January 1994 – Platform Nine and Three-Quarters
The cold air of the platform hit Neville as he stepped out of the barrier and onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
He adjusted the strap of his bag automatically, eyes moving over the platform as he took it in.
It was busy—like always—but not as crowded as the start of term usually was. A good number of students had stayed back at Hogwarts over the holidays, and it showed.
Families stood in small clusters near the train. Parents talking, reminding, repeating the same things they always did. Students nodding like they were listening. Owls shifted in cages. Trunks scraped along the ground as they were dragged into place.
The Hogwarts Express sat along the platform, steam curling steadily from the engine. The deep red carriages stretched down the track, windows fogged faintly from the cold.
Snow had gathered along the edges of the platform, packed down where people had walked over it again and again.
"Move along, Neville."
Augusta's voice came from just behind him.
He glanced back briefly as Harry stepped through the barrier and onto the platform.
Augusta didn't waste time. She was already walking, posture straight, pace steady.
Neville fell in beside her. Harry moved up on his other side as they made their way toward the train.
As they passed through the crowd, Neville glanced at one of the posters
Plastered along the walls.
Have YOU SEEN THIS WIZARD?
The moving image of Sirius Black twisted and shouted silently from the paper, eyes wild, hair matted.
Below it—
Approach with extreme caution. Do not attempt to use magic against this man.
Any information leading to his arrest will be duly rewarded. Notify immediately by owl to the Ministry of Magic.
Neville's eyes lingered on it for a second.
It had been a week.
A full week since the escape had been confirmed.
Long enough for the Ministry to panic.
Harry leaned slightly closer, glancing at another poster further down the platform. "They've put it everywhere…"
Neville gave a small shrug. "What did you expect?"
Harry didn't answer straight away. His eyes stayed on the poster a moment longer before he looked ahead again.
They kept walking.
As they moved past the crowd, Neville caught bits of conversation drifting between people.
Some of the adults were talking about the same thing.
"…escaped Azkaban…"
"…never heard of anyone doing that…"
"…they say the Ministry's got Dementors out looking for him…"
"…they say he's dangerous…"
The conversations blended into the background as people passed.
They stopped near the train.
Augusta turned slightly toward them. "Alright, boys. Do you have everything?"
Neville nodded once. "Yeah, Gran. Got everything." He lifted the paper bag in his hand slightly.
Augusta looked at it. Then at him. "I still don't understand why you insist on buying those every time we're here."
Neville glanced down at the bag, then back at her. "Because it's good," he said simply. "And I can't get it anywhere else."
Augusta gave him a flat look, like she'd already had this conversation too many times. "…Yes. I'm aware," she said dryly.
Neville huffed quietly. "You should try one at least once."
"No, thank you." That came immediately. "It's far too greasy."
Neville just shrugged. "…Your loss."
They'd arrived earlier than necessary, but Neville had insisted on getting the chicken burgers before heading back to Hogwarts. Augusta had gone with them, given the situation.
Sirius Black being loose had made that non-negotiable.
Neville looked at her for a moment, then said, a bit quieter, "You don't have to worry that much, Gran. We'll be fine."
Augusta's gaze shifted to him. "I do hope so." She looked between the two of them. "I expect both of you to stay out of trouble."
Neville scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin slipping in. "Eh… sure, Gran. We'll try."
Behind his back, his fingers crossed.
Harry nodded a bit stiffly. "Yes, ma'am."
Augusta let out a tired sigh, eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do I get the feeling you're going to do the opposite?"
Neville waved a hand lightly. "Come on, Gran. You worry too much. We'll be fine."
Her gaze sharpened—but she didn't argue further.
Instead, her attention shifted to Harry.
"And Harry," she said, tone firm now, "you will not go looking for him. You will leave this matter to the Ministry."
Harry hesitated just a fraction, then nodded again. "Yes, ma'am."
Neville glanced at him briefly.
A sharp whistle cut through the air.
The engine hissed, steam billowing more heavily now as the train prepared to depart.
Augusta glanced toward it, then back at them.
"…Good," she said. "Then you'd best get on. The train won't wait for you."
Neville gave a small nod. "Right." He shifted his bag slightly on his shoulder. "…see you in a few months, Gran," he said.
Augusta inclined her head once. "We will."
Harry added, "Bye, ma'am."
She gave him a short nod.
That was all.
Harry turned and stepped onto the train, Neville right behind him.
The train began to lurch forward, the motion settling into a steady rhythm as it picked up speed.
Through the windows, the platform started to slide past. Parents waving. Students leaning out to shout last goodbyes.
Augusta stood where she was, watching.
Neville lifted a hand briefly.
Then turned away as the platform disappeared from view.
Harry moved ahead slightly, glancing into compartments as they passed. "Hope Hermione saved us one," he muttered, peering through another door before moving on.
Neville nodded faintly, keeping pace beside him. "She usually does."
They kept walking down the train, checking each compartment as they went. The corridor was busy—students moving past, doors opening and closing, voices overlapping into a constant low noise.
As they moved further down, a compartment door slid open.
Draco Malfoy stepped out—and immediately stopped when he saw them.
His eyes flicked between Harry and Neville then back to Harry,
Draco shifted slightly—just enough to block the corridor.
"Enjoy your holidays, Potter?" Draco said with a smirk. "I'll admit… I wasn't sure you'd make it back in one piece."
Harry paused, giving Draco a pointed look. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
Draco smirked slightly. "Oh, nothing." He leaned in just a bit. "Just… curious."
Harry didn't respond.
Draco leaned in slightly, lowering his voice just enough to make it feel more pointed. "Funny, isn't it?" he went on. "Whole place can't stop talking about it."
Harry's eyes narrowed just a fraction. "Talking about what?"
Draco's smirk sharpened. "Don't play dumb." he leaned in slightly. "They say he's after you."
Harry didn't Didn't react.
But something in his posture tightened.
Draco saw it—and pressed. "If it were me," he continued, tone almost thoughtful now, "I wouldn't be sitting on a train pretending everything's fine." He tilted his head slightly. "I'd be a bit more… careful."
Harry let out a quiet breath through his nose. "Are you done?"
Draco's smile widened slightly. "Just giving you advice, Potter. Wouldn't want you to—"
Neville snapped his fingers.
Draco's voice cut off instantly.
He froze.
His mouth still moved—but no sound came out.
For a second, he looked confused.
Then his expression shifted—sharp, panicked.
Neville didn't even look at him properly.
"As much as we enjoy hearing you talk," Neville said calmly, "it's getting a bit irritating."
He gestured forward slightly. "Move."
Draco stared at him, clearly trying to say something—anything—but nothing came out.
Neville stepped forward and walked straight past him.
Harry followed a second later, glancing back once at Draco—still standing there, silent and furious.
They didn't slow.
By the time they reached the back of the train, the noise of the corridor had faded slightly.
They spotted Hermione in the last compartment.
Hermione was seated next to the window, Crookshanks on her lap and his cage on the floor. She was reading a book.
Neville slid the door to the compartment open and stepped in. "Yo, Hermione."
Harry followed in behind him. "Hey, Hermione."
Hermione looked up from her book, snapping it shut. "Finally—where have you two—" She stopped mid-sentence, eyes narrowing slightly at the paper bag in Neville's hand. "…Don't tell me you had me waiting here because you went to get burgers?"
Neville dropped into the seat across from her, next to the window, leaning back against the wall. He gave her a mildly confused look as he opened the bag. "Why? What's wrong?"
Harry snorted as he dropped into the seat beside Neville.
"'What's wrong,'" Hermione's voice dropped into a low hiss as she repeated it. "What's wrong—" She cut herself off, pulling out her wand. "Muffliato."
A faint hum settled over the compartment.
Then she leaned forward. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?" she said, a bit too quickly. "You send me a letter telling me not to contact you until we meet today, saying you were going to Azkaban—and then nothing. No explanation. No updates. I've been going mad for the past weeks thinking something might've happened to you." She gestured sharply between them. "And then last week I saw in the Daily Prophet that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban—and still nothing." She exhaled sharply. "I rushed here today—skipped breakfast—to meet you two and—" Her eyes flicked to the burgers. "…you were busy buying burgers."
She looked between them. "Do you have any idea how that looks?"
Neville held up a hand. "Hey, Hermione, calm down. As you can see, I'm fine. And… yeah, sorry we kept you waiting." He pulled a burger from the bag and held it out to her. "Here. You must be hungry."
Hermione stared at it for a second, then took it without arguing. She unwrapped it and took a bite, still watching him.
Neville handed another to Harry, then looked back at her. "I already told you why we should wait to talk in person."
Hermione swallowed, then nodded. "Yes… you said it would be dangerous sending things over owl."
"It's a good thing we didn't," Harry said, unwrapping his burger.
Hermione frowned slightly, looking at him. "Why?"
Neville let out a small breath. "Because right after Sirius escaped, Aurors showed up at the manor."
Hermione's eyes widened. "What?"
Harry nodded, swallowing his bite. "Yeah. They showed up right after he broke out."
Neville took a bite of his burger, then continued, "the Head of the Auror Office — Rufus Scrimgeour he showed up personally. He's the one who approved the visit to Azkaban on Gran's request."
Hermione blinked. "The Head of the Auror Office came to your house?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah. He wanted to ask a few questions about Sirius."
Hermione frowned. "Why?"
Neville sighed. "You know how we planned on slipping the modified Daily Prophet to Sirius? To tell him to come to Hogwarts for Peter?" He shook his head slightly. "Yeah… that plan failed."
Hermione went still, her burger forgotten in her hands. "What—did you get caught?"
Neville shook his head. "No. Calm down, Hermione. I wasn't caught."
Harry snorted. "He would've been given a cell next to Sirius if he had."
Neville huffed quietly. "Yeah, well… I think I could've gotten out of there pretty easily if they did."
Harry gave him a look. "Weren't you a bit paler than when you left that morning?"
Neville scowled slightly. "That was the Dementors. Those things just… drain everything out of you." He shrugged faintly. "Besides, I wouldn't have to stay there long anyway. I'd just call Lumina and be out."
Hermione's patience was clearly running thin. She leaned forward slightly. "Can we get back to the point?"
Neville let out a small sigh. "Yeah, alright. Anyway… I couldn't bring anything inside the cell block. Nothing except chocolate."
Hermione frowned. "Chocolate?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah. It helps with the Dementors. Like… a remedy for the effects." He took another bite, then added, "Everything else had to be left at the entrance."
Hermione's brows drew together. "Then how did you let Sirius know about Peter?"
Neville wiped his fingers lightly, then said, "I had to work around it. I asked Gran—out loud—if she knew anyone named Peter Pettigrew." He paused slightly. "Just hearing the name made Sirius react."
Hermione stared at him. "You just said his name like that?"
Neville gave her a look. "What else was I supposed to do? Hermione, I had one chance to get in there. I'm not getting back into Azkaban unless I actually commit a crime." He shook his head. "And even if I'd brought the Daily Prophet, I wouldn't have known where Sirius was. All the cells look the same."
He shrugged. "So I used the name to get his attention. It worked."
Hermione nodded slowly, thinking it through. "And the Aurors showed up to question you about Sirius?"
Neville nodded, swallowing his bite. "Yeah. Scrimgeour had already seen the memories from the Aurors who escorted us. So he wanted to ask me and Gran what Sirius said."
Hermione leaned forward. "What did he ask?"
Neville finished his burger before answering. "He asked why I mentioned Peter's name there. So I told him what I told Sirius—and Gran. That me and Harry saw Peter's name on a map."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Wait—you told him about the map?"
Neville shook his head. "Relax. I didn't show him the real one."
Harry added, "He showed them a blank one."
Neville nodded, reaching into the bag for another burger. "Yeah. I made another map—mostly blank. Made it show random names." He glanced at Hermione. "Told him me and Harry had been looking through it, checking names here and there… and that we'd seen 'Peter Pettigrew' pop up a few times."
He took a bite, then added casually, "Said we didn't know who it was, so I asked Gran about it."
Hermione stared at him. "…And he believed that?"
Neville shrugged, chewing. "I don't know. Probably." He swallowed. "I think he might've taken it as a coincidence. He said Sirius might've reacted to Peter's name because he killed him." A small pause. "And that he thinks Sirius escaped after hearing Harry's name. Because I mentioned it."
Hermione turned slightly to Harry. "So he thinks Sirius escaped after hearing your name?"
Harry gave a small nod. "Yeah. They're expecting him to come after me."
Neville nodded. "Which is good. Helps us."
Hermione looked at him. "How is that good?"
"It keeps them focused in the wrong direction," Neville said simply. "They're not looking for Peter. They're looking for Sirius."
Hermione glanced down for a moment, then back up. "…Do you think they were checking your mail?"
Neville shrugged. "Probably."
Hermione nodded slowly, taking another bite before asking, "So what do we do now?"
Neville crumpled the wrapper in his hand. "We wait."
"For what?"
"For Sirius to show up," Neville said. "Then we find him before he does something stupid and gets himself caught."
Hermione frowned. "But won't they have Aurors at Hogwarts if they think he's after Harry?"
Neville shrugged. "Maybe."
A small pause.
"Doesn't matter much," he added. "Unless they know he's an Animagus, they're not going to find him."
Harry leaned back slightly. "…after we find him, we can figure out how to clear his name."
Neville nodded once. "Yeah."
They sat there quietly for a moment.
Hermione finished the last of her burger, crumpling the wrapper before setting it aside. Crookshanks shifted on her lap, tail flicking once before settling again.
The train rocked gently beneath them as it picked up speed, the steady rhythm of the tracks filling the space between words.
Neville didn't say anything for a bit. His gaze drifted slightly, like he was turning something over in his head.
Then he looked back at them. "There's something else."
Harry glanced at him. "What?"
Neville looked between the two of them for a second. "Do you remember the diary?"
Harry frowned. "What diary?"
Hermione answered first. "Tom's diary?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah. That one. Do you remember what I told you about it?"
Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah… you said that thing was what's keeping him around." He frowned. "What about it?"
Hermione added, "You also said he might've made more."
Neville nodded once. "I think I know where one of them might be."
After his visit to Azkaban, it didn't really hit him until they got back home. He'd been so focused on getting out of that horrid place that he hadn't properly thought about what he'd actually confessed to Bellatrix. Not only had he let her get under his skin, but he'd also told her more than he should have. He'd all but admitted that he knew what the diary was and let her know he was thinking along those lines. Confirmed that he understood what Voldemort had done, and even hinted at where one of them might be. Which was stupid. But she'd gotten to him, and the Dementors alone were enough to mess with anyone's head. Add in what she'd said about his parents—and yeah.
Harry's eyes had widened slightly. "You know where another one is?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah."
Hermione leaned forward. "Where?"
"it's in Gringotts," Neville said.
Harry blinked. "Gringotts?"
Neville nodded. "More Specifically inside Bellatrix's vault."
Hermione frowned immediately. "How do you know it's there?"
Neville leaned back slightly, resting his arm along the seat. "The way she reacted when I mentioned the diary," he said.
They both watched him.
"I told her about the diary—how Lucius tried to use it last term to let loose the basilisk," Neville continued, tone steady. "Then I just… started guessing. If Lucius had one, there's a good chance she did too." He shrugged faintly. "So I followed that line of thought. Said she probably kept it somewhere safe."
A brief pause.
"Like Gringotts."
Hermione's eyes sharpened. "And she reacted?"
Neville nodded once. "Yeah. Then tried to hide it after."
Hermione shook her head slightly. "She could've been lying."
Neville shook his head. "No. Not there."
He glanced at her. "The Dementors had already gotten to her. She wasn't clear-headed enough to fake that kind of reaction." A small pause. "And she basically confirmed it when I pushed."
Harry frowned. "How?"
"She snapped," Neville said simply. "Said even if I knew it was in her vault, I wouldn't be able to get to it."
Harry let out a quiet breath. "…So it's actually there."
"Yeah."
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Right… so how are we supposed to get into Gringotts?" He glanced between them. "Hagrid said it's one of the safest places in the wizarding world."
Neville shrugged slightly. "We've got two options."
Hermione looked at him. "What are they?"
"We get Dumbledore involved," Neville said. "And let him handle it."
Harry shook his head immediately. "No. We are not getting him involved."
Neville glanced at him.
"No," Harry cut in again, sharper this time. "You really think that's a good idea? After everything?" He let out a short breath, jaw tightening. "That old bastard's been using us like pieces on a board. I'm not handing this over so he can decide what happens next."
Hermione nodded. "I'm with Harry on this. It's too risky getting Dumbledore involved. He'll start asking how we know what the diary is. About all of it." She frowned. "And then everything starts connecting back to us."
Neville nodded. "I never said we should," he said calmly. "I said it's an option."
Harry looked between them. "What's the second option?"
Neville reached into his bag and pulled out a small ziplock bag, holding it up slightly.
Hermione's eyes dropped to it. "…What is that—it looks like hair?"
Neville nodded, glancing at her. "It's Bellatrix's hair."
There was a pause.
Hermione just stared at him. "…You're joking."
Neville shook his head.
Harry blinked. "…You took her hair?"
Neville shrugged lightly. "Seemed useful at the time."
Hermione leaned back slightly, staring at him like she was trying to decide if he'd lost his mind. "…You're suggesting we infiltrate Gringotts using Polyjuice?"
Neville shrugged again. "It's an option."
Harry frowned. "Poly—what?"
Hermione didn't take her eyes off Neville. "Polyjuice Potion. It lets you turn into someone else if you have a piece of them." She paused, then added flatly, "He's suggesting we use it to break into Gringotts."
Harry looked at Neville. "…You think we can actually pull that off?"
Hermione turned to him immediately. "Of course we can't."
Harry hesitated. "I mean—"
"The goblins would kill us," Hermione said plainly. "Best case, we get thrown out. Worst case…" She didn't finish.
Neville didn't argue. "Yeah," he said. "That's why it's not plan A."
Hermione let out a slow breath, rubbing her temple. "…This is insane."
Neville nodded. "Pretty much."
A brief silence settled over the compartment.
Then—
A knock on the door.
The compartment door slid open.
"…Hellu."
Luna stepped in, her head tilting slightly as her gaze moved between the three of them.
"You all look like you're discussing something important," she added calmly. "Should I come back later?"
Hermione shook her head. "…No, Luna. It's fine. Come in." Crookshanks lifted his head briefly, watching her, then settled again.
Harry gave a small nod. "Hey, Luna."
She stepped in fully, closing the door behind her before taking the seat beside Hermione.
Neville reached into the paper bag and pulled out the last burger. "Here you go, Luna. I saved this for you," he said, holding it out.
Luna nodded, a small smile forming as she took it. "…Thank you, Neville."
She unwrapped it carefully, taking a small bite. She hummed softly, nodding to herself as she chewed. After swallowing, her gaze moved between the three of them.
"…So," she said after a moment, tilting her head slightly, "what were you planning?"
…
An hour later—
The compartment had settled into something quieter.
The train moved steadily now, the rhythm of the tracks constant beneath them. The windows were fogged faintly from the cold.
Hermione sat with Crookshanks on her lap, idly stroking his fur. "I still think Runes and Care of Magical Creatures are good choices, Luna."
Luna hummed, popping a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean into her mouth. "I thought about taking Divination," she said lightly, "but I don't know if I'm really interested in it."
Neville shook his head slightly. "Divination's useless unless you've actually got the Sight Trelawney keeps going on about."
Harry pushed himself up from his seat, stretching. "Right… I'm going to the loo."
But just as he stepped toward the door—
The train lurched.
Hard.
Harry lost his balance and stumbled forward, catching himself against the seat as he half-fell into Luna.
"Sorry—" he said quickly, pushing himself upright.
"It's alright," Luna said calmly, barely shifting.
Hermione was already looking out the window. "We can't be there yet," she said, frowning. "It's barely even lunchtime."
She wiped the fog from the glass with her sleeve, peering out. The sky beyond was a flat, uniform grey, rain and snow mixing as it fell over empty countryside.
"We only left King's Cross a few hours ago," she muttered.
"Maybe the driver needed a break," Luna said mildly.
Neville didn't respond.
He was already looking out the window.
Something about it—
The window began to frost over.
Fast.
The temperature dropped sharply, the cold settling in almost instantly. Their breath fogged in the air.
Neville's expression tightened slightly. "It's Dementors."
Hermione turned sharply. "Wait—what? Dementors?"
Harry straightened, alert now. "Are you sure? What are they doing here?"
Neville stood, already pulling out his wand. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's the same feeling I had when I visited." He gave them a quick glance. "They're probably checking the train for Sirius or something."
Neville stepped past them toward the compartment door and to look out into the corridor. The main door to the carriage was just ahead.
The lights flickered.
Then began to go out, one by one.
Hermione hissed, "What are you doing?"
Neville pulled the door to the compartment open. "I'm getting rid of them."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, centering himself by using Occlumency to focus on a specific memory.
The main door at the end of the carriage was forced open.
Wind howled in as snow and rain tore through the corridor in a rush of freezing air.
A figure drifted in.
Tall.
Cloaked.
Face hidden beneath the hood.
Hermione let out a small gasp, shrinking back instinctively.
Crookshanks arched on her lap, fur standing on end, a low hiss rumbling from his throat.
Harry had already pulled out his wand.
Neville opened his eyes, raised his wand, and aimed it at the dementor. "Expecto Patronum."
White-blue light pulsed from the tip of his wand—
Then burst outward.
It took shape mid-air.
A phoenix.
Brilliant. Radiant. Its form sharpened as it surged forward, wings spreading wide—its shape unmistakably Lumina.
The Patronus let out a silent cry—
And the air changed.
Warmth flooded the compartment instantly, cutting through the cold like it had never been there.
The Dementor recoiled.
Its cloak snapped back as the phoenix drove forward, waves of light pulsing outward with every beat of its wings.
A hollow, broken scream filled the air—
Then it was forced back—
Driven out of the carriage.
Hermione stared, wide-eyed.
The phoenix didn't stop.
It shot out of the compartment—
Through the corridor—
And out into the storm.
Outside, it circled the train, light flaring with every pass. The glow spread, forming outward—pushing back the Dementors gathered around the train.
The pulsing light forced them further and further away.
One by one—
They retreated.
Until there was nothing left.
As soon as they were gone, the lights in the compartment flickered—
Then came back.
Neville lowered his wand, breathing a little heavier than before. He'd put more into that than he meant to. "That should keep them away for a bit," he said, flicking his wrist to shut the carriage door, cutting off the wind and cold.
He stepped back inside and slid the compartment door shut.
Then he turned to them. "You guys alright?"
Hermione was still staring at him. "What… was that? What spell did you just use?"
Luna hummed softly. "I think that was the Patronus Charm."
Neville nodded as he walked back to his seat and sat down. "Yeah. It was."
Hermione frowned slightly. "Patronus Charm?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Apparently it's the only spell that can repel Dementors. He's been trying to learn it since he got back from Az—" He stopped himself. "…his visit."
Hermione blinked. "Wait—both of you have been learning it over the break?"
The train gave a lurch as it started moving again.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. Though I can't get it to work." He let out a small breath. "According to Gran, it's one of the hardest spells there is. Proper advanced magic—way past NEWT level."
He shot Neville a look. "So of course… he gets it on his first try." Harry shook his head. "Gran was surprised. Said even most adults struggle with it."
Hermione looked back at Neville, clearly impressed.
Neville just shrugged. "Can you blame me? Those things are… depressing. I'd rather not deal with them if I can help it."
'If only you knew I've been working on it for months…'
Hermione leaned forward slightly. "But… why did it look like Lumina?"
Neville shifted a bit in his seat. "There are two versions of the spell," he said. "One's more like a shield—just pushes them back. The other is a corporeal Patronus." He paused. "That one takes the form of an animal. Something that reflects the caster." A small shrug. "Mine just happens to be Lumina."
Luna smiled faintly. "Oh… she must have been very happy about that."
Harry snorted. "You'd think so, but no. She wasn't. She actually got jealous."
Hermione blinked. "Jealous? Why?"
Neville rubbed the back of his neck. "She thought I was replacing her or something."
Harry laughed. "Yeah. Took him a while to convince her otherwise."
Neville shook his head slightly. "She calmed down after I explained it and bribed her with snacks. After that, she was pretty pleased with herself. I swear, it's like having a jealous girlfriend with that bird."
Luna giggled. "That makes sense," she said softly. "Your Patronus being her means she's important to you."
Neville hummed quietly at that, leaning his head back against the wall.
He noticed Hermione opening her mouth—
"Don't worry," Neville said before she could speak. "I'll teach you once we're back at Hogwarts."
Hermione paused, then slowly nodded, closing her mouth again.
Neville let out a quiet yawn. Now that things had settled, the drain hit properly. "I'm going to sleep for a bit," he said. "That took more out of me than I expected… pushing all of them back at once."
He shifted slightly, getting comfortable, eyes already closing. "…Wake me if anything happens."
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