One Day They'll Know Your Name

Secrets need names

Most of the remainder of the break was planning for the day the children had planned to stay at Neville's house. Neville had told Harry about how his Gran had left the greenhouses to him to do as he wanted, and how he had been allowed to decorate his own room when he turned ten. Harry was excited to spend the night with all his friends in one place at the same time, instead of like at Hogwarts, where they had to be in their separate dorms.

The day finally arrived, a few days after Yule but before the New Year, and Harry was practically bouncing off the walls. Finally, Sirius sent him through the Floo to the Longbottom's manor. Harry gasped as he looked around. It was quite different from the dark entrance hall of the Black home. Instead of dark blacks and greys, the room had warm, earthy colors, dark yellows, dirt browns, and greens.

The fire flared green and Draco stepped out, followed a moment later by Ron and Hermione, who had been dropped off at the Burrow so she could Floo over with Ron. Neville entered the room a minute later and sent a blinding smile their way.

"Come on! I want to show you the greenhouses first before it gets too dark!"

The group quickly went to the room that connected to the greenhouses, and Neville grinned at them somewhat sheepishly. "I should warn you that it's a bit overgrown, because some of the plants don't take well to cultivation. I kept those plants in one greenhouse as much as possible, but the other rooms are just as messy probably. I made sure there's no weeds though."

Harry smiled and followed Neville into the first greenhouse, pulling Draco behind him. He stopped just inside the door and gasped. "Neville! It looks amazing! The overgrown look fits the plants. They look like they've been transported straight from nature to an enclosed space, but it's a natural growth that they all fit into in their own way."

Neville grinned sheepishly again but accepted the compliment with grace. He pulled Harry to the first section and started telling him about each of the plants. Harry noticed that a lot of the plants were used in Potions, and most of the plants hadn't been even mentioned in Herbology yet.

After a few hours and seeing all the greenhouses, Neville led the group inside again for supper. Conversation flowed like it always did, and eventually talk turned to the Heir, as it always seemed to.

"Maybe if we figure out who the last heir was, we can figure out who it is now," Hermione said. "Maybe they had children who are either students or someone who can easily reach Hogwarts."

Draco shook his head. "The last Heir never had children, as far as I know. He was too busy plotting world domination." He shuddered. "I met him once. I barely remember it. It must have been only a few days before you vanquished him, Harry. He claimed my life, said that when I was older I would serve him." Hermione gasped. "When my mother and father didn't agree fast enough he used the Cruciatus on them. All I remember are his red eyes, then moments later that same red streaking towards my parents, and them screaming. Mum told me later what exactly happened that night, when I asked why I remembered red and screaming when there was hardly any red in the house."

Hermione had tears streaming down her face, and she launched herself at Draco, who automatically caught her. She hugged him so tightly that Harry thought he heard some of Draco's bones creak, but he knew that both of them needed the hug. He locked eyes with Neville, and the blond boy nodded.

"Come on," he said softly. "Let's go to my room. We can talk more there where no one will disturb us."

The friends all piled onto Neville's bed, cuddling as close as they could. They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Harry broke the quiet.

"I just barely remember the night my parents died. I don't know any specifics, since no one else was there, but I remember my mum's green eyes," my eyes, he thought, "then a green light, and then silence except for a hissing voice. I don't know what he said, or what he even looked like, but I'll always remember his voice." He shivered, and Draco pulled him closer. Silence reigned for a little bit longer, and when Harry stopped shaking, Ron spoke up.

"My brothers turned my favorite teddy bear into a spider when I was little." They were quiet for a moment, then Harry snorted. In just seconds all of the children were rolling on the bed laughing, mostly out of relief that the horrible part of the conversation was over.

The kids continued trading stories of moments that were unfair, like when Hermione's parents wouldn't let her get braces to fix her teeth, or when Neville's uncle pushed him out of the second story window to make sure he had magic. Harry had even told a few stories about his relatives, leaving out that his room was a cupboard. He sensed that his friends disliked the Dursleys enough already.

"I remember one time Dudley shoved me into Aunt Petunia's flower bed. She was so mad I was locked in my cupboard for a week!"

At the silence that followed, Harry knew he had slipped up. He hadn't meant to mention his cupboard. It was too late now, though, so he would have to live with the consequences.

Surprisingly, no one said anything. Draco just pulled him even closer and wrapped his arms around his waist in a loose hug. Harry smiled gratefully at all of them, then turned the conversation to happier things.

"Are any of you guys doing anything for the New Year?"

The excited chatter that followed made up for his slip, and when the group all fell asleep in a pile on Neville's bed, Harry just felt loved and safe.