Rosabella Black|Daughter Of Sirius Black|(Book 7)

The Lost Diadem

Harry's Point Of View:
   "Neville – what the – how –?" I said.
But Neville had spotted Ron and Hermione, and with yells of delight was hugging them too. The longer I looked at Neville, the worse he appeared. One of his eyes was swollen yellow and purple, there were gouge marks on his face, and his general air of unkemptness suggested that he had been living enough. Nevertheless, his battered visage shone with happiness as he let go of Hermione.    
   "I knew you'd come! Ro and I kept telling Seamus it was a matter of time!" Neville said eagerly.
    "Neville, what's happened to you?" I said in shock.
   "What? This?" Neville said and dismissed his injuries with a shake of the head.
    "This is nothing, Seamus is worse. You'll see. Shall we get going then? Oh," Neville said and he turned to Aberforth.  
    "Ab, there might be a couple more people on the way." Neville said.
   "Couple more? What d'you mean, a couple more, Longbottom? There's a curfew and a Camwaulding Charm on the whole village!" Aberforth repeated ominously.
    "I know, that's why they'll be Apparating directly into the bar. Just send them down the passage when they get here, will you? Thanks a lot." Neville said.

Neville held out his hand to Hermione and helped her to climb up onto the mantelpiece and into the tunnel; Ron followed, then Neville. I addressed Aberforth.
  "I don't know how to thank you. You've saved our lives twice." I said gratefully.
   "Look after 'em, then. I might not be able to save 'em a third time." Aberforth said gruffly.
I chambered up onto the mantelpiece and through the hole behind Ariana's portrait. There were smooth stone steps on the other side. It looked as though the passageway had been there for years. Brass lamps hung from the walls and the earthy floor was worn and smooth. As we walked, our shadows rippled, fanlike, across the wall.
   "How long's this been here? It isn't on the Marauder's Map, is it Harry? I thought there were only seven passages in and out of school?" Ron asked as we set off.
   "They sealed off all of those before the start of the year. There's no chance of getting through any of them now, not with the curses over the entrances and Death Eaters and dementors waiting at the exits." Neville said and he started walking backward, beaming, drinking them in.
   "Never mind that stuff . . . Is it true? Did you break into Gringotts? Did you escape on a dragon? It's everywhere, everyone's talking about it, Terry Boot got beaten up by Carrow for yelling about it in the Great Hall at dinner!" Neville said.
    "Yeah, it's true." I said.
Neville laughed gleefully.
   "What did you do with the dragon?"
   "Released it into the wild. Hermione was all for keeping it as a pet." Ron said.
    "Don't exaggerate, Ron –" Hermione said.
    "But what have you been doing? People have been saying you've just been on the run, Harry, but I don't think so. I think you've been up to something. Ro's told me as much but she never went in to detail." Neville said.
   "You're right, but tell us about Hogwarts, Neville, we've barely heard anything. Ro, is she okay? We heard she got wiped by the Carrows!" I said, frantically.
   "It's been . . . Well, it's not really like Hogwarts anymore. Ro, she's fine. In much better shape then I am. Do you know about the Carrows?" Neville said, the smile fading from his face as he spoke.
   "Those two Death Eaters who teach here?" I said.
   "They do more than teach. They're in charge of all discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows." Neville said.
    "Like Umbridge?" I asked warily.
    "Nah, they make her look tame. The other teachers are all supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we do anything wrong. They don't, though, if they can avoid it. You can tell they all hate them as much as we do. Ro's been doing a good job resisting. She practically dueled them in the Halls every day and protected the students as best she could but even she can't be everywhere at once." Neville said.
   "Amycus, the bloke, he teaches what used to be Defense Against the Dark Arts, except now it's just the Dark Arts. We're supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on people who've earned detentions –" Neville said.
   "What?" Ron, Hermione's and I's united voices echoed up and down the passage.
   "Yeah," said Neville. "That's how I got this one," Neville said as he pointed at a particularly deep gash in his cheek,
   "I refused to do it. Some people are into it, though. Crabbe and Goyle love it. First time they've ever been top in anything, I expect. Ro's been breaking in to every detention to stop it. She was successful most of the time." Neville said.
    "Alecto, Amycus's sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for everyone. We've all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals, stupid and dirty, and how they drive wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how the natural order is being reestablished. I got this one," Neville said as he indicated another slash to his face,
   "for asking her how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got." Neville finished.
   "Blimey, Neville, there's a time and a place for getting a smart mouth." Ron said.
   "You didn't see her. You wouldn't have stood for it either. The thing is, it helps when people stand up to them, it gives everyone hope. I used to notice that when you and Ro did it, Harry." Neville said.
   "But they've used you as a knife sharpener." Ron said, winding slightly as we passed a lamp and Neville's injuries were thrown into even greater relief.