Through All the Pain // N. Longbottom

Sixth Year // Chapter 1

"Weaslette!" Seamus shouted running over and giving me a hug. I couldn't help but laugh as Seamus picked me up and twirled me around. 

"Sha-Boom!"

"Where's Dean?" I asked looking around.

"I just barely saw him getting on the train, with your little sister following," he said trying to smile. I just faked a smile while rolling my eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

"Ginny said something awful to her last night, Seamus," Neville said. "Now she is refusing to speak to Ginny."

"Ahhhh, I see. Well, how about we all get on and find some seats?" The three of us got on and saw Harry wandering around by himself. 

"Come sit with us, Harry," I said waving him into our compartment. We sat down and started talking, and about halfway through a splendid conversation on Quidditch moves, the door slid open, and in there stood a gaggle of fourth-year girls stumbling over each other to get a look at Harry.

"Hi, Harry, I'm Romilda, Romilda Vane," she said loudly and confidently. "Why don't you join us in our compartment? You don't have to sit with them," she added in a stage whisper, indicating Neville and Seamus who wearing both on the floor now looking for Trevor. 

"They happen to be friends of mine," Harry responded coldly.

"Oh," said the girl, looking very surprised. "Oh. Okay." She glanced around at us all once more, mainly sneering at me before closing the door and walking off. I rolled my eyes and leaned back.

"If they had insulted us one more time, they would've found themselves getting checked into the Hospital Wing on arrival," I muttered.

"Well, they didn't," Harry said, as he looked out the window at the passing scenery. Eventually, Ron and Hermione joined us after they got down with their prefect duties and that's when Harry decided to verbalize his theory about Malfoy once again.

"Don't you see? He's one of them now."

"Stop it, Harry." Hermione sighed, "I know where you're going with this."

"It's happened, Hermione! I know it."

"What's happened?" said Ron, oblivious to what Harry has been implying ever since we came from Diagon Alley.

"Harry is under the impression that Draco Malfoy is now a Death Eater." I said glaring at him, "You've got to be wrong, Harry."

"Well, then what was he doing in Borgin and Burkes? Browsing for furniture?" Harry spoke sarcastically.

"Look you don't know what he was doing there, so just drop it," I said. "Besides, even if he was it was probably by force."

"How would you know?" Harry said, "You don't even like Malfoy. You hate his guts with a burning passion."

"Well even though I dislike him, he doesn't seem to be the type of child to become a Death Eater." Harry opened his mouth to respond but got cut off by the door opening and a small second-year Ravenclaw student stood there.

"I h-have letters here for M-Mr. Longbottom, M-Mr. Potter, and M-M-Miss Weasley." She stuttered out handing them forward. "P-P-Professor Slughorn sent these."

"Awe thank you, darling," I said taking the letters. "Have a good school year, yeah?"

"I-I-I will." she sheepishly said running out of the door and down the train. 

"Looks like we've been invited to lunch in his car," Harry said reading the letter and glancing at Neville's.

"Why does he want to see me?" Neville said, "I mean, I'm a nobody compared to you two."

"Oh no, don't even start digging your head in the sand like an Ostrich, Neville!" I grabbed his arm and pulled him up out of his seat. "Let's head over and see what he wants from us." 

The three of us walked down the train searching for his compartment. Eventually, we found his compartment and made our way in. When we entered, we were greeted to see that Slughorn invited plenty of other people too. Blaise Zabini seemed to be the only Slytherin present which was shocking considering, there were two different Ravenclaw students, a single Hufflepuff student, Cormac McLaggen, and Ginny sitting beside Professor Slughorn. 

"Great, just who I didn't want to see," I remarked under my breath as we sat down near the door.

"Keep your cool, Lori," Neville said taking my hand as we sat down.

"I will stay cool if she does."

"Ahhhh, welcome! Welcome!" Professor Slughorn said as Harry shut the door. "Glad to see you all could make it!" Slughorn went on to explain that he invited us all here because we possessed the qualities he wanted to see in his "Slug Club", which as he described it sounded fun. Dinner parties in his office, getting to know fellow students who were good in Potions and just having a good experience with Potions now that Snape was no longer the Potions Professor. Now Slughorn was going through us all and questioning us on our families and other things. 

"So, Miss Weasley," he said not looking up so causing both me and Ginny to sit up straight in our seats. "I heard that you along with Misters Potter, Longbottom and your little sister here were in the Department of Mysteries a few months ago."

"Yes, sir," I said taking a drink of water, hoping he or no one else would bring up what I did. 

"It was also written that someone there that night managed to save Sirius Black from the killing curse." Slughorn said, "Would you be able to tell us who did?" Everyone stared over at me, I felt Neville squeezing my hand and I just glanced over at Ginny who looked like she was going to murder Skughorn for bringing it up. 

"Well ... I don't think I should," I said meekly. "That person may not want to get written about in the Daily Prophet tomorrow."

"Nonsense! Just stays between all of us who are here, dear girl," he said with a hearty laugh.

"Yeah, Weasley." Zabini said leaning forward, "I would love to know who is able to perform such a feat."

"How about you shut your damn mouth, Zabini!" Ginny snapped. They had a staring match while everyone else still stared intently at me. I suddenly felt very overwhelmed and started breathing fast. Neville noticed and grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the car.

"Thanks for lunch, we'll be looking for your Owl Professor!" he called as he shut the door quickly and pulled me down the train until we found an empty car. When we got there, Neville tucked me inside shut the door, pulled down the blinds, and locked the door so no one could enter. He then sat down beside me and held my hands tightly. 

"It's okay, it's okay. No one will find out. They can't touch you here, Hogwarts is the safest place!" Neville said as I just kept rocking back and forth shaking my head.

"No, no they're going to come after me. They're going to come for me and hurt or kill anyone who tries to stop them and ... and ..."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Look at me, look at me. Right at me!" Neville said putting his hand under my chin and lifting my face up so I could gaze into his eyes. "I won't let that happen. Neither would your parents, brothers, Ginny, Harry, Remus, or Sirius and definitely, Dumbledore wouldn't let you or anyone else get hurt or killed."

"What if ... what if I can't save them?" I closed my eyes, "Now that I know I can help save those getting attacked with the Killing Curse, what if I can't get to them in time? What if someone loses their life fighting for me when I could save them!"

"That wouldn't be your fault! Lori, you won't be able to save everyone,"

"I have the power, don't I?!" I stood up and looked out the window as the night sky started to appear. 

"Lori, sweetie." Neville turned me around. "Stop putting all that weight on your shoulders. You're only sixteen! You don't need this." He kissed my forehead.

"I'm just scared, Nevy. I don't want to lose anyone."

"We lose people every day," he said hugging me tightly. "Besides, no matter who you lose ... I will be beside you through it all."

"Through all the pain?"

"Through all the pain."