Happy New Year, Neville (a short story)

Happy New Year, Neville

Neville Longbottom never thought he'd live to see a Hogwarts reunion. Yet twenty years after the Battle of Hogwarts, here he was, coughing up a storm as he put on his dress robes.

They'd been tucked in a closet far too long, waiting to finally see the light of day. His wife, Hannah, had warned him that he might need new ones, but Neville had insisted his good old robes would do just fine. Perhaps he'd been wrong.

The castle was dressed up more than ever, candles flickering bright. Neville made his way to the great hall, silently terrified that all he would see were ghosts. Seeing his old friends, he couldn't help but think it would only remind him of those who were missing. So many had died here. It haunted him every day, even now, on New Year's eve twenty years later. But Neville was not one to let fear or pain prevent him from joy. He wanted to see all his old friends. To celebrate that they were all still here.

The moment Neville entered the room, he was met with a hundred familiar faces. Grinning, he shook hands, exchanged stories, and caught up with those he hadn't seen in a long time. As Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts, Neville had reunited with many of his old classmates, teachers, and friends already. Others, he hadn't seen in twenty years.

Then, he saw the face he never thought he'd see again. The boy who lived. More like the boy who had too many close calls with death. When they'd been Aurors together years ago, Harry always seemed to attract danger. It was a marvel he was still in one piece.

"Harry Potter! I never thought I'd see the day," Neville exclaimed. Indeed, it couldn't be easy for him to return to the place where he endured such horrors. Harry grinned and the two exchanged a quick embrace.

"Neville. It's been too long. I haven't seen you since- well, since your wedding. How is Hannah?"

"Fantastic. And Ginny? Is she here?"

Harry nodded. "She's great. Parading around here somewhere, I'm sure." He craned his neck, searching the crowd for his energetic wife. Neville patted his shoulder.

"It's alright, mate. I'm sure I'll bump into her sooner or later. Now tell me, head Auror, how has life been?"

The two caught up about everything that had happened since they last spoke. Harry told Neville about his family and his ridiculous adventures as an Auror. In return, Neville told Harry about his time teaching at Hogwarts as the new Professor of Herbology.

He pulled a shiny object out of his pocket. Harry's eyes widened.

"The coin? You kept it all these years?" Neville nodded. He carried Dumbledore's army coin with him everywhere as a reminder to stay brave, even in the face of the darkest nightmares.

"I show it off to my students every now and again. They love it."

Harry chuckled. "I'm sure they do." He leaned closer, admiring the coin. "Never thought I'd see it again."

The moment was interrupted by a scream echoing through the castle. Harry's head snapped up, senses at the ready. Neville scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Some of the guests hadn't even noticed. Harry and Neville exchanged a look.

"So I'm not mad? You heard it, too?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised above his glasses.

"It might not have been anything. Perhaps one of the ghouls is making trouble again?" Neville suggested.

Harry cocked his head. "Perhaps. But I have a feeling it's something worse."

"You do have a habit of attracting trouble," Neville mused, pulling out his wand.

"Yeah, sorry." Harry did the same.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Neville said with a grin. It was true. Harry kept things interesting.