The one that could have been

Back to school

Neville sighed. Because he was so tall he could look above all the heads of the crowd that was on platform nine and three quarters. As he expected the three people he respected the most of his fellow students Harry Ron and Hermione were not there. He knew exactly that this year would become quite different from every Hogwarts year before. He turned around to his grandmother and hugged her carefully. She wasn't the one who showed that much feelings. ‚Oh boy, be brave.', she said in a strictly voice. ‚I am afraid that you have to this year under Snape as headmaster. You are a Longbottom. Show them where you are from.' Neville just nodded, still hoping that Harry would suddenly appear. He was used to the expectations of his grandmother that she always wanted him to be just as his father was before the attack of Bellatrix Lestrange and her fellow death eaters. With a last ‚goodbye' he jumped on the train with his trunk in the one and Trevor in his other hand. He looked around and all faces he saw were worried and full of panic. The laughter sounded artificial and a little hysteric. On his left side was an empty compartment, so he packed his trunk and sat down on the bank next to the window. A loomy voice said ‚Hello, may I join you?' and as he looked to the door, Luna Lovegood smiled at him with her large bright eyes and the dirty blonde hair. Neville smiled back. Luna was always very kind to him, even after the DA meetings ended. She was a kind of strange, but in a very sympatric way. Also he was strange by himself. He knew that Luna was one of the few students who believed Harry's story about Voldemort's return at once and he also knew that Luna's dad Xenophilius Lovegood chief editor of the Quibbler wrote always just that every magical person's first priority should be to help Harry in his fight against the dark lord. ‚Sure', Neville said and pointed at the seat on the opposite. Luna sat down and stared at him pensive. ‚I do believe it, too.', she said after a while. ‚What?', Neville asked confused. „I believe, that Harry will return to Hogwarts this year.' Neville shook his head. ‚No. He would be dead by the time his foot crosses the door line. I don't know where he is, but I do know he isn't suicidal. We need him. Alive.' Luna smiled. ‚Of course I know that, Neville.', she said in a serious voice. ‚But I see that you wish he was here. I wish the same. He gave us all power. And I'm convinced he won't forget us, wherever he goes and whatever his mission is. He will come back to Dumbledore's Army.' Neville closed his eyes for a little moment. Oh yes, he wished, Luna's words would become true so deeply. Silently he wished good luck to Harry. As he opened his eyes again, Luna's smile was a little brighter. ‚You know what, Luna?', he asked her. „I'm of the opinion you shouldn't talk so freely about your point of view this year. I know you are direct and that's great. But you can never know who is listening.' ‚How true this is.', said a girl's voice from the door's direction and Ginny Weasley appeared. „Hey guys.', she said friendly. ‚I'm with Neville, Luna. On my way through the train while looking for you two, I only heard those Slytherin opinions like there shouldn't be muggle friends anymore or muggleborn are just pieces of dirt. If you say something friendly about a muggle or muggleborn or undesirable No. 1 you will be tortured or something.' They exchanged a dark look. ‚I haven't seen muggleborn students at the train either.', Neville answered. ‚They have to sign up at the ministry's muggleborn commission and if they are truly muggleborn they are brought to Azkaban or get murdered.', Ginny responded. „Dad told me. It is not easy for him at work to be honest.' Neville already thought something like that. Everybody knew Arthur Weasley was into muggles, it was a kind of obsession and the ministry got very drastic about this issue in the last few weeks. He looked into Ginny's brown eyes and saw tears. That wasn't normal, because normally Ginny never cried, she was a hard girl. But this was also a very hard situation. ‚Do you have any idea where... Ron is?', he asked her. Almost he asked where Harry was, but in his opinion she could barely control herself, if she hears his name. Neville wasn't that used to feelings, because a girl never liked him before, but he could see very clearly that Ginny loved Harry much. More than Dean or Michael Corner. She sniffed a little and shook her head. ‚I know they aren't just hiding.', she said and her voice sounded normal. ‚They have got a mission, something to defeat... him. Mum tried to figure out what it is, but they kept quiet and now they're gone. Did you hear the death eaters attacked Bill's and Fleur's wedding?' Neville nodded, but Luna looked confused. ‚But they are married, are they? The death eaters didn't came during the ceremony, right?' Ginny sighed. ‚No, Luna, they didn't. My brother is now the husband of Fleur.' That such things interested her! ‚Was anyone murdered?', Neville asked the more interesting question. ‚No, for god's sake, no.', Ginny answered. ‚Kingsley sent a patronus which saved the guests. The most of them just disapparated.' Neville nodded satisfied. ‚So... what do you think the life in Hogwarts will be this year?', Ginny asked to switch the topic away from her family. Luna seemed to wake up out of a dream. ‚I heard the Carrows will be teachers this year.', she said. ‚These two death eaters, you know.' Ginny's eyebrows almost touched each other and in a angry voice she said: ‚I can imagine how their lessons will look like.' ‚Better than the ones of McGonagall and Flitwick of course.', said a slowly cold voice from the door. Draco Malfoy with his body guards Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe on his sides showed up. Both of them were nearly two metric measures tall now and they looked more dangerous than ever. ‚If I was you, Longbottom, I would be more careful what I'm saying in front of the wrong person, if you know what I mean.' Malfoy waved with his left arm and his short sleeve revealed his dark brand. Neville and Ginny both came fast to their feet. ‚Go away, Malfoy. We aren't pleased to talk to you, understand?' But Malfoy just laughed and Crabbe and Goyle cracked threatening with their ankles. ‚I'm sure you will see soon you have chosen the wrong side.' Neville smiled. ‚Your side lost the last time, remember?' Malfoy pulled out his wand and hold the top against Neville's chin. ‚Do it, you weak coward.', he muttered. But Malfoy just chuckled. ‚You want to take Potter's place now. Longbottom? The Carrows and Snape will be amused.' ‚Say that again!', Ginny growled menacing. ‚Oh I forgot, Weasley, he was your holy icky Potter boyfriend, right? Has Neville replaced him also in this point?' Ginny looked as if she would punch him in the face in the next moment. ‚Shut up, Malfoy. I knew you are barely able to be human, but now you are surprising me. You are one of the most despicable person I ever met.' ‚Watch out, Longbottom.', Malfoy snarled. ‚Otherwise you go the same way as your parents.' He turned around with Crabbe and Goyle following him. ‚Calm down.', Luna said. ‚I think if you ignore him he can't be like this.' ‚I wish I had your peace, Luna.', Ginny answered. ‚If it goes like this the whole year, we need a good plan.' A great thought appeared suddenly in Neville's mind. If this was able to work... ‚I have an idea.', he said with a lowered voice. ‚Harry and Dumbledore may not be there anymore for us, but that doesn't mean we can't be there for them. What if we form the Army again? The DA? To rebel against the Carrows and Snape? Not with training of course, it's too dangerous, but... to stand together. What do you think?'