SMILE » n. longbottom

lxvi

"EXPLOSION"

Two boys were in the Room of Requirement, huddled in front of a mirror that had been in the corner of the room. A few papers had been taped to the mirror, such as some cutouts from newspapers and pictures of some people. The two boys previously mentioned were Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom. Neville's eyes were affixed onto the mirror and onto the objects attached to it, and Harry's were affixed onto Neville.

"Fourteen years ago, a Death Eater named Bellatrix Lestrange used the Cruciatus Curse on my parents," Neville finally spoke. "She tortured them for information, but they never gave in. I'm quite proud to be their son, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for everyone to know just yet."

Harry responded after a bit, sure in his words, "We're going to make them proud, Neville. That's a promise."

Neville nodded, as if absorbing Harry's insight. Neville thought to himself, rather half-enthusiastically that Harry would be the closest student at Hogwarts that had any possibility of how he could feel — both of their parents had been practically killed at the direct and indirect hands of Voldemort. But there was still a lingering fear that he could not give voice to. A small voice in his head whispered to him about how Harry had been gawked at due to him surviving Voldemort, but Neville did not want to be gawked at either. And he knew that would happen if the news came out about what Bellatrix Lestrange had done to his parents, especially due to rapid spread of the recent news of her escape from Azkaban.

The two boys looked up at a picture that was attached to the mirror, which the two of them recognized their own parents within the picture. Students of the DA slowly poured into the room with them, as a lesson was about to begin in a few minutes.

Harry began to instruct the students on the lesson for the charm Expecto Patronum, he began to teach them based off the way he was taught: "When you say the spell, think of a memory. Make it a powerful memory, the happiest you can remember — allow it to fill you up." He said, walking through the students who readily had their wands pointed upwards. Many students were getting a hang of the spell almost immediately.

Although Alana was confident when she was saying the spell, the spell did not really catch on. She puffs angrily, trying her hardest to concentrate. She closed her eyes, her wand hanging at her side. She pushed the other voices of the students out of her focus and kept trying to think of a memory to use.

There was a time before her first year at Hogwarts when her family was normal, as far as she could tell at the time. There was one particular day, her tenth birthday, that she distinctly remembered. The weather was perfect, and the day was perfect as well.

They were having a grand picnic at the lake that was just behind their family mansion, set up within a stone monument that was as practically as large as a room. It was only the three of them, which she was thankful for due to her parents always being so occupied in their work. So the overall moment meant a lot, and especially due to how she barely would see them on a daily basis.

She thought of that moment, and tried to concentrate the thought as she said the spell. The end of her wand fizzed for just a moment, and finally decided that she should try another memory. She dropped her wand to her side, and put it into her pocket. She crossed her arms and turned away from the crowd of students that were in the room. 

She stared at the wall, as she metaphorically scraped her brain for another memory that could live up to this one. But she knew consciously that this picnic memory wasn't good enough, since recently -- her parents were very different when compared to back then.

Her sorting ceremony into Hogwarts, enjoying some well-deserved butterbeer with Erise at Hogsmeade after a long study session, a day at Diagon Alley, getting ready with Erise for the Yule Ball. But they didn't seem good enough. So, she thought again.

This winter break at Neville's house was another memory that she could remember. She focused completely on her memory, closing her eyes to make sure nothing else distracts her: the breakfast with the Longbottoms, Christmas morning with them, the necklace that Neville had given her, and the kiss that they had shared. Her face became warm, and possibly red at the thought of it. She spoke aloud, making sure to annunciate: "Expecto Patronum."

She opened her eyes, and a bright blue light came out of the end of her wand, and as she followed the trail of blue, she saw a cloud of an animal that she could not believe to be hers. She retraced the trail of the charm, and there were no trails that intersected her own -- it was hers,  definitely. It was a falcon, its wings were practically the only thing she could perfectly look at due to the speed it was flying -- but it was a falcon, nonetheless.

Her eyes lit up as if in a proud disbelief, as she had accomplished casting the Patronus charm successfully. She waited until the charm was done, and clasped her wand to her side. She looked across the room for Erise, excited to see if she had completed the charm as well. But before she could find her, Alana caught a glimpse of someone else that had caught her eye. Neville.

She slowly steered through the students that were repeating the charm, to make her way to him. There was a blue light coming out of his wand, just like hers had. So, he must have done the charm successfully; but there was no animal form at the end of it. She continued looking up at the swirls that were coming out of his wand, and walked to the side of him. She looked up at his face, seeing if he was disappointed in what had happened.

But it did not appear that he was. She waited until his charm was done. "Where is the Patronus?" she had whispered.

"It was there. It just -- wasn't a form. You know?" he responded.

"I guess so. Have -" she paused.

Alana looked away from his face, and focused on the other side of the room. There were explosions coming from outside of the Room of Requirement, and although there were not much other students who noticed it, she did. Neville looked up, confused as to what had stopped her from talking.

More explosions again. Neville gripped at his wand tightly, and stepped to the side, making sure to be between the direction of the explosions and Alana. 

A louder explosion. More students noticed this, the blue light of the charms faded quickly, and the students turned and spoke in hurried shushed voices. The wall cracked open slightly, and light from the other side of the wall rushed into this room.

Alana looked up at Neville's eyes and noticed that his eyes were dark and focused. But as she saw the emotion in his eyes, her mind went straight to the thought of the Death Eaters that had just escaped as the news had not faded yet. She grabbed at his spare hand, as if preparing for what was to come.

Another, final explosion. The wall opened up completely, and the room was bombarded by the light that came from the explosion. Alana clasped at Neville's hand after being shocked from the sound and force that came from the spell. Pink was what was behind the wall. But as the dust cleared from the opening, everyone saw who was causing the commotion: Dolores Umbridge, followed by a few students from the Inquisitorial Squad, along with the caretaker Filch.

Alana's grip on Neville's hand softened, but she was worried about what was going to happen to her and the rest of the students in this room. Neville looked back at her, and squeezed her hand lightly.