The Forgotten 7th Year

After the Prank

Neville's POV

Rays of light made their way under my closed eyelids. I slowly opened my eyes to a completely changed room.

Socks were no longer strewn across the floor, and books were not lying open on beds. Drawers were neatly closed instead of hanging open with clothes sticking out.

Neither Seamus nor Hannah was there, so I made my way down the steps into the Common Room.

I instantly spotted her. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail. She was talking animatedly to Lavender. I started to make my way over to her, but Ginny tapped my arm.

"Neville, a word?"

I walked over to her.

"Don't you think you're taking things a bit fast with Hannah?"

"What?" I was busy looking over Ginny's shoulder at her and Lavender's conversation.

Were they talking about me? What were they saying?

"I mean, you've only been dating for 12 hours, and you spent the night with her."

That got my attention.

"What! No, no, no. We didn't, we're not, we're just friends."

"Mhhhm." Ginny put her hands on her hips and looked sternly at me. "Then, why are you looking at a point a couple inches over my left ear, and not looking at me? We're having a conversation. Is there something more interesting to look at? If I look behind me, oh yes! There's Hannah. At a point a couple inches above my left ear.

So, if you don't like her, why are you staring at her?"

"Err. I got to go."

I sped out of the Common Room, thinking of how best to kill a few hours.

***

Hannah rejoined the Hufflepuffs without incident. They'd been worried sick, and some people had almost gone looking.

Seamus still hadn't returned.

Once we were inside the Great Hall, owls swooped down. To my surprise, one of them landed in front of me.

Mr. Longbottom,
Please meet me in my office today at 1:00.
Severus Snape

It was short, but held quite a bit of dread in those three lines.

I showed the letter to Ginny. She hadn't gotten one. I pushed it out of my mind. I couldn't do anything, so no use worrying.

Despite my mental assurances, I had suddenly lost my appetite.

Like with the detention, time seemed to speed up. Soon I was walking up to the Headmaster's Office.

The gargoyle leapt aside as I walked up. I stepped onto the spiraling stairs, and let them carry me to what was very probably my doom.

Outside, the office, I heard arguing voices

"The Dark Lord needs those documents, Severus."