Sapphire (Lazuli Book #3) - Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter Twenty

"Neville!" Harry exclaimed, a grin lighting up his face for what seemed like the first time in ages. "Don't you look..."

"Like hell I reckon," Neville retorted with a cheeky grin, creeping forward to the front of the tunnel and crouching down so we could see him properly. "This is nothing," he added, pointing to his face and shrugging his shoulders. "Seamus is worse."

I studied Neville carefully, and noted how he had changed since the last time I had seen him, at Bill's wedding nine months ago. He seemed to have grown taller, and his previously bucked-teeth had been straightened in a similar way that Hermione had done in the fourth year. His dark hair was cropped shorter and in a more age appropriate style rather than the old man's way it had been cut last year, and there was more confidence in his grin despite the fact that it looked painful for him to smile. Judging from the injuries, he'd become accustomed to arguing with the Death Eaters that taught at the school, and if there was one thing that the Death Eaters despised, it was headstrong young Gryffindors.

We had barely noticed Aberforth quietly slinking back in behind us until Neville lifted his head to speak to the old man. "Hey Ab," he greeted him, as if they were old friends. "We've got a couple more coming through."

There was a difference in Neville's tone, too. He sounded like a leader now, having adopted the same voice that Harry would use in all of those sessions of Dumbledore's Army. I crossed my arms across my chest and smirked to myself - it looked as if Neville Longbottom had finally found the Gryffindor within him.

Harry looked over his shoulder at Aberforth and nodded, before heading over to where Neville was crouching in the tunnel and moving a chair over so he could climb up. Neville took a step back to allow Harry in, holding out his hand and helping to haul him up. Hermione followed, then Ron, and finally I brought up the rear. I grinned at Neville as he lifted me up and squeezed him into a hug once I was steady in the tunnel. Beneath my arms, I could feel that he had become muscular as well. The infamous nerd Neville Longbottom had been working out?

"It's good to see you, Li," he greeted me as he released me. I nodded, "likewise," I added.

"Last thing I heard you'd been living with the Malfoys for the past six months? How was dear Bellatrix?"

I thought about how Bellatrix had tortured Neville's parents and driven them to insanity, so much so that they didn't even recognise their own son, and understood the hatred in his voice better than most. I rubbed his arm sympathetically and nodded. "Don't worry Neville, I'll help you get your chance at her soon enough."

Neville nodded and then turned away, moving to the front of our little group to lead the way. "Thank you, Mr Dumbledore," I called back to Aberforth as the portrait began to swing shut again. I just saw him nod, and the portrait shut, leaving us with the dark tunnel and only Neville and his wand as guidance.

"I don't remember seeing this on the Marauder's Map," Ron commented as we began to amble along. Neville lifted his wand and was careful to duck beneath a sharp edge. "That's because it never existed until now. The seven secret passages were sealed off before the start of the year. This is the only way in or out now."

We proceeded onwards, being careful not to trip. The floor of the tunnel was uneven, as could be expected from something that was clearly hastily built, but it served its purpose. We were getting in.

"The grounds are crawling with Death Eaters and Dementors," Neville rambled, filling us in on all we had missed in our absence. "How bad is it with Snape as headmaster?" Hermione asked. Neville shrugged. "Hardly ever see him. It's the Carrows you need to watch out for."

"Carrows?" Harry asked in confusion. I thought about the two Death Eaters I had met a couple of times at Malfor Manor, and shuddered in thinking of them teaching a class of innocent first years. "They're brother and sister," I spoke up, before proceeding to describing the pair in vivid detail for the benefit of Ron, Harry and Hermione. Neville no doubt knew exactly what the Carrows were like.