It's not easy to explain, but . . .

Chapter 9

"Thank you."  Ron stuttered, while Ginny nodded, balancing the growing stack of photos on her lap.

Next, Mrs. Longbottom turned to Hermione. "And you must be Hermione Granger?"

"Yes, I'm very pleased to meet you," replied Hermione, as she shook hands, surprised that Neville's Gran knew her name. 

"You've helped our Neville with a few sticky bits, I'm told . . . he's a good boy, but doesn't have his father's talent, I'm afraid."  Mrs. Longbottom turned to cast a look at the two beds, just visible at the end of the ward.

"Are those your parents down at the end?" Ron asked, realizing how he was embarrassing Neville, but knowing it had to be done this way.

Mrs. Longbottom swung her gaze over to her grandson. "Neville, haven't you told your friends about your parents?"

Neville sighed and shook his head no.

"There's nothing shameful, Neville, if anything you should be proud!"

"I'm not ashamed, Gran,"  whispered Neville. 

Mrs. Longbottom huffed, and then turned to address the others.  "My son and daughter-in-law were tortured into insanity by followers of You-know-who."  Ginny and Hermione put their hands over their mouths in shock.  "They were well respected Aurors, very gifted, don't you know and . . . yes, Alice dear, what is it?"

Neville's mother had come up behind Neville and was holding out her hand.

"Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary.  "very well, Alice dear, very well -- Neville, take it, whatever it is . . ."

But Neville  had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Droobles Blowing Gum wrapper.

"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder.  But Neville said quietly, "Thanks Mum."

His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring then to laugh, but Harry did not think he'd ever found anything less funny in his life.

"Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs. Longbottom, drawing on long green gloves.  "Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now . . . "

Just as Neville was pocketing the gum wrapper and starting to follow his Gran, Hermione grabbed his sleeve and stopped him.

"Neville!'  she hissed.  "Do you know what plant that is over on that night table?  I seem to remember seeing a picture of it, but can't remember it's name; it's so strange looking."

Neville cast a glance over to the bedside table and his eyes popped open as he gasped.  He looked around and spotted the ward Healer fussing around the bed of a patient on the other side of the ward.

"Healer Strout!" he called, as he headed over to her, causing his Gran to stop and turn around.

"Neville?" She retraced her steps and stopped next to Harry. "What is going on, Mr. Potter?"

"Don't have a clue, Mrs. Longbottom," Harry answered, as they watched Neville talking to the Medi-witch and pointing in Bode's  direction.  Healer Strout's eyes got wide and she bustled over, with Neville on her heels to inspect the writhing plant.

"Oh, my stars!  It IS Devil's Snare! This is a very dangerous plant, not something you give as a gift!   What foolish person would do such a thing?"  She sputtered.  "I might never have noticed, if you hadn't said something, Mr. Longbottom!  You may have saved Broderick's life!"