Unofficial Portkey Archive

Neville Longbottom

Harry felt quite elated as he pulled on his robes and wrapped his cloak about himself. If it were all true, then he would get his parents back. How much he wished to see them, to know them, to talk, eat, sleep, and do so many more other things with them. He couldn't help but smile as he grabbed his Firebolt, but then the smile faded slightly. The Firebolt was a present from Sirius, and it was Harry's recklessness that got his godfather killed. Stalling at that moment also brought Hermione's voice back into his head, still telling him not to even think of leaving. With these thoughts conflicting with his happiness, he had spent more time standing there then he thought he did, because Miniscus came to ask him what was wrong.

"Nothing." lied Harry who had followed Miniscus over to the window.

With a swoosh, both flew out the window and were headed toward the center of London. Looking down, Harry saw only darkness, save the street lamps. No automobiles were out, and it seemed that everyone from Surrey all the way to downtown London were asleep. Soon, Miniscus took a slight turn left and Harry followed, and both landed outside a large building, square, and very high. As Harry got off his Firebolt, he noticed that several police cars were parked outside of it. Miniscus walked up the steps followed by Harry and they came upon a door. Suddenly Harry finally began to truly think:

"Wait, I'm only sixteen, I'm still not allowed to use magic outside of school." said Harry who backed up a bit.

Miniscus turned to look at him and noticed the expression on Harry's face, one of confusion and a tiny bit of fear. Laughing, he turned back toward the door.

"Alohomora, don't worry Harry, I'm seventeen, I can use it." Miniscus said as the door opened.

Stepping inside, they both looked around at the complete darkness.

"Lumos." muttered Miniscus as a light came from the tip of his wand, which looked remarkably old, but very defined as if he had just polished it.

The two continued to walk in silence, even though Harry had a billion and one questions to ask. Like why Miniscus was doing this, why he himself was doing this, then suddenly Hermione's voice broke into his head again.

"I can't believe you Harry; you threw away all caution to follow something that probably isn't even real."

Again, the voice penetrated into his head so hard that he thought she was standing right next to him. Looking to his side, he realized he had been foolish to think she was there. Laughing at himself he looked forward, but the light was gone.

"Miniscus?" Harry let out very silently as he walked forward, still not seeing the light Miniscus' wand should have been making. He also realized that when he looked to his side, he had hears a slight pop.

Moving toward a wall, his heart began to race, Miniscus had obviously Disapparated, leaving Harry to himself. Cursing himself silently, he walked further, not remembering where the door was, and having allowed that young wizard to lead him deep into the museum. Why did he allow that to happen? Was his love for his parents so much that he would believe anything that would give him sight to his parents? It wasn't the first time either; he had allowed something like this to happen in his first year at Hogwarts. He had come across a mirror named the Mirror of Erised, which let him see his parents in the reflection of the mirror. Shaking the sight of his parents from his head grudgingly, he continued, his hand in his robes, clutching his wand. If anything happened, he would use magic to get out. As he continued to walk, a light hit his eyes. At first he thought Miniscus had reappeared, but this wasn't the case, he was in a square room, its walls being decorated with masks and drawings, and the middle was a thick stone pedestal on which lay a key.

"The Potterkey?" asked Harry who stared at the key for another minute.

Walking over to the key, he read the label underneath it, true enough it read about having been found in Egypt. Looking at the key, he noticed intricate details on it, the key itself was gold, and it had a red phoenix emblazoned upon it. They key was about 5 inches high, and 2 inches thick, which meant it wouldn't be fitting any new house doors.. Harry's mind began to race as did his heart. So many things were going through his head; the very first and most prominent were his parent's faces. Reaching to touch it, he was close to grasping the glass around the key when a figure hurtled into him.

Harry's glasses were knocked askew as he lay spread out on the hard marbled floor of the museum, whoever it was that had run into him still lay atop his chest, breathing hard.

"Geroff." Harry managed to say urgently, hoping no one heard them.

Looking up Harry could see the blurred edge of light coming from up ahead in another room. Without bothering to find out who hit him, he pulled the person aside into a shadow area where the two were covered in darkness. The silent wheezing of the person next to Harry was not the only thing he could hear, footsteps could be heard as well. Just noticing everything was blurry; Harry felt his face, his adrenaline making him forget about his glasses. Searching the floor madly, the footsteps were getting closer. The steps were closer now and Harry still couldn't find his glasses. Looking to his side, he saw the light even closer than before, and he finally found his glasses. Pulling himself back into the darkness, he saw the torches held by the guards, whose footsteps echoed around the room, turn off. The two guards walked off through the room and into another, turning back on their torches and whistling. Their footsteps died out as Harry shoved his glasses onto his face and turned with a glare at the person who had run into him.

"Neville?" Harry asked very surprised, the anger subsiding from him because of the curiousness of the moment, but he felt pangs of desire whenever he caught glance of the key.

"H... Harry?" asked Neville, just as surprised.

"What are you doing here?" both asked.

"Trying to get the key." replied the same.

"That's non-sense, you wrote to me earlier and told me all about the key and to get it." said Harry as the adrenaline left his body, and the aches of Neville running into him coming back. He rubbed his ribs, frightened that they may be bruised.

"You wrote to me about the key." replied Neville who was rubbing his head, the body-part that launched into Harry's side earlier.

None of this was making the slightest bit of sense. Harry rubbed his head out of confusion, thinking about it way too hard. Neville saw him rub his head.

"Did... you hit your head too? I'm ever so sorry."

"No, I'm just thinking about what you've just told me." said Harry as he stood up, dusting his robes off, helping Neville up, he looked past the key toward where he had come in, the exit. "C'mon Neville, we need to leave, someone wanted us here when we shouldn't be."

With that, both got up, very quietly. Tip-toeing there way out of the room holding the mysterious key, Harry tried to retrace his steps when he stopped dead in his tracks, pulling Neville and himself into a deep and dark crook.

"So, all attention d'rected toward the key eh?" Came a voice from the room ahead.

"Yeah, and what a weirdo that gave it to us, a bowler hat he had on his head, lime green at that, what weirdo goes around in this type of day with a lime green bowler hat on?" answered a second voice.

Harry turned to Neville and mouthed the word "Fudge", but soon realized that not only could Neville not see him, but Neville was so terrified that he had shut his eyes tightly. The two guards passed back into the key room and their footsteps pounded off into the distance. Harry pulled Neville back out and both somehow made their way to the exit, which was still unlocked from Miniscus' spell. Outside, Harry breathed in the crisp air, still feeling slightly angry at the confusion he was in, but curiosity seeping through.

"Neville... were you visited by a young wizard named Miniscus Reading?" asked Harry, pulling Neville aside.

"M..Miniscus came to you too?" stammered Neville. "He came to my house, asked me if I wanted to go get the Longbottomkey, but I"

"Longbottomkey?" interrupted Harry, the moon reflecting off of his glasses. "Did you receive a letter that looked like it was from me?"

"Yeah, I told you, I got it earlier this morning."

"I got one that was written by you, and it told me about the Potterkey."

"Potterkey?"

"Yes, apparently someone wanted one of us to get our hands on that key."

"Who... and why?"

"I don't know... that Reading has something to do with this... I know he does." Looking out, he could see the sky was turning green, light was coming soon. "We need to go Neville, we shouldn't go for that key again. How did you get here Neville?" Harry asked as he grabbed his Firebolt.

"Broomstick, grand mum bought me a Comet a few weeks ago, she'd freak if she saw what I was doing with it though."

Harry nodded to him and walked with Neville to get the Comet Four-Ninety. Kicking off the ground, Harry felt the confusion and anger rush away from him as he rushed away from the earth. Soon enough the buildings were large squares. The night air was sharp, and the moon was now starting to share the sky with the sun. Looking at Neville, he waved good-bye before the two parted ways.

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