Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; it belongs to JK Rowling, etc etc.

Authors Note: Slight warning for this chapter. I won't tell you what, but towards the end we have an uncomfortable scene. Hope you enjoy.

The morning they arrived back at Hogwarts was also the morning that the most recent Hogwarts attack was made public. Harry, Hermione, Draco, Ginny and Ron sat at the Gryffindor table eating their lunch when Neville came up to them, holding the morning edition of the Dailey Prophet.

'Have you seen this?' he asked, thrusting the paper out at Harry. He avoided looking at Ginny and Draco.

'What?' Harry asked, taking the paper. His face paled as he studied it.

'What is it Harry?' Hermione asked, worried.

'I'll kill him,' Harry ground out, dropping the paper and getting up. 'Come on Draco.'

Harry stormed off towards the Hufflepuff table and Draco shrugged and followed. Hermione picked up the paper and read the title aloud: 'I was attacked inside Hogwarts.'

Realisation dawned on Ron's face. 'Justin,' he said.

'Come on,' Neville said, 'I think Harry really might kill him. We better stop him.'

Ron got up to follow Neville. Ginny and Hermione shared one look, and then followed as well.

They hadn't even got half way when they heard Harry yell, 'Hey pansy,' all the while bearing down on the startled boy. The Great Hall went silent. Obviously, the Hufflepuff had been expecting this. He quickly tried to get up, but Draco intercepted him, putting a hand on his shoulder and making him sit back down.

'Sit down idiot,' Draco drawled, leaning over Justin and pinning him in place with a firm hand.

'Are you stupid?' Harry asked, leaning over his other shoulder, face inches away from Justin. 'I mean, really, are you that dumb? What did Dumbledore tell you? What did I tell you? And what do you do? You go and tell the whole damn story to the Prophet!'

'P-people deserved to k-know,' Justin stammered.

'What do you know?' Harry retorted. 'You have no idea what it means to be fighting a war. To you, it's just some way to get your name in the paper, isn't it? I have half a mind to blast your face off.'

'Harry,' Hermione said, taking his arm, 'come on. It's done. You can't change it.'

'You just did Voldemort a huge favour boy,' Harry said, leering. 'Are you happy?'

Justin went red in the face. 'You don't know…'

'I do,' Harry said. 'Rufus will be furious when he finds out, which I'm sure he already has. He'll close the school. Send everyone home. And let me tell you, if you don't think you're safe here, you definitely aren't safe at home. I hope Voldemort comes for you first. I really do.'

'Come on Harry,' Hermione repeated. Harry went with her as she pulled him away.

'Nice going,' Draco said snidely as he followed, ruffling Justin's hair mockingly. Ginny took Draco's hand as they trailed behind Harry and Hermione back the Gryffindor table. Justin looked pleadingly at Ron, seeking understanding from someone. He didn't get it. With a shake of his head, Ron left as well. Only Neville remained, but he ignored Justin as Seraphina came down the table to talk to him and ask what all the commotion was about. He took her back to the Gryffindor table, telling her all about it.

Dumbledore told Harry that Scrimgeour was talking with the board of governors, attempting to get them to consent to leave the school open for the time being.

'It wasn't easy to get the Minister to agree to it, Harry,' he said, 'so don't go rocking the boat. I know you dislike the man, but try and put that aside for now.'

'I will,' Harry said, but grudgingly.

'Sirius has a lead on Mundungus,' Dumbledore also mentioned. 'We think his brother might know more than he is letting on. Remus and Alastor will be paying him a visit soon. We'll find him and the Horcrux Harry.'

'We better,' Harry said, 'because if we don't, defeating Voldemort will be a mite trickier than it should be.'

'My family always said that I was almost a Squib,' Neville was saying, as he sat with Seraphina in the unused classroom. 'I believed it myself until I performed my first bit of accidental magic.' He chuckled. 'I was so scared, but everyone else was proud. I always thought of myself as weak because I could never do anything right.'

'You're not a Squib,' Seraphina said, 'and you're not weak either. I see a quiet strength in you. Harry Potter must have seen it as well, why else would he have taken you under his wing?'

'I suppose,' Neville replied, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously, embarrassed at Seraphina's flattery.

They sat across from each other at the end of the long bench like table, but Seraphina had taken his hand across the table intimately and wouldn't let it go. He was blushing more than he liked. It made him feel stupid, that such a simple act would embarrass him so much. If Serphina noticed, she didn't care.

They had been talking for hours now, walking through the halls of Hogwarts. It was Neville and Harry's turn to patrol the corridors tonight. Harry was working the upper levels of Hogwarts. Neville was left to patrol the bottom levels. Seraphina had insisted on accompanying him and had also dragged him into this abandoned classroom against his will. He was supposed to be doing a job, but he couldn't say no to her.

'Sera,' he said, 'I really should be doing my job.'

She smiled at him in her sweet way that drove him crazy. 'I know,' she said, 'but then I'd be all alone. And we wouldn't be here. Alone.'

Neville gulped at the implication. 'I know,' he said, fighting through the nerves. 'I want to be here, I r-really do.'

'Then do,' she said, as if it was that simple.

'But,' he began.

Seraphina interrupted him sharply, 'Neville!' He looked up into her eyes and her beautiful smile. 'Stop talking,' she said, 'and just kiss me.'

It felt like it took him a thousand years to lean across the divide and meet her half way, but it was actually less than two seconds. The kiss was chaste and over in a second. Seraphina moved back and beamed her smile again. 'That's all I wanted,' she said. 'Next time don't make me wait so long.' She stood up and offered him her hand as he was still processing the kiss. 'Walk me to my dorm?'

'Y-yeah,' Neville stammered, taking her hand and allowing her to lead him out of the room. Seraphina left first. She was also the first to notice the four cloaked figures waiting outside the door. Her scream was cut off before it could start by a quickly fired stunning spell. She collapsed back into Neville, who caught her instinctively. 'Seraphina!'

'Shut your mouth Squib!' A harsh voice called, pointing a wand over the Hufflepuff girl's prone body, right in Neville's face. 'Back up. In the room. Now!'

Neville did as instructed, trying to conceal the fact that he was also reaching for his wand. The four Death Eaters followed him into the room. The door shut and locked magically behind them.

'Drop the witch,' one of the other Death Eaters ordered. Neville slowly lowered her to the floor, his wand in his hand and concealed by her body. 'Now get up. Up!'

Neville stood up quickly, whipped his wand up and fired the first spell that came to mind, which just happened to be a stunning spell. The red light flashed and slammed into the Death Eater on the right, sending him flying backwards into the wall. In that instant, several Cruciatus Curses slammed into Neville's body as he tried to dodge and failed. His body twisted uncomfortably and fell to the floor.

'Not a smart move Longbottom,' the leader of the Death Eaters said, walking up to Neville and kicking his wand away. He also aimed a harsh kick into Neville's gut, driving the wind out of the fallen wizard. 'Wake him up Brocklehurst,' he said, pointing to the far Death Eater. 'And Crabbe, bind this Blood Traitor to the chair.'

Neville groaned in pain as Crabbe lifted him easily and slammed him into the nearest chair. With a flick of the Death Eaters wand, thick, heavy ropes coiled around him and the chair securely.

'Hey, Nott, you promised,' Brocklehurst said, grabbing hold of the leader of the Death Eaters and whirling him around. 'Don't forget what you promised.'

'I haven't forgot you crazy bitch,' Nott said angrily, jerking his arm back. 'Keep your knickers on. You'll get your go. First though, let's have some fun with the Squib.' He turned back to face Neville. 'I hear that old hag Lestrange tortured your parents into insanity.'

Neville growled angrily and thrashed against his bounds as Nott and the others laughed at his attempts.

'I hear your father crapped is pants he was so terrified,' Nott taunted. 'And your mother, well, she begged for her life. Even offered you up to Lestrange in exchange, but even then everyone knew you for what you are - a pathetic excuse for a wizard. A squib if ever there was one.'

'Liar!' Neville snarled.

Nott laughed. 'Whatever you need to tell yourself,' he said. 'Okay Brocklehurst, it's your turn. Make it good.'

Nott, Crabbe and Goyle withdrew a little. Mandy Brocklehurst, of the Ravenclaw house, stripped off her Death Eater mask and tossed it to Nott, who caught it deftly. Then she knelt down beside the unconscious Seraphina Labelle. She let her hand trail along the other girl's body, hiking up the French girls robes a little, revealing creamy thigh. Mandy licked her lips but moved on.

'What are you doing?' Neville raged.

'Shut up,' Mandy said, caressing the unconscious witch. 'You're ruining the moment.' She laughed a little and rolled Seraphina over, so that she was straddling her waist. 'Hmm, she looks so sweet, doesn't she Longbottom?' Neville growled as she continued her invasive actions. The female Death Eater leaned forwards, bracing herself either side of Seraphina's limp head, and licked slowly along the witch's cheek, from just under her ear all along to the side of her nose. 'So sweet,' she cooed.

Neville felt tears come to his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing. He didn't want to watch this. He struggled futilely against his bindings. 'Stop it!'

Mandy Brocklehurst looked up at him with pointed eyes. 'Keep your mouth shut if you want this to go smoothly,' she threatened. 'Now, let's wake this bitch up. It's no fun if she doesn't know what's happening.'

'No!' Neville cried, struggling again. Mandy got up and slapped him across the cheek.

'I said shut up!'

'Don't,' Neville begged. 'Please. Not her. Do anything you want to me, but not her.'

Mandy laughed mockingly. 'You think I'm interested in you. Ugh. No thanks. Your girl on the other hand…. Mmm, she is ripe.' Mandy crossed to the unconscious girl and reached up under Seraphina's robes. She pulled and tugged, removing the girl's underwear. She stood with a flourish, brandishing the garment in her hand. 'Ta-da! Oh yes, how nice. Look, she has little pink hearts on her nice cotton panties.' She showed them to Neville with an evil smile.

Neville felt his rage reach new heights. His body was tense and straining on it's own as he struggled against his bonds. He wasn't going to let this happen. He couldn't! Power pulsed inside him. Power he had never felt before. 'Let her go,' he snarled. 'If you don't, I'll stop you.'

Mandy and the rest of the Death Eaters laughed.

'How Longbottom?' Nott asked through his chuckles. 'You're tied to that chair and there isn't any way you can get free!'

Neville felt tears leaking from the corner of his eyes. He needed to get free, but he didn't know how. He needed his wand. He needed Harry. He couldn't do it on his own. He was useless. Almost a squib.

'You're not a Squib and you're not weak either. I see a quiet strength in you. Harry Potter must have seen it as well, why else would he have taken you under his wing?'

Seraphina's words flashed in his mind.

The power pulsed again, sparking like electricity. The ropes that bound him singed and crackled. Mandy backed up in surprise.

'What was that?' she asked, turning startled eyes to Nott.

Nott shook his head in a negative. He had no idea.

Neville's face had turned red from strain as he pulled and tugged at his restraints. Energy began to crackle again, surging in spikes of power.

Nott backed up. 'Just finish your business Brockehurst,' he said, trying not to sound afraid.

'Maybe we should just kill them and get out of here,' Crabbe suggested.

'I'm not going to run from this Squib!' Nott roared at Crabbe.

'Just kill them!' Goyle agreed.

'No!' Nott cried.

Brocklehurst looked down at Seraphina and then up at Neville, indecision all over her features.

'I'm doing it,' Crabbe said, striding forward with his wand drawn, aiming it at Neville.

'Yeah!' Goyle agreed, brandishing his own against Seraphina.

'Don't!' Brocklehurst and Nott shouted at the same time.

The two thugs cast their spells. Neville roared in fury. Magical energy spiked to it's fullest, engulfing the room in tangible electricity. The spells veered off course with the force of the surge and flew up, slamming into the ceiling above the two Death Eaters. Stone and rubble came crashing down to bury them. Dust filled the air. Neville tore free of his restraints with another surge of power.

'Run!' Nott bellowed through the fog.

Neville heard the door open and slam again. He lurched to the door, waving his hands to try and clear the air, stumbling around the pile of rubble that covered Goyle and slamming into the door. He yanked it open and fell into clear air. He looked up and down the corridor, but there was no sign of Nott or Brocklehurst. He collapsed to his knees and cried in a mixture of terror, exhaustion, rage and frustration.

The Death Eaters had managed to escape again.