Hogwarts: Neville's Insert Chapter 83
"It might," Neville said, though he knew it didn't.
Luna's gaze drifted around the chamber, her lips moving slightly as though counting. "Oh, I know. This must be the place Daddy told me about — the Chamber of Mismatched Time. He said wizards built it to keep all the clocks that ticked backwards, so no one would ever accidentally turn into their own grandfather."
Harry froze, staring at her. Hermione's mouth opened as if to argue, then closed again, completely derailed.
"…what?" Harry finally managed.
Luna gave a little shrug, as if it were obvious. "It makes sense. Backward clocks can be terribly disruptive. Imagine trying to eat dinner when it's already breakfast."
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "That's not even—"
Harry glanced sideways at Neville, who only shrugged helplessly, lips twitching as he tried not to laugh.
And then—
Pop!
They all jumped as a house-elf appeared right in front of the hippogriff statue. Its enormous eyes blinked at them, ears twitching.
"Master Longbottom, sir!" squeaked the elf, bowing so low its nose nearly brushed the floor. "Jibber is so very happy to see you again!"
Neville blinked, recognizing him instantly. "Jibber?"
…
Tuesday, 17th February 1993 – Room of Requirement
Jibber nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, sir, Jibber it is!"
Neville asked, "Nice to see you again, Jibber. Is this the room you told me about? The one where you got the napsack?" He pointed to the satchel Harry was holding.
Jibber's eyes lit up. "Yes, yes! This is the room! Jibber took the napsack from here!" he exclaimed, bobbing his head vigorously.
Luna tilted her head, her gaze drifting up toward the rafters. "This room is full of Nargles," she said dreamily.
Harry shot her a glance, "Er… right. "
Hermione cleared her throat, ignoring Luna as usual. "Jibber, do you know who created this room?" she asked
Jibber's ears twitched as he popped toward the wall with the pictures behind the desk. He pointed at one of the moving pictures, his voice rising with excitement. "This is the Old student! Great wizard. He made this room when he was at Hogwarts."
They all leaned in to look.
Hermione gasped, her eyes going wide. "Wait—no way. That's Alaric Thorne."
Harry looked confused. "Who?"
"Alaric Thorne," Hermione said breathlessly, speaking faster with every word, "I've read about him before inHogwarts: A History. When we were researching for Riddle, I came across his name. He was a student here in the 1890s. Along with Professor Fig, he helped save wizarding Britain and put a stop to the Goblin Rebellion of 1890. They both died in the process., He's also remembered as the Hero of Hogwarts."
Neville's mind reeled. 'So I was right. The Hogwarts Legacy events… they actually happened.' He glanced around the room and thought, 'And this is the room he designed.'
Luna tilted her head, blinking thoughtfully. "I think I've heard of him before. Is he the one who's famous for… oh yes, breeding dirigible plums so large they floated away with an entire shed?"
Hermione gave an exasperated sigh. "No, Luna, that's absolutely not what he's famous for."
Harry raised his brows. "Never heard of him. Is he one of the ones Binns' been droning on about?"
Hermione gave him a withering look. "No, Harry. We've been learning about Urgruff the Unclean and the rebellion of 1612. And last year it was Urg the Unclean from the 1700s. Honestly, were you listening at all? Ranrok was part of the 1890 uprising—we haven't covered it yet. That comes up in our fifth-year O.W.L. syllabus."
Harry muttered, "Right. Knew that," though his expression said otherwise.
Hermione turned back to Jibber, her voice hushed but urgent. "Are you saying this really is his personal study?"
Jibber nodded, "Yes, miss, this was his personal study."
Hermione's eyes darted immediately toward the staircase spiraling up to the library balcony. "This is Incredible… his journals, his research notes… maybe even spells lost to history." She looked almost giddy, and Neville suspected she was a heartbeat away from bolting up the stairs.
Neville cleared his throat to ground the moment. "Jibber—you mentioned before that Alaric rescued magical creatures. Saved them from poachers. Are they still here?"
Hermione's head snapped around. "Wait, Magical creatures?"
Jibber's ears perked. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes! Over one thousand magical creatures. old student saved them from poachers and evil wizards. Brought them here."
Harry blinked. "Over a thousand? Here? In this room?"
The elf nodded. "Yes, yes, right here!"
Neville frowned thoughtfully, rubbing at his chin. "Well… It's been over a hundred years, hasn't it? If the creatures were rescued back in the 1890s, some of them must've bred since then. That would explain the numbers."
Hermione's eyes widened, excitement flickering behind her frown. "If that's true, this place could hold the only surviving populations of some species thought to be extinct."
"That's wonderful," Luna clapped her hands. Her voice, usually dreamy, carried an edge of urgency. "That means he might have saved at least one Crumple-Horned Snorkack?"
Harry blinked. "…A what now?"
Luna explained serenely, "They're spiral-horned creatures, they eat mistletoe and dance in moonlight. Quite rare. Daddy wrote an entire article about them once, in the Quibbler."
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose but kept her mouth shut, clearly fighting the urge to correct her
"er… maybe, " Harry awkwardly as he mouthed silently to Neville: She's making that up, right?
Neville shrugged helplessly, though his lips twitched with amusement. Then he turned back to Jibber. "Can we see them?"
The elf clapped his hands, eyes shining. "Come, come! It is feeding time. Jibber will show you! All types of creatures. You can help Jibber with feeding!"
He scampered eagerly toward a staircase, beckoning them along.
Hermione gave Neville a side-eye as she followed. "So… this is what you wanted to show us?"
Neville nodded, unable to hide his grin. "Yep."
Harry fell in beside him, glancing at the bird perched comfortably on Neville's shoulder. "And you think Lumina came from here?"
Neville gave a thoughtful nod. "I think so, she must have been where else the room would have gotten her egg." Lumina tilted her head at him and gave a soft trill, as though agreeing.
Jibber led them up the stairs and stopped before a tall, arched doorway set into the stone wall.
Neville thought, 'that's The Vivarium…'
Hermione tilted her head, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "What is this?"
"This is the Vivarium!" Jibber puffed his chest proudly, his ears twitching with excitement. "This is where the magical creatures are kept safe. Old student built it long ago to protect them. Jibber looks after them now." He turned and beckoned them in with both hands. "Come, come inside!"
Neville didn't hesitate. Harry, Hermione, and Luna followed close behind, curiosity outweighing caution.
The moment they crossed the archway, the air changed. Warm sunlight poured down from an enchanted sky. A breeze carrying the scent of grass and pond water brushed past them. The flat stone floor was gone, replaced with rolling meadows, patches of wildflowers, and glittering ponds scattered across the land.
Neville squinted. Enormous shapes glided down from the skies—Hippogriffs, their wings spread wide and On the grass nearby, Mooncalves waddled over on stubby legs, their enormous blinking eyes fixed on the newcomers with mild curiosity.
Harry turned in a full circle, staring at the endless field. "This is mental… it looks like the outside world. Are we sure it isn't actually connected to somewhere real?"
Hermione shook her head at once. "No—it's not the real outdoors. It's an enclosed space sustained entirely by magic. A self-contained ecosystem, like an expanded charm… only far more complex." Her eyes shone as she looked around. "I've never read about anything quite on this scale before."
Luna tilted her head, her hair falling into her face as she watched a Hippogriff soar overhead. "Feels like we stepped into a daydream someone forgot to wake up from."
Harry frowned. "Yeah, but the door's right there. Can't the creatures just… walk out if they feel like it?"
"No, no, student sir," jibber said, "Strong, strong magic keeps them in the vivarium," as popping up with a stack of heavy buckets of feed
He set the buckets down with a clank. The smell wafted up—one of raw meat, another of sweet fruit, and the last of green pellets.
Hermione wrinkled her nose and quickly opted for the pelltes. Luna followed, humming, and scooped up a pail of fruits.
"Where does the food come from?" Hermione asked curiously.
"From Hogwarts," Jibber said simply, as if that explained everything. "The castle provides."
They feed the moon calves who just waddled over to them
The creatures eagerly gobbled them up, blinking their enormous eyes at her as if in thanks.
Hermione's face softened. "It's just like last year when Hagrid took us to feed the Mooncalves."
Neville nodded, "But I think there are more of them here than in the den we saw."
The Mooncalves shuffled closer, bleating softly, and began nosing at her bucket. She crouched down, tossing handfuls of petals, and laughed as they munched happily.
A group of small, round Puffskeins tumbled out of the grass, squeaking as they rolled toward Harry's feet. He nearly tripped trying not to step on them.
Then—Pop! Pop! Pop!—a few sleek birds appeared out of thin air, vanishing and reappearing a few feet away as they darted toward the buckets.
They darted and vanished again, reappearing right by Harry's feet, snapping up scraps of food.
Harry jumped back with a yelp. "Oi! What are those? Never seen anything like them before."
Hermione grinned, pleased to recognize them. "Diricawls. In the Muggle world, they're known as dodos."
Harry stared at her, dumbfounded. "Hold on—what? Dodos were magical? But they're extinct!"
"Extinct to Muggles," Hermione corrected. "Not to us. Obviously."
Luna leaned down as one Diricawl reappeared with a soft pop, pecking at her shoe. "They're not rare at all, really. They just don't like being seen."
Neville noticed a few Jobberknolls flutter down to peck at the food Hermione had scattered. He turned to Lumina on his shoulder with a grin.
"Yeah, you look like them," he said softly, "only a lot bigger."
Lumina let out a sharp, indignant trill, her feathers flaring.
Neville chuckled and stroked her chest feathers. "Alright, alright—you're prettier too."
Before anyone could laugh, a sudden rush of air stirred the grass. A small, awkward sha
Before anyone could laugh, a sudden rush of air stirred the grass. A small, awkward shape swooped down and landed with a clumsy thump a few feet away. It was a baby Hippogriff—its downy feathers still patchy, wings slightly too big for its body. The little creature gave a curious snort and padded closer, head bobbing as it sniffed at the group.
Harry crouched down with wide eyes. "What's that? It looks—kind of like a bird, kind of like a horse…" He reached out a tentative hand.
"Harry—don't!" Luna said sharply for once, her dreamy tone gone. "That's a baby Hippogriff."
"A hippo-what?" Harry asked, jerking his hand back.
Before Luna could answer, a heavy thud shook the ground. An adult Hippogriff landed beside the baby, wings half-spread, golden eyes glaring. It let out a low, warning snort, and the baby immediately backed toward its parent.
The group froze. Nobody moved a muscle.
Neville swallowed and spoke calmly, "Hippogriffs are really territorial. One wrong move and you'll get hurt."
Harry's hand twitched toward his wand, but Neville shook his head quickly. "Don't. That'll just make it worse."
Neville stepped forward slowly. He kept his eyes lowered, bent at the waist, and gave a deep bow—head down, hands loose at his sides.
The adult Hippogriff tossed its head, feathers ruffling. For a long moment, it simply stared at him. Then, with a sharp snort, it bent forward in return. The baby mimicked its parent with a smaller, jerky bow.
Neville exhaled in relief and straightened. He took a piece of raw meat from the bucket and tossed it gently. The baby snapped it up. Another piece went to the adult, who caught it neatly in its hooked beak.
"See?" Neville murmured, edging closer. He set the whole bucket on the ground in front of them. The baby buried its head inside, happily helping itself.
Step by step, Neville approached the adult. He kept his movements slow and deliberate until he was close enough to raise a hand. The Hippogriff leaned down, allowing him to stroke the feathers along its neck.
A ripple of awe passed through the group.
Neville turned back to the others and beckoned. "Just do what I did. Bow first, wait for them to bow back. Don't rush, don't look them in the eye."
Hermione hugged her pail tightly. "Yeah, no. I'm perfectly fine standing right here."
Harry hesitated, shifting on his feet.
But Luna stepped forward without fear. She bowed gracefully, her blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. The Hippogriff regarded her for a long moment, then dipped its head. The baby copied it, feathers ruffling.
"They like you," Neville said with a smile.
Luna stepped closer and stroked the baby's beak. "You're lovely, aren't you?"
Just then, the rush of more wings filled the meadow. Two additional Hippogriffs swooped down and landed nearby. Hermione let out a startled squeak, stumbling back a step.
"Blimey," Harry muttered. He squared his shoulders, bowed low, and waited. One of the new Hippogriffs gave him a long look, then returned the bow. Grinning nervously, Harry tossed it a piece of meat and laughed as it caught it midair.
That left only Hermione.
Neville walked over gently. "It's fine, Hermione. Just try it. Bow deeply, don't make eye contact, and wait. They'll let you know."
Hermione bit her lip, staring at the nearest pair—a mother Hippogriff and her downy chick. With a shaky breath, she stepped forward, bent low, and kept her gaze fixed on the ground.
The mother studied her carefully, then lowered her head in return. The chick followed.
"There," Neville said quietly, handing her the bucket of meat. "Not so hard, is it? Now toss them something."
Hermione did, her hand trembling slightly. The baby Hippogriff snapped it up and, emboldened, waddled closer to her.
She crouched carefully and extended her hand. The chick leaned into it, feathers soft beneath her fingers. Hermione's face lit up with a genuine smile. "They're so soft," she whispered, stroking it gently.
The adult gave a low, approving rumble, and Hermione's shoulders relaxed.
When the buckets were finally empty, Jibber popped back into view. "Come, come! More to see!"
Hermione blinked, still petting the baby. "More?"
"Yes, miss!" Jibber clapped his hands. "Six vivariums, each with different environments. This is only the first!"
...
They soon left the meadow enclosure behind and made their way toward the next great archway. As they stepped through, the air grew thinner, drier, carrying the scent of stone and wind. The ground sloped unevenly, scattered with jagged rocks and cliffs that seemed to stretch up into a false horizon.
Neville squinted. "Feels like we've walked straight into the Highlands."
Hermione hugged her cloak a little tighter, scanning the rocky ledges. "What do you think we'll find in here?"
Before anyone could answer, a piercing trill echoed through the sky above them. They all craned their necks just in time to see two majestic shapes gliding across the currents—feathers blazing red and gold like living fire.
Hermione gasped, eyes wide. "Are those… phoenixes?"
Harry shielded his eyes with one hand, staring. "They look just like Fawkes."
Unlike Lumina's radiant blue plumage, these phoenixes shone in traditional fiery hues.
At the sound of his words, Lumina trilled from his shoulder, wings ruffling with excitement. Her eyes followed the pair above as though recognising them.
Neville chuckled softly and stroked her chest feathers. "Go on then, girl. Why don't you go meet them?"
With a burst of sapphire flame, Lumina launched into the air. Her song joined theirs, blending into a chorus of harmonies that filled the enclosure with warmth. The three phoenixes circled each other high above, trilling and crying out in joy.
Neville's lips curved into a small smile. "I think they might be her parents."
"Oh, look at them," Luna whispered, clasping her hands together, eyes shining as brightly as the birds. "Phoenixes are beautiful… they usually spend most of their lives alone, since there are so few left in the world."
Hermione tilted her head, still watching the birds wheel against the rocky sky. "That's rather sad, isn't it? To live most of your life alone."
The thought seemed to linger in the air, quiet and heavy, until her expression softened. She pressed a hand to her chest as she watched Lumina dive and twirl between the two red phoenixes. "But look at her now… She's glowing with joy. I don't think I've ever seen her so alive."
Harry nodded slowly, a faint smile tugging at his mouth despite himself. "Can't blame her. I'd be thrilled too if I suddenly found family after thinking I was the only one left."
Neville said nothing, just stood there, quietly watching lumina fly around with the other phoenixes as they wheeled and called to one another, their cries echoing like music across the mountains.
Hermione, meanwhile, had her back turned. A faint rustling made her glance over her shoulder. From behind a cluster of rocks, a small, horned head peeked out—curious eyes blinking up at her.
Hermione's brows furrowed. "Huh. And what are you, little guy?" She crouched slightly, holding out a scrap of meat from the bucket. "Do you want some?"
The creature gave a soft grunt and trotted closer.
Harry's voice piped up, wary. "Er… Hermione? What is that thing?"
Neville spun, his eyes widening with excitement the instant he recognized it. "That's a Graphorn! They're supposed to be extinct. Only Newt Scamander had the last remaining pair." His voice was breathless, almost reverent.
Hermione's mouth fell open. "Extinct? And you're saying—" She glanced down at the young Graphorn nudging her hand for more food. "—this is one of them?"
Neville turned sharply to Jibber. "How many? How many are here?"
Jibber puffed his chest proudly. "More than one hundred Graphorns, sir. Old student rescued them, raised them safely. Families grew here."
Hermione gasped. "One hundred…" She looked back at the calf, which was happily chewing the meat she'd offered. "This… this is unbelievable."
Harry let out a low whistle. "Blimey. Hagrid would faint dead away if he saw this."
A smaller calf bounded up to join the first, both pressing against Hermione's legs. She laughed despite herself, feeding them each in turn.
Neville couldn't stop smiling at the sight.
But then the air shifted. A low crack of thunder rumbled overhead, though the sky had been clear only moments before. Wind whipped across the rocky ledge, tugging at their robes.
They all looked up.
A massive shape hovered in the storm clouds, wings stretched wide, sparks of lightning flickering across its feathers as it descended.
Harry instinctively drew back. "What now—?"
Luna's eyes went wide with delight. "Oh! A Thunderbird!" She fished a strip of meat from her bucket and tossed it upward without hesitation. "Aren't you a beauty?"
The bird swooped lower, catching the offering in its hooked beak.
Neville frowned slightly. "But… they're supposed to be native to America. What's it doing here?" He muttered under his breath, Did Alaric save it from traffickers? Then, almost wistfully, he remembered Frank—the Thunderbird Newt Scamander had rescued decades later. But the one before them was smaller, less scarred. A young one, perhaps.
While they marveled at the magnificent bird, Hermione remained crouched, gently stroking the horn ridge of the baby Graphorn.
Then the earth rumbled.
Neville froze, his stomach plummeting. He whirled around just in time to see a massive adult Graphorn pounding across the rocks, horns lowered, eyes locked on Hermione.
"Hermione!" Neville shouted.
She jerked her head up, eyes going wide in horror as the beast thundered toward her.
Without thinking, Neville sprinted forward. He crashed into Hermione, shoving her hard toward Harry and Luna, who caught her as she stumbled.
Neville barely had a second to brace himself before the shadow of the Graphorn fell over him. He squeezed his eyes shut, arm raised uselessly—
—but the crushing impact never came.
Slowly, he cracked his eyes open. The great Graphorn loomed above him, snorting hot air into his face, its horns gleaming inches from his chest.
But it wasn't charging anymore.
Its breathing slowed, muscles loosening. The fury in its golden eyes dimmed, replaced with a strange, watchful calm.
Neville let out the breath he'd been holding. His hand, trembling, reached up. He pressed his palm gently against the Graphorn's rough forehead.
"We're not here to hurt you," Neville whispered. "We're not here to take anything. Just to learn."
The Graphorn rumbled deep in its chest, then stilled.
The calf trotted forward, pressing against Neville's side with a soft grunt, as if in approval.
And then blue fire flared.
Lumina burst into existence above Neville, her wings spread wide, her trill piercing and protective. She landed on his shoulder, feathers blazing, eyes locked on the Graphorn like she dared it to try anything.
But the great beast only snorted once more before stepping back, as if acknowledging him.
Behind them, Hermione was pale and shaking, clutching Harry's arm.
Neville turned back quickly, raising a hand. "It's alright. Slowly—back away. Don't make sudden moves."
Harry nodded, keeping one arm around Hermione as he and Luna guided her toward the exit. Neville kept pace beside the Graphorn until the group slipped out of the enclosure.
The moment the door sealed behind them, Hermione collapsed to her knees on the stone floor, gasping for breath.
Neville dropped beside her. "Hermione—are you okay?"
Her lip trembled, and then she lunged forward, wrapping him in a desperate hug. Her sobs shook against his shoulder.
Neville blinked, startled, then gently patted her back. "Hey, it's alright. You're safe. Nothing happened."
Lumina trilled softly, fluttering down to nuzzle Hermione's hair, her song soothing.
Jibber appeared with a pop, wringing his long hands miserably. "Oh no, no, no! Jibber's fault. Jibber should have warned, should have been careful—"
Harry stepped in quickly, holding up a hand. "No, Jibber. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known. None of us could."
Neville nodded, brushing dust off his robes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing happened."
Harry let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Nothing happened? Neville, I thought you were about to be trampled flat by that Graphorn! That was way too close."
Hermione, still clinging to his sleeve, let out a shudder. "If you hadn't pushed me—"
Luna tilted her head thoughtfully and patted Hermione's shoulder with surprising gentleness. "Don't worry. Creatures can tell more than people think. It probably realised Neville wasn't a threat. Or maybe it saw Lumina."
Hermione gave her a watery little laugh. "Or maybe it saw dinner."
Luna smiled serenely. "No… it wouldn't eat you. Graphorns prefer tougher prey. Dragons, sometimes."
Harry blinked. "That's supposed to make her feel better?" then Harry shook his head and looked back at him. "Seriously though—why did it stop? The way it was charging Hermione, I didn't think anything could've made it pull back."
Harry exhaled sharply. "Why did it stop? The way it was charging at Hermione—I didn't think anything could've made it pull back."
Neville shook his head. "I'm not sure. Maybe it realised we weren't a threat. Or maybe… it was just making sure we stayed away from its calf."
He paused, then added thoughtfully, "I think these graphorns were rescued at some point, but they've probably been out of contact with humans for over a century. To them, we're strangers—maybe even threats—especially when their young are involved."
Hermione swallowed hard, still shaken.
Neville straightened, his voice firm. "That's why we need to keep this place secret. If word got out… well, imagine if Malfoy and his father ever discovered it. These creatures wouldn't stand a chance."
Harry grimaced at the thought, nodding.
"And another thing," Neville went on. "We shouldn't come here alone. Always bring someone with you. That means you, too, Luna." He glanced at her seriously. "It's too dangerous. We don't know what else lives in this vivarium. If you need a quiet space, use the other room—just don't use this one."
Luna nodded. "Understood."
Harry let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah, well—I think I'll stick to the other room. Less chance of getting flattened."
Neville then glanced at the clock set into the stone wall. It was just past four. He turned to Hermione. "How about we go and take a look at Alric's library before dinner? Might be a calmer way to end the day."
Hermione gave a watery smile, still clutching his sleeve. "I'd like that."
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