Hogwarts: Neville's Insert Chapter 95
Author's Note:
Hey guys!
Sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I've been having a really hard time writing lately—hit a bit of writer's block and just couldn't get my thoughts to flow into words. I'm really sorry for keeping you waiting.
Thanks so much for understanding and for all the support—it really means a lot! I'll also be uploading the next Kaito chapter later today, so stay tuned for that.
Hope you all have a great day, and again, thank you for being patient and understanding!
Crookshanks regarded him for a moment… then hopped closer and rubbed against Neville's hand.
Neville laughed under his breath and scratched behind its ears. "You're friendlier than you look."
The cat purred — loudly — a deep, lion-like rumble that vibrated through Neville's fingers.
'Hermione's going to love you,' Neville thought.
And right on cue, Hermione appeared beside him, having wandered over from the far aisle.
Her eyes widened the moment she saw the cat. "Oh…" she breathed, stepping closer. "He's beautiful…"
Crookshanks lifted a paw toward her, letting out that strange, throaty meow.
Neville smiled. "I thought you might like him."
A clerk appeared behind them, polishing his glasses as he approached. "Looking to purchase that Kneazle-cross?" he asked, eyebrow raised. "A bit older than the kittens, but very clever. Good judge of character, too."
The orange cat jumped down from the counter and sauntered over, brushing firmly against Hermione's leg.
Hermione let out a soft gasp and immediately knelt down. Crookshanks pressed his squashed face into her hand, purring like a tiny lion. Her expression melted at once.
"He's perfect," she whispered.
Neville couldn't help chuckling. 'It really does seem they were meant to be.'
…
Wednesday, 1 September 1993 – Platform 9¾
A sharp CRACK split the morning air as Augusta Longbottom appeared cleanly on the Apparition point, one hand gripping Harry's and the other clasping Neville's. Harry stumbled a little as his feet hit solid ground, while Neville—long used to side-along Apparition—barely wobbled.
The platform was quieter than usual; only a few scattered families were milling about, their voices low against the gentle hiss of the scarlet engine waiting nearby. They'd arrived early—half past eight, a full hour before departure.
"Come along, lads," Augusta said briskly, placing a steadying hand on each of them. She guided them away from the Apparition point, ever mindful not to block the next arrivals.
They stepped fully onto Platform 9¾, The Hogwarts Express gleamed under the sun lights, its engine letting out a lazy puff of white steam curling up.
Neville's gaze swept the platform. He scanned faces, searching for anyone who looked alert or official—perhaps an Auror or Ministry guard—but saw no one that fit the part. 'Maybe they're hidden,' he thought, 'under Disillusionment charms or cloaks.'
Harry glanced around, frowning slightly. "I've never seen this place this empty before—it's usually bustling with people."
"We're early, dear," Augusta replied matter-of-factly. "Most families don't arrive until half an hour before departure. Give it a bit, and it'll be packed soon enough."
They passed a pair of well-dressed wizards chatting beside a luggage trolley. Neville caught snippets of conversation, but he tuned it out quickly.
Augusta came to a halt and turned toward the boys. "Now then," she said firmly, "you'll both be all right from here?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah, we'll be fine, Gran."
Augusta's lips pressed into a thin line. "Good. Then listen carefully, both of you. I want no trouble this year. No running headlong into danger, no meddling where you've no business meddling, and absolutely no heroic nonsense."
Harry gave a small nod. "Right."
Neville let out a weak laugh. "Of course not, Gran."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't 'of course not' me, young man. I've half a mind to pull you both out of school as it is."
Harry tried not to smile. "It's not like we look for trouble, Gran."
Augusta sniffed. "Hmph. Trouble seems to have a way of finding you regardless."
Neville grinned. "Don't worry too much, Gran. We'll try to stay out of trouble."
Augusta arched a brow, her expression making it very clear she didn't believe a word of it. She sighed through her nose. "Very well. Please—try not to give me grey hairs."
Neville chuckled and leaned in to give her a brief hug. "Eh, I'll try."
Augusta patted his shoulder once, then asked, "Are you sure you lads don't want me to stay until the train leaves?"
Neville shook his head. "No, Gran, we'll be fine. We'll just grab some burgers and wait for Hermione."
Augusta paused, giving them both a stern look. "Well… alright. Please, stay out of trouble."
Neville smiled and gave her another quick one-armed hug. "See you at Yule, Gran."
Augusta sighed but nodded. "Yes, yes—come for Yule."
Harry smiled gratefully. "Sure, Gran. I'll be there."
"Good. Now off with you," Augusta said, waving them toward the train. "Find a compartment before the crowds arrive."
Neville waved as they started off. "Bye, Gran!"
With a small nod, Augusta turned and walked back toward the Apparition point.
Neville and Harry climbed onto the train, stepping into the front carriage before heading down the narrow corridor.
Harry glanced at one of the compartments and gestured toward it. "Well, most of the ones here are empty. Let's grab this one?" He reached for the door handle.
Neville scratched the back of his head and shook it. "Eh, let's go further down, Harry."
Harry frowned, looking confused. "Why? This compartment's empty."
"Malfoy and his lot usually camp out near the front," Neville explained. "Don't fancy bumping into him before we've even left the station."
The truth, though, was that he wanted to check if Lupin was already aboard.
Harry made a face. "Point taken."
They continued down the train, passing mostly empty compartments save for a few occupied by first-year and upper-year students chatting quietly near the windows.
When they finally reached the rear of the train, Neville frowned. The last compartment was empty as well.
Harry slid the door open. "Well, this one'll do," he said, stepping inside.
Neville followed, arms crossed, and his left hand rubbing thoughtfully at his chin. 'Lupin isn't here, he thought. Does that mean Sirius hasn't escaped Azkaban yet? Or maybe we're just early, and Lupin hasn't arrived yet...'
Harry had already pulled his trunk from his pocket. Drawing his wand, he muttered, "Engorgio," and the trunk expanded back to full size with a soft thump. He lifted it onto the luggage rack, then turned toward Neville, who was still lost in thought.
"Hey, mate—you alright?" Harry asked.
Neville blinked, shook his head slightly. "No, nothing," he said, pulling out his own trunk and unshrinking it before setting it on the rack. Then he sat down, still looking distracted.
Harry frowned, confused. "Well… aren't we going?"
Neville looked up. "Huh?"
Harry raised a brow. "Didn't you come early for that chicken burger? Aren't we going to buy them?"
Neville blinked, then nodded quickly. "Uh—right, right. Yeah, let's go."
He stood, and the two of them left the compartment together.
…
The Hogwarts Express let out a long, echoing horn before lurching forward. Steam billowed past the windows as the train began to move, gathering speed along the tracks.
On the platform, parents waved as their children leaned out of windows, calling last goodbyes until the station disappeared.
In the last compartment, Neville sat with Harry and Hermione. Crookshanks was curled up fast asleep on Hermione's lap, his cage sitting neatly on the floor beside her feet.
Hermione unwrapped her burger just as the train cleared the station. She took a bite, then shook her head in disbelief. "I still can't believe you two got here early just to buy these. Honestly, they're really unhealthy."
Harry, already finishing his own, balled up the wrapper and tossed it aside. "Don't look at me—he wanted them, not me," he said, nodding toward Neville. "But they're good. Might grab another one next stop."
Hermione gave him a look, half disapproving, half amused.
Neville, meanwhile, wasn't really listening. His gaze drifted out the window, following the blur of green fields and winding hedgerows as the train picked up speed.
Harry nudged him lightly. "Oi. Earth to Neville."
Neville blinked, dragging his focus back. "Huh?"
Hermione glanced over, concerned. "Neville? You're awfully quiet. What's wrong?"
Harry studied him too, frowning slightly. "Yeah, you alright, man? You've barely touched your food."
Neville blinked down at his half-wrapped burger, then forced a small smile. "Eh—just thinking," he said, taking a quick bite.
"About what?" Harry asked.
Neville shook his head. "Nothing much. Just… something I've been working on."
Hermione gave him a curious look but didn't press further. Instead, she smoothed a hand over Crookshanks's fur. "So, where are Hedwig and Lumina?"
"Oh—right." Neville swallowed. "They're flying to Hogwarts on their own. Lumina wanted to stretch her wings, and I asked Hedwig to keep an eye on her."
Hermione nodded. "Makes sense—she was restless the whole summer, cooped up in the manor." She stroked Crookshanks's head, earning a low, sleepy rumble.
Neville finished the last bite of his burger and stood. "I'll be back in a bit," he said casually.
Hermione looked up. "Where are you going?"
"Just stretching my legs," Neville replied, already sliding the compartment door open.
He stepped into the corridor, moving with an easy pace. To anyone watching, it looked as if he were just heading for the loo—but his eyes flicked to each window as he passed, quietly checking compartment after compartment.
Every one of them was filled with chatting students or sleeping owls. No sign of a shabby, sleeping man.
By the time Neville reached the end of the train, his brow had furrowed. 'Lupin isn't here. Does that mean he was never hired?' he thought. 'Well… if Sirius didn't escape from Azkaban, then Dumbledore wouldn't have had a reason to bring him in.'
'But why didn't Sirius break out of Azkaban? What changed? ' He turned around, absently rubbing his chin as he walked back down the corridor. 'If I remember right, Sirius only escaped after seeing Peter on the front page of the Prophet… and Pettigrew was only there because the Weasleys won the Daily Prophet lottery.'
He frowned even deeper. 'Wait. Molly and Arthur were at the Order of Merlin gala. If they'd won the lottery, they wouldn't have been there—they'd have been in Egypt visiting Bill. So that's it… they must not have won the lottery in this timeline. Which means no Egypt trip, no newspaper photo… and no reason for Sirius to escape.'
Neville's thoughts swirled as he retraced his steps down the corridor—until he almost walked straight into someone.
"Oh!"
Neville blinked and stepped back quickly. "Luna?"
She smiled dreamily, her radish earrings swaying. "Hello, Neville. You look miles away. Lost in thought?"
Neville rubbed the back of his neck, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Something like that. Just thinking too much, probably."
Luna tilted her head, considering this as if it were a complex riddle. "That sounds tiring."
Neville chuckled softly. "Yeah, it can be."
He paused, then asked, "You want to join us? Harry and Hermione are in the last compartment."
Luna's face brightened immediately. "Oh, I'd love to. Thank you."
Neville led her back down the corridor, the faint rhythm of the train filling the silence between them. When they reached the last compartment, he slid the door open with a smile.
"Hey, look who I found," he said.
"Hellu, everyone," Luna greeted brightly as she stepped inside. "Hope you don't mind me joining."
Hermione looked up from her book and smiled warmly. "Of course not, Luna. Come sit."
"Hey, Luna," Harry added with a friendly wave.
Luna took the empty seat beside Hermione as Crookshanks blinked lazily at her from Hermione's lap.
…
The Scottish Highlands were pouring.
Rain lashed against the castle walls, rolling in silver streaks down the vast windows of the Great Hall. Every few seconds, droplets slid down the enchanted ceiling, perfectly mirroring the storm outside.
At the front of the hall, Professor Flitwick stood beside a nervous-looking first-year perched on a three-legged stool. The Sorting Hat drooped low over the child's eyes.
"RAVENCLAW!" the Hat bellowed.
Flitwick beamed and lifted the hat away. The Ravenclaw table broke into polite applause as the tiny girl hopped off the stool and hurried over to her new housemates.
With a flick of his wand, Flitwick floated both the stool and the Sorting Hat aside before returning to his seat at the staff table.
Neville sat at the Gryffindor table, deep in thought, barely noticing the chatter around him.
"Oh," Hermione said softly, sliding into the seat he'd saved for her, "did I miss the Sorting?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah—they just finished."
Professor McGonagall passed them on her way to the staff table, her robes swishing as Flitwick took his place beside her.
Harry, who sat opposite them, beside Parvati. "So, what did McGonagall want with you?" he asked curiously.
Hermione looked up, a little too quickly. "It's nothing. She just wanted to talk about my course schedule."
Harry nodded slowly, then turned his attention back to the front of the hall.
Neville glanced at Hermione and caught a glint of gold—something peeking from beneath her collar. A thin chain. 'So she still got the Time-Turner, huh? At least that hasn't changed.'
He hummed lightly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Nice necklace, Hermione. Did you just get it?"
Hermione's cheeks flushed. She glanced down and stammered, "Oh—er—it's nothing. Just a present from my mum." She quickly tucked her shirt to hide the chain back beneath her shirt, looking to the front of the hall.
Neville chuckled under his breath but said nothing more.
Dumbledore rose from his seat. The Great Hall quieted almost instantly.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Dumbledore began, his voice echoing through the hall. "I have a few things to say to you all before we begin our excellent feast…"
Neville promptly tuned him out. His mind was elsewhere
"…and I am pleased to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Miss Hestia Jones," Dumbledore continued.
Polite applause filled the hall as a woman with short, dark hair stood up from the staff table and gave a small nod.
"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore went on, "I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching post in addition to his gamekeeping duties!"
The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers. Harry and Hermione clapped loudly, grinning ear to ear.
Neville barely noticed—he was still thinking, weighing what had gone wrong, what had changed.
At the staff table, Hagrid stood up beaming, nearly knocking over a jug of pumpkin juice in the process.
As the cheers and applause faded, Dumbledore raised his hands for silence.
"And now," he said, eyes twinkling, "before we begin our feast, I should like to draw your attention to a rather remarkable achievement that occurred over the summer. Some of you may have read about it in the Daily Prophet. One of our students accomplished something truly extraordinary—an honor of great significance with the help of one of our members of staff."
He turned toward the Gryffindor table, his gaze landing squarely on Neville.
Neville was still lost in his own head.
"Mr Longbottom," Dumbledore said warmly, "and Madam Pomfrey—if you would both please stand."
Hermione nudged Neville sharply.
He blinked, confused. "What?"
She nudged him again. "Stand up!" she hissed under her breath.
Neville blinked once more, then slowly rose to his feet, still not entirely sure what was happening.
Dumbledore spread his arms wide, his voice full of warmth and ceremony. "Let us all give a round of applause to Mr Neville Longbottom and Madam Pomfrey, for their groundbreaking work in discovering a treatment for blood malediction!"
Gasps and applause filled the hall—cheers rising from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and even a few hesitant claps from the Slytherin table.
"With the assistance of our very own Madam Poppy Pomfrey," Dumbledore continued, "they achieved something few Healers could even dream of. For this tremendous discovery, Mr Longbottom has been awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class."
The Great Hall erupted again, hands slamming the tables in applause.
Neville let out a quiet sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. 'Really, Dumbledore?' he thought. 'Did you have to announce that to the entire school?'
When the noise finally died down, Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Well done, well done indeed."
Neville sat down quickly, trying to disappear under the attention. Hermione beamed beside him while Harry grinned proudly.
As the applause faded, Dumbledore spread his arms once more.
"…And may we hope," he said, "that many more of you will strive for such excellence in the years ahead. Remember—help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
He clapped his hands lightly. "Now… let the feast begin!"
A soft chime of magic filled the air as the empty platters overflowed with food—roasts, puddings, and pies appearing before them in a shimmer.
…
Rain pattered softly against the windows of the Gryffindor boys' third-year dormitory. Outside, the storm still rumbled over the Highlands, but inside the room it was warm and filled with laughter.
The boys were gathered around Harry's bed, playing Every-Flavour Bean Roulette.
"Your turn, mate," Seamus said with a grin, holding out the box.
Harry sighed dramatically, reached in, and picked a dull brown bean. "Merlin, please let this one be chocolate…"
He popped it into his mouth—then gagged almost instantly.
"URGH—bloody hell!"
He spat the half-chewed bean into his hand and grabbed his water bottle, coughing between splutters.
Seamus and Dean burst out laughing. "What'd you get?!"
Harry grimaced. "Mud! Actual tastes mud!"
Dean nearly fell off the bed laughing. Even Harry was laughing by the end of it.
The door to the dormitory opened, and Neville walked in, towel draped over his shoulders as he rubbed his damp hair dry.
Seamus looked up and waved him over. "Oi, Neville! Come join us!"
Neville blinked, glancing at them. "What'd I miss?" he asked, walking over.
Every-Flavour Roulette," Seamus said proudly. "Wanna go? Have a try!"
Neville groaned, though a faint smile tugged at his mouth. "Not this again…"
"Come on mate, it's all in good fun," Seamus urged, shaking the box temptingly.
Neville sighed, reached in, and pulled out a bright blue bean. He eyed it suspiciously. "I've got a feeling this one's going to be soap again."
He popped it into his mouth. Pause. Chew.
Neville nodded thoughtfully. "Blueberry."
"Lucky git," Harry muttered, still wiping his tongue with a grimace.
Neville chuckled, glancing over at Ron, who was sitting on the bed next to Harry's. It was Ron's turn. As Neville's gaze drifted across, he noticed the bedside table — the spot where Ron usually kept Scabbers' cage — was empty.
Ron reached into the box, but Neville spoke up before he could grab a bean.
"Hey… Ron?" Neville asked slowly. "Where's Scabbers?"
Ron froze mid-reach, blinking in confusion. "A… what?"
Seamus, still snickering, looked puzzled. "Scabbers, mate! Your rat!"
Harry frowned. "Percy gave him to you. You've had him since the first year."
Ron stared at them all, brow furrowed in thought. Then his expression cleared slightly. "Oh—wait. You mean that rat?" He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "That thing was my pet? I thought it just wandered in. I remember seeing it on my bed one night, so I chased it off. Horrible little thing."
Neville felt the blood drain from his face.
Dean nearly choked laughing. "You chased away your own pet?!"
Neville's stomach twisted. "You… chased him away," he said quietly.
Ron shrugged helplessly. "No one told me it was mine! Never saw it again after that. Besides, why would I keep a rat as a pet? That's mental."
Neville's mind raced. 'Ron chased him away… where the hell is he now?'
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