Letters

Neville trudged to his quarters at the base of Gryffindor tower. 'Puffapod,' he said tiredly to the lion that guarded his door. The lion slid aside and Neville plopped on the sofa, just as Hannah came though the fireplace. 'Why did I agree to be the Head of Gryffindor House?' he asked conversationally.

'Is this a trick question?' Hannah sat at the other end of the sofa, and toed her shoes off, leaning back against the cushions.

'No. I'm not the only Gryffindor on staff. Calli Trentham is a Gryffindor. She could do this.'

'This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that half the Potter-Weasley brood are here, now, would it?'

'Maybe...'

'What did Fred and Jacob do this time?'

Neville's lips twitched. 'It really was funny,' he admitted. 'They "accidentally" put a Sonorous charm on Vincent Goyle while he was in the loo.' Neville gave up trying not to laugh, and he chuckled. 'I know... I'm twelve. But Goyle sings while he's...' Neville couldn't hold off the laughter any more.

Hannah just shook her head. Some things never changed.

18 November 2017

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,

I am writing to inform you that your sons, Fred and Jacob will each serve a detention with me next Tuesday evening for using a charm at an inappropriate moment. They will spend their evening cleaning the potting tray in Greenhouse One without magic.

Sincerely,

Neville Longbottom,

Professor of Herbology

Head of Gryffindor House

PS - George, Katie, it was hysterical! They used a Sonorous charm on another student while he was in the bathroom closest to the Great Hall during lunch today. Even McGonagall had a hard time controlling herself.

******

Neville was heading out to Greenhouse Three when he heard a commotion coming from the corridor that led to the Potions dungeon. He ran down the corridor to find Rose Weasley pummeling the daylights out of Geoffery Greengrass, surrounded by a circle of shocked students.

'You insufferable git!' she shouted, her red curls standing on end. Neville couldn't see the back of her neck or ears, but he was sure they were bright red, if she was anything like her father.

Neville drew his wand from his robes and pointed it at the struggling students.

'Protego!' he said in firm voice. Rose bounced off Geoffery and into the arms of her cousin, Al.

'Let me go! I'll teach him he can't harass other students! He's nothing more than a foul, loathsome -'

'Rosie,' Al warned softly. He was having a difficult time holding her back.

'Rose, please, settle down.' Neville release the Shield charm. 'I'll have a word with your head of House,' he told Geoffery, who swiped the cuff of his shirt under his bloody nose, then ran down to the Slytherin dungeons. 'Would you mind telling me what happened?'

'That piece of -' Rose began.

'Language, Rosie,' warned Al.

She visibly struggled to calm down. Breathing heavily through her nose, she bit her lip. 'He keeps throwing Potions ingredients at Scorpius,' she huffed.

Neville sighed. He knew Scorpius had been having a rough year, but he wouldn't say anything to anybody and never once complained. 'All right, Rose. Go on to your next class. I will be writing your parents later tonight, and you'll have detention with me next week.'

Rose nodded, chest still heaving, and Al, Scorpius, and Rose headed for the Charms classroom. He heard Scorpius' soft, 'Thanks, Rosie,' as they disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Neville looked up at Professor Williams. 'Did you see who started it?'

'Off the record?'

Neville thought for a moment. 'Sure.'

'Rose did. But it's justifiable. Greengrass doesn't seem to understand Potions ingredients go into his cauldron and are not to be lobbed across the room at other students, no matter how much they dislike them. He's had more detentions because of that.'

Neville looked at Professor Williams in frank admiration. Severus Snape would never have said anything like that in a million years. 'So, officially?' Rose would get more than detentions for starting a fight, if Professor Williams wanted to press the matter. Greengrass was in his House, after all.

'Didn't see a thing,' Williams promptly replied.

5 April 2018

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,

Rose was in a fight with one of the Slytherins. Apparently, the other student feels it is acceptable to harass other students, so Rose took matters into her own hands.

She will serve a week's worth of detentions with me.

As far as I'm concerned, the matter is closed.

Sincerely,

Neville Longbottom

Professor of Herbology

Head of Gryffindor House

PS - don't be angry with Rosie. The Slytherins have been harassing Scorpius for ages now. She finally got fed up. Takes after you, Hermione.

******

Neville pinched the bridge of his nose. Did McGonagall have these many headaches when I was a student? he asked himself. She must have when Fred and George were in school. If she did, it explained the line between her eyebrows. It also explained the amused look she'd given him at the staff meeting after dinner. Neville really didn't want to write the next two letters.

How did you tell the two people, that you've known since the age of eleven, that you found their youngest child, and only daughter - whom you've known since birth - on the stairs leading up to Gryffindor tower with the scion of... Neville shook his head wearily. It was almost funny.

Neville supposed since exams were over, they were at something of loose ends, but the stairs?

Just as well, the train didn't leave until next Saturday.

21 June 2024

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy,

Neville stopped and ripped the top of the parchment off. He knew Scorpius and his father didn't speak to each other and it was highly probably that Draco wouldn't even read it.

21 June 2024

Dear Mrs. Malfoy,

I found your son out-of-bounds after curfew last night.

Neville worried his lip between his teeth. Should he tell her what they were doing?

He was on a date, so to speak, with Lily Potter.

They will both serve a detention, separately of course, with me next week.

Sincerely,

Neville Longbottom

Professor of Herbology

Head of Gryffindor House

Neville sealed that letter, and started the next one.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter,

Your daughter was out-of-bounds last night after curfew. She was on what amounts to a date with Scorpius Malfoy.

They will each serve a detention with me, separately of course, next week.

Sincerely,

Neville Longbottom

Professor of Herbology

Head of Gryffindor House

PS - Harry, before you blow your top, and I do know how you are about Lily, they were just kissing. It was a lot tamer than what I saw you do with Ginny our sixth year, and far less than what we saw Ron do with Lavender.

Neville regarded the two sealed envelopes in front of him. He didn't want to be at the Potter house when they got that one.

******

'She was doing what?' Harry yelped.

'Kissing Scorpius, apparently,' Ginny said, reading the letter from Neville that had arrived that morning. 'Must have lost track of time,' she mused.

'She's also grounded when she gets off the train Saturday,' growled Harry.

'You're going to ground her for doing what we did?' Ginny asked incredulously.

'No.' Harry frowned at the parchment dangling from his wife's fingers. 'She's being grounded for being out of the tower after curfew.' He pulled the letter from Ginny's hands, brow furrowed as he read the brief note. 'Besides, it's not like either one of them has given us a reason to be unable to trust them.'

He set the letter down with a sigh. 'Will this parenting thing be easier when they're out of the house, do you think?'