Neville Longbottom and the Boy Who Lived

Chapter 5 - Letters and More Letters

After Neville's fall, his relationship with his uncle improved dramatically. Now that the boy could lay claim to his wizarding heritage, Algie began to teach him in earnest about the wizarding world. He began to teach Neville how to play Exploding Snap, and Wizard's Chess. One afternoon, he brought over a broom to teach Neville how to fly. But at this Gran put her foot down.

"You will not put him in danger on that flimsy excuse for transportation," she lectured.

"But if he doesn't learn, he'll be far behind when he gets to Hogwarts," countered Algie.

"His father didn't know how to fly before he went to school, and he turned out to be both Prefect and Head Boy!"

"But he never played Quidditch. He never even tried out!"

"What is it with men?" Gran muttered. "Why do they always think the sun rises and sets on sporting heroes? Neville will not be flying until he gets proper lessons at school, and that is the end of it."

Algie realized he had lost this round. But it wouldn't deter him from trying to win the war.

*****

A few days before Neville's tenth birthday, Gran received a letter from St. Mungo's. True to their word, the staff had never given up their search for a way to reverse the damage done to Frank and Alice, and now they had come across an experimental treatment. A wizard in the South Pacific had been working with a unique series of potions and spells which affected both the memory and mobility centers of the brain. For the first time in eight years they felt they had something to raise the hopes of the Longbottom family. The only drawback, however, was the need to relocate Frank and Alice to this island, and the need for someone to watch over them while they were there.

Gran had volunteered in a heartbeat. Very quickly arrangements were made for Algie and Enid to stay at Longbottom Manor during her absence. It was at Neville's birthday dinner they told the child of the possibility.

"Neville, there is a chance this treatment could restore your parents, and we need to give it every opportunity. So while I am gone, Aunt Enid is in charge. Obey her as you would obey me. You know the rules. No magic. No flying." She narrowed her eyes at Algie as she said the last remark. "Work on your Latin. If you're really good, then maybe Enid will take you to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley for a treat.

If Neville needed encouragement to be good, that was definitely the right reward. Fortescue's was Neville's favorite place in Diagon Alley, especially after having his ninth birthday celebration there. Neville promised to obey Gran's rules, and his aunt's instructions, and kissed his gran. "I really hope this works," he told Gran. "It would be nice to have them home."

"I know, child," Gran replied. "It's been hard on both of us. I have missed my son due to this, but you have never really been able to know your parents. They are wonderful people. That's why everyone is trying so hard to make them better. But I can tell you are truly their son. The fact you haven't become bitter through this tragedy is a testament to their love and your heart. You are a special boy. And I love you very much."

"I love you too, Gran."

Gran kissed him on the top of his head and with a pop, she Disapparated.

*****

After Gran had left, Neville went upstairs to his room, and pulled out his book. He opened the front cover, and just as there had been every birthday for the past four years, a letter was waiting for him behind the photograph of Gramps and Mr. Dumbledore. He hadn't told anyone about the letters since Aunt Enid helped him read the first one. He carefully removed the letter, but paused a moment to reflect on the picture.

"Is there something wrong, child," said the picture of Gramps.

"No. They're trying a new treatment on Mum and Dad. I really hope it works. I miss them, I think. But I'm not sure exactly what I miss."

"What you miss is the feeling of closeness that only comes from one's parents. You are old enough to recognize the bonds of family, but have never truly experienced the bond between parent and child since you were a toddler. Your grandmother loves you very much and is a formidable protector, but even her love is not the same. Nor should it be."

"I guess that makes sense. I want to make everyone proud, but I'm kind of scared too. Everyone is always talking about the Longbottom legacy. I'm kind of nervous that it all falls on my shoulders."

"Don't worry about that. In the end, none of that matters. The real Longbottom legacy lies not in your deeds, but in your heart. That has always been our greatest strength."

Neville thought on that as he closed the book and put it back on the shelf. He then turned to the letter he had left sitting on his bed.

Dearest Neville,

Happy tenth birthday! I wish I could be there to share it with you. I have no doubt you are succeeding in your studies, and I am positive that under your grandmother's tutelage you have become an impressive young man.

So this letter is going to encourage you in a different direction. I am sure by now that Gran has given you a litany of rules. I know this because she gave them all to me when I was your age. Keep your room clean. Keep up with your studies. No magic. No flying. Trust me I know them all by heart. Which makes this even more important.

You have to rebel a little. Neville was so shocked he read that line again. There are a couple of reasons for this. One, the ability to sneak around without getting caught WILL come in handy. There will come a time when you need to keep a secret. Someone could be having trouble, or will ask to confide a secret in you. And if you can keep secrets from Gran, you can keep them from most anyone.

Two, it's important to establish yourself as your own person. So many people, both good and evil, just do what they are told to without THINKING it through. A little bit of rebellion helps you to choose your spots. It forces you to think about what you want to do, and how to get away with it. This will allow you to reason out what others want, and how they go about doing it. And then you can help or hinder depending on the situation.

Which brings me to point three. When you examine rules you begin to develop your own sense of right and wrong. Not every rule is always right, and not every rule has a right reason. It is important to be able to determine which rules are there to protect you, which rules are there to protect others, and which rules are there to protect society. There WILL come a time when you will need to challenge a rule or law, and by determining why it is important, will also help you prioritize the need to break the rule or defend it.

This came in handy when... and at this point the letter gave a couple of examples of how Frank had applied this to various cases. Then Frank closed the letter with his love. Neville very carefully folded the letter and put it with his previous four in his top drawer. He had decided what his first rebellion would be.

*****

Two days later, Neville caught his uncle alone. He leaned in conspiratorially, as if Gran could hear him from half a world away. "Uncle Algie, will you teach me how to fly a broom?"

Algie chuckled. "Are you sure? If your gran catches us, we'll both be in for a world of trouble."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Where could we go?"

"There's a clearing not too far from here that's hidden from Muggles. We could go there for a quick lesson. Meet me out front tomorrow after lunch. I'll tell your aunt we're going for a walk. That should buy us the time we need. We'll make this our little secret."

True to his word, the next day Algie set out for the clearing with Neville. As they rounded the corner away from Longbottom Manor, Algie reached into a bush and pulled out a broom. It was a tattered Cleansweep that hadn't been kept in very good shape. It's bristles stood out haphazardly, and the handle looked like it hadn't been polished in ages.

The clearing was a half mile away and through a grove of pine trees. When they arrived, Algie set the broom on the ground, and instructed Neville to stand next to it.

"Now Neville, I want you to call to the broom. Say 'Up'!"

Neville looked at his Uncle and then at the broom. "Up!" The broom jumped a foot off the ground and landed back in its place.

"Try again. Really command it to jump to you now."

"UP!" The broom jumped into Neville's hand.

"There you go. Now straddle the broom, and when you're ready push off ever so slightly with your feet. I just want you to hover a couple of feet off the ground, and then we'll set down."

Neville nodded, and swung one leg over the broom. He leaned onto his tiptoes but never actually left the ground.

"No, you have to push off, at least a little."

This time Neville gave a little push, and the broom went two feet into the air and hung suspended there. The boy looked around. He really didn't like the feeling of being supported only by a thin shaft of wood. An image of the broom taking off of its own accord flashed through his mind. And then, as if the broom could actually read his mind, it did just that.

The broom shot through the air like a bullet. As it reached the end of the clearing it went into a half loop and shot back the way it had come, Neville clinging from underneath for dear life. He tried to get the broom to roll him back on top, but only succeeded in turning the broom around like a corkscrew. As it reached the opposite end of the clearing it began to climb. Neville lost his grip and slid off the back end of the broom, falling fifteen feet to the ground and landing with a sickening thump.

Algie called the broom back to him as he raced towards his fallen nephew. Neville had been knocked unconscious and his shoulder looked to be in bad shape. He slung the boy over his shoulder, grabbed hold of the broom, and Apparated to the waiting room at St. Mungo's. He proceeded down the Ground Floor to the Artifact Accidents wing, and presented Neville to the healers.

"Let me guess. First flying lesson?"

"Right in one. Can you fix him up now, or does he need to stay the night?"

"We'll be able to take care of him within a couple of hours. Are you his guardian?"

At this Algie stuttered. "I'm kind of his...temporary guardian. His grandmother is out of the country right now."

The healer looked down her nose at Algie. "Very well. Fill these forms out, and we will have to contact the grandmother. Put down her last known location."

Algie had been afraid of that. Even though Neville would be fine tonight, he knew what both he and the boy could expect when Gran got wind of this.

*****

Two days later, it came. Algie, Enid and Neville had begun the day with a nice breakfast. Just as Enid had cleared the dishes from the morning meal, Gran's tawny owl flew through the window, and deposited a letter in a red envelope on the table. It bore both Algie and Neville's names. They both knew what it was and who it was from. Gran had sent a Howler.

"Open it, Neville."

"No, Uncle you open it. It was your broom."

"It was your idea."

"It was your idea last week."

As the two argued about who should open it, the letter began to pulse and then to smoke. Both Algie and Neville jumped out of their chairs, looked at each other, and then back at the envelope. They backed away as the envelope caught on fire, and the loudest voice either of them had ever heard began to shriek.

UNBELIEVABLE! NEVILLE, HOW COULD YOU DISOBEY ME AFTER YOU PROMISED! YOUNG MAN YOU WILL NOT LEAVE THE MANOR UNTIL AFTER I GET HOME! IF I FIND THAT YOU HAVE LEFT THE GROUNDS I WILL TRANSFIGURE YOU INTO A CATEPILLAR AND KEEP YOU IN A JAR!

AND ALGIE! THE NERVE OF YOU TO TEACH HIM AFTER I EXPRESSLY FORBADE IT! YOU WILL LEAVE THIS HOUSE IMMEDIATELY AND ARE NOT WELCOME TO RETURN UNTIL I HAVE RETURNED AND SET A FEW PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE!

IF EITHER OF YOU STEP OUT OF LINE AGAIN, I WILL TURN YOU BOTH INTO THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC MYSELF FOR UNDERAGE WIZARDRY! AM I UNDERSTOOD? NOD YOUR HEADS YES!

Algie and Neville both nodded their heads, despite the fact that there was no way Gran could have seen them. They remained frozen as the ashes settled onto the table. Enid, who had heard the contents of the letter from the living room, reentered the kitchen. Neither of the letter recipients had moved. It was as if the letter had glued them to their spots.

"Algie, you'd better go," Enid said suppressing a chuckle. "This will blow over soon enough, but for now you should clear off."

"I do believe your right, luv," Algie said quickly. "See you at home." Algie Disapparated so fast Neville barely heard the pop.

*****

Neville became quite subdued over the next week, afraid that the slightest variation from Gran's instructions would evoke another red envelope. He became distracted easily, and started forgetting key steps in his mathematics and gardening that just a couple weeks earlier seemed so routine. Eventually Enid confronted him in his room at bedtime.

"Neville, what's wrong."

"I...I don't know."

"Are you still thinking about that flying lesson?"

"Kind of."

"Don't let it get to you. Every wizard child since brooms were invented has gone through something similar to what you have. It's perfectly natural."

"It's not just that." Neville walked over to his drawer, removed his father's latest letter and handed it to her. The room was silent for a couple of minutes as she read it over.

"Is this why you asked Algie to give you the lesson?"

"One of the reasons, yes."

"I understand. Now I'm going to give you a bit of advice your dad left out. When caught in one of your rebellions there are two things you must always do. One, take the responsibility. In this case, stand up straight and answer for what you've done. You knew your uncle would go along with this scheme, and ultimately the decision rested on you. If there is something you can do to make up for it, or some punishment that comes down as a result of it, do it without questioning. You will find there are many infractions that will be overlooked or downplayed merely by owning up to them.

"Two, never give away too much information when you are taking responsibility. Be careful of what you say. You need to remain trustworthy, even if it means swallowing a bitterer pill. For example, what do you think Gran would say if you told her that your father had given you the idea in this letter?"

Neville thought for a moment. "She'd want to see the book and all the other letters too."

"And after you gave her the book and she read the letters, do you think she'd give you free access to the book whenever you wanted?"

"Probably not. I'd probably have to tell her why I wanted to see the book."

"That's my point. The person responsible for this was you, not Algie or your father. And even though I agree with your father that you need to test your boundaries, you also need to hold onto this book, and protect those who get into trouble with you. If the people who you break rules with are honorable, they won't let you get into trouble alone. You find out all sorts of things about people when you break a rule with them. All right. Enough lecture for one night. Get some sleep."

*****

Gran returned near the end of August. Neville took his aunt's advice and met her at the door. He claimed full responsibility for the flying lesson, but did so without revealing the letters or his dad's advice. To his surprise, Gran seemed to understand his rebellious adventure, even if she did not condone it. She imposed a series of chores for his punishment, and to her surprise, not only did he not argue them, but he went about them quite dutifully.

On Sunday, Neville joined Gran for a visit to St. Mungo's. His parents still could not talk or seem to recognize him, but they appeared to have gained a good amount of mobility, and could recognize objects. Neville's flowers could now be kept at his parent's bedside instead of at the nurse's station.

It wasn't until after Halloween that Algie was let back in the house however. Despite Neville's self-accountability, Gran still held her brother responsible for the incident, and it took him several weeks, and multiple apologies before he was let anywhere near his nephew.

*****

It was three weeks before his eleventh birthday, and Neville was aware of the tension that had gripped the household. Every time he walked into a room, anxious glances were cast about, and the conversation ground to a halt. It didn't take him long to work out that the conversations were about him.

One evening when both Algie and Enid were in the kitchen, Neville crept to the door to listen on the conversation.

"Did he not get in? I don't remember Hogwarts Letters being this late when I attended," Algie said.

"I thought they came at the end of July." That was Enid.

"No, I'm sure it was the end of June. You know what this means, don't you? He's more Squib then wizard after all. Even Dumbledore sees it."

Neville was crushed. After everything he had been through over the last five years, his garden in back, his bouncing down the driveway, his attempt at learning to fly, it was all just a waste of time.

If they don't want me, he thought, then I don't want them. But even as he tried to convince himself he knew it wasn't true. Hogwarts was the school of his mum and dad. Generations of Longbottoms had learned their magic there, and it was the only place he wanted to go. He could only hope he was magic enough to earn the invitation.

And on July 23^rd all of the waiting finally came to an end. Just after breakfast, a grey barn owl sailed through the window with the morning post. A single letter dropped from its talons and fell face down on the table. It had been sealed with a signet bearing the letter H.

Everyone at the table was speechless. Neville reached for the letter and turned it over. It was addressed to:

Mr. N. Longbottom

The Bedroom at the Top of the Stairs

Longbottom Manor

Lancashire

He looked at Gran, then his uncle. Neville had never before considered the possibility that he would be rejected, but the apprehensive expressions on his faces of his family suddenly made this a real possibility. He hesitated a moment. Then he very carefully opened the envelope, pulled out the parchment, unfolded it and started to read.

Dear Mr. Longbottom,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

Neville looked up from the letter and simply said, "I'm in!"