Resistance

Chapter 14 - Letters from the Grave

Aberforth Dumbledore was as good as his word and sent the portrait girl to collect Neville at around the same time two days later. Neville had spent the intervening time productively, practicing spells. Meeting Aberforth gave him new hope. It proved that options were out there which he'd never even considered.

The room in the Hog's Head was just as bare and uninteresting as before, and Aberforth just as gruff. 'Here he is, the hero,' he muttered, but there was a meal and butterbeer on the table ready and a satchel of food beside the chair. 'Not changed your mind about staying, then?' asked Dumbledore's brother, as Neville wolfed down the food. Neville merely shook his head.

'Is there any news of Harry?' he asked between mouthfuls.

'Nothing apart from the usual hogwash. Some witch in the Midlands claimed his face had appeared imprinted on her tea towel. Says a lot about the state of things that a whole squad of Death Eaters Apparated onto her doorstep within minutes to investigate!' Aberforth grunted contemptuously, then reached into his pocket. 'But talking of news, I do have these.'

He held out two envelopes, one cream coloured, the other pink with a floral print. But Neville wasn't interested in the stationery; he had eyes only for the handwriting. Green ink, heavy and spikey, with a forwards slant. And on the other, large flowing letters with strangely formed 'g's.

His food was forgotten, a forkful frozen in mid-air to his mouth. He felt as though a lump was blocking his throat. Finally he managed to speak. 'Where... where did you get those?'

'I have my contacts,' replied Ab cagily, looking hard at Neville. 'What's the matter?'

'The girls... the girls who wrote these are dead,' he explained, wishing it didn't hurt so much to say the words.

'No they're not.' Ab sounded rather indignant. 'They're in safe houses. They're both alive.'

There was a clatter as Neville's fork fell back to his plate. He couldn't take it in. The news of them being alive seemed even more enormously hard to handle than the news they were dead. He rose to his feet and walked to the window and back before he could look at Ab again. 'You're sure?' he asked, his voice hoarse.

'Yes, completely. The Weasleys all went under Fidelius soon as the Death Eaters twigged the youngest lad was with Potter. The Lovegood girl is staying with the older boy and his wife, apparently Potter and his friends rescued her.' He looked at Neville more kindly. 'Did you really believe they were dead?'

'Snape... he told me so. He said - well, it doesn't matter now what he said, it wasn't true.' He said the last part in a tone of wonder.

Ab tutted. 'You should know better than to trust anything one of them says. Well, aren't you going to read 'em then?'

Neville nodded and took the letters. Both had his name on, with no address. He tore open Ginny's first, which was the topmost.

Dear Neville,

Dad just told me that you're in hiding and Aberforth Dumbledore is giving you food! I hope you're all right, please be careful. I'm OK, really bored but I guess that's the down side of being safe, sorry that's probably really insensitive.

I don't know if you know, but Luna's alive! She's safe and well and staying with Bill. I haven't got to see her yet but from what Bill says she's the same Luna and Fleur keeps trying to give her a makeover, which I'd love to see. Dean is there too. I can't say much more in case the letter gets intercepted, but remember if our mutual friends turn up at Hogwarts, make sure you get a message to us. The twins still have their coins, so you can let us know that way.

Keep on fighting

Love

Ginny

He read it twice, drinking in the writing he thought he'd never see again, taking in the news that she was really alive after all. Then he folded it up and moved on to the next letter.

Dear Neville,

Thank you for trying to rescue me that night on the train. I got put in a dungeon in the Malfoys' house - it was very miserable being locked up. Luckily I was with Mr Ollivander who is such a lovely gentleman and so I got to make a friend I never would have otherwise. Then a few weeks ago Harry arrived with Ron and Hermione, and rescued us.

It's nice to be free although poor Daddy is in Azkaban. I am living with Fleur Weasley, she keeps trying to do things with my hair. It looks quite silly in my opinion but I think it makes her happy.

I know you've been really brave and kept on fighting at Hogwarts. You were always the bravest one of all of us and I know Dumbledore's Army can never end all the time you're there. I think the end to all the bad things is coming soon, and when Harry goes back to Hogwarts to fight please let me know. I still have my Galleon, Bill rescued some of my things for me from home, it got blown up when the Death Eaters took Daddy but my trunk was OK.

Please tell Seamus that Dean Thomas is here and he's fine, he really wants Seamus to know that. He was living rough with some goblins and has fascinating insights into their culture, he and Bill talk about it a lot. I have told them about the goblins' part in the Rotfang conspiracy, they were both fascinated to hear about it as they hadn't realised the goblins were anything to do with it!

Love from

Luna

He felt a heat and pressure in his sinuses as he read. He wanted to reach into the letter and grab the real Luna, hug her, hear her voice. He kept his head turned away from Aberforth to hide the tears streaming down his cheeks. He wanted to smile and laugh with joy and relief but he was so overwhelmed with emotion it was all he could do not to sag to the floor. Eventually he walked back over to the chair and sat heavily, still staring at the letters as though they might disappear if he looked away. Once he had his voice and emotions back under control, he looked up at Ab again. 'Can you get a message back to them?' he asked.

Aberforth shrugged. 'I suppose so, just the one though. It's a risky business doing anything these days. Took me a lot of persuading to convince Arthur and Bill it was safe for the girls to write.'

'Have you got a quill and ink?' Neville looked around the bare room as if expecting it to sprout a writing desk - he was getting too used to living in the Room of Requirement.

'Sorry, not that keen on writing. Albus did enough of that for all of us,' grunted Aberforth, looking at his watch. 'You'd better go, boy. Can't risk you getting found here.'

Neville stumbled back down the passage in a state of wonder, his spirits lifting higher and higher as the news sank in. To think that on his way along this same passage in the other direction, he'd still thought Ginny and Luna were dead!

But as he reached the end of the passage though, his heart clenched in alarm. The portrait hole was shut. Trying to steady himself he grasped his wand. Surely after all the good things that had happened, he couldn't now be shut out of Hogwarts? Another thought flashed into his mind - what about Trevor? Had someone got into the room and hurt his toad?

He decided to try to get in and go for maximum shock. Holding his wand tightly, he pushed the doorway hard and as it gave way, he burst into the room yelling, 'Expelliarmus!' He was promptly hit in the face by a flying wand, tripped over the edge of the portrait hole, and crashed to the floor, almost squashing Trevor.

He scrambled around to the sound of laughter. 'Very smooth!' said a familiar Irish voice.

'Seamus!' He looked up to see his friend and his smile vanished. 'You look awful!'

'Thanks, Neville, always nice to see you too,' said Seamus with a grin, holding out a hand to help him up. 'It looks worse than it is, caught me next to my eye. It was so worth it though; I turned all the candles in Carrow's room into pigeons. We spent the whole lesson trying to round them up by wandlight, he was furious. Shame I never got the chance to tell McGonagall about it, it's probably the best bit of Transfiguration I've ever done.'

He remembered his news and it came out in a rush. 'Seamus, Dean's alive! And Luna and Ginny too! They're all safe and fine!'

Seamus' swollen face was frozen for a moment and he realised how he must have looked when Aberforth told him about Luna and Ginny. Then the other boy punched the air and threw an arm around Neville. 'That's amazing!' he choked, hardly able to speak.

Neville gave the little information he had about the dramatic events outside of school, and explained about Aberforth. 'Just to think Dumbledore's brother was there all the time when we were meeting in the Hog's Head, lurking away behind the bar!'

They had a meal of bread and cheese whilst Seamus filled him in on what had been going on in school. 'The Carrows made a big mistake going for you, Neville. Now you're an icon, a bit like Harry, a symbol for people to believe in. Snape has banned your name from being mentioned, which was the best possible way to get everyone talking about you. They've even started leaving stuff outside the portrait hole, candles and sweets and stuff. Filch clears it away every day but somehow within a few hours it's all been replaced again.

There's all sorts of rumours; some people say you were poisoned by Snape that evening and pulled that stunt with the breakfast stuff as a last act of defiance as you were dying, but lots of others believe you've joined Hagrid in the mountains and are rounding up an army of giants to come and fight the Carrows! I've heard it so many times that I almost was starting to believe it, even though I knew you were up here. Lots of students support Dumbledore's Army now, people are getting more defiant in lessons, even people who weren't part of it originally. The Carrows can't understand it.'

'How's Michael?' asked Neville.

'Oh, I forgot to say - he's OK. They let him out of the hospital wing today and the last I saw he was 'accidentally' failing to prevent a pigeon shitting on Carrow's desk. He still looks a bit wobbly but I think the sight of Carrow covered in pigeon shit and feathers was better medicine than anything Madam Pomfrey gave him.'

Over the next six days, the Room of Requirement expanded as more and more of the DA were hounded out of Hogwarts. The arrival of Lavender and the Patils resulted in the basic toilet-and-washbasin cubicle morphing into a bathroom of alarming proportions, full of 'more potions than an alchemists' in the words of a disgruntled Seamus. Neville worked out a programme of activities for the students during the day, practising defence and duelling, but as the days went on he could feel them getting more restless. He was starting to worry about what to do next.

Seamus had had the brainwave of wishing for a wireless, which meant they could listen to Potterwatch. One evening almost two weeks after he first fled to the Room, the programme crackled into life, and a cheer passed around the DA members. 'Evening all,' came the voice of one of the Weasley twins. 'This is Potterwatch, your regular dose of the news the Prophet doesn't like to tell you. This special additional broadcast is to bring you exciting breaking news. Here with me tonight is River...'

'Thanks Rapier. And what a show we have for you tonight. Just in case the broadcast gets rudely interrupted, let us give you the headline news straight away. There has been a successful break-in at Gringotts Bank, which we believe was led by none other than Harry Potter himself.'

A ripple of amazement went round the room. Lavender squealed and grabbed Parvati in excitement. The voice from the radio continued, 'It is believed that Potter, accompanied by unnamed associates, took something from the bank vault of the Lestrange family, known Death Eaters. Potter and his friends then escaped from the bank on a dragon - yes, you heard that right - which had been guarding the vaults, and was last seen flying over London. As you know folks, Gringotts was thought to be impenetrable, and has only ever had its security breached once in the past. Potter has proved again that he is a force to be reckoned with. And with his dramatic escape, we're all left wondering if there's anything the Boy-Who-Lived can't do if he puts his mind to it.'

The DA were celebrating silently whilst listening. Neville wished Ginny or Luna were there so he could have hugged them. For a moment he felt like hugging Seamus, but quickly decided against it. From the wireless, the voice of Rapier continued. 'Now, it's not clear what Potter took, but considering he's not exactly hard up himself, we can safely assume he's acting from a higher motive than greed. Many believe that Potter's latest daring escapade is part of a plan to bring down the Chief Death Eater and this hated regime. Our regular correspondent, Romulus, who has always maintained that Potter is alive and well, has joined us tonight. So, Romulus, looks like you've been proven right?'

The voice of Remus Lupin crackled into the Room. 'I am delighted to say it appears I have. Listeners across the land, and of course in the camps of France and Belgium, must take heart from this news. Potter is only just beginning to prove what a remarkable man he truly is.'

'Indeed. So, he's successfully infiltrated the Ministry, and now Gringotts. Where do you think he's heading next?'

Unable to contain themselves, several of the DA shouted, 'Hogwarts!'

Romulus' answer was more measured. 'I wouldn't like to speculate, Rapier, but if I were the Chief Death Eater, I'd be screening my house guests!'

'So there we have it, good advice from our special correspondent. Now, in other news, we have been hearing a lot about dramatic goings-on at Hogwarts. Here with more information is our newest correspondent, Firefly.'

'Thanks, Rapier,' came a new voice, female and familiar and even before Michael's delighted shout of, 'It's Ginny!' Neville felt a surge of joy at hearing the voice he'd not long ago thought he'd never hear again.

'News from Hogwarts has been somewhat hard to come by, with some parents commenting on post failing to arrive, arriving damaged, and even cases of letters being visibly censored. But in recent weeks, we have seen increased leaks of information and many parents are becoming angry with Severus Snape, the hugely unpopular Headmaster.'

Still taken aback by hearing his friend, Neville felt a cool wetness on his cheeks, and had to hastily pretend to tie his shoelace in order to wipe his eyes before Seamus noticed.

'Hogwarts students are restless and angry following the disappearance of Neville Longbottom, charismatic leader of the Hogwarts resistance group known as Dumbledore's Army.'

Seamus punched Neville in the arm playfully, chuckling, 'Told you she wanted her head read - you, charismatic!'

'After a cowardly attack on his Grandmother, who is now believed to be in hiding, Longbottom was seen fleeing through Hogwarts pursued by Death Eater teachers, Alecto and Amycus Carrow. Longbottom is thought to have evaded capture and knowing Neville, he'll be planning his next move against the cruel regime at the school. Since Longbottom's forced departure, students at the school have become increasingly disenchanted with the regime, and it is believed growing numbers of older students are choosing to leave the school rather than continue studying there. Parents, concerned for their children's education and safety, are demanding answers. With no option to send children elsewhere, parents are asking how Hogwarts can guarantee their children are being well looked after and taught properly. Having witnessed some of the events within the school in the past year, I would say those parents have every reason to be concerned.'

'Thanks Firefly, and if any of the plucky students of Dumbledore's Army are listening, your friends at Potterwatch salute you.' There were muffled sounds in the background, then Rapier spoke again, sounding more agitated. 'It seems the broadcast is attracting unwelcome attention, and we aren't talking rival stations. So we'd better wrap up this edition. Remember listeners, you heard it here first; Harry Potter is alive and well and has raided Gringotts! Tune in soon for more, password is 'Dumbledore'. Keep each other safe; keep faith. Good night!'

As soon as the rush of static replaced the broadcast, the DA exploded. Cooped up for days with little to cheer them up, the news acted like a drug. Lavender and Parvati literally danced with joy, spinning each other round. Even the boys got to their feet and did a lot of back slapping and high-fiving. It was a wonderful release to be celebrating something for once. Neville was thrilled to have heard Ginny, and the specific message to the DA gave him a glow of happiness, to know that there were people out there that supported them, after so much isolation. He felt quite emotional again and gladly submitted to Seamus' teasing about his 'charisma' to distract himself.

Half an hour later, as the euphoria was wearing off and the group starting to calm down, the door was flung open and Terry Boot stumbled in. Padma rushed to his aid immediately, pushing the door closed. 'M'OK,' he was mumbling, through cut lips. 'Did you hear, did you hear Potterwatch?' he continued, as Parvati brought over the first aid kit.

'Yeah, we heard, Harry broke into Gringotts and escaped on a dragon!' No matter how many times he repeated it, Neville couldn't quite believe it.

'Managed to smuggle a radio from home after Easter and tuned in,' Terry was saying, in between being dabbed with Murtlap. 'Couldn't believe it. So I went straight down to dinner and managed to spread the word before they could stop me. Carrow was so furious he forgot how to use magic and went for good old fashioned fisticuffs - no, it's fine, honest. Fortunately I hadn't forgotten how to cast a spell so I hexed him properly and ran off up here - I went a circuitous route though so I think they think I've got out through the grounds.'

As Terry exclaimed over the Room and claimed the newest hammock for his own, Neville sat down for a minute to try to take in everything that had happened. The DA returned to their evening activities, playing games of gobstones or half-heartedly hexing cushions. About half an hour later, movement caught Neville's eye. The portrait girl had appeared, and was beckoning to him. It was hard to be sure, but he thought she looked excited. 'That's weird,' he said aloud. 'Ab never sends for me this late.'

Seamus, who was sprawled in the next hammock along, also sat up. 'D'you think you should go? Might be a trap.'

Neville stared at the portrait, considering his options. He thought of Harry, breaking into Gringotts and escaping on a dragon. Going down a corridor seemed a bit tame in comparison. 'I'd better go, he might be in trouble,' he said out loud, jumping down from his hammock. 'I've got my wand, and I'll be careful.'

'Are you sure?' Seamus' question followed him, but Neville was already opening the portrait.

'I'll be back soon,' he assured his friend, as he scrambled into the now familiar passage. All the same, he kept his wand out and moved more cautiously than normal. .

The end of the corridor loomed, with the rectangle of light indicating the portrait in the upstairs room of the Hog's Head. There was no way of knowing what he might find when he got there, but there was no point hesitating as he knew he would be visible on the canvas of the picture. Anyone waiting for him would know he was there. So he went straight ahead and pushed the door open.

The familiar room appeared before him, but he didn't see any of it. He was fixated on the three people who seated at the table. The shock was so enormous he didn't take it in for a moment. All year he'd spoken of these three teenagers, invoked their names, thought of them, worried about them, longed for news of them. And now they were there before him, in the flesh, smiling up at him in surprise and pleasure.

There was Hermione Granger, bushy haired and buck toothed, thinner than he remembered her. Next to her, red headed Ron Weasley, Ginny's older brother, his chin stubbly and his hair long. And best of all, scrawny, bespeccled and grinning broadly, was the real leader of Dumbledore's Army, the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One; Harry Potter himself.