How It Started

Chapter 12 - Neville Longbottom.

Dinner had magically appeared before us, there were mountains on top of each plate. In the time frame of seconds Ron's plate was almost as tall as the plates that were set before us, I had to bite down on my tongue to hold the laughter.

" What Longbottom? " Ron asked, noticing my lengthy staring. I gulped down, feeling rather bad now. Why should I mock someone for their diet? I shook my head and he nodded, seemingly proud of himself for standing up to me. I wouldn't think I was THAT hard to confront. 

I began compiling food onto my own plate, eating almost immediately. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and had only realised how peckish that had made me. As I ate in silence, I listened in to the conversations happening around me. Specifically on the Gryffindor table, as they were the closest.

Ron and Vesper had, had a total of 2 arguments when we were only 10 minutes into eating. One being about her dramatically blonde hair and the other about how Ron was disastrously rude when he ate. 

The twins, I noticed rarely talked to other's on our table. Except for a few other boy's of course, but for the most part they talked amongst themselves. 

I tuned them out after a while, having gathered the information I believed I needed to be able to be a good friend to them all. I set my fork and knife down on my plate after I finished eating, everyone else doing the same.

Ron and Vesper got into another argument about his poor plating set up, I smiled at this, seeing as gran had always taught me the proper way to set up a plate after finishing a meal. We all rose nearly in synchronisation, walking out. I walked alongside Hermione and Vesper, until we reached the common room's.

A portrait of a woman seemed to be asleep, Percy woke her up. Fred mumbled something about being relieved, why would he be scared of a painting?

We were escorted to our bedroom's and I was amazed by the decoration, although simple and all was red it was still pretty nonetheless. Instead of unpacking I simply crammed the suitcase I had brought with me into my cupboard, only opening it to get my pyjama's out. I quickly put them on before the other boy's entered the room.

I walked to the fire in the middle of the room, reaching to start it, but before I could it began blazing without any help.

Amazing.

I walked over to my bed and sat down, staring around the room, before placing my wand on my bed-side table and wrapping myself up in the sheets. I set my head on my pillow, shutting my eye's and dreaming.

I woke with a start and opened my eye's to see Seamus Finnigan staring at me, he was a fellow Gryffindor first year, but I hadn't had a chance to talk to him. As of yet. 

" Time to get up Neville. " He told me, I sat up immediately.

" Thank you. " I said to him, he nodded walking back off to his own section of the room. I swung my leg's over the side of the bed, hurling myself off of it. Before walking over to my own cupboard and taking out my uniform, I had a brand new red tie and red-lined uniform. I smiled with joy, as I pulled it on.

" Isn't this just great! " I said out-loud, only to realise everyone else had run off. Embarrassed with myself, I quickly pulled my wand off the bedside table and ran out the door and down the stairs.

Ron, Hermione, Harry and Vesper were all standing around each-other. Were they waiting for me?

Probably not. 

As I came crashing down the stairs, I called out " C'mon guys, we will be late! " They waited for me to reach the bottom of the stairs, before we exited the common room and made our way to the first class.

I believe many people would agree with me, when I say it was not the most fun of classes. Besides from Seamus nearly searing his eyebrows off. Not cause of the professor! No, no, no, he was a lovely man. We learnt a simple levitation spell which Hermione and Selina mastered quickly, I hadn't spoken to Selina at all since we had arrived.

Which was quite rude of me, sure. But it seemed as if there was some unknown tension between Vesper and Selina, and seeing as Vesper had ever so kindly befriended me, I chose to stick with her for now.

As we got out of that class and began walking to the next, I heard Vesper share that she indeed found that class boring as well. I gave some encouraging word's about our next class and then continued walking alongside herself and Hermione, as we continued walking, Hermione shared her thought's on how enlightening that spell we had just learnt was. 

I'm sure she was just trying to be nice, as she already knew about it before we even entered that classroom.

I shoved open the door's to our next class sitting down in front of Hermione and Vesper, which happened to be beside Seamus. I said hello and he said it back but that was about it for the conversation, our class began and I suddenly noticed the large cupboard with '' Boggart. '' Written along it, odd. 

Hermione explained to us what they were and I no longer believed it was odd, I believed it was down right crazy. Getting first year's to face their fears with some spell's we had barely mastered? was this professor mad?

Okay maybe that wasn't the nicest of comments but I really was not looking forward to making an absolute fool of myself, whether that be from the fear itself or me failing the charm. 

I began biting my nails, weary of what this class would hold in store for us now.