Stare Into The Abyss

Chapter 2 : Back at Hogwarts

Hey, guys I know it's been a while but the original author had updated today. I was a Lil late in posting it as I was In Robotics club but I hope you guys like the chapter.

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Neville was having a lot of trouble concentrating. He was sitting next to Seamus in transfiguration, and he just could get himself to focus. He'd been absentminded a lot lately and he could see that the teachers were keeping an extra eye on him when they thought he wasn't looking. There wasn't even a particular reason he was so distracted, it just happened.

He knew that the teachers were worried, McGonagall possibly the most. He was followed closely by Potter as well. At first, he thought he'd been made, and that Potter had recognized his spellcasting from his bounty hunting, but to his relief, Potter was just worried.

Or so he thought, at least. It was kind of weird, Potter had called him Frank the other day. It was strange, to say the least, but maybe it was because Potter and his dad had been in the order together in the previous war. Still, he found it weird.

People now paid attention to him, as he'd noticed right after leaving the hospital wing. Everyone wanted to know how he won the fight. He didn't know what to say to them, and he didn't know how to handle the attention since before he had always been just a wallflower.

"Mister Longbottom! If I catch out daydreaming during class once more, you will serve a detention."

Neville shot up straight. "Yes Professor." Damn, he needed to concentrate.

From the next table to his right, Charlie and Hermione shot him worried looks. Neville mentally scoffed. It wasn't as if Charlie had any room to talk, with having bags under his eyes that almost made Neville seen healthy. At least Neville didn't wake up crying or screaming almost every night.

He looked at the clock and was relieved that the class was almost over. He hadn't taken any notes, but since the school year started Hermione hadn't had any problems sharing her notes as she had all years before. She could probably, like everyone else, see how downtrodden he'd been, and tried to help in the only way she knew. He found it sweet of her.

Mercifully, the bell rang.

With a sigh, he began moving and clearing his desk.

"Neville, mate. You want to join Charlie and I for a round of quidditch? They're holding friendlies according to the Ravenclaw perfect." Ron asked.

Neville froze for a moment. Ron had never invited him for quidditch before, no one ever had. Jay hadn't really held an interest in it, and he never had anyone to play with before.

"I mean if you don't want to..." Ron continued at his silence while scratching the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, but I've got plans. Hermione and I were going to try out some of the new warding spells she found in the library." He thinks for a moment, before adding "Thanks for the invite though, but maybe another time."

"Sure."

As Charlie and Ron made their way to the pitch, He and Hermione made their way to one of the unused classrooms he'd shared the location of.

A few scorch marks were on the floor, and not for the first time Neville wondered what had caused them. Hermione set up the tomes while listing all the nonsense about who had made the spells and such.

"Honestly, you'd think with what happened that the boys would be a bit more interested on learning how to protect themselves!" She grumbled frustratedly.