in my blood

Chapter 15

After dinner, the four of us sat nervously apart in the common room. Nobody bothered us; none of the Gryffindors had anything to say to Harry, Hermione or me any more, after all. This was the first night I hadn't been upset by it. Hermione was skimming through all her notes, hoping to come across one of the enchantments we were about to try to break. 

Harry, Ron and I didn't talk much. I was thinking about what we were about to do. And also, I felt like puking.

Slowly, the room emptied as people drifted off to bed.

"Better get the cloak," Ron muttered, as Lee Jordan finally left, stretching and yawning. Harry ran upstairs for a moment then, he ran back down to the common room.

"Good luck" said Ron, trying to give us an encouraging smile but we were all nervous.

"What are you doing?" said a voice from the corner of the room. I jumped violently. Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor the toad, who looked as though he'd been making another bid for freedom. Although, he could have been spying on us.

"Nothing, Neville, nothing," said Harry, hurriedly putting the cloak behind his back.

Neville stared at our guilty faces. "You're going out again," he said.

"No, no, no," said Hermione. "No, we're not. Why don't you go to bed, Neville?"

"You can't go out," said Neville, "you'll be caught again. Gryffindor will be in even more trouble."

"You don't understand," said Harry, "this is important." But Neville was clearly steeling himself to do something desperate.

"Neville, this is for the benefit of Gryffindor" I said "The benefit for everyone"

He ignored me.

"I won't let you do it," he said, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. "I'll - I'll fight you!"

"Neville, "Ron exploded, "get away from that hole and don't be an idiot -"

"Don't you call me an idiot!" said Neville. "I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!"

"Yes, but not to us," said Ron in exasperation. "Neville, you don't know what you're doing." He took a step forward and Neville dropped Trevor the toad, who leapt out of sight.

"Go on then, try and hit me!" said Neville, raising his fists. "I'm ready!"

He took a swing at me.

Harry turned to Hermione. "Do something," he said desperately.

Hermione stepped forward.

"Neville," she said, "I'm really, really sorry about this."

She raised her wand. "Petrificus Totalus!" she cried, pointing it at Neville.

Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he swayed where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.

Hermione ran to turn him over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror. I wanted to laugh, I felt bad but I also wanted to laugh badly.

"What've you done to him?" Harry whispered.

"It's the full Body-Bind," said Hermione miserably. "Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry."

"We had to, Neville, no time to explain," said Harry.

"Let's go" said Harry and he threw the cloak over the two of us and we left.