A Shot At Happiness

BACK IN TIME - NEVILLE

A pain worse than the Cruciatus woke Neville up from his slumber. He sat up straight holding his head in his hands. Memories clashed around in his head and with a gasp, his head shot up, eyes opened wide and took in his surroundings. They were back! Atleast he was. He hoped that the other two had made it back too.

He was currently in his bedroom in the Longbottom Manor. A wandless tempus charm told him the time and date but also made him immensely weak. It was a minute later that he realized that his body wasn't strong enough to perform wandless magic.

He lay down for a while before getting up to get dressed for the day. He walked down to the dining room and was met with the sight of his grandmother sipping tea while reading the Daily Prophet. It was all he could do to not throw his arms around her and startle her.

"Good morning Gran!" exclaimed Neville cheerfully.

"Good morning Neville" she said back with a raise of her eyebrows. "I suppose you have packed your trunk?"

"Yes Gran" said Neville.

"Right, then. I think it's time to have breakfast and then we can head to King's Cross".

"Yes, Gran"
It was halfway through breakfast that Neville built up the courage to ask her the thing he knew he had to address as soon as possible.

"Gran?" he started hesitantly. "Could I ask you something?"

"I suppose, you could" she said nodding.
"Is it possible for me to get a new wand?"

"Why? What is wrong with your father's?"

"There is nothing wrong with the one I have now. It's just that, last term, I overheard Professors McGonnagal and Flitwick discussing about how a student would do better in the practical field if they were to use their own wand and not a borrowed one. As much as I love and am honored to use dad's wand, I feel that I will perform better if it was my own. Also I heard Harry Potter mentioning Mr.Ollivander's words that the wand chooses the wizard. I'm sorry I didn't mention of this earlier. I just remembered it today," he finished and waited for his Gran to speak.

Augusta Longbottom studied her grandson for a minute thoughtfully. She also had a look of pride in her eyes. She knew that she often made herself quite an intimidating person and also that her grandson was a very timid person. And yet, he spoke to her in detail, explaining himself quite bravely.

"If that is the case, then I think we might have some time before going to the station to make a quick trip to Diagon Alley" she said aloud.

Neville couldn't believe his luck. He thought that she would just brush him off and insist on using his father's wand.

"Really?!" he asked before he could stop himself.

"Really," his Gran answered with a nod and a smile.

That was how, an hour later, Neville walked out of Ollivander's carrying his familiar Cherry and unicorn hair wand. He also kept an eye on his surroundings to see whether he could get a glimpse of Ginny anywhere. But to his dismay, he didn't.

Half an hour later found him and his Gran at King's Cross. He had to strain to hold back tears on seeing the scarlet train which held lots of memories made and to make.

"See you, Gran. I'll miss you" he blurted out. He never said things like these in the past, but he really missed her after her death and was determined to not hesitate to speak out this time around.
His Gran, a bit surprised, smiled and said, "I'll miss you too, Neville. Now, board on soon, we need to get you in before the train leaves."

With one last look, he boarded the Hogwarts express.