The Lost Get Found (Neville Longbottom Fanfic)

Chapter 6: (The Betrayal)

Chapter 6 (3 weeks ago)

It's been two months since that day when I talked Malfoy down somewhat, late November, and everything's screwed up. Harry is pissed at Ron who is blindly mad at Harry because he thinks Harry put his name in the Goblet of Fire... which leads to another problem. The Goblet of Fire is supposed to chose 3 champions, but it uncharacteristically spit Harry's name out, who didn't even put his name in the fire in the first place. I know this is positive due to 4 very important things: 1) Fred and George dimwittedly tried the aging potion and couldn't get past Dumbledore's age line, 2) Harry doesn't have very many older friends besides the twins who are in their 6th year, 3) Harry isn't smart enough to ask someone 17 or older to put his name in the goblet, and 4) Harry is smart enough to know to stay out of certain things, and this was one thing he didn't want to participate in.

"Amazing! Amazing!" Neville excitedly cheers as he watches the plant lurking in the shallowish part of the lake change colors to adapt to its surrounding.

"Neville, you're doing it again!" Harry groans unhappily, my eyes gazing over at my best, best friend leaning against the trunk of the tree beside me, both of us facing Neville and the lake. I swing my sketchpad at Harry's arm as Neville blushes with an apology, my eyebrow raised. "What?" I raise my eyebrow again and he sighs, "Fine." We both turn back to the lake to find Neville waving his arms over his head at someone, a smile on his lips. Both of us turn and stand to find Hermione walking down from Ron and Ginny, standing upon the hill, just a few feet from us.

"Ronald would like me to tell you that Seamus told him that Dean was told by Parvarti that Hagrid's looking for you." Hermione relays to Harry who is looking at Ron as if he had two heads.

"Is that right? Well... what?" Harry tries, completely confused by the information relayed to him from an outer source. Hermione tries to speak off her mind, her mouth open, but she can't remember and turns, walking back up to my cousin.

She comes back down and continues the conversation, obviously agitated by her 'argument' with Ron from up on the hill in hushed whispers. "Uh... Dean was told by Parvarti... please don't ask me to say it again. Hagrid's looking for you." She mutters, turning on her heel and going halfway when Harry says, "Well you can tell Ronald..." She spins on her heel to face him, "I'm not an owl!" But then as if she remembers something, she turns to me with a small smile. "Dumbledore wishes to speak to you immediately, Soph." She then nods contently and walks up with the hill with the other two.

"I guess I have to go." I whisper to myself, turning towards Neville who walks back up to the shore to talk to me.

"Bye, Soph. See you later." He whispers, giving me a light hug squeeze, feeling my uneasiness. I then turn to Harry who gives me a tighter hug, and I hug him back equally as tight, this being our comfort hug.

"See you guys later." I call to them, turning around after I am about ten feet from them, both boys looking up at me, shocked. I smile before I turn around and jog up the hill, back towards the castle. It'd been the first time in two moths that I'd spoken a single word. But it felt good to shock people. I loved it.

Fifteen minutes later, I arrive at Dumbledore's entry way to his office, releasing a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. I say the password, feeling my heart begin to thump hard against my ribs that healed a month ago with the help of Madam Pomfrey. I open the knock, hearing a paint, 'Come in' sounding from the other side of the door. Slowly, I grasp the knob, pushing my body against the heavy door, preparing myself for the worst situation of having getting in trouble from the action I took two months ago to protect my best friend. "Sir, I did not mean in any way to disrespect Professor Moody. I was simply protecting my best-" I stop when I look around the room to find my (now shocked) uncle, Percy, The Minister, Mr. Kingsley Shacklebolt, and both heads of my houses in the large circular area I'd usually like to spend extra, extra time since I'd read all the books in the library by the mid-year of second year.