Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter One Hundred Fifteen

"Nevs, if you shake me any harder I'm going to end up with a concussion. I'm already pretty dizzy." Kefira said lifting her hand to her hand after Neville grabbed a hold of her and shook her arm to gain her attention. "I still respond to my name, you know."

She turned to him with a teasing smile only to see Neville looking completely pale and nervous.

"Neville, what's wrong? You don't have to be scared. Dad and Bandile won't let anything bad happen to us. You know I really was kidding about the whole wrestling lions...although I'm pretty sure it wouldn't take much convincing for Bandile to do it-"

"Kefi!" Neville pulled the girl to the other side of the car, and peered around to see that the two adults were preoccupied with their equipment set up.

"What is it? What's wrong with you?"

"It's Bandile." Neville told her.

"What? What did he do? Listen, Neville, I know he comes across as a bit strong, but he means well, he-"

"He's a wizard." Neville whispered to her in a hushed tone.

Kefira stared at him blankly. "Wh-what?"

"He's a wizard, he can do magic...just like you and I."

Kefira briefly glanced in the direction of her father and Bandile before snorting loudly. "What?! Did he tell you that? He says some pretty weird things, Neville, you can't believe everything-"

"He knew my parents." Neville told her which finally brought Kefira to a silent state. "He said he knew them, he named them. He...knew their names, Kefira."

"Bandile is a...is..." Kefira suddenly seemed relaxed. 'That actually makes a lot of sense. All those times I thought he was showing me a real magic trick growing up...he probably was....sneaky sneak that he is."

"So what do we do?" Neville said.

"What do you mean? What are we supposed to do? Beat him up?"

"No, Kefi, that's not what I meant...I just...your family doesn't know."

"Well of course they wouldn't." Kefira replied. "He's sworn to secrecy just like us...but that's because he doesn't know that I'm a muggle-born. Hmm...this is going to be interesting, wait until my parents find out. I can't wait to see their faces...now that would be photo worthy..not some lanky neck giraffes."

"How do we bring it up?" Neville asked. "We can't just walk over and say something."

"What? Of course we can." Kefira said. "Have you met me, Neville?"

Neville watched in slight horror as Kefira left his side and walked over to where Bandile and Cardel were.

"Why do I keep opening my mouth?" Neville whimpered. "Why do I suggest these things? I know what she's going to do. I should know how she would react...ugh. Why is it always me?"

Kefira looked up at her crazed "uncle" as he prepared his camera, setting it up for a shot when he peered down at the petite girl.

"Can I help you, Little Lion?" he asked.

"I know what you told, Neville." Kefira said to him right off the bat. She watched for a brief second as the man's face faltered before he cleared his throat and straightened himself.

"What are you talking about? What did I tell the boy besides my name?"

"That you're a wizard."

Cardel nearly dropped the box in his hands as Bandile's eyes went wide. Neville hid behind the car, hoping he would find a pit of quicksand and disappear sooner rather than later.

"Is it true?" Kefira asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bandile said trying to distract himself with his camera.

"Oh come on, Bandile, I already know. I know Neville is one too... we all do."

She looked to her dad for confirmation bringing Cardel to nod nervously as he was afraid of breaking the sworn secrecy that had taken when they first learned about Kefira.

"How...how would you know that?" Bandile asked her, narrowing his eyes.

"Duh, because I'm a witch." Kefira blurted out.

"Kefi!" Cardel scolded her.

"What? It's true! I am one."

Bandile looked surprised for a few moments as he remained speechless. "You..you..." he glanced over at Cardel and then to Neville who was peeking over in their direction. "I knew it!" the man suddenly laughed. "I always thought there was something different about you, Kefi. And I was right."

She grinned before looking over to Neville and motioning him over.

"So it's true?" Cardel said. "You're...you're one as well?

Bandile gave his dear friend a small smile. "Well, I'm sure you know by now that we're not supposed to tell...but remember when I had to leave for school for awhile..."

Cardel nodded.

"Did you go to Hogwarts, Bandile?"

"No, Kefi," Bandile said. "I went to Uagadou School of Magic in the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda."

"Whoa," the girl's eyes went bright with excitement as Neville reached her side. "Did you hear that Neville? There's another wizarding school here!"

Neville moved behind Kefira, eyeing Bandile, feeling as though he had betrayed the man by informing Kefira that he was a wizard but the man only smiled in the boy's direction.

"It's alright, Neville, there's no harm done. It's a joyous occasion. " the man said.

'Can we go see the school? Please!" Kefira begged. "Please, please, please!"

"Maybe.' Bandile chuckled. "But first, we came out here to do a job. That's if your father still wants to work with the likes of me?"

All eyes were on Cardel.

"Way to put me on the spot, Bandy!"