Neville Longbottom- The Boy Who Lived

Petrificus Totalus

Chapter 12- Petrificus Totalus

I managed to persuade Hermione not to go down to Hagrid's for tea, as if there was a dragon in his hut, I didn't want her near it. The Christmas ball was getting closer, I still hadn't asked her. Realising I had to hurry up and ask her before someone else did, I tried to talk to her after dinner that evening. It was just me and her because Harry and Ron were down at Hagrid's. Hermione had a book propped up against a jug of water, eating whilst revising, whereas I was trying to figure out what to say to her. Do I ask her directly? Ask her as a friend? Ask her romantically?

Thoughts were flying around my head, my heart was telling me to ask her out, but my head was telling me to ask her to the ball as a friend. I decided that my heart had got me this far, it was what I wanted, so I ought to continue to follow the path it was pointing me to.

"Hey, Hermione?"

"Hm?" She replied casually, not turning around. However, she did twist slightly so her body was pointing in my direction.

"I... I was... uh..." My body had just locked up, as had my mind. Unfortunately for me, Hermione chose this time to turn around. My mind was shouting directions at me, but I realised I couldn't express anything. And it wasn't my fault.

"MALFOY!" Hermione screamed to some point beyond my head. Sliding off the bench, my body rigid as a board, I realised what had happened. Hitting the floor with a small thud, I realised I couldn't move any part of my body. Malfoy had used the body bind curse on me.

Despite the fact that we were in front of teachers, in a full hall, full of students talking, Hermione's screech silenced them. But not as much as the next words of hers did.

"EXPELLIARMUS! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!"

"MISS GRANGER! WHAT THE DEVIL ARE YOU DOING?!" It seemed that everyone had turned to watch. Malfoy crashed down to the floor, also rigid as a board. That wasn't what everyone was watching. Professor McGonnagol had dashed down to where Hermione was standing, her mouth a very thin line. Nobody had ever seen her this angry. Yet, nobody had realised that I was still stuck under the table. McGonnagol muttered "Finite" unfreezing Malfoy. Glancing over to Professor Dumbledore, who nodded, she grabbed Malfoy and Hermione, dragging them off to be punished, I think.

Unfortunately for me, Hermione was the only one who knew where I was, therefore I was stuck under the table. I heard the chatter begin to rise again, I also noticed Dumbledore's cloak sweep out of the Great Hall. I could hear some of the other girls in our year discussing what had happened.

"That was unlike Hermione..."

"Yeah, the last time I saw her go that crazy was when I heard someone call that Longbottom kid fat..."

"Do you think she likes him?"

"Well, she doesn't have a date to the ball yet, but she has had offers though..."

"They would be totally cute together!" Exclaimed Lavender Brown.

"Hey, are you done guys? I had better make a start on that potions essay. It has to be like a foot long!"  If I could have laughed, I would have, as Hermione and I completed that piece of homework a while ago. Thanks to her, I have scraped an Acceptable in potions.

*** 

(Hermione's POV)

Argh! Malfoy makes me so angry! Why does he pick on Neville? Poor adorable Neville. I wish he would ask me to the winter ball, Ron asked me, but I told him I was already going with someone. I jerked out of my thoughts as I heard McGonnagol's voice ring through the corridor.

"Sherbet Lemon." Her mouth was still in the thin line that it has been since she witnessed me hex Malfoy. The wall in between two gargoyles opened up into a set of moving steps, which she pushed us onto, then followed herself. She knocked once on the large wooden door at the top, then let herself in. I followed meekly in, not wanting to be in any more trouble than I already was. I looked up from the floor and saw Dumbledore staring at me, his electric blue eyes boring into mine, as if he could see down to my soul. As much as I respected Dumbledore, I found this rather creepy.

"Miss Granger, what on earth were you doing?" Dumbledore asked me, peering over at me still. I closed my eyes, thinking hard over what had happened. I opened them, and stared into Dumbledore's eyes, ready to tell him what had happened. His mouth had pressed into a thin line before I had even started. Then, one word screamed into my mind, something that made me do something I had never done before. Disobey a teacher.

"Sorry... I have to... Neville..."

*** 

(Neville's POV)

I don't know how long I had been lying here, but I knew for a fact that I was alone here now. All the teachers had left, as had the students. All I could think about was how I was going to ask Hermione. Hearing the Gryffindor girls gossiping about Hermione made me realise something, I had to ask her. To her face. Next time I see her, I will ask her straight out. As if on queue, light footfalls could be heard from where I was lying, followed by light ones. Then I saw her. The brown hair which was so shiny and natural. Her brown eyes which I fell into, like staring into a pool of chocolate. She pulled out her wand, pointed it at me,

"Finite."

"Hermione? Willyougototheballwithme?" I asked, my words tumbling out of my mouth. Her face lit up.

"Sorry, what?" She asked with a smile.

"Will you go to the ball with me?"

"Yes"

I jumped out from under the table and pulled Hermione into a massive bear hug.

"Ahem, if the pair of you could follow me."