Diagon Alley - Harry Potter One Shots

Hero- Nefira

With the war far behind him, and his life moving on at a comfortable pace, Neville Longbottom was perfectly capable of saying he was happy with how his life had turned out. He had become a man that he was sure that his parents would be extremely proud of. And even though they didn't speak or saying anything that would let him know, whenever he visited his parents in the ward, he could see it in their eyes. For every wrapper that his mother pressed into the palm of his hand, she held his hand longer and squeezed it a little tighter. Her way of telling him that she couldn't be prouder of what he had managed to do with his life.

Back in his first year, he remembered how scared and intimidated he was by nearly everything and everyone. Being social with his peers of his own house was enough to rattle his nerves. He didn't like to speak against anyone, and only looked forward to acceptance. But slowly over time, he left that Neville behind. The man he had become was a far cry from the boy he was in first year.

He had grown quite a bit, not only in height, but his entire being had grown. He developed plenty of confidence in himself and his abilities, something he had lacked early on. He realized he had a voice and had every right to use. He wasn't a coward and he was allowed to feel fear, because without fear, he couldn't understand what it was to be brave.

Kefira Walsh had taught him that. The feisty little red head he had met back in first year on the train. The girl from day one had never been afraid to speak what was on her mind, and she certainly didn't care what people thought about her. If anyone was to hurt someone she cared about, she would be fully prepared to go down fighting. It was one of the traits that Neville admired about her from the beginning.

She had the inner roar of Gryffindor. The daring nerve to be courageous when times called for it.

Neville wanted that, not only for himself, but when those he cared about couldn't stand up for themselves or were afraid, he would be there to help them. Gradually over his years attending Hogwarts, he did find his inner roar.

He knew exactly what it took to be a lion.

In his remaining year, it was time to put his inner roar to the test.

Hogwarts had become absolute hell under the control of Death Eaters. Professor Snape, the man who had tortured Neville all throughout his childhood had become Headmaster. Death Eaters like Alecto Carrow had become professors at the school, unleashing their own forms of torture on students.

It sickened Neville more than anything. But what bothered him even more was Kefira wasn't at his side. 

Dean and Kefira had to go into hiding due to the fact that they were muggle-borns and they were being hunted down under Lord Voldemort's orders because they were accused of "stealing" magic. Rather than being able to fight to defend Hogwarts, her second home, she had to flee to keep her and her family safe.

It bothered Neville to no end, considering Kefira had fought so hard to look at Professor Snape in a bright light. She had tried to help him over the years come to terms with whatever caused him pain, but instead he just insisted on causing her pain.

But Neville knew he had to help the other students in the castle, especially the first years as the Carrow siblings seemed to have taken great joy in torturing them. He stood up for them every chance he had to defend them. He wanted to protect them, thinking of his parents and how they had met ill fates for being good people.

First year in Hogwarts was supposed to be magical and it was supposed to be full of happy memories. But it wasn't the case for the first years of that year.

However, he did everything he could to keep them safe.

Apparently, his acts of bravery stayed with many of the children that year. One early evening, he sat in his office, working on his lesson plan for the upcoming week ahead in Herbology, when he heard a knock at the door. He looked up from his writing and smiled as he saw his wife, standing in the doorway. Her head resting on the door frame as she smiled back at him.

"I thought I might find you in here." Kefira told him with a hint of amusement. "I tried the greenhouses first."

"Is everything alright?" Neville asked standing up from his desk.

"Yup, everything is fine. You just have a visitor...well...actually visitors."

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "I do? Who?"

Kefira looked over her shoulder before motioning whoever was waiting behind her to go inside.

Neville stood still as he watched young adults pour into the office, all of them greeting him happily.

"I...I.." He looked up to Kefira for an answer but she only covered her mouth to hide her ever growing smile.

"Don't you remember us?" One of the young women said.

"Of course he doesn't, it's been ages!"

"It hasn't been that long!"

Kefira walked in finally and stood where they all were.

"You probably don't remember them because the last time you saw them, they were all probably this big." She held up her hand a short distance from the ground. "These are all the first years you helped during the war."

Neville's lips parted in surprise and his eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"They contacted me at the beginning of the week, in hopes that they could come properly thank their hero.  Now you can sit down with them and listen to all of their accomplishments because you helped them all those years ago."

Neville scanned over the bright and happy faces that stood before him, before letting out a small but happy cry.

"So what have you all been up to?"