Neville was awoken in the middle of the night to someone shouting. He jerked up in bed and heard the other boys in his dorm talking groggily.
"Harry! HARRY!" Neville heard Ron yell. Hearing the distress in his voice, he ripped the curtain around his bed aside.
"Harry!"
Ron was standing over Harry as Neville and Dean stood at the end of the bed. Suddenly, Harry rolled over and vomited onto the floor.
"He's really ill!" Neville said to Ron. "Should we call someone?"
"Harry! Harry!"
"Your dad, " Harry panted, "Your dad's...been attacked..."
"What?" Ron was confused.
"Your dad! He's been bitten, it's serious, there was blood everywhere..."
"I'm going for help, " Neville whimpered and rushed from the dorm room. He's sock feet pounded down the stairs and it only took a few strides to reach the portrait hole. Neville forced it opened roughly. He didn't even take a second to look back at the Fat Lady as she shouted for an apology. His feet took him swiftly to Professor McGonagall's office. Neville pounded on the door.
"Professor! Professor, please! It's serious!" Neville practically fell into the office as McGonagall wrenched her office door open.
"Do you see the time Longbottom?!" She shouted.
"Ma'am! Please it's Harry! He-he's sick please help!" Neville's voice quivered. He couldn't remember the last time he was this scared. The frightened look in Harry's green eyes and the pale color of his skin still showed in Neville's mind. McGonagall pulled her robe around her tighter and told Neville to lead the way.
•••
As the sun rose on Neville, sitting restlessly in bed waiting for Harry and Ron to return, the other boys started to mill around, finishing there packing for the winter holiday. Neville stood, his packaging already taken care of, and made his way to the common room.
"Neville!" Hermione caught his attention, "Are Ron and Harry still in the dorm?"
"They never came back last night," he mumbled. She looked confused. Neville was too confused. Where had Harry gone? The two walked in silence both praying they would run into the two on the way to the great hall for the last breakfast before Christmas.
"Did ya hear?" Dean said to Neville as he plopped down moments after him.
"Is it Harry? Is he in the hospital wing?" Neville gripped onto his spoon tightly, knuckles turning white.
"He and the Weasley's all left in the middle of the night. Umbridge is a right state about it!" Dean glanced at the women at the staff table, her face was red with annoyance as she stole glances at Dumbledore.
Hermione looked at Neville before rising and leaving the hall. Neville sighed. Looked like he wouldn't be able to talk with Harry more this morning.
The train was soothing to Neville, for the most part. He and Luna has taken to sitting in a compartment, missing there usual third of Ginny who had left mysteriously last night as well. Luna read him interesting facts from the Quibbler, a publication her father wrote. Not knowing how to refuse, Neville nodded vaguely.
The compartment door slid open and there stood trouble. Draco Malfoy and his goons Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.
"Well if it isn't the weirdos. The misfits," Draco smirked at them. Neville chewed his cheek. How could he ever be so brave. Luna smiled.
"How are you today? Come to read up about the latest in the Quibbler?"
"Of course not, Loony!" Draco scoffed. "A little bird told me someone here fancies Harry Potter. Is that so?" Draco looked at Neville and smirked.
"That's enough, Malfoy," Neville stood, brandishing his wand. "Leave,"
"A duel is what you want?" Malfoy pulled his wand out but before you could, Neville spied Lee Jordan waving his wand from across the corridor. Malfoy was lifted up to ceiling and sent zooming back to his compartment with Crabbe and Goyle running after him.
•••
