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Author: Kathryn Story: Observations Rating: Young Teens Setting: Post-DH Status: Completed Reviews: 23 Words: 17,716
Disclaimer: All the characters, places, objects in this fanfic belong to JK Rowling. I'm just borrowing them for a while. The Great Hall was packed with all the survivors clinging to each other. None of them had dared move since the last person that had died had been moved into the ground floor classroom. There would be time for thoughts, plans and funeral arrangements in the future. Right now life outside this room could wait. Now was the time for reflection and for being with those who knew what it was like. Each survivor, every single one of them was aware of what they had been part of and the new dawn that was now rising. The fact that things were changing was easy the pick up. Despite the protective hold of the Great Hall even some small nuggets of information, such as Kingsley Shacklebolt being made the new Minister for Magic, had crept in and what they had fought for and the successes were becoming clearer. It was good to pick up the big things, to know that they had actually made a difference, but anything else such as press interviews could wait on the other side of the winged boar gates. They had too much to digest before they saw the rest of the wizarding world. Each of them was equally aware of what that new dawn had cost and as if signalling the new Voldemort-free world that had been created, the early May sunshine was creeping through the windows. Less than ten minutes ago the dining tables had returned to their normal place which had been the scene of the final battle. The large house tables now sat in the very place where Lord Voldemort had fallen. McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Slughorn had stood in the centre of the large room, in discussion, before a quick flick of their wands and the first part of normality had returned with the long house tables. Food was now being conjured onto the tables from the house-elves;, it was hard to believe the last act of a very bloody war had taken place here. With the exception of the age difference of the crowd now filling the Great Hall, it could have been just another morning eating breakfast before they headed to classes. Neville flopped down exhausted onto a bench placing the sword of Gryffindor on the table beside him. Pushing his long overgrown hair out of the way, he stared at the sword that had filled his thoughts this year since that September journey to Hogwarts. He recalled his hushed conversations with Ginny and Luna when Ginny had told him when she had suggested stealing the sword from Snape's office that only a true Gryffindor could pull out that sword. The last year had tested many, many things, especially after Harry, Ron and Hermione had never returned. Three of the bravest Gryffindors had been taken from them before the year had even begun. Then Luna had been taken--snatched off the train in front of their very eyes with nothing that could be done about it. It had taken all his strength to hold back an emotional Ginny to stop her from being taken as well. Finally, Ginny was forced into hiding but the fight continued and he had been left to face it without his friends whom he had thought would be there for everything. His seventh year had turned out so differently from what he had expected. It had not been about getting a handful of good NEWTs and leaving Hogwarts with a few good friends. It had done that but the year had been about so much more; it had been about fighting for what was right and surviving a year in direct combat with the Dark Arts. Bravery had been the key to survival this year. After spending many years doubting whether he had deserved to be in Gryffindor, wondering whether the Sorting Hat had been right when it had first suggested placing him in Hufflepuff, he now felt like he belonged. When he had been asked to lead, to rebel against authority and to stand up for what he believed in, he had not been found wanting. Although he knew that he would not have been able to do it without the two sixth year girls that had become his closest friends. Looking from the outside, many people would have been jealous that it was he, clumsy Neville Longbottom, that two of the most intelligent and beautiful sixth year girls had helped to run an illicit club. Looking from the outside in it looked so much more glamorous and not nearly as hard and gruelling as it was. As they had banded together it had inspired confidence and support in each other, making his actions yesterday possible. He had grown up so much since he first sat in this hall, scared of Severus Snape and in awe of the famous Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived. Now so much had changed; Harry was still a hero, a great hero but there were so many others out there that were heroes in their own way. The whole of the Great Hall was filled with those who deserved the name hero. Slowly people started to fall into seats, not caring where they sat. Being a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or even a Slytherin did not matter now. Living in the Room of Requirement, all those petty inter house debates had been set aside. It was a togetherness that had survived outside the sanctuary of the members of Dumbledore's Army;, they had fought together, the way they had lived, without inter house debates. They all had more important things in common than house colours and badges. When it had counted, they had all fought for what was right. When food had emerged the survivors had started to eat, if only to provide them with something to do. A knot of admirers had soon appeared at his side all asking questions and wanting to hold the sword. It was hard to believe that he was the person getting all the respect from others right now. He had sampled that back when he had helped lead the D.A. but being overlooked so often in favour of other Gryffindors, he had turned to others, namely Luna and Ginny, for support in that role. With the D.A., Ginny had been much better with the attention than he, often taking the lead in meetings, and he had let her take that control. It only been two weeks of leadership and he had expected to hand that role back. He had always expected that once Harry had returned, he would be back out of the limelight. Growing up he had always compared himself to Harry, thinking about the similarities and differences. He had so much in common with The Boy-Who-Lived. They had both grown up without parents due to Voldemort's first reign of terror and he had no doubt that if Voldemort had not risen to power that both their lives would have been remarkably different. As much as he deeply loved his grandmother he was sure that life would have been very different without her pressure and expectation, he was sure that he would have had time to develop without constant references to what his father was like and to have a mother to confess his hopes and fears to as she tucked him in at night. Voldemort had darkened both their lives until this day. Yet there were key differences between them too. While he had been able to fade into the background, Harry had developed a confidence, become a leader and had been thrust into the spotlight. Looking over the scene this morning, he realised the huge gap in their differences may be closing just that little bit. After his actions in the early hours of the morning, doing what Harry would have done and standing up against the evil that had damaged his life so much, he seemed to have become just a little bit famous himself. Neville guessed that he should get used to it after all, he was one of the war heroes now. Yet as he answered the questions of all those now surrounding him, he was almost wishing that they would disappear. He was not made for all this admiration, as flattering as it was. He would rather spend time with people who had still been his friends when he was bumbling under chairs looking for Trevor. Neville glanced across the Great Hall and quickly located Harry with the crowds that were gathering around him wishing that those around him would return to Harry Potter's side. Harry seemed to deal with this admiration so much better than he was doing right now. Instantly he looked for a flash of red hair, expecting to finally see Ginny by his side. He had spent six years, watching Harry, sharing a dorm room with him and growing to see him as one of the true friends he had and from that he only knew two things for sure. First, there was never any doubt in his mind about the outcome in this war. Harry would always do whatever it took to defeat Voldemort. Something that had been reinforced as they had spoken just before Harry had walked to his death. Harry was noble to the very core and would never have let Voldemort win even if it meant sacrificing himself. It was very apt that the very sword that was now sitting next to him had once been the very sword that Harry had pulled from the Sorting Hat to save Ginny. That was the first time Harry had shown his noble side and proved he would do whatever it took to save someone. One thing that he was sure of was that when Harry beat Voldemort and the wizarding world returned to normal, Harry would want Ginny Weasley back in his life permanently. He had watched Harry falling in love with her last year. He had watched as Harry pussyfooted around Ron; it had been amusing to watch as the two best friends had not know how to talk to each other with one slowing falling in love with the other's sister. Neville had watched as Harry had rushed back from whatever lesson he'd had to spend time with Ginny. Harry had clearly wanted to be in the common room whenever Ginny was there. There was no mistaking that spring in Harry's step as he bounced around Hogwarts. Likewise, there was no doubt in Neville's mind that Ginny would take Harry back. Neville had spent so much time with the youngest Weasley that she had probably become his closest friend over the last year. He had even become a kind of honorary big brother, as Ginny had permitted him to keep a watchful eye over her when so many other people wanted inflict pain on Harry Potter's girlfriend and the only Weasley they were able to hurt. Alecto Carrow had even attempted to place himself, Luna and Ginny in detention for talking to each other in the Great Hall, claiming they should be at separate house tables. And while Ginny had hidden what she was feeling from so many others, the role that she had allowed him to take had broken through that tough exterior and let him in. Ginny had put up a good act and put all her energy into running Dumbledore's Army and fighting the Carrows yet the worry that she had been feeling had been etched across her face each day. He had watched as Ginny had rushed into the Room of Requirement, just like Harry had used to run up to the Gryffindor common room to check on the person he was falling in love with. Only this time, Ginny wasn't running up to see the person she was falling in love with but to a radio and the hope that the person she loved was still alive. As shown by the rejection of the few boys who had even attempted to ask her out, Ginny was very much Harry's girl. Neville looked across the Great Hall, trying to locate his other friend. Ginny was at the same table as he, about twenty places down on the opposite side. She had her head lying on her mother's shoulder showing just how much she had been through. She was letting her act drop again, even if briefly and allowing herself to be a sixteen year old, the youngest person still in the Hogwarts Great Hall. They had all been through so much but they had each other and although things may be hard at the moment, they would see each other through all this mess. At least they were still here and had the time to put it all right. "Hi, Neville," a voice drew him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see a girl with a slightly pink face in front of him. Just like the first time he had ever seen her, her blonde hair was in two plaits. Her clothes were just like everyone else's--torn and dirty. She looked like she hadn't slept for days. "Hi, Hannah," he smiled at her, "you going to sit down and have some toast?" "When Mum was killed everyone offered food." She sat down, picking up a piece of toast and examining it before placing it back down, a small frown creasing her forehead, "Why do people think food helps at a time like this?" "I guess," he was struggling for an answer himself. His family had spent a lifetime giving him some kind of sweets whenever they talked about what had happened to his parents, "it gives you something to focus on when you've lost other things." Hannah smiled softly, "I guess." "Are you okay?" He asked looking in her blue eyes. "Yeah, it helps to have played a part in getting rid of her murders. I was always going to be here after I knew what the Death Eaters had done." Hannah's eyes meet his brown ones as he heard harsh tones in her normally soft voice. The memory of Hannah being called out of Herbology two years ago was coming back to him. She had been a different person when she had come back after her mother's death, a much harder person and although Hannah's losses had not been as high profile as others, Hannah had clearly suffered as much as the rest of them, if not more. "I know," he spoke softly; "I hate to see revenge, just for the sake of it. I don't see the point in it but I have to confess it was good to see Bellatrix Lestrange meet her end." Her eyes meet his, showing that she understood what he was saying and all the motives and emotions behind his words. "No one can blame you for that." "It was good to play a part out there." Neville smiled, "It was important to see all this end." "Never a truer or wiser word spoken." She smiled softly back at him as she forced herself to continue, "but I only played a very small part; not like you." "Everyone fighting out there was important," Neville said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone of voice, he wanted to make it clear that she had been vital out there. "Everyone who joined the D.A., everyone who earned a detention from the Carrows, everyone who fought last night, we all had a role in that final outcome." "But some of us played that part better than others, had larger roles." She paused as she looked at him, "how does it feel? How do you feel?" "How does what feel?" "To be the hero." Neville smiled, "I wasn't the hero here, that was Harry." "Don't downplay your role," she told him in a sterner tone than he had ever heard in her voice, "Where is Harry anyway? Spending some time alone with Ginny?" "Ginny's over there," Neville said pointing to where his friend sat with her mother. "I think Harry needed some space." Hannah smiled, "You can't blame him for that. I just thought that time would include Ginny, the way she's been hooked on him this year. You didn't need to be a close friend to tell she was falling in love with him even if he wasn't here. And by the time I came back at the end of last year, they couldn't keep their eyes or hands off each other." "I'm sure they will be back together," he paused, talking like this to Hannah was so much easier than talking to the knot of admirers who wanted to know the details of his role in the battle. "We've all got the time now." Hannah threw her Dumbledore's Army galleon down on the table, "well that is what we fought for." Neville looked at the galleon, "Makes you proud to have fought, doesn't it?" "We never really had a choice," she smiled, "it was what we needed to do." Neville smiled at her, "Hannah, when all this starts to fade away," he looked at the window, "and the sun rises again, and the mess is cleaned up," He looked back at Hannah, "would you like to meet up some time?" Hannah smiled back at him, and he found himself smiling the way that he had seen Harry do so many times last year. "That sounds good." Neville's attention broke from Hannah, as he watched Ginny kiss her mother and get to her feet. She briefly hugged her father who had just arrived from the top table to sit with her mother. Slowly, uneasy on her feet, she made her way to the entrance to the Great Hall. As she struggled, Neville almost got up himself to go and help her but Ginny needed to do this alone and he was here with someone in the crowd of attention seekers that understood him. They all had time now.
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