storypaint | Unbelievable Legend (Neville gen)

Title: Unbelievable Legend
Words: 698
Fandom: Harry Potter
Author: rhap_chan
Character: Neville focused
Rating: G
Spoilers: MAJOR DEATHLY HALLOWS SPOILERS
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. All fanfiction archived here is a derivative of canon material that is not my property. I do not profit from these writings. The opinions and actions expressed in these stories are not necessarily the views and beliefs of the original author or me.

Summary: Years after the end of DH, Neville reflects on the way things change and are forgotten.

Excerpt: Last year he had been out in Hogsmeade when he heard the piercing screams and a small child yelling, "Voldemort, Voldemort!"

It takes a few years, a few decades, before the knowledge turns to rumors and then to unbelievable legend. Neville Longbottom stands at the window in his office and smiles, watching the children below.

Last year he had been out in Hogsmeade when he heard the piercing screams and a small child yelling, "Voldemort, Voldemort!" The sound made Neville's blood run cold. He dropped his packages and ran to the scene, his heart pounding in his throat. His fingers clutched the wand in the pocket of his robe until he was sure it would snap. But Ollivander was a good craftsman. His wand held firm.

But when he reached the scene, all Neville saw was a group of children playing. The one who was supposed to be Voldemort held up a small stick and advanced on the others. They broke away and ran, giggling. One of the braver ones shouted, "I'm Harry Potter and I'm going to beat you, Voldemort!" The little girls screamed in joy and another little boy tried to claim the title of Potter for himself, but the first one stood firm.

Neville smiled. He walked back down the lane, picked up his package, and headed home.

There is a ghost of a knock at the door and Neville turns; his visitor is a first-year, in fact the eldest of the newest generation of Malfoys.

Neville is not surprised to have a visitor; he's long given up on remembering passwords and he's recast the spell on the gargoyle, whispering in its ear, "Let them come if they need me," and that was that. He thinks that it works better. The normal children should be able to see him too.

"Headmaster," she says, and he nods.

Scorpius's daughter has his white-blonde hair, but little else from her father-- those eyes burn with the same cleverness that her grandfather had, long ago. She was a Ravenclaw, and though that would have been a scandal, a few years ago, it was just a small blink in an interesting year. Harry Potter's grandson has come to Hogwarts this year. He is the one everyone has their eyes on, expecting him to shine as his aunts and uncles and grandfather did.

"Yes?" he says, turning away from the window as she approaches his desk. Her eyes are wide, probably because the rumors are returning. He's heard the older Slytherins in the courtyard. "No way that the Headmaster was in Voldemort's War. That was, like, a trillion years ago. And does he look like someone who would have fought? Probably hid behind his grandma or something."

"Headmaster, my grandpa told me you were Harry Potter's friend. That you fought with him in the war. Is that true, Headmaster Longbottom?" the girl asks. Neville doesn't answer for a long moment. He gazes past her at the portrait on the wall of a grey-bearded man, who winks, and at the sword mounted above the portrait, gold and rubies.

"I'm sure you'll learn all about that in History of Magic, won't you?" he says after a long moment, his eyes searching the bejeweled sword. "Professor Lupin handles it quite well, I understand."

After it became clear that Professor Binns would never quite have the memory or the desire to teach about yet another portion of history that occurred after his death, they had to hire someone new. It was Lupin's second year and he'd been Neville's first appointment. From the sounds of things, Lupin had been a good choice. At least Neville saw a lot less students in detentions for sleeping in class.

"Headmaster," the girl says after a moment, hesitant. He nods and he smiles at her. She is the quietest Malfoy he'd ever met, for sure.

"If I have questions about it, will you tell me?" she asks, and after a moment the headmaster nods. She glances down at her watch and gives a quick goodbye before dashing off to class. Neville turns back to the window for a moment and watches children walking across the lawn, holding books and cats and who knows what else.

Neville turns away and winks back at Dumbledore's portrait, and then settles in for a quiet afternoon.

Unbelievable Legend (Neville gen)

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