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8. The Unexpected

Later that evening Harry surveyed his adopted family, thinking about how one more would be added to their number tomorrow. Harry was feeling very melancholy about the whole situation as he watched Cosmo bat Arnold, Ginny’s purple Pygmy Puff, around the sitting room. Cosmo batted Arnold under the overstuffed chair Ron was sitting on. After several attempts to reach the puff, Cosmo gave up; she turned to the room at large and sat down, looking for something else to entertain her.

“MMMMRRRRROOOOOWWWWW!” screamed Cosmo as she shot across the floor. The whole room turned to see what the commotion was. It appeared that Arnold was up to the challenge of playing with the kitten. With the kitten’s back turned, the Pygmy Puff had sprung its attack.

The purple ball of fluff engulfed Cosmo’s tail; her eyes were ten times their normal size as the pair bounced across the room.

Everyone was stunned for several seconds until Ron asked, “How did the fur ball… Well how did it not grab its tail?” No one could answer. Someone smiled, and then someone chuckled, which in the end lead to the whole room laughing uncontrollably.

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As Harry began to wake the next morning, he became aware of a hand holding his. When he opened his eyes, he saw the fuzzy outline of Ginny sitting on the edge of his bed.

“Good morning,” she said softly and bent over to kiss him.

“Great morning,” he replied as she pulled away. Just then the door to his room flew open. At first he thought it was one of her brothers coming to kill him for kissing her, but it was Hermione looking very panicked.

“Harry, come quick! Something went wrong when Lupin and Tonks went to get Neville,” she said quickly and left.

Harry and Ginny arrived in the kitchen shortly after Hermione; they found a very angry Neville being restrained by Fred and George. Not far away was Tonks, looking very upset.

“What happened?” Harry asked of Tonks.

It was Neville who answered, “THAT COW KILLED…” But he could not finish.

Harry took Tonks into the other room. “What happened?” he asked her again.

“Well, we arrived that the Longbottom’s all right and we were just about to leave when we were attacked. It was Bellatrix and six other Death Eaters. They would have had us all if not for Neville. His Gran took Bellatrix’s killing curse right in the face, and then Neville went nuts.” She paused, visibly shaken by the memory of Mrs. Longbottom’s death. Then she started again. “In the end Neville had done a great deal of damage to the Death Eaters. Bellatrix’s arm had been severed just above the elbow by his severing charm. She had left behind the severed arms and three of her companions.”

Once she was done telling him what happened, Harry asked, “Where is Lupin?”

“Making sure the Death Eaters who did not get away are properly taken care of,” she said with a sigh.

“What about the note telling where we are?” he asked, referring to the note he gave Lupin so Neville and his Gran could find Potter Manor.

“It was destroyed before the attack,” she said simply.

“Thank you, Tonks. Would you please go and make sure Lupin does not need any help?” Harry was not really asking, more like giving an order. The moment he realized this he felt very odd, but Tonks followed his order just as if Dumbledore gave it. That was even odder for Harry.

As he left Harry returned to the kitchen, where Neville had clamed very little, and the twins fought to keep him from leaving.

“Neville, I need you to come with me,” Harry said in a becalmed voice. At the sound of his name being said by Harry, he stopped his struggle against the twins. Harry signaled that the twins should let him go, and he turned to leave the room.

First Harry with Neville in tow headed to his room to retrieve his Pensive and Dumbledore’s memory of the prophecy. From there Harry led Neville to a set of large double doors that no one had entered since the day he and Hermione first arrived at the house. Harry opened the doors and gestured that Neville should enter.

Neville was surprised to see that he had not entered a different part of the manor but he had stepped out side. In front of him was a fair sized two-story house that looked very similar to the other houses on Founder’s Lane.

“That’s the house my parents were killed in,” Harry answered Neville’s unasked question.

He led Neville to the back door and again opened it so Neville could enter first. They entered a large kitchen. Harry hurried through the door across the way in to a dining room. From there he crossed that room and entered the foyer. Quickly Harry opened the front door and stepped out on the front steps.

“That’s where my dad died, trying to stop Tom long enough for my mum to get away,” he said, pointing out at the front lawn.

“Harry, why are you showing me this?” Neville’s voice quivered.

“Follow me,” was all he said, and he reentered the house and began to climb the stairs that led from the foyer to the upstairs. Once at the top, Harry took a right and headed down the hall. He opened the door at the end of the hall and once again let Neville enter first.

They had come to Harry’s childhood room. It was painted blue, and the window hangings had little cartoon-like Quidditch players who were moving from window to window playing Quidditch.

“There’s where my mum died to save me, and that bed’s where I was when he tried to kill me,” he said, while pointing to indicate where he was talking about.

Harry placed the pensive on rooms only dresser, he then added the memory. “This memory belonged to Dumbledore. This memory is of the prophecy that was destroyed in the Department of Mystery. This prophecy is the reason my parents are dead. Tom Riddle only heard part of the prophecy, and armed with only part of the prophecy he choose to kill me instead of you,” Harry’s tone was emotionless, and to anyone observing him would think him heartless. The truth was he was so numb inside. He felt responsible for the death of Neville’s gran.

Neville heard every word that was said and watched the memory is silence, for he was also numb inside. It would not be until much later that he would understand what Harry had said and what the prophecy means for Harry and what it could have meant for him. It was Hermione and Ginny who would answers the questions he would have later on.

Harry turned to look Neville straight in the eye. “No one can tell you they know how you felt. No one can tell you how to stop the pain. All I can tell you is that when you’re ready, I would like your help getting the bastard who is responsible for the loss of both our parents and the other people that have been taken from us,” he stated.

“When you’re ready to return to the manor, we will get you settled into your room, and answer the questions you may have” he finished, leaving Neville alone with his grief.