Neville was different. He always knew that, and his family confirmed it. When he was three, his cousin started to cast spells on small things. Building blocks floated around, dolls glittered. Neville couldn't do that. He always wished he could, sitting tensely in front of his little wooden wizards. Nothing ever happened. 'That boy's never done anything, he'll be a squib,' he heard his gran say. 'A disappointment for his parents, they were such great wizards,' said others. When his older cousin received his letter, he looked on excitedly.
Will I ever be able to go to Hogwarts?
He answered the question himself with No
Neville and his gran often visited Neville's parents. He hated it in that hospital. White, sterile walls, the smells of various potions. It never felt like a place where you could get better. It never felt like home. Neville drew pictures and before long the walls of his parents' room were full of little drawings. He knew they didn't understand why he drew them. They didn't even know him.
On the night of his 11th birthday, he waited in front of the letter slot in the door. Even though he knew that he wouldn't get a letter to Hogwarts, he didn't give up hope. He stared through the letter slot. His gran had long since disappeared to bed, but he still couldn't sleep.
What if I did get a letter?
Would I be a good wizard?
No, I'm not a wizard anyway, I'm a disappointment.
A disappointment.
These words played in an endless loop in his head. It was getting later and later and Neville fell asleep in front of the door. When he woke up, he found a letter in front of him.
Neville Longbottom,
House of Augusta Longbottom.
He turned the letter over and saw the Hogwarts crest. His heart leapt. He jumped up and ran to his gran. When she saw the letter, she looked at him and Neville saw something in her face for the first time: pride.
They visited Neville's parents that same day. He was super excited. They didn't really understand what was happening, but Neville's mum hugged him and his dad gave him a pat on the back.
But all the joy Neville felt was quickly overrun by negative feelings.
What if I am no good?
Maybe I can't do magic after all and this is all just a mistake.
His cousin always talked about Hogwarst, it sounds more scary than exciting now. But there was no going back. He didn't want to ruin his nan's pride, so he had to go through with it now.
If it was a mistake, I would come home again anyway.
On the day of his departure, his grandma handed him two parcels. 'You're going to do great,' she said. Neville opened the first parcel. A toad jumped out and landed on his arm. He stared at it. The toad looked different. It wasn't like all toads. It had spots on its belly that looked like a T. So he decided to call the toad Trevor. The other packet was long and narrow. He opened it and found a wand inside. It was made of wood with a twisted handle that was black. Neville looked up at his gran, "This is your father's wand. He would be so proud of you,' she said. He took the wand.
He was proud of his parents. He always had been.
They fought for everyone, they fought for HIM.
With this thought in his head, he was able to cope well with his grief. But there were moments like these when he wished for nothing more than his parents, both in front of him with clear minds.
Neville suppressed his tears, said goodbye to his Gran and boarded the Hogwarts Express. He knew that a new era was about to begin. A time with new friends, new knowledge.
I will make my parents proud!
One day I will tell them how great it is at Hogwarts and they will understand.
Neville looked back at these thoughts as he stood outside the door of his parents' room. Seven years had passed. St Mango's had not changed. The same white walls, the same smell. But Neville had changed. He entered the room. His parents didn't recognise him. They had never recognised him before. They knew about him, but not that he was their son. He looked at the picture he drew as a child and smiled, took a deep breath and sat down with them.
'Hello mum, dad'
And he began to tell the story. He told how he had broken into the Ministry of Magic with Harry and the others to save Sirius Black, how he and the other Hogwarts students had survived Snape as Headmaster. He talked about the war. Of the great battle. How he had blown up the bridge to Hogwarts and thus supported many Death Eaters in the Rod, how he had stood in front of Voldemort and said that he would never give up and how he had killed Nagini, Voldemort's snake, with the Sword of Gryffindor so that Harry could kill Voldemort. There was a long silence after Neville stopped. His parents looked at him and Neville saw something in their eyes. Tears. His parents were crying. They'd never done that before.
They both looked at him and his mum opened her mouth and said,
‘I'm proud of you’