Title → Neville is very much a Gryffindor
Summary → At the end of the 1st year feast, Dumbledore and Neville have a small conversation.
Status → Complete (oneshot drabble).
Category → Gen.
Rating → K.
Spoilers → HP & The Philosopher Stone (has some smaaaallll spoilers of the DH, but, really, nothing crucial).
Main characters and/or Ship → Neville Longbottom & Albus Dumbledore.
Hi! This is a very short fic (just 325 words!) that came to my mind and wouldn't leave until I wrote it. So here it is.
My usual warning: I'm not a native English speaker ...aaaand I don't have a beta, so any mistakes you see are very much my own. Please point them to me, that way I can learn and everyone will be happier on future fics =)
Also, Harry Potter and all other characters, situations and places aren't mine, or I would be writing original works. BTW, I don't make any money with this, so don't sue me!
Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.
“There are all kinds of courage,” said Dumbledore, smiling. “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom.”
Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Ron in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn’t have looked more stunned and horrified if he’d just had the Body-Bind Curse put on him.
{Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone}
The small first year approached the Professor’s Table, taking care to round it by the side that wasn’t occupied by Professor Snape. His goal was sitting there at the center, wearing bright blue robes and observing the children.
“Headmaster Dumbledore, can I ask you a question?”
“Of course you may, Mr. Longbotton. Obtaining an answer is what isn’t always certain”, said the Headmaster, eyes sparkling at the sight of the nervous pupil.
“Professor, do you really think that it was brave of me to stand up against Harry like that?” The huge innocent eyes of the student blinked at Dumbledore.
The old wizard, looking upon him with benevolence, replied:
“Let me tell you a story, Mr. Longbotton. It happened long before you were even born and I was just a young man, only a few years older than you are now.”
“I had a friend that was very dear to me, but he had very strong ideas about how the future of the wizarding world should be. And I knew his plans weren’t very nice, but I loved him and didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship, so I did nothing.”
Dumbledore said, looking up at the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, his eyes lost in the past.
“But he went to far and had to be stopped anyway. By then, he had caused too many damage, had hurt too many people, for me to save him.”
“Hum… Professor? I don’t think Harry would do anything really, really bad… It’s just… He’s not very careful…” Said the boy, grasping his hands together.
“That he isn’t, isn’t he?” The director replied smiling. “Now, go enjoy the remaining of the feast, Mr Longbotton.”
As the student returned to his table, the Headmaster was left there, watching him go and contemplating what the future would bring that boy - and the other one.
Hoping that they would never have to make the same choice he had to do.
