Post by Tathrin on Mar 19, 2012 17:17:31 GMT -8
Title: Hart's Reflection
Changing Canon Challenge[/b]
Summary: When Harry looked into the Mirror of Erised, he saw his parents standing behind him. But in this world, that is no mere reflection...
Rating: PG-13 (language, some violence)
Word Count: 1422
Back to Part One
Previous Part
A heavy hand clapping him companionably on the shoulder nearly made Neville stumble into the water, but he managed to recover his balance before he dipped his toes. He grinned up at the tall, bearded groundskeeper, and straightened his robes. Hagrid had already turned away to usher the rest of the rather more trepidatious first years into the boats. Neville tossed an absent wave over his shoulder, added, "mum and dad say hi, by the way," and then jauntily ambled away along the edge of the lake, looking for a good seat.
"Neville! Neville, over here!"
Neville Longbottom turned to see a skinny girl with a long black plait waving at him. The boat she was standing next to already had two other girls in, one of whom looked just like the girl trying to attract his attention. Those were the Patil twins, although he didn't recognize their friend.
Neville grinned and sauntered over to the join the girls. "Hey, Parvati," he greeted the standing girl with a proud nod; he could almost always tell which twin was which. They constantly pestered him to tell them how, but he refused to give up the secret: Neville had realized that Parvati usually spoke before her sister, so he just made sure to keep track of where they went after that.
He climbed into the boat with Parvati and sat down next to her sister. Padma smiled but said nothing, letting her sister handle the introductions.
Parvati leaned forward to do so immediately. "Neville, this is Lavender Brown," she said, and the other girl waved shyly. "Lav, this is Neville Longbottom. You'll like him, he's really cool."
Neville preened and politely shook Lavender's hand. "Nice to meet you," he said, and winked.
Lavender giggled. "You, too," she said. Then she squeaked as the boat started to move, gliding out smoothly across the black lake. Neville leaned back against the rail and gave Lavender an easy, reassuring grin. She smiled back, but didn't release her tight grip on the side of the boat.
Parvati leaned across in front of Lavender and frowned at Neville. "We looked for you on the train," she said. Her sister nodded confirmation. "Where were you?"
Neville shrugged. "Oh, around," he said.
"Oi, Neville!"
Neville glanced over at the boat floating next to theirs. A tall black boy and a much shorter one with untidy sandy hair were waving at him enthusiastically. The other boy with them settled for a dignified nod, but he was grinning as broadly as the red-haired girl sitting next to him. Neville waved back languidly before turning back to face the twins again.
"Sorry," he said, "you were saying?"
"Who are they?" Parvati asked, peering across the water at the unfamiliar children. "He looks familiar, but I don't know the others at all..."
"That's Ernie," Neville answered, "and that's Susan with him, and Seamus, and Dean. I met them on the train," he added by way of explanation.
"Making new friends already?" Padma asked, smiling quietly.
"Always," Neville replied.
The girls laughed and they all settled back to wait for their first sight of Hogwarts. The lake was crowded with boats holding other first years, most of them unfamiliar faces, all of them nervous and excited.
"Hey, Neville! Over here!"
Neville Longbottom grinned and turned to see who was calling for him now.
Changing Canon Challenge[/b]
Summary: When Harry looked into the Mirror of Erised, he saw his parents standing behind him. But in this world, that is no mere reflection...
Rating: PG-13 (language, some violence)
Word Count: 1422
Back to Part One
Previous Part
A heavy hand clapping him companionably on the shoulder nearly made Neville stumble into the water, but he managed to recover his balance before he dipped his toes. He grinned up at the tall, bearded groundskeeper, and straightened his robes. Hagrid had already turned away to usher the rest of the rather more trepidatious first years into the boats. Neville tossed an absent wave over his shoulder, added, "mum and dad say hi, by the way," and then jauntily ambled away along the edge of the lake, looking for a good seat.
"Neville! Neville, over here!"
Neville Longbottom turned to see a skinny girl with a long black plait waving at him. The boat she was standing next to already had two other girls in, one of whom looked just like the girl trying to attract his attention. Those were the Patil twins, although he didn't recognize their friend.
Neville grinned and sauntered over to the join the girls. "Hey, Parvati," he greeted the standing girl with a proud nod; he could almost always tell which twin was which. They constantly pestered him to tell them how, but he refused to give up the secret: Neville had realized that Parvati usually spoke before her sister, so he just made sure to keep track of where they went after that.
He climbed into the boat with Parvati and sat down next to her sister. Padma smiled but said nothing, letting her sister handle the introductions.
Parvati leaned forward to do so immediately. "Neville, this is Lavender Brown," she said, and the other girl waved shyly. "Lav, this is Neville Longbottom. You'll like him, he's really cool."
Neville preened and politely shook Lavender's hand. "Nice to meet you," he said, and winked.
Lavender giggled. "You, too," she said. Then she squeaked as the boat started to move, gliding out smoothly across the black lake. Neville leaned back against the rail and gave Lavender an easy, reassuring grin. She smiled back, but didn't release her tight grip on the side of the boat.
Parvati leaned across in front of Lavender and frowned at Neville. "We looked for you on the train," she said. Her sister nodded confirmation. "Where were you?"
Neville shrugged. "Oh, around," he said.
"Oi, Neville!"
Neville glanced over at the boat floating next to theirs. A tall black boy and a much shorter one with untidy sandy hair were waving at him enthusiastically. The other boy with them settled for a dignified nod, but he was grinning as broadly as the red-haired girl sitting next to him. Neville waved back languidly before turning back to face the twins again.
"Sorry," he said, "you were saying?"
"Who are they?" Parvati asked, peering across the water at the unfamiliar children. "He looks familiar, but I don't know the others at all..."
"That's Ernie," Neville answered, "and that's Susan with him, and Seamus, and Dean. I met them on the train," he added by way of explanation.
"Making new friends already?" Padma asked, smiling quietly.
"Always," Neville replied.
The girls laughed and they all settled back to wait for their first sight of Hogwarts. The lake was crowded with boats holding other first years, most of them unfamiliar faces, all of them nervous and excited.
"Hey, Neville! Over here!"
Neville Longbottom grinned and turned to see who was calling for him now.