Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Forty Two

Kefira made it back to the Gryffindor table to see that Faye was there, sitting beside Dean.

"There you are! I was beginning to think something terrible happened to you!" Kefira said sitting down next to Neville.

"Sorry, my parents took me to Hogsmeade and well, there's no sense in taking the train at that point. I tried finding you all around the carriages, but...I guess you guys already made it up here."

"It's not big deal." Kefira told her. "As long as you're okay."

"Oh I'm just fine." Faye smiled. "Don't worry."

Dumbledore arose to give the annual speech to kick off the feast, but Kefira already lost interest. She had lost interest during the Sorting Ceremony as hunger called to her. Her stomach was growling making it all that much harder for her to concentrate on anything else besides the sounds of a dying walrus that emitted from within.

"Is that you Kefira?" Neville whispered to her.

"Yes, you can hear that? My stomach is threatening me." she said resting her forehead on the table. "I'm so hungry right now."

"You should have eaten something on the train." Neville frowned.

"Well, I wasn't hungry then. But I can smell the food from the kitchen and it smells glorious!"

Neville laughed. "It does smell pretty good, doesn't it?"

"Ugh, it's teasing me."

She held onto her stomach and closed her eyes. "Wake me up when the food arrives."

The beginning of second year seemed pretty uneventful until word got around that Harry and Ron had not only taken a flying car to school, but also managed to crash it into the Whomping Willow.

Kefira didn't really hold much of a friendship with the boys, but she was curious to hear the story. But as she listened to Harry and Ron grumble about Professor Snape, she grew irritated.

"You guys broke the rules, what else was he supposed to do?" Kefira asked them.

The boys looked over at her and even Kefira became confused realizing she was sticking up for one of the professors. The professor who normally gave her detention throughout the school year.

"He could have given us a break, it wasn't like we wanted to take the car, we had no choice." Ron said.

"Couldn't you have just told your parents?" Kefira said. "I'm pretty sure they could have handled it. Faye's parents dropped her off in Hogsmeade, why couldn't yours if you did something as simple as miss the train?"

"No one asked you!" Ron said.

Kefira stuck her tongue out at him before leaving to the girl's dorm. She flopped onto her bed and glanced over the edge at her trunk that rested at the end. She leaned over and opened it to find her books and clothing packed neatly inside, obviously her mother's packing. Kefira didn't understand the point of folding the clothing, wrinkles built character in her opinion.

She picked up her potions book and rested back on her bed curious to see what potions she might be working on during her more than likely upcoming detentions.

The next morning, she found herself back to her usual happy, hyper mood. She was slipping on her shoes, when Trevor appeared at her feet.

"Well, good morning, Trevor." Kefira greeted the toad. "I'm guessing Neville is awake, is that why you're here?"

She put on her remaining shoe and headed towards the stairs with Trevor in her hands.

She found Neville waiting in the common room, hands folded in his lap and sitting straight as if he was at the world's fanciest tea party.

"Why are you sitting like that?" she laughed at him as she walked over in his direction.

"Like what?"

"I dunno, you're sitting how my mum tells us to sit at the table for dinner."

Neville glanced down at his hands, and quickly unclasped them, while attempting to slouch. However, he looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"Umm..Nev...what are you doing?"

"I don't even know anymore, do you want to go to breakfast?"

"Sure." she smiled placing Trevor on the sofa. "Let's go."

Kefira was sitting next to Neville when she saw the other red headed girl seated at the Gryffindor table, eating quietly.

"Ginny, isn't it?" Kefira called to the youngest Weasley.

The girl looked up. "Yes."

"Are you excited for your first day of classes?"

It was one of the many things, Neville envied about Kefira, that she was able to strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone. She never hesitated to ask a question or approach someone and even if she did come across a bit strong, people warmed up to her instantly. Ginny and Kefira were talking to each other as Neville listened patiently when a little ways down the table, an owl swooped in and dropped a letter for Ron.

"Look everyone! Weasley's got himself a howler!" Seamus pointed out with a smile.

Kefira glanced at the red envelope curiously.

"What's a howler?" she whispered to Neville.

"A very, very, very nasty letter. Trust me, you never want to be on the receiving end of one." Neville explained before turning to Ron. "You'd better open it Ron. It'll be worse if you don't. My grand sent me once, and I ignored and..it was horrible."

Kefira watched as Ron opened it and immediately a woman's voice echoed into the hall.

"HOW DARE YOU STEAL THAT CAR? I AM ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED! YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER "TOE" OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME! And Ginny, dear, congratulations on making it into Gryffindor. Your Father and I are so proud."

Once the Howler finished, it exploded into flames, leaving a small pile of ashes on the table.

"Whoa," Kefira said. "I am so glad my mother doesn't know how to send those."