Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter Fifty Three

Mrs. Norris, Colin Creevey, Kefira Walsh, Nearly Headless Nick, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hermione Granger and Penelope Clearwater, were all victims of petrification through the school year. Neville had been terrified that he would be next, while everyone had reassured him that the monster only attacked muggle-borns, when Penelope Clearwater had also been found petrified, it was clear that no one was safe. Penelope being a half-blood, she had not been spared by the monster either.

Even Nearly Headless Nick who was a ghost had fallen victim, Neville wasn't even sure how that was possible or how he would recover since he wouldn't be able to take the antidote like the students. All Neville wanted at that point was for the monster to be caught, Kefira to be back to normal, and finish the year so he could actually have a chance to breathe over the summer.

Many students believed that Harry had been the heir of Slytherin, as Neville got to witness, but once Hermione showed up petrified, it was quite clear that it wasn't him. Many knew he would never do such a thing to his friend. Neville didn't care who the heir of Slytherin was, he just wanted it all to stop. He wanted his best friend back for the little time they had left of the year.

School was more stressful than usual without Kefira causing her usual trouble, Dumbledore had been removed from the school after the school governors suspended him. Hagrid had been sent to Azkaban as he was accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets the first time.

Neville was afraid his grandmother was going to pull him out of school if things got any worse as many parents were threatening to see that the school was shut down. He was scared of whatever monster that lurked around the school, but he feared something far more than his grandmother or the monster, and that was losing his friends.

For the first time, he had friends, actual friends and he didn't want to lose his friendships because of being brought home. Kefira had helped him with so much and the thought of never really getting to see her if they left Hogwarts didn't settle well with him.

While Neville fretted over losing his friendships, there were two students who had taken upon themselves to once and for all close the Chamber of Secrets and destroy the monster within. Yes, the great Harry Potter along with Ron Weasley had breached the chamber only to discover that it had been Ron's little sister, Ginny all along behind the attacks. Of course, it wasn't like Ginny had set the goal in her mind to petrify students her first year, but under the influence of Tom Riddle, Ginny Weasley had been a very bad girl.

But even though Ginny had nearly killed several people, and risked the life of her brother and Harry, some good did come out of the Chamber of Secrets.

Trying to steal the glory of solving the Chamber of Secrets, Professor Lockhart had attempted to erase Harry and Ron's memories. However, the spell backfired due to Ron's broken wand wiping his memory clean.

Hogwarts would rejoice in one of it's finest moments of ridding the school grounds of the obnoxious idiot that had once been called a professor.

With Hogwarts deemed safe again, students and professors were rejoicing that the terrors were over. Ginny who had been weakened by Tom's possession had found herself apologizing profusely to her classmates, waiting for the others who she had helped attack to be released from the Hospital Wing so she could apologize to them face to face fully prepared to be met with anger.

Ginny found Neville sitting in the Common Room and approached him cautiously. She could see the distraught look on his face as he sat staring blankly off into the distance.

"Uh Neville..."she called out to him.

Neville looked up at her. "Yes, Ginny?"

"I..I wanted to apologize for what I did."

"But it wasn't you." Neville told her.

"I know, but in someways it's still my fault and I know how close you and Kefira are. I'm really sorry. I feel like I ruined everyone's entire year."

"No, you didn't." Neville said. "And I certainly don't think you ruined Kefira's either-"

"How could I not have?" Ginny said bewildered. "She was one of the first."

"Because for some reason, I think Kefira would see this all as an adventure."

Ginny forced a smile on her face. "Yeah, she would seem like the type."

Severus was sitting at his desk rubbing his temples, trying to ignore the throbbing headache he had, when there was a slight knock on the door of his classroom. He turned his head to see McGonagall standing in the doorway.

"Seeing as you are the one who whipped together the draught for the students, I would have thought you would be one of the first to see it be put to use." the woman said.

"I did my job as potions master." he answered simply. "I know what it does."

McGonagall held back a slight grin that was curling at her lips.

"Ah well...of course you do. But I was thinking that a certain student would probably like to thank you in person when she comes to."