Brave { Neville Longbottom}

Chapter One Hundred Eighteen

As the rest of the Walsh family was informed of Bandile's actual heritage, they seemed all too surprised to hear that he was in fact a wizard, but it was Kefira's parents that were able to learn much more about the wizarding world than what their daughter could tell them. While Kefira and Neville were outside with Rosemary, Nellie and Lottie supervising them at the pool side, Bandile sat with Alana and Cardel enjoying some lunch at the small cafe that was nearby.

"So, you know Neville?" Alana asked, somewhat intrigued that Bandile had mentioned the boy's parents, when no one else seemed to do. She often wondered why Neville lived with his grandmother but she never thought to ask not wanting to come across rude and Kefira never brought it up either.

"I do not know the child personally, but I met his parents several times throughout my life.." Bandile told them. " Frank and Alice...really good people. Brilliant witch and a talented wizard."

"What happened to them? Are they dead?" Alana questioned further.

"No...didn't the boy tell you?" Bandile looked at the two parents.

"No." Cardel said. "I always saw it as a sensitive subject to bring up and judging by your expression, I don't think I'm wrong, am I?"

"What happened to them was twisted...bunch of Death Eaters ganged up on them and tortured them into insanity."

Alana's eyes widened and both parents looked gravely concerned.

"Death Eaters..."

"I have a feeling you don't hear much about the bad side of the magical world from Kefira." Bandile said. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

He began to explain the story of the Dark Lord who rose to power back in the seventies and how he had developed a large following of wizards and witches that practiced the Dark Arts. The parents looked horrified at the idea of Kefira being involved in such a world. But he reassured that the Dark Lord was dead, defeated by an infant child by the name of Harry Potter.

"Wait a second...I remember Kefi mentioning a bit about him." Alana said. "You mean to tell me a child defeated this so called all powerful dark wizard?"

"That's what I'm telling you. His parents were killed and he survived. The only one to survive the Killing Curse. But even with the man gone, it didn't stop his followers from carrying out some wicked deeds. I met Alice and Frank through the Order, it was developed with Aurors and magical folk that wished to fight against the Dark Arts. I was located out here to make sure that Death Eaters weren't being recruited as there were Death Eaters from all over the world joining the fight."

He then went on to tell them how Frank and Alice Longbottom had been tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rodolphus Lestrange and his brother Rabastan.

"That's..that's terrible!" Alana covered her mouth in horror. "Why...how sick are people in the head to do this kind of thing?"

"It was a very dark time, Alana. A lot of bad things happened to some great people."

"I can't imagine what goes through Neville's mind when he thinks about them." Cardel frowned. "I would have never suspected such a harsh thing to happen to him. He's such a nice boy. You would think by the way that he carries himself, he's rather shy but knowing that...he's braver than anyone I know. Now I can see why Kefira was drawn to him from the beginning."

"Why are you sitting outside of the pool?" Kefira asked as she looked up at Neville, who sat on the edge watching her swim. "Don't tell me you don't know how to swim, Nevs."

The boy made a face at her as his cheeks turned slightly redder, as they were already red from the sun beating down on him.

She smiled as he didn't respond.

"So you don't...well that's okay!" She said brightly. "I can teach you! You can at least learn the doggy paddle."

"What is the doggy paddle?" Neville asked.

"It's when you swim like this!" she said before cupping her hands a bit and pushing the water down. Neville couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her awkward swimming.

"But to truly make it a doggy paddle you must become the dog. WOOF WOOF!"

Rosemary, Nellie and Lottie snorted loudly.

"Hey Kefi!" Nellie called out to her. "They said no animals in the pool area!"

"Oh, I'm sorry you have to leave, Nellie!" Kefira shouted back.

Her sister made a face at her , making Kefira grin before she turned her attention back to Neville.

"Come on in and try it out." she said to him.

"But won't I look silly?" Neville replied.

"Well of course you'll look silly but that's the best part of it. Come on, if you can't laugh at yourself you have no right laughing at others." she told him with a small splash at his legs.

"Alright, fine." Neville sighed before sliding into the water. "Promise you won't laugh too hard?"

Kefira crossed her fingers over her heart. "Don't worry, I won't laugh as long as you give it your best shot."

Neville attempted the doggy paddle but it was definitely awkward for him, and even more awkward for those who watched. However, as she promised, Kefira didn't dare laugh as Neville tried his hardest to swim about.

"I think you're getting the hang of it." she told him. "But I don't hear the woof woof."

"You're not really going to make me do that, are you?" Neville looked in her direction.

"It's the best part!" she argued.

Neville groaned but didn't put up much of a fight as he looked at her.

"You can do it, Neville...you shouldn't care if people stare or what they think." she said. "Just go for it, once you stop caring about what others think of you, life gets so much easier. Trust me."

Neville looked over to where Kefira's sisters were watching and where some other people were sitting by the pool side. He took a deep breath, knowing all too well that Kefira was not going to let him out of the pool until he followed her exact instructions.

I can do this, he thought.

Looking Kefira right in the eye, he smiled.

"WOOF WOOF!"