Chapter 9: A Silent Power
"Neville"
The blonde boy jerked up, before his eyes widened at Harry's presence. Red eyed with dark circles, obviously he was not sleeping much, perhaps he had been too upset for that?
"H-hello M-M-Mr. Potter"
"Now now Neville none of that, I would like to think we can be closer than a last name basis."
"O-of c-course"
The raven-haired boy nodded, before reaching into his cloak and pulling out a small orb. "Before I forget, I believe you dropped this during our flying class. I was hoping to return it sooner but it is harder than I thought to speak with a Gryffindor alone."
The boy's face had lit up, as he quickly took the offered object, "thank you so m-much! It was my f-fathers…"
"Ah, an important heirloom then?"
"No… just something he wanted me to have…" the whisper was barely audible, yet Harry was well aware of the meaning.
"I see… so tell me Neville, how have your classes been thus far?"
If possible the Gryffindor shrunk further into his cloak, "I… am not doing well…"
"I understand Professor Snape can be a bit rough but surely your other classes aren't that bad."
The shaking of his head brought a frown upon the emerald-eyed boy's face, yet internally his grin grew ever wider.
"I… can't do anything right… they… it doesn't matter…"
"Of course it does if it is upsetting you. Tell me all about it Neville, no judgments, no ridicule, just two friends talking."
"I… I am so sick of them! It has barely been a month and all I hear about is how much of a failure I am! 'Neville can't do anything right'. 'Neville is just a stupid Squib'. 'Neville is a failure'. 'Maybe Neville can just fall into a coma like his parents'. Can you believe that!? Those stupid… stupid… gits!"
"Slytherins?"
The boy nodded, but quickly turned bright red as he realized who he was talking to, "It-it isn't just them though. The Gryffindors pick on me a lot too."
"Hmmm"
"I wish… I wish I was just good at something. I mean like you… I heard you are good at everything ."
Harry gave a slight shrug, as if such things weren't important to him… and if he was honest they really weren't. The classes were painfully easy… and painfully useless.
"I am sure that you will find your path with time."
"I don't know…" the Longbottom heir's voice had quieted once more, "I'm just so bad at Magic… maybe I am a failure."
"Only for now."
At first Neville looked on the verge of tears, to have his suspicions confirmed, before he realized something and perked back up, "For now?"
"Yes Neville 'for now'. I see greatness in you Neville Longbottom, a greatness that outshines every other student I have encountered thus far. You will do amazing things… once you accept this aspect of yourself. You simply lack the confidence and proper tools. Build upon yourself this year Neville, grow in confidence and knowledge and during the summer I will correct a… inadequacy that I see in you. Then come next year you shall show everyone what you are capable of."
The blonde stared in awe at the boy, or man, before him as he slowly nodded.
Harry returned the nod, before standing to leave, "Oh and should things become too bad for you in Gryffindor let me know in a few months and you shall have a place in Slytherin as well."
With that he departed, leaving a confused, but oddly reflective, Neville Longbottom behind.
...
Hermione Granger sat on her bed, curtains drawn as she went over her homework once more, yet as she tried to do so her mind betrayed the focus she so desperately sought and journeyed to another.
Harry Potter
The bushy-haired girl knew who he was, of course, and the story behind him. She had believed that it was just silly myth and legend. Sure he might have survived, through some bizarre magic, the attempt on his life but all of the other tales? Ridiculous at best, outright lies at worst.
Then she had begun taking notice of him, the only other student who seemed to know as much, if not more, than she did. He always had the right answer when he bothered to raise his hand, which wasn't all that frequent. The few tests they had taken seemed to give him no hardships at all and the 'potion incident' had already started its own legend. Even she hadn't known the answers to some of those questions.
But worst of all was his abilities. Sure she could memorize tests, and was decent at learning the few spells and potions they had attempted, but him? Harry had succeeded at every trial… and made it look effortless.
The boy was a natural, a prodigy that even the professors had begun to notice with an interest far outweighing that which had been given towards her own accomplishments.
It wasn't fair, she never saw him studying, or in the library, or taking any of the classes seriously. He shouldn't be allowed to succeed so easily where everyone else had to put in effort.
...
"Hey Higgs, what do you see over there?"
The current Slytherin seeker followed the gesture, and glared ominously. "That Half-Blood filth, Potter…"
"Yeah, I hate that he is in our house. I mean he isn't even a true Slytherin, just some brat who is good at studying."
The older boy nodded, his friend Adrian Purcey was right… and someone needed to put the house back in order. Who better than himself?
Sauntering over the Slytherin glared down at the raven-haired boy, who was reading through an advanced book on potions.
"What you got there Potter?"
Without even a glance up the boy replied, "Just reading up on some potions information in advance. Never know when Professor Snape might spring a pop quiz."
The book was slapped out of his hand a moment later by the older boy, who promptly grabbed the younger by his collar and brought him up to eye level. "I don't like you Potter, no one likes you. I am sick of seeing your face in the common room for the Noble house of Slytherin. You are a freak, a useless Half-Blood freak who doesn't deserve to even be at Hogwarts much less here. You are going to regret being here Potter, I am going to make sure of it."
Throughout his speech Harry merely stared back. He did not struggle, nor glare, there was no threats of his own or provocations. He just stared back, almost as if it wasn't worth his time to reply.
After his 'speech' the large boy dropped the Potter heir to the ground, before striding off and relishing in the whispers about how someone had finally 'put Potter in his place'.
None noticed the deathly glare that had appeared on said boy's face.
....
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