Written for the 1991 Challenge (Neville Longbottom; connect)

Written for the Prompt Relay Challenge (belong)

A Great Wizard

Neville found a compartment that had nobody else in it. It had to be one of the very few that was left, as most were filled with screaming, shouting, terrifying second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh years.

These were people who didn't need to worry about being sorted, who found it easy to make friends, and who had been learning magic for at least a year. Everything that Neville did have to worry about.

He remembered his grandmother's final words to him before he boarded the Hogwarts Express. She had patted him down and smoothed out his clothes with a look of concern in her eyes. "Now, Neville…." It had been the gentlest he had heard her speak in a long time. "Please, whatever you do, don't disappoint your parents."

What a hard ask that was. Alice and Frank Longbottom, each a skilled and brave Auror in their own right. And then there was him, Neville. The disappointing son.

Looking around the compartment to ensure nobody else was in it, Neville sat down on a seat and looked out the window. He spotted his gran on the platform and she waved. He waved back just as the steam started to blow from the engine; and then suddenly, they were off. His gran became just a small dot in the distance. They were gaining speed, and soon all that could be seen was the English countryside.

This was it, now. He was going to Hogwarts knowing nothing. He could barely do accidental magic, let alone any other form. He'd be the worst in his year. No, in fact, he would be the worst student Hogwarts had ever accepted. They'd kick him out after a week, once they saw how useless he was.

These thoughts continued to plough into Neville's mind until the compartment door opened and in came a bushy-haired, brown-eyed girl. She was already dressed in her robes, which caused Neville to startle. They must be almost there and he hadn't even realised.

"Oh, hello." The girl smiled at him, sitting in a seat opposite. "You look like a first year, too."

Neville nodded.

"My name's Hermione Granger. What's yours?"

Neville turned a bright red. If he told her his name, she'd probably expect great things from him. "Nevillelongbottom," he mumbled.

"Sorry?" Hermione questioned.

"Er, Neville Longbottom."

"Longbottom, Longbottom," Hermione muttered to herself, thinking. "Oh, yes! Frank and Alice Longbottom! I read about them. Are you related?"

Neville bowed his head, giving a non-committed shrug.

Hermione seemed to realise he didn't want to talk about it and changed the topic. "So, what house would you like to be in? Or do you think you'll be in, for of course we don't really get a choice, do we?" She didn't give Neville time to answer, before she continued on with, "I, personally, think Gryffindor would be a great house. Or Ravenclaw, I suppose. What about you?"

"Er… I'm not sure," Neville said truthfully. He had tried not to think too hard about that part. His parents had both been Gryffindors, and he knew his gran was expecting it, but he didn't think he was cut out for that house. One had to be brave and talented for Gryffindor, and he was neither.

"Oh well, I think they all have decent qualities, don't they?" Hermione said after a moment. "I don't know too much, because my parents are Muggles, but I suppose we just have to wait and see." She paused for another brief second before saying, "Did you bring an animal here?"

"Yeah, Trevor," Neville replied, perking slightly. Trevor, his toad, was something he could talk about.

"Trevor?" Hermione questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"My toad." He dug into his pocket to pull out his pet, but to his horror, there was nothing there. "Uh…."

"What?" Hermione wanted to know.

"Trevor is gone." Had he left him at home? No, his gran had made sure of it. That meant that between him boarding the train and being in the compartment, Trevor had made an escape.

"Oh no," Hermione said. "I'll help you find him!" She jumped to her feet. "You search this carriage and I'll go into the next." Without any further instructions she dashed from the compartment and disappeared.

Now, Neville was alone again. Truthfully, he didn't care much for the disappearance of his toad. Trevor was always getting away from him, but would come back eventually. It was nice that Hermione was so concerned, though, even if it was for his pet and not for him.

Hermione didn't return for a long time, but she came back empty-handed. "Sorry, Neville," she said. "Nobody's seen your toad. Are you sure you brought it with you?"

"Yes!" Neville responded. "Yes, I brought Trevor! My gran made sure of it."

"Oh, well, I'm sure he'll turn up then." Hermione smiled at him. "Anyway, we'll be arriving soon, Neville. I suggest you change into your robes before we do. After all, it is conduct."

Neville blinked. Conduct? "Er, alright." He rummaged through his bag which he'd brought with him and pulled out the plain, black robes that he'd purchased in Diagon Alley. When he was ready to change he shifted uncomfortable and looked at the girl in the carriage with him.

Hermione turned slightly pink, too, as she realised. "Oh, I'll just… I'll just go." Without looking at Neville, she left the compartment for the second time.

Making sure nobody else was around, Neville hurriedly dressed and shoved his other clothes back into his bag. He had just closed it when Hermione returned.

"The driver says we'll be arriving soon!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Er, cool," Neville said, trying to sound enthusiastic about the prospect of being told there had been a mistake and he shouldn't actually be there.

"Oooh, I wonder what house I'll be in! I met Harry Potter on the train!"

Neville almost choked on air. "H-Harry P-Potter?"

Hermione nodded.

Great, Neville thought. Not only would he be the dumbest wizard ever to walk through the walls of Hogwarts, Harry Potter would be in all of his classes. The Boy Who Lived – the only one to ever survive You Know Who; the one to destroy him – would be going to school with Neville Longbottom.

He had never felt as if he would belong at Hogwarts, but now knowing that the most powerful wizard to ever exist would be with him, he was suddenly feeling even more inferior.

"It'll be fine," Hermione assured him. She patted him on the arm, but her attention only seemed to last for a moment before they diverted to the window. "Oh, we're arriving!" And she grabbed her belongings and left the compartment in a whizz, leaving Neville alone for a third time, left to carry his bag from the train.

…

"Longbottom, Neville."

Neville's heart clenched in his chest as the eyes of those who knew him, turned. His face was pink and flustered as he fumbled his way to the three-legged stool where Professor McGonagall waited. Neville could tell she thought he was an idiot as he approached and almost tripped before he reached it.

He sat down on the stool awkwardly, and the professor placed the hat on his head. Without warning, it began speaking.

"Ah, Neville Longbottom."

"Y-yes?"

"Hmm, a tricky one you are. You possess the loyalty of a Hufflepuff, but –"

But? Neville's heart raced in his chest. What was the hat going to say? He certainly didn't have the cunning to be a Slytherin, or the bravery to be a Gryffindor. And he definitely wasn't smart enough to be in Ravenclaw.

"I think I'm a Hufflepuff," Neville said quickly.

"Hmm, yes I can see those qualities, however, Gryffindor seems a good match as well."

"No," Neville told it. "I'm not brave enough."

The hat… laughed? "Oh, Longbottom, there is more to Gryffindor than bravery. Courage; loyalty as well. I see those qualities in you. After all, is it not courage for you to sit up here in front of everybody and be sorted?"

Neville swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat and nodded, before realising the hat needed words. "I-I guess," he said.

"Hmm, yes, but still a challenge. Hardest one I've seen in some time. Hmmm." The hat was silent for quite some time after that, and for a moment, Neville thought it might have stopped… or gone to sleep… or something. Then without warning a large below of, "GRYFFINDOR!" sounded and cheers broke out from the maroon and gold table.

Shocked, Neville stood from the stool and made his way over to the cheering table. There were a few others who'd already been sorted before him – a boy called Seamus Finnigan and a girl called Lavender Brown. And Hermione!

She beamed at him. "Gryffindor!" she cried.

"Yeah," Neville said. "Gryffindor."

Hermione slid over to make room for him at the Gryffindor table and turned back to the front of the hall to watch the rest of the sorting.

Neville was devastated when Harry Potter was also sorted into Gryffindor. Now they definitely would be sharing every single class.

"It's going to be a fun year, don't you think?" Hermione looked at Neville.

"Yeah, I guess." Neville shrugged.

"We'll learn so much! I mean I know the basic spells, but I don't know everything."

Neville forced a smile. He didn't even know the basic spells.

"It'll be okay, Neville," Hermione said, patting him on the back. "You'll be a great wizard."

Those words were enough to force a smile on Neville's lips. A great wizard. Great.

He was great.

I used 'connect' more as the general theme of the story - him bonding with Hermione.

I hope you all enjoyed it, and pretty please let me know your thoughts in a review. Would be much appreciated! Thank you!