Different

Neville Longbottom never quite seemed to have luck on his side. As soon as he boarded the Hogwarts express for the first time, he lost his toad. During his first flying lesson, he lost control of his broom and ended up breaking his wrist. In his second year, pixies were released in the classroom and a few of them thought it would be funny to hang Neville by his robes on the chandelier. Then of course, he was the last one to tame his 'Monstrous Book of Monsters' book. Fourth year wasn't so bad. He got a date to the Yule Ball and danced rather well. Although, he managed to trip once before the night was over and nearly everyone laughed.

Most people confused this lack of luck for stupidity.

This was his fifth year. Things were going to be different. No more screwing things up in Transfiguration. With Dumbledore's Army he would learn Defense Against the Dark Arts. So far, his plans were succeeding.

But poor Neville was never good at potions. Miserably, Neville looked down at his boiling potion. It was thick and grey, rather than smooth and red. He let out a sigh.

"Did you let it stand for five minutes before you added the wormwood?" Seamus asked.

"Oh no!" Neville moaned, "I definitely didn't."

Draco Malfoy sneered from across the room, "How's your potion coming along, Longbottom?"

Neville's cheeks flushed, "Just fine."

"Well, let's see," Snape said, seeming to enjoy Malfoy's attack on Neville. Ever since third year, when Snape heard that he was Neville's biggest fear, he enjoyed making Neville squirm much more. Snape strode across the room to Neville's table. He glanced down at the putrid smelling potion. "Is this supposed to be finished?"

Silently, Neville nodded.

"Hm, pity..." Snape said and turned on his heels.

"You should've said no," Seamus hissed.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley," Snape had come to Ron Weasley's table, "your potion is looking rather terrible. Did you do all the instructions correctly?"

"Yes, Professor," Ron replied.

"I did make it quite clear that if rust from your cauldron got in the potion, it would go sour, right?" Snape said.

Ron turned almost as red as his hair.

Of course, Malfoy was laughing loudly.

"When it's finished, bring some to my desk," Snape said returning to the front of the room, "So, I should be receiving some from you, Mr. Longbottom."

Neville stared hopelessly at his potion. Then, he started to the front of the classroom to place a filled vial on Snape's desk. But he tripped and the vial busted open all over the floor. Where the potion lay, the floor began to bubble.

Snape did not look happy. "Clean it up," he spat.

"Yes, sir..." Neville muttered. He took a rag from Snape's supply cabinet and began sopping up the potion, along with the bubbling floor.

"How's it going there, Longbottom?" Malfoy said passing him.

"Leave him alone," Ron said from behind Malfoy.

Neville smiled weakly at Ron.

"Longbottom, if brains were gold, you'd be poorer than Weasley," Malfoy sneered, "and that's saying something."

"Shut up!" Ron exclaimed, flushing.

"Weasley, detention," Snape glared, "and five points from Gryffindor for an outburst during class."

Malfoy was grinning triumphantly.

"Sorry, Ron," Neville muttered.

By now, Ron was so furious, he didn't hear a word of it.

The rest of Neville's day did not improve. While he was coming from the Great Hall after dinner, he was reading while walking and ran into Loony Luna Lovegood. He knocked her right to the ground and caused her to drop her books.

"I'm sorry!" Neville exclaimed and began helping her pick up her books.

"It's okay," Luna replied, "You did know you were reading and walking at the same time, right?"

Neville furrowed his eyebrows, "Yeah...of course I knew."

"Well, that wasn't a very smart thing to do," Luna replied.

Neville's cheeks were flushed red. "You're right," he muttered.

Luna just kept smiling. She began to go towards the Great Hall.

"Loony--" Neville began, but quickly corrected himself, "Luna, why are you going to the Great Hall? Isn't dinner nearly over?"

Luna nodded, "Yes but, I was busy before now."

"Oh..."

She continued to the Great Hall.

Sighing to himself, he watched her walk.

"This year will be different," he told himself, "and before it's over with I'll at least ask Luna to go to the Three Broomsticks with me."

"Talking to yourself, Longbottom?" Malfoy questioned, with a smirk, appearing out of seemingly nowhere. Crabbe and Goyle were on his heels.

Neville ignored him and continued walking.

"Going to ask Loony Lovegood out?" Malfoy increased the volume of his voice, "What a pair that would be."

Neville squeezed his books tightly.

"Loony Lovegood and dim-wit Longbottom. He'd have to be a dim-wit to ask her out."

"Shut your mouth, Malfoy," Neville said.

A chorus of "ooh" came from Crabe and Goyle.

"Oh really?" Malfoy was grinning now.

"Yeah, really," Ron said, coming out of the Great Hall. Harry, Hermione and Ginny were following him.

"Now you've got the Weasle family, a mudblood, and 'The Boy Who Lives for Attention' to save you, huh?" Malfoy said.

"Throwing insults are we?" Harry questioned, "Well, it seems that Draco Not-Good-Enough-To-Make-The-Quidditch-Team-Without-His-Father-Paying-The-School Malfoy can't pick on anyone unless he's got Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him."

"At least I have a father!" Malfoy exclaimed.

Harry jerked his wand out of his robes. "You little--"

"Hem-hem," Dolores Umbridge entered the hallway, "Potter, I believe you're in enough trouble without taunting classmates in the corridors. Another night of detention will do you."

Harry's mouth hung open in slight disbelief.

"Draco, it does not do to be seen with types like these," Umbridge finished.

"Sorry, Harry..." Neville muttered.

"It's fine..." Harry said in a very unconvincing tone of voice.

Even if he got them into trouble, quite often, with his bad-luck, Neville had back-up. That gave him a little more hope that this year would...be different.