Times of Trouble

Neville had not been enjoying his time at Hogwarts. He'd somehow thought that things would be better when he got here. After all, Hogwarts was special. Anything could happen at Hogwarts. Once they got to Hogwarts they'd be able to find Hermione and find a way back to 1996.

And yet…

It hadn't happened.

Instead Harry had gotten really, really weird.

And Neville didn't know why.

Things had been fine during the Sorting. The Sorting Hat hadn't let anyone know that they weren't from this time period. Yet that had been when Harry started acting oddly.

Neville frowned down at the dirt-filled pot in front of him.

What had happened at the Sorting to change Harry so much?

The only thing that had surprised Neville had been Dumbledore being put in Slytherin. He'd always assumed that he was a Gryffindor. But, after a few moments of thinking he no longer found it that surprising. After all, Dumbledore had always seemed like a very ambitious person, even if his number one ambition was to run Hogwarts and keep its students safe, while being the only person You Know Who was afraid of.

"Hey! Neville! Yeh usin' that shovel?"

Neville jerked out of his thoughts and stared across the table at Preston Turnipseed who was messily putting seeds in a pot. It looked like there was more dirt on the table then there was in the pot.

"Uh, no, I'm not. Here you go, Turnipseed," Neville handed the small shovel over.

Neville began to pick up the small Stink Lily seeds and slip them into his pot. He didn't know why Professor Beery wanted them to grow these things. From what he'd seen of the example they didn't have much to recommend them, in fact, there was no known use for the Stink Lily.

Still, the act of putting the smelly little seeds into the rich dirt brought a smile to Neville's face and made his worries about Harry seem more manageable.

He'd seen Harry in a mood before. Hadn't he been in a mood all of last year? He always came out of it when he was needed to play the hero. All Neville had to do was make sure he was around to help Harry came out of his mood.

That is, if Harry wanted him. It wasn't like he was good at anything that didn't involve dirt.

"Here yeh go!"

"Huh?" Neville looked up in confusion at the shovel in front of his face.

"Don' yeh wan' yer shovel?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Neville grabbed the shovel and turned back to his pot.

"Hey, Neville, why yeh look like yer best friend just died?"

Neville's head whipped up and he stared at Turnipseed in shock. What did he mean, his best friend died? Harry wasn't his best friend. Harry was Ron and Hermione's best friend!

Though…wasn't Neville at least Harry's friend? Even if he was a worthless wizard, only good for playing in the dirt?

But... then why wouldn't Harry talk to him? Why was he doing his best to avoid Neville, leaving him with Richie, a boy five years younger?

They were two schoolmates and friends, lost in a time not their own, and yet Harry would have nothing to do with Neville.

Anger hit Neville and his body tightened up. The small seed in his hand flew across the room and hit Misletie Chevalier on the nose, making her squeak and yell out something in French.

Why didn't Harry want to talk to him?

Why wouldn't he tell him what was wrong?

Sure, he was useless, everyone said so, but that didn't mean he was completely useless.

If nothing else Neville could look out for Harry in class and stop him from almost killing himself, and others, with his careless mistakes.

That's what friends did, right?

And they were friends, weren't they?

Hadn't they just spent the last year training together, sneaking under Umbridge's nose and having adventures together?

Yes, all of it was true.

So why was Neville being treated like a distant acquaintance? Did Harry see him as no better than Richie? A boy who knew nothing of war and pain?

Not that Richie was a bad sort; he was just young and inexperienced. He may've lost his mother to an experimental potion gone wrong, but he still had his father.

Unlike Harry and Neville.

Really, why wasn't Harry treating Neville better? They were two peas in a pod. Orphans (or a virtual orphan in Neville's case), lost in time, and just wanting to go back home.

Neville looked across the greenhouse at Harry, who was distracted putting seeds in his pot next to some pockmarked Hufflepuff.

Tonight.

Yes, tonight he would confront Harry and not let him get away until he explained himself.

Neville grinned.

And it was probably the least pleasant grin to ever grace his face, though Preston Turnipseed found it pleasant.

XXX

Unfortunately, Harry turned out be as slippery as one of Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts. Every time Neville came close to cornering him he disappeared down a secret passage, usually ones that Neville hadn't even known existed.

It made him wonder how Harry knew about them.

So, it was with an annoyed grunt that he plopped into a seat next to Richie, and at the opposite end of the table on Halloween morning.

He'd almost cornered Harry in their tower this morning, but then Cory Smith had come racing into the room babbling about the pumpkins, ghosts, and black cats that had taken over the Great Hall.

Neville was getting frustrated. He'd been trying to corner Harry for a week now and had gotten no closer to finding him then he'd gotten to finding Hermione.

Though at least they were having some luck there. Richie had gotten a letter yesterday letting them know that they'd heard about some strange bushy-haired girl on the continent trying to pass off fake transfigured coin as real. But that news had been stone cold by the time Marcus Potter had gotten there.

But at least they knew she was in this time period.

Neville's thoughts were interrupted by the morning mail.

Owls of all shapes and sizes dived towards students as they delivered their letters and packages of Halloween candy.

Neville didn't expect anything and so wasn't surprised when he received nothing. What he was surprised about though, was the big barn owl that landed in front of Harry.

Neville watched as Harry slowly reached out and took the letter as fear made his hands shake. The owl grabbed something off of a plate and then flew off, but Neville barely noticed, his eyes were glued on Harry.

Carefully Harry turned the letter over and then gasped.

A second later he was on his feet and racing out of the Great Hall, dodging the black cats lying everywhere.

Neville was right behind him.

That was the most emotion he'd seen on Harry's face since he had screamed at him in the library two months before.

Harry raced up the stairs and down a corridor or two before stopping at the doorway to an empty classroom.

He turned around to look both behind him and Neville ducked behind a suit of armor until he heard a door open and shut.

Peering carefully around the armor he crept down the hallway until he reached the door Harry had disappeared through.

As silently as he could he pushed the door open.

Inside he found Harry pacing in front of an open window reading the letter and frowning.

Curiosity raced through Neville about the contents of the letter, but he stamped it down. He'd find out what was in the letter after he made sure Harry understood that the time for being in a mood was over.

"Harry!"

Harry gave a jump; dropping the letter as his wand flew to his hand.

Neville stared at the wand pointed right at his heart and frowned.

"Are you really going to attack me?"

Harry looked at his wand in surprise before stuffing it back up his sleeve. "No, I'm just jumpy. You should know better than to sneak up on me."

Originally Neville had planned to confront Harry as dramatically as he had yelled at them in the library. But now…well, now he had a different idea.

"So, who's the letter from?" Neville asked as he walked toward Harry.

Harry shrugged casually.

Too casually, Neville thought.

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh, really?"

Harry's eyes narrowed, "Yes, really. You know I'd tell you if it was something important."

Neville scoffed, "No you wouldn't. You never tell me anything."

"Yes I do! I told you about Sirius! You came to the Ministry of Magic with me."

"Only because you couldn't get rid of me. Admit it Harry, you don't tell me anything. You think you're the big hero so you never ask anyone for help." Neville paused and stared at Harry for a moment before continuing. "Actually, you do sometimes ask people for help. People like Hermione and Ron. You'd never think to ask me, the uselessly plump boy that can barely pass his classes."

Harry gaped at him and Neville wasn't sure if it was from his words or the cold anger in his voice. Neville rarely got angry, he didn't see much point in it, but when he did… Well, let's just say that he well-deserved to be related to his grandmother.

Though, his angry was a lot quieter and longer lasting than that of his grandmother's.

"No! I don't think that you're useless! Why, after Hermione you were the best in the DA! I just didn't want you to come with because this is my battle! I can't ask others to help me solve problems!"

Neville's fists clenched and he closed the remaining distance between Harry and himself.

Their noses were almost touching when Neville whispered, "Liar."

Before Harry's eyes had been upset and surprised, but now they flared with anger.

"WHAT? I don't tell lies!" He pushed Neville away from him.

Neither of them saw the letter get kicked a few feet away as Neville stumbled backwards.

"Of course you do! Everyone lies! It's just that you lie to yourself!"

"No. I. Don't."

"Yes, you do! You can't admit, even to yourself, that you can't do everything alone! That's why you spent the last two months ignoring me! Me! The person that traveled through time with you! The only one that knows what it's like to lose everything to You Know Who!"

"I haven't been ignoring you! I've been avoiding you!"

Neville balled his hands into fists and stomped towards Harry, until they were nose to nose. "What's the difference? All I know is that you, one of the only friends I have, can't seem to trust me. Even after everything!"

Harry's eyes narrowed, "You think I don't trust you? Fine! I'll prove that I do! I'll tell you what the letter is about! It's from Hermione. I wrote her two months ago and just now got a response."

Neville's jaw dropped, "Hermione? So, is she alright? What did she say?"

"I don't know," Harry growled. "You interrupted me before I could read more than a few sentences."

"Come on! Let's read it! Where is it?" Neville stepped back and began looking around for the letter.

Harry frowned and looked at the floor by the window. "I could've sworn it fell right here…"

Hurriedly the boys began looking around for the letter, but it was nowhere to be found. By the time they'd torn the room apart they were both sweating and terrified.

"Where could it be? No one was in here but us," Harry said as the two of them stared glumly at the floor by the window an hour later.

"What did the little you read say?"

"She apologized for not writing before. Then she said something about being put into a new government program for squibs. The last sentence I read mentioned someone named Janice Selwyn."

Neville closed his eyes, trying to stop the headache that was threatening to come. He always got headaches when he lost his temper, which he always forgot since it happened so rarely. "Janice Selwyn? Hmm, Selwyn is a pureblood family. Maybe if we write Mr. Dumbledore we'll find out what this government program is."

"I guess that's all we can do. I wonder where that letter went."

"I don't know, I just hope no one found it."

The two of them stood up and headed for the door. As they were about to leave Harry caught Neville's arm. The two boys stared at each other for a moment, brown eyes meeting green ones.

Harry cleared his throat, "Look, Neville. I know we're in this together, it's just..." he looked down at the floor, "I made a mistake, a big one, I don't know if it can be fixed. And, well, maybe I'll tell you what it is later, but I shouldn't have avoided you. I should have told you about my letter to Hermione."

Harry raised his head again so that their eyes met.

"Is this an apology?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded, "Yes, I've been an idiot these last two months. Probably more of one then I was last year."

Neville nodded firmly, "Okay, apology accepted. Now, let's go get a letter to Mr. Dumbledore. Then we'll join the other boys at the lake and pretend nothing strange happened. Alright?"

Harry smiled, "Sounds good."

XXX

In a dusty broom closet Albus sat behind some rusty buckets. Light from his wand illuminated the letter in his hands as he read.

When he finished the letter a small smile slid across his face. Yes, this letter answered a lot of questions. Now he just had to figure out how to use this new knowledge to achieve his goal.

After all, knowledge is where true power lies.