[creative muses] July Prompt: 003. Do or do not. There is no try. - Yoda
Neville eased himself through the threshold of the Headmaster's (now, perhaps Headmistress's) Office, his hand gripped firmly on the Sword of Gryffindor's hilt. He moved achingly slow, trying not to trip or fall while holding the weapon. It would've been bad form, he decided, to survive the Battle of Hogwarts only to die by negligent accident afterwards.
The office was empty, as McGonagall had instructed him to wait within until she finished her thorough inspection of the damage done to the castle. Neville, exhausted, plopped himself into one of the chairs and rested the sword on the desk.
"Tired, Neville?"
The sudden appearance of a voice startled Neville to alertness. He swung his head left and right, eyes briefly settling on the sleeping portraits of the previous Heads of Hogwarts. Eventually he stared straight up. Dumbledore's portrait sat directly behind the desk, looking down at him and grinning sympathetically.
"Er. Yeah, Professor. It's been a very long day."
"A long two days, if I calculate the time correctly," Dumbledore said. "Minerva tells me you slayed Nagini with Gryffindor's sword?"
"Er, well. Harry told me to. Right before he'd left for the forest. He said the snake's got to be killed."
"Did he, really?" Dumbledore asked eagerly.
Neville nodded.
"And the sword appeared to you, out of the Sorting Hat?"
Neville nodded again. "I don't understand, Professor. Is that important?"
"Naturally, Neville. For it was your courage while facing certain death which called up Gryffindor's sword for you to wield in your own hands. You do remember, so many years ago, when you'd doubted your placement in Gryffindor?"
"Barely, Professor," Neville confessed. His uncertainty of his own bravery seemed so insignificant when compared with the immediate dangers of the Carrows at Hogwarts.
"Ah, but you did. And yet, you decided to take action against evil. Not just speak of rebellion but actively take part in it."
"It's like I had little choice, Professor. Either fight or not, but I couldn't not fight." Neville winced. That made very little sense at all.
"Exactly," Dumbledore said firmly. "And that, Neville, is the mark of a true Gryffindor."
Muse: Neville Longbottom
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 354
The office was empty, as McGonagall had instructed him to wait within until she finished her thorough inspection of the damage done to the castle. Neville, exhausted, plopped himself into one of the chairs and rested the sword on the desk.
"Tired, Neville?"
The sudden appearance of a voice startled Neville to alertness. He swung his head left and right, eyes briefly settling on the sleeping portraits of the previous Heads of Hogwarts. Eventually he stared straight up. Dumbledore's portrait sat directly behind the desk, looking down at him and grinning sympathetically.
"Er. Yeah, Professor. It's been a very long day."
"A long two days, if I calculate the time correctly," Dumbledore said. "Minerva tells me you slayed Nagini with Gryffindor's sword?"
"Er, well. Harry told me to. Right before he'd left for the forest. He said the snake's got to be killed."
"Did he, really?" Dumbledore asked eagerly.
Neville nodded.
"And the sword appeared to you, out of the Sorting Hat?"
Neville nodded again. "I don't understand, Professor. Is that important?"
"Naturally, Neville. For it was your courage while facing certain death which called up Gryffindor's sword for you to wield in your own hands. You do remember, so many years ago, when you'd doubted your placement in Gryffindor?"
"Barely, Professor," Neville confessed. His uncertainty of his own bravery seemed so insignificant when compared with the immediate dangers of the Carrows at Hogwarts.
"Ah, but you did. And yet, you decided to take action against evil. Not just speak of rebellion but actively take part in it."
"It's like I had little choice, Professor. Either fight or not, but I couldn't not fight." Neville winced. That made very little sense at all.
"Exactly," Dumbledore said firmly. "And that, Neville, is the mark of a true Gryffindor."
Muse: Neville Longbottom
Fandom: Harry Potter
Word Count: 354