Neville's Letter

There was no response from Bellatrix because a new thought had just occurred to her. In order to be redeemed, she needed to right the wrong. To do that, she would have to make it so that the Longbottoms could recover. The cure lay with her.

Harry could feel Bellatrix suddenly freeze and he instinctively knew that this signified some sort of realization. Before he could ask what it was, Bellatrix spoke slowly. "In order for one to gain redemption, they have to right the wrong, correct?"

"I would think so." Harry mused.

"But that wouldn't be enough though, would it?"

"It might be nice if they were sorry for doing it in the first place." Harry said idly. "If someone were to steal something but then give it back only because they were forced to I guess they wouldn't really be redeemed."

"Sorrow!" Bellatrix exclaimed loudly, startling everyone in the room. She even received a moment of attention from the comatose Longbottoms. "That's it! Sorrow and healing."

Neville looked at Bellatrix strangely and then questioningly at Harry. After seeing that Harry was just as confused as he was, Neville looked back at Bellatrix. "What's it?"

"Sorrow." Bellatrix declared.

Deciding that he had spent enough time with his parents, Neville left their side and joined Harry and Bellatrix. "You said earlier that you did some research." Neville said, addressing Bellatrix. "Did you find anything useful?"

"Not really." Bellatrix said, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "It's all obsolete anyhow. I have a new idea that I think could very likely prove to be the thing that brings your parents back to the land of the sane and living."

Neville could not help but be a little skeptical. The Healers at St. Mungo's had presented he and his Gran with new ideas for treatments constantly. Eventually they had all began to sound the same and have the same effect on Frank and Alice Longbottom. No effect whatsoever. "What is it?" he finally asked.

"I don't want to say quite yet." Bellatrix replied, doing her best to look Neville in the eye. "But I'll need your help and especially Harry's support to do it. Would you be willing to help?"

"How?" Neville inquired cautiously.

Bellatrix hesitated and then responded. "I need you to write me a letter."

"Why? I'm right here." Neville said in an extremely confused voice.

"It needs to be a long letter." Bellatrix continued on. "I want you to tell me about growing up without your parents, the pain you felt, the sorrow, and anything else you have felt concerning them."

"I still don't understand why." Neville said quizzically. Harry too was looking rather mystified.

"I need to… understand." Bellatrix declared to them. "You'll see later."

Neville nodded reluctantly, willing to give it a try. "All right then. When do you need the letter?"

"Soon would be nice, but don't rush it. Put your heart into it." Bellatrix instructed. She stood up and nodded at Harry and Neville. "You two have other things to discuss right now and I need to go and do a little thinking about my idea so I'll leave you alone."

Harry stood up and hugged Bellatrix despite Neville's presence. "I'll see you later then."

Bellatrix smiled at him and hugged him back before leaving the room.

"We might as well go somewhere where we can sit down comfortably and discuss Potter's Legion." Harry declared as he and Neville made their way to the door as the couch that had been conjured disappeared.

"That sounds fine." Neville stated as they exited. "I've talked to all the members of PL and most of them have committed to helping out with anything over the summer. I don't know if you've been told, but the Ministry has given permission for some students to use magic during the holiday. My Gran also reckons that she could obtain a special license from the Ministry to do a sort of 'summer school' where magic could be practiced. I'd be the one teaching of course, but that would still work."

Harry nodded encouragingly as they made their way down the various halls in the massive fortress. "Bypassing the restriction in that manner would be ingenious. Fudge would put up opposition to that though. Hopefully my other plans will come to a head before too long."

The two young wizards arrived at Harry's private study and made themselves comfortable. "I think that your group should come up with a new name." Harry said thoughtfully. "It will unavoidably become public and being linked to me in such a way could be detrimental."

"Lord Polairix's Legion?"

"No, still too closely connected to me."

"I'll have to see if any of them have ideas next time a large group of us assembles then." Neville decided.

"When will that be?"

...

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