Hogwarts: Neville’s Insert Chapter 52

Hogwarts: Neville's Insert Chapter 52

The egg jerked under his touch, and a hairline crack split across its surface.

The egg wriggled again, a small chirp sounding from inside. A tiny beak poked through the shell.

"Well, alright then."

He reached forward and carefully peeled away the remaining fragments, revealing a small, fluffy chick. The tiny creature blinked up at him, dazed and slightly damp, then gave another soft chirp.

Neville stared. "A rooster, huh?"

The chick looked around with an air of bewildered. Neville reached out and lightly petted its head.

Without warning, the chick snapped at his finger.

"Oi! Watch it," Neville yelped, drawing his hand back and shaking it. A small bead of blood formed on his fingertip.

The chick blinked at him again, let out a vaguely apologetic chirp.

Neville stared. "...Did you just say sorry?"

He blinked again, rubbing his eyes. "Brilliant. Now I'm imagining poultry apologising to me. I really do need sleep."

Right on cue, a bed appeared beside him—full four-poster, crimson duvet, pillows fluffed to perfection.

Neville didn't even question it.

"Yeah, definitely too knackered to walk all the way back to Gryffindor Tower."

He left the chick nestled comfortably in its nest, shrugged off his bag and robes, and collapsed onto the bed. Within moments, he was out cold.

…

September 18th, 1992 – Room of Requirement, 12:30 a.m.

Neville stirred awake, letting out a quiet yawn as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. For a fleeting second, panic flared in his chest — this wasn't his dorm — but then he remembered: the Room of Requirement.

He exhaled slowly, trying to settle the nerves still fizzing in his stomach. His gaze drifted to the small table beside the bed, and for a moment he just stared. 'Wait... that actually happened.'

Swinging his legs over the side, he padded across the room, eyes drawn to the odd collection laid out before him — a small, sleeping baby bird nestled in a nest... and a dagger.

Neville blinked. "So it really did happen," he murmured, reaching out and picking up the blade. "The room gave me a knife and a baby rooster, To fight the Basilisk?"

As if roused by his voice, the baby bird gave a sudden loud chirp, eyes opening with a sharp little trill.

Neville blinked. "Huh you hungry little guy?" he asked instinctively — then paused. "Wait... how did I know that?"

The chick let out another series of insistent cries.

"Alright, alright, no need to have a row about it," Neville said hastily, placing the dagger back on the table. He looked around until he spotted his sling bag lying nearby. Scooping it up, he rummaged through it and pulled out the pastry box he'd saved from earlier.

"I mean... can I even give this to you?" he asked aloud, eyeing the little bird. "Is feeding pastries to a baby bird even a good idea?"

He scratched his head, caught in the moment — until a thought hit him. 'The house-elves!'

"Hogwarts house-elves!" he called, hoping someone would hear.

There was a soft pop, and a cheerful-looking house-elf appeared at his side.

"How may Bucker be helping, student-sir?" the elf asked with a bright smile.

Neville gave him a grateful look. "Hi, Bucker. Could you bring me something to feed this little bird? If it's not too much trouble."

"Not too much at all, student-sir! Bucker will bring food right away!" With another pop, the elf vanished.

Neville looked down at the chick, who'd stopped its squawking and was now blinking up at him expectantly.

"Just wait a few minutes, little guy," he said. "Bucker'll bring us something."

The bird chirped once—short and sharp—and then went silent again, like it understood him.

Neville frowned slightly. That… hadn't felt like a normal chirp. He reached out again, gently rubbing the top of its downy head. "You can understand me, can't you?"

Another chirp.

Not just noise—an answer.

Neville blinked. "And it seems like I can understand you as well. That's weird. Are we… magically bonded or something?"

Before he could dwell on it further, a soft pop sounded behind him.

Bucker the house-elf had returned, arms full. "I've brought what you asked for, student-sir!" he said brightly, holding out a small wooden bowl filled with—Neville winced—live worms wriggling about.

"Er… thanks," Neville said, trying to keep the discomfort off his face as he accepted the bowl.

The chick chirped loudly again—Neville didn't even need the magical bond to interpret that one.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Feed me." He sighed. "Do I really have to use my fingers?"

Just then, with a shimmer of air, a pair of blunt-ended tweezers appeared on the table beside him.

Neville gave a resigned sort of laugh. "Right. Should've expected that."

Bucker stepped forward again. "Would student-sir like help feeding the bird?"

Neville shook his head. "No, no, I can manage." He didn't know why, but something told him he needed to do this part himself. He picked up the tweezers and plucked one of the worms from the bowl.

The chick opened its mouth wide, letting out an eager squeak, and snapped the worm up the second Neville offered it. It didn't stop there. Another chirp. Another worm. Then another. And another.

Neville laughed, feeding the chick one worm after the next until it had swallowed ten full-sized ones and gave a final, contented chirp.

"Blimey," Neville muttered, setting the tweezers back down. "You eat a lot for someone your size."

The chick nestled into its nest, eyes blinking lazily, clearly satisfied.

Neville's eyes drifted to the dagger still resting on the table. He picked it up and turned it over in his hand. "How am I supposed to carry this around? I'll get in loads of trouble if a professor finds this on me."

The blade was smaller than a proper dagger, and had intricate patterns were etched into the hilt runic, maybe.

As if answering his thought, something else appeared on the table.

A small, fitted holster appeared in the centre.

"Huh," Neville said, eyebrows raised. "A wrist holster?"

He picked it up, strapped it around his left forearm, and slid the dagger neatly into place.

"Yeah… that fits."

Just as he admired the fit, the holster shimmered and vanished.

Neville jumped slightly. "It's got a Disillusionment Charm on it?"

He pressed his fingers to where the holster had been, and sure enough, it was still there—just hidden. As he touched it, it shimmered back into visibility.

"Well that's handy," he muttered with a tired grin, before letting out another yawn.

"What time is it?" he asked, mostly to himself.

As if the castle was listening—and at this point, he was certain it was—a grand clock materialised beside the bed. Ornate brasswork, tall and ticking softly.

He glanced at the face and froze.

"Bloody hell, it's one o'clock?!"

Panic rose in his chest. "They're going to think I've been kidnapped—or worse. If they've gone to a professor…"

The chick let out a chirp from the nest.

Neville looked down. "Yeah, alright. Let's get going."

He shrugged back into his discarded robes, slung his bag over one shoulder, and looked at the chick who blinked up at him expectantly.

"I'll have to carry you, so hold tight, alright?"

The chick chirped again in response.

Neville carefully picked up the nest with both hands, cradling it against his chest so that his left hand remained free. With a final glance around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, he stepped out of the Room of Requirement.

The door faded into the wall behind him, vanishing as if it had never existed.

The chick chirped again—this time with urgency, as if telling him to get a move on.

Neville nodded. "Right, right, we're going."

He made his way swiftly down from the Astronomy Tower and into the main corridor, footsteps soft in the quiet stillness of the castle. He wasn't too worried about running into a prefect; their patrols usually ended at midnight.

Navigating through the castle's winding staircases, Neville started towards Gryffindor Tower.

But as he turned a corner and Descending a narrow flight of stairs, Neville froze. A soft humming echoed through the corridor.

The chick in his arms chirped at the sudden stop.

Neville quickly shushed it. "Shhh, quiet now," he whispered, drawing his wand with his free hand and glancing around, every sense now on edge.

'What the hell? Is Voldy out on a midnight stroll?' He held perfectly still, listening carefully. The humming was faint, but definitely there—and it was coming from the hallway ahead, near the direction of Ravenclaw Tower.

Slowly, wand raised, Neville crept forward and flattened himself behind the corner.

'Would Voldemort hum?' he thought with a squint. 'Can't picture it. i would imagine him being more of a mad cackling sort.'

Letting out a quiet sigh, Neville plucked a small twig from the chick's nest and transfigured it into a pocket mirror. Angling it around the corner, he peered through the reflection.

His shoulders relaxed slightly. a massive serpent, Just a girl.

She was standing by a tall window, bathed in moonlight, humming softly as she gazed outside. He couldn't quite make out her features at first—but as he stepped into the corridor and drew nearer, he recognised her at once.

Neville relaxed. 'Luna?'

"Huh… what's she doing here?" he muttered to himself. He cleared his throat and called out, "Oi, Luna? What are you doing out here this late?"

Luna stopped humming and turned slowly, her expression dreamy as ever. When she spotted him, her face lit up.

"Oh hello, Neville," she said in her usual sing-song tone. "I'm just watching the moon. It's rather beautiful tonight, don't you think?"

Neville walked over and glanced out the window beside her. The moon was full, casting silver light over the courtyard below.

"Yeah, I s'pose it is," he admitted. "But couldn't you have done that from inside your common room? I assume Ravenclaw has windows?"

Luna tilted her head and gave him a soft smile. "Oh, that. I couldn't get in."

Neville raised an eyebrow. "You got locked out?"

He immediately wondered if someone had done it on purpose—his thoughts jumped to the kind of things he remembered from the films. Had the bullying started already?

Before Neville could respond, Luna's eyes drifted down to the nest he was holding.

"Ohhh," she breathed, crouching slightly to get eye-level with the chick. "What do we have here?"

She reached out and gently stroked the little bird's head. It chirped happily, nuzzling into her hand.

Neville couldn't help but smile. "Found him a while ago. Long story."

"He's very sweet," Luna said. "He seems to like you."

"Yeah, well, she bit me earlier," Neville said dryly, glancing down at the chick. "Then chirped like she was sorry. We've got an understanding."

He turned back to Luna. "But wait—what d'you mean you couldn't get in?"

Luna shrugged, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. "Oh, it's the door. You have to answer a riddle to get into the Ravenclaw common room. I couldn't solve it, so I'm just waiting for someone else to open it from the inside."

Neville blinked. "Seriously?"

"It's not so bad," Luna said dreamily. "I get to enjoy the moonlight. Most people are in too much of a rush to look up.

Neville stared at Luna, baffled. "Wait, so you're only allowed into your common room if you answer the riddle? Otherwise you just… sleep outside?"

Luna nodded cheerfully. "Oh yes. Happens more often than you'd think. There's even a little bed outside the entrance for people who get stuck."

Neville rubbed a hand over his face. "That's the dumbest thing I've heard all week. And that includes the third-year who tried to charm his pumpkin pasties into singing."

He shook his head. "You'd think someone would've fixed that in the last thousand years."

Luna simply smiled at him like that was a him problem.

"Well," Neville sighed, adjusting the nest in his arms, "you'd better come with me to the Gryffindor common room. I told you before—it's not safe to wander around at night."

Luna tilted her head slightly. "You mentioned it, but you didn't say why. Harry said something about a voice?"

Neville let out a tired breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Come on, I'll explain on the way."

He started walking, Luna following behind at an easy pace, humming softly as they moved through the castle.

As they climbed the stairs, Neville explained what he could: how a strange house-elf named Dobby had tried to stop Harry from coming to school, and how Harry had been hearing a voice—a voice that wanted to kill.

"Oh," Luna said mildly, rubbing her chin as they reached another landing. "So you think something dangerous is hunting students?"

Neville nodded. "Yeah. We don't know what it is yet, but better safe than sorry."

They continued in silence for a few moments before Luna glanced at the little bird cradled in his arms. "So," she asked, pointing, "what are you going to call her?"

Neville blinked, looking down at the chick. "I dunno. Haven't had time to think about it. Don't even know if it's a he or a she."

The bird gave a quick, chirpy trill.

Neville blinked again. "Huh… guess she's a girl."

Luna's eyes sparkled. "A girl?"

"Yeah," Neville said with a shrug. "It's weird, but I think she's telling me she's a girl."

"Well then," Luna said, tilting her head thoughtfully. "What are you going to name her?"

Neville sighed. "I'm rubbish at naming things. Why don't you suggest something?"

Luna tapped her chin with one finger, deep in thought. "Hmm… how about Lumina? It means light, in Latin."

The little bird chirped brightly, clearly pleased.

Neville chuckled. "Seems she likes it then. Alright, Lumina it is."

He paused. Bit of an odd name for a rooster… but then again, she's a magical rooster, so fair enough.

They reached the corridor that led to Gryffindor Tower, turning the final corner—

—and promptly froze.

Standing in front of the Fat Lady's portrait was none other than Professor McGonagall, flanked by the two Gryffindor prefects. Her expression was stony, arms folded, lips pressed thin.

Neville groaned under his breath. "Oh, come on…"

McGonagall's eyes snapped to him. "Mr Longbottom," she said crisply, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet corridor. "You had best have a very good explanation for your absence. No one has seen you since breakfast. No note. No message. And now, past curfew, you're wandering about the castle in the dead of night."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, shifting to the girl beside him. "And what, precisely, is Miss Lovegood doing with you at this hour?"

She waved off the Gryffindor prefects, who nodded and shuffled back through the portrait hole.

Neville sighed and stepped forward. "Er… hello, Professor. Right, so… I sort of fell asleep in an empty room and only just woke up a little while ago."

McGonagall arched a very precise eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that, Mr Longbottom?"

"Whether you believe it or not, Professor, it's the truth," Neville said. "I haven't slept properly in days—been trying to study. This morning Hermione practically ordered me to go nap in the dorm, but I was so tired I ducked into a room and just… passed out. I didn't mean to worry anyone."

He reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. "If you want me to take a magical oath to prove it, I will."

McGonagall stared at him for a long moment. Then, to his surprise, she sighed and shook her head. "That won't be necessary, Mr Longbottom. I believe you."

Neville blinked.

"I was shocked when your friends came to me, genuinely worried you'd gone missing," she continued. "I was about to inform the Headmaster and organise a search of the castle. It's fortunate you returned when you did."

She turned her sharp gaze to Luna. "That still doesn't explain what Miss Lovegood is doing here."

Luna, calm as ever, smiled serenely. "I was locked out of my common room, Professor. I couldn't answer the riddle."

Neville glanced at Luna, then back at McGonagall. "And I couldn't just leave her to wander the castle alone, Professor. I figured she could sleep in the Gryffindor common room for the night. It's safer than being out in the halls on her own."

McGonagall gave a resigned sigh. "Yes… that has been a recurring issue over the years."

She looked to Luna and added, "Very well. I'll have the house-elves set up a temporary bed for you in the girls' dormitory, Miss Lovegood—just for tonight."

With a sharp nod, she turned and ushered them both toward the portrait hole.

The Fat Lady swung open with a tut and a yawn, and they stepped into the warm, fire-lit Gryffindor common room.

Immediately, Neville spotted Harry and Hermione sitting together on one of the couches. As soon as Hermione saw him, she sprang to her feet and rushed over, Harry close behind.

"Neville!" she cried, flinging her arms around him before he could react.

Neville stumbled back a step, barely managing to shift the nest in his arms out of the way before Lumina got squashed.

Hermione let go, took a half-step back—and then launched into a barrage. "Where have you been? Do you know how worried we were? You weren't in the dorm, you weren't in the library, and then we couldn't find you anywhere—"

By the time she ran out of breath, she looked part relieved, part furious.

Neville gave her a sheepish grin. "Yeah… sorry about that. I sort of… fell asleep. In an empty classroom. Just woke up not long ago."

Hermione blinked. "You fell asleep? In a classroom?"

Neville nodded. "Yeah. I was knackered. Guess I just passed out."

Hermione looked like she wanted to keep scolding him, but settled for crossing her arms and muttering something about reckless boys and their inability to take care of themselves.

Harry, meanwhile, was eyeing Luna with confusion. "Er… Luna?"

Luna gave him a serene little wave. "Hello," she said dreamily. "Lovely evening for moon-watching, don't you think?"

Hermione blinked. "Luna?"

Before either of them could ask anything else, Professor McGonagall returned from a short conversation with one of the prefects.

"Miss Granger," she said briskly, "please take Miss Lovegood up to your dormitory. She'll be staying with you tonight."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione replied, still sounding a little unsure.

McGonagall gave them all a final look, then said, "Right. Off to bed, the lot of you. It's far too late as it is."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione called as McGonagall swept out of the common room. She turned back to Luna, brow furrowed. "What happened?"

Luna explained in her usual airy tone, "I got locked out of the Ravenclaw common room. Neville said I should come here instead. He thought it wasn't safe to stay out in the corridors."

Hermione glanced between them, still not quite processing it all.

Neville gave her a tired look. "We'll talk in the morning, yeah? You lot look exhausted."

Hermione sighed but nodded. "You better explain properly," she muttered, then turned to Luna and said, "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

Neville and Harry watched the girls disappear up the stairs before turning and heading to their own dormitory.

As they climbed the stairs, Harry gave Neville a sideways glance. "So… you really fell asleep in a classroom?"

Neville nodded. "Yeah. Properly out cold. Only woke up a little while ago."

Harry chuckled. "Mental. So what's that in your hands, then?"

"Oh—this?" Neville held up the small nest. "Found her in the Room of Requirement. Not sure how, but… well, we sort of bonded. Luna named her Lumina."

Harry gave the bird a curious look but shrugged. "Right. Well—good night, mate."

"'Night, Harry."

As Harry collapsed onto his bed, Neville walked over to his own. He frowned, then drew his wand and transfigured one of his spare quills into a simple cage. He gently placed the nest inside, nestling it in carefully.

Lumina chirped sleepily, settling in without fuss.

Neville looked down at himself, "I really need a shower," he muttered.

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