Hogwarts: Neville's Insert Chapter 71
Neville nodded to her gratefully and drew the tears into the syringe.
Daphne frowned, confused. "Why not just pour it into her mouth?"
Neville shook his head. "It won't work like that. It needs to get into her blood, fast."
He looked to both of them. "Daphne, hold her hand steady. Harry—shine Lumos on the inside of her arm. I need to find a vein."
They moved quickly. Daphne lifted her sister's arm, holding it steady. Harry knelt beside her and raised his wand. "Lumos."
Neville checked the syringe, cleared the air bubbles, and carefully found the vein. "Here goes," he muttered.
He slid the needle in, slow and steady, injecting the tears. When it was done, he set the syringe aside, and Harry extinguished the light.
For a few moments, no one said a word. Then, slowly, the colour started to return to Astoria's cheeks.
Daphne leaned in. "Did it work?" Her voice trembled with hope.
And then—
Astoria's eyes fluttered open.
"Daphne?" she whispered weakly.
"Stori!" Daphne broke down, hugging her sister tightly as tears ran down her cheeks.
Neville sat back on his heels, letting out a long breath. "Bloody hell… it actually worked."
…
Monday, 15th February 1993 – Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts
Astoria clung tightly to Daphne, her face buried in her sister's shoulder. Daphne held her close, gently rubbing her back as they knelt beside the cold chamber wall.
Harry stepped forward, glancing between them and Neville, then asked quietly, "How'd you know it'd work?"
Neville gave a tired shrug. "Didn't, really. I just… figured it might. Lumina thought so too. Least, that's what it felt like."
Harry gave a small nod, eyes drifting to the quiet phoenix now preening beside them.
Astoria's voice trembled as she pulled away from her sister just enough to look up. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I swear, I-I didn't—Riddle, he—he took over, I couldn't stop him—"
"It's alright, Stori," Daphne said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind Astoria's ear. "Everyone's safe. No one's hurt. I know you didn't do this of your own will."
Astoria's eyes widened in panic as she looked around. "W-Where's Riddle? He was just here—we have to get out, we can't let him—" She tried to sit up but faltered, her body too weak.
"Hey, hey—calm down, Tori," Daphne said, steadying her. "There's no one else here, look." She nodded toward the boys nearby. "Just Potter and Longbottom."
Harry stepped closer. "Yeah. Riddle's gone. The diary we destroyed it. He can't come back."
Astoria let out a shaky sob, her body easing just a bit against Daphne's. Her shoulders trembled as tears slid down her cheeks. After a moment, she looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "I… I'm probably going to get expelled, aren't I?"
Neville frowned, shaking his head. "No. You won't. It wasn't your fault, Astoria. He was possessing you. That's on him, not you."
Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah… he tricked you. It's what he does. He's done it before."
Neville's voice was gentler now. "Let me guess… he told you he could cure your curse, didn't he? That he could fix it if you just trusted him?"
Astoria hesitated. Her fingers curled around the fabric of Daphne's robe. Then, slowly, she nodded. "Yeah. He said he'd seen someone like me before. That he knew how to undo it. I thought… maybe he really could. I wanted to believe him."
She sniffled and went on, voice cracking, "But then I started losing time. I'd wake up in bed with no idea how I got there. People said I said things… did things… but I couldn't remember any of it. He kept saying it was normal—that it was part of the cure. That he was still researching."
She looked up at Daphne, eyes shining with guilt and fear. "I believed him."
Daphne held onto Astoria's hand tightly, her knuckles pale from the grip. Her voice, though soft, carried a quiet strength.
"You didn't choose any of this," she said, jaw tight. "You were just a kid looking for help. No one's blaming you."
Astoria sniffled, leaning a little closer into her. Neville crouched nearby, his brow furrowed.
"Do you remember how you got the diary?" he asked gently. "Where it came from?"
Astoria blinked, then nodded slowly. "I… I found it in Flourish and Blotts. It was in one of those piles of second-hand books. It just… felt like it was calling to me."
'Figures…' Neville thought bitterly, his eyes narrowing. 'Lucius must've slipped it in with the lot. Probably dumped it where kids were picking books up. That bastard.'
He stood up, brushing the dust off his trousers. "We should get out of here. This place stinks."
Daphne looked around warily, then asked, "Wait… are we… are we actually in the Chamber? The Chamber of Secrets?"
"Yeah," Harry said simply.
Neville added, "And I'd say we're somewhere beneath the Black Lake. Salazar seemed to really like the Black Lake for some reason. even the Slytherin common room's connected to it."
"So that's the monster?" Daphne whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "That's what's been petrifying everyone." She swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the massive, lifeless serpent stretched across the chamber floor.
Harry gave a small nod. "Yeah. It's a basilisk."
Neville nodded too. "Lucky no one looked it straight in the eyes. If they had… they'd be dead."
Daphne turned to the boys, raising an eyebrow. "You two actually managed to kill it?"
Harry hesitated, glancing at Neville.
Neville gave a tired shrug and nodded. "Yeah. Bit of a team effort," he said, then tilted his head toward Lumina, who was perched proudly on his shoulder. "She helped too."
Lumina let out a cheerful chirp and rubbed her head against Neville's, feathers brushing his cheek.
Daphne blinked. "Your phoenix?" she asked, her voice laced with surprise as she finally realised what the blue-feathered bird was.
Neville nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Her name's Lumina."
He looked at the bird again, a hopeful glint in his eye. "Think you can phoenix-flame us out?"
Lumina gave her head a slow shake.
Neville sighed. "Right… you've got to have been there before? To take us?"
She nodded once.
Harry frowned. "But… wasn't she with us this whole time?"
Neville shook his head. "Not really. She was in my pocket most of the time. I don't think it counts. She probably didn't get a proper look at the place."
Lumina gave another small nod to confirm.
Neville glanced over and stretched out his arm toward his broom, which was floating on the murky water's surface. "Accio," he muttered.
The broom shot into his hand—but it was in bad shape. The bristles at the end were scorched and half-blown apart, and the shaft was cracked right down the middle with splinters sticking out.
"Think this can be fixed?" he asked, holding it out to Harry with a wince. "Gran's gonna have a fit when she sees it."
Harry took one look and grimaced. "Yeah… probably not. Still, better than getting hit by that green curse, right?"
Neville let out a breath. "Yeah. If that Killing Curse had hit me, I'd be gone." He gave the broom one last look, flicked his wand to shrink it, and tucked it into his bag.
Harry frowned. "The Killing Curse? There's actually a curse just… made to kill people?"
Daphne turned and gave him a look. "It's literally why you're famous, Harry."
Harry blinked. "I mean, I knew Voldemort tried to kill me, but… no one ever said what spell he used."
"It was the Killing Curse," Daphne said, flat and serious. "One of the three Unforgivable Curses. Use it on someone and it's straight to Azkaban. You can't block it. It kills instantly. No one's ever survived it… except you."
Harry frowned. "I didn't know that," he said quietly, still processing it.
Neville nodded. "Yeah… you're the only one who's ever survived that."
He turned to Astoria. "You think you can walk?"
Astoria tried to push herself up, but her arms trembled, and her legs gave out under her.
Neville sighed and shook his head. "Alright, alright…" He knelt down beside her. "I'll carry you. It'll be quicker—and honestly, I don't fancy staying down here a second longer than we have to."
Daphne raised an eyebrow. "Can't you just levitate her?"
Neville let out a tired breath. "I could've—if I hadn't burned through most of my magic duelling that nutter. I'm knackered. And this is just easier."
He then added with a slight grin, "Besides, I don't trust my aim right now. Last thing we need is me floating her headfirst into a wall."
"Fair enough," Daphne muttered, patting down her robes. A small frown formed as she checked her pockets.
Harry noticed. "What's wrong? What are you looking for?"
"My wand," Daphne muttered, checking her pockets again. "I think I've lost it."
Neville glanced around, then pointed a few metres away near the basilisk's head. "You mean that one?"
A snapped wand lay on the stone floor, the wood split clean in two.
"Yeah," Neville added with a slight wince. "I had to destroy it. Tom was using it."
Daphne walked over and picked up the broken pieces, her brows furrowed. "Tom… you keep saying that name. And earlier you said his diary was controlling Astoria. Who is Tom?"
Harry spoke up. "Tom is… the Heir of Slytherin. That's Riddle's real name—Tom Riddle. He possessed Astoria through the diary."
Neville gave a tired nod. "Yeah. He's also the noseless bastard."
Daphne blinked. "Wait. Tom's… You-Know-Who?"
Neville cut in, "Yeah. That was him—when he was still a teenager. Creepy git, even back then."
"Right," he said, letting out a breath. "Let's get out of here. The smell's really starting to get to me, and I could do with a proper shower and a long nap."
He bent down, careful not to jostle Astoria too much, and picked up the sword he'd dropped earlier.
Daphne nodded, tucking some hair behind her ear, and stepped closer to help steady her sister while Neville adjusted his grip.
As they walked, Harry glanced at the sword in Neville's hand and asked, "Why are you still carrying that? Couldn't you just shrink it like you did before?"
Neville held it up slightly, grimacing. "Look at it—it's filthy. I'm not sticking it back in the sheath like this. Needs a proper clean. Knowing my luck, I'd cut myself and end up with some cursed plague or something."
He shifted Astoria slightly on his back, then held the sword out to Harry. "Here—you carry it. My arms are dead, and I've already got one passenger."
Harry took it with a nod, glancing down at the blade as they stepped carefully past the massive basilisk corpse.
Daphne stared at it, wide-eyed. "It's… really big."
Harry took the sword as they stepped carefully past the giant basilisk.
"It's… huge," Daphne muttered, eyes wide.
Without thinking, Neville said, "That's what she said."
A beat of silence followed.
Then three pairs of eyes snapped toward him—Daphne, Harry, and even Astoria, who raised a weak brow from where she rested against his shoulder.
Daphne narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"I—I mean—" Neville flushed, panic flickering across his face. "Hermione said that. About the basilisk. When I told her I reckoned it was at least sixty feet long… y'know, based on age and natural growth rates and such…"
Harry gave him a flat look. Astoria let out a soft, tired giggle. Daphne just blinked, then slowly shook her head.
Clearing his throat and definitely not meeting anyone's eyes, Neville muttered, "Right. We should get going," and quickly started walking toward the entrance.
Harry followed, stepping up to the wall and hissing a command in Parseltongue. The stone door slowly shifted open with a low groan.
They stepped out into the tunnels, the entrance sliding shut behind them with a soft hiss that echoed down the corridor.
Lumina soared ahead, casting a gentle blue glow that lit the way forward. Harry raised his wand as well.
"Lumos," he said, then glanced sideways. "You think Hermione's gotten help by now?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah, probably."
Daphne glanced at him. "Granger? She went to find a professor?"
"Yeah," Neville said as they stepped over a stretch of discarded basilisk skin. "Hermione went to get the professors while me and Harry kept Tom busy… well, that was the plan, at least."
They finally reached the end of the tunnel, walking all the way back to the mouth of the large pipe.
As they stood before it, Daphne looked up and asked, "This is how you came in?"
"Yeah," Neville said.
Harry turned to him, brow furrowed. "So… have you thought how we're gonna get back up this?" he asked, glancing between the others. "We've only got one broom. D'you want me to ferry everyone one by one?"
Neville shook his head. "Nah. You should take Daphne with you first. Lumina'll follow you, and once she gets to the bathroom up top, she can phoenix-flame back down here and take the rest of us up."
Lumina hovered in front of him, flapping her wings and letting out a sharp chirp, shaking her head.
Neville raised an eyebrow. "What d'you mean you can carry me?"
Lumina chirped again, more insistent this time, and gave a firm nod.
Daphne turned to Harry. "He can actually understand what the phoenix is saying?"
Harry gave a half-shrug. "Yeah. They've got a bond or something. I'm not really sure how it works, but it does."
Neville sighed and gave Lumina a tired look. "Alright, alright… you want me to grab your leg then?"
Neville said, "Daphne, you should ride with Harry. Lumina will carry me and Astoria."
Daphne gave a short nod and climbed onto the broom behind Harry. She blushed slightly as she grabbed his waist, but kept her face neutral, refusing to let it show.
Neville gave them a nod. "Harry, you lead the way—you're the only one here who can open the entrance."
"Got it," Harry said. He gave a slight push off the ground, and he and Daphne began rising up the tunnel, broomstick slicing through the air.
Neville stepped forward and grabbed hold of Lumina's leg with his right hand, his left arm wrapping firmly around Astoria's thigh to steady her.
He turned his head slightly. "Hold on tight, alright? Don't let go."
Astoria nodded against his back. "Okay."
With a strong flap of her wings, Lumina lifted them off the ground. Neville felt it immediately—an odd weightlessness, like the world had gone soft around him. Even Astoria felt lighter on his back, almost like she wasn't there at all.
Then, with a sharp whoosh, they shot upward through the pipe.
The cold air rushed past them, whistling in Neville's ears. Astoria squeaked and clung tighter to him as Lumina surged upward, the tunnel walls a blur.
They caught up to Harry and Daphne within seconds, and Lumina let out a clear, echoing cry as they soared behind them.
…
Second Floor Girls' Lavatory
The door creaked open as Dumbledore stepped into the lavatory first, calm and composed. Behind him came Snape, his face twisted with obvious distaste, followed by Hermione and the Greengrass parents, both looking pale and anxious.
Moaning Myrtle floated lazily near the ceiling, swaying above a toilet stall, humming to herself.
The moment she spotted Dumbledore, her eyes lit up.
"Oooh! Headmaster Dumbledore!" she cooed, swooping down with a little spin. "What brings you to my humble little lavatory? Finally here to inspect my plumbing?"
She hovered mid-air, peering past him at the others entering behind.
"Oh, and so many of you! Is this a field trip? A parent-teacher emergency meeting?" Her eyes landed on Snape and she gave an exaggerated shudder. "Ugh… not him too…"
Dumbledore gave her a polite nod. "Myrtle, if you wouldn't mind, we'd appreciate a bit of privacy."
Myrtle sighed dramatically, floating back up with a ghostly pout. "Fine. No one ever wants me around when the good stuff happens." She glanced at Hermione and added, "You're lucky I like you."
Then, with a loud wail and far too much flair, she plunged headfirst into the nearest toilet, vanishing with a splash.
Dumbledore made his way over to the sinks, examining them closely. Then he turned to Hermione.
"Miss Granger," he said gently, "I believe you know how to open the entrance?"
Hermione nodded quickly and hurried over. She reached into her robes and pulled out the small tape recorder Neville had given her.
She was just about to press play—when the sinks suddenly began shifting and grinding with stone-on-stone noise.
Hermione jumped back with a startled squeak.
"Close your eyes!" Dumbledore ordered sharply, stepping in front of her and shielding her with his arm.
Everyone obeyed just as the sink fully shifted open, the stone grinding loudly as it revealed the dark pipe below.
A clear, powerful cry echoed up from the depths—high, bright, and unmistakably avian.
Hermione blinked, recognising the sound. She peeked open her eyes just in time to see Harry shoot out of the pipe on his broom, Daphne Greengrass clinging tightly to him from behind.
Moments later, a large blue phoenix soared up through the tunnel. Neville was holding onto its leg with one hand, the other wrapped around Astoria, who clung to his back.
Lumina landed gracefully, setting Neville down with a soft thud as Harry brought the broom down beside them.
The moment their feet hit the floor, Lady Greengrass rushed forward with a cry.
"Astoria! Daphne! My babies!"
Neville gently lowered Astoria to the floor, where Lady Greengrass immediately swept her into her arms, holding her tight.
"She's a bit weak," Neville said, stepping back to give them space as both parents began fussing over their daughters. Daphne and her father quickly moved to Astoria's side, crowding around her.
Neville stepped over beside Harry just as Lumina fluttered down to rest lightly on his shoulder.
Hermione didn't wait—she ran forward and threw her arms around both boys in one tight hug.
"I'm so glad you're both okay!" she said breathlessly, tears brimming in her eyes. "Are you hurt? You didn't have to face the basilisk, did you? I'm so sorry I was late, I—I—"
"Calm down, Hermione, calm down," Neville said gently, patting the top of her head. "We're alright. Just tired."
"Yeah," Harry added with a small smile. "We're both fine."
Hermione's eyes finally landed on the bright blue bird perched on Neville's shoulder. Her jaw dropped slightly. "Wait… is that Lumina?"
Neville chuckled, gently rubbing the phoenix's head. "Yep. Didn't think she'd turn out to be a phoenix, did you? And a rare blue one at that."
"She's beautiful…" Hermione reached out and stroked Lumina's feathers softly. Lumina chirped happily and leaned into the touch.
Hermione glanced back up. "What happened down there?"
"We would also like to know," Dumbledore said as he stepped closer, eyes twinkling but serious.
Neville reached into his pocket. "That can wait," he said, pulling out the ruined diary. "I think you should get them to the Hospital Wing first. This thing—" he gave the diary a cold look, "—was leeching their life."
Dumbledore took the diary and examined it carefully. He nodded. "You're right, of course. Poppy should take a look at them straight away." His eyes flicked to the pale and exhausted Astoria.
Snape, silent till now, took a slow step forward, his eyes narrowing as he stared intently at the diary in Dumbledore's hands.
Just then, Lady Greengrass approached Neville and Harry, her eyes misty with gratitude. Without hesitation, she pulled them both into a hug.
"Thank you. Thank you for saving my daughters."
Neville scratched the back of his head, looking awkward. "Uh… we didn't do much, really."
Harry shook his head slightly. "It's nothing, ma'am. Honest."
Lord Greengrass gave them both a solemn nod. "We are indebted to you. Truly."
Neville stood awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Er… I think you should know, I injected Astoria with some phoenix tears. She might not have made it otherwise. It should help suppress her condition. I don't think it can cure her, but it might hold it off. She'll probably need regular doses… maybe weekly," he added. "Could give her more time—longer than the condition would've allowed."
He glanced at Lady Greengrass, choosing his words carefully. He didn't say it outright—Astoria's malediction wasn't his to reveal—but he offered what he could.
Lumina gave a soft chirp and nodded, as if backing him up.
Lady Greengrass's eyes widened. "You think it'll work?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah… well, I'm not completely sure. It's just a theory. But Lumina seems to agree."
Lord Greengrass gave him a long, measured look, then inclined his head slightly. "Then it seems we owe you more than I realised."
His tone was formal—dignified—but there was a rare note of genuine gratitude behind it.
Dumbledore stepped forward gently. "Perhaps we should continue this conversation in the Hospital Wing, while Madam Pomfrey checks over the children."
He looked toward the sisters. "Miss Greengrass, Miss Greengrass—are you both able to walk?"
"I'll carry Astoria," Lord Greengrass said without hesitation, already lifting his daughter into his arms.
Daphne gave a nod. "I'm fine to walk."
The group began to file out of the lavatory, Dumbledore taking the lead. Snape followed behind with his usual sour expression, while the Greengrasses moved ahead in a tight group.
At the back, Harry, Neville, and Hermione walked together.
Harry glanced around and frowned. "Hang on… where's Ron? I thought he'd be with you lot?"
Hermione's face paled. "Ron!"
She turned quickly, words tumbling out. "Lockhart—we went to him for help but… he tried to Obliviate us. I managed to dodge it, but the spell hit Ron. He… he lost his memories."
Neville blinked, staring at her. "Wait—you went to Lockhart? Of all people?"
His mind raced. 'Ron lost his memories? That's… either a very good thing… or a very bad one.'
Hermione's lip trembled as she tried to hold it together. "He… he wrote all those books, I thought maybe he could help… and you two were in danger, and he was the closest to us. I didn't know he was going to do that. I didn't think he'd actually try to erase our memories…"
Harry shook his head, frowning. "Hermione, we've been telling you he's a fraud from the start."
Tears spilled down her cheeks. "I know! I know, alright? I just… I panicked."
Neville placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Hermione. You were scared, and you were trying find help."
He glanced ahead, then muttered, "Still, it just goes to show… we really shouldn't blindly trust our teachers." His eyes flicked meaningfully toward Dumbledore and Snape.
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