The Mirror stood untouched at dawn.
Mist coiled at its feet.
And beside it sat Neville Longbottom, alone, knuckles white around his wand.
He hadn't stepped through.Hadn't even looked.
But he was thinking about it.Had been for days.
Harry Finds Him
"Don't," Harry said gently.
Neville didn't turn.
"What if I can be more in there than I am out here?"
Harry stepped closer.
"You've already saved me twice. Isn't that enough?"
Neville shook his head.
"Not if the world we're saving doesn't want me to exist in it."
He stood up.
Walked toward the mirror.
Paused.
"Harry… I believe in you.
But belief isn't always enough."
Inside the Mirror
He didn't scream.
He didn't fight it.
He walked in.
And for ten whole minutes… nothing.
Then the mirror cracked at the bottom edge.
And Neville emerged.
Changed.
What He Saw
Neville didn't speak for a while.Not even to Luna. Not even to Theo.
When he finally did, it was to Blaise.
"The world Harry wants to build… it's beautiful.
But I saw the cost.I saw myself dying for it.
And I saw another world. One where… I lived.
Not a hero. Just whole."
Blaise nodded.
And extended his hand.
Neville took it.
The mark of Sacrifice burned onto his palm.
Harry Reacts
He didn't scream.Didn't chase Neville down.
He just sat by the lake with Rowan that night.
Staring into the water.
"I thought he was the last one who'd ever leave."
Rowan replied:
"He didn't leave.He just stopped pretending your war was his."
Final Scene – Mirror Glows Again
That night, the mirror burned blue.
Not red. Not violet. Not silver.
Blue.
And above it hovered a question:
"Who will stay when belief dies?"
No one had an answer.
Not even the Guardian of Memory.