Serpens Fic Haven

Between the Lines
Word Count: 100

When Dumbledore died, a part of Neville died as well. The thought of never again seeing those kind, twinkling blue eyes or hearing that warm voice – the world lost something precious on the day Dumbledore fell.

Everyone was caught in a stupor of shock and grief; first the funeral, and then the closing of Hogwarts. When the train pulled out and he watched Hogwarts disappearing into the distance, he mourned for Dumbledore's death – and for another sense of loss. The library was lost to him now, too...

Like so many before him, Neville thought, Someday when this war is over...

Between the Lines
Word Count: 100

When the DA was discovered, Neville was afraid his work was for nothing.

The books were waiting for him. It was easier to find them; maybe he was starting to 'think eclectically' - as his unknown tutor might have said. Every week there was another book waiting, giving him time to pore over each page. Sometimes the lessons were right on the surface; other times they were cleverly buried. It gave him a headache, but he honestly didn't mind.

He learned to sift for the important things. They were always there.

He wondered if he'd ever get to meet her.

Between the Lines
Word Count: 100

She was surprised when Hermione found her in the library and held out a book; less surprised when she read the title: Magical Battles Through the Ages. It had been Neville's most recent find. "Aren't you worried that Madam Pince will catch you?"

Luna shook her head. "They're not her books to start with." To Hermione's baffled glance she added, "Keeping them in the library is safer than the dormitories. I didn't intend for him to find them." Not at first.

Hermione understood. "Can you help me get an article published?"

Luna twirled a radish earring. "I'd love to help."

Between the Lines
Word Count: 100

She joined the DA because she would do anything to put one in Voldemort's eye, but she also joined because of him. She still chose books on a wide subject matter to write in, but made sure there was enough in the margins to help him with defensive and offensive spells. Funny anecdotes were related just enough to justify their presence. If Neville noticed the funny stories all carried hidden tips, he never divulged them to anyone else.

Maybe he picked them up without knowing - because he improved rapidly, and it wasn't just Harry's teaching and his own determination.

Between the Lines
Word Count: 100


Finding the books became a source of enjoyment for Neville; sometimes the book was brand new, sometimes very old. Sometimes he felt he learned more from the margins than he did the book itself. Whoever writes these, he thought, must be very clever.

Midterms came suddenly and in the flurry of tests, the books were set aside and forgotten.

The Ravenclaw student hadn't. When her studies were done she worked her way through an old book, scrawling notes in the margins as she read.

She wondered just when she'd stopped writing them for herself – and started writing them for him.

Between the Lines
WC: 100

It was several weeks before he found another: a History of Magic text, so old it was no longer used. The cover was falling off, yet he found himself handing it to Madam Pince to check out.

The margins were full of witty anecdotes again. He laughed aloud as he read it, which caught Hermione's attention when he brought it with him to breakfast. "Neville, what's so funny?" she hissed, when he'd laughed too loudly.

"Sorry," he said, "I never knew history could be funny!" Hermione looked at him oddly. Across the hall, a Ravenclaw looked at him with interest.

Between the Lines
Word Count: 100

It really wasn't so much what the book was about; in truth, it was dreadfully dull. What was interesting was that someone had written in the margins all through it, witty and sarcastic and sometimes utterly nonsensical. But reading it all jumbled together somehow made it (which was a lengthy discourse on the effects of Mimbletonia on the Sahara desert – ergo, nothing) seem hilariously funny.

He'd finished the entire book in a week and returned to the library for another, hoping that he'd find another one like it - one written over. But who would dare write in Madam Pince's precious books?

Between the Lines
WC: 100

It began, innocently enough, with a book.

What had provoked Neville into borrowing it, he couldn't tell. It wasn't required reading, nor would it help him complete any of his impossible assignments. Maybe it was just the ornately tooled Mimbulus mimbletonia on the leather-bound cover that caught his eye. He still couldn't explain it to himself, late that night, after he'd given up on his homework for the following day.

The other Gryffindors were playing exploding snap but he pulled out the book and began to read, ignoring their invitation to join them.

An hour later, he was still reading.