NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
Chapter 5: Neville, the lion's champion
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Neville ran to the infirmary, and when he arrived he saw that Ron and Harry were there too, apparently the nurse wouldn't let them pass. But in Neville something woke up and screaming, he rushed to the door and ran to Hermione, Pomfrey was furious, but as she approached, she saw how Neville was crying in tears over Hermione and this moved the woman. Neville and only Neville could stay in the infirmary.
After one day Neville continued to weep Hermione's luck and affectionately tried to comfort her by talking to her and holding her hand, in that, Neville realized that her friend was holding a piece of paper in her hand, Neville carefully took it from her and then understood everything, the voices behind the walls, the parsel tongue, the identity of the monster, the dead student.... It was Myrtle.
Neville rushed straight to the Dumbledore office, but it was recalled that the parent council headed by Lucious Malfoy had fired him. And he turned around to find McGonagall, halfway there was a riot. Ginny Weasley had been kidnapped by Slyterin's heir, whoever it was, and left an inscription indicating that Ginny would die in the vault of secrets.
Neville told her everything he knew, and together they went to Myrtle's bathroom. When Neville arrived, he asked the ghost to indicate the place where she died and Myrtle led them to a lavatory in which one of the taps had the figure of a snake on the side. Neville concentrated and in parsel tongue ordered that the entrance to the chamber of secrets be revealed.
The lavatory moved showing a deep hole into the chamber. Teacher and student went down several meters and upon reaching the bottom they discovered the discarded skin of the basilisk, Professor McGonagall inspected the skin when a curse left her lying in place, Lockhart had attacked her with treachery.
The man explained to Neville that he had listened to the conversation the boy had with McGonagall and decided to take advantage of the matter, explained that in reality he never performed any of the great heroic acts that his books said, other magicians had done them and he had erased their memory and keeping the credit.
“I'll tell you Neville, no matter what anyone else says, in the end appearances are all that matter... Well, it's a pity that you don't take advantage of this lesson because I will erase your memory along with your teacher's memory.”
Lockhart was already cursing Neville when a big blast rumbled at the scene.
As the dust settled, Neville was surprised to see Harry standing beside him.
“Harry, what are you doing here," Neville asked.
“Ron and I went to Lockhart to ask him to rescue Ginny but we saw that he was not in his office and looked around the place, we saw him near one of the women's bathrooms, his attitude was very suspicious and we followed him. Then we heard what he had done, and Ron cast a spell on him.”
“Did Ron cause that explosion?”
“Well, he really wanted to do something else, but because his wand is broken he made the roof fall on Lockhart.”
“Professor McGonagall was near Lockhart!”
Harry's face broke down and both children ran to see if she was all right, fortunately the teacher was fine, covered in dust and tiny rocks, but fine (she was still unconscious). Ron didn't run so lucky, he had both legs broken, but at least he was alive, not like Lockhart who was crushed to death.
The two boys looked for their wands but both Professor McGonagall's and Harry's wand were broken, as for Neville's wand there was no sign of it.
“My grandmother will kill me," said Neville to himself.
Both boys tried to wake up the teacher, but were unsuccessful, so they decided to go to the camera on their own.
Perhaps the Griffindor courage allowed Harry to move forward with serene temper, but poor Neville thought he was going to collapse at any moment, but he still didn't run away when they crossed dark caverns. The sensation was rare, he and his hated bully shoulder to shoulder trying to rescue Ron's sister. Neville saw his thoughts interrupted as he reached a doorway with several serpents carved like bolts.
Neville concentrated and in parsel ordered that the door was opened and the children finally passed to the chamber of secrets, at the bottom of it was Ginny.
The boys approached and tried to wake Ginny who was asleep, but were unsuccessful. Suddenly out of nowhere Tom Ryddle appeared and explained to them how it was the diary that manipulated the girl's mind and that now he would return as his true self: Lord Voldemort.
Fawkes the phoenix came down to the boys and handed them the sorting hat, Harry drew the sword from Griffindor but Voldemort called his basilisk.
When the basilisk was about to turn his gaze on the two boys, the phoenix struck the monster and ripped both his eyes out.
The monster twisted in pain but Voldemort ordered him to return to the charge, lunged blindly at Harry and knocked the Gryffindor down, releasing the sword in the process. The basilisk pointed his open jaw toward Harry and nearly swallowed him, but Harry in the last second grabbed his jaws with both hands. The basilisk twisted his head and tried to swallow the boy.
Neville, taking advantage of the fact that Harry was holding the monster's head, grabbed the sword and took it from three cuts. Voldemort was furious but still assured him that when Ginny's life was over he would resuscitate, all thanks to the diary.
“You talk a lot," Neville told him, and with the clues Voldemort gave him with his megalomaniac monologue, the boy stabbed Gryffindor's sword with basilisk blood in the diary, destroying Voldemort.
“Guys?” said Ginny, who apparently had already recovered.
"Thank you!” she said with tears in her eyes and ran to Neville, who waited for her with open arms.
The redhead passed by and hugged Harry. Neville disbelieved at this took it out on the ground helped by the sword of Gryffindor.
“What's wrong with you, Neville?” Ginny said.
Neville turned around and said there was nothing wrong with a forced smile.
The boys went back to Ron and McGonagall. In the end and with the help of the Phoenix they returned to the castle.
Mrs. Pomfrey almost fainted when she saw McGonagall and the boys, and proceeded to attend to them promptly.
“It's a good thing you had your wand Ginny, otherwise we couldn't have pulled Ron out," Neville said, but apparently the redhead only had eyes and ears for Harry.
"It was great how you woke up McGonagall with your wand," he continued, but the redhead still didn't listen.
“Well, anyway, thank you for getting my wand back” Neville sighed, who still couldn't get an answer, the girl listened to Harry who told her something about giant spiders before discovering Lockhart.
Dumbledore, who had been fired, rushed into the infirmary and asked Harry and Neville to accompany him to his office.
Already in his office, both boys explained to the man their separate adventures that led to confronting Voldemort together. Dumbledore explained that it was the blood of the basilisk that could destroy the book, as well as the sword and Lucious Malfoy entered the office, next to him was a domestic elf.
“Dobby!” Neville shouted and the poor elf looked terrified to see that his master had discovered him.
The arrogant blond man demanded explanations for Dumbledore's presence and Dumbledore also pointed them out to the conspiracy that Malfoy tried to carry out. Lucius was upset and when he left the office he kicked the poor elf.
Neville felt angry and was about to shout something at the blonde, but having spent two years of his life in the company of boys taller and stronger than him and who used him as a punching bag, he had been taught to bite his tongue, so instead of yelling at him, Neville asked permission from Dumbledore to return the diary to Lucious. Dumbledore understood perfectly and smilingly gave permission. When Neville came out, the director explained Harry his friend's plan.
Harry heard a curse and excused himself from the director by rushing to meet Neville. The boy arrived with just enough time to see how Lucious was humiliated by his elf and was leaving school.
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Neville was getting ready to go to the end-of-year banquet when he was surrounded by Harry, Ron, Seamus and Dean. The boys had a sinister look in Neville's eyes.
Neville looked down as usual, closed his eyes as Harry's hand moved toward his face, but it landed softly on his shoulder.
“Neville, you did very well," Harry told him.
“Harry told us all about Neville," Dean said.
“You're big Neville," said seamus.
Neville couldn't believe it and Ron gave him a big hug.
“Thank you, Neville, thank you for saving my sister.”
Neville didn't know what to say or how to react. That's when Ron stood up and asked Neville to beat the crap out of him.
“Not just me, you have to beat the crap out of us all," insisted Ron, the other boys nodded.
Neville didn't want to, but everyone kept insisting, and in the end it was decided that Neville would just punch once everyone in the face.
Already in the middle of the banquet, Neville saw Hermione enter the large dining room, the boy got up and ran towards the girl, both melted into a hug.
“Mrs. Pomfrey told me that you stayed by my side the whole time.”
“I couldn't leave you alone, I could never do it.”
“In the end you solved it, you solved the mystery of the chamber of secrets.”
“Not at all, it was you, you deserve all the credit and recognition," Neville said with tears of happiness and again embraced the girl. The teachers applauded Neville and Hermione.
“Hermione, you knew it was Neville who saved me from the basilisk," Ginny shouted with excitement.
Neville was very surprised and looked at Harry who smiled at him and nodded his head, apparently telling Ginny the whole truth.
“Neville, thank you!” the redhead said and stretched out to kiss Neville, the boy was stunned, and everyone laughed.
“And what happened to you?” Hermione asked as she saw the bruised faces of Neville's roommates. The boys exchanged complicit looks.
“Nothing, we fell," they said with wide smiles on their faces.
Dumbledore gave the farewell speech and thanked Ms. Pomfrey and Professor Sprout for their efforts to de-petrify the students. Everyone applauded the women who responded with warm and gentle smiles.
Then Hagrid suddenly entered the large dining room.
Sorry for the delay but my release order was delayed due to a clumsy bird named Erroll. Ron embarrassed sank into his seat.
“You know, if it wasn't for you, Neville, I would still be in Azkaban," the man said.
Neville didn't tell him anything, she just held him tightly.
“I'm glad I could help you, Hagrid.”
“You, you cleared my name... after all these years, thank you.”
Everyone stood up and applauded Hagrid and Neville. The students who were attacked by the basilisk approached Neville and thanked him, as did Sir Nicholas.
Hermione, Ginny and the other Griffindor girls cried with joy as they clapped their hands, even most Slyterin clapped their hands! Pansy included, who shook her head and smiled as she discovered how wonderful Neville was.
On the roof of the castle, ghosts also celebrated Neville, even the ghosts of the headhunting club that for some reason invited themselves to the banquet, in fact were so happy that they invited Sir Nicholas almost beheaded to join their club. And above all of them, Myrtle the weeping, threw petals, radiant with joy, finally the girl smiled of happiness.
THE END
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