In Harry Potter as Neville Longbottom

Chapter 42: Birthday Party - 5

"I am not sure. It's my Nan's plan. I have no idea what is going on, truly. And Pansy, it's not like I don't want you to come here or anything, you are more than welcome. You too Hermione."

Nev knew the feelings of Pansy and he was not going to crush the young maiden's heart and to keep Hermione in a calm state, it was better to blame his Nan who was true to be blamed for all this.

"Are you sure? I mean Dean and Seamus told me that they came here to practice magic. Can I also come here, really?" Hermione was now also excited about this invitation. For a muggle witch like her, this was like the best way to spend her holidays. Magic, books, and free practice.

"Sure. Just send a letter before and I will send one of my elves to bring you here directly." Nev was now hating his mouth. Why did he have to invite another trouble?

Pansy who was listening to them felt a little loss, but she buried that feeling inside her.

The party ended before midnight and all the guests were happily sent off except one family. Lady Augusta had a meeting with Parkinson's before they left leaving their daughter here.

"Winny. Please show our guest her room. Pansy, why don't you go to your room and get all things sorted out. I think I need to talk to Nev here." Lady Augusta sent Pansy to her temporary room before she and Nev went to the study room.

Closing the door of the study room and activating the silence charms around, Nev sat in front of her Nan.

"Okay. So, are we going to talk about the elephant in room, Nan? Or in this case, a small snake in our Manor." Nev finally burst out finding the chance.

"Keep your voice down boy. Why do you think I had to invite that poor girl here?"

"I don't know Nan. Please enlighten me!"

"You shared your memory without altering it, without changing it and then while you were painted as the Hero in the papers, what do you think will happen to the girl for which you ran to the dark forest in the first place?"

Lady Augusta asked seriously and Nev finally realised something was off. Something he missed about the whole thing.

"I don't understand Nan. What are you trying to say?"

"Oh, stupid boy! Sometimes your brain is faster than those goblins and then it is as slow as the troll! The girl, Nev. The Girl!

She belongs to the family that was truly loyal to the dark lord and now everyone knows that it was because of her, that the dark lord's plan was uncovered in the first place. You jumped for that detention. And her memory and your memory can only confirm that it was because of her.

Her family, Parkinson's, are now ostracized and cut off from the rest of the pureblood group. You must understand Nev, if, and Merlin may have mercy, If Dark Lord comes back, who will he punish first?

That girl and her family is now living on the borrowed time. Parkinsons, thus, decided to dump their daughter and run for the American land. Pansy doesn't know but from the moment she entered the gates of this manor, she had no family.

She is very well removed from the family registry and cut off from any future support from Parkinsons."

Lady Augusta bought Neville from his La-La land to the real world and told him the true story. Nev was horrified listening to this!

"What? How can they do this? I mean she is their daughter!" Nev started shouting hysterically.

"They can easily do this, and this is not the first time a purist family has kicked their kids out! For them, it is better to seek safety in a foreign land and make another smaller Parkinson. Someone who won't make friends with people like us.

Nev, your actions may have been noble son, but not every action will have a noble result. Our lives and our thoughts simply are not in tune with many of the wizarding families.

You must choose your circle of friends very carefully Nev. Even in future, there might be many good deeds that might not go unpunished."

Lady Augusta explained the situation to Neville before leaving him alone in the study room and heading towards the guest room to meet Pansy.

This girl without a doubt is the first victim of the Dark Lord this time who lost her family and the poor child had no idea about it. It was up to her to somehow inform her and console her if necessary.

"My Grandson, truly a Casanova!" Muttering to herself, Lady Augusta made her way to Pansy's room where Pansy was arranging her clothes and other things for the rest of the summer.

Neville spent the night alone in the study room. Thinking about how his one decision to meddle in the affairs of Pansy somehow separated her from her own family kept him awake all night.

In another room of the same manor, there was a girl who was sleeping in the room of Lady Augusta. If one looked closely, they would find dried tears on her face that reflected her ordeal last night.

Lady Augusta woke up little late today. She had to be there for the girl last night and she made her many promises. Promises she intends to keep. The girl will have a family and it will be the Longbottoms.

When Nev walked out of the study room with red tired eyes, he was immediately greeted by his house-elf, Silvi.

"Good morning, Sir. Silvi bought the latest Daily Prophet. There is no schedule for today except the regular morning time with the new pets."

Silvi handed over the paper to Nev who grabbed it absentmindedly and went straight towards his room. Bringing down his suitcase to the garden area, he let out all his pets today.

He ordered Dufus to feed and train them today. He hardly felt any mood to do so himself.

After washing up, he went directly to the breakfast table and read the papers.

"Rufus Scrimgeour calls the Cornelius Fudge inept as a minister. Made a statement It is One Thing to Be Incompetent. But to Be Proud to Be Incompetent is Unforgivable."

Reading just the headline gave Nev a clear idea of how tense the situation inside the ministry was now. The only reason people chose Fudge was that he had the support of Dumbledore, who at present, was in the middle of a storm himself. His own credibility due to his old age was questioned.

Since Dumbledore himself resigned from the Wizengamot position, Fudge was finding it hard to sit on the chair of British Ministers of Magic.

However, it seems Mr. Rufus himself lacks the ability of a true politician and had decided to air the dirty laundry in public.

"Well, he may be a good Auror head but certainly not fit to be a politician." Nev made his judgement after reading the main article on the paper.

After trying to keep these thoughts aside, he wrote a letter inviting Rita Skeeter for a personal interview to share his experience fighting the Dark Lord and the details he had not provided to anyone else until now. To catch this big fish, he had to throw bigger bait.

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Almost all chapters of June are already posted on P@treon. More scheduled.

If you want to check them out - P@treon/ayrus2011 (remove @ with a).