Neville and the Succubus

Epilogue

Neville lay in bed, exhausted and drained.

Word had quickly spread of the foiled surprise attack on Hogwarts by several Death Eaters and how Harry and his gang of friends had foiled it along with the help of a dozen Aurors.

Sitting up, Neville looked at the Daily Prophet. Of course the cover story was the capture of three Death Eaters in their failed attempt to attack Harry Potter at Hogwarts. Sighing, Neville was glad that the truth was not common knowledge.

Flipping the page, Neville blinked back the tears.

Miraculous Recovery

Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom make a miraculous recovery

Having spent the last fifteen years in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Frank and Alice Longbottom were released from the hospital yesterday. Suffering from injuries due to prolonged exposure to the Cruciatus Curse (one of the three Unforgivable Curses) the couple made an amazing recovery over the weekend. Their injuries occurred after a vicious assault during the ending days of the last war with Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Ironically their recovery happened on the same day that one of their tormentors, Rodolphus Lestrange, was apprehended in an apparent attack on Harry Potter, the boy who lived, and Hogwarts.

Neville didn't bother reading the rest of the article, his eyes were too blurry as he looked at the picture of his parents with his grandmother and great uncle, no, they weren't related to him anymore.... He had given up the right to be part of that family....

Smiling, Neville fought back the tears.

"Neville," he heard someone say. Taking the paper, he shoved it under the covers and tried to dry his eyes.

"Yeah," he said weakly.

Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Ron, and Harry slowly marched towards his bed.

"How are you doing?" Ginny asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, Neville took a deep breath.

"Want to talk about it?" Hermione asked as she sat on the end of his bed.

Forcing a smile to his face, Neville shook his head.

"Well, we brought your Mimbulus mimbletonia for you," Ron said as he set it on the nightstand beside Neville's bed.

"We brought Trevor too," Harry whispered.

"Hermione put a preserving charm on him," Luna explained as she set the box containing Trevor beside the Mimbulus mimbletonia.

Exhaling, Neville smiled. "I should really thank you Hermione," he said hoarsely. "If you and Ron hadn't transfigured him I'd never have found that cure...."

Ron shrugged, not sure what to say. Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

"He saved my life you know," Neville added. "Pushed me out of the way and got hit with Arvada Kedavra.

"In the end, everything worked out...."

Sneaking down to the grounds, Neville pulled out his wand. With a flick of the wrist he had dug a fairly large hole before returning the wand to his pocket. Setting down the box and the plant, he looked up at the setting sun. Its fiery golden reflection off the lake was beautiful, yet haunting to him.

"Thank you for everything Trevor," he whispered as he set the box into the hole.

Pulling his wand out, he slowly and cautiously moved the Mimbulus mimbletonia into the freshly dug hole and set it on top. "Watch over him, Mim," he said as he filled the hole. The Mimbulus mimbletonia cooed as he sprinkled it with dust.

Taking out the reed flute that Lilith had given him, Neville played the sad tune that the succubus had taught him. The song had been the only memory he had of his mother and father as a child; His father humming while his mother sang, working together to put baby Neville to sleep.

Standing there, Neville could sense the presence of someone watching him. Not bothering to turn around, he listened as she approached as he finished the song. Feeling her warm hands on his shoulder, he fought back the urge to cry out, or cry, he wasn't sure which.

Hugging him to her, Lilith kissed the top of his head. "Good bye Neville."

Feeling a warm wetness, he knew that she was crying. He could feel her body shifting; no longer solid it vanished like a puff of smoke as she cried.

Her tears gathered in his hands and crystallized as she vanished from existence. He could feel her magical essence in the small crystal as he clutched it to his chest.

Feeling his own tears on his face, Neville listened to the soft cooing of the Mimbulus mimbletonia as his tears watered it.