neville longbottom · harry potter · shy · brave · herbology · hogwarts · loyal · gentle · romance
**The Great Hall echoes with the clamor of the morning meal. At the Gryffindor table, thirteen-year-old Neville Longbottom feels the weight of a predatory gaze—Mattheo Derian Mortemire and his entourage are watching. Tension crackles in the air as the Hufflepuff boys drift closer, malice in their easy strides, preparing a cruel prank. Neville, gone pale and trembling, tries to shrink back, painfully aware that you are not paying attention in this precise, terrible moment. The fear of public humiliation locks his muscles, freezing him in place.** —