Harry ran his fingers over the photos, and wondered who was who of the other boys. Then he turned the page. There were two wedding photos one of Neville's parents where Harry's mum and dad apparently stood up with Frank and Alice. The other was of Harry Parents wedding where Alice stood up with Lily.
Augusta, reading Harry's expression, said, "Yes Harry, your father was Frank's best man despite the difference in their ages, they were on the quidditch team together. They got on in the same year, Frank's fourth your fathers second. Frank's best friend from his year died in a Death Eater attack a month before the wedding and your father stepped up and filled in. They were aurors together along with him." Augusta's voice dripped with disgust on the last word and she poked at the man in best man position in the wedding photo of Harry's parents.
Harry closed the album. "Neville, this is one of best presents I've ever gotten, thank you."
Neville grinned broadly at him.
"Neville as you are ready, and Harry is still in his bedclothes I can only assume you woke him. Not the behavior called for from a host."
Harry saw his friend flush with shame at the rebuke."Lady Augusta it's alright, I usually rise early. Neville knows that, and he had no way of knowing that I was having a bit of a lie-in. I only do it a couple times a year. I don't mind." He gave Neville a reassuring look. "I would like to clean up and get ready. Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready to go." He glanced at the mantle clock. "You did say ten, right?" It was fifteen until ten. Both Longbottoms nodded and left.
Ten minutes later Harry met them near the main floo. Harry having learned from Neville that while all the fireplaces in the house could be used for calls only the main one off the entry hall could be used to enter or exit Longbottom Abbey. Augusta gave his fine midnight blue and black houndstooth wool robe an interested glance. Harry grinned because under his cassock style robe he wore trousers, a shirt and a light jumper. She lead the way to the floo and in a short time the three were at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
Harry hadn't been to the hospital before. Medi-wizard Shingleton had offices above one of the stores in Diagon Alley.
Augusta Longbottom lead the way to the fourth floor's Janus Thickey ward.
Harry didn't know what to expect but all he could think as he quietly watched Neville with his parents was there were worse things than death. He offered Alice a small box of chocolates and he and Neville both enjoyed the expression of bliss that crossed Alice's face as the candy slowly melted in her mouth. Lady Augusta spoke with the healers then spent a short while combing Frank's sparse hair and trimming his fingernails. As they were leaving Alice gave Neville something which he tucked in his pocket after thanking her with a smile.
The rest of Christmas day and Boxing day were fairly quiet. At Neville's urging Harry spent more of his time with the younger set than with the adults. He impressed both Roger Davies and Cedric Diggory with his chess playing skills and Susan Bones enjoyed that he was willing to talk to her instead of playing exploding snap with the other boys.
All three were somewhat chagrined to realize that for a whole term they had bought into the hysterical reaction that Harry's sorting had caused, and vowed on their return to school they would try to dispel the rumors. Harry was normal, not some super evil person.
On the twenty seventh Harry led an excursion to Muggle London. He helped the adults Amelia Bones, Augusta Longbottom, Cecilia Diggory, Tabitha Davies and a few of the other houseguests make changes to the magicals' muggle clothing so they would completely blend in. Then after flooing to The Leaky Cauldron he lead them to the Liecester Underground station and got tickets so they could travel to Picadilly Circus, they did a three hour tour of the Royal Academy of Art then went to Lillywhites where Neville, Cedric and Roger and Susan got trainers and some muggle exercise clothes. Harry carefully kept an eye on the group to keep them from making any faux pas due to magical misunderstanding. He was surprised that Roger and Cedric were interested in the way non magicals trained their bodies, and even more surprised when they asked him questions about what he did. After that the adults side along apparated them back to Diagon Alley. Where Neville and his Gran were making a trip to Ollivander's, while everyone else visited other stores.
Neville dragged Harry with him. "But Gran, wands are expensive and Dad's…"
"No, Neville, I have quite made up my mind. Harry has informed me your father's wand doesn't always respond well. You aren't as strong as your father and to work with a uncooperative wand will hamper your weak-"
Harry had watched as Neville quailed under his Grandmother's words. "STOP!" He snarled at her with an impressive amount of venom. "Cripes! Don't you ever think about what you sound like, what your words and actions say to your grandson. You know what half of Neville's problem is? You! Tearing him down instead of building him up. Criticizing him instead of encouraging him."
Lady Augusta was completely taken aback."How Dare You!"
Harry inwardly winced, but he wasn't going to back down this was too important. "The more important question Lady Longbottom is how dare you? You were entrusted with raising your grandson. He loves you, but you spend over half your time telling him he's weak and incompetent, and putting down his choices. Neville is tenth in our class and that's with a wonky wand does that sound like an incompetent to you? Perhaps if you spent as much time encouraging him as you do criticizing him he would have the confidence to be even higher than that. Perhaps instead of making mistakes because he doubts himself he would trust himself enough to excel. Neville knocked out a troll at eleven to save a friend. Instead of always going off about your heroic son you should be looking at your heroic grandson and seeing him for what he really is: his father's son. Come on Neville."
Neville was standing there jaw dropped as Harry laid into his Grandmother. Normally he would have been all for stopping Harry, but Harry was verbalizing every resentful, angry thought he had ever had and he found himself wanting to cheer Harry on instead. When Harry tugged his arm toward Ollivander's, he followed and the two boys entered the shop leaving Lady Longbottom outside.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom what brings you here on such a glorious day." Mr. Ollivander said.
"Um..I need a wand you see I've been using my father's…"
"Um..I need a wand you see I've been using my father's…"
"Ah, yes, Hornbeam and unicorn hair, a fine wand. But while it chose him, it did not choose you so let's see which wand does."
Twenty minutes later Neville was cradling a cherry and unicorn wand, it turned out the unicorn mare that donated the hair for Frank's wand had also supplied the hair for Neville's. Neville used his Christmas money to pay for the five galleon wand. Harry encouraged him to get a holster and a wand care kit as well.
As they were about to leave the shop Harry looked at Neville, "Neville, will your Grandmother forgive me?"
"Harry, I love my Gran. I respect her for taking me in and raising me, but you were right. I spend way more time worrying about disappointing her than… Ever since we met you've encouraged rather than criticized. It wasn't until you said what you did about me being a hero and my father's son… Maybe it's having my own wand, maybe it's just having someone beside me who has no doubts. When I first came back from school I felt really confident between where I was with my grades, the fact you've helped me get stronger physically..But back with Gran it was the comparisons, the put-downs, the doubts and I kinda stopped believing again . I started to believe her again, I won't do that again. As for what you said to Gran, my advice apologize for how you said it, but not for what you said. Does that make sense? Gran likes people who stand up for what they believe in… maybe it's time I did a little of that myself."
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