As they'd arranged between them, Neville was early and had already secured a compartment in the 'right' carriage, while his parents were on the platform greeting old friends and catching up. His father did come on board, though, and help him with getting his trunk into the overhead rack with a quick levitation charm. On his father's advice he also had his Hogwarts uniform out and set aside for changing into later. That way, he would not need to get his trunk down to get them out.
Ready, he pulled a book titled 'Water Plants of the Mediterranean' out, took a seat next to the door and began to read.
Next to arrive was Daphne and Tracey with Samuel following with their trunks levitating behind him, stacked one atop the other.
"Heir Longbottom," both girls said almost simultaneously.
Before Neville had a chance to respond, Samuel then said, "Hello, Neville."
Neville was quick to slide across the bench to give Samuel room before then standing. "Lord Greengrass; a pleasure," he said. Before looking to the girls and smiling. "Ladies."
Samuel levitated their trunks into the overheads for them. And then quickly begged their leave.
With his burgeoning confidence, Neville was about to suggest they remove a change of Hogwarts robe out of their trunks first, when he noticed the two girls were already wearing them.
With both trunks up and secure - the girls checked - they turned to Neville and smiled at him.
Still standing he asked, "Shall we?" and indicated the seats.
After the girls both sat, Neville sat and asked, "Any idea when Hannah and Susan are likely to turn up?"
"No idea," said Tracey.
Looking to Daphne, he asked, "Are we likely to have any trouble for you by sitting with me?"
Daphne answered, "As I said on the floo, not since its gone public the Alliance has gone active again."
Susan and Hannah turned up about fifteen minutes later and were giggling. Both were also dragging their own trunks.
Daphne used a levitation charm to lift both into the overhead racks for the girls, which surprised Neville. "I didn't know you were that accomplished with the levitation charm, Daphne."
Daphne smiled back and said, "I could only do it because both have permanent featherweight charms on them. If they didn't, I wouldn't have been able to manage it, I don't think."
Neville thought about it and asked, "What if someone had cast featherweight charms on them immediately before you levitated them?"
That clearly surprised the girl. "I... had not considered that."
Snapping out of her surprise she looked to the two still giggling 'Puffs and asked, "Something amuse you?"
Susan replied, "All the people on the platform. Hannah and I were stopped three times by people asking us about the Alliance."
Then Hannah added, "And then they immediately asked us if we'd introduce them to Harry, so they could apologise to him for their behaviour both over the month before the First Task and anything else."
Tracey gave a snort of amusement and said, "A little late, aren't they?"
Just before the train was due to leave, they had another knock on the door and a student ask to join them - Luna.
"Hello," she said. "I received a note from Harry Potter telling me that I should join you in your compartment for the trip to Hogwarts. I have no idea why, though."
"Luna, right?" asked Neville. "Luna Lovegood?"
"Yes," she almost hesitantly replied.
Rising, Neville said, "Harry wrote me and asked that, if you decided to join us, to make you feel welcome. So, come on in."
As Luna seemed to relax and smiled back, Neville cast a featherweight charm on the trunk and asked Daphne to levitate it up into the racks. She was happy to do so.
Once Luna was in and properly situated, Neville explained, "Harry sent me a note and asked me to ensure that Luna was made welcome if she asked to join us. I'm happy to do so. But, he hasn't been very forthcoming as to why."
Luna explained, "Lord Potter is aware of some of the difficulties I've had in Ravenclaw, due to how some of the members of the House have treated me. He seems to want to take me under his wing, so to speak.
"I also suspect he had something to do with the lovely lady mind-healer who's been visiting me over the break. But, I know he won't say if he was. I don't mind, though; she's nice company."
As Luna spoke Neville noticed she wasn't speaking as 'airily' as he remembered her to do. She now spoke with more confidence.
He smiled at her and said, "Harry didn't tell me any of that. So, thank you for telling me."
She smiled back.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
After the train departed Kings Cross right on schedule, the six sat back and relaxed in their compartment. They were happy to just settle back for the journey.
It was about and hour into the trip when the door was yanked open by Malfoy.
He did a quick look-around before he looked at Neville and said, "Longbottom. Do you know where I can find Potter?"
"He's not on board," replied Neville. "He's made other arrangements."
Malfoy seemed to think about that for a moment before he seemed to give a nod. Then he looked at Daphne and Tracey and seemed about to sneer, but thought better of it. He then stepped back out of the compartment and walked away without another word.
Neville re-closed the door.
"That was... odd," said Susan.
Neville said, "Malfoy has this bit of tradition where he tracks down Harry on the train and tries to pick a fight with him. I don't know why he bothers, as he's never won even one of their confrontations.
"However, I've never seen him act so polite before."
"That was polite?" asked Hannah.
"For Malfoy; yes," he shrugged.
It was a moment before Daphne said, "Malfoy is going to be a changed boy at Hogwarts, from now on. He's learned he's not the Heir Primary of Black, as he thought he was; his father has lost his puppet Minister and his Lord Black, I suspect, has laid down the law with his mother.
"I also believe he's very quickly going to discover that, as a result, he can no longer consider himself the so-called Prince of Slytherin. That title will likely shift to Theodore Nott, because of his grandfather, Caracticus Nott, sitting on the Wizengamot and nominating for the Ministership."
"Nott won't win," said Susan.
"No," agreed Daphne. "However, just being nominated shows the other Houses in the Dark alliances are deferring to him. That means their Heirs will to Theo."
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