Chapter 19: Born at the End of July
"Dragon dung, good luck, shining stars…"
Neville's eyes were still a little dazed as he held the password list. The parchment felt rough beneath his fingers so strangely unreal.
"Did… did I really cast that spell?"
Melvin didn't answer. He simply patted Neville's shoulder again and asked calmly,
"You have the password now. Can you make it back on your own?"
"I… I think so."
Neville's voice was still trembling.
Melvin shook his head, scanning the portrait frames along the wall.
"Is Sir Cadogan around? Sir Cadogan?"
"A noble mind and a sturdy frame call for Sir Cadogan, and I shall come!"
With a spirited shout, a short, plump knight in full armor charged out from the depths of a painting. No one knew who had passed him the message. Behind him trotted a pony also short, also round its hooves clattering noisily.
"Sir Cadogan," Melvin greeted with a courteous fist-to-chest salute.
"This young man has lost his way. Would you kindly escort him back to the Gryffindor Tower?"
"An escort? Leave it to me!"
The knight's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. He turned to mount his pony but the beast gave a sudden jerk and tossed him to the ground.
Cadogan leapt up immediately, unfazed. Raising his sword and lowering his visor, he barked,
"Follow me, soldier!"
Then he leapt into the neighboring portrait of a nun and was promptly chased through the next frame a woman in a hoop skirt. The clanging of armor echoed through the corridor as the chase continued from one painting to another.
Neville glanced at the retreating knight, then at the professor beside him, and hurried after.
"Goodnight, Professor Lewynter!" he called, waving as he disappeared around the corner.
"Ha…"
Melvin chuckled softly. All these animated Hogwarts portraits never failed to amuse him.
"I don't remember Summoning Charms being that noisy. And Longbottom he's changed…"
Dumbledore stepped onto the landing, a cup of hot chocolate in hand. His brow furrowed in thought, eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Melvin, how did you do it?"
"Just a few small teaching tricks," Melvin replied, unsurprised. He had sensed the Headmaster's presence not long after finding Neville. Who knew if Dumbledore had surveillance charms hidden in the corridor?
"The boy cast the spell correctly. The wand mismatch caused some interference, but not enough to fail completely. From what I observed, his biggest obstacle was self-doubt…"
Melvin paused, then shifted topics.
"In the Muggle world, there's a short-distance means of transport called a bicycle. It relies on the gyroscopic effect of two spinning wheels, along with the rider's balance. It's quite difficult for beginners not just physically, but mentally. Muggle parents developed a clever method for teaching it."
"When teaching a child to ride, they pretend to hold the seat from behind, giving the illusion of support. As the wheels spin faster, the gyroscopic force helps the child find balance. Believing their parents are still holding them steady, the child rides freely and confidently."
"They only realize much later that their parents had let go long ago. But by the time they notice, they've already overcome their fear and learned to ride."
Dumbledore's eyes gleamed.
"And what are you implying, Melvin?"
"As long as someone has conviction and you give them support, even false support it can help them find balance and move forward on their own."
"…"
Dumbledore's blue eyes widened, shimmering with crystalline light.
"The Summoning Charm doesn't produce wind. But the Purification Charm does. You used the Purification Charm to create the wind, and Longbottom believed it was his own Summoning spell. That belief, combined with his correct casting motion, allowed him to truly perform the Summoning Charm."
"The magical power of a first-year isn't strong. Fortunately, the list was close by. Still…"
He exhaled softly, eyes warm. "It's an astonishing miracle."
"Magic always surprises us," Melvin said with a faint smile.
"I meant your philosophy," Dumbledore murmured, smiling faintly. "I feel fortunate, Melvin fortunate to have invited you tonight."
"The honor is mine, Headmaster."
"Melvin, are you free tomorrow? It's the weekend. I have something I'd like your help with."
"I'll be in Hogsmeade in the morning how about the afternoon?"
"I'll expect you in my office."
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Until tomorrow, Melvin."
…
"Wonderland Light."
The Fat Lady preferred using Latin or astrological terms as passwords it gave her an air of elegance and refinement.
At the sound of the password, the stone archway behind her swung open with a low rumble, revealing the passageway to the Gryffindor common room.
After saying goodbye to Sir Cadogan and wishing the Fat Lady good night, Neville stepped inside, still looking slightly dazed.
Had he really cast such a powerful Summoning Charm?
Lights-out had been nearly half an hour ago; the common room was pitch-dark. With only faint starlight filtering through the windows, Neville looked down at his hands.
In one, he held his wand.
In the other, the list.
A sturdy wooden staircase connected the common room to the dormitories left for the girls, right for the boys. The first-year boys' dormitory was at the far end of the corridor. Perhaps for privacy, there were no portraits here, and ghosts rarely drifted by. With no supervision, graffiti covered the walls some carefully drawn, others mere splashes of ink. Even the house-elves seemed to neglect this hallway, and in hidden corners, Neville could see the faint carvings of names left by students from centuries past.
He pushed open the door quietly and entered. His roommates were already in their pajamas, lying in bed. Seamus and Dean were sound asleep. Harry and Ron were huddled together, whispering excitedly about their plan to visit Hagrid, the gamekeeper, the next morning.
"You're back, Neville!"
"Thought you'd have to stay in the hospital wing tonight," whispered Ron and Harry.
"Shh… tomorrow," Neville said, pressing a finger to his lips.
"Oh okay."
His roommates were always kind and patient with him. Though he wasn't good in class, they never teased him. Unlike Hermione, they didn't tutor him but they always made sure he got back safely after dinner, worried he might forget the passwords and lose his list.
But something was different tonight.
Moonlight spilled into the room through the windowpanes, silver and soft. A faint mist clung to the glass, seeping through the edges like a cool breath.
Neville went to wash up, changed into his pajamas, and half an hour later lay in bed, staring into the darkness.
His parents' enemies.
His grandmother's expectations.
His uncle's hopes.
The view from his dorm window.
The smell of potions in St. Mungo's closed ward.
The candy wrappers his mother had once pressed into his hands.
Things he thought he'd forgotten came back to him vividly.
These were the first eleven years of Neville Longbottom's life.
The help of his roommates, the explanations of his classmates, the care of his professors, the delicious meals at the Great Hall, the greenery of the Herbology greenhouse, and the whisper of wind through the castle corridors at night this was his first week at Hogwarts.
Born at the end of July, Neville showed no sign of sleepiness. He turned to glance at his nightstand drawer. Inside was an unsent letter from home.
He raised his wand and pointed it at the drawer.
His lips moved faintly, voice soft as breath.
The drawer opened and closed quietly, and the parchment envelope floated gently into his hand.
Neville held it tightly, his fingers pale in the starlight, and whispered:
"Grandmother… I learned the Summoning Charm."
(End of Chapter)