Neville and the Twins

Eight-year-old Neville is pouting. He was still pissed off that his Uncle Algie and grandmother dragged him all the way here. He wanted to spend time alone for his birthday, preferably in the Longbottom greenhouses. It's his birthday too. Just because his grandmother promised him cake after this, doesn't mean he should be here. Neville rarely has a party on his birthday. In the past, his grandmother would occasionally get sick so there are some limits on celebrations at the manor.

Another problem Neville is facing is he hasn't shown any magic at all. He has three more years until his eleventh birthday and he is worried about what would become of him if he won't receive his Hogwarts letter. There is a high chance he might not see his eleventh birthday. The Longbottom tradition is to push the child to the extremes so he or she could release magic. His own uncle threw him unto the lake and if it wasn't for his grandmother, he could have died.

So here he is looking around. He saw Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones being accompanied by Luna. He wanted to venture over there but his uncle insisted that he spend time with the boys so he shifted his attention to the older Weasley brothers, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and the twins but he could not find them either.

Godric Potter has become a Mini-Lord Potter with his bird's nest hair and his hazel eyes behind those round glasses. Lord Potter was very proud of him. He was always with Ron Weasley who is his best friend. Neville doesn't like Ron. He thinks he's obnoxious and he doesn't like Godric because he hates how Neville has to come here every time because of him.

Godric wasn't a bad guy, in fact, he is rather pleasant to talk to, Neville just doesn't like him. Seamus Finnegan is also with them today. The blonde, Irish boy was as enthusiastic as Godric. People think they are going to be the golden trio. Everyone expects them to be in Gryffindor and is going to rule the school. Lord Potter keeps reminding them that if they went to Hogwarts they might be nothing left. Lady Potter slaps his husband on his head for that comment.

Sometimes Neville thinks it's unfair. What about him? Neville is pretty sure he'd wind up in Gryffindor too, just like his parents but there are times he doubts himself. He doesn't have magic yet, how can he be sure he'd wind up in Gryffindor? Some of them had the nerve to comment to him that he might wind up in Hufflepuff and they made it sound like it was an insult.

"There's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff, you know." Fred or George said right behind him.

Neville was surprised. "Where were you two?"

George or Fred, Neville couldn't tell them apart yet, replied. "Oh, let's just say we did something for a while." There were a few shouts outside and the Weasley twins grinned. Neville knew the two did another prank. Lord Potter seemed to like their pranks and would often invite the twins for prank wars but the women are not amused by it.

"What you do?" Neville asked.

"Oh, let's just say a few guys..."

"...got their just deserts."

It was their discrete way of saying they did something to the food. Neville took note never to touch anything they are offering.

"They were talking nonsense..."

"...about Hufflepuffs being duffers..."

"...they didn't even know..."

"...that there are a lot of people here who are Hufflepuffs..."

"...Like Mister Diggory..."

"...And Madam Bones..."

Neville shook his head; he was getting dizzy looking back and forth on the twins.

"...We might end up in Hufflepuffs..."

"...I dunno Gred, they are a stickler for rules those Badgers..."

"...Shame, we couldn't do our pranks too well there..."

"...We could do something about Slytherin..."

"...Forge, you'll give mum a heart attack..."

"STOP!" Neville said, rubbing his head.

"Sorry, Neville." The two apologized but are still smiling.

"Why do you always do that?" Neville frowned.

"We like to keep everyone on their toes." They both answered.

"Where are Bill and Charlie?"

One of them shrugged while the other answered. "Dad made them greet some of the people he worked with at the ministry."

"...Bill and Charlie aren't happy about it..."

"...They both want to work away from Mum and Dad..."

"And Percy?"

The twins got quiet. In fact, Neville had noticed that he hasn't seen Percy in a while. Normally in such gatherings, Percy was always there even if he would look like he doesn't want to be there.

"Nev hasn't heard it yet..."

"But Percy was not invited..."

"What?" Neville looked at them confused. "Why was he not invited? I mean he is kind of a pompous brat sometimes but your family is friends with the Potters."

"Well, yeah..."

"But Percy is the only person not invited..."

Neville still looked confused.

"Percy got sorted into Slytherin."

This surprised Neville. The Weasleys have always been Gryffindor. Also, he hasn't heard anything about sorting from his family at all. After all, a Weasley in Slytherin should have been the talk of the town but he never heard anything.

Contrary to what Neville knew, the light wizards were wary of Percy because of his sorting and chose to ignore he existed at some point or just acknowledge him but don't talk longer with him while the dark wizards particularly in Slytherin were not really known to keep to themselves and gossip from their circle rarely reaches other ears.

"Is he alright?" Neville asked. He doesn't exactly like Percy that much but he was after all the only Weasley who would greet him on his birthday whenever he was forced to be in the Potters' manor for the BWL's birthday.

"Percy's fine."

"Yeah, he looked happy to not come..."

"You'd think he would like to..."

"With all the people who worked in the ministry here..."

"You'd think he would like to be here cozying up with them..."

"But maybe he got bored..."

"He has been acting differently since the first year."

Neville groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Sorry, Neville." The twins apologized while still grinning.

"And what do you mean Percy is acting differently?"

Fred and George looked at each other and then looked at Neville. Contemplating whether they should say anything.

"He wasn't his pompous self."

"Even asked Dad if he should get a job."

"Mom got worried."

"Yeah, she thought Percy might have been influenced by dark magic."

"But Percy was just annoying."

"We did turn Scabbers pink."

"Wonder if he noticed."

"Hello Neville, Fred, George." A musical voice dropped by next to them. Young Luna was looking at them with a clouded look and a smile.

"You're the only person here who can tell us apart." Fred snorted.

"Not even our mother could tell." George continued.

"You have different auras," Luna replied in a soft and sighing kind of way.

The three boys raised their eyebrows. They could never understand the young girl. They swore they heard her telling the adults that she thinks the ministry has an army of helio-paths. Luna's father even has his own magazine line The Quibbler; most of the articles were even based on his daughter's odd beliefs. Sometimes the three boys think that the Lovegoods were nutters.

"Things don't go the right way this year." Luna hummed as he passed by to talk to Susan and Hannah.

Fred shook his head. "What does she mean by that, Forge?"

George shrugged. "Dunno."

Neville stared at Luna. Years of talking with her told him that Luna must be some sort of seer with her cryptic use of words. Luna has been saying the exact same words for a week.