Encouraging Neville

A/N:

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It took an hour before Hermione was able to get any memory to come out of her head and even then it proved to be incomplete. Another hour past that and Harry had got the hang of getting it that far. Hermione stayed one step ahead as she got better about completing the memory she was trying to obtain. After that much time working with their magic thought they were both very tired and decided to quit for the day.

After leaving the Room of Requirements, Harry and Hermione went back to the library to study some more until dinnertime. Being there again put them under the gaze of Madam Pince if Umbridge came looking for them for not going to her class.

At dinner Harry and Hermione sat with Neville. He told them that Professor Umbridge had asked everyone in the class where the two of them were when they hadn't shown up for class.

"She's going to suspect we're up to something. Either we'll be called to her office or she'll have one of the Inquisitorial Squad start following us," Hermione predicted.

"We'll keep an eye out for any followers," Harry said.

After dinner, Hermione Harry and Neville set down at one of the tables in the Gryffindor common room and studied. Hermione carefully guided Neville into working on the parts she knew he needed for the test.

Neville was getting frustrated when he couldn't get the switching spell to work properly.

"I'm lousy at this guys," He complained. "I'm going to fail everything."

"No you're not Neville," Harry said. "You're a great wizard; all you need is confidence in yourself."

"Believe in your magic," Hermione said. "Believe in your magic and believe in yourself. Harry and I believe in you."

"I wish I could," Neville sighed but picked up his wand to try again.

"And I wish we could tell him," Hermione thought to her husband.

"Maybe, Miranda are you there?" Harry called to the Goddess.

"Of course, and the answer is no, I cannot give Neville Occlumency," Miranda said. "Bonded soul mates are my dominion and I have more ability to interact with them like I do with you two. It does not mean you can't tell Neville, it's just a risk if you do. I can tell you that Neville has rudimentary Occlumency already. All the years of not believing in himself caused walls to build in his mind as he separated himself from the world. He couldn't protect himself from a full legilimency attack, but only two people you're in contact with can do that."

"Snape and Dumbledore?"

"Correct."

"What about Luna?" Hermione asked.

Miranda giggled "She has her own unique perspective and is in no danger of mental attacks."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember how Voldemort could not stand to possess you? How it caused him pain to try to do so?"

"Yes," Harry replied confused at what that might have to do with Luna's mind.

"Snape had something similar happen when he tried passive legilimency on her," Miranda replied.

"Why?"

"To answer your question, I'll ask one of my own. Hermione what is the natural state of the universe?"

Hermione pondered that question. It could be interpreted in a various ways, but one seemed to rise above the others. "Chaotic."

"Correct, and the mind is a reflection of that. Now there are two ways to deal with chaos. Any guesses?"

"Bring order?"

"Very good, and the other?" When Hermione didn't have the second answer she continued. "The other way to deal with chaos is to understand chaos. That is how Luna's mind works and to the well-controlled mind of Severus Snape it was painful for him."

"What do you mean she understands chaos?"

"Think about your mind Hermione. Everything has a place. Transfiguration, charms, science, all are well organized in their own little niche. Luna's mind is more like an unsorted sock drawer. Everything is jumbled together until she needs something and then she pulls out what she needs. It takes a special mind to be able to do that, and sometimes what she pulls out makes sense to her but no one else. The way her mind works can also gives her uncanny insight. Because everything is jumbled together in her mind, she can see related things no one else can. Her mother had the same gift and it's what made her such an excellent spell creator."

"So telling Luna is safe?"

"Yes, but be careful."

"What do you mean?"

"With your actions today of showing you cared about her, you two have risen to a place just under her father in importance. If you build on that by sharing this information, in actually showing her you trust her, you will actually become more important. If then in the future you were to hurt that friendship, you would all but destroy her. To her it would be like losing her mother all over again."

"Thanks Miranda."

"You're welcome."

Harry and Hermione returned to studying with Neville, and chatting mentally between the two of them weighing the pros and cons of telling Neville and Luna. Even after their goodnight kiss and reluctance to leave each other to go to their separate beds, they continued their mental conversation. Finally they decided on discussing it again tomorrow before drifting off to sleep.

...

Ginny Weasley was still fuming about the previous day as she laid in bed scratching a rash on her neck. She had put on three times the amount of perfume today and walked slowly past Harry numerous times and nothing. Now everywhere she had put the perfume on herself had developed a nasty rash.

"I'll see Madam...uh that itches...Pomfrey tomorrow," She thought. "Then I'm going to get my Harry out of that Know-it-all's clutches."

*** E E ***

Ron Weasley was still sulking as he climbed into bed. "Harry just has to have everything," He thought bitterly. "He knew I fancied Hermione," His thoughts about his friend hadn't kept him from sleeping through History of Magic and he didn't dare look in Harry's direction in Potions, not with the glare Snape had focused on him.

"Then he skivs Divination," Ron continued to fume. Ron had actually enjoyed Divination. Lavender Brown had continually made comments about Ron and the Quidditch final while at the same time, looking at him with an expression he couldn't identify.

"And Defense as well," Ron muttered to himself. "Probably off snogging Hermione while I had to deal with Professor Umbridge," Of course, 'dealing with Professor Umbridge' consisted of answering 'I don't know ma'am' all three times she'd pestered him about where Harry and Hermione were.

Ron had noticed Harry, Hermione and Neville studying earlier as well. He'd pulled out his own books to show them he didn't need their help, but quickly grew bored and after not finding anyone to play chess with, started a game against himself.