The Birth Of A Hero
For 12_stories
Prompt Table: #6 DARK
Prompt: #12 - BROKEN
Characters: Neville Longbottom
Neville realized that something was wrong the moment he got on to Platform 9 and three-quarters. The wizarding world was changing, that much had been evident for some time now, but he had never believed - neve dared o believe - that Hogwarts would change too. The school had always been free from the taint of fear that had slowly been invading the world since the end of his fourth year. Not even Umbridge had managed to bring the true war to Hogwarts, and there was no reason to believe that just because Dumbledore was dead, that would change.
But on the Platform that year, the fear and worry were so thick they were almost physical presences, even though there were no Muggleborns and barely any half-bloods present. He did not know what would be waiting for them upon their return to Hogwarts, but; judging by the gleeful looks on the faces of most of the Slytherins; it was not going to be good.
When Neville saw Snape - Snape, that filthy traitor who murdered Dumbledore! - at the Headmaster's seat, he knew that his worries had barely touched the tip of the iceburg.
There were new faces at the Head Table - the DADA Professor was expectedly new, but there was someone else there too. Probably the new Muggle Studies Professor, after Snape had murdered poor Professor Burbage. There was no doubt that Snape was behind the staffing decisions. He caught Ginny's eye, and he knew that she, at the very least, had realized the same thing that he had. There was absolutely no chance that those two weren't Death Eaters. And Death Eaters in charge of children, teaching DADA - he shuddered. This was going to be a bloodbath.
By the end of the first week of school, it was obvious that the term bloodbath had been rather mild. The school had quickly become a torture chamber, lightly concealed behind a veil of detentions. Students had already started to become numb to screams of those being subjected to Crucio sessions by the Professors Carrow. The atmosphere had changed drastically - the air was more silent than ever before, and there was barely any laughter heard in the halls. Even the Slytherins had become quieter. Neville doubted that they had ever known the harsh truth of the Death Eaters. Watching classmates being tortured in front of their eyes, being forced to torture classmates; this year had changed the Slytherins along with the rest of the school.
Everything had changed in one short week. It was as though something essential had been broken within the students, stealing all the rebellion and defiance from them. And Hogwarts was reacting to it, becoming as passive and hopeless as its inhabitants.
Neville decided to talk to Ginny and Luna as soon as possible. This had gone on long enough - it was time to bring the fight back to Hogwarts.
Dumbledore's Army was now recruiting.