A Most Interesting Career | Neville | PG-13
Title: A Most Interesting Career - Chapter 5: A New Beginning
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nothing really, tiny bit of angst in Chapter 4
Featured Characters/Pairings: Neville/Hannah, Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, basically canon couples!
Chapter Word Count: 3,992
Summary: Neville looks back over certain days in his career teaching at Hogwarts
Author's Note: This is a birthday fic for realmer06 and she asked for Neville's interaction with the 'next gen' kids and this happened. And we're done! :D
A New Beginning
The ceremony was due to start in half an hour and Neville was making sure everything looked in place before guests started to arrive in ten minutes time, carried by the carriages from Hogsmeade Station up to the castle.
Even though thirty years had passed since that day he could remember every as vividly as he did on the first anniversary. That day still sits in his mind as one of the strangest days he had ever encountered, thankfully, the anniversary ceremonies had become more of a meeting of old friends, rather than a nervous first meeting trying to work everything out.
As he took one final look around the Great Hall and was happy with what he saw, Professor McGonagall slowly walked up the aisle that divided the mass of chairs in front of him. She was smiling at him, but still had an air of stress due to organising a thirtieth anniversary ceremony.
'The Hall looks magnificent, Neville, thank you so much for all your hard work.'
'It was my pleasure, Minerva, truly.'
She nodded and he couldn't help but suspect that she looked a little upset. It was understandable, this was an emotional time every year, but he thought there might have been something else.
'There's something I want to ask you, Neville, and I ask that you give it some thought before you give me your answer. I have kept this from all the staff except Bridget as I didn't in any way want to disrupt the normal activity in the school or overshadow anything.'
Neville frowned, he had an inkling he knew what was about to be said and he didn't want to hear it.
'I shall be retiring from Hogwarts at the end of this school year.' Neville closed his eyes and his head dropped. 'Don't try and persuade me to stay, Longbottom, I have thought about this for many years now and the time is right for me to take my leave.'
Neville gave a sad smile at Minerva's use of his surname. 'And there's nothing I or anyone else can say to try and dissuade you?' he asked, already knowing the answer to the question.
'Kingsley has been trying for six months now to convince me to stay on, but my mind is made up and I leave in a few weeks time.'
Neville nodded, still unhappy but knowing saying anything was as useful as a chocolate fireguard.
'I presume Bridget will be taking over?' Neville asked.
McGonagall nodded and smiled. 'She is more than ready to take over the running of the school and she will bring something new to it as every Headmaster and Headmistress has done. My retirement shall be announced a month before the end of term to let everyone adjust to the idea, initially I thought waiting until the last day of term would be a better option - I do despise long goodbyes - but Kingsley thought this the better option and after some persuasion I came around to his way of thinking. Everything is organised but there is one last thing I need to do and that is replace Bridget as head of Gryffindor House. This is where I hope you will help me, Neville. I can think of no one better for the job and as soon as you started work here I sincerely hoped I would be the one who got to ask you to become Gryffindor's head.'
Neville blinked at the Headmistress and sat down heavily on one of the many chairs in the Hall. He took a deep breath.
'But Minerva… I don't live in the castle and I need to be available to the students at every hour of the day, it's just not practical me having that position-'
McGonagall held up a hand to silence him. 'Arrangements can be made, Neville. You are, of course, and Hannah too, welcome to take up residence in the castle at any point, it is not unheard of in the history of the school for wives and husbands to live in the staff quarters where deemed necessary, but if that is not suitable there are certain things that can be done. I won't go into them now, their explanations are rather long-winded and I don't have time to go through them before our guests start arriving. My point is that you not living in the castle is not a problem and you shouldn't use it as a reason not to take the position.'
Neville nodded and tried to think of pros and cons as he should do when taking on something like this, but as he tried to make a logical and sensible list he found he didn't care about any cons he might come up with after a few days' thought, this was something he wanted to do.
'Can I give you my answer now?' he asked with a smile.
'If you are accepting the position, then of course, if not, then no.'
He laughed out loud and Minerva smiled.
'Then I accept the position of Head of Gryffindor House. Nothing would make me more proud.'
Minerva beamed at him and squeezed his arm. 'Believe me, Neville, there is nothing I could see that would make me more proud than watching you become Head of Gryffindor House.'
He could see tears in her eyes and he could feel a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed and Minerva quickly looked away and let go of his arm. They heard the main doors open and the increase in noise let them know their guests had started to arrive. Neville took a deep breath and stood from his seat.
'Today will be a beautiful day,' he said as he spotted Hannah and Finlay, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Weasley clan, which now had a new generation to fuss over and surround with love.
Every face which appeared at the door and took a seat was a familiar one and Neville had never felt more at home. As much as the day would bring up some upset and pain, he would face it with a smile and a feeling of looking forward to every second of it. He greeted his family and friends and eventually took his seat as Harry stood to address the crowd.
He looked around the Hall and tried to take in every face that sat and listened and he remembered those who had died for their cause all those years ago.
And he was content that his world was a better place now. As well as defeating a psychotic man who couldn't love they started to defeat the greater enemy of prejudice. Muggleborns fought side by side with Purebloods. Werewolves fought side by side with House Elves, descendents of Veela fought side by side with descendents of Giants and because every person who fought lost something that night, they realised that evil was not found in what was different, but those who could not see past their own insecurities and fear to form friendship and love.
He thanked fate that he had ended up here when things could have been so different and he thanked each one of his students for giving him the most interesting career he could ever have wished for.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nothing really, tiny bit of angst in Chapter 4
Featured Characters/Pairings: Neville/Hannah, Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, basically canon couples!
Chapter Word Count: 3,992
Summary: Neville looks back over certain days in his career teaching at Hogwarts
Author's Note: This is a birthday fic for realmer06 and she asked for Neville's interaction with the 'next gen' kids and this happened. And we're done! :D
A New Beginning
The ceremony was due to start in half an hour and Neville was making sure everything looked in place before guests started to arrive in ten minutes time, carried by the carriages from Hogsmeade Station up to the castle.
Even though thirty years had passed since that day he could remember every as vividly as he did on the first anniversary. That day still sits in his mind as one of the strangest days he had ever encountered, thankfully, the anniversary ceremonies had become more of a meeting of old friends, rather than a nervous first meeting trying to work everything out.
As he took one final look around the Great Hall and was happy with what he saw, Professor McGonagall slowly walked up the aisle that divided the mass of chairs in front of him. She was smiling at him, but still had an air of stress due to organising a thirtieth anniversary ceremony.
'The Hall looks magnificent, Neville, thank you so much for all your hard work.'
'It was my pleasure, Minerva, truly.'
She nodded and he couldn't help but suspect that she looked a little upset. It was understandable, this was an emotional time every year, but he thought there might have been something else.
'There's something I want to ask you, Neville, and I ask that you give it some thought before you give me your answer. I have kept this from all the staff except Bridget as I didn't in any way want to disrupt the normal activity in the school or overshadow anything.'
Neville frowned, he had an inkling he knew what was about to be said and he didn't want to hear it.
'I shall be retiring from Hogwarts at the end of this school year.' Neville closed his eyes and his head dropped. 'Don't try and persuade me to stay, Longbottom, I have thought about this for many years now and the time is right for me to take my leave.'
Neville gave a sad smile at Minerva's use of his surname. 'And there's nothing I or anyone else can say to try and dissuade you?' he asked, already knowing the answer to the question.
'Kingsley has been trying for six months now to convince me to stay on, but my mind is made up and I leave in a few weeks time.'
Neville nodded, still unhappy but knowing saying anything was as useful as a chocolate fireguard.
'I presume Bridget will be taking over?' Neville asked.
McGonagall nodded and smiled. 'She is more than ready to take over the running of the school and she will bring something new to it as every Headmaster and Headmistress has done. My retirement shall be announced a month before the end of term to let everyone adjust to the idea, initially I thought waiting until the last day of term would be a better option - I do despise long goodbyes - but Kingsley thought this the better option and after some persuasion I came around to his way of thinking. Everything is organised but there is one last thing I need to do and that is replace Bridget as head of Gryffindor House. This is where I hope you will help me, Neville. I can think of no one better for the job and as soon as you started work here I sincerely hoped I would be the one who got to ask you to become Gryffindor's head.'
Neville blinked at the Headmistress and sat down heavily on one of the many chairs in the Hall. He took a deep breath.
'But Minerva… I don't live in the castle and I need to be available to the students at every hour of the day, it's just not practical me having that position-'
McGonagall held up a hand to silence him. 'Arrangements can be made, Neville. You are, of course, and Hannah too, welcome to take up residence in the castle at any point, it is not unheard of in the history of the school for wives and husbands to live in the staff quarters where deemed necessary, but if that is not suitable there are certain things that can be done. I won't go into them now, their explanations are rather long-winded and I don't have time to go through them before our guests start arriving. My point is that you not living in the castle is not a problem and you shouldn't use it as a reason not to take the position.'
Neville nodded and tried to think of pros and cons as he should do when taking on something like this, but as he tried to make a logical and sensible list he found he didn't care about any cons he might come up with after a few days' thought, this was something he wanted to do.
'Can I give you my answer now?' he asked with a smile.
'If you are accepting the position, then of course, if not, then no.'
He laughed out loud and Minerva smiled.
'Then I accept the position of Head of Gryffindor House. Nothing would make me more proud.'
Minerva beamed at him and squeezed his arm. 'Believe me, Neville, there is nothing I could see that would make me more proud than watching you become Head of Gryffindor House.'
He could see tears in her eyes and he could feel a lump forming in his throat. He swallowed and Minerva quickly looked away and let go of his arm. They heard the main doors open and the increase in noise let them know their guests had started to arrive. Neville took a deep breath and stood from his seat.
'Today will be a beautiful day,' he said as he spotted Hannah and Finlay, Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione and the rest of the Weasley clan, which now had a new generation to fuss over and surround with love.
Every face which appeared at the door and took a seat was a familiar one and Neville had never felt more at home. As much as the day would bring up some upset and pain, he would face it with a smile and a feeling of looking forward to every second of it. He greeted his family and friends and eventually took his seat as Harry stood to address the crowd.
He looked around the Hall and tried to take in every face that sat and listened and he remembered those who had died for their cause all those years ago.
And he was content that his world was a better place now. As well as defeating a psychotic man who couldn't love they started to defeat the greater enemy of prejudice. Muggleborns fought side by side with Purebloods. Werewolves fought side by side with House Elves, descendents of Veela fought side by side with descendents of Giants and because every person who fought lost something that night, they realised that evil was not found in what was different, but those who could not see past their own insecurities and fear to form friendship and love.
He thanked fate that he had ended up here when things could have been so different and he thanked each one of his students for giving him the most interesting career he could ever have wished for.