Neville's goodbye

Gran and Neville rushed through the portal of 9 ¾ to the magical platform on the other side. Gran looked at the big clock on the wall. They were just on time. Had they arrived to the station ten minutes later Neville would have missed his first train ride to Hogwarts.

"Now off you go Neville. " Gran said after she hugged her grandson. "You don't want to miss the Hogwarts train." Gran looked fondly at Neville. She loved him so. Even if he exasperated her to no end with his lack of confidence,– Why his father was the bravest child at Neville's age – and his lack of balance; and his bad memory was a source of shame.

His memory…

"Hay, Neville!" Gran asked almost fearfully. "Do you have everything you need? You haven't forgotten anything?" Gran should have asked the boy the question at home, but with all the excitement with it being the first day of school and the blasted toad escaping; it had slipped her mind.

Neville nodded dutifully. "My wand is in my pocket" He patted his pocket. "You helped me pack my trunk, so all my clothing and school books are in there."

Gran smiled in relief "Good. Good."

Neville "And Trevor is right here…" he reached under his pointed hat for his pet but ended up patting his hair instead, no toad to be felt.

"Gran, I've lost my toad again" Neville said.

"Oh, Neville," Gran sighed

Gran knew something like this would happen. Why her grandson had picked a toad for a pet (they were notorious escape artists) she had no idea. She would have objected but since her brother Algie had taken Neville without her, she had not had the opportunity to give her opinion on the subject.

"He probably hopped his way onto the train" Gran told Neville hoping this was true. "You better go and look"

Neville nodded and with a last look at his Gran and a quick goodbye, he rushed across the platform to the train dragging his trunk behind him, and nearly running another student over in his rush. Gran shook her head, worried. That boy was going to make an enemy before he got to school. With his luck he wouldn't make any friends. She never had this problem with Frank.

But the student – a girl with bushy hair just waved away Neville's stuttering apology and when Neville told her why he was rushing to the train ("My toad escaped me again") , she offered to help him find Trevor.

Gran smiled in relief. Neville may not be the charismatic and brave man his father was, but it seemed he would at least fit in.

With a last look at her grandson she apperated from the station.