A Memorable Tale

40 | He's Just a Boy

I walked beside Neville towards the Black Lake, his eyes in the Herbology book Moody had given him. Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean.

"Apparently Professor Sprout told Professor Moody I'm really good at Herbology," Neville said brightly.

"Well, you are. You help me in Herbology, you know?"

His face flushed and he hid it behind his book. "A-Anyway, I still need to finish my readings for Divination."

"Just make them up," I advised, rolling my eyes. "The worst things you can think of - they have to be possible, though, don't say you'll combust while in line at Honeydukes."

"But isn't that... lying?"

"Congratulations, a new addition to your vocabulary." I chuckled. "That's what Professor Trelawney is doing, isn't she? She told Roger that he'd die in the next three years and here he is, bothering all of us five years later. Maybe it was more of a prayer than a prediction."

We stopped by the shore that we usually hang out at and I sat under the tree while he lifted his pants and took off his shoes and socks.

"I'll hold your book," I offered. "In case something tries to steal it again."

I hadn't told him that it was Crookshanks yet and I didn't really plan on it. That cat has enough haters already.

"Oh, Y/N," he suddenly said. "The flower that you turned the spider into, it's a freshwater flower. It floats on lakes and swamps - when it dies, it sinks and merpeople eat them."

I froze. "But... But there are no merpeople in the Black Lake, is there?"

He shrugged. "Not sure. But you can put the flower on the water instead of keeping it in your pocket."

I reluctantly got up and approached the water, removing my shoes and casting impervius on my pants. I stopped right before the water, water rippled near my feet.

Neville moved towards me and held out his hand. "It's okay," he assured with a kind smile.

I slowly took it and he began walking backwards, further into the water. I pulled out the flower and placed it on the water's surface, where it drifted away, further than we could walk.

"Are you afraid of water?" asked Neville abruptly.

"What? No. That would mean that I wouldn't be able to shower or drink it, wouldn't it?"

"Then is it something in the water?"

"No...!" I looked down. "I'm not afraid of it." I led him back to shore and we both sat on the rocks, staring at the lake. "So... what are you afraid of?"

"It's a long story."

"And I'll listen to the whole thing."

I stared at him like he was mad but he leaned in, clearly serious. "...My animals - not all of them - but a lot of them aren't... exactly legal."

"Really?"

"Mhm. My mum saved them. Apus, the oldest, she saved from execution in her sixth year at Hogwarts. Hercules dragged carriages, but he was far too weak to carry any more than three people, so he was constantly injured. She treats them like family, so I do, too."

I hesitantly pulled up my pant leg and revealed a scar from someone's claws digging into my skin, and Neville gasped. "Where'd that come from?"

"That's from a Selkie." I put my pant leg back down. "I came home after visiting the lake with Orion. I had these claw marks on me and a person saw me walking and thought that Orion did it."