Hogwarts was hell on earth. And it didn't matter how many times I wrote to my gran to beg her to come and pick me up, she simply kept refusing.

You'll never get to be as good a witch and wizard as your parents if you don't complete your schooling!

But I didn't care about being as good as my parents. Where did being brilliant at anything ever get them?

Obviously I didn't say any of this to Gran.

Instead, I silently endured life.

At Halloween a troll was let loose in the castle. I was so frightened, I forgot to pocket a piece of pumpkin pie for my midnight snack.

That night I trembled under my bed covers whilst Hermione recounted the brave tale of how Harry and Ron saved her in the girls bathroom.

And then Harry's broomstick tried to kill him during his first ever game of Quidditch.

"What's happening?" I wailed fearfully as everyone watched his Nimbus Two Thousand jerkily try and throw him off.

"Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark Magic." Hagrid said gravely as I buried my face into his jacket, terrified of seeing Harry getting thrown to his death.

"Neve, you can look now!" Ron said after five minutes had passed. "Hermione's sorted it."

I couldn't quite believe it when I made it alive to see Christmas.

When I returned after the much needed break, however, I soon wished that I had already died in a nasty accident.

I was walking past the library when, out of nowhere, my legs locked together and I toppled heavily and painfully to the floor.

"Ha!" Chortled a gleeful voice that I recognised only too well. "Been waiting all Christmas to try that one on you, Longbottom."

I looked up to see Draco Malfoy smirking over me, wand in hand as Crabbe and Goyle guffawed on either side of him.

"Undo it, now," I cried, trying desperately to sound fierce, but my voice coming out in a trembling quiver as I lay sprawled helplessly on the ground.

But Draco just shrugged, grinning maliciously. "Nah, I think I'll just watch you try and wriggle that fat arse back to your brave little tower instead."

Trying my hardest not to cry, I started to drag my way down the corridor using my arms to slide myself along as Draco and his two goons laughed hysterically behind me.

By the time I got to the portrait, I didn't think I had any tears left to cry.

It was Hermione who found me and undid Draco's cruel hex before helping me clamber through into the Gryffindor common room.

"What happened?" She asked me, leading me over to the sofa where Harry and Ron sat.

"Malfoy," I said shakily. "I hate him!"

"Go to Professor McGonagall!" She urged me. "Report him!"

But I just shook my head. "I don't want more trouble."

"You've got to stand up to him, Neve!" Ron said. "He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier."

"There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that," I choked as more tears rolled down my cheeks.

Harry pulled out a Chocolate Frog from the pocket of his robes and tentatively handed it to me. I took it from him, looking at him gratefully.

"You're worth twelve of Malfoy," Harry said. "The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin."

My lips twitched into a weak smile as I unwrapped the Frog. I suddenly longed for Trevor; I was desperate for him to hurry and up and turn into my prince so that he could protect me from that horrid Draco Malfoy.

"Thanks, Harry... I think I'll go to bed... D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?"

I heard Harry whooping for joy as I closed the dormitory door behind me; shouting excitedly about a guy called Nicolas Flannel or something like that.

But I didn't care. I had a toad to kiss.

*****

Sadly, Trevor remained a toad.

And I realised I had to start to toughen up if I wanted to survive this school. Especially towards the likes of Draco Malfoy.

I vowed to be more like Harry, Ron and Hermione; all three of whom never seemed phased by anything.

So, from that day on, every morning after I woke up, I stood in front of the mirror and repeated five times out loud: 'I'm worth twelve of Draco Malfoy.'

And then I'd kiss my toad... just in case.

I finally got to test out my new found desire to be assertive not long after the Leg-Locker incident.

Hermione, Ron and I had just sat down in the stands to watch Harry play in his next Quidditch match against Hufflepuff when a horribly familiar voice sounded behind us.

"You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?" Draco chided loudly. "It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasleys, who've got no money - you should be on the team, Longbottom, you've got no brains."

I felt my cheeks flame bright red but, taking a deep breath, I slowly turned on my seat to look him directly in the eye.

"I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy," I stammered.

Draco's grey eyes flashed amusedly in mine and then he proceeded to howl with laughter along with Crabbe and Goyle.

"You tell him, Neve." Ron said proudly, patting me encouragingly on the back, making me glow warm with pride.

"Longbottom," Draco continued as tears of laughter rolled down his cheeks, "if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something,"

"I'm warning you, Malfoy," Ron snarled dangerously, "one more word-"

"Ron!" Hermione shrieked suddenly. "Harry-!"

"What? Where?"

We all watched as Harry suddenly dived, streaking towards the ground like a bullet.

"You're in luck, Weasley," Draco drawled. "Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!"

Before I knew what was happening, Ron was on top of Draco, wrestling him to the ground. I sprang to my feet, about to cry out for help, but then hesitated as I remembered my new brave self.

So I clambered over the back of my seat to help.

"Neve! No!" Hermione cried, as I felt her trying to grab the back of my robes.

But I'd already jumped into the fray and started whacking Draco's back who had now pinned Ron down and was pummelling him senseless.

I mean, I was pretty useless, but it still felt good.

*****