The Forgotten 7th Year

Scare Tactic

Luna's POV

I reached up, and slammed the drawer. The pins stopped firing. I whispered,

"Thank you, Bob," up at the wood above me. A scuffling noise told me he understood.

An immense wave of relief crashed over me. I could feel the Wrackspurts leaving my ears. We were safe.

The closet door burst open. Neville was fuming. He addressed Ginny.

"Did you hear what he said about you?"

"No, I was distracted."

"Did you?"

"I was encouraging Bob." I told him.

"Well, it made Alecto uncomfortable. There's no way I'm going to repeat that."

"I don't care what some Death Eater creep thinks about me."

"But-"

"Let's just focus on getting out of here." I told them. Ginny touched the handle, and the door swung open.

"It doesn't look like it'll be that hard."

Back in Ravenclaw Tower, I didn't even change out of my black clothes. I fell straight towards the bed, and didn't remember the impact.

***

That next morning, I put on my extra celebratory radish earrings. Once again, we'd beaten the Carrows.

I was on cloud nine. Everything was perfect. I met Rolf on the way to the Great Hall, and when he softly kissed me, it felt like life couldn't be better.

But when I entered the Great Hall, my glee died in my chest.

Of course life could be better. We are losing a war right now.

Nobody was talking, Mcgonagall's lips were thinner than I'd seen them since our detention.

Alecto and Amycus had several tiny stab marks across their faces.

Snape was glowering down on all the students, looking threatening.

He cast Sonorous, and his booming voice echoed across the hall.

"Somebody in this hall, thought it would be funny to hide weaponized pincushions in our beloved teacher's desk. These pincushions caused serious damage to both people and property. As of right now, our leads are confidential, but what I can share is this.

We will find out who did this. If you know anything, step forward and you will be rewarded. If it is discovered that you had information and didn't step forward, you will be punished cruelly."

He let the ominous sentence trail off, then reached below the podium, and grabbed a cage.

It was full of porcupines. Sparky and Pointy and Prickly and Bob, All the porcupines we'd Transfigured.

He took out Sparky.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I watched, horrified, as Sparky slumped. The light left the porcupine's eyes, and he stopped struggling.

He took out Pointy.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I hid my face in Rolf's shoulder. He hugged me, and I tried to block out the world.