The Forgotten 7th Year

Growing Trees

Sorry for taking so long to update. I had a lot of things going on this weekend, and then when I finally did get time to write, I stared at the screen and did nothing.

Thanks to OliveTree12345 for the prank idea

Ginny's POV

When Rolf woke up, the first thing he said was,

"So, what did I miss?"

"Quite a bit actually. We'll fill you in once you're better."

"I am better." He tried to sit up. At that moment, Madam Pomfey came in.

"No you're not." She pushed him back down, and handed him a bottle of medicine. "You have a pretty big bump on your head.

"But I was only knocked out, I'll be fine. I don't need-." Her glare cut him off. "Fine!" He gulped the liquid and pulled a face.

"Those imbeciles are stains on humanity. Attacking children! And why in the name of Merlin's wrinkly withered old balls didn't they just use a Stupefying Charm. It would have saved me so much trouble and you so much inconvenience. And then there's the possible international damage.

Those fat ................................................"

We stared at the woman old enough to be our grandmother. Michael covered Susan's ears, but she shook him off, as Madam Pomfey continued to swear.

"You can go now." She eventually added.

"Brilliant."

"Don't do anything that could re-inflame your head!" She called after us.

"Room of Requirement?" Rolf asked.

"Precisely."

The DA met us there, and Neville told us how to expedite the growth of trees. He was really good at teaching.

If we all survive this, he should be a Herbology Professor.

That night, everything was set. Sally-Anne, Neville, and Padma were going to turn Alecto's office into a forest.

Neville's POV

I stood outside Alecto's office with Padma. We were waiting for Sally-Anne. Padma tapped her toe impatiently against the tiles.

"She'll be here soon." I tried to be reassuring.

"I'm not sure we should wait, we only have so much time as it is." A beat of silence. "Neville, I'm scared. I don't want to get caught. I don't want to feel the cruciatis curse, and I don't want Amycus to... attack me.

I feel like such a coward. You and Ginny and Parvati are all so brave. ."

She turned away.

"It's going to be ok."

"How do you know!"

"I don't."

Sally-Anne l interrupted us by jogging around the corner. She was out of breath, but said,

"Are we doing this or not?"

Ginny had taught Padma how to pick the lock, and we entered with a click. The door creaked faintly as it opened, but there was nothing seemed amiss.

We wasted no time.

Sally-Anne transfigured the carpet into dirt, and I withdrew a handful of acorns from my pocket. Padma waved her wand in across the wall in a sweeping motion, and murmured an incantation. The wall appeared to be slowly fading, revealing a forest beyond.

"Neville? We have don't much time!" I'd been standing motionless, staring lamely at the events around me.

"Oh, right." I hurried to start planting, and made a small hole in the ground with a forefinger. I carefully placed the small seed inside, and patted diet over it. The dirt was soft, and felt good against my hands. I liked dirt.

I stood up, and brushed my hands off on my trousers.

"Aguamenti!" A river of water fell onto the tiny seed that I knew was buried. "Crescere."

For a moment nothing happened.

The earth shifted, and a tiny green leaf poked its way up though the ground. It grew taller, and another leaf emerged. Branches shot off the stem, and grew leaves of their own. It continued to extend and after a few seconds was five feet high.

I kneeled down and dug another hole, but already felt drained by the magic. My vision swam after the second tree, and I nearly collapsed after the third. I'd just planted the fourth, when I felt a hand on my arm.

"Take a break. Don't kill yourself." The world was rippling with a fog I'd never noticed before, and I was as good as blind. But I recognized the American Accent. I sagged, and she caught me before I hit the ground.

"That's probably best." I muttered. I could feel my energy coming back. Soon I could stand, but even a wand lighting charm seemed impossible at the moment.

"Let's go back. We have four, that's probably enough."

"Maybe just-"

"No!" Padma was behind me. "We are going back to our separate Common Rooms, and that's that."

She opened the door for us, and we trudged out like scolded children. Sally-Anne and Padma went in one direction, and I went in the other.

I was halfway down the hall, when the girls came sprinting around the corner, and towards a classroom. Terror etched itself onto Padma's face.

I heard it too.

Someone was rounding the corner ahead, and I had a sinking sensation of who it was. My mind spun out of control into scenarios that made bile rise in my throat.

Could I get us out of here? Could I sacrifice myself to save them? I was drained; magic was not an option. What would I do if we all got caught?

At least Hannah isn't here.

I'd frozen like a rabbit in headlights, and it was too late to run. Too late to hide. Too weak to fight.

Alecto rounded the corner; a slow smirk twisting her already twisted face.

"Hello, Mr. Longbottom. What are you doing out after curfew? Up to mischief?"

"Just making you look like a fool. Not that it's hard." Her lip twitched even further upwards.

"I'm looking forward to this." But a voice from behind her, making her turn.

"Hey, Toadface! Are you still just the Dark Lord's babysitter, or has he given you a job more important then terrorizing children? Are you ever going to rise in the ranks, or does that actually require talent?"

Sally-Anne was standing behind Alecto, hands on hips. But she wasn't done.

"Has Dolohov rejected you again? I mean... you're painful to look at, and your personality is even worse, but after the five hundredth time you used a cheesy pickup line I thought he'd take pity. Although you're almost too horrible to ever be pitted."

Alecto seemed to furious for words. She ran at Sally-Anne with an unintelligible growl. The girl sprinted away; Alecto at her heels.

Padma peered out from around the corner.

"What just happened?"

I've forgotten to do the constructive criticism thing, so

Here

Thanks,
Aria