Black Hole

"The Kids Are Losing Their Minds"

Late February 1977

"Luh-luh-leave me a-a-a-alone."

"Wuh-wuh-what? Sorry, didn't quite un-un-understand what you've said there, love." Ben Knott smirked, mocking her.

It was late, too late. She definitely should have stayed at the boy's dorms, but Apollo was still in her room and he was probably hungry. She was just walking her memorized route from the Gryffindor tower to the Slytherin dungeons. She had expected the halls to be empty, what with it being so close to curfew. She had expected to have a peaceful stroll back to her dorm. She was so close.

She hadn't expected the three boys to be exiting the dungeons, nor did she expect them to start laughing at and harassing her as soon as she was spotted.

They had cornered her. Shit.

Ritchie Flint laughed. "No wonder mummy and daddy kicked you out. You're simple, aren't you?" 

"F-fuck you."

"Wow, look at the mouth on this one." Knott reached out and took her chin in his filthy hands. She was frozen. "How did such a pretty, pretty girl end up with such a dirty, dirty mouth? Isn't her mouth just so dirty, fellers."

Flint cackled and moved closer. "Dirty, yeah. But sure is pretty. Wander what the rest of her looks like." Beside him, Parkinson looked uneasy, eyes moving from his friends to Lyra-Jade's unbelievably pale face and pleading eyes.

"My-My b-brother...he'll-"

Knott leaned closer, his face inches from hers. She felt tears sting her eyes. "What's big brother going to do, eh? You see him around?"

"Re-Reg-Reg-"

"What little Reggie doesn't know won't hurt him, right? Aw, are you going to cry, Little Lyra? I thought you never cried. I thought you were a big tough girl, eh? Guess not." His hand was on her waist. She saw red. She couldn't move.

"Guys,"

"Shut it, Parkinson. Thought you wanted to be part of the fun. Don't you want to be a part of the fun?"

She looked at him, eyes begging.

He gulped, looked away, and nodded.

"That's a bloke," His hand was creeping up. "Come here, mate. Have some fun."

He didn't move. Please, please, please.

"I don't think-"

Knott's hand dropped and he turned, moving his arms in frustration, "Fuck Parkinson, what the-"

"What going on?"

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Knott and Flint immediately stepped away from her at the voice. She crumpled to the ground. 

"Nothing, Black," Knott smirked, "Just having a chat with Little Lyra."

"It's after curfew."

Flint scoffed. "Barely, come on, Black-"

"Fifty points from Slytherin."

"What?! You can't do that, that's ridiculous! I-"

"Want to make it a hundred? Get the fuck inside. Now."

Lyra-Jade couldn't look up. She held her head in her trembling hands. She heard a muttered "bint" and the shuffling of three sets of feet.

She couldn't breathe. Yes, she certainly couldn't breathe. Just like in the bath, just like on the train. Someone touched her shoulder and she yelped, crawling away on the back of her hands.