The Forgotten 7th Year

The Flight

Btw, the start of this chapter was supposed to be the end of last chapter but I forgot. Your welcome. But this cliffhanger makes up for it, so...

Neville's POV

The door burst open, and Amycus strode in. His eyes raked over Hannah, and he started toward her.

Argument forgotten, I jumped to my feet, but he waved his wand and I went sprawling. Before I could get up, manacles clamped around my wrists and dragged me to the wall.

He approached Hannah with dangerously slow steps, and she recoiled like a cornered rabbit.

"Get back. Get away from m-me."

"Not a chance." He smiled; pure evil showing through. She tried to run; he let her. But all too soon she encountered the opposite wall, and he snagged her wrist.

Slowly, he pulled her closer, like he was reeling in a fish. She struggled but his grip was like a vice.

"Don't touch her!" I roared, struggling so hard the cuff bit into my wrist.

"Oh, I intend to do more than touch." He smiled. My stomach churned sickly. I wanted to throw up.

He backed her into a wall. She tried to hit him, but he caught her wrist, twisted it until she gasped, then pinned it to the wall above her. He grabbed her chin, and leaned in. She snapped at his face, nearly biting it, then jerked suddenly and nearly got away.

"Touch me, and I'll break your fingers." She snarled.

"Oh, really!? And how exactly would you do that? I'm in control. I can do what I'm going to do, and you can't stop me." He hit her so hard her head rocked sideways and slammed into the wall. Then, he did it again. And again.

"I've always been thwarted. Time and time again." For the fourth time he struck her, this time in the forehead so that the back of her head slammed into the wall.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and it looked like she was trying hard not to pass out. She shook her head violently and looked at Amycus with glassy, unfocused eyes.

"But I win here and now. And I'll make your little boyfriend watch. Crucio."

She screamed. The sound seemed dragged from her, as if by a hook. She thrashed and jerked, but he kept his tight grip.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. It seemed as if all this was happening a great distance away. I was as frozen and immobile as the stone I was chained to. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wanted to scream too.

But I couldn't.

The curse ended. He watched her sag against his grip; panting. He moved in. His hands travelled to places that made my blood boil, but somehow I couldn't raise a finger to stop him. I don't think I could've even blinked.

It happened suddenly.

He relaxed his grip on her for a split second, and she punched him. He howled and reeled back, and she kicked him in the groin. The sound cut of so suddenly it was like a radio being muted.

She continued kicking and I heard a crunch that was probably his nose. Red splattered.

He brought his hands up to his face, and the next time her foot swung in, a finger broke. Then another. He screamed.

For the first time I glanced up at her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her lips were twisted in a savage pleasure that was both understandable yet terrifying.

For a moment I was scared she was going to kick him to death, but after a few more swings, eventually she stopped.

Part of me didn't want her to.

She reached in his robes, and found his wand, then pointed it at me.

"Alohomora." The thick cuffs fell away, and I stepped forward, rubbing my wrists.

"A-are you... ok?" I asked tentatively.

"No."

"C-can I hug you?" There was a long pause.

"Yes." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her back, and we stood there together.

She was bleeding. I could feel the sticky red stuff dripping though her hair. On the very last time her head had slammed into the wall, it had broken the skin. She needed to see Madam Pomfrey. The redness was spreading quickly, staining the back of her hair deep crimson. I had no idea how she was still upright.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have assumed you were sacrificing yourself for me. I-I wanted to go back for you, but Parvati kept dragging me forward and things just started happening and Alecto was chasing us, and she headed me off at the Barrels and I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. None of this is. I overreacted. But shouldn't we probably escape first, then have a moment."

"Right." She laughed shakily. "Right. Alohomora."

We ran out into the hallway, and face to face with Severus Snape.