The Forgotten 7th Year

Amortentia

Neville's POV

Hannah had been gone for two days and I was desperate. Against my better judgment, I'd gone to Alecto's office yesterday. She laughed, told me I was pathetic, and slammed the door in my face.

I'd kind of expected that, but it was worth a try. At this point, anything was worry a try.

This morning I'd tried going down to the room, but when I was within 20 feet, a heart-wrenching scream drove me away again.

I wondered if I was a terrible person to hope it was Sally-Anne who was screaming.

I trudged back up to the Gryffindor Common Room. On my way, I bumped into Jason. Ignoring him, I kept walking down the hallway: getting faster and faster with each step.

When I got to the Fat Lady, I practically shouted the password, pushing past her and running up to my room.

I paced growing more and more frustrated by the second. There was nothing I could do. I now understood Michael's reaction when Padma was taken: begging Ginny to send a rescue party. With every fiber of my being I wished I could do that now. But it would never work and I'd put more people in danger.

With nothing else to do, I sat down on my bed and cried.

Jason's POV

The Carrows had requested I go to our usual meeting place, several corridors away from Alecto's Office near a painting of a sleeping bear.

I waited there for several minutes before Amycus finally showed up.

"How's Hannah?" I asked.

"Unconscious." He responded. "But that's only because we Stunned her. Before that she was losing focus and she'd just started going into imaginary worlds. We're going to release her soon before we do any permanent damage." He snickered. "It's too bad really, permanent damage is one of my favorite parts."

His voice was too happy and all the blood had drained from my face.

What have I done? They're psychopaths. Is she ok? I left her with them. What have I done???

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, my tone was blank.

"Walk in and give her this." Amycus held out a vial of pink potion. "Tell her it's a healing potion and get her to drink it."

"What is it?" I asked cautiously.

"A healing potion." He responded, the smirked. "Laced with Amortentia, a personal favorite of mine. After you give her that, she'll be so head-over-heels in love with you, she'll do anything, including betraying the DA."

Horror struck me and I shook my head rapidly.

"No." The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Force her, blackmail her, use the Imperious Curse if you need to. Just leave me out of this. Please."

"We've tried forcing her and she's too clean to blackmail with anything. My sister's rubbish at the Imperious Curse, and she might break free and tell everyone. And I'm apparently, "not trusted," so that leaves you. We don't trust you to cast any spells because you can barely stand a cauldron up the right way, so you're using Love Potion. Besides, she'll end up breaking up with Neville and they seem happy together. It's extra cruel this way."

I was so shocked I didn't even bristle at the insult.

"I'm still not doing it." Despite myself my voice trembled.

"I thought you'd say that." Alecto came from around the corner dragging a first year girl.

My eyes widened in recognition. She had dirty-blond hair like me, but it was more brown like dad's. Her eyes were much bluer like his too and they flashed angrily. She'd also inherited mom's overly-narrow nose.