Out of the Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 25- The Carrows (Ava)

Chapter 25 (Ava)

It had been a week since lessons had started up once again, and there had been a few small casualties, but nothing major. Several of the students seemed too afraid to act out against the Carrows for fear of being tortured, although that didn't stop Ginny, Neville, Seamus or Dean. Multiple times they had come into the Room with bruises or small cuts on their faces and arms.

I was sitting on the floor next to Seamus with my wand pressed against his cheek to heal the bloody gash from his cheekbone to his jawline. He didn't appear to be in pain. Instead, he was telling me just how he had got the cut.

"And then Alecto shoved me against the desk and threatened to use the Cruciatus curse on me. I laughed in her face and told her that she could try-"

"Seamus," I groaned as I rubbed a salve for scars onto his cheek, "Why do you provoke her?"

"This past week they've been relatively 'kind' to us- hardly been torturing anyone. It's putting me on edge- it seems like they've been told not to, but I can't imagine who from."

I shook my head with a laugh, "You do worry me, Seamus."

The doors to the Room opened and we both turned around as a second year girl came staggering through before promptly vomiting on the floor. She fell to the floor with a groan, and both Seamus and I were on our feet in a second.

"What happened?" I asked as I reached her, my hands wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her up into a sitting position.

"The- the Carrows made-" She winced and shook her head frantically.

A moment later, another second year came in with a grey face and shining eyes. Just behind him, his friend was clutching his ribs and clearly trying very hard not to cry.

My eyes met Seamus', and he rushed forwards to help them. He was trying to talk to them, but it was clearly too painful for them to respond.

"I am going to kill Pansy Parkinson!" A voice shouted from the doors, and a moment later Ginny stormed in with tear-filled eyes and clenched fists. Behind her, Neville was helping a student through the door quickly. I observed that Neville was wincing slightly, but he was trying not to show it.

"What happened?" I asked Ginny, as she led a few more students towards me.

She shook her head angrily, "The Carrows decided it would be fun to mix up the year groups and asked the older years to practise the Cruciatus curse on second years! And Pansy Parkinson just stepped forwards and did it like it wasn't an immoral thing to do! I'm going to ram my wand down her throat if I see her again-"

"You're lucky you missed it, Seamus," Neville murmured, "It was terrible."

"Neville, go and sit down," Ginny told him quietly, but he shook his head.

"Not now, Ginny. I need to help Ava." He replied quickly. I looked at him as he crouched down beside me to go into the potions cabinet.

"Neville-" I started to say, but he cut me off sharply.

"Seriously, I'm fine. We need to help the others."

He winced slightly as he stood up, and I immediately realised what had happened to him. The curse had clearly been used on him as well. But as he walked away with a clenched jaw, I knew that there would be no way to check if he was okay until the second years were alright.

Dean was the last in, closing the door behind him and leading another group of limping second years towards Seamus and I.

"How much potion for pain do we have?" I asked Seamus, and he counted through the bottles quickly.