Potter

Chapter 56

You didn't have to be a seer to predict how awful that Monday would be.

Neville and I sat together at the Gryffindor table that morning, both barely touching our food. I could feel the warmth of his hand through the fabric of my sleeve, which I had pulled up to slyly disguise my sweaty palms. Since the Baneberry potion, I seemed to be either too hot or too cold. At the moment I felt like I was burning up, and I could feel my hair sticking to the back of my neck.

"Do you see them?" Neville asked quietly, glancing up from his untouched bowl of oatmeal. I shook my head after briefly scanning both the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"No- Heard anything about Seamus?"

"Not a word. I hope he's alright."

"Snape wouldn't do anything too harsh, I think." I mumbled, using my free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I shifted restlessly, letting out a soft sigh. I was eager to be done with breakfast- The sooner I could leave, the sooner I would be able to corner one of the Hufflepuff girls and see if Hannah had come back to the common room at all last night.

Neville was so tense with worry, one could mistake him for granite. I could see him glance up quickly, more often than I think he knew, to search the Hufflepuff table for Hannah. As reassuringly as I could I squeezed his hand, glancing up one more time.

The Slytherin table was, as usual, the most crowded, but even then I could still catch sight of Thatcher, sitting next to a rather amused-looking Theodore Nott. I could only guess that it was Blaise Zabini that sat across from them, his back turned to me.

"You're not very subtle, you know." Neville commented, sounding mildly irritated. He was unamused by my previous run-ins with the Slytherin seventh year, and disapproved me even breathing in his direction.

"Shut up. Ginny!" I said brightly, smiling as the redhead came and sat down across from us. Ginny smiled gently at me, looking tired. While she hadn't been part of our scheme last night, she had been there when we planned it, and I'm sure she had spent a good part of the night worrying.

"Hey guys." Ginny's voice was soft, and I watched as she reached across the table to take hold of an apple. "Any sign of the others?"

"No." Neville replied miserably, and I turned to look at him, smiling as encouragingly as I could.

"Don't be such a downer- They might be okay." I said, taking his hand in both of mine and attempting to smooth out his clenched fist, wincing when he squeezed a little too hard on my fingers.

"But we don't know. The Carrows, they're- Oh, Merlin." Neville's sentence cut off in a choked gasp, and following his gaze my own eyes widened. Michael Corner and Hannah Abbott had entered the room, both looking completely torn up.

Michael's right eye was swelled shut, and had turned an ugly black color. His shirt was ripped in several places and stained with small patches of blood. Hannah looked as though she was having trouble standing, and after a brief glance down at her feet I realized her ankle may very well be broken, as she was refusing to put weight on it and was leaning on Michael instead.

"We have to-" Neville moved to rise from his seat but I kept my grip on his hand solid, keeping him at the table with me.

"Neville, they're not just examples, they're probably bait- The Carrows are smart, they probably know whoever helps them is part of the D.A." I said tightly, feeling miserable as the two injured students separated and sat down at their respective tables.

Seamus was still missing.

"But Hannah-"

"Hannah will be okay. Alecia is right, Neville- We can't help them now." Ginny said, her lips pulled into a grimace. Neville let out a soft groan, hanging his head. Biting my lip, I made my decision quickly.