GOLDEN || T. NOTT ✓

six | crucio

ALECTO CARROW WAS quick to recognize Paz as the girl who shot a Cruciatus curse at her the year prior. Paz had done her best in attempting to switch out of Muggle Studies, but it was no use. She was stuck.

It had become a required subject, as now it was used to belittle muggles rather than study them and how they live. The short, one hour class went by painfully slow for Paz that afternoon.

Once class was finally dismissed, Paz was done with classes for the day. In the morning, she had Care for Magical Creatures and Divination with the Hufflepuffs. She was upset that she hadn't got Care for Magical Creatures with Luna, as the two always had a blast together in that class.

Paz walked back to her respective common room, heading to her dormitory and taking a seat at her desk, deciding to do some homework before dinner in a few short hours.

She took out her dream chart for Divination, spending one full hour making up absurd dreams for the month of September. She had intended on writing down 'Marry the Dark Lord' under September 24, though, she decided now may not be the best time for jokes such as that one.

"Hello Paz." Astoria's voice flew through the room.

"Hey 'Storia, how was Ancient Runes?" Paz questions.

Astoria falls back onto her bed. "Merlin awful, but what else is new? How about Care for Magical Creatures?"

"Really nice, though I wish Luna was there." Paz closes her Divination work and stuffs it away into her bag of work, turning towards Astoria. "Wanna head down to dinner?"

Astoria smiles. "Sure."

The two have hushed conversations on their way to the Great Hall for dinner, growing especially quiet when passing by Headmaster Snape. Upon reaching the Slytherin table, Astoria breaks off from Paz to find her older sister, Paz doing the same. She takes. seat next to Blaise, sitting across from Theo and Pansy. Paz is quick to notice Theo looking as if he was in a bad mood, which happens often.

"What's up his arse?" Paz whispers to Blaise, as he merely shrugs his shoulders.

"Who knows. Hasn't said much all day, think he's missing Malfoy."

Paz looked towards Theo, who was staring at his dinner plate, seemingly stuck in a gaze. She knew better than to bother talking to him when he's in one of his moods, so she decided to change the subject to classes.

"Have you guys had Dark Arts yet?"

Blaise laughs. "Yeah, what a fun class that'll be."

"Carrow had me use the Cruciatus curse on Longbottom this morning," Pansy sighed. Paz stiffened. "If you asked me two years ago to do that, I would have probably been more than excited. Now, it just feels sorta wrong."

"On Neville?" Paz questions.

Pansy stays silent.

"You've gotta understand Paz-"

Paz cuts Blaise off. "Yeah, I know. Things are different this year. And I don't care that we may not be above using these curses, but I certainly won't be using them on my classmates."

"I had no choice." Pansy states, scowling at her sister.

"We all have a choice!" Paz shouts, causing several Slytherins to look their way. Theo finally looks up form his plate.

"You have a choice, not us. You were kicked out. You had a place to stay. We don't have any of that." Theo states, as Paz glares at him.

"If Pansy didn't use the curse on Neville, Carrow would have used it on her." Blaise states, growing slightly impatient with Paz.