Written for the Dialogue Challenge from Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges
Words: 440
Lavender Brown nearly jumped out of her skin out the sight of Alastor, as she tried to quickly and quietly make it back to the Gryffindor Tower.
"What are you doing out of bed?"
"I-I was just um-" Lavender stammered, searching for an answer.
"These are dark and dangerous times, girlie and you shouldn't be wandering about."
"Dark and dangerous times? The Dark Lord is dead-"
"CONSTANT VIGILANCE! You silly girl! Do you truly believe such thing?"
"Well-I-there's been no sightings of him-" Lavender stumbled over her words as she took a step away from him.
"You do you want to know how I lost my eye?"
"What?" Lavender asked. "N-no, I want to head back-"
"Bellatrix Lestrange, you do know who she is?"
"Of course, I do!"
"I underestimated her, and in return lost my eye. This was when she was first starting as a death eater. Fresh out of Hogwarts, never thought a child of seventeen could be capable of such destruction."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but I should really get going."
"You'll stay unless you would like me to report you to Professor McGonagall for being out of bed."
Lavender swallowed hard before slowly nodding. "Please continue."
"I was a cocky laddie back then. Dark wizards and witches fear me, knew of my talents and didn't dare step a toe out of line. Bellatrix didn't fear anything, didn't fear me. I had to teach her a lesson. But at the end, it was she who taught me a lesson."
"Which was?"
"That I shouldn't underestimate anybody. Everybody always has a trick under their sleeves."
Lavender nodded. "What exactly did she do? To make you lose your eye?"
"Diffindo. Such a simple spell but quite effective. Bellatrix had the ability to turn the most innocent spell into a malice one."
"How did she even get so close to you to even cut your eye out?" Lavender asked.
"Like I said before, I underestimated her. All of her professors told me that she was quick with her tongue. But I didn't know how quick. Even back when she was first starting, she loved to torture her victims. I was no exception."
"What did she do to you?"
"Too horrid for a girl like you. I knew that she enjoyed torturing, knowing that she was the first person to do it. Every since then I swore that I'll be the one to send her to Azkaban. Every since then I become to realize that nobody's above suspicion. So I'll ask again, what are you doing out of bed?"
Lavender flushed. "I just went to the kitchens for a snack."