AN: Another one for the ever growing list of "Where did this come from?" For the Snakes and Ladders Challenge (Astoria)
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Someone is crying. Really, it's nothing new. With the Carrows given free reign, there's enough grief inside the castle to last a lifetime.
Astoria tells herself that she should ignore it. It isn't any of her concern. She's done nothing wrong and has stayed on the Carrows' good side, as per her mother's request.
But the sound is so soft, so pitiful, and Astoria can't just walk away.
With a feeble excuse about having left her Charms book behind, she circles back and counts to fifty, keeping watch for anyone who might catch her. Satisfied that the coast is clear, she follows the sound into an abandoned classroom.
The girl is so small and frail. She can't be older than twelve. A bruise marbles her cheek in sickening purples and blues, and Astoria feels her blood run cold.
She's just a child. Hell, they all are. None of them deserve this.
The girl notices Astoria, fearful eyes resting on the silver and emerald tie. She draws back with a whimper.
Astoria lifts her hands, palms out, in a pacifying gesture. "What's happened?"
The girl doesn't answer.
"I won't tell," Astoria says gently. "I won't hurt you."
Hesitantly, the girl nods her understanding. She slowly moves closer, but she keeps a safe distance. "I said Harry Potter is a hero. Professor Carrow heard me, and she-" A sob chokes the rest of the words, but Astoria can guess what it is.
Again, she glances around. No one else is nearby, and she knows her spotless Slytherin reputation will be safe. "Between you and me, he is. And I know he'll come back and make things better," she says, hardly able to believe she's admitted it.
The little one nods with a sniffle. She looks so fragile, so pitiful, and Astoria can't stop herself from reaching for the girl's hand.
"But you know who's an even bigger hero?"
The girl shakes her head.
"You. Only a hero would do what you did," Astoria tells her, a small smile on her lips.
"Are you a hero?"
Astoria laughs. She has to run off in secret to say what she really thinks. She'd never dare to defy the Carrows, even accidentally. "Don't be silly," she says dryly. "Who's ever heard of a Slytherin hero?"