I barely have time to register what is happening before they have me completely pinned down. Sebastian is standing over me, snickering. "It's too bad we haven't learned that Body Bind curse yet, or else this would be even easier than it already is. We need to teach this boy how a true Slytherin should act. But first, he needs to learn a lesson about threatening his fellow roommates."

I tell myself they cannot hurt me too badly—they do not know the curses to do so.

That thought barely has time to give me any comfort before the punches begin. I struggle, but can already tell how pointless it is for me to do so—the magic that helped me get the photo back is not with me now. I try to ignore the pain, to avoid giving Sebastian the pleasure and success, but eventually, it is too much for me, and a cry rips from my throat.

They laugh.

"You know what, I don't think we're doing enough," Sebastian says with a sneer, the punches stopping for a moment while I fight to catch my breath. "I don't think just beating him up like this gives him a reason to fear us. Let's give him something that'll stay in his head for a good long while."

They start ripping at my clothes.

I try to call for help, but they cover my mouth.

No one is coming... No one is—

Sebastian is the first to call out, the first to fall. The other boys let go of me and I watch as they try to scramble away from whoever my savior is. Felicity.

Felicity is the one who heard and answered my call. But how...

I freeze where I am.

I must have called her mentally.

I watch as she takes down another one of the boys, the others running and escaping the room. Breathing hard, she moves to me, muttering about boys until she reaches me. "You okay?" I nod. "And... you're a telepath, huh?"

I bite my lip and nod again. She eyes me for a moment, then slides down to sit in front of me on the bed, just watching me. "... I'm gonna ask you somethin', an' as payback for savin' ya, I wanna hear the truth."

"... Okay." I nod, nervous now, afraid. She is going to ask. She is going to know.

"You're not Elizabeth's son, are you?" she whispers as she looks me over. "You're Voldemort's. I've been thinking about it for a while now, ever since we had that first talk on the train."

"Please do not tell anyone," I plead quietly, feeling tears in my eyes. "The Slytherins might be happy to find out I have Voldemort's blood within me, but the others... I want to avoid anyone finding out, at any cost."

"'Course not," she murmurs, reaching over and pulling me into a hug. The hug hurts because of the bruises I can feel blossoming up, but I hug her back tightly. I owe her much more than that truth, but I know she will not accept anything more at this time.

One day, I will pay her back.

"Um... Can you help me with something?" I ask quietly, feeling bad having to ask even more of her. "I... I would rather not go to Madame Pomfrey like this, or Professor Fragor... I do not want my mother..." I sigh. "I do not want Elizabeth to know."

"Sure honey," she says with a smile, stroking my hair. "Gimme just a minute ta go an' get somethin' that'll help ya." She kisses my forehead and leaves the room.

I eye the boys that are now stirring, and think about getting a change of clothes, but I stay near the headboard of my bed. The second boy Felicity attacked gets into bed quickly, but Sebastian leans against one of the posts, and it looks like he is about to come towards me when Felicity comes back with a small bottle.

"OY!" she shouts, making all three of us jump. Sebastian looks back; I look in his mind and see his fear. I hide a smile as he goes to his own bed, limping.

Felicity looks proud of herself as she comes and sits next to me again, flipping the cap on the bottle and squeezing a small amount of cream on her fingers, gently doctoring my bruises. I relax as the pain goes away, knowing she cannot get to all of it, but whatever comfort I can get is a good relief.

Once she is done, she hands me the bottle. "So you can get the rest," she explains with a nod, kissing my cheek. "I'll see ya in the mornin'... an' if I hear anyone touched ya after I left, there'll be hell ta pay," she adds in a louder, harder tone, looking back at the boys, all of them back in the room now. She looks at me again and smiles, squeezing my hand before getting up and leaving.

The boys eye me but say nothing. Sebastian has the taunt in his head that I needed a girl to save me, but does not speak it. I have the perfect rebuttal too—I may need a friend to help me out when I am being pinned down by boys who snuck up on me, but at least I did not get beat by a girl or run away from a girl.

I curl up under my blanket to apply the rest of the cream, sighing as the pain seeps out of me. I feel almost numb, though... Part of me knows Sebastian is right. It is not good that I cannot fight my own battles.

I fall into a troubled sleep, full of nightmares of what the boys might have done if Felicity had not come to help.

The next morning, Sebastian, Felicity, one of the other boys in my dorm and I are all summoned into the Headmaster's office. The other boy, Jason, is quiet, and it is obvious from the bruises on both him and Sebastian that Felicity did a number on them. Sebastian is glaring at me and Felicity; Felicity is not looking at either of them, only staring straight ahead. I do not know what to do.

I will have to tell the truth. I might have to confess about the nightmares from the night before.

I am currently trying to avoid a panic attack.

Professor Daemyn is watching us from across his desk, and most of the Headmaster and Headmistress portraits are watching as well. "I would like to know what happened," Daemyn says quietly, "that brought you four here."

"She attacked us," Sebastian says immediately, pointing at Felicity.

Felicity snorts. "I 'attacked' you 'cause you were beatin' the hell outta V," she hisses.

I flinch as Professor Daemyn turns his eyes on me. "Is this true, Vitale?"

I close my eyes, opening them again when images from the dream come back, and nod. "Y... yes," I say quietly, not looking him straight in the eye, part of me feeling he would be able to see everything, know the particular fear that Sebastian and the others have instilled in me.

I watch as he looks at Jason and Sebastian. "Well he's lying of course." Sebastian snorts. "It doesn't look like anyone touched him!"

"Sebastian just stop!" Jason suddenly shouts, surprising all of us. "They'll find out anyway. There's no point in lying about it." He looks at Professor Daemyn. "Sir, Sebastian came up with the idea that Vitale wasn't a proper Slytherin... I think the rest of us just went along with it because we're all kind of tainted by the pureblood mindset that comes with being a Slytherin." He shrugged. "I was in it until Sebastian suggested we take it to the next level..."

"Jason," Sebastian growls.

"No. Seriously, Sebastian." Jason glares at him. "That went way too far."

"What happened?" Professor Daemyn asked calmly. "What did he suggest?" Jason, suddenly silent again, shrinks back. Sebastian merely glares at the wall behind Professor Daemyn. Felicity glances at me, and I know even she does not know the full truth of what Jason meant, what they would have done if she had not come to my aid.

"... Vitale?" Professor Daemyn asks quietly.

I bite my lip and shake my head, closing my eyes, just mentally sending him the memory since he knows I have those telepathy skills.

I keep my eyes closed, despite the dreams coming back to me in full color. In one, it is just Sebastian, and a table that has chains holding me down... In another it is all of them, and they have me tied up, bound, at their mercy... The one similarity is that I can never escape, I can never get away from them, from the invasive feeling, from the fear and the pain and humiliation.

I stop short.

I have unwittingly let Professor Daemyn see those dreams.

I curl up in my seat, the world feeling far away from where I am. I can barely hear that the conversation has started up again, and do not register most of the words... I hear muffled movement, the closing of a door... I look up and around, and realize that it is only me and Professor Daemyn in the room now. Most of the portraits have left as well, giving us privacy.

I look at Professor Daemyn, then away, trying to wipe away the tears that are still falling.

"Vitale," Professor says quietly. "I want your permission to contact Elizabeth about this. She would want to know."

I try to cover up the sound that wants to escape. I feel ashamed. I feel weak. I do not want to feel this way. I want to go to sleep without dreaming. Part of me wants to stay asleep.

I nod. It is all I can do to tell him I hardly care either way.

He nods in return, standing up and offering me a hand. "Madame Pomfrey will have a potion that will help you sleep without dreams," he says softly. "Please let us help you. Sebastian will most likely be expelled... and if you want a transfer of houses, we can work something out for that as well."

I shake my head. "No..." I whisper. My voice is hoarse. "I want to stay. I do not want to run away."

"It is more a matter of your safety, not of running away, Vitale." He frowns.

"I will be fine in Slytherin, Professor," I say, looking him in the eye, trying to convey that I want to stay. I want to prove them wrong.

He looks me over, and finally, he nods. "Deal... if you stay in the hospital wing for a few days while we figure out the situation with Sebastian."

I hesitate, but finally nod. Sebastian is the root of all the problems my dorm is having. If he is gone... I could see myself being able to relax a little more. Maybe even make a friend or two in my own room instead of having Felicity as my only true friend.

I take Professor Daemyn's hand, and I let him lead me away to the hospital wing. If nothing else, I just want to sleep.