Chapter 7: Spellbound
A/N: Hello there, I'm not dead! Whoah guys…thanks for the really sweet reviews. They kept me going over the past couple of months. Sorry it's been a while…the summer got crazy after chapter 6 with music rehearsals and trips and friends, and I've been super busy with school lately. This chapter's a little short, but 8 is going to be longer. Yay!
Rose was—and there was no other proper word for it as the huge doors swung open—spellbound. Rows upon rows of ceiling-high bookshelves filled the library. The books seemed to go on forever, and it reminded her of the TARDIS with its seemingly infinite appearance. She glanced over at the Doctor and had a rather difficult time hiding a smirk forming on her face. His eyes were wide-open, his mouth slightly open the way it always was when he was taking his surroundings in. He looked so much like an overgrown puppy Rose just had to ruffle his hair.
"Oi, what was that for?" the Doctor half-heartedly complained, fixing his tufts so they stood up in the front once more.
"You look like Mickey when he sees ice cream," Rose said, no longer able to hold back the smirk playing at her lips.
"Remind me to never look like that again," the Doctor responded, wrinkling his nose, then breaking into a grin. He held her gaze for a moment before turning back to Professor Longbottom. "Could you point us in the direction of the school records?"
"It depends on how far you want to go back."
"Probably anything about the First Wizarding War and a few years prior."
"Okay…should be in row 221, section B."
"Fantastic."
"If you need anything, I'll be down at the greenhouses. Take all the time you need," the professor said, walking off. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and dragged her through the library.
"I like him, he's rather nice," Rose stated, gazing upon the shelves of books but glancing at the Doctor occasionally, who had of course taken out his brainy specs and had his free hand on the pocket he kept his sonic safely hidden in. The Doctor made some kind of inaudible mumble in response as he narrowed his eyes, searching for something that would help them in their research. "Perhaps we could just ask—"
"Ha! Newspaper articles! Fine place to start! Rose, you take this stack—" The Doctor handed her a stack of newspapers so big Rose had to tilt her head in order to see around them. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a large picture of an old wizard move, almost dropping the entire stack in surprise.
"Doctor…did that picture just…move?"
"Oh! Look at that! Brilliant, these wizards! We had these sort of cameras back on Gallifrey, only I was never allowed to use anything but a three-dimensional…oh these are brilliant!"
"When you say three-dimensional…"
"Yes, they looked like you could touch the objects. Four-dimensional they'd move. Very expensive, though, and I know it's hard to believe but I often broke cameras."
"So these pictures…they're just taken with a special camera? We should have these."
"You lot haven't even figured out time travel, let alone three and four dimensional cameras."
"Can we just focus on the newspapers?"
"Right, sorry. What's this? 'Wizard Couple Tortured to Insanity'."
"Well that sounds foreboding. "
"Better read it then," the Doctor said with a wink, sitting down at a table nearby. Rose joined him and peered over his shoulder.
Wizard Couple Tortured to Insanity by Bathilda Bagshot
On August 23, 1981, Frank and Alice Longbottom, two well-known aurors, were found in their home , tortured to insanity. It is believed the Cruciatus Curse was used on them for an extended period of time, causing hallucinations, lacerations to their heads and stomachs, and certainly more unspeakable horrors. Their son, Neville, was safely located at his grandmother's house and therefore avoided the attack. The suspects, Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr are currently in Azkaban. The date of the trial is scheduled for November 23, 2981. The Longbottom family requests that everyone respects their privacy at this time.
"What's the Cruciatus Curse?" Rose asked, reading the words over and over again. The article seemed rather short.
"No idea, but sounds rather nasty. 'tortured to insanity…causing hallucinations, lacerations to their heads and stomachs, and certainly more unspeakable horrors, '" The Doctor reread the words under his breath, just enough for Rose to hear him.
"It's awful. Wait…didn't that professor say his name was Neville Longbottom? You don't think he's that Neville Longbottom, do you?"
"Maybe. Quite possible, actually. What is he, about twenty six?" The Doctor said, doing quick calculations in his head.
"Yeah, he looks about my age, right?" Rose bit her lip. She couldn't imagine knowing that your parents had been tortured into insanity. She had lost her dad, yeah, but at least she'd always had mum.
The sound of the large, ornate library doors shook Rose out of her reverie. A stern, older woman came marching through the door, and before the Doctor or Rose could react, her wand was raised.
"STUPEFY!"
Everything went black.
