Chapter 9
The past few days had been interesting for the members of the DA. The news that Neville had had an argument with Ginny and had 'stepped down' as leader had caused a split in the group. Some weren't happy with Ginny giving out orders, and had made it clear they weren't doing anything until Neville was back in charge. Others however thought that Ginny's more…decisive way of leading was better than Neville's wait and see approach and had hit the idea with a new passion.
It was a stormy day near the end of September when Neville was called out of his Charms class and sent to some deserted old classroom in the dungeons. He pressed the large door open and stepped inside. Immediately he felt ropes wrap around his arms and attach him to a wooden chair. He could see both of the Carrows in front of him, and he glared.
"What do you want?" he hissed.
"Shouldn't play around in Snapey's office, little Longbottom," Alecto said, giggling.
"What're you on about? I did the detention," he snarled.
"Going round to the half-breed's house and playing tea?" Amycus inquired.
"What are you going to do?" Neville asked, leaning back from Aymcus' leer. The siblings moved aside, to reveal Luna in a similar position to himself, tied to the wooden chair. Alecto looked at him and smiled. She pointed her wand at Luna and with a delighted whisper, uttered "Crucio,"
Luna screamed, and her little body went taught against her bonds. Neville struggled with his bonds.
"No!" he shouted, trying to shake himself loose. Alecto lowered her wand and Luna went limp, shaking. She giggled.
"You monster," he whispered.
"Aw, is ickle Longbottom getting tetchy?" Amycus said mockingly. He pulled out his own wand and pointed it at Neville, flicking it slightly. A cut appeared on his face with a sharp sting. He hissed between his teeth.
"Every time the littlie screams, you get another one of them, see?" Amycus jeered. Luna's eyes went wide.
"Crucio," Alecto said.
Luna screamed again, sobbing slightly as well, her body going rigid again. Amycus flicked his wand again and a long cut appeared on Neville's forearm.
"Neville, I'm sorry," Luna whimpered.
"It's fine, really. Don't worry about me, they don't hurt," he said with a false bravado, trying to give her a fake smile. His hands were bound around the back of his chair, and he was trying to move them to reach the wand in his back pocket.
"Crucio!" Alecto shouted.
Luna screamed, but didn't move, tears pouring down her face. Amycus flicked his wand again and a second long cut appeared parallel to the one already on his face. Neville looked at Luna; he wasn't sure how much more she could last.
"Crucio!" Alecto cried.
The loudest scream yet, echoing off of the walls. A deep cut was made along Neville's chest, blood starting to pour out of it.
"Luna," Neville muttered "It's okay, it's gonna be okay,"
Amycus laughed. Then the door burst open with a crack. Standing there, looking furious, was Professor McGonagall, flanked on either side by Flitwick and Sprout.
"What is going on here?" she roared. Neville instantly quailed under her gaze, although the two Death Eaters stood proud.
"Disciplining students," Amycus sneered.
"Torture is not a form of discipline," McGonagall shouted.
"It is now. Didn't you hear? Professor Snape appointed us heads of discipline," Alecto said with a grin that made Neville slightly sick.
"Let those students go," McGonagall hissed dangerously. The Death Eaters laughed.
"Alright, no need to get your knickers in a twist," Amycus giggled "We were done with 'em anyway,"
The two pushed past Flitwick and Sprout, disappearing from Neville's view. McGonagall looked over at him.
"Good lord, Longbottom is that you?" she asked. He supposed the cuts and blood must have made him look like someone else. He nodded slowly. Sprout gasped.
"Diffindo," Flitwick announced, cutting him loose. He fell off of his chair a little, and collapsed onto the floor, blood dripping off of him. He looked up at the young blonde girl that McGonagall had just cut free.
"Luna," he murmured, shuffling over to her. She gave him a weak smile. He pulled her into his arms, soaking her robes in his blood.
"Are you okay?" he gasped. He felt her nod, and gave a sigh of relief, before everything started to go black. He could feel himself falling backwards, and the stone floor came up to meet him.
He woke up two days later in the Hospital Wing, getting fussed over by Madam Pomfrey.
"I'm fine, honestly," he assured her. She gave him a disapproving look and informed him that one of the cuts on his face, and the one on his chest would scar despite her best efforts. He had smiled in thanks, and she had agreed to let him make his way back to the castle in the evening. He ignored the laughs of Crabbe and Goyle, oddly without Malfoy and returned to the Gryffindor common room. There he was greeted by a jubilant Seamus.
"I thought the Carrows had finished you off mate," he said giving him a breath crushing hug.
"Not quite yet. Anything interesting happen while I been out?" he asked sleepily, taking a seat on his bed. Seamus grinned.
"Apparently Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and an unknown accomplice, that I'd bet my last knut was Ron, broke into the ministry and freed a load of muggle-borns who were getting sent off to Azkaban," he said proudly. Neville raised his eyes in surprise.
"Really? When?" he asked.
"Apparently it happened the day after we got back. It was all hushed up, but that old nut who runs the Quibbler found out about it,"
"Xenophilius Lovegood?" Neville asked.
"Yeah that's the guy, can never say his name," Seamus said with a smile "It's all over the Quibbler. The ministry tried to make him run a retraction, but he refused,"
"That's awesome," Neville said, laughing.
"Yeah tell me about it," he chuckled.
"Is Luna okay? Pomfrey wouldn't tell me if she was out of the hospital wing or not," Neville asked, concern covering his face.
"Oh she's fine, got out yesterday. She's been running around with Ginny ever since," Seamus said, patting Neville on the back. They were interrupted by Lavender Brown bursting into the room, looking breathless.
"Err. Shall I leave you two alone?" Neville asked, standing up.
"Ginny, Luna Lovegood and Terry Boot," she announced. Seamus raised an eyebrow.
"What've they been doing?" he asked, hiding a smirk.
"They got captured by the Carrows for writing 'Potter Lives' on the top of the Astronomy Tower," she said, giving him a stern glare. Seamus' mouth dropped.
"What's happening to them?" Neville asked, standing up and pulling his wand out.
"They've been chained up in the dungeon. Carrow says they're gonna be left there overnight without food or water," she said urgently.
"Okay," he said, making towards the door. He looked at Seamus and Lavender.
"You coming?" he asked Seamus. He nodded and stood up.
"You stay here," he told Lavender, and together, Neville and Seamus sprinted down towards the dungeons. It only took them five minutes to find which dungeon they were in - Terry Boot was shouting himself hoarse for help.
"Alohomora," he whispered and the door clicked as it unlocked. Seamus and Neville snuck inside, bringing their fingers to their lips to hush the three as they entered. Ginny, Terry and Luna were strung out along the dungeon wall. They were attached to the wall by large iron cuffs around their wrists. Silently, Neville opened each cuff, and eased each person down. Luna was so weak from lack of food, that she almost collapsed in his arms.
"Hello," he said with a smile.
"Hi," she said weakly. He looked at the three of them.
"Right, you three are going to have to come back here in the morning and be chained back up," he said, sounding concerned.
"That's okay," Ginny said "Thanks,"
He smiled, and shrugged.
"From now on, I'm not letting you do anymore stuff that isn't safe," he said sternly. Ginny raised an eyebrow.
"Who put you in charge?" she asked.
"I think that may've been when I saved you from being chained up for a whole night without food or water," he said, equally cool. Ginny went a furious shade of red.
"That doesn't mean-"
"Oh give it up Ginny, before we put you back up there," Seamus said irritably. Neville smiled slightly.
"I don't think it's safe to go back to the dorms now; someone'll notice that you aren't meant to be there and the Carrows will find out," he said.
"So what're we going to do?" Ginny asked impatiently. Neville gave a slight smile. He took five small items out of his robes and dropped them to the floor.
"Engorgio," he said, and the five items enlarged into sleeping bags.
