Disclaimer: I own nothing
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. We didn't hit the twenty five mark (only four more reviews people) so I'm upping it to twenty six to see if anyone can aspire to hit it. Also I'd like to say if you feel the original characters aren't in cannon, the story might be going down the road of boringness, or even if it's spelling or grammar; if you have any opinion of the story I'd love to hear it. Honestly I love constructive criticism, not to mention I'd really like to know if you feel Hermione or Neville are out of character. So go ahead and tell me. Anyway enough of this: on with the story. Enjoy!
Both girls froze at the sound of the voice.
"If you have wands hold them up and drop them now," the voice, this time closer, came again.
Adonia held her walnut wand high and dropped it. Josie put her hand slowly into her robe pocket, retrieved her wand and mimicked Adonia.
Just as it hit the ground four hooded figures jumped from the bushes and knocked both girls to the ground.
Josie felt her hands being tied roughly behind her back at the same time a blindfold was applied to her eyes and all she could see was darkness.
"Right, haul them up. We'll take them back and see who they are and who they're spying for…"
"We're not spying for anyone," Adonia snapped from somewhere on Josie's right.
Her brave words were followed by a squeak of pain,
"Personally I do not like being spoken to in that way," a new, more pompous voice came.
"Merlin's sake Macmillan…just gag them, it's easier."
"What would you know…" the pompous voice came again,
"That's enough!" the first voice, sharper this time,
"It's only because he's a stupid Hufflepuff…"
"I said enough Corners; though you are right: gag them. We're not death eaters and you would do well to remember it."
Upon this command Josie felt a wad of material tied round her mouth. Now gagged, blindfolded and bounded Josie felt even more helpless than she ever had when she had at Hogwarts. Maybe because she knew who the teachers were and what their favourite methods were; whereas now she had no idea whom these people were or what motives they had
"Come on." The first voice again and Josie felt herself being pushed and shoved roughly through the trees and bushes, stumbling on the undergrowth and fallen logs as she tried to stay upright.
They hadn't gone far when Josie was stopped by a rough yank on her bound hands from her captors.
Josie stumbled and fell landing awkwardly and heavily on her arm. She screamed as a shooting pain flew up her arm and into her head.
The man who had been holding her swore violently and pulled her up, though more gently this time.
"Broken arm," he sounded apologetic for some reason.
The first voice, more exasperated this time, came,
"Take her to the hospital wing and take the other one to room thirteen. Keep her there until I come to interrogate her personally."
This time Josie, still blindfolded, was lifted up into someone's arms and taken downwards. Josie supposed a hill of some sorts. The ground levelled out and Josie's ears were suddenly assaulted by the sound of hundreds of people talking. The voices stopped abruptly as she and her captors entered.
"Neville, what's going on?" A female voice this time, cracked and horse though it had a warm quality to it.
"Found these two wandering the forest…"
"What did you do to her arm?" The woman's voice had taken on a sharp edge to it.
"I didn't do anything," Neville replied, "she fell over herself…"
"Michael, take her to the hospital wing will you. I'll be along shortly." The woman's voice was now brisk and business like.
"And the other one?" The guy, Michael, Josie presumed, who was holding her asked.
"I told you to lock her up in room thirteen…"
Josie heard a small whimper come from her left at this statement though Josie didn't pay it much mind. The pain in her arm was so bad it took all of her will power not to burst into hysterical tears.
The woman took a deep breath before issuing the orders,
"Lock her up in room thirteen and after the other one has had her arm fixed lock her up separately. We'll interrogate them separately and see what they have to say."
Josie was carried one way while Adonia was dragged the other way; each screaming for the other.
Neville stood opposite the girl who claimed to be called Adonia in a small empty room. Adonia herself sat in the middle of the room on a lone chair, her hands tied behind her back with Neville standing in front of the blindfolded, sobbing girl.
The story he was getting form her didn't seem…realistic? That herself and her friend Josie had started a rebellion at Hogwarts. Josie, being a half blood, had gotten in really bad with the teachers because of her bad mouth and after a particular incident (which Adonia had refused to go into) Josie had become reckless, been expelled and, this was where it got wired: in order to protect her from her step father they had gone up to the room of requirement, entered this room of hidden things and after Josie had picked up an ancient tiara (which Hermione was investigating now), Josie had wished for a place to escape to which would be safe. A portal appeared in the form of a frame and they had stepped through…and that was where they were caught.
Josie had been interrogated in a separate room by Hermione half an hour ago and the stories were basically the same.
This would prove to Neville's mind that they were telling the truth if it weren't for several important facts:
One: The lookout, Michael Corner, hadn't seen any portal. All he said was that they 'just appeared out thin air'.
Two: no mention of a rebellion had been heard about. Of course a few whispers of reckless half-bloods came up now and again but nothing as major as the girls were talking about.
Neville sighed and picked out of his pocket a small vial with colourless liquid in it: Veritiserum.
This would determine if she was lying.
"Open your mouth," he snapped, trying his best to make his voice sound harsh but crumbling when he saw the girl's lips tremble threateningly before they parted; making an 'o' shape.
Neville had never been able to stay mad at people who cried, nor at people who showed him that they too felt pain.
Hand trembling he poured the small vial down her throat and watched as her trembling limbs ceased and she sat very still. If he could see her eyes under the blindfold he knew they would be unfocused and hazy.
Taking a deep breath and knowing that whatever came next would be the complete truth he asked his first question,
"What is your name?"
"Adonia Osborne."
"How old are you?"
"Fourteen. Fifteen in the summer holidays."
"What is your blood status?"
"Pureblood."
"If you're a pureblood then why do you hang out with a half blood?"
"My parents only support the dark lord's views to a point; they brought my brother and me up to be tolerant and kind to everyone, and to never discriminate as we are all human inside."
"Then why do they support the dark lord?"
"To protect the family."
"What house in Hogwarts are you in?"
"Both of us are Gryffindor."
"And you say that you were head of an organisation called the angels which rebelled against the death eaters and the dark lord's reign?"
"Yes. It was Josie's idea and I supported her. Our aim is to learn the dark arts as well as defence in order to fight the death eaters. Using the dark arts against the death eaters was a good idea as the dark arts are adaptable and you can be more creative in their usage. The idea was to get professor Nott to teach us how to fight back using their own material and to get the older students to teach us what would be taught in the later years, thus making us one step ahead of the death eaters."
"And the death eaters didn't suddenly get suspicious of hordes of students suddenly becoming very good at Dark Arts?"
"We staged it so only the purebloods became so good so they would think that we were working hard so we would be able to join up at sixteen."
Despite himself Neville was impressed by this cunningness and subtly
"Did they ever guess who was behind the rebellion?"
"They knew Josie was involved because of her outspokenness as well as her ability to make a mockery in all lessons. It only got worse when her mum married William White."
Neville froze at this piece of information as past memories came floating to the forefront of his mind.
Hermione coming back from the pub and telling them all of that bastard William White, well known pro-blood purist and death eater, getting married and how he would get a half blood step daughter.
At the time everyone felt sympathy for the poor girl who was to be his step daughter; however as said step daughter was in the other room then maybe they could help her by giving her a place to stay here; though the pureblood, this girl, would have to be held as she might give them away.
Neville stared at the girl in front of him, a crease in his brow as he debated what to do next.
Two hours later, seated in the lounge area, Neville and Hermione were going over the problem of the two girls.
"If she really is the girl I heard Malfoy, Lestrange and White talking about…then it would be safer for her to stay here," Hermione mused.
"What about her friend?" Neville asked.
Hermione sighed and picked up a leather bound album and put it on her knee. Neville came over and looked at the smiling photos of Harry, Ron and Hermione when they were eleven. Dotted here and about were pictures of James and Lilly Potter, the Weasleys, Hagrid, Dumbledore and the rest of the order including Lupin, Tonks, Mad eye Moody. Then a class photo including all but the Slytherins; and there, in the middle row at the side looking stunned but happy was a round faced slightly podgy boy with short brown hair and blue eyes looking happy to be included if not slightly stunned.
Neville sighed, remembering how much he had changed over the years since leaving school and feeling again the great wave of shame but unable to do anything about it.
"About the girl's friend, Adonia…"
A picture of Harry and Ginny taken in the Burrow paddock, both holding their broomsticks
"I think it would be better for all if she stayed here…"
An old yellowing crispy newspaper clipping of the Weasleys in Egypt
"What if there is a search party?" Neville asked as Hermione turned the page and a large graduation picture of everyone, this time including the Slytherins, waving and smiling up at them. Malfoy at the side managing to smile but sneer at the same time: Some things never change, Neville mused.
"They'll never find us Neville, not with the protective enchantments and wards round the place."
A picture of the Hufflepuffs: Justin, Ernie, Hannah, Susan
"Those death eaters though…" Neville started as Hermione turned the page; only to be cut off by the fixed pictures of Hermione's long dead parents.
A solitary tear slid down Hermione's cheek as she looked at her mum's smiling face.
Suddenly and without warning Hermione slammed the album closed, making Neville jump.
"If it makes you feel better Neville, we'll have the filius charm placed on Sanctuary with me as the secret keeper." Her voice was back to its usual business like tone.
Neville merely nodded and Hermione stood up, throwing the album back on the chair she had previously been sitting on with slightly more force than necessary.
"Allocate the girls the room next to mine and keep a strict watch on them for the next couple of weeks while I think what to do."
"Aye, aye, Captain." Neville tried to joke, though even to his ears it sounded feeble.
However Hermione smiled at the small glimpse of her old friend; happy to know he hadn't been totally destroyed by the war.
Watching as he walked out of the room Hermione reflected that if a small bit of Neville still remained then maybe their was hope for them all after all
Well what did you think: good? Bad? Terrible? Brilliant? Though if you do dislike it you can tell me so long as you tell me the reason why you dislike it. Constructive criticism people. I am all for it.I know this chapter wasn't as riveting as the last one, nor as long but the next chapter will be dedicated entirely to people outside Sanctuary: that means Mary, William, the triplets, James Law ECT. I might add a bit of Josie in it though now they are in Sanctuary I'm going to move the story on a bit by focusing outside Sanctuary.
Also if anyone wants to check to my profile you'll find some background material to this story thereAnyway to those who guessed it was Neville: well done and high fives. I added Ernie into it as I love the guy and wanted to add a bit of him in as his pompousness in the books make me laugh every time. Anyway, please review and hit the mark that I've set: that's twenty six people, twenty six reviews. Let's see if we can hit that mark by next Monday when I shall be updating again.
And to the people who guessed Neville: well done and high five to you.
Anyway, thanks again xxx