You might not like this next chapter…

Or maybe, you will. It all depends on what your thinking style is.

Anyways, I don't own anything. There.


Chapter Eleven: House of Curses

Nina's POV:

Eventually, Fabian and I managed to finish our Potions essays. After dropping off our stuff in our dormitories, we went down to the Great Hall for dinner.

"I love this place," I told him as we reached the marble staircase in the entrance hall. "I just wish it wasn't so confusing."

"Yeah, I know," he said, squeezing my hand. We reached the Great Hall and took our seats at the Gryffindor table with everyone else, grabbing whatever we could get our hands on for food.

"Man I'm starving," Mick muttered as we sat down with him, Amber, Alfie and the rest of the Fifth Years.

"Mate, you're always starving," Alfie joked. That earned him a glare from Mick and sniggering from the rest of us.

"Uh-oh…" Albus muttered. He pointed off to the left, and it was then that I noticed an angry someone stalking down the aisle to where our group sat.

"Joy?" Amber asked, looking shocked. She flinched when Joy scowled at her. "Er, what are you doing here?"

"You!" she pointed to me, sneering. "I'm going to-"

"Joy! Leave it! Give Nina a break. She didn't do anything!" Fabian exclaimed. We both stood up, he standing protectively in front of me.

"Shut up, Fabes. Move." Roughly, Joy shoved him aside. He stared at her, stunned, and his eyes widened to twice their size as soon as she whipped out her wand.

Unfortunately, I was too slow to reach into the pocket of my robes to grab mine. She had already shouted something, and a jet of red light poured out of it, aimed at me.

"Crucio!" she screeched.

Instantly, I dropped to the floor. The most intense pain in the world shot through my body, and it wouldn't stop. No matter how hard I pleaded.

I wanted the pain to end. I wanted to be with my parents again. I wanted to see Sarah. I wanted her to stop torturing me.

I want to be dead.

It was the last coherent thought I had.

I blacked out.


Fabian's POV:

I felt so helpless.

There Nina was, sprawled out on the floor of the Great Hall, enduring one of the most painful and traumatic experiences of her life. Of course, I couldn't do anything about it. No one could.

I felt like crying.

None of that stopped me from lunging at Joy, trying to get her wand. I had taken mine out, ready to blast a disarming charm at her, but I was now being held back by the Potter boys and Mick, thrashing about. Joy was being defended by a group of Slytherin girls.

Everyone else in the Great Hall was already out of their seats and had their wands pointed right at Joy. Head Boys and Girls, as well as Prefects, were trying to get their Houses under control. Rose was attempting to do that with us, as well as keep an eye on the external struggle between Joy, Albus, James, Mick, the Slytherin girls and I. James had completely abandoned his job as Head Boy, still trying to keep me from doing any more damage.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, as well as our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, all came running over to where our group stood.

Instantaneously, Joy's wand was swiped out of her hand by the Headmistress, whose ears practically had steam coming out of them, she was so fuming mad. I watched in horror as the scene unfolded. I stopped struggling.

I then looked down at Nina. She kept screaming, and I think I saw her eyes roll into the back of her head. In between screams and pleads, I heard her say something about being with her parents and Sarah again. It made me want to cry even more.

Finally, Professor McGonagall somehow managed to make the effects of the curse stop, and she then turned to face everyone.

"Everyone will return to their common rooms immediately!" she shouted. "You," she swept her hand around, gesturing at Sibuna, myself, Rose, Scorpius, the rest of the Potters and Weasleys, and a group of frightened Ravenclaw girls. "Come with me."

She magicked Nina onto a gurney and we all silently followed her and the other two professors to the hospital wing. James, Mick and Albus had let me go. My mouth hung open in shock. I was still lost for words.