Chapter 14
Disclaimer: Don't own Hogwarts, wish I did but I don't. I also don't own Starkid, though I am a major fan.
The first night went by in a blur, everyone eat vast amounts of food, Meredith and Brian devouring at least 2 plates of pasta each before changing to chicken. When everyone was suitably full they left the great hall, since the retirement of the sorting hat new pupils already knew what houses they were being sorted into, it came with their acceptance letter. They headed to their own common rooms as they all agreed it was going to be a nightmare waking up at half six tomorrow for breakfast on anything less than six hours sleep. When they arrived they collected there timetables and sleeping arrangements that were written on parchment lying on a polished table in front of the magnificent marble fire place. The greenish glow from the fire illuminated the sheets of parchment in front of Denise's face though she still had to squint to read it correctly. The Slytherins were back to their old first year rooms. The four girls hadn't been in the same room since first year. The girls faces turned from confused to happy when Denise explained this was because the school was trying to cling onto anything old fashioned now since the prophet was questioning the modern changes that Hogwarts had been adopting. The rule that second years could opt to have a two person room was only about fifty years old which in Hogwarts terms was quite new. Therefore all rooms were to be reset back to the way they were in every pupil's first year. The only exception to this was Joey. He was going to be joining Brian, Dylan and Darren as they didn't have another roommate in previous years. The girls jumped happily, they got to be roommates again, like the old days. Denise had even started crying but Meredith suddenly realized that they weren't happy tears. The rooms had been reset, not just theirs. Everyone's. Lauren.
….
Across the castle Charlene, Lauren and Joe were just discovering the same news. Lauren and Charlene both looked close to tears but Joe just looked confused. He squeezed Lauren's waist gently before she turned and cried into his shoulder. Joe was even more confused now. He mouthed 'what's wrong with her' to Charlene over Lo's head but she couldn't see as she was turned away presumably wiping her own tears. Any hope that this was some kind of joke was now gone. Joe started to worry now.
"Okay, will one of you please tell me what's going on? You're worrying me." He articulated concern filling his voice. Lauren sobbed something into his shoulder that sounded a lot like the words, 'not them, not again'. "Not who? What not again? Lo please answer me. What's wrong?" he whispered shakily. He felt Lauren take a large breath in, letting his scent fill her nose; she realized it was time to tell him. It was time to tell him about the nightmares that still haunted her sleep. The icy blue flash, the evil cackles, waking up in hospital with the fear of a dead Charlene, the 3 months of extra work, the guilt for Brian and Meredith's punishment and the fear when Meredith fainted after Bonnie's second attack. She looked up into his gentle blue eyes; they were concentrated, waiting anxiously on her explanation. She took another large breath before turning towards Charlene. Her eyes told Charlene that it was time he knew. Charlene knowing this day was coming went and sat on the couches, closely followed by Lauren who pulled Joe behind her.
"It's time you knew something. Something I don't tell many people for the fact that I hate remembering any moment of it and also because I've blocked so much of that time out." Lauren said surprising herself at how calm she sounded. Joe waited patiently for Lauren to continue, softly holding her hand. Lauren felt safe with him and Charlene either side of her. "Well you know how I told you that I missed most of my first year because I was ill? Well there was more to the story than that. It all started when…." Lauren told her story to Joe and Charlene, the constant years of bullying from Bonnie, then the escalation to full on violence even before they got to Hogwarts. Lauren revealed more information than she ever had ever before. Disclosing more than a few secrets that made the blood of the people she was sitting beside boil. She told them how she had hid the bruises with makeup and who she would cover for Bonnie by saying she was just clumsy or she didn't know how the bruises got there, then came something that surprised even Charlene. She told them what really happen on her first night at Hogwarts. Lauren was determined to tell someone now; she choked back her sobs and struggled passed the lump in her throat.
"That first night was the worst night of my life. Worse than waking up in hospital after the three months, worse than the guilt of Brian and Meredith's curfew, it was worse than the months of catch up work, it was even worse than seeing Meredith collapse." Lauren was struggling to stop the tears flooding down her face but she continued. They have to know. "I only told Denise the watered down version because I didn't want her to worry, the truth would have terrified her. When we got put in rooms they immediately picked beds, I was last in the room so I had the furthest away bed. When I went to get it I saw Bonnie pull out her wand. See, she already knew loads of spells because her older brother had taught her them. He is evil, dare I say it worse than the devil herself. She set my bed on fire. Luckily I wasn't in it but she made me watch it burn and turn to ash. Then the other two minions lay in their beds practically pissing themselves with laughter as Bonnie pushed me over into the ash pile and told me that's where I as filth should sleep. She told me not to move so I curled up in a pile in the ash and I waited for them to fall asleep. When they drifted off I changed into my pajamas almost silently but when I reentered the room Bonnie heard me and before I could do anything she had me by the hair, pulling most of the hair out my scalp, her wand at my neck. She practically spat at me when she said that I purposely woke her up then… then she…" Lauren couldn't stop the tears this time. She felt Joe squeeze her hand tighter and pulled her close to his chest. Anger was pulsing though his veins. Normally Lauren would cry for longer but not this time. This time she was going to finish, she was going to tell them everything. She pulled herself from the safety of Joe but not releasing the tight grasp of his hand before she continued. "…then she hexed me. I can't remember the name of it but basically it levitated me high in the air, I was almost touching the ceiling. She then explained that the hex could wear off at any point or time leaving me to fall into the ash about 6 feet below me. She also put a silencing charm on me so I couldn't yell for help; she then turned her wand into a wooden bat and swung at me a couple of times like I was a piñata. Before she went back to her sleep she told me any foolish attempt to save myself from the fall would result in severe injuries so not to bother trying. I didn't sleep at all that night. I just waited for the fall to happen while I tried to locate all the bruises and cuts on my legs and stomach from the bat. I fell at about half five I reckon, I think I sprained my ankle but of course Bonnie and the duo just laughed at my silent cries. Bonnie finally lifted the charm from me but only after she had insulted everyone I loved or cared about. When the Prefect arrived at our door to tell us about breakfast she was shocked to see me in a heap in a pile of ashes screaming at Bonnie. The girls then put on their innocent faces before telling her that I had went nuts and destroyed my bed in the crossfire and had injured myself in the process. The prefect believed them of coarse but with of her wand my bed rose from the ashes and she fixed my ankle before telling them that a spell was placed on the bed so it couldn't be destroyed again by amateur spells. When she left Bonnie and the duo hexed me a couple of times with a simple slicing spell that cut into my arm warning me that if I ever spoke of what happened they would get me. And now they are. I'm back in with them. They can hurt me again. Except this time they know more spells, they know more ways to hurt me. They're going to get me. What am I going to do?" She wept, this time she collapsed into Joe's shoulder and she felt Charlene hug her from behind. The trio stayed locked until they heard something that made them spring apart.
"Nothing, you're going to do nothing. We are!" Denise, Darren, Julia, Joey, Jaime, Dylan, Brian and Meredith were standing at behind the couch all of their wands raised. They had just heard every word Lauren had said, anger coursed through all their bodies and this time they were going to get revenge on Bonnie, together.