Chapter 53: Return to Hogwarts
Wedded bliss can only last forever and soon after Bill and Fleur's wedding, we were sent a letter from Harry and the others. They told us about the wedding being amazing, until the death eaters crashed and about the dark lord taking over the Ministry. "Neville, what do you want to do?" I asked him as he was packing his trunk. We had prepared to return to school with everyone else, not thinking about something like this happening. "Gran will not take no for an answer about not going back to school. We have to return….but we are going to be doing more than schoolwork."
He told me about how he had been talking to Ginny and Luna about something called Dumbledore's Army, a group formed by Harry and them to learn to fight the dark wizards and witches. "We're going to continue that. No telling what we are walking into at the castle now." I agreed, thankful that I was able to join him even after Dumbledore dying. So we sat on the train, making plans with Ginny and Luna in the compartment the whole way there. We were greeted at the castle by darkness, and death eaters…I was shocked at Snape announcing he was the new headmaster, not McGonagall.
As soon as the small feast was over, Snape lumbered pass me and I couldn't stop myself from following him. Neville went to follow, but I shook my head. "Why are you following me girl?" he asked as soon as we were away from everyone. "I want to know why…I deserve to know." he sneered and replied, "You barely deserve to be here. Go to your common room and then go to classes. Otherwise I'll expel you and expose you for what you are." I was surprised by his words, they cut deep. I felt my vampire side begging to be let out, remembering the connection we had when I gave him my blood years ago.
I didn't say anything and he billowed away, leaving me standing there fighting against the urge to rip him apart right there. I groaned and leaned against the wall, finally able to calm down and Neville appeared behind me, touching my shoulder and giving me strength. "Aethna, what happened?" I shook my head, just telling him to get me to the common room. Luna and Ginny sat with us at the fireplace, where I watched the flames dance…what was going to happen now?
The next day, there was an announcement for all students to report to the grand hall. When we got there, there was several death eaters having papers and asking students questions. "They're rounding up the muggle born students." I over heard using my vampire hearing and told Neville and the others. "Aethna, are you muggle born?" I blinked, no, but I didn't want them finding out about my father and what I was. Neville seemed to sense my worry and took my hand. "It's alright, you have my name now." I blinked, that wasn't going to be enough for them.
We inched closer and they pulled Neville to the side and me to the other. "Name." "Aethna Longbottom." I replied and the witch looked up, her eyes narrowing. "I have no name of that. What is your real last name." I sighed, "My maiden name is Chesmino." she went through her list and then smirked. "I see that…as muggle born. You'll have to come with me." "I'm half-blood though. My mother was a witch, as were her parents and grandparents. Not Muggles." I explained, but the witch just laughed and tapped her paper. "This says different. Come on." I planted my feet and felt the power pulse in me. I would not be taken from Neville.
She squared up, seeming to want to fight, aching for it. "She's half-blood. Let her through." His voice was cold as he walked over and I met his coal colored eyes. "Severus…the paper." "Is wrong. I knew of her family. They are gone now. She is not a muggleborn. Let. Her. Through." he barked the last words, making sure the witch knew. She hissed and did as he said, letting me pass and rejoin Neville and the others. "Snape, surely you can't be protecting the girl?" I listened to their words from afar, tuning in with my hearing. "Of course not. But the dark lord wants to keep all half-bloods and purebloods here for him. We are not here to disobey."
He turned and walked off, his eyes meeting mine for half a second and I saw worry in them, confusing me. Once we were all checked, we were given our schedules, which were a lot different than before. "Dark arts? Not defense against?" I asked, noticing the teachers were almost all death eaters now. Only a few of the good teachers remained. We went through our first week in silence, knowing it was only time once we had the numbers from the Dumbledore's Army members. We were in Dark Arts class when a first year was brought in. "Today we will be practicing the torture curse." I felt Neville steel against me in his seat, his hands gripping his wand tight.
We were told to come up and do the curse on the first year, Neville got called first. "I won't do it." he told the woman, her sneer making my blood boil. "You will or you will be punished." she informed him and I stood up then, catching her attention. "A volunteer, how lovely. Guess we will have two practice dummies." Neville gave me a look, telling me to calm down and turned back. "This is insanity, no one will do this! You're crazy. You can't force me to!" he raised his voice, making the woman pull out her wand. The death eaters that brought the first year in took him by his arms and began to pull him from the room. I was on my feet and starting toward them when Neville spoke, "Aethna, just stay here. I don't want you getting hurt."
His words kept me still, he was so worried about me getting hurt even though I knew he was going to be punished for disobeying. I turned back after they took him away and saw a chubby boy doing the curse on the student. His screams were too much, I knew this pain would have killed Neville, knowing his parents suffered like this. I let out a growl and walked out the door, ignoring the shouts from the teacher. I began to search for Neville's scent, I would find him and protect him at all cost. I would expose myself before I let them hurt him.
I turned a corner and saw his shoe disappear into a room, I ran for it, but it was spelled closed. I banged on it, demanding to let him go. "Oi! What you think you're doing?" I turned and saw a man walking toward me, his ugly face grinning at me. "Mind your business and fuck off." I snapped and turned back to the door, trying to despell it, but nothing worked. A hand found my shoulder and I grabbed it, snapping the bone as I whipped around, eyes flashing and fangs barred. "Don't touch me!" I hissed at the man, who's face was shocked and curious at the same time.
"Well well, lookit here. What are you?" he asked, holding his wrist as he took a step back. "Is it worth dying over?" I asked and took a step toward him, feeling the rage in my body, I had no time for this fool, I needed to get to Neville. "Aethna, Scabior! What is this?" I knew his voice as his footsteps brought him closer to us. "Snape, this girl isn't normal. It's almost like she's a vam-" "She is none of your concern. Get back to your post." the man called Scabior met my eyes and smirked before turning and walking off. Snape turned and faced me, "Are you a fool? Put those away." he said, pointing to my fangs and claws.
"Why should I listen to you? You're just a traitor." I snapped, raising my hands to show him how deadly I was. "Because I am the headmaster and I will not be threatened by a student." "How about a vampire?" I asked, smirking, it would be so easy, I could avenge Dumbledore and end this now. His eyes flashed with worry, but he pulled out his wand and dispelled the door behind me. I was confused, looking over my shoulder and when I looked back, he was gone. I didn't dwell on that as I pushed the door open and saw Neville on the ground, the two death eaters standing above him.
"What the-" was all they could get out as I rushed forward, knocking their feet out with my leg and slamming them into the ground. "Aethna, get out of here." Neville got out as I helped him stand while the breath was still knocked out of the guys. "Not without you. Let's go." I said as they began to move and get to their feet. "Stupid kids!" I heard from behind and ducked in time to not be hit by the curse flying toward us. We ran around the corner, Neville was bloody and bruised, he was stumbling. "Neville, hold on to me." I said and he shook his head, I sighed and tossed him into my arms and took off running.
We made it to the common room without being seen and I sat him down in a corner, pulling a rag out to wipe his wounds. "I can take you to the nurse." "No, I heard them saying this is punishment, I would have to heal normally. It's alright though, did you stop them from doing the curse?" I shook my head, apologizing for not helping the first year, but I was worried about him. "It's alright. We'll get back at them. There's a meeting tonight for the Army. Luna and Ginny have been giving out the coins to the new members." I sighed, he was so brave and only cared about the safety of others. I wasn't like him. I would let thousands die if it meant he was spared.
That evening he led the meeting with the two girls, explaining what they would be working on and how we were going to fight back. We painted on the walls, saying we were recruiting and would take back Hogwarts. The death eaters I attacked wanted me to be punished, but Snape said I was being taken care of…it made me wonder if he was protecting me…but that wasn't possible, he was with the dark lord, he murdered our beloved Dumbledore. I was walking along the halls that evening, not tired after leaving the meeting.
"What is wrong with you? The girl needs to be dealt with. She poses a threaten to the Dark Lord." I blinked, my ears tuning into the private discussion happening in the room I had just walked by. "I do not take orders from you. The girl is of no matter. She's just a student." "That nearly broke my brother and cousin's ribs. And Scabior said there's something about her but refuses to tell me." "Alecto, are you believing the words of snatchers over the word of myself?"
The woman seemed to hesitate, but scoffed and I heard footsteps coming this way. "Of course not…the Dark Lord placed you in charge. I will obey his wishes." I sunk into the shadows as she exited and emerged when Snape exited. His shock was covered by his anger. "Students are not to roam the halls after bed. Get to your room." I cocked my head, trying to see if he was still the same man that vouched for me, the man that helped me learn to control myself. Who saved me from attacking a student, who took my attack himself and then covered for me.
He cleared his throat and I opened my mouth, making sure we were truly alone. "Are you protecting me?" his eyes widened slightly, but he recovered and shook his head. "I am protecting no one. Do as I say." I took a step toward him, sensing a pull inside. My blood was inside of him somewhere, I could tap into it if I got closer, maybe. "What are you doing?" I continued toward him, until there was only a couple feet between us. "I saved your life…my blood runs in you somewhat. Are you protecting me because of that?" He scoffed, but his eyes betrayed him, he was.
"Miss Chesmino, get to your common room and go to sleep." I stepped back, feeling conflicted by this truth, not even bothering to correct him on my name now. I turned and walked off, glancing back to see him still watching me. He shook himself and turned, storming off as I turned the corner, going to bed. We had to stop being so open about the Army after one of ours almost got killed for helping some first years escape detention. They were getting to their wits end with us and ready to just end us. Neville wore his wounds like a badge of honor, making sure everyone knew that he wouldn't stand for these barbaric monsters doing as they pleased.
Augusta's letters stopped coming after we returned from Christmas and I could tell how worried Neville was. Luna was taken from the train on the way back and Ginny would soon leave us as well, going into hiding with her family. We listened to the radio, and read the papers, hearing about what Harry and the others had been up to. Having to figure out the real story behind what the paper was twisting to make it seem like they were the bad guys and the Dark Lord the good guy. I was waiting for Neville in a courtyard, he had said he was waiting for word from his Gran at the owl post.
It was hours and he never showed, making me start searching. There was no way that he was just leaving me high and dry, something had to have happened to him. If he was hurt, I would murder them all, I was tired of hiding myself and letting him take the beatings. Somehow Snape had kept me from getting punished no matter what I did. I knew how it looked for the others, some of them stopped trusting me, even though Neville told them I would never betray and align with the dark lord. I searched the whole castle and no one had seen him, I couldn't figure out where he was. I paused at a corner and heard voices. "Where did he go? It's time to finally put him down." "I swear I saw him running this way." "Come on, he's not here."
It was the brother and sister storming off as I walked forward, smelling Neville's blood around, but couldn't figure where it was coming from. I sat and waited, he would show up soon, he had to. By morning, there was still no sign of him and I had fallen asleep. "Now, look at this pretty face. So pretty." I heard a voice, and felt a hand on my face. I opened my eyes and saw Scabior smiling at me, his nasty yellow teeth grinning as he ran his fingers along my cheek. I shoved him off and stood up, how could I let myself fall asleep in the open, how stupid was I.
"A fighter…I like it. You're special…Aethna…" his voice called my name and I shivered, I hated the way that sounded, like I was his and it made me feel disgusted. I walked off hearing his laughing echoing after me. I went and bathed firstly and then checked the common room for Neville. He was truly gone, but I knew he wasn't dead, there was no way he was dead. I didn't bother with classes after that, I stayed in the common room, where I was away from everyone's eyes and I wouldn't run into Scabior again. He made me feel like killing everyone.
Weeks passed and I was getting tired of being cooped up, I wanted to get out, feed and maybe rip some death eaters apart. At the end of April, I finally left the common room and was greeted by the brother and sister…who looked thrilled to see me. "Come along dear, there's someone here to see you." I blinked, had they caught Neville. I followed, my heart beating faster and faster with every step we took. They led me to a room and shoved me inside, slamming the door. I stood up, looking around as my eyes adjusted to the dark so I could see what was in it.
"My, you are stunning…sweet child." I froze, the voice was almost like a snake, it was hissing and made my skin creep. "Who are you? Show yourself." I called into the dark and when the voice stepped out, I blinked. It was somewhat of a man, his face slightly deformed and his eyes red and snake like. He was barefoot and his cloak floating around him as he walking toward me. "I am Lord Voldemort." my eyes shown my shock at the fact I was facing the Dark wizard that was the cause of this. "I have been told many things about…Aethna."