Book 4: Astoria Greengrass and the Curse of Quennell Park
Song rec: "Waking the Witch" by Kate Bush
Astoria ran faster, breaking away from her group. Rabastan's Legilimency made her keep losing balance. Nothing would get him out, and her head throbbed with conflicting forces as his slow words projected into her head like a glued Amplifying Charm. This was nothing like practising with Professor Sinistra.
So you're the one the Greengrasses are finally going to let us keep! The infamous Legilimens Amycus told me about! Poor thing! Who's witch are you? Malfoy's? Tsk tsk! The Malfoys have fallen out of favour.We need you for a Yaxley or a Selwyn.What do you like in a wizard, ma voyeuse?
Oh, tu parles français, Astoria? Ça va être amusant…
Astoria ran down the corridor off the Great Hall, but no sound could displace Rabastan's voice.
Aw, you don't like me? You haven't even met me. How can you be so sure you don't like me? I know what a hideous blood-traitor you are, but that doesn't mean I'll hurt you if you just do what we want. You see, my witch is a blood-traitor, too. I have to set her straight. You know her well, don't you? She trained you. You know my witch. You called to her.
That's right, show me Aurora…
No, no, show me Aurora Sinistra right now.
SHOW ME MY WITCH!
Down the basement, through the corridors, to the dungeons.
He was still there.
Through the halls, across the common room, up the stairs, and into the dorm.
He was screaming.
Astoria ran into the bathroom and heard the sound of her own breathing. Rabastan's voice was gone at last. Her roommates came in a few minutes later and started jabbering. Flora held her by the shoulders, bracing her balance.
"Astoria…"
"Please," Astoria said, sliding out of Flora's embrace.
The girls had trouble leaving her alone, but they ultimately did. Astoria clicked the door shut and ran a hot shower. Later, when she was sitting on the side of the tub wrapped in towels, a knock rapped against the dormitory door. She hurried her clothing back on. She heard Hestia ask who the visitor was.
"It's Professor Sinistra."
"DON'T OPEN THE DOOR," Astoria yelped, her breath displacing the bathroom steam.
"I'm not that witless, Astoria! The Lestrange brothers can't get back here anyway without getting cursed to hell and back," Hestia said. "But, er, I can't think of a security question for Professor Sinistra."
"Ask her what the Doppelvanga calls Snape," Astoria called as she drew her shirt over her head.
When Hestia posed the question, Professor Sinistra said "What a Mess" and was granted entry.
"Oh, it is tiny in here," the professor said. "Hello, everyone."
Astoria opened the door. Professor Sinistra had her hands folded in front of her.
"Professor Slughorn is addressing the other students in the common room. He's talking about safety and how to behave," Professor Sinistra said, seeming not to know where to stand in the small room.
"I can't imagine he's saying anything we haven't already figured out," Flora shrugged and sat on her bed to give Professor Sinistra more space.
"Astoria, I wanted a few quick words," the professor said as though there was somewhere else for them to go. "You shouldn't have indicated that we were close. I've tried to Obliviate Rabastan's memories of me multiple times over the years… and again just now, but he's smart to my intentions."
"Amycus told him anyway! Rabastan already knew you taught me Legilimency, and he Imperiused you, Professor!" Astoria said.
"He has tried to Imperius me as much as I have tried to Obliviate him. I'm so used to his attempts and so averse to his magic that I can handle it on my own. It is not your job to protect me. It is my job to protect you. You're sixteen. I thought I had made this clear."
"Well, I didn't think he would actually come to school," Astoria said.
"No one did," said the professor uncomfortably. "Anyway, I will not be holding any classes this week. I'm going to stay in my quarters in the tower and have Winky send my meals there. I'll have her send all of your meals here, as well. Flora, Hestia, I understand that due to your aunt and uncle, you must attend class. However, Astoria, Alexa… I would like you both to remain in your room this week. Keep your nazars hung over your beds. As you have seen, his Legilimency stings, and I understand he studies dream magic."
Astoria acquiesced, and Professor Sinistra bade her goodnight. Astoria and her roommates spent most of that night debating on whether they were more afraid to see Bellatrix Lestrange and Amycus in the morning or more afraid of the consequences of skipping class. In spite of Winky providing meals directly to their room, it was an even break. Flora said, "I know Amycus, and it's between 'suffer now' and 'suffer later.'"
On top of that, Bellatrix's absentee policy might be murder for all they knew.
The next morning, Astoria wolfed down her breakfast sitting atop her bed, and for a fleeting moment, she wondered what her parents would think of what she had become. No manners, no morals, and a body full of Dark magic. And here they had thought she died a martyr.
During her first free period, Draco was trying to prepare her as they sat in the common room, full of dread. He was paler than usual. Astoria didn't remember what her own usual was anymore.
"Bellatrix enjoys being involved in my life," Draco said. "Erm, she'll probably ask about, er… about us… I'm sure she's gathered it from somebody… Probably Alecto…"
He picked his fingers and kept opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Ultimately, he settled on, "It's my fault you've become mixed up in this."
Astoria rubbed his back, smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes that had been made by hunching over.
"Well, Draco, every relationship comes with problems. Some families have a racist uncle who ruins Christmas dinners. You have a homicidal aunt. Granted, it's a bit much to hand me," she said lightly, then changed her tone, "but I don't regret being your girlfriend."
Draco's stunning grey eyes kept their place on hers as he rubbed his temples.
"Well, I regret not giving you a better situation. I had no idea she was coming here. I never intended for you to see her in person. I never intended any of this."
"We can't change it, Draco," Astoria said.
As the time slipped away, Draco gave her so much advice on how not to aggravate Bellatrix that it seemed to amount to either being invisible or not existing at all. She tried to wipe the scowl from her face before heading to D.A.D.A. with her roommates.
"I don't like this," said Alexa once they left the common room.
"Oh, I really don't like this," said Alexa on the stairs.
"Merlin, Merlin, I don't like this."
From the hallway, Astoria saw Bellatrix. She sat at Amycus's desk with her hands folded in front of her. She had no mask today, and she looked like Andromeda Tonks's evil twin. Unlike last night's uniform, she wore a top with fishnet sleeves. Her maroon lipstick was similar to Flora's shade, but her mouth was held taut and cruel. Her eyelids were heavy, and her lashes lay low with both exhaustion and tedium. Astoria would not make the same mistake she did with Rabastan, though, and averted her eyes.
"Which class is this again?" Bellatrix sighed.
"Sixth-year N.E.W.T.s, so all Houses," Amycus said. "My girls are in this one."
"Mm, your girls? Were there two?"
Amycus cleared his throat and glanced out the door. His nieces were hiding in the hall until the last possible minute. Bellatrix raised her eyebrows.
"When will I get to see my nephew work in class?"
"Wednesday, Madam," Amycus said tersely.
"Mm."
Most Gryffindors were missing when the bells chimed to begin class. Amycus glared across the empty seats, and Astoria wondered where Ginny could be hiding out. The Slytherins were all there, though. Montel Davis and Horatio Pershore, who usually pulled fast ones on Amycus at the risk of being cursed, were on their best behaviour with Bellatrix in the room. Flora and Hestia were compelled by circumstance to greet Bellatrix formally, whilst Astoria and Alexa scurried past to get to their seats.
"Good morning, Madam Lestrange," they said with a small bow.
Bellatrix laughed at them, and asked Amycus, "Ha! Which one's which?"
"That one with the scratch on her face is Hestia. Our Flora does great with the Arts," Amycus introduced.
"Mm," said Bellatrix, staring them down. "Oh… Oh, I do see how to tell them apart, Amycus."
"Flora, sit down," Amycus mouthed.
For once, Flora and Hestia were eager to obey him. Flora dropped next to Astoria and rubbed the corners of her eyes. Hestia sneered as Imogen Stretton greeted Bellatrix sycophantically, but since Imogen was part of a family who had disobeyed the Dark Lord's orders, Bellatrix did not acknowledge her. Imogen glared sadistically at Astoria and bumped the side of her desk before she sat in the back with her vicious friends. By that point, Bellatrix had already invaded Amycus's mind, much to his palpable discomfort, and she anticipated the entire format of the class.
"You most often make them take notes on Flora's curses?"
"They gotta cast 'em on one another to pass the tests, Madam," Amycus explained.
"Yet many refuse and have no credit in this class," Bellatrix swiftly said. "There are several students who are content to have zeros."
"Er, I've Imperiused them, so," Amycus faltered. "Or I curse 'em myself when they don't wanna listen and do the spells."
"Why so much attention to Flora?" Bellatrix said. "You expect her to join our forces once she's of age? You claim she's skilled, but she's been holding back on you, Amycus. We do not need any more reluctant members amongst the Dark Lord's forces."
Amycus waffled between justifications and apologies, but Bellatrix's Legilimency was too slick for someone like him. It was taking Astoria great effort to ward Bellatrix off when she looked at her, but Bellatrix was nothing like Rabastan's level.
"Teach them my favourite already, Amycus. I know some of them can succeed."
"I'd love to, Madam, but Snape said—"
Amycus didn't get to finish his sentence before Bellatrix lunged for him, her hands threatening to tear the collar of his shirt. She was a head taller than him, and her long hair fell onto his shoulders.
"I'm still above Snape, you ungrateful snail!" she screamed. "And I am well above you. Your hospitality is quite lacking considering that your sister wrote me to come here, Amycus Carrow."
Bellatrix spidered a hand up his face and puckered his lips between her forefinger and thumb. If he didn't already, Amycus undoubtedly regretted his correspondence with the Lestranges now.
"What were you doing whilst I rotted in Azkaban, again?" Bellatrix respired in his face. "The Dark Lord asked everyone but you…"
The veins in Amycus's forehead tensed above his twitching eyes, and he dug his nails into his palm. Hestia seemed to relish the discomfort Bellatrix was causing her sadistic uncle, but Flora held her clasped hands against her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. Bellatrix leaned to Amycus's ear, whispering things Astoria was much too close not to hear.
"Care to know what I was doing as the dementors ate my little black heart away? I was reading letters that had already been inspected by you, your tacky magic all over the envelopes… And then… after a while… the letters stopped coming to me. But I wonder what happened to all the letters I sent out, Amycus… Did you censor them with a forgery spell? I know they became too much to censor… You started purging them all in the fire… Oh, Amycus, I doubt I could have protected Andromeda with that technique. Quite a way to spend your evenings, always on guard for owls to come by…"
Amycus's scowl itched for violence, but he was far below Bellatrix in both rank and ability. She let go of his face, wiped her hand of his sweat, and took over the class.
"You there, Stretton!"
Imogen Stretton jumped out of her seat and stood attention. Bellatrix waved her arm dramatically, and Imogen shuffled to the front of the room. Having dismissed Amycus off to the side, Bellatrix now grabbed Imogen's head on either ear, ruffling her hair.
"You lost your mummy, didn't you? You know it's her own fault, don't you? She was supposed to be ready to deploy for the Dark Lord, not off playing Whack-a-Niffler at the Greengrasses'… But I understand how sad you must be, dearie… I know who killed your mummy. It was her family," Bellatrix snapped, pointing at Astoria. "Come up here, Greengrass."
Forget the need for Occlumency — Astoria's mind went blank with fear, and she shivered as she stood. Bellatrix circled round her and rested her chin on Astoria's shoulder. She cooed French privately in her ear.
"Your Maman knows my rotten baby sisters. It seems our families are close. And yet no one's ever introduced you to me… Astoria? I'm part of the family, too. It is so exciting to meet you."
Bellatrix wrapped her arms round Astoria tightly, clawing at the soft underside of her upper arms.
"Do you know that blood-traitor is as bad as Mudblood, Astoria? Your naughty family has centuries of debt to its bloodline. Oh, but I wonder where you get this Legilimency and this Dark magic, my sweet. It's nestled in your body. Are you addicted yet?"
Bellatrix held Astoria to the spot and told Imogen Stretton to raise her wand.
"Now, I'll hold her here, dearie," she said in English to Imogen. "All you have to do is think of your dead mummy and say 'Crucio' right at this little blood-traitor."
Imogen's face contorted. She had been waiting for months to do this without repercussions. Astoria shut her eyes. She should have stayed in her dorm. She should have… she should have done a lot of things differently…
"Crucio!" shouted Imogen.
Blackout pain surged between Astoria's skin and muscle. There was no one place on her body to hold, to stifle, to mentally block or overcome. Her whole existence was pain, twisting and burning. She screamed, cried, and convulsed, but Bellatrix's lemon balm perfume was the only other thing in the room she sensed besides the hellish torture. Astoria had no sense of time; when she hit the hardwood quivering, it could have been a minute later or the next day. Bellatrix smacked a spell against Astoria, and she flew up to her feet. Imogen still stood in front of her, content with her actions, though not exactly brimming with delight as Astoria imagined she might be.
"Now, now, don't be so glum, Greenie," Bellatrix tittered at Astoria's ear. "It's your turn."
Imogen's contentment faded instantly. She had not had a single curse cast on her in this class, let alone the Cruciatus Curse.
"W-What?" Astoria muttered, her skin still burning.
Bellatrix jabbed her dark, curved wand into Astoria's cheek.
"What's the matter? You don't want to get her back for what she did to your family? You need to focus on that hatred, Greengrass. You need to do this right. Be a witch for once."
Imogen Stretton was mouthing something frantically to Diane Carter and Olivia Shardlow. Astoria couldn't stand any of them. They had ruined Rhiannon's first two years of school. Not to mention the stock Imogen came from. Her mother had murdered Renshaw and Gracie.
"That's it, sweetie," Bellatrix hummed.
Astoria added bricks to her wall of Occlumency to get Bellatrix out. Astoria knew Imogen wouldn't have come up with the same idea to go kill people as her mother, even if given the chance. Imogen was a horrible person, but the ability to murder someone simply wasn't in her. Astoria's fresh experience of the Cruciatus Curse gave her two trains of thought. She deeply wanted to exact revenge, but at the same time, this level of pain should be reserved for people worse than Imogen. Astoria knew it firsthand now — it was not a curse to fantasise about. But Bellatrix bruised Astoria's cheek with the tip of her wand.
"Get on with the curse, Greengrass. What does Amycus do when you kiddies don't obey? Imperius you? Ha! As I am sure you have guessed, the Carrows are under a no-kill order from Snape. I outrank Snape. There is only one person above me… and I believe you know who that is."
A death threat, nice. Well, Imogen wasn't evil enough to get the Cruciatus Curse simply because someone said, but she was evil enough to curse when the other option was to get killed oneself. Draco was right. Astoria's hesitation was gone.
"Crucio."
Astoria's hand pulsed with the strength of twenty more of herself. It was not as difficult to maintain this spell as some had claimed. What did that say about human nature, and more importantly, what did that say about Astoria? She found it easy to tune out the screams of someone who stood for the ideals that had killed and exiled her family. But the other students shut their eyes and covered their ears.
"Very good," Bellatrix said, and Astoria pulled her wand away from Imogen.
Astoria was grateful to stop, but she knew deep down she wasn't sorry. She stared at the girl on the floor, who used the desks to clamber back to her feet and go cry on Diane Carter. It had only been a moment or two…
Bellatrix didn't like either Imogen or Astoria and was riding the high of having seen them both in pain. Throughout the rest of the class, Bellatrix forced the remaining students to take turns on each other. She settled into Amycus's desk and made him go get her food. Knowing that he (miraculously) had not spat in or poisoned it, she plopped the snacks into her mouth, watching the students' pain like a theatre production. Flora had to injure Alexa, who couldn't so much as pinch her in return. Montel and Horatio had no choice but to hurt one another, although their profound reluctance made it brief, like stubbing toes. Bellatrix then tried a little harder to mix enemies together for her entertainment. Hestia and Diane Carter went up at the same time, and it turned quite violent after the initial exchange of Cruciatus Curses. Bellatrix let their duel escalate to the point that there was damage to the room's interior before separating them. Hestia knotted her hair into a bun and wiped a fleck of blood off her face. Amycus looked on proudly for winning, so Hestia snarled at him.
When the bells tolled to change classes, everyone ran into a bottleneck at the door, as there had not been a single student present who hadn't felt the Cruciatus Curse to some extent. However, Rabastan Lestrange was in the hallway nearby. He had come looking for Astoria after what must have been countless attempts to get into Astronomy Tower. Astoria tried to escape with Flora and Hestia, but Bellatrix grabbed her and pulled her backwards. Everyone who had not slipped past Rabastan turned to see what was happening as Bellatrix tugged Astoria's hair until her forehead hurt.
"You're horrible for him!" Bellatrix hissed. "I can't fathom how he ever picked filth like you!"
She then Banished Astoria with her wand into the hall, where Rabastan waited with open arms. He seemed to take interest in Bellatrix's departing comments as they exchanged Astoria.
With an odd lassoing motion, he put a Full-Body Bind Curse on Astoria and Levitated her above his head where she couldn't see anything but the ceiling. Flora and Hestia had apparently raised their wands to Rabastan despite their better judgment, but a few cracks of that wand-whip told Astoria that their actions had been in vain. Instead of going to Arithmancy, which would have been welcomingly anti-climatic after Bellatrix, she watched the ceiling change on a long walk with Rabastan. She guessed he was taking her to Astronomy Tower by the turns he made. As she floated, Astoria actually spent more time trying to think of how to explain this fiasco to Professor Sinistra than how to get away. She had told Professor Sinistra she would stay in her dormitory to avoid things like this.
Rabastan discarded the spells at the foot of Astronomy Tower, throwing Astoria against the entrance door, which was obviously enchanted shut. Rabastan tapped his foot and tried to stare Astoria down. He rolled and unrolled the leather extension on his wand.
"How did you like the Cruciatus Curse, Astoria?" he asked. "Not too much, right?"
His voice was high-pitched and slow. Astoria stood up and stared at his feet. If she tried to run or call for help, he'd probably cast the curse he spoke of.
"Well, how did you like casting the Cruciatus Curse?" he followed up with a laugh. "It feels so good, doesn't it? You feel it deep in your chest."
He rubbed his gloved hand over his own chest, which was bandaged beneath his robes after Professor Sinistra's Gouging Spell.
"I know you're Aurora's favourite student. There's a lot of unfinished business between her and me. Aurora always avoids me, though. Whatever happened to talking it out, right? I love a good communicator. That Legilimency wavelength she has with Snape? I bet I could do that with her. I bet I could."
Rabastan paced back and forth, his footsteps echoing against the floor and walls.
"She's got the Bloody Baron in that tower, too. He did some spooky stuff to me earlier. I was frightened," Rabastan mocked. "Yeah, he doesn't like me. He says I'm on the 'path to destruction' or something. He takes my presence really personally. Now he's Aurora's guard-dog. Guard-ghost? Whatever. I don't care about her Spiritualist bunkum. Hey, you're really quiet, by the way. So, let's see… Ah. You don't know how to get up there after all. It'd be better for you if you did know. Now I'm going to have to make you scream to get her attention. She doesn't listen when I scream."
Rabastan cracked his whip on the stone wall behind Astoria to startle her, and the noise was deafening.
"I guess it's the Cruciatus for you, baby. I know she'll come running for you, so be extra loud for me, mm'kay? Cru–"
"Expelliarmus!" Astoria cast on impulse, for her body knew the pain was imminent.
Rabastan's wand flung from him like a thrown snake, twisting in the air. Only to keep it from hitting her face, Astoria grabbed the handle on its way down as Rabastan snatched the leather braid. The thing stirred in her sweaty palm. In horror, Astoria dropped it.
"Aw, no tug-of-war?" Rabastan laughed. "Well, you're just no fun, Astoria Greengrass! Cruci—"
"Protego Nidhogg!"
The Shield erupted round her and she at last made her escape. Her choice of spell, unfortunately, only attracted Rabastan more. He ran after her, his black robes flapping with the force of his speed. He took great delight in slandering her at the top of his lungs.
"YOU'RE A DARK WITCH‽ ASTORIA GREENGRASS IS A DARK WITCH! A GREENGRASS IS USING DARK MAGIC! SHE'S NO CLEANER THAN ME, NOOOO SIR! SHE'S DIIIIRTY! YUCK! SHE TOUCHED MY WAAAAND! EEK! AH HA HA HA! PROTEGO NIDHOGG!"
He rapped the whip against her Shield as he cast his own version, and their Shields soon grated against each other. With a terrifying roar like a derailed train, five dragons sprouted from Rabastan's Shield whilst her lone dragon was still spawning. They reached the balcony of the Grand Staircase, and he rammed the black dome against hers, threatening to push her over. His dragons gnashed their teeth at her Shield. It would break before her fall if she didn't brace herself and jump now…
Between the staircase rungs that her spell had torn to shreds, Astoria leapt, falling between the shifting staircases at sickening speed. Even with the Shield, the sight of so much space between her feet and the bottom floor roused her panic. She collided with a flight of stairs, drilling a huge cavern into it and sending wood flying everywhere before her Shield broke. She crawled across the damage as she heard more commotion above.
"LESTRANGE!"
It was Snape's voice. As Astoria skipped steps on her way down, she heard the two wizards' brief scuffle. It seemed like Snape had out-cast Rabastan in no time.
"Rabastan, I will have you know that this is my school you are damaging. I would be more than happy to inform the Dark Lord that you are working out of self-interest and have gathered surprisingly little intelligence regarding Undesirable Number One for such a powerful Legilimens."
Rabastan cussed his worst at Snape but made sure to let Astoria know he hadn't forgotten her.
"Oh, I'm gonna ruin you, cupcake!" he called as she fled down the stairs.
To avoid harassment or worse, Professors Flitwick, Hagrid, and Firenze joined Professor Sinistra in cancelling their classes for the week. Astoria wouldn't have gone to Charms, anyway; she was staying right in her room. She did absolutely nothing on Tuesday, and when she skipped both Carrows' classes on Wednesday, it didn't count as the brave decision it normally would have been.
"Malfoy's been asking us about you every ten minutes," Hestia commented as she returned from Rodolphus-enhanced Muggle Studies.
Astoria was still trying to cast a Patronus for Draco's nightly walks, but it had taken her considerably more attempts the past two nights. Still, she persisted, since she had no idea what the Lestranges' command of dementors might be, or if they would harm Draco for his dealings with a blood-traitorous Greengrass.
"Did you tell him I'm fine?" asked Astoria.
"Yeah, to shut him up," Hestia said. "Maybe you could step out to the stairs to go prove you're alive sometime."
"I will. So how was Rodolphus?"
"He just added some racist comments and didn't do much," said Hestia. "I think he was using it as a napping opportunity after interrogating so many students about Harry Potter."
"Alecto's ego was injured considerably once he started to snore," Flora added.
"Has Rabastan tried to curse you again?" Astoria questioned.
"No, we haven't seen him. Have you seen him, Alexa?"
"Er, no, but I heard he sent Neville Longbottom to the Hospital Wing with a Nightmare Curse. And he's really been trying to impress students in the History classes. Some of them think what Rabastan's saying is true, just because it's someone to pay attention to besides Professor Binns."
"All the more reason for us to take precautions," Hestia said. "I didn't like what Sinistra said about Rabastan using dream magic. So yesterday, before class, I asked Professor Slughorn if we might switch the lesson round for double Potions. He's taken a liking to me in spite of Amycus and Alecto because I do everything right—"
Flora rolled her eyes at her sister.
"— so," Hestia continued, "we made huge cauldrons of Dreamless Sleep Potions. They finished today."
Hestia set down her heavy bag and drew out several large glass bottles wrapped in her green-and-silver scarves. The potion was light purple and shimmery, but Hestia cautioned that it tasted like mulch, inadvertently implying that she knew what mulch tasted like.
"It has three lavender and valerian sprigs each, three cups of ground betony for visions and nightmares, six peony sprigs for fears, extra periwinkle for protection against Dark magic, and a whole pound of lilac chastetree blossoms for those awkward dreams everyone gets about the cashier at Honeydukes. Oh, and the base is water and powdered milk. I'm working on the dairy-free version, but that's my own experiment."
"That's very nice, Hestia!" Astoria said, admiring the creation.
"I'm distributing it free of charge," Hestia said proudly.
Hestia had a habit of using ingredients supplied for free by the school to make profitable concoctions to sell in the Hog's Head and Knockturn Alley. It wasn't exactly noble that Hestia decided not to charge this time, but her hard work was admirable.
"Madam Pomfrey is drawing up the proper dosages of our potions and giving them to the students who can't make their own. Anyway, here are our phials for each night. You just fill it up to the notch," Hestia said, shaking them in the candlelight. "It'll put you straight to sleep, though, so don't take it till you're ready for bed. Also, you should have a drink of water ready since it tastes so mulchy."
"Hestia… did you eat dirt as a child?" Alexa joked.
"Listen, listen. I had career aspirations," Hestia replied. "Anyways, here's to Merlin's mum getting child support."
Hestia raised her phial and downed her drink, and she went to bed almost straightaway. Astoria still planned to cast a Patronus for Draco that night, so she took much less than her allotted dose. Still, she fell into an uncharacteristically peaceful slumber. Flora, though, had built up a tolerance to this formula ages ago and took her usual potions that were custom-brewed by Hestia but less tranquilising. It was for that reason that Flora was later roused from her sleep and able to wake Astoria up.
"F-Flora?" Astoria mumbled, rubbing her eyes as Flora shook her shoulders.
"Well, I'm not Hestia."
"What's wrong?"
"More than one thing."
Astoria sat up against the soporific's force. Flora's face was pallid. Her pyjamas were triple-knotted, and her dressing gown was already on.
"Parkinson's gone away with the fairies," Flora said. "She cast Merlin-knows-what in the halls and everyone's door opened."
"What?"
"Ours included. See how all the nazars Professor Sinistra gave us are gone? Parkinson used a Summoning Charm bigger than I've ever seen in my life, and everyone's nazars went flying out of the room. I was in a light sleep as usual, and I ran over to the door. Parkinson's Reducting the nazars to bits. You know what that tells me? Rabastan Lestrange got her."
Astoria leapt out of bed. Flora had already shut and secured the door again, and Astoria couldn't see anything through the peep hole. Her Foe-Shard was presently empty. Parkinson must not have been in range anymore.
"We have to stop Parkinson. She's lost it," Astoria said, and to her surprise, Flora agreed.
"Well, shouldn't we wake the others?" Astoria followed up.
"No," Flora said quickly, lending Astoria one of her cloaks. "They can't use the magic we can. Let them sleep — the potion will protect them. I already wrote a note for Hestia."
What kind of note? A letter goodbye? Astoria's mind forced upon her.
She quickly flipped through her grimoire in the light from her wand, trying to review any Dark spells she might need against Parkinson or worse. In silence, they left the dormitory. Flora took the extra time to fortify the door on account of Parkinson's new spell. There was a lot of blue dust on the floor in the hallway, remnants from the protective nazars that Parkinson had destroyed.
"I don't think Parkinson can use the magic that opened up all the rooms. She's likely Imperiused," said Flora darkly.
"We're in for worse news if she's not Imperiused and this was her idea," Astoria remarked, tightly squeezing her wand.
She cast the Disillusionment Charm on them both and Silenced the bottom of their shoes, which was the new normal for sneaking about. She and Flora noticed that most others still had their doors wide open, yet it seemed like everyone was still asleep. Astoria wondered if the sedative potions had been a bad idea, since it had led them to sleep through Parkinson's intrusion. Deciding that they didn't have time to shut everyone's doors since the greater problem was ahead of them, Astoria and Flora walked to the dormitory steps. There was no one in the common room, but from the landing, they had a clear view to the parallel hallway of the boys' dormitories. Their doors were all open, too.
How is nobody waking up from this? Astoria fretted. She knew that not everyone had taken the Dreamless Sleep Potion. There hadn't been enough to distribute everywhere, let alone ensure that everyone took it properly. Flora cast a few Revealing Charms into the common room. Nothing happened, but neither girl wanted to leave the stairs. Rabastan was a Legilimens, and he could have acquired the Slytherin common room's password by way of torture even if he wasn't. Astoria's concern for her fellow Slytherins was what ultimately made her leave the steps. Flora followed closely behind. Crossing the common room felt like walking through rushing water. It would be easier and safer to turn back. Astoria climbed the boys' steps with her wand ready to fire.
The sound of glass shattering was not far ahead. Flora joined Astoria's side as they followed the spiralling hallway and marvelled at the number of people sound asleep in their open dormitories.
"Flora, there's a spell on them," Astoria gasped as she passed Draco's room, where no one stirred. "People who didn't take the Dreamless Sleep Potion should have awakened when their doors opened. There's a lot of noise."
"You're right. If they took Hestia's potion, they'd be asleep anyway, but if they didn't… Damn it… they'd have no protection against dream magic! Parkinson must've bewitched them to stay asleep."
"Are you certain that it's Parkinson back here?" Astoria demanded as they drew closer to the noise.
"I saw her in our hallway breaking things," was all Flora could guarantee. "What's your Foe-Shard doing?"
Astoria Disillusioned her wrist and checked it once more.
"It has Parkinson now, but… I don't know, Flora. This feels bad."
They came upon a fresh pile of blue shards and dust. Pansy Parkinson was facing them. Her hair, which had become increasingly wiry with stress this year, was plaited over her shoulder and tied off with a little pink bow. Her glossed eyes were moving faster than anyone could wilfully glance side to side. As Parkinson spoke incantations, a string of drool fell onto the breast of her frilly nightgown. She swayed her wand back and forth absently. Astoria noticed her feet were not touching the ground.
Good God.
This was the worst Astoria had ever seen someone Imperiused. When Crouch had Imperiused Rhiannon, she had seemed nothing more than a happier version of herself. When Draco confessed that he had Imperiused Madam Rosmerta, he had cast it in such a way that she could still go about her life. The hotel employee Alecto had tricked had only been under it for business purposes. Even Adamina had focused her gaze when under Lofthouse's curse. Pansy Parkinson, though, was gone. She couldn't see with her open eyes because she was in rapid-eye movement sleep. She might choke on her own spit. Her head rolled back. Her arm raised at the remaining nazars.
"Syssorevounlitho," Parkinson sleep-talked.
"Oh — Protego!" Astoria screeched, but it only covered her own body. "FLORA!"
"Protego!" Flora said, thankfully in time.
The glass chunks from the nazars crashed together until a sharp, weaponised ball of glass clattered against itself. Astoria had used this spell in the Astronomy Library and knew there would be no way Parkinson was going to control the path of the boulder. The cutting weapon soon went rogue, driving itself into the walls and knocking out several torches, which caught fire on the rug.
"Aguamenti!" both Flora and Astoria cast to put out the flames before they ignited the whole hallway. The violent, cursed boulder grew larger as it picked up more nazars from students' open rooms, and glass constantly broke against their Shields. Then the boulder rolled up over Astoria's Shield, snagging runs like torn hosiery into her protection. She was trying to fortify her Shield again when Flora cried out in surprise. The glass boulder had run its own caster over, leaving her body floating just one inch above the floor, where her blood was dripping profusely.
Doesn't feel too nice, does it, Pansy? Astoria scowled to herself, recalling that Parkinson had once thrown her against a mirror that shattered into the skin of her neck.
The cursed object managed to get through an open dormitory doorway, and Astoria sprinted onward.
"Staunch Parkinson's bleeding! I have to stop that thing!" she yelled to Flora.
Astoria followed the amalgamation into Montel's room. He, along with Horatio Pershore, Curtis Evercreech, Sebastian Daley, and Kieran Harper were fast asleep. Curtis, who was closest to the door, had already taken a hit as the boulder rolled across his bed. Astoria couldn't Reduct it like one was supposed to do with this spell, since the glass chunks would go everywhere. She couldn't Vanish it either, since it was Dark magic. She had to use reverse logic. She let her own Shield go and re-cast it on the boulder to contain the glass. Its force didn't change, and it made wood chips out of one of the desks in the room.
Astoria jumped onto Sebastian's bed and threw herself on the moving Shield, stabbing her wand into its membrane. Her body rolled sideways against it, right in the path of danger, but she Reducted the boulder successfully within its new container before it could pummel her. Everyone round her was under a deep sleeping spell, so once she determined that Curtis wasn't going to bleed out, she ran back out to the hall. There, she laid eyes on the form of an adult human, a poseur of incubi.
She screamed so hard it hurt. Rabastan had restrained the now-visible Flora with a sour spell, and her head was stuck in the crook of his elbow. The leather of his wand was pulled taught against her throat. Astoria saw the dent from it in Flora's skin.
"Bonjour, Greengrass!" Rabastan hollered, Revealing her quickly.
He began to choke Flora. Astoria, once again, was forced to aim to kill.
"Ah — ah — ah!" Rabastan shook his head. "I'll scalp your icky little Carrow in a heartbeat. Drop your wand. You liked mine more anyway."
Rabastan must have just arrived. His eyes fell on Parkinson, and did he ever laugh. Parkinson would die if she caught even the most affectionate parts of Rabastan's attention. But she wasn't floating anymore. Her body was limp on the floor, and her white gown was splashed with red. Astoria seethed with anger and dropped her wand. Flora had been left defenceless as she wasted time healing the worthless Parkinson per Astoria's command. Was this what being a good person got her? If Flora had forgotten about stupid Parkinson and remained armed…
"I'll let the Carrow go if you play nicely with me, Greengrass," Rabastan hummed, rubbing his cheek against the top of Flora's head.
"What do you want? My Astronomy teacher?" Astoria snapped. "You're just going to trade out Flora for me and drag me up the tower again. What's your big plan, Rabastan? Threaten to dice me up if she doesn't sleep with you? You might as well dice me up now."
Rabastan's sharp teeth shone in his smile.
"Astoria, run!" Flora begged, but Rabastan Silenced her.
"Those are all beautiful ideas, Greengrass," Rabastan relished, trying to make them out to be Astoria's fault. "Let's start with you walking over here, and I won't kill this little worm."
In self-sacrificing foolishness, Flora squirmed, trying to keep Astoria from getting closer. Well, Flora wasn't dying on Astoria's watch. Astoria marched right up to the fiend. Rabastan was dressed to kill but had a smell on him Astoria couldn't place. He gripped Flora by the dressing gown and flung her sideways, then he whipped her hard in the back. Flora's mouth opened in a scream which had no sound, and her hands traced over the sting. Then she seemed to fall asleep. She was breathing. She wasn't dead. It must have been…
"The Nightmare Curse, yes, very good, cupcake," Rabastan injected, and he jumped to grab Astoria. "I do love giving people bad dreams. I'm having that Carrow dream all the fascinating little things she Occludes during the day. Let's go for a walk, hm?"
Astoria stumbled trying to get up from having her collar pulled over her head, but it wasn't working. She had to lock her arms on Rabastan's just to stay on her feet, otherwise she'd end up being dragged on the floor by the hair.
"Why are you using Occlumency, Greengrass? I can turn back round and go slaughter your Malfoy if you don't open up for me a little. Let's be nice for me, okay? Peek-a-boo!"
Rabastan had folded the leather braid up on his wand and butted it on the back of her head. Astoria's ears started to ring, and her head shook, but the more she shook, the more her clothes choked her. Her vision blurred in a sea of damask patterns on the rug.
"Oh ho! I could take you to Azkaban for your crimes, Greengrass," Rabastan purred.
"Why don't you, then?" Astoria shouted as he weaved through her head.
"Oh, you want to go? You'd be so proud to say you've wronged us enough to be personally escorted to prison. You'd try to be a beacon of hope for the other prisoners, too. I know your type. So self-righteous! No, ma voyeuse, you humiliated me during our little fight. It's my turn to humiliate you… You Greengrasses have avoided noble families like ours for most of history. Oh — oh, and don't get me started with the Ciels! You Ciels have run from our pursuits for as long as any can remember! I wonder what made you think you're better than the House of Lestrange."
Rabastan butted the handle of his wand against her head again, where it would bruise.
"You little hoity-toity, holier-than-thou Greengrass!" Rabastan singsonged. "Tell me what you hate the most, cupcake. The nastiest feeling you have. C'mon, play peek-a-boo with me again. Look at my face. BAD GIRL! DON'T YOU DARE OCCLUDE ME! I'LL KILL DRACO! LEGILIMENS!"
Astoria's brain was sloshing in its skull. She knew she must have been screaming. Professor Sinistra's spell was never like this. Astoria wondered if she had ever cast the spell this harshly herself. She tugged on Rabastan's fragranced sleeves involuntarily, and he smacked her knuckles.
"I got it! Ooh la la!" Rabastan's voice hit her ears from the inside. "You don't like the reason behind your lives being spared because you're pureblood? Shouldn't you be grateful to have your life? Shouldn't you be happy to have that silver band on your wrist? You're of better stock! Oh, but you don't like it. You don't want to be looked at that way. You're better than that, hmmm? Little Greengrass doesn't want to raise her babies in the Dark Lord's reign, no sir! Little Greengrass doesn't want to do her part for the race of Wizardkind!"
Rabastan threw Astoria from his arms. The whip cracked on her face and drew burning blood. She started Levitating, but only enough for him to throw her to a couch in the common room, which nearly toppled backwards with the force of her hitting it. She grabbed the cushions and sat up on her knees, but the whip cracked against her neck, and she screamed and fell over. There had been no spell behind it — it just hurt like a bitch.
"I've been hard at work crafting my next big nightmare. Oh, it's been so long since I've done this… I can't wait," Rabastan said somewhere to the side.
Astoria saw his boots go past her as she finally got her feet under her and stood up, holding her neck tightly and trying to find a way to run. He knocked her back down without effort.
"You'll never believe how amazing this is, cupcake — it's an improved Nightmare Curse, a specialty of mine. I can inject everyone in range with a hallucination of my choosing and give them sleep paralysis. According to my sources, it feels like I'm right on their chests! So let's see what I can create for my audience tonight. I do like when it's looks real for them. Don't worry. I won't leave you out, Greengrass. I wouldn't want you to miss the show. You, Astoria, are the star."
The tail of the whip cracked again, barely missing Astoria's wet eyes, and she started to drift. She heard Rabastan's menacing voice utter the incantation, "Karabastu Karabasan," before her body froze up and a great weight crushed her chest. She was unable to escape or wake up. A full-colour nightmare knotted deep in her psyche.
A girl with brunette, thickly waving hair stands in the dark. In her hands, she holds an instrument of wonder, a golden gyroscope with a small, glittering hourglass in its centre. It is a godlike tool, permitting navigation of time and rendering the concept childish. The girl hooks it to a chain, and it dangles back and forth as she walks. She comes upon a grand house in the northern countryside, one of the many temporary lairs of the Dark Lord in His younger days. Yes, the house is grand, but it is still not befitting for His Greatness. Nor is the girl, but there is a point to be made. There is Dark magic between the meat of her muscle and the soft of her skin, and the pure blood in her veins is quite capable of hosting magic blacker than age. She hails from the House of Greengrass. By the time of the Dark Lord's new reign, she is the last one in the country, having been forsaken by the rest. The Greengrasses' family motto reads, "By Earth, Honour," but this witch sought things not of this world. Her family knew what stirred within her and left her to her fate. A darling black sheep.
The Dark Lord's cloaked silhouette stood in the doorway to the mansion. His Greatness was not fond of this doxy. Her House was known to bear Squibs. However, lest the last Greengrass waste her blood with those even more tainted, the Dark Lord allowed her presence. He knew all time. He knew all space. He had foreseen the purity of the children He would sire by Astoria Greengrass. She surrenders the Time Turner to Him as she meets Him at the door, and kisses the hem of His robe. He removes His hood, and she is captivated by His handsome youth and smooth, dark hair. He would not always remain in this mortal form. Nor would she wish it upon Him. Many sacrifices of the body must be made to pursue the Dark Arts…
"Stupefy!"
Astoria, shaken to the bones, jolted awake at the sound of an honest voice. Professor Slughorn had hit Rabastan with a massive Stunning Spell, and his small body hit the stone wall like a fly that had finally failed to evade a swat. Astoria's burning wounds lit up like fire once more now that she was awake, but they were nothing compared to the shame of the dream that Rabastan had shoved into the minds of her peers.
Astoria felt less than herself. She could not stop shaking. How could someone even come up with an idea so horrible? She and Voldemort? Well, if anyone could invent something so dire, it would be the person who tortured Neville's parents into insanity. The person who stalked Professor Sinistra after nearly twenty years of rejections and rebuffs. The person who had left his own biggest fan bleeding on the hallway floor.
Snape followed Professor Slughorn in, and followed up on his spells as well, cursing Rabastan back and forth. But it was too late — enough of the shameful dream had been sown already. Rabastan had wanted to humiliate Astoria, feeding not only upon what disgusted her most about pure-blood status but also the students' lingering doubts as to why she alone remained in the country. A mate to Voldemort? Her nausea bubbled. Rabastan invested a frightening amount of energy in personalising these fears. It was because she was connected to Professor Sinistra. It was because he was a sadist. Astoria had no wand to retaliate, only shaking, clammy hands. She shoved the side table out of her way and stormed across the room to where the monster lay belly-up. She crouched over Rabastan's now powerless, pained, and twitching body, and unearthed the metal Muggle instruments he kept along his hips.
That was not the only thing she found. He kept a phial of horrid Amortentia, which Astoria broke hard against the floor. The smell, now pungent, filled her with absolute desire, but in this moment, it was the desire to kill. She hardly knew what she was doing. She straddled him and grabbed his throat, smothering his Adam's apple in one hand. As the unholy musk from him entered her nose, he woke, and they met eyes. Behind his dilating pupils lay a greater evil than could be fathomed, even by Astoria's hardened heart. Rabastan was someone she did not mind kicking when he was down, and he still was too groggy to mind being kicked. She grabbed the sharpest tool she could feel along his belt. She drew back the rusty pick, intending much for his skin, but he caught her wrist at the last moment like it had all been a game of suspense.
"Mmm, your anger feels quite like hers," Rabastan whirred breathlessly before Astoria was forcibly swept away by a spell from Snape.
She bewailed being unable to do ill against Rabastan. She protested many, many things as Professor Slughorn held her back and conjured a shock blanket over her hunched shoulders. Snape grabbed Rabastan by the collar and hoisted him face-to-face.
"What blasphemy against the Dark Lord!" Snape spit. "What filthy, wretched dishonour you have done, Lestrange! All of you depart from this school tonight, or I will disclose to the Dark Lord the slander you have committed against him! Did you not realise that I, too, was in range of your spell? Did you doubt I could overcome such a carnival? What went through your dementor-rotted brain, you insolent scum?"
Slander against the Dark Lord! What about Astoria? What about the horrible accusations she was bound to face in the morning? What about the terrifying thoughts and comments Draco would wake to? What about her sense of safety, her sense of dignity? And what about Flora, lying somewhere with whip-wounds on her back and an even worse nightmare playing through her head? Forget the damn Dark Lord!
For all the havoc he had wreaked, Rabastan finally seemed to put two and two together upon hearing Snape's threat, and Astoria watched him squirm anxiously. In Death Eater's terms, Rabastan had indeed defamed their deity figure by advertising him as having relations with a blood-traitor, a Greengrass at that. A Greengrass who had been the closest friend of Slytherin's Blot, not the lover of Slytherin's Heir.
It was so farfetched and perverted that Voldemort, the very wizard in question, wouldn't even have imagined it. Rabastan had acted thoughtlessly for the sake of shock value. Astoria, who would probably have to spend ages undoing the reputation this collective dream had given her, knew that there would be no way for Rabastan to answer to Voldemort for this. Now that his fantasy and fun was over, Rabastan was begging Snape for his life.
"Please, please—" Rabastan cried, and Astoria held the sound of his begging very close.
"Your worthless, selfish life?" Snape hissed. "You have not spent one minute gathering information about Harry Potter, which was your duty. You are no better than Stretton, absorbed with self-interest — no, you are worse than Stretton. Rabastan… I could simply bypass our Lord and go straight to Bella to say what you have done…"
"NO, NO, PLEASE! PLEASE! KILL ME BEFORE THAT! PLEASE! I'LL GO! I'M GOING! PLEASE LET ME GO! I'LL LEAVE!" Rabastan wailed.
"You are not to set foot in my school ever again."
Snape's voice was terrible enough to chill the whole room.
"Yes, yes, of course, please DON'T TELL BELLA!" Rabastan quivered.
Snape cast a ruthless curse that balled Rabastan's body up in a foetal position and then hoisted him upside-down into the air, his dress cloak and whip rippling downward. Snape did not say a word to Astoria as he passed her by, only addressing Professor Slughorn.
"Horace, there are wounded students in the boys' corridor. Please assist them whilst I take out the rubbish. The other students may begin to awaken now that Rabastan's incapacitated, so please be prepared to handle the situation."
Professor Slughorn coughed in his throat and clapped his hands together, mentally bracing himself. He muttered sincere apologies to Astoria as he magically dressed her wounds, but she knew it wasn't his fault. Professor Slughorn had, in fact, magically fortified the common room and warned students about the Lestranges at nauseam. He would have had no way to know Lestrange had still managed to get in by way of an Imperiused helper. Everything had happened so quickly. Once Astoria was physically better (mentally better was out of the question at this point), Professor Slughorn trotted off to the boys' hallway to aid Flora and Parkinson.