Disclaimer- Not mine, but J.K's.
Chapter 23- Powers to Practise
Daphne was also watching Lucius Malfoy walk towards them, but to her it seemed as though everything was in fast-forward. "Come." He said icily, as soon as he was within speaking distance. Daphne saw Lori's hesitation, and it was enough.
"She's not going anywhere." Daphne said a lot more bravely than she felt, stepping in front of Lori as she spoke. She didn't look at Lori, but she could imagine the look of shock on her face.
Daphne couldn't see Lucius Malfoy's face- she had never seen him before and didn't have a clue what he looked like, but she could plainly hear the sneer in his voice as he spoke. "Stupid girl." She watched as he pointed his wand at her, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. "Crucio."
Lori watched as her best friend sank to her knees in front of her, screaming non-stop. It hardly seemed that she was breathing anymore. Daphne's face was screwed up and her hands balled into fists, gripping at her robes. Lori watched in horror for what seemed like hours. She sensed rather than felt the tears running down her cheeks, like she sensed rather than heard her shout Daphne's name. She heard one thing clearly though- the sound of her father's laughter.
Lori's head snapped up.
~*~
Harry, Ron and Hermione soon found that any spells against the Deatheaters were pointless- they seemed to have some kind of protective shield that no one could see, and yet still deflected everything they threw at them. They didn't even notice the curses.
Harry noticed that they were all prowling around the hall with no specific purpose, and was about to tell this to his friends when a high pitched scream, higher than any other sound in the hall, filled the air.
Harry didn't need to able to see to know there was only one thing that could make a person scream like that, and without considering for even a nano-second he ran in the direction of the scream. Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance and ran after him, not knowing what was causing the terrifying scream.
The crowd was starting to thin when Harry suddenly stopped dead, staring at the scene in front of him. Daphne was on the floor, screaming under the Cruciatus curse. Lori was crying her eyes out, staring down at her best friend and unable to do anything.
Suddenly the Deatheater administering the curse started to laugh, and Harry knew who it was- Lucius Malfoy. Before Harry could take another step forward, he saw a change come over Lori. Her head snapped up and the look of helplessness on her face was replaced with one of sheer fury.
"Are you coming Leonora?" Malfoy's voice said in his sneering way. Harry stared. They were here for Lori? Why? Harry suddenly heard a scream behind him. "Daphne!!!" Hermione yelled, tears spilling down her face already at the sight of her cousin under the Cruciatus. "No!" She cried, starting to push through the crowd.
Ron saw what was happening and his eyes widened. "Oh Merlin." He muttered, starting after Hermione, who was already closing in on Lucius Malfoy. Harry hurried after Ron, catching up with him and muttering, so only he could hear; "they're here for Lori."
He and Ron's eyes flickered to where Lori stood staring at her father. Suddenly, without any warning, she lifted her hand as if she swatting a fly that was REALLY annoying her. Harry and Ron watched in disbelief as Lucius Malfoy fell down onto his back as if he'd been pushed over with the force of a car travelling at 90 miles an hour.
Daphne stopped screaming immediately, even though she still lay on the floor, trembling slightly. Lori didn't even spare her father a glance; she dropped down next to Daphne, the fury disappearing from her face. Hermione joined her a second later, dropping next to her cousin and gripping her shoulders.
Harry couldn't hear what she was saying to Daphne but could tell she was still crying. He looked over at Ron who was staring at Lori in shock. He started to push his way over to where Hermione was, and Harry followed him.
~*~
Daphne sat up awkwardly, her entire body aching all over. It took her while to focus. Lori was kneeling next to her, her face streaked with tears but not crying anymore, looking at her with the most worried expression Daphne had ever seen. Until she looked up at Hermione, that is.
"Daphne! Are you OK?" Hermione cried, her tears still streaming down her face. "Say something!" Daphne said the only thing she could think of right then. "Ow." She said feebly. Hermione smiled weakly and gathered Daphne up into a crushing bear hug.
Ron and Harry reached where they were and dropped down next to them. "Are you alright?" Harry asked in concern. Lori nodded, still staring at Daphne, and Daphne tried to nod but found it a bit hard to with Hermione hugging her so tightly.
"You're crushing her Hermione." Harry said, gently prising her off of her cousin. Hermione let go, suddenly looking furious. "No body does that to my cousin." She said, gripping her wand tightly and starting to stand up. "Hermione." Harry said warningly, knowing by the look on her face that she was about to do something drastic.
Before she could, though, they heard a voice behind them say "Crucio" and Lori was suddenly screaming just as Daphne had done a few moments before. Daphne screamed and started to cry at the sight of Lori in so much pain. Hermione immediately turned round and pointed her wand at Lucius Malfoy, who was standing again and pointing his wand at his daughter.
However, before she could say anything and before Harry could raise his wand, Lucius Malfoy was suddenly knocked off his feet with a force about five times greater than what had pushed him over the first time. He flew through the air and crashed against the Hufflepuff table, where he was rendered well and truly unconscious.
Lori stopped screaming and everyone turned their attention to her as she blinked and started to breath in short gasps, tears running down her face. Daphne leant over her. "Are you OK Lori?" She said, almost choking on the words. Lori nodded slowly, struggling to sit up.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing up and watching as the teachers shepherded the students into separate groups and tried to calm them down. They were all standing in a line, advancing towards a group of six Deatheaters, forcing them towards the huge hole in the wall.
At that moment, the double doors of the Great Hall swung open and Dumbledore came into view, his wand in hand and with a furious look on his face. The Deatheaters, having seen him arrive, jumped through the hole they had created, closely pursued by several teachers.
Now the doors were open, there was a mad rush to get out of the hall, and half the student population were out of the Hall within thirty seconds. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still watching what was happening in silence, blocking most things from Daphne' s line of sight. However, from where she sat on the floor next to Lori she had a good view of Lucius Malfoy's unconscious form.
Daphne was just wondering how a father could possibly cause his child so much fear and pain when she noticed a pair of legs next to him. Bending down to see better, she realised with a rush of fear that it was Draco Malfoy. Was he going to revive his Dad? Daphne opened her mouth to say something, but stopped as she watched Draco raise his wand and say something, which she couldn't make out.
There was a faint flash of light around Lucius' body and Draco raised his wand again. This time, Daphne could read what Draco said. 'Stupefy." Daphne watched as Draco Malfoy crouched down next to his father and lifted up his mask with a look of discuss on his face, tossed it to one side so everyone could see who was lying there, and walked away without a backward glance.
Daphne didn't know *what* to think.
I can't BELIEVE I just uploaded four chapters in the same day! Are you proud of me?
Chapter 23- Powers to Practise
Daphne was also watching Lucius Malfoy walk towards them, but to her it seemed as though everything was in fast-forward. "Come." He said icily, as soon as he was within speaking distance. Daphne saw Lori's hesitation, and it was enough.
"She's not going anywhere." Daphne said a lot more bravely than she felt, stepping in front of Lori as she spoke. She didn't look at Lori, but she could imagine the look of shock on her face.
Daphne couldn't see Lucius Malfoy's face- she had never seen him before and didn't have a clue what he looked like, but she could plainly hear the sneer in his voice as he spoke. "Stupid girl." She watched as he pointed his wand at her, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. "Crucio."
Lori watched as her best friend sank to her knees in front of her, screaming non-stop. It hardly seemed that she was breathing anymore. Daphne's face was screwed up and her hands balled into fists, gripping at her robes. Lori watched in horror for what seemed like hours. She sensed rather than felt the tears running down her cheeks, like she sensed rather than heard her shout Daphne's name. She heard one thing clearly though- the sound of her father's laughter.
Lori's head snapped up.
~*~
Harry, Ron and Hermione soon found that any spells against the Deatheaters were pointless- they seemed to have some kind of protective shield that no one could see, and yet still deflected everything they threw at them. They didn't even notice the curses.
Harry noticed that they were all prowling around the hall with no specific purpose, and was about to tell this to his friends when a high pitched scream, higher than any other sound in the hall, filled the air.
Harry didn't need to able to see to know there was only one thing that could make a person scream like that, and without considering for even a nano-second he ran in the direction of the scream. Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance and ran after him, not knowing what was causing the terrifying scream.
The crowd was starting to thin when Harry suddenly stopped dead, staring at the scene in front of him. Daphne was on the floor, screaming under the Cruciatus curse. Lori was crying her eyes out, staring down at her best friend and unable to do anything.
Suddenly the Deatheater administering the curse started to laugh, and Harry knew who it was- Lucius Malfoy. Before Harry could take another step forward, he saw a change come over Lori. Her head snapped up and the look of helplessness on her face was replaced with one of sheer fury.
"Are you coming Leonora?" Malfoy's voice said in his sneering way. Harry stared. They were here for Lori? Why? Harry suddenly heard a scream behind him. "Daphne!!!" Hermione yelled, tears spilling down her face already at the sight of her cousin under the Cruciatus. "No!" She cried, starting to push through the crowd.
Ron saw what was happening and his eyes widened. "Oh Merlin." He muttered, starting after Hermione, who was already closing in on Lucius Malfoy. Harry hurried after Ron, catching up with him and muttering, so only he could hear; "they're here for Lori."
He and Ron's eyes flickered to where Lori stood staring at her father. Suddenly, without any warning, she lifted her hand as if she swatting a fly that was REALLY annoying her. Harry and Ron watched in disbelief as Lucius Malfoy fell down onto his back as if he'd been pushed over with the force of a car travelling at 90 miles an hour.
Daphne stopped screaming immediately, even though she still lay on the floor, trembling slightly. Lori didn't even spare her father a glance; she dropped down next to Daphne, the fury disappearing from her face. Hermione joined her a second later, dropping next to her cousin and gripping her shoulders.
Harry couldn't hear what she was saying to Daphne but could tell she was still crying. He looked over at Ron who was staring at Lori in shock. He started to push his way over to where Hermione was, and Harry followed him.
~*~
Daphne sat up awkwardly, her entire body aching all over. It took her while to focus. Lori was kneeling next to her, her face streaked with tears but not crying anymore, looking at her with the most worried expression Daphne had ever seen. Until she looked up at Hermione, that is.
"Daphne! Are you OK?" Hermione cried, her tears still streaming down her face. "Say something!" Daphne said the only thing she could think of right then. "Ow." She said feebly. Hermione smiled weakly and gathered Daphne up into a crushing bear hug.
Ron and Harry reached where they were and dropped down next to them. "Are you alright?" Harry asked in concern. Lori nodded, still staring at Daphne, and Daphne tried to nod but found it a bit hard to with Hermione hugging her so tightly.
"You're crushing her Hermione." Harry said, gently prising her off of her cousin. Hermione let go, suddenly looking furious. "No body does that to my cousin." She said, gripping her wand tightly and starting to stand up. "Hermione." Harry said warningly, knowing by the look on her face that she was about to do something drastic.
Before she could, though, they heard a voice behind them say "Crucio" and Lori was suddenly screaming just as Daphne had done a few moments before. Daphne screamed and started to cry at the sight of Lori in so much pain. Hermione immediately turned round and pointed her wand at Lucius Malfoy, who was standing again and pointing his wand at his daughter.
However, before she could say anything and before Harry could raise his wand, Lucius Malfoy was suddenly knocked off his feet with a force about five times greater than what had pushed him over the first time. He flew through the air and crashed against the Hufflepuff table, where he was rendered well and truly unconscious.
Lori stopped screaming and everyone turned their attention to her as she blinked and started to breath in short gasps, tears running down her face. Daphne leant over her. "Are you OK Lori?" She said, almost choking on the words. Lori nodded slowly, struggling to sit up.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were standing up and watching as the teachers shepherded the students into separate groups and tried to calm them down. They were all standing in a line, advancing towards a group of six Deatheaters, forcing them towards the huge hole in the wall.
At that moment, the double doors of the Great Hall swung open and Dumbledore came into view, his wand in hand and with a furious look on his face. The Deatheaters, having seen him arrive, jumped through the hole they had created, closely pursued by several teachers.
Now the doors were open, there was a mad rush to get out of the hall, and half the student population were out of the Hall within thirty seconds. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still watching what was happening in silence, blocking most things from Daphne' s line of sight. However, from where she sat on the floor next to Lori she had a good view of Lucius Malfoy's unconscious form.
Daphne was just wondering how a father could possibly cause his child so much fear and pain when she noticed a pair of legs next to him. Bending down to see better, she realised with a rush of fear that it was Draco Malfoy. Was he going to revive his Dad? Daphne opened her mouth to say something, but stopped as she watched Draco raise his wand and say something, which she couldn't make out.
There was a faint flash of light around Lucius' body and Draco raised his wand again. This time, Daphne could read what Draco said. 'Stupefy." Daphne watched as Draco Malfoy crouched down next to his father and lifted up his mask with a look of discuss on his face, tossed it to one side so everyone could see who was lying there, and walked away without a backward glance.
Daphne didn't know *what* to think.
I can't BELIEVE I just uploaded four chapters in the same day! Are you proud of me?