Ah, a new chapter. The story continues and our heroes face trials and tribulations.

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Revenge, Best Served Hot

Damon laughed as Neville took a step back, his hands up. "What was it you called me? Spineless? Cowardly?" He eyed Neville, mock shock upon his face. "Come now. Vat got your tongue? A few moments ago you were pointing out all my faults and character flaws. What's the matter now?" He said when Neville didn't respond to his taunting.

Neville was quiet. He glanced to Cho, who was lying unconscious upon the marble floor. He didn't know if it was because of the water or her wounds, but a pool of red was forming beneath her. The sight caused a lump of cold to form in his middle. "Heal Cho." Neville said.

"To hell with Cho." Damon snapped. He glared in her direction, knuckles around the wand going white. "You two little bastards have given me hell these past two days. I think it's time for a little pay back."

"Please. Heal Cho." Neville pleadingly.

Damon eyed Neville again, lip curling into a sneer. "Beg for it." He grinned.

Immediately Neville dropped to his knees and clasped his hands before him. "Please. Please, heal Cho." He whispered.

Damon snarled. "What? No resistance? No strong words?"

"Please, just heal her." Neville said again.

Damon let out a grunt of frustration. "You're no fun. You just gave in too easily. You're supposed to resist, to say you'll never beg. Instead you just give up." He snapped, suddenly moving toward Neville.

"We'll if I can't have that, then there's other ways of getting revenge." Neville looked up to see Damon's foot smash down upon him. The pain was intense. Neville cried out, trying to move out of the way, but the second blow came upon the heels of the first, then the next, and the next, and the next. Damon stepped back, panting slightly and still glaring. "I'd kill you two, but what's the point? You'll both be dead in a matter of minutes anyway. I'll just leave you here and let the baddies have their way with you." He laughed, waving Cho's wand. "But first there are a few things I just have to have." Neville couldn't resist as Damon leaned forward and yanked the Map from his pocket. Damon looked down at it. "Doesn't seem to work in here, but Sammy's gonna love this when we get out." He shoved it into an invisible pocket. he leaned forward again and pulled the candlestick out. Laughing he tossed it over his shoulder and Neville heard it as it clattered across the floor.

Damon looked down at Neville for a moment and then crouched before him, still grinning. "I'll tell you this, kid. You and your little girlfriend are getting off easy. At least here you'll die quickly." Damon chuckled. "I can't say that for the rest of your little friends back at Hogwarts. Once Sammy-boy gets the Well open, that whole damn school's going to become a bloodbath to end all bloodbaths and I'll enjoy watching every damn moment of it." Damon leaned forward, shoving Cho's wand under Neville's chin. " I think I'll pay a little visit to your red headed friend. What was her name? Ginny?" Damon chuckled. "I'm sure we'll have a swell ti-"

Suddenly something smashed into his shoulder. Damon cried out in pain, toppling into Neville. Neville immediately began grappling for the wand, but Damon was larger and heavier and stronger. There was another burst of pain and Neville's head snapped back as Damon's fist struck out. Neville still clung to the wand determinedly and was rewarded with another strike. There was a flash of darkness, but Neville continued to hold on.

Damon roared and tore his hand out of Neville's grip, skidding back a few paces upon the wet floor. Neville groaned, shakily rising to his knees. He could feel blood running from his broken nose, teeth that seemed looser than they had been before, and the skin of his face throbbing with punishment. He briefly wondered how more bruised his face could get.

"Leave him alone." A weak voice gasped. Neville looked up to see Cho sitting a few feet away. She did not look well, her skin was shallow, Her breathing was slow and labored, a bloodied hand was clutched to her middle, and her dark eyes stared unfocusedly at Damon.

Damon spat, wiping away a line of blood from his lip. He got to his feet, glaring at Neville and Cho. "You never know when to give up do you?" He snarled. "Acting the bloody hero all the bloody time." He walked to Cho, crouching down before her. Cho tried to strike at him, but her slow moving arm was easily caught by Damon. He gripped it tightly, causing Cho to gasp in pain. "You know what happens to bloody heroes?" His fist struck out and Cho fell to the floor, eyes rolling back. Neville snarled and clamored to his feet, but Damon was ready.

"Crucio!"

Neville crashed to the floor, screaming in terrible agony. His back arched, his fingers curled into his palms, and his screams echoed across the Sauna. White hot fire danced upon every nerve of his body, seemingly growing every second until everything was awash in unending pain. After an eternity the pain lessened, only to begin again, stronger and longer than the one before.

"You're a tough kid, Neville." Damon said, crouching down before him. Neville tried focusing his eyes, but they wouldn't respond to his commands. Nothing was responding to his commands, his limbs lay heavy at his side. "If you weren't so polluted with the ideals of doing the right thing and standing up all the time, you'd make a good servant for the Heir. As it is, you're just a hassle that needs to be dealt with." Damon laughed again. "Don't worry, as I said before. I'm not going to kill you, even though you deserve it. I'll leave that to the uglies around here." Damon got to his feet, rubbing his palms together. "Well, gotta go. Sammy's probably almost finished with what we came here to do and I don't want to miss all the fun."

He gave Neville a parting shot. Neville couldn't do much to resist, his limbs still unresponsive. Damon laughed once more before walking to Cho and grabbing the collar of her robes. Neville watched in horror as he dragged her to the pool and slid her into it. A moment later her jumped in after her, wading toward the door.

Neville didn't see Cho rise back up from the water.

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Until Next Chapter!!!