Sorry this took so long. Everything's been so crazy, now that school's started. Not to mention a big deal about me turning 15, and breaking up with my boyfriend (heartless bastard). I've just been rushing to get everything organized, and I was kinda in a bit of a dark mood, hence the way Paradise Lost has been going. Never fear, my inspiration has returned! More on the way. In the meantime, enjoy!
"Hey! I think she's waking up!"
"Ron, would you be quiet? If Madame Pomfrey hears you, we're going to be out of here faster than you can say wand."
"Oops. Sorry Harry." Tammy blinked.
"Harry? Where? Malfoy?"
"The Hospital Wing. We brought you up after you fainted. Malfoy's two beds down. Marcus Flint is in the bed next to you."
"How did you know Malfoy was being controlled?"
"Ron! Leave her alone! She just woke up!"
"Aw…c'mon Hermione!"
"It's all right 'mione. I don't mind telling. Anything to get my mind off this headache. I knew because I got a good look into his eyes when we were holding each other's wrists. There wasn't anything in there, and Flint was keeping both eyes on Malfoy. Besides, there's no way Malfoy could've learned to fight like that in the short amount of time he's had. It takes months, years even, to learn. I've been working at it since I could walk."
"How could you tell by looking into his eyes?"
"Because that's the look someone gets when they've been put under the Imperious Curse so many times that they're close to Breaking Point."
"Breaking Point? You said that like it's a thing associated with the curse." Harry said. Hermione was very quiet, and Ron looked rather pale.
"Ron, Hermione, would you two mind leaving? I need to explain this to Harry alone." The pair left, and Harry turned to Tammy expectantly. "Sit down Harry." The girl said heavily, gesturing at a chair beside her bed. Harry sat. "Harry, you understand the concept of Horcrux, right?"
"Yeah. What do those foul things have to do with this?"
"And you understand what a Dementor does, right?"
"Of course I do! Would you get on with it?"
"Harry, if I don't ask these questions first, I have no way of knowing how you may take what I have to tell you. So, you agree with the fact that the soul is a tangible thing?"
"Definitely."
"Okay then. Breaking Point is the point at which it won't take much more than a tiny nudge in either direction. One nudge the wrong way, and that soul just shatters. If the soul shatters, the person it belongs to falls into something worse than depression. It takes a very long time, and a lot of luck to heal a shattered soul, unless it's pieced back together with an illegal spell that hasn't been used in decades, centuries even. People who have passed their Breaking Point can be dangerous, or just stop caring to live. Nothing brings them joy, and everything they see is shrouded in darkness and despair. It's a very terrible thing to push someone to their Breaking Point, and the Imperious Curse is one of the most common ways of it happening. Malfoy's been under the Imperious Curse a lot, and for long periods of time."
"Wait a sec! You're saying that Malfoy has been under the Imperious Curse? His father is a prominent Death Eater!"
"Be that as it may, the facts still stand that he's been controlled recently. And you ought to know that not all children born to Death Eater parents become Death Eaters themselves. I certainly didn't. Get out." Harry sat very still for a moment, eyes wide as the statement sank in. "I said, get OUT!" Quickly, Harry got to his feet and ran out of the room.
"Your parents were Death Eaters?" Tammy jumped. She turned around, frantically trying to see who had spoken.
"Where are you?"
"Over here Nightshade." Tammy looked to her right, and saw a slim, pale figure sitting up in the second bed down from hers.
"Malfoy? How much did you hear?"
"Just that bit about your parents. So they really were, were they?"
"It's none of your business."
"You're angry that I nearly won this morning, aren't you?"
"Of course I am you moron. I've been training since before I can remember, and you almost beat me because some idiot was controlling you! I follow an honor code Malfoy, and I nearly broke it. Actually, I did, thanks to you and your buddy over there." Tammy was being as quiet as she could, but the malice in her voice was apparent.
"What are you talking about?"
"I beat up on someone who couldn't properly defend himself, for one. And I was fighting someone who had no free will, and I did it because of my pride! I could've killed you!"
" Maybe you should have."
"What, and have your entire house come after me? Nice try. And just so you know, just because I'm in bed doesn't mean that I can't cause you serious pain from here. Ever hear of the Sectumsempra curse?"
"I've experienced it before. I guess that answers my question."
"What do you mean?"
"It's highly unlikely that anyone who wasn't either raised or taught by a Death Eater would know that curse."
"Doesn't that mean that you can use it too?"
"No. I was told that it was too advanced for me."
"It probably is."
"No it's not!"
"Yeah right. A Death Eater's son who can't even resist the Imperious Curse, and you say that the Sectumsempra curse isn't too advanced!" Tammy snapped. Malfoy turned several colors, from his usual pale, to bright red, right through to an unnatural white.
"You'd never understand!" He yelled. Tammy smiled to herself. It seemed she had hit a nerve.
"Uh-huh. Whatever you say…coward." Malfoy opened his mouth to reply, but Tammora was already asleep.
/Morning/ Tammora was more than a little relived to find that she was allowed to leave the Hospital Wing. She made a beeline for the Great Hall, and breakfast. There, she found Harry, sitting alone and staring at a piece of toast.
"Hey." She said softly, sliding onto the bench beside him.
"Hmm? Oh, hi."
"Listen. I'm really sorry that I yelled at you last night. I just really hate it when people assume that the children are just as corrupt and evil as their parents."
"I'm sorry too. It's just that Malfoy does live up to the standards his father set down. He's the only experience I have with Death Eaters kids."
"I've got news for you, Wonder Boy. Malfoy doesn't even come close to meeting his father's expectations."
"How do you know?"
"I talked- argued actually, with him, last night after you left. He's not allowed to even try out the Sectumsempra curse because they think it's too advanced for him. I think he's trying as hard as he can just to earn their trust. I used it against him, and he got pretty upset. There is definitely more to that blonde than meets the eye." Harry sighed.
"I'll take your word for it."
"Why so down?"
"Well, the whole Marcus Flint thing really. Classes are cancelled today because of it. You broke his jaw, by the way."
"That should make you happy, not gloomy like this. Come on, spill. What's wrong?"
"Hermione and Ron went down to Hogsmeade together with a lot of others. They didn't really want me to come."
"And why's that?"
"They were holding hands. Do the math."
"Ouch."
"Tell me about it. The first two friends I ever had are going out, and completely ignoring me!" Several people turned to look at Harry, who was rapidly losing what little hold he had on sanity this morning.
"Harry, why don't you just take a deep breath and calm down. They're just caught up in each other right now. Give 'em a while."
"I agree Mr. Potter. Ms. Nightshade, I need to see you in my office." Harry and Tammora jumped. Professor McGonagall was standing right behind them!
"Y-yes m'am." Tammy stammered. She got up and followed the Professor out, but not before she had whispered, "Eat something Harry." in Harry's ear.
/In P. McGonagall's office/ "Tammora, do you know anything about this?" She handed a heavy scroll of parchment to Tammy.
"What's- oh my." She unrolled it, and found several feet of names. "A petition? What for?"
"A good number of the students here witnessed your fight with Mr. Malfoy, and the performance preceding it. They want to start a club, if you will, with you as the instructor. Two clubs actually, one for the fighting, and one for the gymnastics."
"They want…oh boy."
"Well, what do you think? It sounds good to me."
"Just the gymnastics, for now. They'll have to be limber before I can teach hand-to-hand."
"Then it's settled. You can go."
"Thank you." Tammora said, and ran off to find Harry. She explained the situation to Harry, and they spent several hours planning it. This is what they came up with:
To anyone wishing to participate in gymnastics classes taught by Tammora Nightshade:
There will be a meeting on the grounds near the Whomping Willow tonight after dinner. A limited number of students can be taught, so please come early. Clothing other than robes are required.
Ladies, do NOT wear skirts. It is awkward and dangerous.
These notices were placed all around the school, and by
mid-afternoon, the school was buzzing with excitement. The meeting was definitely going to have a big turnout.