05. Time Out
A haze coated Ginny's vision. Light bordered squares surrounded her. Several seconds of blinking revealed she was facing a wall of old fashioned portraits, with cabinets of Dumbledore's oddments underneath. A cone of some spell trapped Ginny and her friends behind the headmaster's desk. The shelves of uncanny baubles and an enchanted toy model that set a parrot loose on a tropical display almost convinced her Snape had never taken this place after all.
Luna had removed a hair clip to poke at their barrier with limited interest. Neville was awake, but hadn't bothered to sit up when Ginny had.
"You alive?" she asked.
"You never know. We could be dead," Neville said flatly. "This feels a lot like a nightmare."
"A nightmare would be a pretty good indication we're still here."
"If he hasn't killed us yet, he must be planning," Neville continued, morose. "Something longer. More painful."
"Well, I don't think we can escape," Luna said. "If I really push, I can get the sharp end of this in, but then it just. . ."
She tossed her hair clip to the floor. The shining design of an osprey on the smooth piece was intact, but half the metal clip side was deformed and melted thin.
"Thanks for trying, Luna," said Neville. Ginny was hollow of any sentiment.
"Now THAT," came a matronly voice that took charge of the room, "was how WE did things back in my day!"
They looked around. The portraits on the walls were peeling them over. Some showed disapproval, others pity, or curiosity.
"A show of force solves more than people think," declared the same voice, which they traced to a curly haired woman with stout shoulders. She addressed Neville with amusement. "Severus could learn a thing or two from you. Always thought he was a bit of a wimp."
"Outrageous, blind thuggery," a sharply bearded man cried, "What you hoped to accomplish against a man of his intellect-"
"Shut up, Phineas," Ginny said loudly. "The only thing Neville did wrong was not stab that bastard's eye all the way out."
"There was quite a bit wrong with the amount of noise when Lovegood smashed the case."
Ginny's eyebrows shot up so far it strained her hairline, but Luna brushed this off. "Prodding around a protected lock would have been worse, really. I'd hate to have gotten cursed with people on the way."
"We've never done stealth before!" Neville said hurriedly.
"That is a thing with us, Ginny," Luna said dejectedly. "Usually by the time anyone tells me and Neville anything, it's because you need our help hexing a very large number of Death Eaters."
Ginny shot between her friends' faces. Luna, matter of fact, and Neville, embarrassed, refusing to meet Ginny's eyes. Guilt stabbed through her stomach.
They'd gone to both the Department of Mysteries and the attack on the Astronomy Tower with nary a question, and little else but their wands and their loyalty. Ginny had always thought of Ron and his friends as excluding her, but she'd been privy to the inner workings of the Order, no matter how her parents fought to prevent it.
"Whatever you guys did, Snape was already on his way. It was better to move fast," Ginny offered. "And you really hold your own in a fight."
"We can't dodge as well as you," Neville said ruefully. "Offence is all we've got."
Ginny resolved to take over future offensive tasks.
"The headmaster will return when he is done tending to his eye. You should be more worried about the Carrows," said a fat man with tiny glasses as he regarded them with concern.
A spindly, beady eyed witch snorted loudly. "Had you succeeded in stealing the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, you or Potter may have fared worse."
"This could be worse?" Ginny asked drily.
"Those who come by the sword wrongfully are doomed in every moment they touch it, until one is freed from the other. Potter only retrieved it from the hat under particular conditions. The sword never belonged to-"
"Harry got the sword from the Sorting Hat?" Neville demanded. Ginny had forgot. They ALL forgot. Ginny wanted to kick herself. Or go back and start the whole war effort over again.
"Why else were you snooping for the hat?" Phineas asked Neville, brows and chin equally furrowed in suspicion, but Neville behaved as if he had not heard.
"I thought the sword was stolen from the goblins," said Luna, who had completely failed her History of Magic OWL for reasons unrelated to her passion for the subject. Or very related. Neville met Ginny's eyes and she shared his embarrassment at their plan.
"A singular goblin placed magic on it," claimed the spindly little witch. She sounded serious, but not unkind. "Goblins do not recognize blood inheritance. The sword will return to goblinkind someday, as surely as it will find others the forger deemed suitable."
"If the goblins find the hat, perhaps," mused the man with tiny glasses. "The hat merely extends the sword's magic, but it is rather biassed by location."
"How do goblins decide who gets a house if they don't use blood rights?" Luna asked.
"Essential resources are not distributed in the manner of personal property. The latter is decided exclusively by the maker, the former is distributed according to fairness and need-"
Luna was a deeply focused person, really. Ginny was focused on her own life.
"I'm sorry it turned out like this," Ginny said softly to Neville. "Next time, we at least need a more careful plan. If we're going to outsmart Snape. . ."
"What exactly is the truth of the story of Ragnuk the First, do you think? Goblins and humans have extremely conflicting-"
As Luna went on, Ginny's words stuck hopelessly in her throat. What would it take? Snape's knowledge was decades ahead of them all together. He would have obtained knowledge in dark magic secrets from Voldemort himself.
"-say Gryffindor claimed Ragnuk went back on his promise to gift the finished sword and would have been doomed by the magic he himself placed on it, but it seems odd Ragnuk would design such magic only to disgrace his own values. Godric was not known for his patience, and could have been misinformed or worse. No doubt many would desire this tale and others distorted to their own political-"
Neville seemed to be thinking along similar lines as Ginny. "We're not exactly geniuses, Ginny," he finally muttered to her.
"But we could be a lot subtler than my bloody plan was!" She whispered, miserable mostly at herself now.
"Oh, I don't hate your plans," Luna cut in. "They're quite exciting."
Luna travelled the world like a star who was just visiting sometimes, Ginny often thought. At this even Luna could tell she'd left her friends aghast. She frowned back at their bafflement. "People learn more from mistakes than successes, that's what my mother always said. Where's your sense of adventure?"
"Luna, I love you, but really?" Ginny hissed.
"Yes, really. How will we act if all we consider is what will go wrong?" Luna started to whisper, but she was getting petulant. "We have to think beyond fear. We need to focus on coming up with our next objective before we start worrying like this."
"Beyond fear," Neville echoed.
"I'm not saying we stop completely-"
"That's it," Neville interrupted Ginny wildly, "Something that goes beyond fear. Luna, I take it back, you are a genius!" He turned to Ginny with a near silent hiss. "When did Snape pick on me?"
Luna finally leaned in as Ginny hissed back. "What? He's been picking on you for years-"
"Not this year. He picked on me in his class."
"He's about to pick on us right now, once he comes back all healed."
"Exactly," Neville whispered with relish, "I just made him scream and he ran off to lick his wounds. He didn't stick around to hassle us. He's scared." He emphasised the last word as if his meaning was obvious.
"What are you talking about? Of course he doesn't want to set us loose with his eye like that. We might try something again."
"He's scared," Neville repeated, grinning idiotically. "Bullies are cowards, Ginny. He doesn't go in on me unless he knows he has total control."
Ginny stared at him, getting it now. "He does have control. Over everything-"
"Except-"
"Except us. Except what we do," Ginny whispered.
"We don't have to out-think them, or beat them in a straight fight," Neville beamed. "We just have to keep them scared."
"I like that," Luna whispered. "It gives us room to work big."
Ginny wanted to scare the living hell out of Snape. She wanted to scream at the Carrows and humiliate them. But the Order had resources, and intelligence, and the bloody objectives Luna talked about were easy to pick when they had so many options available. What to do? They spent the rest of the imprisonment brainstorming on exactly this. Eventually Phineas stopped muttering about children who didn't listen to their elders.
The gargoyle outside the office moved, as heard over the sound of conversation that rose as it made its way up the stairs. Someone was on their way back into the Headmaster's office.
"-committed such unusual brutality," Alecto enthused from outside as Snape marched through the open door. Their thick robes dusted the ground. "We can't have students brawling like muggles. We needa send a message." She glared at the trio as she entered, who were peering over the desk at her. "Violence against their fellow students is unacceptable."
Unless you're an adult, Ginny thought grievously.
Alecto smiled dutifully at Snape, soft features wrung with mousy straw hair. Amycus, in a more practical suit, filed in next to his sister, holding himself quite tall. She only just came up past his shoulder.
Snape stared firmly at Alecto, impassive. He waited so long Ginny had a suspicion about where his mind was going.
He faced the brother and kept things brutally short. "Amycus," Snape ordered. "You have until the end of today's classes. They will have a supervised break at lunch and be released at the end of your last class today. Do not overstep your authority."
"So don't get out their intestines, you ingrate," Alecto snapped. She was looking at her brother in disgust.
Snape finally regarded the trio. His voice was nasal and flat. "Ms. Lovegood,'' he began to their surprise, ''you are supremely ignorant and lucky that Nott's injuries did not send bone fragments into his bloodstream. Such damage could have ruptured his heart."
Ginny and Neville turned to look at Luna. Her always wide-eyed expression hung with something small. Ginny might have called it fear.
Snape presented the three of them his verdict. "You will all serve detention with the gamekeeper starting Thursday night. For today, Amycus Carrow may decide your activities.''
/
Seeing the class file in while they waited was its own kind of torture. Seamus and the other Gryffindors struggled through terror and confusion to find their seats while the Slytherins were various. The leers and Nott's murderous aura targeting Luna Neville expected, but when Malfoy walked in, he just seemed bored.
The room settled without a question. Lank and twitchy, broad shouldered and big eyed, Amycus hadn't yet wielded authority by any other means than shouting. Only the youngest children thought to speak while he was speaking. Today, his reputation preceded him.
He fiddled his thumbs over his wand, and took a deep breath. He glowed with excitement. Even at lecture volume, his voice engulfed the room. "Students. You could say this's a special lesson. But today ain't about me, and it ain't about my words. There ain't no words for the occasion!" He threw up his hands in celebration, and spoke animatedly.
"See, I've had a lotta teachers. Some called me names, some played nice," he ranted, turning bitter, but soon passion rose in his words. "They all had ideas 'bout who I should be, what I should think. But learning's about students. And I've always known it." Seamus paid Amycus his full horror, stock still. "Always said it." He nodded, and Neville wondered if he was regarding Crabbe and Goyle. "There's nothing bigger ye can do for someone than show them what they're capable of.
He took another breath full of bliss, and the room hung off it. "Real magic cares how you feel. Nunna that memorizing how to wash a dish instead of a fire! Nothing's realer than the deepest magic. The deepest magic won't work without love. Love! And love is your friend today. All you hafta remember, is how to love what ye do.
He took a bow. "Today," Amycus bequeathed to the class, "YOU learn the Cruciatus Curse."
Neville half expected applause. Even the Slytherins were too wrapped up in incredulity. Warrington, among others, looked like he'd struck gold. Lavender seemed to shed a tear, though she was looking at the captives, not her professor. With the Slytherins he could hardly tell who was scared or stunned.
"Okay!" Amycus declared suddenly. "The shortest demonstration! Ever! Truly, it's the easiest thing there is!
He pointed at Neville. Obvious choice. "CRUCI-"
Even if you anticipated it the curse hit like a surprise. At once your body was a map; every fingernail stubbed, ankle ripping, back breaking, bone cut and the pain incising you down to a speck at the base of your skull where you prayed for the power to be without the burden of sense-
When it ended, it took a moment to remember where he was. The dungeons were dark even by day, but he didn't have a desk, and his chair had arms. Amycus was making more use of his voice than Neville could've.
Suddenly Amycus stopped talking. Neville still had the room's attention, but he saw Crabbe drop his smirk in shock. In fact, shock made a consensus so uniform across both Slytherins and Gryffindors it struck Neville as funny.
He wanted to laugh. Then he realised he already had. Maybe it was the relief of the curse ending. Or maybe because Neville had realised something else.
He grinned Amycus dead in the eye. "You have nothing on Bellatrix Lestrange."
Amycus accepted the challenge. He grabbed Neville's head and slammed it back into the headrest before he began.
/
Most students couldn't even aspire to Amycus' demonstrations, but the day-long imprisonment and random bursts of pain from the few who worked for it were enough to exhaust anyone. The trio struggled to stand even when they were freed.
Amycus watched them hobble, sickeningly cheerful at the sight. When he opened the classroom door, he paused, and grinned out. "Not loitering, I hope?"
Lavender, of all people, sidled into view. "Professor McGonagall said they needed their Transfiguration homework, I'm just here to make sure these louts get it," she groused, brown curls bouncing.
Amycus raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. The trio exited, Lavender waggled her fingers goodbye and Amycus turned back through the door. She waved the same hand to her side and bid them to follow her.
"You know, I don't think Neville takes Transfiguration anymore," Luna pointed out, dreamy voice much wobblier than usual.
Lavender twisted her head back with a flick. "None of you have any homework due for a week, we already cleared it up with your teachers. The real ones."
She opened her school bag and re-gifted them their wands. Seamus and the Patil twins looked up quickly when they turned the corner.
Seamus sprang up and dragged Neville into a hug. "You really are an idiot," he declared to a very shocked Neville. He pulled away, still holding Neville's shoulders and beaming relief. "Just the most bleeding moron I've met."
Ginny agreed, but he really could've made it sound less like a compliment. Neville grinned to further her irritation and Seamus shook his head. "You scared me, mate. It's down to just you and me now, you know?"
"What are we, sitting out here with you?" Lavender snapped. "We're Gryffindors too."
Padma came forward, uncapping a steaming silvery bottle that looked muggle-made. "We didn't want a whole crowd waiting outside the door in case he wouldn't let you out. Madam Pomfrey said you three should drink this as soon as possible."
Ginny prompted Luna to drink it first, and shoved it into Neville's chest imperiously when Seamus freed him. Neville had the decency to be bashful as he drank.
"What did happen with Snape's eye?" Padma asked when he'd just about finished.
"He got it fixed," said Ginny.
"Before that."
"I stuck my wand in it," Neville explained as he passed the bottle to Ginny. Padma lacked the restraint to not be appalled. "Well I couldn't duel him," Neville explained, still embarrassed. Lavender dragged a hand down her face as Seamus hooted.
"We know, Neville," said Luna to reassure him. "It was rather clever. And well timed. I'm sorry it didn't work out." Ginny squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't not agree, but the ground under her feet still felt volatile. She finally took a drink.
"Well," Padma said bracingly, "the boys wanted me to say that once you get yourselves figured out, you should let them know."
Ginny finished and opened her eyes again to direct some confusion about this, but apparently Padma found this explanation sufficient. Ginny glanced at the Gryffindors, where Seamus and now Parvati were preoccupied sharing conspiratory looks with Neville, and Lavender alone grinned sheepishly back at Ginny. Padma reclaimed her bottle and offered to take Luna back to their dorm. Sooner than later, the Gryffindors split off and Luna waved goodbye. When they boarded the final staircase, Gryffindor Tower was the only door left ahead.
"Bellatrix Lestrange?" Seamus demanded of Neville here. "When-"
"Come on, Seamus," Parvati hissed. "Not now."
"Like the common room's better," Lavender said. "Are we all piling into someone's dorm?"
"If it didn't look so strange-"
Ginny sped ahead of them to the Fat Lady. "Holyh-I mean, golden snitch," she blurted out, trying to keep the newest password change straight with her head swimming.
The Fat Lady folded her hands and gave her a sad smile. "And bless you, dear."
The portrait swung open and Ginny, briefly taken aback, entered. She sank herself down on a stair without going up to the common room.
"-ment of Mysteries," Neville was explaining to the others as they stepped two at a time behind the portrait. "Bellatrix was worse, but it wasn't long, um. . . Harry gave up pretty fast."
Did you tell them we heard you scream bloody murder, Ginny bit back. Did you tell them you left me alone to help Ron? Rushed in like a moron-
"Why didn't you let people help?" Seamus quietly asked Ginny. "We would've backed you up. This isn't like last year-"
"Because Snape practises Legilimency," Ginny said crossly. She pushed a deep breath out her nose, wanting to shove her face in her hands and block out every drop of aggravating light. "He can read thoughts. If we do anything else, we're not going to be able to tell everyone everything and we need to stay the bloody hell away from Snape."
Neville gulped and Ginny took precious seconds to reorganise her mind. People weren't going to appreciate finding out Snape could be dissecting the whole student body in passing.
Seamus continued. "What about you guys? Did he already know about what you were going to do with the sword today?"
"No, I know Occlumency."
"Right. Brilliant," Seamus irately followed up so immediately he interrupted Ginny's stream of thought. "What's-"
"It's the art of protecting one's thoughts from intrusion and influence and I'm great at it," Ginny said as fast as she could, desperate to just cover necessary bases and leave. "Also, Draco Malfoy might know Legilimency, so stay the fuck away from him too."
"Malfoy?" Neville demanded.
"His aunt."
Neville went silent in horror. Bases covered, Ginny disillusioned herself and dashed past Seamus's offended noise into the common room. McGonagall was staring into the fire as she slowed down, stepped lightly, and went straight into her dorm to clear her mind and sleep.
Neville and anyone could act tough after, but your body was its own animal under the curse. The screaming alone was a sound Ginny couldn't and would never want to describe.
(Noise that rose and cracked. Distorting to wailing, like pleading. As if people could beg for their lives with nothing but the terrified instinct that lives in the bone.)