Chapter 2
The school year had gotten off to a rough start that had been for sure. The 8th year returning Gryffindor's were housed separately from the rest of the house as well as the Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Headmistress McGonagall had told everyone that there would be no tolerance for hate or prejudice amongst them, and if anyone were caught in such an act, there would be dire consequences.
The Gryffindor's very much doubted the warning would be heeded by most of the students. They, of course, had been right. Not two days in, Luna and Ginny had come across Millicent Bulstrode being pinned to a wall by three Ravenclaw girls. Who had hexed her with an itching spell then held her there so she could not scratch herself? When the two came upon the group, Millicent had been in such tears the other girls had drawn their wands immediately. Both told them if the Raveclaws did not release her and moved on, they would be forced to inform the Headmistress about their actions.
When the group ran off, Luna asked Millicent what spell they had used; in tears, Millicent told them, and Luna canceled the spell. They then helped the other girl up and asked if she wanted to go to the infirmary to be looked over. Millicent just shook her head, thanked them quietly, then went on her away. Both understood that the war had affected others as well. Millicent did not seem the brash bully she once had been. Instead, she stayed quiet and kept to herself mostly.
Millicent kicked herself as she walked, Draco had warned them not to go out alone, but she figured it would not be a problem in she went from one class to another quickly. She had been very wrong. The girls seemed to be waiting for her to pass than jumped her, each grabbing an arm while the third hexed her with the spell. Their cruel laughter was still ringing in her ears as she walked.
She was lost in thought she did not notice the pair that hung back behind her to make sure she got to her destination uninterrupted. Once Millicent made it to the next class, the girls left to head to their own, which was in the other direction. Both jogged there so they would not be late to defense.
Once they arrived, both were panting slightly from the exertion. They had been leaving potions and came across the scene on the way to defense; luckily, both made it in time and were not late.
"There has got to be an easier way to do this?" Ginny groaned tiredly. Luna nodded, trying to take in deep breaths through her nose. "I may be fit, but even I cannot jog that long without being tired. We have to come up with a better game plan."
The rest of their day went uneventful thankfully for them. The others were not so lucky. Ron and Harry had to defend Blaise twice and Draco once. Hermione came across Draco once, and Pansy defending themselves against some Gryffindor's and Hufflepuff students.
When everyone reconvened to their rooms that night after dinner, each was exhausted from the events of the day.
"We have to figure something out that makes it, so all of us don't have to keep this up. I cannot feel this drained every day, or I will not make it through the rest of the year." Hermione groaned while lying on the couch; a hand slung over her eyes. Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, Padma, and Seamus all concurred with her. They each had to come to the aid of other Slytherins as well, not just 8th years. It had been a grueling day for everyone. The boys went up to bed as well as the girls. None of them felt much like chatting after the day's events.
The next few weeks were not much better. They talked about bringing things to the staff's attention. Still, all of them agreed that the professors would not be looking out for the Slytherin any more than the rest of the other students other than them were.
"What if they look over the Slytherins problems as inconsequential." Ron sighed as he ran a hand through his shaggy red locks. Ron had decided to let his hair grow over the summer so he could try to look more like his brother Bill who he greatly admired and wished to emulate.
Hermione blinked at Ron in shock, her mouth hanging open slightly at him using such a big word. Ron noticed Hermione staring and snapped at her. "What I can use big words, I just normally leave it up to you so you can feel smarter," Ron smirked at her while teasing her slightly.
Hermione rolled her eyes at him before shooting back. "Good to know the next time you supposedly need help with your homework and pretend you do not understand it." Hermione humphs, folding her hands over her chest and glaring at him.
Everyone knew they did not mean their sniping at each other. It usually was friendly banter, but no one wanted to hear it too much today because of all the drama going on around them.
"Can you two save it for the bedroom and later." Seamus gripped. The two in question jaws dropped, and they sputtered together. "We are not a couple, Finnigan." Ron and Hermione growled at the other Scottish boy. He just yeah, yeah, whatever you said them before turning back to the others. "So, what are we going to do to help them? I am not the biggest Slytherin supporter, and all after you know who. even, I think it is unfair of all the flack these kids are getting for something they had no control over."
We will have to think up something tomorrow but for tonight, let us get some much-needed rest. It is the weekend after all. What can happen during the weekend that is any worse than during a school day." Harry stated, trying to sound optimistic for everyone else's benefit.
Harry did not know the murphy's law theory never make a statement such as that because it will come to pass.
Sure, enough, the weekend came, and it started relatively quiet for a Saturday. Everyone sat around, feeling proud that they had made it through half the day without incident. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Seamus, and Dean all sat in the 8th year common area talking, playing chess, or exploding snap. When suddenly, there came a banging on the door. Hermione being the closes, walked over to answer it. When she pulled the door open, she saw a frantic 7th year Slytherin boy standing there looking bedraggled and scared. Hermione gasped, seeing the state of him. She quickly pulled him inside and asked what was wrong. At first, he looked around to make sure he is safe, and no one would harm him. Hermione and everyone quickly reassured the scared kid that no one would hurt or harm him there.
"You have to help please. They have my friends pinned down, and no one is around. I know you guys have come to the defense of some of my fellow classmates before. Please help please?" He began to weep in earnest.
"It's all right, don't cry." Ginny tried to soothe the boy in her year. She could not remember what his name is at that moment in time, but right now, that did not matter.
"Where are your friends? Who attacked them?" Harry hissed angrily. The boy looked over the older one with tears in his eyes. He hiccupped slightly before answer.
"Draco told us not to go out without being in pairs or groups, so we would be less likely to be attached. Well me Pansy and Millicent had decided to go to the astronomy tower to study and enjoy the view. When some wizards led by Justin Flinch-Fletchley entered after us and attacked, I managed to get away and find help. Please, I do not know what they are going to do to them."
"Dean, Seamus, you stay with him, and we will go after them," Hermione stated. Her blood boiling at the thought of a bunch of attacking girls. Her hair had begun to float around her, Hermione's magic crackled dangerously.
Thankfully, none of them had been made Prefects this year, so none had to worry about searching out a teacher. That honor had fallen to Parvati Patil. She currently had gone to see Pomphrey about a lad who had cast an accidental charm that had supposed turn his hair a different color. Unfortunately, he had said it wrong, so instead, the boy ended up bald. He had cried so hard that Parvati had to escort him to the nurse to see if there could be anything done for him.
All three began to run out the door towards the astronomy tower, hoping they would not be too late to save the girls. On the way, they ran into Neville and Luna, walking through the hall. As they rushed past, the two asked what caught their robes on fire. One of them shouted back about what they had been told as they raced through the halls.
Luna and Neville joined in the chase. The group passed Professor Flitwick, almost trampling the little teacher as they went.
"Hey, watch where you are going. No running in the halls." He shouted in his squeaky voice. Luna stopped for a moment to tell him what the others had in her dreamy voice. "We need Headmistress in the astronomy tower right away, sir. Oh, sorry for almost running you over, but there seems to have been an attack on some Slytherin girls by some males students. Right naughty thing to do to defenseless girls." She then ran after her friends once more. The little professor was staring after them in shock.
"Oh, dear, not good. I had better go find McGonagall straight away." With that, he scampered off on his short legs to find the Headmistress as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, it would take some time to do so because currently, she visited Rubeus Hagrid to have a chat and a cup of tea with him.
Professor Flitwick panted after a bit. He finally realized that running around would not do any good, so he summoned his Patronus and sent it out to McGonagall. With that, he waited for her appearance because there was nothing else he could do until she showed up.
Meanwhile, Harry, Neville, Ron, Luna, and Hermione were just getting to the top of the tower. They could hear nothing coming through the door. They wondered if maybe the kid got it wrong, but only to be safe, Hermione cast an Alohomora spell and the door unlocked. Ron stood nearest the handle, so he twisted the knob, and the door swung open. The scene that met their eyes made every one of their blood boil, and wands began to wipe out instinctually.
The room in question had a total of six people in it all together. Two boys were holding Millicent Bulstrode up against the wall while two other boys had Pansy Parkinson pinned to the floor. Millicent was screaming and struggling to try and get to Pansy, but the boys appeared to be either stronger than the larger girl, or they were using some kind of spell to keep her there.
Justin had Pansy on the floor with another boy who none recognized; he looked to be a Hufflepuff though by his robes. He held Pansy's arms down while Justin held her legs open. They had ripped Pansy's underwear off and looked to be about to violate her. She was crying and begging them not too.
"Shut up, you filthy Slytherin bitch. Isn't this what your families liked to do to us muggles? Rape, torture, and kill? I am just giving back some of what yours did to mine."
"Please she sobbed I am still a virgin, please don't do this." Justin backhanded her across the face while screaming for her to shut up, causing her head to hit the floor with a sickening thud. Pansy only whimpered deliriously after that."
"Pansy! Oh Salazar, Pansy, please leave her alone. Don't hurt her!" Millicent begged, sobbing and struggling in vain. One of the other boys just looked at her and sneered. "You're too ugly and fat to fuck, so we are going to take turns with your little friend there."
He said no more because the next thing any of them heard was a multitude of stunning and binding spells being cast, causing all the attackers to drop or fall over. This made Millicent fall from the wall into a heap on the floor. She quickly crawled over to Pansy to check on her while weeping softly.
"Did we get all of them? I thought there would be more?" Ron snarled as they each looked around at the culprits. Looks of disgust etched on each one of their faces. Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione were shocked to discover that the boy who had his back to the door was, in fact, one of their own. It had not been until they rolled him over, they discovered Colin Creevey.
"Ugh, I always knew he was a wanker." Ron growled, shoving him with his boot for good measure. Meanwhile, Neville and Hermione had crouched down by Millicent and Pansy to check the injured girl's condition.
Millicent whimpered pitifully and shrunk back from their outstretched hands. She did not want to let anyone else hurt her friend.
Hermione tried to use soothing words to make the traumatized girl understand they were there to help, not hurt. "Millicent, we just want to make sure Pansy is alright. No one will hurt you or her again." Suddenly there came a loud crunching sound. Hermione whipped her head towards it and glared at the interrupter. Luna gave her a feigned look of innocents. "Oops, my foot slipped and broke his nose." Hermione's eyes shot down to who she spoke of, and it had been Justin who's wrath bore Luna's size five shoe. Hermione shook her head. Luna could be scary sometimes, indeed.
She turned back to the other girl who only wept and rocked the incapacitated one on the floor. She sighed again as she pulled her wand out. "I am really sorry about this, Millicent. She cast a sleeping charm on the distraught girl than ordered Neville to pick up Pansy and take her to the infirmary post haste. Neville nodded, collecting Pansy, then turned to the door. Just as he was about to step through the with his precious bundle in his arms Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Flitwick came rushing in.