Lisa let out a steady stream of curses in her head, surprising even herself with how many she knew. She'd always been quiet. It was more or less what she was known for to the extent she was known at all, which wasn't much. She liked it that way. In all her years, she had never longed for the notoriety that so many seemed to crave.
Most of the students in her own house and year rarely remembered her name. Even fewer said hello when they past her in the corridor. Her roommates had long ago given up on befriending her, though she'd never been sure what she'd done to inspire the hatred they seemed to harbor for her if their glares were anything to go by.
She had planned to get through her Hogwarts career while attracting as little attention as possible. Even when Snape had taken over as headmaster and welcomed the Carrows onto the staff, it had seemed doable. Her family was far enough removed from any Muggle relatives that they weren't an immediate target, and she had no reputation as a troublemaker as far as the Death Eaters were concerned.
When McGonagall had called for all who wished not to fight to leave, Lisa had few qualms about heading for safety. She would have long ago made it home if she hadn't realized that Chase wasn't among those evacuating.
The hallways of the castle were a mess as Death Eaters and students alike flooded the halls, spells flying with seemingly little care as to where they landed. Lisa's heart raced as she ducked and ran, not use to the exertion she was putting her body through. Her wand remained clutched in her hand, but she wasn't certain she'd have the bravery to use it if she met a Death Eater head on.
All she wanted was to find her brother, the one person in the world she would have descended into the madness of war for. The thought of him possibly lying dead somewhere propelled her forward even as spells mentioned her by hairs.
She found him after what felt like years of running around the castle. He was facing off against a Death Eater who seemed taller than any regular human could dream of achieving, but she thought her fears might have been warping her view. Her running picked up speed as she neared them, her wand shaking in her hand.
The Death Eater had forgone his mask, so Lisa had no trouble seeing the arrogance on his face. His smirk widened when she came to a stop at Chase's side, gasping for breath. It's all she can manage not to hunch over and grip at her stomach, but she's determined to maintain what little facade of strength she has left.
"Lisa?" Chase gasped.
She didn't look at him; she can't look at him when there's pure danger standing across from them watching them as if they're a wonderful amusement. She doesn't care how much she's shocked Chase with her unusual actions. She'd scold him later for thinking she wouldn't come after him. First, they had to make it out alive.
The Death Eater's smirk widened when Lisa pointed her wand directly at his chest. She does her best to ignore it by watching his hands for signs he's about to try something with his own wand. It takes several seconds that feel much longer before he raises his wand, and Lisa has a split second to decide on a spell first, throwing a stunning spell with far more force than she'd realized she possessed.
"Lisa," Chase breathed beside her, just as shocked as she was.
She stares at the man's prone form trying to process that she was the one who'd done it. In class, she'd had to stun people, of course, but it was far different when the person knew it was coming. And even then she'd been hesitant about it, never able to cast a truly powerful stunner. Not until the Death Eater.
Her heart raced, and it wasn't entirely because of danger but because she's no longer sure what she's capable of when facing off against people who wish her and her brother harm. It was the first time in her life where she could remember surprising herself.
She backed away from him, reaching out blindly to grope for Chase's hand. He easily slips it into hers, and Lisa holds on tightly, anchoring herself as much as she's protecting him.
"Come on," she said, voice carrying an edge that's new too. "They're all over the place. We've got to move. We've got to do...something."
She had no idea what. It was too late for them to evacuate with the others, and she'd resigned herself to fighting when she'd realized Chase was missing. Still, she had little idea of what fighting actually entailed, and now that her singular mission of finding her brother was over, she didn't know what she was supposed to do next.
"This way," Chase said, taking the lead with a level of enthusiasm that scared her. "There's more of them over here."
Lisa's heart raced, but she couldn't argue as he sped them towards the direction of more fighting. Though she hadn't wanted to fight, she had little choice any longer.
Prompts:
Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments
Seasonal Challenge - Audrey's Dessert Challenge: chocolate chip - (genre) family
Seasonal Challenge - Ravenclaw Themed Prompts: Lisa Turpin
Word count: 884