"Minerva!?" A voice called from the now blown apart doorway.
"Horace, over here." McGonagall led him to Riley.
"What... what happened here?" Slughorn said with his hands flailing around.
"Riley was attacked." McGonagall stated. She moved closer to Slughorn. "The cruciatus curse was used on her multiple times, Horace.." McGonagall whispered at a loss for words.
"Blimey Minerva! You should have said that in your message. I would have gotten here a lot faster." Horace said sympathetically looking at Minerva.
"Never mind that. I just need you to make sure there's no lasting effects." Minerva looked at Slughorn pointedly.
"Yes yes, of course. Give me a few minutes to make a potion." Slughorn started conjuring the ingredients.
"Honestly, I'm fine." Riley piped up.
"Even the strongest of witches and wizards don't come back from the cruciatus curse, Riley. We need to make sure you're okay." Professor Longbottom said quietly yet sternly from the doorway. He sighed. "What happened here? Why did these Gryffindor boys attack you so severely?" Neville asked.
"He's crazy. I can't speak for those guys." Riley nodded her head towards the 5 unconcious boys. "But him." She pointed at Murik. "He's crazy. I don't want to be insensitive here but I honestly think he's lost his mind. He thinks Elanora and I are trying to bring back Voldemort. Just because of our parentage. He has now used two of the unforgivable curses but he thinks I'm the threat?" Riley said exasperated.
"You believe his motivation was because of your parentage? Because of Bellatrix Lestrange?" Neville asked, his voice going slightly higher.
Minerva looked over at him, a questioning look on her face.
"Professor Longbottom." Minerva said. "Look at me." McGonagall said but he wasn't hearing her.
"Neville!" McGonagall said rather loudly. The man nearly jumped out of his skin, startled.
"Sorry, Headmistress. Lost in a memory." Neville apologized.
"Look at her." McGonagall said sympathetically. "Look at her. She was the one who was attacked yet she is soothing her partner." McGonagall nodded to Riley rubbing Elanora's back. "With one word she silently forgave her best friend for everything he did to her. She is nothing like her, Neville." McGonagall said with emotion touching her words.
"The Headmistress is right." Arlin had been awoken by Madame Pomfrey.
"Riley saved me, she literally took an unforgivable curse for me. It was too strong for her shield charm. It ripped straight through her and hit me as well, but..." the young boy got caught on his last words.
"It's alright Mr Lawrence, speak the truth." Minerva said to the boy.
"I think I would have died." Arlin said looking at the ground. "The pain was unimaginable and it went through a shield charm and Riley before it hit me. If I had of been hit directly by it I'm afraid I would have been killed." The boy sounded terrified and relieved at the same time.
Slughorn was whispering with Madame Pomfrey.
"You don't give yourself enough credit, Arlin." Riley said, grinning at the boy. She turn to Neville. "You knew her?" She asked bluntly.
"She tortured my parents. They didn't die, they went insane. When they looked at me they saw straight through me. They may not have died physically but they did mentally." Neville said wiping at his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I know it means very little, she would never have felt sorry about it, but I am. I'm sorry she destroyed so many people's lives." Riley paused. "I would have been dead too, if she had of had her way. My father saved me from that fate." She admitted.
"You don't have to apologize for a woman's mistakes that you didn't even know. You are your own woman." Teddy spoke up.
"Our blood does not define us." Elanora whispered to Riley.
Riley smiled at her sentiment and kissed her.