Two weeks into March and Ginny was sitting in defense, on edge about the lesson that was about to occur. Neville had told her that the previous day they'd had the most brutal defense lesson. It was so bad in fact, that he couldn't speak of it to her. Ginny sat beside Demelza and fidgeted nervously with the edge of her parchment. They still hadn't received much punishment for breaking into the office, and Ginny felt like Carrow was just biding his time until it happened.
Ginny waited anxiously and Demelza whispered, "Are you ok?" She shook her head and murmured, "No…I feel bad about this lesson…after what Neville said yesterday…" Demelza nodded and squeezed her hand, "It'll be ok..." She whispered comfortingly."
Five minutes later once everyone was seated, Carrow said, "Now today class, we will begin practicing the third Unforgivable. We all know what this one is." The room was filled with silence and Ginny couldn't believe her ears! Carrow went on to explain, "Sometimes, you are not in a situation where you can defend yourself. There is then only one thing left in your defense, and that is Avada Kedavra."
The silence that penetrated the room was deathly. Ginny stared in bewilderment at Colin, whose face had considerably paled and he looked like he was going to be sick at any moment. She swallowed hard and blinked furiously for several moments, feeling nauseous and disorientated. Was he really going to make the Slytherin's practice the killing curse on them?! If that was the case…Ginny was going to Professor McGonagall this instant. She was not going to hesitate. She only worried that she may be too late.
Demelza put up her hand and asked, "Sorry, p….professor…how are we going to p…practice?" I looked around and all of the Gryffindor's seemed to be thinking the same thing…they're going to practice on us. Ginny sat, fists clenched tightly under her desk. She closed her eyes and then Carrow was interrupted by a knock on the door. McGonagall stood there, her face thin and her lips pierced tightly shut. She said firmly, "Professor Carrow, I hope I'm not interrupting, but I have heard from some students, that you are practicing some extremely unethical spells in your classroom."
McGonagall was glaring at Carrow with absolute hatred in her eyes. Carrow smiled and chuckled, "Oh no, dear professor. I do not think that Avada Kedavra is harmful…" before Carrow could finish his sentence, McGonagall strode up to him and point one long, thin finger at him as she spat, "Mr Carrow, if you so much as think about allowing any of our students to practice that curse, you will be out of here before you can say Voldemort." Ginny had never heard the professor use that name before.
She watched this confrontation, feeling so proud that McGonagall was showing her true Gryffindor colors. Carrow smirked when she said Voldemort and he stroked his wand again, "My dear professor, you are rather foolish to speak his name in these dark times. And who's going to stop me?" He had a glint in his eyes as if to say he knew he had won. McGonagall clenched her fists and said angrily, "Fine, I will stand here myself and make sure that you do not, under any circumstances, allow them to practice that kind of magic." Carrow raised one irritable eyebrow, "Professor, don't you have something better to do, like teach your students?" McGonagall scowled and said fiercely, "Mr Carrow, if my students' lives are being threatened, I'd rather stay here and make sure that doesn't happen."
Carrow scowled at her distastefully and muttered in a disgruntled tone, "Fine. We will then be writing an essay on the reasons why we would use Crucio curse. No less than three thousand words. Refer to page four hundred and ten of your textbook." McGonagall stood there in the doorframe, silently watching everyone pull out their textbooks. Ginny could barely believe Carrow was being undermined by McGonagall. She had so much respect for that woman within her right now that she felt like she was bursting with pride for the professor.
McGonagall stood there and watched with her arms crossed firmly. Ginny grabbed a quill from her bag and hurriedly scribbled down the title of the essay and the date before pausing and glancing in disbelief at Colin, who seemed like he was still tense from the entire situation. Ginny couldn't blame him because she felt the same way.
Ten minutes into the lesson, and McGonagall still hadn't moved from her post. Carrow glanced up from his work at his desk and he snapped at her, "You're still here, professor?" McGonagall nodded and said briskly, "Of course I'm still here! How do I know you won't start your inane teaching tactics once I've left?" Ginny would have found this funny…had it not been for the seriousness of the situation.
Suddenly, Nearly Headless Neck appeared from the back wall and he said seriously, "Oh dear! I beg your pardon for interrupting! I didn't know there was a class in here…" McGonagall shook her head, "Not at all, Nick. In fact, would you mind doing me a favor?" Nick bowed low and nodded eagerly, "Anything, Professor McGonagall." McGonagall sighed in relief and asked him quickly, "Would you mind hanging around here for the rest of the day please Nick? Any suspicious activity and you report to me immediately, understood?" Nick saluted her and nodded so vigorously that his head had trouble remaining put, "Yes ma'am!" She offered him a small smile in thanks and then hurried off to her class. The rest of the lesson continued in stony cold silence.
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When lunch time finally came around, Ginny turned a corner with Demelza and Colin. She heard angry voices echoing from the main staircase in the Entrance Hall. Ginny frowned at her two friends and then they hurried to the source of the sound. The voices became clearer as they approached and McGonagall could be heard saying, "Amycus, it is against school rules to practice one unforgiveable curse! Let alone add three to the mix! And the most deadly one at that!"
A crowd of students had begun to gather, watching the two professors confront each other forcefully. Carrow all but laughed at her, "Professor, you're not exactly the one with authority here." She scowled at him mirthlessly and retorted, "Carrow, I think you'll find that before the current headmaster was made headmaster, I was in line to be headmistress. I SHOULD be the one in charge, not your half-witted leader!" She practically yelled at them, throwing her arms in the air.
However, this caused Carrow to laughed, and he was then joint by his sister who snickered, "Look at her, Amycus! She looks like she's escaped from the insane asylum or something!" Amycus cackled horribly and Ginny felt white hot rage surge in her as he said spitefully, "She's an old bat who's past her retirement age."
Professor McGonagall glowered at them and now almost every student from every had gathered to watch the confrontration. McGonagall spat back, "If Professor Dumbledore were here, he…" But before she could continue, Carrow said to his sister, "Alecto, do you reckon we should shut her up?" There was a cruel laugh from Alecto, who then grinned maniacally, her mousy hair adding to the look of her madness as she crowed, "Of course, brother! Let's teach her a lesson!"
Ginny watched in horror as both siblings yelled, "CRUCIO!" and McGonagall was hit by not one, but two painful curses. She blinked and stared at the other professors, who had now come to see what all of the chaos was about. No-one was doing anything! So Ginny did the only thing she could do, before she thought otherwise.
She launched herself forward, without thinking and before she could grab her wand, she was standing right in front of Professor McGonagall, shielding her with her body. Ginny crippled almost immediately. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't hear anything. Her vision was turning black and now she truly knew the definition of pain. She could see why Neville's parents had suffered the way they did. She felt like she was going to lose it soon too. She needed an escape. She needed it to stop.
As soon as it had started, it stopped. Ginny had collapsed onto the ground, and she was clutching her ribcage and screaming in a high-pitched voice that didn't sound like her own. It sounded strangled, dazed. She blinked feverishly and then she saw Neville beside her. She saw his lips moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She felt her vision blurring and everything was in slow mode. And the next thing she knew, she had no vision at all.
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Ginny woke up feeling dizzy and nauseous. She couldn't sit up and her head was banging. She felt like she was going to vomit. She opened her eyes slowly to find Neville sitting next to her and holding her hand. He grinned when he saw she was awake, "Ginny? Ginny?" She groaned and tried to move, but she found that every muscle seared in pain and caused her to wince.
Neville raised his eyebrows in worry and called Madame Pomfrey. Madam Pomfrey came bustling in and asked him concernedly, "What's the matter, Longbottom?" He said softly, "Ginny's awake. She just tried to move and she winced." Madam Pomfrey grimaced and then hurried over to the nightstand. She mumbled, "Not a good sign. She needs to be hydrated. Longbottom, go and fetch her some water for me please."
Ginny tried to talk but no words came out and Neville stared at her in a panic. Her throat felt like it was on fire if she so much as dared to move her tongue. Neville asked in a hoarse voice, "What's wrong Madame Pomfrey?! Why can't she talk?" Madame Pomfrey felt Ginny's temperature with her hand. She winced and Ginny suddenly felt stiflingly hot. Madame Pomfrey whispered, "I don't know, Longbottom. I've never know someone to survive two very powerful Crucio curses…" she let the sentence linger in the air. Madame Pomfrey continued, "Miss Weasley is a very strong-willed woman."
Ginny wanted to ask how Professor McGonagall was doing. She needed to know that everyone else was alright too. Neville took a jug from the bed stand and Ginny guessed he was going to the bathroom. Madame Pomfrey pierced her lips together tightly and said, "Now Miss Weasley, I'm going to give you some horrible tasting potion. It will settle your fever and that should help you move your muscles for flexibly alright?" Ginny stared at her but couldn't say a thing.
Madame Pomfrey gently lifted the spoon to Ginny's mouth and Ginny swallowed the eggnog tasting liquid and somehow managed to not spit it back out. She felt the remaining after taste on her tongue though. As soon as Neville reappeared with the jug, she tried to whisper hoarsely, "Wa'r…wa'r…" Neville nodded and hurriedly poured her a full glass. He then looked awkward about giving it to her. Madame Pomfrey seemed to understand and then she helped tilt the glass to Ginny's mouth so she could drink it. Ginny swallowed the whole glass in a few gulps and she sighed in relief.
The medicine was making Ginny sleepy again though. As she was dozing off, she heard Neville asking Madame Pomfrey wearily, "She'll be ok, won't she?" Madame Pomfrey was silent for a moment before replying, "I don't know, Neville. I hope she will. Miss Weasley was considerably brave in risking her life for a teacher." Neville sighed and Ginny was on the verge of her subconscious when he murmured, "She was too brave for her own good."
A/N: Hey all! So I just want to explain why I didn't post this weekend. I was having a writer's block again and so I decided to skip a few chapters ahead and write something I felt more inspired by. I did so and that gave me ideas as to how to continue. So here was a very intense chapter, but don't worry this is the worst of it before the battle! Anyway, please let me know your thoughts and as always thanks to all reviewers, followers and faves! Much Love xxx