Disclaimer: Not mine.

I don't know how they managed to do it, I thought, staring at the walls where yet another symbol was painted on the wall: the Gryffindor lion eating the Slytherin snake.

No one ever managed to catch them.

Common Rooms were monitored along with every possible link for communication so how they were managing it, I had no clue.

Neither did Snape and it was making him furious.

The only possible, unproven link they had to the crimes was Gale. Of course, they expected Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood too but Snape was still pissed at Gale for not telling him where Potter, Granger, and Ron Weasley were. I tried to watch out for her, trying to make sure she didn't get detention with Ark, trying to find excuses to keep him away from her, hoping it wasn't too obvious.

But the so called 'D.A.' members were bold. Those who were expected to be a part of it acted out in class . . . especially Longbottom and Gale.

"The Cruciatus Curse," Amycus said, tapping his wand in his hand, an evil grin on his face. "Today, you're going to learn it and use it."

Amycus walked to the door, pulling it open. "Well what are you waiting for? Get in here!"

I looked up as four kids walked into the room, looking wary. They couldn't have been more than third years, one of them a fourth year Hufflepuff who looked as if she were trying not to cry.

"Today," Amycus said, closing the door. "We'll be practicing."

Whoa.

Now, even this wasn't something I could agree with.

Practicing the Cruciatus Curse on kids?

What was he thinking?

My fellow Slytherins looked as if they couldn't be more excited, especially Crabbe and Goyle. They pulled their wands out, tapping them on the desk, grinning at the younger kids.

"Now who wants to go first?" Amycus asked. This was the first time I ever saw Crabbe and Goyle get so excited about class. But Amycus pass over all of them, focusing on the back rows where all the Gryffindors were watching horrified. "How about you, Longbottom?"

The class swiveled around to face Longbottom, who had visibly paled, his fingers clenching the edge of his desk. Gale sat next to him, her eyes fixed on the fourth year girl, wide with horror.

"Come on now," Amycus was saying. "Don't be shy. . . ."

"N-n-no." It came out shaky and slightly unsure but it was still a definite no.

The smile on Amycus's face fell. "What did you say boy?"

"No." Longbottom sat back in his seat, pulling his shoulders straight and unclenching his hands.

"It wasn't a request boy, it was an order. Come up here and do what you're told."

"No. I'm not going to perform that Curse on a little kid just for your sick pleasure."

Amycus's cheek twitched and he snarled, raising his wand. People duck as a red whip came from his wand and slashed against Longbottom's cheek, just under his eye. The Gryffindors screamed in outrage and horror, Gale jumping up to check on her friend. Amycus ignored them all though, focusing on the Slytherins. "How about one of you lot?"

Crabbe leaped from his seat, heading towards the little fourth year who was now cowering in the corner.

And I realized then how much of a coward I was.

Because I looked away.

"Longbottom, there is a time and a place for you to show cheek," McGonagall said in Transfigurations class. She took Neville's face and turned it so she could see the fresh bandage Gale had just put on (they kept getting bloody really quickly).

"But you can't say you aren't proud of him," Seamus said, grinning.

Surprisingly the woman smiled, a small smile as she patted Neville on the shoulder. "I am encouraged . . . but I wish you all didn't feel necessary to put yourself in immediate danger. You are after all in my charge while you are at this school and I really hope to see you all make it to the end of the year."

The seventh year Gryffindors, Neville, Gale, Seamus, Dean, and Lavender, were fine to have this one moment with someone they could talk to since they all were taking Transfigurations for N.E.W.T.s. Of course, they still studied Transfigurations but at some moments they talked with McGonagall and it was a small class, easy to be in.

"What else can we do, Professor?" Lavender asked. "Sitting back gets us in trouble too! I mean, look at Gale! She's gotten detention with Ark more times than you can count on two hands and a majority of those times she hasn't even done anything."

Gale smiled however, shrugging. She was fine . . . still terrified at the thought of spending more time than she had to with Ark but she was fine.

"You have all been braver than anyone could ask for," McGonagall admitted. "But you must be careful. Try not to take things too far, won't you?"

The door opened but the Gryffindors were all ready. Wands were already still on their desks and notes for that day's class were on the board. It looked as if they had just had a normal lesson.

"Try not to take what too far, Minerva?" Snape asked, striding into the room.

"Why their Transfigurations of course," McGonagall said. "Transfiguring an object into an animal is a difficult task. If you aren't careful, if you take things too far, you could kill the poor thing."

Snape looked as if he didn't believe a word of that but he didn't say anything else. Instead, his eyes focused on Gale. "Come with me Dumbledore."

What?

She hadn't done anything, not that she could think of, unless he knew that she was one of the students behind the graffiti (which she was sure he already knew anyway).

"Snape we're in the middle of a lesson, to prepare them for their N.E.W.T.s," McGonagall said, fiercely. "I have tolerated you so far, despite what you are doing but I will not have you ruining my students' education in their last year."

Snape and McGonagall glared at each other for a long time, the Gryffindor students watching as if waiting for a duel at that very moment. As expected, Snape was the first to look away, his eyes diverting quickly to Gale and then back. "Very well."

With a swoop of his robes he left, slamming the door shut.

"Way to go Professor!" Dean said, gazing at his teacher in awe but McGonagall had turned her attention back to Gale, both of them wondering the same thing.

What had he wanted with her now?

A/N: hmm, I wonder what on earth Snape could possibly want with our Heroine now. Stay tuned for the next chapter.