Chapter 7- It Is Not Only Truth That Hurts

After she had eaten her fill and the whole school had been dismissed; Kirsty followed the prefect out of the great hall. However, as she entered the entrance chamber a voice called her name,

"Hay! Broom!"

Kirsty, recognizing the voice, then turned to see who had called her. It was a boy. She didn't like him at all, especially his father.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she spat.

"Touchy," he smirked, then he turned to his cronies, "boys, I think this mudblood needs to learn some respect."

Slowly Kirsty found herself being backed up into a hole in the wall. With a loud slam the door was shut, blocking her escape route.

"Sit," came the instruction.

She did. There was little else she could do, this boy was so much bigger than her, even though he was only a second year.

Kirsty sat, nervous at the thought of what they might do to her. She felt her back tingle as the tip of a wand ran down it, slowly.

"What….what do you want Malfoy?" she questioned.

He stayed silent as he moved to her side. Then, pointing his wand at her, he started to gently stroke her stomach. Kirsty shivered at his touch. She was so scared. She looked up at Malfoy's 'friends' and saw their wands pointing at her too. Draco started to go higher, but that was to much for Kirsty and she pushed him away violently.

"Seeing as you're so new to our world we'll do this the muggle way. However, as I don't fancy getting my hands dirty I'll let Crabbe and Goyle have a go," said the young Malfoy's voice gleefully.

Kirsty watched, paralysed with fear, as one of the larger boys came towards her. She felt one of them roughly grab her from behind and hold her still and the other pulled back his hand before it painfully collided with her cheek.

"You will obey me, understand!" he hissed at her.

Kirsty nodded as she tried to block the pain out from her cheek.

"Then I shall see you again, same time, same place, tomorrow. Go. You filthy little mudblood."

One of Malfoy's companions pushed the door open. Kirsty felt herself be pushed to the floor. She got up, ignoring her elbow which now had a bruise to match her cheek, then ran for her life.

A few floors up she ran into someone.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"My dear, what's wrong?" asked Albus Dumbledore.

"I got lost," answered Kirsty quickly, covering her cheek with her long hair by pulling it over her face.

Her Headmaster, obviously not convinced, gave her the instructions on how to get into Gryffindor tower and its entrance password.

Before she knew it; she was at the portrait.

"Whomping willow," she whispered, then she jumped though the large hole in the wall.

"Kirsty!" came a voice.

"Harry!" shouted Kirsty, relieved.

She then crept silently up to him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, staring her cheek which was now showing itself to the room.

"Nothing," came her reply.

"Kirsty there is obviously something wrong. What happened?" asked Hermione.

"M….M-M-M- Malfoy…" she stammered. Her sobs became louder and she spilled out the entire story to Harry, and the rest of the Griffindors in the common room.

Suddenly, she felt herself being lead back to the Griffindor portrait hole.

"W-w-where are we going?" she stammered.

"I'm taking you Dumbledore's office. You have to tell him."

Kirsty nodded, then wordlessly allowed Harry to escort her to the office of her Headmaster.

After Harry had knocked on the headmaster's door a voice from inside called, "enter."

So they did.

Inside the room was Dumbledore sitting at his desk, surrounded by all the teaching staff.

"Miss Broom, Mr Potter, for what do I have the honour?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

"It's Kirsty sir, she had a run in with Malfoy," explained Harry.

"Alright Mr Potter. May I ask you to wait outside please? I will be finished in a moment."

They did as he asked.

After the main staff body had left the office, McGonagall come out to find Harry and Kirsty, who were sat quietly by the door.

"The Headmaster will see you now."

They followed her inside the office. Inside now was just Dumbledore, McGonagal and….

"Snape? What are you doing here?" asked Harry rudely.

"Professor Snape, Harry, and he is here because he is Malfoy's head of house," explained Dumbledore quietly, "now Kirsty what happened?"

She told the entire story of what had happened to her feet. When she reached the point about the spell Malfoy had done to her silence became present in the room.

"Then he told me to obey him and come to the same room at the same time tomorrow," she finished.

Kirsty starred around the room, wordlessly.

"They actually hit you?" asked McGonagall.

Kirsty nodded wordlessly. Then she watched as her Head of House came over and gently hugged Kirsty's shaking figure in a motherly embrace.

"What are you going to do about it Professor?" asked Harry.

"I'm not sure. Firstly I need to speak to Kirsty alone for a moment," Dumbledore answered.

Harry shot a questioning look at Kirsty, who shrugged, then followed McGonagall and Snape out of the office.

"Kirsty, what I have to tell you is important. While I tell you it, I shall need you to fully concentrate."

"I will Professor."

"Good," he said, the twinkle in his eyes had gone, "Your great aunt did not die of natural causes. She was murdered. Murdered by Lord Voldermort after being tortured into insanity my Lucius Malfoy, who used the Cruciatus curse on her."

Kirsty stood, horrified, "you mean, Voldermort is real, not just in the books?"

"Yes, unfortunately, I am afraid to say he is not just a character in the stories of a very clever Ravenclaw 7th year," answered Dumbledore.

"So does that mean, that first book was Harry's year at this school, last school year?" she asked.

"Yes. It does."

Kirsty was scared. Not only was a very scary, once thought fictional character, real. He was the last person her great aunt saw in her life.