I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! It's been busy, and I've also been kinda lazy…oh well. This chapter might be a little short and rushed, because I leave for camp tomorrow and have to leave at SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. So this chapter probably won't be all that great. Sorry.

Disclaimer: Yes, I own Harry Potter. I would like to point out that I tend to use sarcasm.

"I can't believe that Ginny is going out with my son," James said, shaking his head in disbelief for the millionth time.

"Hey, at least he's not going out with some Slytherin cow," Sirius said with a grin.

The two boys were on the Hogwarts Express, getting ready to go back to the school. They were accompanied by Remus and Neville, who were holding back laughter at James' expense.

"Well I for one can't believe that we have to go back to Hogwarts," Remus groaned. "It feels like Easter only lasted four days."

"Because it did," Neville reminded him, laughing.

The four boys spent a very enjoyable train ride playing Exploding Snap (Or Exploding Snape, as Sirius had dubbed it.) But the ride came to an end all too soon.

"Well, here we are again," James sighed, jumping out of their compartment with his trunk in hand.

"Yeah, Easter break was way too short," Neville sighed.

"Hey, aren't we supposed to-" But Sirius was cut short by a high-pitched scream coming from the other side of the train. He whipped around, wand out, and started racing in the direction of the sound, his friends hurrying behind him.

The four boys came upon a group of people gathered around Amycus Carrow, who was holding a first year boy (Sirius thought that he might be in Hufflepuff) by the scruff of his neck.

"Professor Carrow!" McGonagall had arrived at the scene. She looked very disheveled, her eyes with dark purple bags underneath them. "What on earth are you doing?"

"This little runt," Carrow kicked the little boy in the shins, "was saying things he shouldn't've been saying."

"What do you mean?" McGonagall asked. Her voice had a dangerous edge to it.

"He said that Harry Potter was going to come to save them from the Dark Lord," Carrow sneered. "Potter will soon be dead, boy." This was directed at the first year. "And the Dark Lord will command everything."

"Professor, I demand you stop this treatment at once!" McGonagall cried shrilly. "You cannot hurt a first year student like this!"

Carrow's face turned dark. "Who said I couldn't?" His face held an ugly sneer. "This boy has done things worthy of the Cruciatus Curse, but luckily for him, I won't be doing that."

The crowd held its breath, waiting for the verdict.

"I think," Carrow smiled with his yellow, rotting teeth showing, "that I shall chain him in the fourth floor corridor for the night. To teach him not to say things like this again."

The crowd started to disperse. Carrow took the boy up to the castle, holding his robes so that they were stretching to a breaking point.

"I can't believe that they're doing something like this to a first year," Remus said miserably. "How about a little mercy?"

"They're Death Eaters," Neville said darkly. "They don't know the meaning of the word mercy."

"Neville." Two Ravenclaws in their year had shown up. One of them was looking at Neville with a desperate plea in his eyes.

"What is it, Michael, Anthony?" Neville asked.

"We want to free that kid," the first boy, Michael, said.

"Well, of course we have to," Neville said, almost impatiently. "But I don't know if I'll specifically be sending you…"

He was cut off by Anthony. "That kid is Michael's little brother," he explained. "If anyone has a right to do help him, we do."

"Alright," Neville muttered back to him. "But be careful."

"We will," Anthony said, Michael nodding along with him.

"Good luck," Neville nodded in farewell.

"Do you think they can do it?" James muttered to Neville as they walked back up to the castle.

"I hope so."

~*%~*%~*%~*%~%*%*~%*~%*~*%~%*~%*~%*~%*~%**~%~*%~%*

The next day, the Dark Arts class came around. The boys were all still worried about Michael and Anthony, as they hadn't heard what had happened yet. Their question was answered as they walked into the classroom to find Carrow holding up Michael, just as his brother before him, by the scruff of his neck.

"Corner has done some bad things," Carrow growled as they all sat down in their seats. "He is about to be punished for those. Nott, come up here."

A stringy Slytherin in their year walked to the front of the classroom, as wand held out.

"Give this boy a taste of our displeasure," Carrow hissed to Nott.

Nott nodded, face set. "Crucio!"

Michael's face contracted and he broke into screams and writhing in pain. Sirius winced internally. Michael looked so weak. Finally, a few seconds later, Nott took his wand away as Michael regained his consciousness in short, gasping breaths.

"Good!" Carrow cried, delighted. "Now let's give him the full throttle."

Carrow himself stepped towards Michael, but instead of holding a wand, he held a knife. Sirius closed his eyes, not wanting to see this.

The screams came a mere second later. The shrieks of agony, the bellows of pain beyond pain…finally, Carrow stopped. Sirius opened his eyes a crack. Carrow was standing over Michael, whose face was a bloody mess.

"Go sit down," Carrow snarled, kicking Michael in the shins.

"I hope you've learned your lesson," he sneered.

~*%~*%~*%~*%~*%~*%~*%

Sirius was sitting with James and Remus in the common room later that evening, quietly conversing about what had happened in the Dark Arts lessons. Suddenly, Neville burst through the portrait hole, running as fast as he could towards where the boys were seated.

"What is it, Neville?" Remus asked him as he reached them. "Are you alright?"

"No," Neville panted, "None of us are."

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"I overheard the Carrows…they were talking about the four of us," Neville said, regaining his breath. "They were saying how much of a trouble we've been with all of our stuff with the DA."

"And?" Sirius said, feeling apprehensive.

"They're going for my gran," Neville said.

"What?" Sirius said in disbelief.

"They're going after her," Neville said, shaking slightly.

"But she's no match for Death Eaters!" Sirius moaned.

"Actually," Neville said with a wry smile, "The Death Eaters are no match for her. But that's not what I'm worried about."

"What is it?" Remus asked.

"They're coming for us, too," Neville said, looking Sirius straight in the eye. "Now."

Was that any good? Review, please!