The closer to the end of term it got, the more Hogwarts seemed in complete chaos, students were in hiding within the castle walls, somewhere not even Filch could find them. The Carrows grew steadily harsher with discipline hoping for someone to give up the location of their favorite missing targets. Not even the Slytherin dorm seemed to be safe any longer, Death Eaters roamed freely in the halls and frequently tortured and assaulted students, regardless of blood purity.
Vince held tightly to May's hand, keeping her close to his side as everyone was summoned into the Great Hall, he felt sick seeing Bella standing next to Snape, that black haired woman had always given him the creeps. "I hope they aren't going to interrogate us all again, Longbottom must have found somewhere really good to hide." He breathed, seeing May's pale face and wide eyes.
"He can't still be in the school or they'd have found him." May agreed, but moved closer to Vince to make room for Greg on the bench, she looked at his disheveled school clothes and shook her head. "What happened to you?" She watched Pansy inch past them with her hair in a frizzy mess, she must have suffered whatever it was, with Greg.
"I caught a short bout of the cruciatus curse on my way, seems as if no one is safe." Greg breathed as he watched May moving closer to Vince. "You look like your sick." He looked at Vince who was also eyeing her. "Must be nerves, I know mine are shot." He ruffled his thick curly hair and groaned. "I wish they would hurry up and catch Potter, I hate having everyone so on edge."
"You and me both." Vince grumbled as Filch returned to the Great Hall with Hufflepuff. "Sending him to fetch every house must mean something is going on, look at Gryffindor, they look like they've been rolling about in a rubbish heap." He glanced at May who had no comment to anything said between him and Greg. "You must not be feeling well, I thought this was exactly how you liked it, pure bloods reinstating natural order."
May nodded, but she didn't speak, she was shaking and feeling ill. It had been a few weeks since she'd gotten a good night's rest, being woke up almost every hour by someone's far off shrieks of pain wasn't what she had imagined natural order to be. Sitting on the bench among her fellow Slytherin housemates, all of which looked worse for wear, she wished her parents had blown up the house with Alchemy. What was she allowing herself to think, things always had to get worse before they got better, only a bit longer and pure bloods would be in the lap of luxury, that's what Alecto had taught them.
Snape stood watching as the last few students were brought into the Great Hall, he glanced across the scared faces, but held his cruel visage. "Students, it has been brought to my attention that some of you know the whereabouts of one Harry Potter, it is advisable to step forward and disclose this information." He listened to the complete silence of the students before him, his black eyes scanned the hall trying to pick out one face that held some expression. "No one? Your information will be rewarded, disobedience will be punished in the utmost severe fashions."
Vince looked at May and for a moment thought, she had to know something or she wouldn't be so pale and wide-eyed. "If you know something, tell me and I won't mention your name." He breathed in May's ear, hoping she'd just tell him, but stared into her bewildered eyes as she jerked away from him. "I'm serious."
May narrowed her eyes into a glare. "I know nothing, why would he confide in me of all people, he's the one who pushed me off the dock last June." She hissed as quietly as she could, hoping Snape wouldn't hear them. "I'm tired and I'm stressed, something like this wouldn't have happened back in the States."
"Who is that talking?" Snape asked with his cruel tone. "Is that some of our Slytherins?" He looked over at Amycus who was heading towards the students. "Find out whom that is, no one should be speaking unless they are confessing where Potter is." He watched as Amycus walked slowly past the students, his wand in hand. "Will whoever was speaking admit to it?" He wasn't shocked to see May stand up. "Do you know Potter's whereabouts?"
May shook her head as she looked at Amycus who was heading towards her. "I don't know where he is, but he's hopefully dead in a ditch." She flinched to have Amycus grab her arm. "Vincent was only asking if I knew anything, I swear." She was shoved backwards, but managed to keep her feet, she sat down and snuggled close to Vince's side again, putting his arm over her shoulders.
"Well, no one knows, how about we hold a few rounds of the cruciatus curse and see if some of those lips don't loosen." Snape said as he motioned to Alecto who quickly stepped to his side. "If no student wishes to tell, we have ways of making them tell, Professor Carrow, please do the honors of selecting a student and we shall begin. Guilt is a very powerful tool, watching your fellow students suffer while you hold the secret will make the information flow smoothly."
May had her face hid in her hands, she listened to the yelling start, but had to see who was being punished and she glanced over for a second, but saw Harry beginning to duel with Snape. She looked up at Vince who had tightened his grip on her, she stood up with him and watched as spells were quickly exchanged. "We have to get out of here, we'll both be killed!"
Greg stood up and quickly ushered the two of them from the Great Hall, he looked around and then ran towards the dorm, but stopped to see where Vince and May where. "Come on you idiots!" He watched them start to follow, he grabbed their arms and dragged them along. "We have to get out of the fire and get our wands!"
Vince looked over at May who looked to be dazed. "May, did you get hit with a spell?" He didn't figure any spell a Death Eater would throw would merely confuse her, he growled to get no reply. "Greg, grab my wand and I'm going to try to get her back on Earth." He opened the Slytherin house and grabbed May who stared with trance-like focus at nothing. He got her sitting on the sofa and patted her cheeks. "May, can you hear a word I'm saying?"
"Here's your wand, is she snapping out of it?" Greg yelled as he ran towards the sofa, seeing the way May sat staring confused him. "I think she's sick, look at her, she doesn't look like herself." He handed Vince his wand and then poked May playfully in the cheek. "I'd say she's gone mental." He laughed to see Vince scowl at him. "Come on Vince, look at her, she looks like a Dementor got her."
"Shut up." May growled as she looked at Greg. "I'm thinking." She leaned back on the sofa for a moment, but quickly got up. "Ok, I have an excellent plan, we need to go back out there, stay close to each other and help them capture Harry." She watched as Vince gave her a nod, but Greg took a moment to apparently think it over. "Gregory Goyle!" She barked as she grabbed his arm. "The three of us are going to earn our rank in this new order, unless you'd prefer to be looked upon as cowards."
"I'm no coward, I'm a Goyle!" Greg yelled as his chest swelled, he pointed at the door. "Let's go and see what we can do, but you'll have to keep anyone who don't like it off us, you know we're not the best duelists in this place." He looked at how May held up her hand, he was confused by the gesture.
"High five you dork." May said with a giggle. "Geez, never seen a high five." She smiled when Greg held up his hand, she slapped his hand with a grin and ran from the dorm. Her plan was to get back to the Great Hall, but students were already running towards them. "Let's go!" She took Vince's hand and ran, pushing through the students to get back up to where she thought all the fighting was happening.
"Draco!" Greg yelled as he grabbed May and Vince by the backs of their shirts. "Draco what are you doing here?" He called once Draco was pushing his way to them, he took the thin blonde boy in a tight hug. "We thought you were dead, you didn't come back for seventh year and we didn't hear from you all summer, what happened?"
Draco brushed himself off as he glared at Greg. "I'm alive and so is my family, we need to get to the Room of Requirement and guard the diadem so Potter doesn't get his damn hands on it." He looked May up and down then smirked. "I see you've been well cared for."
"What does that mean, Malfoy?" May growled, but quickly followed him, she got no response apart from a laugh. "Oh shut up, at least I still find brushing my hair important!" She followed them up from the dungeons to the seventh floor. She had never heard of a place in the castle seemingly used for nothing more than storing old, out of date furniture and random junk.
Vince pulled his school robe off and rolled up his sleeves. "I'm going to kill that mudblood when she shows up with Potter." He said it more to himself than to anyone else, he continued to follow Draco who seemed to be a bit unhinged as he was constantly looking from side to side, stopping every few steps to listen. "Come on Draco, what's the plan?"
"We stake out and look for them." Draco said as he stopped again to listen. "They will be here, but when they show up, we capture not kill Potter. The Dark Lord wants him alive, do you all understand me that he is to be brought back alive." He turned to see Greg nodding, but Vince was holding May's shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Crabbe, you understand?"
"Yeah sure." Vince muttered as he wafted a hand at Draco, he would tell May how he felt, he had to do it now before Potter and his pals could possibly kill him or the girl he stood staring at. 'Do it now, tell her how you feel, it isn't hard it's just words.' He thought as his thumb rubbed at a smudge on May's cheek, he could hear Greg and Draco leaving them behind, but he couldn't just blurt it out, his tongue felt dead in his mouth.
"They're going to get separated from us, we should catch up." May whispered, unsure of what the look in Vince's eyes could mean. She enjoyed having this moment with him, just the two of them with no immediate threat of being attacked for standing around idle. "Vince, are you ok?" She gasped to have his lips suddenly against hers, it had been a long time since he had shown her much affection other than holding her hand or putting his arm around her.
Vince was completely engrossed in what he was doing, his mind not thinking about the Golden Trio, the Dark Lord and protecting the diadem, he was with May and nothing else had any meaning for the time being. Time was passing him without being missed, he didn't know how long it was since Draco and Greg left or how long he had stood holding May, kissing her, before Ron's voice drew his eyes. He glared at the red head from the corner of his eyes, he couldn't break himself away from May, she didn't seem to want to step away, her hands holding tightly to his white button up.
"That is disgusting!" Ron yelled as he turned up his nose. "So Malfoy isn't far if he left you here, Hermione, we're going to have trouble." He spoke as he looked over at Hermione who was walking towards him, curiously trying to see what he was talking about. "Come get a look at this, Crabbe and Blauvelt are still together."
"I don't wish to see that." Hermione spoke softly as she stepped to Ron's side, but Draco and Greg were rushing from the other side of Vince and May. "Give it up Malfoy! We will find the horcrux." She aimed the wand in her hand, wishing Draco would know he was defeated, but seeing Vince shove May behind him and aim his wand made her go cold.
"You're dead, mudblood!" Vince yelled as he took a step back. "Avada Kedavra!" He roared, but missed as Hermione and Ron took off running. He grabbed a firm grip on May's hand and grinned. "We'll catch them!" He pulled her along behind him, laughing as he tried to take aim again.
"Leave Potter alive!" Draco bellowed as he chased after Vince with Greg at his side. "Crabbe! Crabbe leave Potter alive!" He knew Vince wasn't listening, he wasn't even sure if Vince could hear him over his own roaring cackle of trying to kill Hermione.
"Dead or alive, it doesn't matter, the Dark Lord wants him dead anyways!" Vince yelled as he stopped, hoping to get better aim this time. "Avada Kedavra!" He yelled out again, hitting the floor, small green flames erupted from the spot and burned on the stone. "Damn, they're quick." He quickly took off running again.
Draco looked at Greg who was pale and sweating. "Help me stop him!" He yelled in complete panic. "Vincent Crabbe, stop!" He yelled as he watched how May was tugged along behind Vince, he slowed to a walk, but looked over and yelled to see Hermione and Ron had managed to backtrack and lose Vince.
Greg took aim at Hermione and Ron, he hesitated, unsure of what spell to use since Draco said Potter needed to be alive. He didn't figure that meant Potter's friends, but his wand was shot from his hand in his moment of thought. He staggered backwards, but received a stun, which left him crumpled on the ground.
Draco swore to himself as he began trying to get Greg up, but Ron and Hermione were running off, he couldn't leave Greg for dead to chase them. "Vincent!" He bellowed as he listened to Vince's unmistakable laughter. "Vincent! Greg is down!" He hit Greg in the belly as he mentally cursed having asked Vince to join him. "If May would have been alone and I'd have found her, we could have done this without trouble." He muttered to himself, but a roaring sound was filling the air, he looked around trying to pinpoint the source.
May grabbed Vince's hand that held the wand, she tried to direct him in controlling the fiendfyre, but knew from the look on his face, he was now completely unnerved. "Let me help you!" She yelled in desperation, she tore the wand from his hand, but couldn't gain control. Seeing Vincent take a step back, horror engulfing his face, she threw the wand down. "Run!" It was the only order she could think of, her mind was jumbled with not only personal dilemmas, but also how to escape the room before being cooked.
Draco was relieved to see Vince and May rushing towards him. "Help me get him up!" He commanded as he stood up and looked around. "What is that noise?" Looking between May and Vince who both looked like to be mortified children about to be scolded. "What did you do!" He grabbed his hair tight in both hands. "Please say you two didn't do it."
"Cursed fire, he let loose a cursed fire, Draco." May panted as she looked down at Greg. "We have to get out of here, now." Her mind was flooded with options, but the room was a maze of forgotten junk and she hadn't bothered to make a mental note of which way was out. "We get off the floor and hopefully I can summon something useful or maybe conjure up something, but we get off the floor, first."
Draco could only nod as he struggled with Vince's help, but got Greg on his feet, he looked at May who was looking at her wand. "What are you doing?" He looked to Vince for his answer, but his large shoulders merely shrugged. "Do you know something to wake him up?"
"Rennervate." May cast the spell that snapped Greg awake. "Hurry up, we need to get off the floor, that curse is going to run rampant through here and we need to be off the ground or it will eat us." She looked around, but nothing useful was in sight. "Help!" She yelled with her hands to her mouth as Draco and Greg began climbing up the nearest mountain of forgotten belongings.
"May, I have to tell you something." Vince urged as he pulled May towards where Greg and Draco had already started climbing. "Come on, May, please climb and listen to me." He gave her a boost up and soon was climbing up next to her. "I should have said this sooner, I really should have." He glanced over, May was watching him intently. "Keep climbing, we can talk while we climb." He took a deep breath, the smell of smoke was filling the room.
"I have something to say also." May admitted as she paused to get a better footing. "I'm not sick, my nerves aren't shot, I'm perfectly fine except for the fact I'm…" Saying the word aloud made it seem so concrete to her, but he had to know. "I'm pregnant, I suspect it happened that night I drank all that butterbeer and stayed in your bed."
"Greg heard us." Vince admitted, his face going red. "I do… um, well, you know." He stammered over the words, attempting to force them from his lips, but his foot slipped, he caught himself barely in time.
May aimed her wand at Vince. "Locomotor Vincent Crabbe!" She yelled out as she lifted Vince into the air and set him at the top of the pile of broken tables and chairs with Greg and Draco. She continued to climb, knowing what Vince wanted to say, but she'd have to make him wait until she made to a safer height.
"I love you Mairead Blauvelt!" Vince bellowed as he held tightly to the broken and warped miscellaneous belongings. He watched as May made it up to them, he looked around and shook his head. "No way will we make it out of this." He laughed weakly with sweat running down his face.
"Potter!" Draco yelled, his voice cracking as he looked around at the red, orange and yellow flames licking higher and higher up the mountains of garbage. "Potter, help!" He looked around and shook his head. "Potter got away and here we are to burn alive, good job Vincent Crabbe!"
"Malfoy!" Harry yelled as he flew up alongside them only moments after Draco had yelled for him. "Good see you all still alive, but we have a problem. I don't think everyone is going to be able to fly out of here." He looked at the four terrified faces, but Ron and Hermione soon joined him. "We have to try to get everyone out, I guess two with me and I don't know about the rest."
"I can use the Locomotor charm on someone." May said as she was helped onto Harry's broom, but stared at Vince who was trying to help Draco on the broom also. "Vince, I will not leave you behind!" Tears began rolling down her dirty cheeks. "Greg get on with them and I'll use my charm."
"Are you sure that will work?" Hermione asked, looking down at the ever-rising flames. "Please let's hurry up!" She looked at May who was glaring at her. "Try it, but we have to move!" She tightened her grip on Ron.
"Locomotor Vincent Crabbe!" May yelled out as she aimed her wand at Vince who was hoisted into the air once again, she kept him held high until they had reached the door, when she sent him tumbling to the floor and out of the room. She leapt from the broom once they were out, she took Vince in a tight hug around the neck.
Draco stood looking at Harry, he had to look away, because thinking of how the Golden Trio risked their own lives to save him and his friends was hard to swallow. "Thanks Potter." He glanced at Harry again who held the crumbling diadem in his hand. "We'd have died if not for you."
Greg stood looking at Vince who sat on the floor watching his lap, May hung around his friend's neck in tears. He looked over at Harry and nodded as he turned to face them. "Thank you, all of you for pulling us out of there, even if he's the one who tried to kill us." He grinned to see Ron give a little smirk. "He means the world to May and me, we should just get out of here and let you guys handle it."
"Get to the Great Hall if you need medical treatment, Pomfrey is there tending to some students already." Hermione spoke gently, watching May who slowly rose to her feet. "That was some charm you used, I wouldn't have thought that to work."
May walked silently to Harry and gave him a strong hug, she in turn gave a hug to Hermione, then Ron. "All three of you, thank you for helping us." She backed over to Vince and looked down at him. "Let's go, you and me are leaving even if no one else is." She watched Vince stand up.
Vince took May in his arms and nodded at Harry. "I owe you, Harry, you saved her and me." He couldn't look at Hermione or Ron, he had put serious effort into killing the pair and didn't figure they'd forgive him anytime soon, but May's nudging prompted him to groan as he forced himself to look at them. "Thank you both and I'm sorry about how I acted, if I'd have known what I do now, I'd have taken May and left before we even ran into you two."
"You didn't kill us so go on and get her out of here." Hermione said kindly as she put her arms around Ron. "Aurors are here already, I think, so watch out for them on the way out." She watched as the two of them started towards the Grand Staircase.
Vince had no trouble leaving the school with May held tight to his side, now was the perfect moment to tell her as they walked through the damp grass heading for Hogsmade. "May, I love you, I don't know if you heard me yell it or not, but I wanted you to know." He smiled brightly to see May's gentle smile. "I don't know where we'll go, how we'll get there, but wherever we end up will be just fine as long as I have you."