AN: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
15th September 1997
Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom were returning from a DA meeting. "I don't know Neville." Ginny said tiredly, "I trust Astoria Greengrass, she is fit to be one of us. Maybe we could extend partial membership to her sister. But Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott? I don't trust them. And for once let's say that Zabini's family is neutral but Nott's father is a high ranking death eater."
"I know Ginny. That's what I have been thinking. We could keep Astoria as a point of contact between them and us. Let's test them out and then see how it goes from there." Neville replied.
"That's what Luna said too. I don't know. I just don't trust Nott and Zabini. They participate in the torture that the Carrows dish out to us in the name of det-"
Ginny stopped mid sentence, there was a muffled moan and a sob from a closed classroom. Neville and Ginny exchanged a look before peeking in to find out the source of the noise. Vincent Crabbe was standing over, with his back to the door, his pelvic moving swiftly, leaving no room for imagination. With a grunt he stilled, Ginny was about to leave him alone to masturbate when he spoke "Isn't this exciting you little whore?" he said softly. "Now you know what getting late to class means, don't you?" There was a sound of shuffling and a muffled shriek. Ginny saw a small foot sticking out on the floor, bile rose to her throat. Next to her Neville shook like a leaf, staring ahead wide eyed. Whipping her wand out, Ginny lashed out every spell she knew on that sick lump of flesh. Crabbe fell down; looking like a giant slug by the time Ginny was done with him.
On the floor, crawling rapidly away from Crabbe was a small figure, a Hufflepuff first year; there was something white on her robes shining in the dim light from the corridor. "No!" Neville moaned. "No. No. No. No. No." He moaned head held in his hands.
"Go get professor McGonagall." Ginny said trying to keep her voice from wavering. Neville stood there rooted. "Neville!" Ginny said shaking him. "Go get Professor McGonagall." Neville nodded once, sprinting without delay. Ginny stepped in the classroom, lighting the lamps for better light. She kicked Crabbe's body aside but stopped when she noticed the tiny figure cringe as she neared. Ginny stopped and crouched down on the floor, a few steps away from the girl. The first year had brown hair and brown eyes, her wrists had deep welts, she was probably hung from the shackles. Her lips were swollen and bleeding and there was that offensive white substance on her robes. The girl was crying silently, looking fearfully at Ginny, huddling up against the desk.
"Hey," Ginny said softly, holding her palms up to show that she meant no harm. "I am not going to hurt you. I promise." The girl cringed curling up more, trying to make herself invisible. Ginny bit back a sob. "You don't have to talk to me, okay?" Ginny continued softly. "My name is Ginny. I am a sixth year and when I was a first year. A bad man did bad things to me too. And I promise I won't let anyone do anymore bad things to you. Okay? Now can you tell me your name?"
The girl whimpered looking at Crabbe but said nothing. "Don't worry." Ginny said, "He won't hurt you anymore." The girl started sobbing in earnest. Ginny forced herself to stay put no matter how bad she wanted to rush to the girl and protect her from this nightmare she knew the child would have to take the first step. Remus had taught her that much. He had let her come to him and trust him. This girl needed just that.
"Did it hurt?" Ginny almost missed the small voice as she let her mind slip to memories.
"Yes. I almost died. He made me do bad things to good people and then he tried to kill me."
"But you are okay now."
Ginny smiled ruefully. How do you explain to a child that one is never okay when one loses their childhood and innocence so violently?
"I am better now." Ginny mused.
"Does he still hurt you? That bad man?"
"No, my friend sent him away. He can't hurt me anymore."
"Will they send him away too?" She asked looking at Crabbe.
"I don't know."
"I want to go home. I want to go back to my mummy. I don't want be here and learn magic. Magic is bad." She sobbed.
Ginny held out her hand. "Hey, do you think you could come here? Then we can go to the Hospital Wing together and then your mum can come take you home."
The girl looked at Ginny's hand warily. "Do you promise you won't hurt me?"
"I promise." Ginny said solemnly.
The girl took Ginny's hand and winced slightly as she stood up. Ginny held her shoulders to support her.
"Did he hurt you anywhere else?" Ginny asked worriedly.
The girl shook her head, bowing it low. Ginny couldn't take it, lifting the girl's chin up "You don't have to be ashamed of anything. It's he who should be ashamed. Don't be afraid of him. He is an idiot. Look what I did to him."
The girl giggled, "He looks like an ugly giant slug."
"Well that's because that's what he really is."
Ginny steered the girl to the door as Professors McGonagall and Sprout entered the classroom, with Neville and Hannah at their heels. The little girl hid behind Ginny, holding on to Ginny's robes. Professor McGonagall went white at the sight of Crabbe's body. "Miss Weasley, what happened here?"
Ginny shook her, looking carefully at the girl behind her. "Lucy?" Hannah called; eyes wide. "Lucy is that you?"
Lucy squeaked, her grip on Ginny's robes tightening. "Why is Miss Jameson out so late, Miss Abbott?" Professor McGonagall asked tersely.
"She had detention with Amycus Carrow this evening." Professor Sprout replied. "But that must have ended sometime ago. Lucy, come out child. Tell us what happened?" Professor Sprout added kindly.
Lucy squirmed, Ginny could feel her tears. "Please, Professor. Can we send Lucy to the Hospital Wing and then talk about it? I will tell you everything."
"Miss Abbott, why don't you take Miss Jameson to the hospital wing? Weasley, Longbottom. My office now. Pomona please do join us."
Lucy whimpered. Ginny gently unclasped her robes from Lucy's fingers and looked at her kindly. "You know Hannah?" Lucy nodded, eyes darting towards Hannah who smiled at her encouragingly. "Hannah is going to take you to the hospital wing, okay?" Lucy whimpered again. "You know she won't hurt you, don't you?" Lucy nodded tears shining in her big brown eyes. "Come on, I will take you to Hannah and ask her to take good care of you, Okay?" Lucy said nothing but let Ginny tug her along to Hannah.
"Hannah, this is my friend Lucy. A bad man hurt her and she needs to go to the hospital wing. Do you think you can take her there?"
Hannah nodded, squaring her jaw. "Come on Lucy; let's get you to the hospital wing. And I will get you some hot chocolate with marshmallows. Okay?" Hannah said smiling kindly at Lucy. Lucy smiled and readily took Hannah's hand and walked out of the classroom. Crabbe groaned behind Ginny, and Ginny kicked him between his legs, hard. Not caring that there were two Professors watching. "Miss Weasley!" Professor McGonagall protested.
"He deserved it, Professor." Neville said in Ginny's defence. Professor McGonagall closed her mouth and swept out of the room with Professor Sprout by her side and Ginny and Neville trailing behind.
"Explain." Professor McGonagall barked as soon as Ginny closed the door of her office.
"We were returning to the tower when we heard voices from that classroom. We just peeked in to investigate and initially saw only Crabbe- umm… pleasuring himself." Neville said lamely. "We would have left him alone had we not heard him talk, as if there was someone else in the room. And then Ginny saw Lucy's foot sticking out on the floor, and we could hear Lucy sob. Ginny cursed Crabbe, and as he fell we saw Lucy. And a glint of- a glint of-" Neville closed his eyes in horror, unable to say further.
"We saw Crabbe's semen glinting on Lucy's robes." Ginny said in a dead voice. "When I saw Lucy in proper light, her lips were swollen and bleeding and she wouldn't let me go anywhere near her."
Professor McGonagall clutched her heart as she sank in her chair, "Never." She said faintly, "Never in all my years at Hogwarts has someone done that to a student."
Professor Sprout made a noise in the back of her throat looking murderous. There was a soft knock on the door as Hannah entered, she looked white. "Please Professors. Madam Pomfrey has asked Professor Sprout and you to go to the hospital wing immediately. She has called Professor Snape too." Professor McGonagall jumped to action. "Pomona, go ahead and meet her. I think we would have to inform her parents about this horrible situation. Weasley, Longbottom, Abbott return to your common rooms please. I know you want to do something to help, but you have helped a lot. Now go to your dormitories." With Professor McGonagall strode out of her office, to follow Professor Sprout.
"Why have I been summoned here at such a late hour, Poppy?" Severus Snape asked coldly.
"Sexual Assault! Crabbe attacked a first year- a first year. Do you hear me? Is this what this school is coming down to? Raping innocent children?" Madam Pomfrey spat angrily.
Snape fought to keep his face expressionless, inside bile rose to his throat. Vincent Crabbe was as smart as a troll, which was evident. He had often wondered how Crabbe got sorted to his house. Now he knew, Crabbe was also ruthless and loved power, and he never shied away from abusing his power.
"Where is she?" Snape asked in a whisper.
"Sleeping. I had to get her a draught of dreamless sleep. Ah, good Pomona, you are here and so are you Minerva."
Snape turned, trying to control his urge to look ashamed. He loathed the look of disdain and disappointment in Minerva's face. And Pomona was giving him a glare full of hatred, something he didn't think the witch could actually feel. He watched them silently and they glared back at him. The doors of the hospital burst open and Amycus Carrow entered followed by Blaise Zabini who was guiding a stretcher behind him. Zabini placed the stretcher softly at Madam Pomfrey's feet; who promptly gathered her robes and took a few steps back in disgust.
"Amycus." Snape said in a threatening voice, eyes flashing dangerously, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Found him in a classroom. That bat bogey looks like Weasley's doing."
"He deserved what he got." Spat Madam Pomfrey.
"Now, look here you bloody bitch. Just because Severus is tolerating you here, it does not mean that he will always tolerate you. You might want to keep your mouth shut, for your own health."
"That's enough." Snape said, his voice deadly. "Amycus, these women here accuse Crabbe of committing sexual assault. And the girl was a first year." Zabini looked up from his place behind Carrow with an unreadable expression on his face.
"And where is the proof? There is no proof that Crabbe did it. They are just trying to bring down a model student. They lie."
"Poppy, do you have any way of proving your accusation?" Snape asked silkily.
"I do. I took some sample off Miss Jameson's robes and mouth. Here, look." She held out a small vial, which held a dark murky brown substance. "That's her attacker's essence when introduced to Polyjuice potion. Now I need a strand of Crabbe's hair to add to another vial of Polyjuice potion I have here and we would know the truth, won't we?"
Snape nodded, before summoning some of Crabbe's hair. To nobody's amazement the potion turned a dark murky brown, declaring Crabbe's crime.
"This does not prove anything!" Amycus seethed. "Two people can have the same kind of essence. This is utter madness. A model student was attacked here and you are worrying about tall lies from a first year who can't even reach class on time."
"That is not possible!" snapped Professor Sprout. "Every individual has a particular essence; no two people can have the same essence. Not even twins have the same essence."
"Why don't you go play house with your plants? You are not even magical enough to understand potion making. And who knows the little half- blood whore didn't offer sexual favours to someone from such a good wizarding stock?"
Professor Sprout's eyes flashed dangerously, "She is eleven years old- do you understand? Eleven! She doesn't even understand the meaning of the term sexual favours. You stupid, foul-" but before she could say further Snape stepped in. "Enough." He said without raising his voice, "Essence of a person cannot be duplicated in anyway. It appears Crabbe did assault Miss Jameson. Pomona she is your ward, I trust you would write to her parents and inform them of the situation. Poppy if she needs to go to St. Mungo's, make arrangements for the same. Zabini, go back to your dormitory and talk to no one about it. Minerva do what you wish to do. Amycus follow me."
"Weasley deserves detention for attacking a student. No matter what the student was doing, she should have gone to a Professor." McGonagall bristled but Snape held his hand. "Weasley will get detention. Amycus, set the date and time of her detention and let her know. Now follow me." Snape strode out of the hospital wing his robes billowing behind him. Amycus followed gloating over the fact that he got a detention at least.
"Why didn't you control him?" Snape seethed as he paced in his office.
"Oh, come on Severus. The lad is a young bloke, he has his needs. Plus, the little half blood should be happy that someone like Crabbe touched her. Pure wizarding stock do not waste their time with such low lives."
Snape slammed his fist on the desk, looking deadly. "Are you really that thick? If her parents decide to send her to France or Greece or Bulgaria or India or some other school in this world, do you know what message it sends out to the wizarding population? Do you think anyone would be able to stop this from happening? Yes, we run the ministry. But even they won't be able to stop her from moving because her magical education would continue. We made going to school mandatory. We didn't say attending Hogwarts was mandatory." He said angrily. "I will be informing the Dark Lord of this incident. Don't forget. And he will not be pleased. This school aims to create model death eaters and you just let one slide from our hands. She will never join us now. When Crabbe wakes up, give him a doze of his own medicine, till he submits. Am I understood?"
Amycus had gone white. He remembered how the Dark Lord had emphasized on the importance of training them young. The first years were already the smallest batch in the school, hardly twenty of them and he had lost one of them.
"Do you have to inform him?" He moaned, trembling with fear.
"I wouldn't have to notify him of anything had you taught Crabbe some discipline." Snape said coldly, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. Snape watched Amycus shuffle out of his office and waited for five minutes before crumpling down on the floor sobbing hard. "I am so sorry." He whispered again and again as he rocked back and forth. After while he got up and opened his cupboard, removing the false lower shelf, he picked out a faded midnight blue jumper and grey scarf. He held them close to his chest. Lily always helped him ease his pain. He carried those items to bed with him; they still made him feel whole again.
AN: You know what to do. Read and Review. Happy Reading!