Chapter Six

Where there's a wand, there's a way

I ran around the corner as fast as I could, hoping against hope that there would be something to help me hiding there. I gasped as a statue popped up out of nowhere, it was a statue of a one eyed witch with a huge hump back. I rested against it and turned to face the corner I'd just ran around. Time to accept my fate.

Twenty minutes ago, I had been ambushed by Slytherins. "Hello there Evans." Malfoy taunted, twirling his wand around his fingers and smirking at me. I grimaced and turned to face them.

"Malfoy." I greeted unhappily. As soon as I said his name, the smirk dropped off his face and he snarled at me.

"Don't sully my name by speaking it from your filthy lips."

I rolled my eyes. "Do you always have to be so dramatic?" I fake yawned and looked at my wrist. "Oh, would you look at the time? I have to be off. I would say it was nice speaking to you, but then I'd be lying."

He started chuckling as I walked away and before I knew it I was lying on my back. I grimaced as a twinge of pain raced through my spine. I couldn't believe I was stupid enough to walk away from them with my back turned. For a smart girl sometimes I could be so stupid. I struggled back up to my feet, not wanting the Slytherins to see the amount of pain I was already in. I should really work on my pain tolerance, this was really embarrassing.

"Not so fast, Evans." Footsteps came closer and I looked up into the steely grey eyes of Malfoy, behind him were Crabbe and Goyle, the two who followed him everywhere like bodyguards. Behind them were Lestrange and Black, Sirius' little brother. I was very outnumbered and although the beginnings of anxiety were coiling at the bottom of my stomach but I refused to let it show.

"What do you want now?" I spat, finally reaching my feet. I stood up straight, trying to make myself look taller and hopefully more intimidating with my head girl badge. "This is extremely stupid you do realise? I'm head girl." I pointed to the badge with a raised eyebrow. "That'll be 50 points from Slytherin for an unprovoked attack on another student."

Malfoy laughed at me. "Do you really think we care about house points?" He smirked and raised his wand. I quickly found my own and pointed it at him.

"I'm warning you Malfoy." I growled, locking eyes with him, green met grey.

He tilted his head and smirked before nodding to Crabbe and Goyle behind him. They both raised their wands but I was too fast for them. Their wands flew neatly into my hands and I threw them down the corridor behind me.

"How dare you!" Lestrange shouted, waving his wand. I shielded myself, sending the curse straight back at him. He went spiralling down the corridor, Crabbe and Goyle were now unsure of what to do and had resumed their place behind Malfoy. The youngest Black sibling had gone to check on Lestrange, obviously from my point of view, attempting to stay out of the fight.

Malfoy had begun smirking again. "You know, Evans? It's too bad you're a Mudblood." His smile was very nasty.

I cringed at the word. "And why's that?" I wrinkled my nose.

He casually started walking towards me. I didn't step away instead keeping my eyes on the threat. When he went behind me I turned to keep him in my sights. "I think you know why." He breathed into my ear, I shuddered and grimaced moving away from him quickly. I really wanted to leave this situation but knew I wouldn't be leaving that easily.

"I think that's enough, Malfoy." I warned, turning to press my wand against his throat and pushing him away. He walked backwards and the Slytherins formed some sort of wall, blocking my way through the corridor. I still refused to back down.

They would tear into me like a pack of wolves.

He shook his head, "I don't think so Evans. I think you've overstepped your boundaries and we're all getting quite sick of it." He motioned to Lestrange and Black who had managed to get back up and joined the pack. "It's time for you to learn your place." He smiled a sickening smile, that promised me quite a lot of pain.

I scoffed at them, unable to help it, even though I knew it wasn't going to help my situation. "Well you've certainly thought this through. We're at Hogwarts." I reminded them. "Anything you do here will get you expelled or even sent to Azkaban so I would think very carefully about what you were thinking of doing." I couldn't help the little smirk that graced my lips.

Lestrange smirked. "That's only if they find you." He bared his teeth. Malfoy sighed and held his arm to keep the boy back. He gave him a look which didn't quite silence him.

Malfoys eyes once again locked on mine. "What makes you think anyone cares about what happens to you?"

I stared back at him, refusing to let him see the effect his words were having on me. "I could ask you the same question." I snarled.

He laughed hollowly. "There's no comparison. I have the purest blood there is and you," His eyes flickered down my body before raising to my eyes again. "You're just a filthy, little Mudblood."

I laughed at him and shook my head. "Oh I'm so much more." This angered him as his wand slashed the air as he sent what was supposed to be a nasty curst at me. I whipped my own wand through the air and sent it straight back, while taking out Crabbe and Goyle at the same time. I dodged as a purple curse sailed over my head and sent a couple of stunners towards Black. The second one hit, and he was out like a light.

This left me with Malfoy and Lestrange to take care of. They didn't seem the slightest bit bothered that their 'friend's' were out of action, instead keeping their attention on me, something that I wasn't very happy with. I'd hoped this would have provided me with a suitable distraction to slip away.

I sent a flock of birds towards the two, watching in slight dismay as they set them on fire. I winced as the birds squealed in pain as they died and I felt a twinge of guilt for sending them to their deaths. I dodged another spell and worked some of my own magic on a suit of armour that was between the three of us. It jumped into action guarding me.

While Malfoy and Lestrange were preoccupied with the new threat I made my way down the corridor, hearing crashes and bangs behind me and knowing that they had most probably made quick work of my protector.

And here I was now, leaning against the statue of the one eyed witch, looking for somewhere to hide. I didn't want to be a coward or anything but knowing what I did about those two in particular, that they had joined You-Know-Who made me so reluctant to even engage in a fight with them. It was something I'd have thought nothing of last year.

But something had changed.

They had become so much more aggressive to those who they deemed lower than themselves and unfortunately I was included in this. I heard footsteps rounding the corner and I grabbed my wand, pointing it around the corner.

I was fully prepared to fight but something else caught my attention.

"Hey Evans! Up here!" A voice hissed. I blinked in confusion and looked up. It was, of course, James Potter. He was peeking out of the witches hump and staring down at me. Any other thought about Malfoy and co had completely fled my mind as I gazed up at him.

"Potter! What in Merlin's name are you doing up there?"

He rolled his eyes at me, and reached a hand down. "No time to talk Evans. They're coming." I shut my mouth and risked a glance at the corner and hearing the footsteps. They were getting closer.

I grabbed his hand and he helped me into the statue. There was a bit of a slide and I stumbled as we landed. He righted me and shut the passage entrance just in time.

We could hear them outside. "Where did she go?" Lestrange snarled.

Malfoy panted a bit before replying. "She must have ran off. Come on, I think we can still catch up." Their footsteps faded away, I could tell that they had spent a few seconds getting the rest of their crew in working condition before coming after me. Something, I think, which helped with my escape.

I let out a sigh of relief and turned to face Potter who had lit the end of his wand so that we could see in the darkness.

"Alright Evans?"

AN: Sorry that this chapter is later than usual, and quite a bit shorter as well. But I felt that this is where it needed to end. The next chapter should hopefully come a lot sooner. Thanks for everyone reading and don't forget to review!