Corporal Punishment:
Lucy was new here, but she didn't get the feeling that there was any volunteering here. Argus didn't say anything at first, only staring at the girl and letting the cat rub against his hand. Finally, he shifted in his seat and crossed his arms.
"Prove it." Lucy looked at him dumbly, which only made him mad. "I said prove it!"
Lucy shrunk into herself and waited for him to punish her for not complying.
"Do you understand English, girl?" The way he said girl made it sound like a bad word. She nodded. "Then prove you don't have magic."
"How?"
"Don't save yourself." He said as if it was obvious.
Tenebris had already done what he could to prove she was a squib. He thought that if he pushed her far enough, she would express some kind of magical ability. She never did.
Now, Argus Filch reached for something by his chair. As he struggled to move it onto a wooden school chair, Lucy got nervous. He grabbed her arm and she tried to pull away. He was much bigger than her and dragged her toward the chair with the bucket.
Under the water, Lucy tried to scream but all it did was force water into her lungs. She tried to thrash against Filch's hands and get away, but he held her down. After what felt like an eternity, she didn't have the strength to fight anymore. She stilled and he finally pulled her out of the water. She leaned against her torturer as she coughed up water and gasped for air.
Before she could fully recover, she was submerged again. Though she knew it was futile, she still tried to fight against Filch. Her heart beat so fast the pulse in her neck almost hurt as it slammed into the edge of the metal. She started to feel light while her limbs felt so heavy. They were too heavy to move, even as Argus brought her back up once more.
Filch let her go and she collapsed to the ground, coughing.
Lucy watched him as he turned his back on her to pet the cat again. Her lungs burned and she was cold. She did not take her eyes off Filch's back. He walked around the table and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out chains and shackles with some difficulty. Argus brought them to where Lucy still laid, taking her hands one at a time to lock her to the chains.
"Get up," The man yanked on the chains, barely moving the girl. "Now."
Lucy moved slowly, still not feeling strong enough to support herself. Argus pulled the chains behind him, as the cat walked past Lucy and stayed close to the man. He forced her to follow him outside, where the wind was still fierce. Her already thin clothes being wet made earlier feel like nothing. She gasped as the November air touched her everywhere.
"If this doesn't make your magic come up, you don't have any." Lucy shivered at his words.
They walked for a long time, until they reached the edge of a forest. It was much darker in the woods than it should be, even for such an overcast day. Filch marched her into the woods until she could no longer see the grounds they crossed.
xXx
Severus made his way to dinner angry. After a long day of classes, he just wanted to go back to his quarters and drink until he forgot who he was. Someone else could grade the essays and assess the potions.
As he walked into the Great Hall, he braced himself for the sounds of students: laughter, shrieks, yelling, and general clamor about trivial school gossip. Dumbledore immediately sought him out as he walked past the students seated at their respective house tables. He made his way to his boss and waited for whatever new order he was about to receive.
"Severus, I hope your day was a good one?" Severus glared at the older man. Albus always seemed to say the most annoying greeting to Severus. He knew why Snape was here. He knew he would rather have spent the day anywhere else.
"The chicken pairs well with the potatoes, Severus!" Another voice broke Snape's glare. Pomona.
"Thank you, Pomona. Sit down, Severus, try to enjoy your dinner at least." Albus met Snape's eyes with a challenge.
Severus sat down and begrudgingly filled his plate. Albus had promised to find Lucy and ensure she was fed. She wasn't here. He looked over to the man in much lighter robes than his and decided to wait until after dinner to question him. Albus would not respond well to being questioned in front of the whole school.
xXx
Argus left her. Lucy swayed as she dangled from the tree branch in the dark. Her eyes had mostly adjusted, but the unsettling quiet was her main concern. Even with her poor hearing, she should have heard something. Her arms were tensed as gravity pulled her down against the metal cuffs around her wrists.
She should never have trusted these people. They got her back to health, let her wash up, fed her, and let her start to feel silly for doubting them. Then they left her for dead. Was she bait? Did they know her father? Maybe they were his friends. Any moment now, her father would emerge from the woods and laugh at her for being so stupid.
Lucy closed her eyes tight as she tried to calm herself. There was nothing she could do right now anyway, so she just needed to wait it out. Eventually, she would be tired enough to slip away.
xXx
After dinner, Severus was really angry. Most of the students would be back at their common rooms and half the staff was making their way to their own quarters or rounds. He should have gone to his quarters for a nap before his own rounds, but he still needed answers.
He cleared his throat as Albus started to get up. Albus turned to him and donned a concerned expression.
"Severus, is something wrong?" Severus stared at him impatiently. "I have lemon drops in my office, if that would help."
Severus didn't give two shits about lemon drops, but he knew an order when he was given one. He followed Albus to his office in silence.
He didn't react when Dumblerdore extended the offer of sugary treats. He sat in the chair until Dumbledore set the dish back down and steepled his hands.
"What troubles you, Severus?"
Snape narrowed his eyes. "Lucy."
"Is something wrong with her?" Albus was not a stupid man.
And neither was Severus. "She's been missing all day."
Albus clapped, letting out a small chuckle. "She's not lost, she has been with Argus. Since they share a common trait, I thought he might be a good introduction to Hogwarts so she doesn't continue to be lost."
Severus sensed something off about Albus' explanation, but he had no reason to distrust him. No proof at least.
xXx
A snap renewed Lucy's fight. She strained against the metal cuffs as she continued to hear twigs snap and vegetation shudder.
To the left.
She looked toward the sounds, where she saw a dark creature slowly walking. It was thin, with leathery wings. Its face didn't look alive, yet it moved. Another one emerged. Together, they walked along the brush, occasionally stopping and looking around. They kept moving until Lucy could no longer hear them.
Another snap jolted Lucy.
This one was really close.
Lucy felt something wet run down her arm. She'd rubbed her wrists raw in her attempts to escape her shackles.
The skeletal face sniffed around Lucy's own face. It turned toward her bleeding arm and sniffed again. This time, she felt something wet drip down her leg. I'm going to die.
xXx
Severus stared back at the headmaster for another moment, before sighing. He rubbed his face and fought off the exhaustion that came from his job, his life, his luck. Albus looked down at a book, as if waiting for it to talk to him.
"What is that?" Severus was sick of this meeting. He was getting nothing from the man.
Albus looked up at him, as if glad he asked. "It's the book of magical ability." Severus waited for him to continue. "In it, the names of those who possess magical abilities appear. Certain staff use it to determine who gets an invitation to study here." Certain staff meaning not the scary potions professor from the dungeons.
"Does it show from birth?" Severus questioned. If it did, they could look through it to determine if Lucy was in there.
"Rarely. Names appear only when magical children show enough magical ability to study here." Dumbledore looked away from the pages for a moment, up to his professor. "Some children show up earlier than others. I've been expecting one student for a long time now. Alas, it's not his time yet."
xXx
The thing seemed to look right through her with lifeless eyes. No emotion or hint of expression was to be found. Lucy tried not to move as she hung before it. After a moment, it started to make its way toward the first two creatures she had seen earlier.
The cuffs released her without warning.
Lucy fell a short distance before landing on the uneven ground. Her left ankle twinged, and she stayed down. If she stayed here forever, she would surely die alone. No one would find her out here. She might be eaten by the skeleton creature. There was no one to help her.
A light.
Lucy saw a light in the distance.
She pushed herself up, inhaling sharply as her wrists and ankle protested. She limped toward the light as she held her arms close to her chest.
xXx
Suddenly, Albus became very interested in the book on his desk. Severus watched the old man as he stared at the pages laid out in front of him. There was no protest from the headmaster when the professor stood up to see what was happening.
Severus stilled. The name on the page was still being written as he watched. Finally, the writing ceased and the two men confirmed their assumptions.
Lucille Anne Drake was no squib.
xXx
When Lucy finally caught up with the light, she was at the edge of the forest. The castle was lit up and a figure waited for her a few yards away. She stopped.
"I asked the house elves to deliver your dinner to the hospital wing for you." Albus said the words lightly.
Lucy stood still.
"It's much warmer in the castle." He extended a hand to the girl. "Come inside and warm up."
Lucy started to move to the castle without taking his hand. Dumbledore walked beside her without another word. When they reached the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was clearly expecting her. She tutted at the sight of dried blood on her wrists and the girls limp. When the nurse cleaned Lucy with a spell, her wrists were unmarked. Only Lucy remembered the pain. She remembered the blood dripping down. Remembered cradling her wrists on the slow walk back.
"You really did a number on yourself," Madam Pomfrey chided.
Lucy breathed deeply as anger overtook her. These people would hurt her and then blame her for it? They were no better than her father. She might as well go back to her father's house. At least she knew what to expect there.
"Yes, she found herself lost in the woods. Unfortunate accident." Lucy stared as Albus lied to the nurse. He switched his focus to the girl, as if daring her to correct him. She didn't.
The doors to the hospital wing slammed open as a man in dark robes rushed in. Albus turned to Severus, as the younger man swiftly made his way over.
"Ah, Severus, Lucy found her way back home." Severus stood as close to Albus as he could without touching him. "She appears unharmed, but Poppy is checking her over as a precaution."
Severus backed off, looking at the girl and the nurse. Lucy did appear physically unharmed, but not quite right. Lucy stared back at him but didn't say anything.
"Are you unharmed?" Severus asked the girl.
After a moment, she responded quietly. "Yes." Technically, she was currently unharmed.
Severus nodded and appeared to relax. "You cannot go off on your own again." Lucy nodded and looked down at her hands. "Stay in the castle unless you're accompanied by a trusted adult."
Poppy sighed and crossed her arms. "Well, I think she needs a good dinner and a rest, but she doesn't need to stay here tonight. There's nothing physically wrong with her, despite the mess she was when she came in." Severus' attention peaked. "Her arms were covered in blood, though whose, I do not know. She had no wounds other than a sore ankle."
Poppy returned to her office as Albus turned to leave and a house elf gave Lucy a plate of chicken, potatoes, and a roll. Severus suddenly realized he never heard how she got separated from Argus.
"Albus," The older man turned back halfway. "Where did Argus go after he 'welcomed' Lucy to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore fully turned now. "You said she was with Argus."
"Yes."
"How did she end up alone?"
Dumbledore inhaled.
"You said he would keep her from getting lost."
Albus shook his head. "I said he would prevent her from continuing to be lost." Severus closed his eyes. It was no coincidence that Lucy's name appeared in the book after suffering through a day with Argus, a man who would hurt anyone with magic he didn't have access to the second he was given permission. As if reading his thoughts, Albus said one last thing as he turned to leave. "Not to worry Severus, corporal punishment is not to be used on students."