~*~Chapter 12~*~
A great pall had fallen over all the Gryffindors of the castle. While the rest of the school was moved less dramatically, it was still as if a tidal wave had swept away all the excitement of a new school year. The professors dodged the students' questions; even Dumbledore made as few comments as he could on the matter. The simple fact was, no one had any answers.
If Lily thought she had had her own share of problems a couple days before-hand, it was nothing compared to the chaotic disaster is was now. Every minute of every day was the same, like a nauseatingly monotonous voice urging her to come out of hibernation.
"Lily, you've got to get out of bed -- please," Adalya shook her mildly.
Lily slowly and dully buried herself in the blankets as she felt her alarm clock's body weight sink into her mattress. "Go away. I'm not fit to be converting civilization's oxygen into carbon dioxide."
For almost two days, Lily stayed secluded in her dorm, and though she didn't speak often, her mind was racing incessently about the evil deed she believed she had committed. She even went as far as to imagine a scene where Kristy's spirit would come back to haunt her for the rest of eternity.
Finally, on the eve of the second day, there came a hesitant knock on her door.
"Lily?"
No answer.
*knock*
Still, no answer.
She could hear a small crowd let themselves into her room.
"Do you think she's asleep or faking it?" Sirius said in a stage whisper.
"I don't know, but she'll be awake momentarily," James said, shaking an aluminum can.
Before anyone could protest, James pushed a button on the can and the obnoxious roar of a foghorn air-blaster nearly deafened everyone.
Lily jumped in shock, but still kept her eyes closed.
"For the love of God, James!" Ashley shrieked. "All of you get out now before you do something even stupider!" She roughly shoved them out and locked the door.
"Ok Lily, time to get up, we need to have a talk."
She didn't stir.
"Come on, do you think I took on the Lambda Epsilon clan for my health!? Plus, there's no way you could have slept through that God-awful racket."
Ashley heard a quiet snort under the blankets.
"Lilian Paige!" She squeaked, overcome with a wave of emotion. "You're not the only one who lost a best friend!"
That struck a nerve. Lily couldn't bear to cause anyone more pain, so she slowly sat up to see Ashley's tear-strewn face attempting a smile.
"Come to join the pity party? It's a blast, really," Lily said dully.
Ashley gave her both a lop-sided grin and a hug. "You know, when I first saw her, I--" her voice broke off, but she quickly gathered the courage to continue. "I didn't want to believe it. But when I touched her frozen face, Lily, I knew. I knew it was real. And then, I felt like it was the end of all happiness, and I wanted to die, to be with her."
Lily wiped away one of her stray tears. "So did I."
"But you know why I didn't die? Why I didn't end it and avada kedavra myself? -- I saw you."
"Me? I was just as much a wreck as you were."
"You, Lily, the third and strongest of us three Musketeers. Remember our vows?"
Lily dropped her head in solemnity as that day played itself over in her mind.
'Three eleven-year-old girls slipped identical rings on their fingers as one began to speak.
"To all of us, as the paths which are our lives split into their separate ways for years, but hopefully not forever. Let us make our vows."
Each of them pricked their thumb with a needle until it bled.
"For friendship, that we may never ever forget all the memories we made together," Ashley pronounced, sticking her thumb high in the air.
"For thoughtfullness, that we may always write eachother Christmas cards," Lily giggled and thrust out her thumb until her blood fused with Ashley's.
"Really Lily, can you not be serious for once?"
"Sorry, I thought it was a good vow!"
Ashley rolled her eyes then nodded for Kristy to go.
She did the same and said, "And for love, that no matter what happens, may we cling to eachother for life and for hope."'
The past fell away as Lily smiled. "For life and for hope, Kristy told us."
Ashley agreed, a final tear running down her cheek. "Life, hope -- and don't forget Christmas cards."
The comment produced the closest thing to a laugh that Lily had made in days.
"So what do you say?" Ashley held out her arm.
Lily sat up and exchanged a grin with her friend. "I say we honor Kristy's vow."
The two remaining Musketeers entered the Great Hall in silence, thankful that no one questioned them about recent events. Lily was welcomed warmly to the table; even the boys turned sane, for a glorious first, when Ashley gave them a hard glare that said 'act civilized'.
Lily, to everyone's relief, didn't notice that the entire hall was draped in a mournful black out of respect for Kristy. She did notice, however, that they were serving French onion soup. She all but dove into it and barely breathed until she realized that instead of talking, her friends were all watching her.
She slowly wiped her mouth with a napkin. "What is it? Am I spilling it all over me?"
"Nothing," Remus said innocently. "By all means, continue gorging yourself. Lord knows you haven't eaten in days."
She shrugged, not having caught the mild sarcasm, and continued eating.
"Are you sure that just 20 minutes ago, she was dangerously depressed?" James whispered.
"Horomones, I guess," Sirius answered.
"Well, look at her eat! I'd figure she'd go on some big Catholic-fast out of respect for Kristy, but she's wolfing it down, and trust me, I know what 'wolfing' down food is." Remus replied.
The conversation ended when several hoots sounded through the hall.
Good, Ashley thought. The mail's here. Hopefully there'll be something to cheer Lily up.
Sure enough, among the hundreds of birds chaotically zooming around, one of them dropped a letter in Lily's soup.
She scowled mid-bite as the envelope landed in her meal. "Stupid owl. If I could get ahold of you, you'd think twice before coming in between a girl and her food."
"What is it, Lil?" Ashley asked.
"I have no idea, but right now, it's a barrier, separating the broth from my stomach."
"Well, open it and see who it's from."
Again, Lily scowled but agreed. She carelessly ripped open the seal and unfolded the letter. Her grumpy face fell into a horrified expression as she read the first few lines of the letter.
'Dear Lily -- With love, Kristy
Enclosed are some magically replicated paper that should really interest you, and you must read them! It's what I was trying to tell you earlier. It's very important."
Before you read them though, I want you to know that I am so very sorry for treating you the way I have been. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I will do anything for you --'
Lily abruptly stopped and ran from the table as fast as her legs could carry her. What she had just read was utter torment to her soul.
"Oh not again." Ashley moaned, standing up to follow Lily.
"What is with her? I know her friend was murdered, but if her horomones are that messed up, she needs to go to a healer," James stated, baffled.
Ashley's eyes shot daggers at him. "And if you were any more asinine, I'd say you needed to go to a psychiatric ward!" With that, she ran to where she knew Lily would confine herself to wallow, and hoped that no one had taken much notice to the two of them.
Much to her disappointment, Professor Dumbledore knowingly sighed as he watched the disgruntled friends flee the hall.
~~~~~~
Her whole body ached as she fought her way through the castle to the dormitory. Her peer�s eyes as she fled through the common room whimpering; they pierced her soul� And the ever-present gloom that surrounded her, like the incessant threat of the walls slowly closing in on her. Lily didn�t know how she could go from being blissfully happy to a grieving wreck in only a matter of days. This was something she had never felt before, never had to deal with: pain. Sure, she�d broken her leg and gotten a black eye, but this pain was far deeper, far more advanced. It was internal agony � the gluttony of the devil.
She had even begun to overcome the anguish, thanks to Ashley, but all of a sudden it was back. Like an unexpected dagger poised beneath her throat. She was, again, surrendering to it.
�And all because of a stupid letter!� She screamed, slamming the envelope into the back of her dresser drawer and falling to the ground, sobbing.
�What was in the letter, Lily?� Sibley meekly stood in her doorway, tracing the pattern on the carpet with her toe.
�Nothing that pertains to you.� Lily could have kicked herself for foolishly leaving the door open for the entire Gryffindor tower to hear her. �What do you want anyway?�
She took a step forward and closed the door. �To be your friend.�
�I�d beware. My closest friend was just murdered. I�d keep a safe distance if I were you. I could be cursed.�
�Nonsense. I�d say you�re as normal as anyone else here.�
�Does this look normal to you!?� Lily bellowed, wheezing for air. �I feel like I�m host to a parasite that�s eating away at my life, leaving me just enough strength to grab onto a support, but not enough will to want to fight for it.�
�You do have supports, Lily, and they love you enough to give you to will to grab on to them.�
�And surely you�ll say you�re one of them!� She spat, not realizing the power in what she just said.
That stung terribly, Sibley thought. �No, I�m not. I know you don�t trust me or want me to try to help. You�ve shown me that since the moment I first got here and became friends with you best pals. It tore you apart that you weren�t getting every drop of the boys� attention, or rooming with your two best girl friends. I could see it in your eyes. But they desperately care about you Lily, and they would do anything for you. James, Sirius, Remus, and Ashley are your supports. Hold on to them with both hands � that�s how I know I can�t do much for you, but I�m willing to try.�
Sibley rubbed her nervous palms together as she watched her, moved by the girl curled up on the floor crying. �These are the times when friendship is most important, and I�m willing to take a stab at it.�
Lily lifted her head disinterestedly. �And I suppose you�ll say that there�s no time like the present.�
�Correct,� she smiled, not paying any mind to the sarcasm dripping from Lily�s mouth.
�Well then,� Lily covered her head and replied snidely. �Since you�re no good at being the �Be My Friend Barbie�, I suggest you leave my room now, unless you have some miraculous way of cheering me up.�
Sibley sighed, deciding that this was a hopeless cause, and walked towards the door, but tripped as she was halfway there. Her eyes looked for what she had stumbled over and she grinned like a Cheshire cat. �Miracle� as a matter of face I do have one��
She picked up a small turtle with a shell the colour of flames. �Ignatius, you may be just the miracle I need.�
Lily�s eyes snapped open. �How�d you know his name?�
�Oh, Ashley or Kristy told me about him, I guess �� she replied, more focused on Ignatius� googly-eyes than Lily�s question. �Where�d you get him?�
�James � as a Valentine�s Day gift.�
Sibley raised an eyebrow at the reference of James and Lily possibly being an item in the past. �No, I mean where is he from?�
Lily grumpily wiped away a tear. �I think he said from the Spanish ��
�Yes!� She interrupted. �I knew I recognized this species. We studied them back home in Spain.�
�So what, big deal.�
�Lily, if you�d grow up a little, maybe I�d get a chance to tell you,� she snapped, then quickly softened her attitude at the scandalous look on Lily�s face. �This little guy not only saved your life by putting warmth into you, but he can also save your heart and soul by filling you with happiness.�
�He�d have to be one miracle turtle to fix my life��
�And that he is!� An older voice sounded through her room as Dumbledore walked through the door with Ashley who looked to be weeping again. �Miss Bogus, I am very impressed that you happened to know about the abilities of a magical creature as rare as this. Gryffindor will be awarded points, I assure you.�
Sibley smiled at her own cleverness.
�When I saw Lily flee the hall, I knew I had to get Ignatius to her to help,� he continued. �I ran into Miss Marcelo in the hall, crying over the attack as well. Both of you really need to thank James for this astounding turtle.�
�Well what�s it going to do for us?� Lily huffed, her face still wet.
The headmaster smiled. �This magical creature has the gifts of filling one with warmth and happiness in dire need. You only have to touch it�s radiant shell and soon, a happy, even joyous, memory will come flooding back to you, as real as if it were yesterday.�
�I can remember any joyous memories.�
�Lily,� he said sternly. �Place your hands on the shell and close your eyes.�
The instant her hand made contact, the world turned blurry, like a dream-phase, as a memory became as clear as crystal.
"Alright Lily! The Hogwarts Beauty Salon is up, running, and ready for customers! Step into the bathroom and take a seat in one of our comfy hair chairs! We'll be right with you!" Ashley yelled from inside their walk-in closet.
Lily took a deep breath and walked in. They had charmed the room to look like a beauty salon. She noticed that the one chair was bright yellow with orange polka dots. "Hmmm...that's a little strange." However, she took a seat just as her friends strode in. She took one look at them and stammered, "Oh---my---" Ashley and Kristy looked at eachother and smiled widely, ready to put on an act.
"Good morning to you, Madame! And what a vewy good morning it tis!" Kristy clapped her hands together while talking in a strong, fancy French accent.
"I agwee! Let's get down to beezness!" Ashley added.
Their voices were funny enough, but that wasn't what made Lily's jaw hit the ground. It was the way they looked.
"Ashwee, before we begin on zis bootiful girl, tell me, vat do you think of zis outfit and hair cut? I did it last night." Kristy stood in a pose, barely unable to laugh.
A scary thought ran through Lily's mind. 'This had BETTER not be what they're planning on doing to me!"
Kristy was wearing the most hilariously ridiculous outfit imaginable: beige and red plad flare pants with a long, peasant style shirt that came close to her knees. Scarily, her hair was much much worse. She had it styled so it was a mass of dark drown spiral curls, forming an afro.
Ashley smiled widely. "Don't you just love it, Lily darling? It tis magnificant! I twied to persuade her to my hair like zat, but she refewsed, saying zat copying would be too uncreative."
'Phew...' Lily let out a sigh of evident relief. At least now she knew she wouldn't walk out of here with a fro.
"But...we have something even better for you, my dear! Just you wait! It will be fantastic! Manifique!"
Kristy revealed to the dismay of Lily. "Now, just sit back, relax, close your eyes, and it will be done in no time!"
Lily hesitantly leaned back and tried to shut out every panicy thought going through her mind. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes to watch them work. It was too horrifying, so she just laid there and eventually fell into a nightmare-less sleep.
"Lily! Lily! Wake up! Chop chop!" Ashley softly smacked her cheek, really sticking to the French accent. "It tiz done!"
Lily plied her eyelids up with her fingers, literally, and gaped at what she saw staring back at her in the mirror.
She was stunned: not even sure is she recognized herself. She looked better than she ever had in her life!
�So...! What do you think?� Ashley burst out, unable to contain the thrill.
�Wow!...� Lily say there, not moving until she finally snapped out of it. �Oh my gosh! You two are geniuses!�
�We know...� Kristy smiled as Lily jumped up and hugged them until they shrunk a couple of dress sizes.
Her eyes lit up as the memory faded away. She smiled, and unexpectedly, started to laugh.
Dumbledore chuckled. �I take it you like your memory.�
Lily nodded and snorted mid-laugh. �Remember when you and Kristy gave me a make-over before the ball? You two were crazy!�
Ashley began laughing and imitating herself. �We took zat and turned yoo into zis bootyful girl!�
The headmaster smiled to himself. Ignatius clearly can work wonders. Remember to reward James for buying the turtle, he thought, then looked over to Ashley. �Would you like to give it a try?�
�Definently.�
Ashley put her hand on the shell and immediately she was in the past, back to the day when Kristy was terrified by Ignatius.
"AHHHH!!! IT'S GONNA EAT ME!!! Get it out! Get it out!" Kristy shrieked as Lily barged through the door, ready for the worst. It was quite a sight. Kristy had herself glued to the wall, Ignatius was waddling towards her, almost smiling, and Ashley was on the other side of the room, engrossed in dilirious laughter.
Lily saw this and started giggling.
"Stop laughing! It's gonna eat me!"
"It's not going to eat you, Kris. Calm down!"
"Calm down!? Look at the thing! It's ferocious!"
"Kristy, two things: It's stomach is WAY too small for you to fit in and he's totally harmless."
"Oh." She blushed a deep shade of red. "Thanks for telling me. No thanks to you, Ashley! I was scared to death and you just laughed!"
Ashley looked up from her position on the floor, trying to contain her laughs. "It's a TURTLE!"
"Well, it looks like it came from Haydes. Look at it!" She pointed to it and it was staring at her with eyes very similar to 'puppy dog eyes'.
"Oh yes, it's the demon turtle alright." Lily said sarcastically. "James, the devil child himself, gave him to me today. His name is Ignatius and he's as harmless as a fly."
Kristy just blushed, feeling like a complete goof as Lily and Ashley continued to laugh.
Ashley, when she came to, was giggling so dramatically she was wheezing. �Oh my � Lily, remember when you first got Ignatius and he got out of his cage? Kristy was absolutely petrified!�
Lily laughed. �Poor girl, she thought this cutie was going to eat her! That was hysterical.�
While the two were laughing, Sibley, who had been observing the scene from the back of the room, approached Dumbledore. �Excuse me, Professor?�
�Yes, Miss Bogus?� He grinned at her last name.
�May I make a suggestion?�
�Certainly.�
�Well, with the whole school being a little down and all, I was thinking maybe it�d be a good idea to let all of the students use Ignatius to cheer them up.�
Dumbledore gave her a warm smile. �That�s a very wise idea. As a matter of fact, I was thinking about that too. Maybe along the lines of a Care of Magical Creatures lesson.�
�Ok. I just want everyone to be smiling instead of crying.�
�That�s very noble of you, Sibley.� He paused, then looked at her again. �How much do you know about these creatures?�
�Oh, quite a lot!� She boasted. �My uncle is a magical biologist that specializes in them. There�s quite a few of them in Spain, compared to everywhere else in the world.�
�Ah,� he replied, deep in thought.
�If you need any information about them that�s not in the books for the lesson, just ask me.�
�Actually, I believe I have a better idea for you��
~~~~~~
Lily idly nibbled a piece of banana nut bread as she wrote a letter to her family about what had happened in Hogwarts. It was difficult for her to put her feelings and pain into words, but Ignatius had made it bearable. Her spirits had brightened significantly, making life a lot less strenuous for not only herself, but everyone who came within close range of her drearyness.
'Dear Mum, Daddy, and Petunia,
I'm sure the Johnsons have contacted you in regards to Kristy's death. You can't possible imagine how negatively I was hit by that. The realization that life can be a lot harder than homework is almost intolerable. If it weren't for Ashley, my new friend Sibley, and my turtle Ignatius, I would most certainly be clinically depressed.
The fact that Kristy and I were mad at eachother and that I told her off just minutes before... it's horrifying. I know I can't be at the funeral, so I want you to give Mr. and Mrs. Johnson a hug for me and tell them that I'm sorry there was nothing I could do to change it.'
Ashley was reading the letter over Lily's shoulder and tsked. "Lily, you know it wasn't your fault. There really was nothing you could do about it."
She sighed. "That's exactly what I don't like about the whole thing -- I was powerless, unable to save my best friend."
They both paused, then their heads shot up as the Great Hall doors were thrown open.
James, Sirius, and Remus ran in. There was no colour in their faces as James yelled "Headmaster!"
Upon his sight, Professor Dumbledore's soft eyes were filled with distress. "What is it?" He quickly stood up, prepared for the worst.
"It's a student!" Remus answered. "In the east corridor of the second floor!"
"What's happened?" Professor Evans asked, running down to them.
Sirius' eyes grew wide with fright. "He's -- he's --"
Unable to keep their composure under the ferocity of what they had seen, all three of them fainted on the spot.
Professor Dumbledore understood the gravity of the situation, but kept a cool head. "Head students, take these boys to the hospital wing. All other students will follow prefects to their dormitories immediately! No pit stops! All teachers, follow me to the east wing of the second floor."
The whole school was in chaos, but the prefects did their best to round the students up.
"Lily!" She turned upon hearing her name. "Run to your room and take Ignatius to the hospital wing. He'll be a comfort to the boys. Like I said, hurry there and take no pit stops!"
"Yes Professor Dumbledore," she answered as he left the hall.
Ok, keep your head on straight, She kept telling herself. Something serious has definently happened, but the teachers will be able to get it all under control.
She sprinted down the hall so she could beat all of the students swarming the corridors. Once she got to her room, she quickly sna tched Ignatius and continued down to the hospital wing. As she came to a split in the hallways of the second floor, she halted.
Oh no. I have to go through the east wing to get to the hospital.
She sneakily walked along - hoping to stay unnoticed - until she saw a gathering of fretting teachers and froze up.
Don't look, keep going... she mumbled. Ignatius' warmth was the only thing keeping her from spazzing out.
Doing good, Lily, don't look.
But her curiosity got the better of her, and she rose to see what had happened. Professor Dumbledore, looking a rough shape, caught her eye right before she saw what all the fuss was about: a student was hanging from the ceiling, bleeding from the mouth.
Oh my god...
"Miss Evans!" Professor McGonagall ordered her, "Get to the hospital wing quickly!"
This can't be happening...
"Miss Evans, don't stand around like you're deaf! This is an emergency!"
But she couldn't take her eyes off him, the boy who had been so nice to her last year when no one else was.
"Lily Evans!" The headmaster solemly, but sternly demanded her. "Leave now! They need you!"
Neither Dumbledore's secure voice, nor Ignatius' power could do anything for her as her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and the horrific image of Victor Dursley bound itself to her memory.
~~~~~~
The light blinded her opening eyes as she slowly came to. Ignatius' shell felt warm in her pulsating hand; she must have been sleeping on it.
"Ahh," Madame Pomphrey shuffled over to her, forcing a potion down her throat. "Sleeping Beauty awakes. Took a little longer than I would have thought, but here you are."
Lily could just stare at her and wonder what she was talking about.
"Your friends have snapped out of it too, about three hours ago. It'll let you talk with them as long as you stay in your cot and keep your voices down." She opened the curtain around her bed and Lily saw the boys playing poker.
"Well hey Lily!" All of them dropped their cards and came to sit on her bed. "We were hoping you'd get up soon."
"Thanks." She coughed, still tasting the medicine. "What was that stuff? Blah... What are we doing in here anyway?"
"If she gave you the same slime as us, it was some potion to slow your memory and hold your emotions. That's what she told us anyway." Remus said. "Do you really not remember what happened before you fainted?"
Lily thought for a moment in silence before all the pieces came together like an almost-forgotten dream. She dropped her head solemnly. "Yes, I do remember... Poor Victor... he was just... hanging there..." She sniffed as Sirius put a comforting arm around her."
"So you saw him too?"
She nodded, wiping her eye with her sleeve. "Who could want to kill them? Both were friends of mine too."
"Maybe they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," James said, shrugging.
"But why them?"
"Bad things happen to us all, Lil. Earlier, Dumbledore came in here and told us that the planets will keep spinning no matter what happens. The important thing is that we take it as it all comes and go on with life."
"But she is right James," Sirius spoke up. "There's got to be a reason behind all of this. Don't take this the wrong way, but people usually don't kill for their kicks and giggles."
"Do you think it has anything to do with the attack at Steepridge?"
"Well, I doubt that sabatoge was a fluke," Lily added. "There's got to be a connection."
Their conversation went on until they heard Madame Pomphrey quickly walk into the room.
"Ok kiddos, as much as I hate to say this, you're free to go -- after you down this potion."
They reluctantly poured it into their mouths and gulped.
"Now scoot. The headmaster needs all the staff for an urgent meeting, as I'm sure you know. I'd advise you not to spread any rumours about what's going on."
"Yes, Madame Pomphrey," they chorused, then headed to the common room to relax, but Lily couldn't take it easy. She had something she knew she had to do.
She found her half-finished letter to her family on her un-made bed, right where she had left it after the boys had run into the Great Hall and fainted. She knew she had to tell Petunia what had happened to her boyfriend's brother. Vernon made it overly evident to her that he wasn't the most pleasant person in the world, but she felt she owed him something. At least he was bearable.
Picking up where she left off, she wrote:
The next day --
I don't know what's going on, but maybe Dad's heard something. Victor Dursley was found murdered in the school corridor. That's why I had to end the letter so abruptly yesterday. I'm very sorry Petunia. Please tell Vernon I give him my most sincerest apologies and that I'm sorry for what happened to his brother. He was a friend of mine too.
I can't wait for the Christmas holidays, Mum and Dad. I just want to come home. I'm feeling terrified to see another dead body; I just want to go home. My only consolations right now are my friends. Maybe they'll send us home, I don't know.
I love you very much.
Love, Lily
~~~~~~
Just a day later, Lily received a bunch of gifts, a letter from her family, and the news that Vernon was completely distraught and is cutting himself off from the wizarding world. Along with that, she read that her Dad hasn't been able to talk with Mr. Potter. Being the Minister and Head Auror, Carson Potter's too busy trying to get both the school tragedies and the public's reaction to them under control. She could understand that.
The school was a disaster too. All classes had been cancelled until further notice, and all the professors' stress levels were off the top. There seemed to be no end to the mess. Those few days car be summed up in one word; it was a riot.
~~~~~~
"Whoo, those things creep me out," a woman shivvered as a dementor walked by.
"Yeah, well we wouldn't be in this predicament if it weren't for you," a man in the cell next to her grouched.
This man and woman were the two Death Eaters charged with the auror attack a few months that happened earlier. Stripped of all worldly possessions, they were thrown in adjacent Azkaban cells with a life-long sentence hung on their necks.
"Excuse me, but I was only following our Master's orders. We took a vow to honor his spoken word. How was I supposed to know it'd land us in this hell camp?"
"Quit being such a whimpy woman. You knew full well what you were getting yourself into. I just wasn't expecting to get caught."
"All I'm saying is that this had better be worth it, because if 'civilization doesn't fall' and all that crock, and our Lord doesn't break us out of here... I was promised a commanding position!"
"Oh stuff it. Getting back at Figg was worth it to me. When I was at Hogwarts, there was no one I hated more."
After a pause, she said, "Don't you miss your family?"
"Hell with my family. They didn't even show up to my trial." He threw a rock at the wall with rage.
"Well when they break us out, it's all going to change."
"Hell it is."
She rounded on him with fierce eyes. "Figg only got probation! That was the plan! Everything --"
"Shh!" He held his hand up as a guard walked passed their cells.
She began whispering. "Everything's working out so far. And the deaths, didn't you heard the guards talking about them?"
His head snapped up. "What deaths?"
"The ones at Hogwarts. Two students have already been killed."
For the first time in weeks, it all of a sudden seemed worth it to him. "Perfect..."
Chapter 11 ~~~~~ Chapter 13
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