The Lion and the Eagle |Neville Longbottom|

05. The Rumor Mill Strikes

I should've known that they were waiting for me. I was an idiot for ignoring that possibility.

I was trapped. Three shadows blocked one exit and two blocked the other. All I had was my wand.

"It's so lovely to see you again," Liam crooned as he stepped into the alleyway.

Instinctively, I backed up. "What do you want with me?" I snapped. I didn't have time for this. Surely it was past my curfew.

Without so much as an explanation, Liam pounced. I screamed as I fought him off. His boys were shouting encouragement. I tried to fumble for my wand, but Liam caught on and thrust my hands away from my wand each time I got close to grabbing it.

A sudden bang rang through the air. One of the guys gave a cry and collapsed where he stood. His buddy had his wand out in the direction where the stray spell emitted from, but he was taken down too. Liam, now afraid, yanked me in front of him.

A shadow was in the alleyway. It stepped over the two men it had taken down.

"Let her go," the voice hissed.

"Why should I?" Liam retorted. I struggled feebly. "It's three on one, idiot. I'm pretty sure we can take you."

With words I didn't catch, two streams of light burst, shot past Liam and me, and hit his two other guards. Both of them staggered back. I took this temporary distraction to sock Liam in the gut. Not thinking that the guy who was trying to help me could possibly have ulterior motives, I ran towards him.

Liam, frightened, yanked his two still conscious buddies, and all three Disapparated, leaving the two bodies the shadow struck at my feet.

***

My dream wasn't as accurate as my memory when it came to recalling last night's horrific event. Shockingly, I'd only had the dream once. But if my past trauma told me anything, the dream would not be just a one-off.

I rolled over onto my back and sat up, eyes still closed. The last time I checked, I did not have denim pajama bottoms. I soon remembered that I hadn't bothered to change; I had slept in my clothes.

Sleepily, I dug through my closet, dragged myself into the steaming shower, and came out refreshed but not fully awake. Once dressed, I wrapped my head with a towel and headed downstairs.

"Afternoon, sleepyhead," Dad mumbled as I descended down the last step. He was in his chair as usual.

"Afternoon?" I asked tiredly. "How long was I out?"

"Quite a while, longer than your mother. It's noon."

"Where is Mum?" I looked around. "How was she this morning?"

"Still a little anxious, but she's improved."

"Good. Did the Prophet come?" I asked.

Dad's face hardened. "It did." He took the Prophet and had the front facing him. "They were all over Rosmerta."

"Oh no," I moaned, sitting down on the couch.

"Are you staying home tonight?"

"Yes. What'd they say in the article?" I pressed hesitantly.

"All you'd expect. That bloke that the Auror took care of was sent to Azkaban. Now a search is underway for the rest that attacked you. Rosmerta gave a name of one of them."