GOLDEN || T. NOTT ✓

twenty-five | to be better

quick bit of info! chapters 26-30 will be much longer than the first 25.  I want to make them near perfect so updates will be less frequently for the last few chapters, though golden should be officially over before august begins :)

anyways, enjoy chapter twenty-five !

SURE ENOUGH, AFTER pestering McGonagall for answers, Paz had found out Ginny was currently in hiding with her family.  She felt better knowing that Ginny was one hundred percent safe, though she missed her terribly.  It had only been two days, but it was the longest two days of Paz's life.

To make matters worse, not only was Theo in one of his infamous moods, but the Carrows were currently out for blood.  Paz and Neville's blood, to be specific. 

After filling Neville in on what she had done in the small amount of time he was gone, Neville had convinced her to do it all over again.  So, Tuesday night the pair did exactly that.  The only two leaders left of the D.A. set off into the dark corridors of Hogwarts, painting on walls and setting firework traps.

The next morning, Amycus gave Neville detention just for making eye contact with him, and Alecto used the Cruciatus curse on Paz in class for sneezing. 

Now Wednesday night, Paz and Neville sat alone in the Gryffindor common room.

"When are you heading off to detention?" Paz asks, glancing up from the book she was reading.

"I honestly don't think I am." Neville states, shrugging his shoulders.

"What do you mean by that?" Paz asks, all of her attention now on Neville.

"I mean that Amycus doesn't deserve the satisfaction of torturing me without a real reason to, so I think I'll just stay in here for the night."

Paz laughs at how nonchalant Neville is about this whole situation before shaking her head and continuing to read her book.

Although she was looking at the pages and skimming the words, Paz wasn't taking in the information.  All she could think about was how much Neville had grown since she first met him six years ago, and how proud of him she was.  She knew that his parents would be so proud of him, and also wished that his grandmother had been easier on him growing up.

None of the last could change though, and Paz was happy where Neville was at right now.  He was a leader.  He deserved every good thing coming his way.

The hours ticked by, Paz and Neville sitting in silence and enjoying each other's company.  As eight at night rolled around, Paz bid Neville a goodnight and made her way to the portrait hole.

Just as she was climbing out, she noticed someone standing by the exit.

Amycus Carrow, red in the face with his wand raised, was now looking Paz dead in the eyes.

"Finally!" He shrieked, grabbing Paz from her collar and throwing her aside before dashing through the portrait hole.

"What the hell?" Paz says aloud, picking herself up and getting her wand out, running after Amycus.

Once she was back in the Gryffindor common room, she already found Amycus, who suddenly had a whip, whipping Neville's back furiously.

"This- this is what you get.. for not coming to detention!" Amycus shouts.

Despite having her wand at the ready, the anger inside of Paz only told her to do one thing.  This results in Paz sprinting full speed at Amycus, tackling him down to the ground.