𝐢. 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 ; harry j. potter ( UNEDITED )

107. "they're burning; I'd rather be numb"

They stood in front of the door momentarily, and Lucia glanced at Amycus.

"Um, are you not going to...?"

Amycus shifted where he stood, glaring at her harshly.

Ah, Lucia thought privately. He needed her to help him figure out how to open it...

What a loser.

Lucia reached her hand out and rapped three times with the griffin knocker. The door opened of its own accord and Amycus dragged Lucia harshly inside.

Not even a thank you? The audacity...

Surprisingly, the room looked as same as it did the last time she was here, which was last year. Frankly she thought that Snape would throw away anything that had to do with Dumbledore, but she guessed she was wrong; the strange silver instruments standing on tables were silent and still rather than whirring and emitting puffs of smoke as they usually did. The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses covering the walls were all snoozing in their frames.

"Carrow,"

Lucia tensed at the sight of Severus Snape, someone whom she once held a tiny respect for because he was a respectable Potion Master, but now? Now she wished he was gone from her sight. But that was impossible, and she understood that.

She watched idly from behind Amycus as the very man was looking at the pair of them, sitting in a high-backed chair which Dumbledore often sat in before his untimely death behind his desk; he didn't bother to stand up, only looking at her with his tunnel-like eyes in an attentive manner to the point that it was quite uncomfortable.

She gulped. However, she was not given the chance to comprehend the situation as Amycus merely tugged her forward, forcing her to fall on her knees before the desk.

Wincing, feeling as if she had scraped her knee, Lucia tried to stand back up in hopes to examine the injury when Amycus kicked her back down, pressing the bottom his feet forcefully against her back, making it hard for her to breath. She gasped, in need of air.

"Amycus," warned Snape. "In need of answers, learn to not kill her first!"

"Just because the Dark Lord appointed you to look after Hogwarts, does not mean you're the boss of us!" snapped Amycus, before he glowered back down at the girl that was begging for air, trying to get out of the position she was in. He smiles sadistically, "And it isn't like it'll hurt, you know? She deserves it anyway,"

"The Dark Lord prohibits any type of injuries toward the future generations that may cleanse our world from muggles,"

Amycus scoffed. "'Thought you know her better than I do, Snape? You were her teacher for what, seven years now? You know who she is," he added dangerously.

"Do not dance with the devil, Amycus," said Snape sharply, glancing down at the tormented girl. "The Dark Lord specifically said only to kill those who decided to not return and preserved those who do. There are reasons to his decision. Are you questioning him?"

Lucia managed to glance up at Snape curiously. Ah, so that's why they haven't tried killing us yet...

"A halfbreed Gryffindor!"

"Enough!" Snape adjusted his robes dramatically and sat back down, "If she does not give us the rightful answers, then perhaps you may do as you wish. But do not kill her,"

Amycus glared at Snape in dissatisfaction, before he took a good amount of Lucia's hair and yanked it back, causing her to yelp in pain with tears welling her eyes. "Be glad the world is on your side now, lassie," he said and let go of her.