Hateful Love

Chapter Fifty-Six

NOTE: I do not own any of the ideas or characters expressed in this story (except Cassie Jackson). All of these belong to J.K. Rowling.

Sorry it's taken so long for this update to get here! I know I said it would definitely be up by yesterday, but well, things happen haha. Anyway I realized that last chapter I made a huge mistake, I forgot that Luna got taken from the train! I had her just magically back at Hogwarts for no reason, lol sorry guys. But no one noticed, so I guess it's okay. I just went back and edited her out, so it's not necessary to go back and reread. Just know that Ginny was the one who came up with the plan to go out and Neville, okay? Alright! Thank you all so SO much for reading this far, it does mean a lot! Comment to tell me what you think? Thanks, I love you all (:

*******************

Cassie P.O.V.

          We wait until midnight to sneak out. Katherine, Cho, and I hurry down to the back of the school as quietly as we can, hoping to get outside without using the main entrance. My chest feels so tight that it’s almost painful as we tip-toe through the halls; the last thing I want is for us to get caught by the Carrows. But we make it safely outside without anything bad happening, and I finally breathe easily once again as soon as we step out into the warm night.

          Katherine is grinning as she grabs my hand and tugs me faster down the hill after Cho, all three of us running silently towards the ForbiddenForest. I know Katherine must be so excited to be breaking rules and defying the Carrows—but I’m so used to it now that I only feel worry at the thought of being caught. But I push aside my fears and race after her, because being outside is making me forget about reality back inside the castle.

          We make it to the edge of the forest safely, near Hagrid’s old, empty hut. I give one last glance at Hogwarts behind us, looking up at the few glowing windows and feeling free for the first time all year.

          Then I turn and disappear into the forest after Katherine.

          We wait until we’re inside enough that the castle isn’t visible before lighting our wands. This dark area of the forest is suddenly illuminated by three wands, and we face each other with broad smiles on our faces. We made it.

          “Okay,” Cho whispers, keeping her voice down and glancing around us. “Neville should be here somewhere, and then we’ve got to wait for Ginny to come down as well. Then we’ll split up like how we agreed on, yeah?”

          Katherine and I nod in agreement, looking around at each other seriously. It’s starting to sink in, where we are and what we’re doing, and my heart is pounding with a sort of nervous excitement.

          The three of us lift our wands higher and move deeper into the forest, walking slowly and looking around for Neville. We’re too scared of attracting unwanted attention by calling out for him, so we’re left to just silently searching for him. It only takes about five minutes for Neville to come out of the darkness, breathing heavily and clutching two Death-Cap mushrooms.

          We crowd around him immediately, patting him on the back and congratulating him on already getting two. “Eighteen to go, that’s easy,” Katherine says, smiling warmly at him. Neville shrugs sheepishly and pockets the mushrooms, clearly unused to all this attention.

          “You guys made it out okay?” he asks, looking around at us with concern. We nod, and he sighs with relief. “Thank you guys so much for helping me, I really—“