Because I Love You (D.M)

Chapter 24: The Carrows? More Like (s)Car(ec)rows!

Rounding the corner of a corridor on the fifth floor, I was almost to a staircase that would take me to the sixth floor when a cold voice rang out: "Just where do you think you're going?"

I froze, clutching onto Echo's cage for dear life. Even the owl seemed a little ruffled at the sound of whoever's voice that was. Slowly turning to face the person, I was greeted with the sight of a stout man dressed in black robes: Amycus Carrow.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there gawking at me or are you going to answer my question?" He snapped drawing out his wand.

"I was. . .I'm just," my voice faltered and my legs started shaking.

"I didn't quite catch that," Amycus snarled.

"I'm taking my owl to the Owlery," I squeaked out.

"Why didn't you take your stupid bird there last night? Why aren't you in class right now?" His beady brown eyes bore into mine and for a moment, I thought I was going to pass out.

"I forgot to last night and I don't have a first period," I choked out.

"Don't have a first period, sir," Amycus corrected me indignantly.

"I'm sorry, sir," I muttered while desperately trying to get my legs to stop shaking.

"That's a warning, and twenty points from Hufflepuff for failing to refer to your superiors as their proper titles," Carrow snarled and left me still shaking on the fifth floor.

After a long while of standing rooted to the ground, my legs calmed down enough for me to climb the stairs to the sixth and seventh floor. I passed the Room of Requirement and took a set of side stairs to reach the Owlery.

The room was open to all the elements which made it extremely windy. Straw and owl dropping littered the floor so I made sure to step carefully over to an empty cubby. Setting Echo's cage into the cubby, I opened his cage and coaxed him out onto my right arm. He cooed as I brushed his feathers and he eyed the other owls around us. Some were sleeping, some were preening their feathers, and a few were perched around the stone room looking quite bored. Echo took flight and soared around the room. I watched him land near a barrel of feed and look at me expectantly. I smiled and scooped out some owl feed into a tray and placed it in his cubby. He flew over and started nibbling away. I had fed him earlier, but Echo was a very hungry owl. Content that my owl was going to be perfectly fine up here with every other owl, I made my way down the stairs and back down to the Common Room.

Thankfully, I did not run into either of the Carrows on my way back and was able to relax for the rest of my free period. Once it was time for second period, I gathered my bag and headed off to Defense Against The Dark Arts in search of Ernie. He was already in the classroom when I entered and I immediately saw the relief on his face as I walked up to him.

"I'm so glad you have this class with me. I'm not sure I could survive this class without you or Hannah," Ernie breathed gratefully.

"I'm super excited that you're in this class with me, too," I said with a grin.

It was true, the majority of this class was comprised of mostly Gryffindors and Slytherins. I counted two Ravenclaws.

Zach strutted in through the door and glanced around the room. His eyes landed on Ernie and I and he froze for a moment before respectfully nodding to us, but he made no effort to come over to us. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and suddenly Ernie elbowed me.