Chasing Time (Seamus Finnigan)

thirty-six

The classroom was dark, the windows were shut and Alecto Carrow, our teacher DADA stood in front of the class. We all gasped at her, not believing what she'd just said.

'Come on, get up, you silly children,' she snarled, strutting towards the door. I glared at Chantry, who was sitting next to me. She got up and so did the rest of the class.

We followed her to the Great Hall, where first year Ravenclaws were chatting with each other. 'Alright, as I told you all you will be practicing the Cruciatus Curse on these children, right now. Line up please.'

Seamus looked at me and all I saw in hos eyes was aversion. We lined up as she asked us, none of us wanting to, but we knew the consequenses if we wouldn't do as she asked. The first years looked terrified, and I would be terrified too if I knew what was coming next.

'You have studied this Curse for almost a week, so I expect you can all cast it very well. Now, let's give it a try. One by one, please. Let me see... Yaxley, you first.'

I took a deep breath. I knew I couldn't afford to disobey her, as she had already hit me several times, but I would never hurt someone that doesn't deserve it, so I didn't point my wand at the girl in front of me, who was shivering. I tried to calm her down by looking her in the eyes, but it didn't really work. 'I can't.'

Alecto Carrow walked towards me and pulled my head backwards by roughly grabbing my hair. 'You're refusing? Again?!' she shrieked into my ear. 'I'm not hurting innocent children,' I replied, staring at the ceiling.

'Innocent? Please, miss Yaxley. That's not what this world is about. Let me teach you something today. It doesn't matter if you're innocent or not. Justice has to be done. How are you ever going to learn this Curse if you never practice it?'

'If justice would've been served, you would already be dead, miss,' I replied coolly. She hit my nose and I felt it break.

'Shut up, you disgraceful child! I think it's up to me to decide what I'm teaching you, don't you think so too, miss Yaxley? Or do you doubt your Headmaster's commands?'

'He's not my Headmaster.'

'Oh no? Let's ask him himself.' She pulled me towards the door, and as she did so, I saw my classmates stare at me in concern. The first years were all gaping at me in disbelief, but little did they know things like this happened every day. Not only to me. But you know, I thought it was better Carrow heard how I thought about this whole situation. God, I missed Dumbledore as a Headmaster.

'Miss Yaxley. Why did you bring her here, Alecto?' Snape's cool voice reverberated through the Headmaster's office. Snape was standing by the window, not even looking at me.

'She refused my commands again, Headmaster, and therefore, this girl doubts your leadership. I thought she could tell you herself what's so wrong with it.'

'Good thinking, Alecto. Leave her here, go back to your class. I think they're way to happy you left them  behind.'

Alecto Carrow nodded and then left the office. Snape turned around and walked towards me slowly. 'What makes you say such a foolish thing?' he said, watching me closely.

'It's just the truth.'

'You know better, Callidora, and I expect you not to stand out that much. It is easy for us to hand you out to the Dark Lord, but as you are still a Death Eater, I have told them not to betray you, and you should be grateful for that, Callidora.'

I didn't reply to that, as the reason why popped up in my head again. The Dark Lord wasn't so pleased I had helped Harry Potter and his friends to break into the Hall of Prophecies. Therefore I had to fight with the Death Eaters against my own friends when Dumbledore died, to make it even.

When I fought against the Death Eaters again at Bill and Fleur's wedding, he got angry. He had said he apparently couldn't trust me and he never had. And he also said he would end my life, sooner or later, but that he would give me a chance to prove myself first. I messed up that chance completely.

'Let me make this very, very clear to you. If you put one toe out of line again, I will send you to another school immediately. Is that clear, miss Yaxley?'

I nodded, not very scared about this threat. He was never going to send me away for doing such a small thing wrong as getting hit by a teacher, come on.

'Yes? Well, you are dismissed then. But carefull, miss, I will know it if you do anything... inappropriate.'

'Of course sir.'

☆

'What would the password be?' Ginny whispered to Neville, who was standing next to her, examinating the gargoyle. 'No, idea, but we better finish this quickly. He can come back every moment,' I whispered at her. Ginny nodded.

'I remember it was Lemon Drop once, but it probably changed,' Ginny said. As she said "Lemon Drop", nothing happened. Neville sighed. 'You'd expect Dumbledore to be a bit more helpfull right? We're doing this for Harry Potter, for goodness sake.'

Suddenly the gargoyle started turning and a staircase appeared. 'You did it, Neville,' Ginny told him and Ginny and I climbed the stairs, whilst Neville waited downstairs.

'Were's the sword?' I asked as we entered the Headmaster's office. 'In my second year, over there,' she pointed out and then we both saw it, glistening. It was even prettier than I could ever imagine.

'Alright, take it, then we'll leave,' I told Ginny. She took out her wand and levitated the glass box the sword was in. She took the sword and we made our way downstairs. I went first, and maybe that was good, because I bumped into none other than Snape.

Ginny had seen this and backed off, still holding the sword. I didn't see Neville anywhere. Maybe he ran for it. Very nice.

'Well, well, who do we have here?' Snape said smirking. 'Miss Yaxley. I tought I had told you to pay attention. To watch yourself. You are making it very hard for me to believe you don't want to be a Death Eater anymore, because right now, it seems to me you are thrilled to meet the Dark Lord again. Maybe we should... fulfill your wish...'

'Oh no, Headmaster. It certainly is not my wish to join the Dark side. I never would.'

He grabbed my left arm and almost crushed it. 'I wonder why you have this, then?'

'You were there,' I told him.

'I indeed was, Callidora. I was good friends with your father, and I made the Unbreakeable Vow with him. I had to promise him I would protect you if he died, in Azkaban, and he did. I could hand you out to the Dark Lord now, but as both of us will die then, I will send you to Beauxbatons in France, as it will spare my own life. This is the only reason why you are still alive, miss Yaxley.'

What? Did he really make the Unbreakeable Vow with my dad? My jaw dropped as he said that. Then I realized what he had just said. He was sending me to France. Away from Hogwarts. Away from my friends, away from Seamus. Away from this all.

'But why-' I started, but Snape cut me off calmly. 'The Hogwarts Express will take you home in an hour. Professor McGonagall will come and get you at one o'clock. I expect you to be ready then.'