Chapter 28: Picking Up The Pieces

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Even before Neville thought about whether he should get Morgan out of the pond or call the Aurors first, he knew that Morgan was gone. It was in those open eyes, bloodshot and unseeing.

A million thoughts raced in Neville's head then. If only I knew, if only I checked, if only I made sure, if only I doubted, if only I avoided Carrow's hex, if only I didn't stay in the Hospital Wing for those two days... I could have saved him, he thought.

But it was only for a moment.

He was up and on his feet in an instant, intent on getting to the Aurors.

He knew that if onlys weren't going to get him anywhere.

Amycus Carrow was finally gone from Hogwarts. Finally.

Ten minutes had passed ever since the Head Auror left the room with a floating Carrow, along with the chair he was bound to, following behind him; five since Draco Malfoy nodded to them his stiff farewell before walking briskly out of the room, unable to resist spending another minute away from Harry's bedside.

More Aurors had been dispatched to Greenhouse 3 to search for Morgan's body. After that, they would be gone from Hogwarts as well and everything will be under the Ministry's hands.

McGonagall finally allowed herself to sit on the soft cushion of her chair, shoulders drooping uncharacteristically low. She was too old for this.

Remus was still trembling with restrained anger, and it was with great effort that he stood rooted to his spot, eyes closed and taking deep, even breaths. He flinched in surprise when a hand touched his arm gently. When he realized that it was Snape, he gave a weak smile of apology.

Snape's face showed no emotion. He merely led Remus to a chair and, with another gentle touch, pushed his shoulder down for him to sit.

Remus followed obediently, but when he looked up at Snape, his pupils were still dilated, gold specks mixed in with the black. "Severus," he murmured, anxious. "Is Harry..." His voice broke at the end.

Snape nodded. Up this close, Remus could finally see signs that told him that Snape was tired as well, like the way his eyebrows furrowed together just slightly or how tightly his lips pressed together.

"Potter is fine," Snape said smoothly, gazing at him with eyes that were surprisingly understanding. "Pomfrey says he'll be up by dinner."

No one was comforted by his words though. Now that they knew what Carrow did, Harry waking up by dinner was nothing short of a miracle.

McGonagall took a deep breath that ended abruptly. A look of deep anguish and misery crossed her face. "If anything happened to that boy..." she murmured shakily.

Remus shared her look, although he looked infinitely more miserable and fearful than she did.

With another deep breath, McGonagall straightened her back. Their business wasn't done yet. She looked at Snape. "Severus, I take it you managed to extract answers from Professor Bridgewood?"

Snape nodded and that was it. His hand dropped from Remus' shoulder and everything about him was stone-cold again.

"All those instances of Potter falling into safety rooms were done by Carrow using Bridgewood's body. He struggled the first few times because Bridgewood tried to fight him off by opening the safety rooms almost immediately after Carrow had closed it or even just by forcibly keeping him in her mind to prevent him from going to the trapped Potter." If one looked closely, one might even see a tiny hint of approving respect for Bridgewood in Snape's expression. "After that, Carrow slowly got used to her mind."

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