A Hufflepuff's Loyalty

Chapter 5

"Aaaargh!"

My fist made contact with the door Snape had disappeared behind with a sickening crunch. Minutes had gone by since he left, but I only just managed to get my head around everything he had said.

The Dark Lord was gone, and nobody cared. The Death Eaters all went their separate ways. They all abandoned what they'd worked for, to save their own hides. How dare they?!

That one punch wasn't enough. I dropped my wand on the floor, lifted both my fists and banged on the door.

Bang!

And again.

Bang!

And again.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop. They'd let me down. The world had let me down.

Rage soared through my veins like Fiendfyre, clouding both my mind and vision. I was furious. Furious with Snape, for giving up like that.

Bang!

Furious with the Death Eaters, for abandoning everything that had grown to be my life.

Bang!

Furious with Evan Rosier for dying and leaving me all alone in a world I didn't understand.

Bang!

Furious with Alastor Moody for killing the only person I had ever considered a father.

Bang!

But most of all, I was furious with myself, for being so completely and utterly useless.

One setback and they all forsake the cause.

One setback and I became a helpless, weak, cowardly little girl. In the Muggle world I'd lived on my own on the streets for years. Here, in this world full of magic, I couldn't take care of myself.

Bang! Bang. Thud...

I sunk to my knees against the door, the red haze clouding my vision long since condensated, leaking from my eyes. My hands were on fire. But even that wasn't enough. It didn't give me back my life, after all. It didn't give me back my purpose. I grabbed the wand lying next to me on the floor and shouted, without thinking, "Bombarda!"

An explosion erupted in the middle of the room, amongst the chairs. The seats splintered, scattering bits of wood and dust everywhere.

"Bombarda!"

The desk at the front of the room went soaring into the air, colliding with the ceiling and smashing to pieces. One particular chunk shot right past my ear, bouncing off the door into my shoulder. I couldn't care less.

"Bombarda!"

The lone metal cabinet in the corner made a satisfying clunk noise before shooting off towards the window, bursting straight through. I heard it thwack on the grass below.

"Bombarda Maxima!"

The mess of cracked and fractured wood went flying once more, most of it completely smashing to shreds. Bits of the, fairly sturdy, desk shot through the air across the room, crashing into the walls. A particularly sharp piece got stuck in my leg. I didn't even hesitate before ripping it out and tossing it across the room, blood quickly moistening my trouser leg.

When there was nothing left to destroy, and I was literally sitting in the middle of a battlefield, my wand hand finally went limp by my side. I was heaving, unsure whether it was because of the crying or the toll of all that magic. My throat stung as much as my eyes did. I rested my head on my arms and let the tears flow freely, sobbing the last scraps of anger away, until there was nothing left but misery.