The last enemy

Chapter 77: McGonagall's detention

I wake up, feeling every fibre of my being hurting. I groan and try to move but I find it so painful that I decide not to. I open my eyes to see Ginny, Purple and Parvati looking down at me. Purple asks me:

- Are you alright Eleanor?
- I'm fine Purple — er, I did not mean that!

I quickly apologize, hoping that she won't be mad. Old habits die hard, I guess. Instead of being angry, Lavender laughs lightly and shrugs:

- It's all right; I don't mind it. It's actually quite a funny nickname when you think about it.
- Okay then.

I say, a smile forming on my lips. Maybe I have judged Purple too fast. I mean, maybe she was just annoying because she was obsessed with Ron. Ginny helps me sit up and I look outside to see that it's dark. I am on the couch, in the middle of the common room and when I look around, I see that all the eyes are on me and Neville, sitting weakly in the armchair by my side. I wave to him and he waves back.

The two first years from the DADA class are sitting down on the ground in front of me, surrounded by their friends. The other years are all in the common room, looking at me and Neville from afar. Seamus is standing with the girls. After a while of them making small talk, Neville and I ask at the same time:

- What happened?
- Well, after you both volunteered to get tortured...you got tortured but you passed out halfway through. At the end of the class, we had to carry you out and in here. It's half past nine. You missed the rest of the classes, lunch and dinner.
- They also filled me in on everything since I knew you guys.

Ginny tells us, finishing Seamus story. I think for a second, soaking in the information. I then turn to the two first-years and ask:

- Did you do what I told you to?
- Yes.

One of the boys says and I nod. What the teachers asked of us is completely and utterly barbaric. It's like they are training us to become Death Eaters. I won't live in this school while this goes on. I just hoped that Snape would talk to me. Since yesterday, he has treated me like every other student and ignored me. I can't help but feel a bit annoyed by that. I mean, we are supposed to be partners!

I lay back down on the couch, trying to fall asleep as I don't have the strength to go up to my dormitory. Though to others I look like I'm relaxing, my mind is busying itself trying to figure out what to do and what is my next move.

...

I walk down the hallway, sternly and not smiling to anyone as I pass. It's been two weeks since the start of the year feast and things have not really calmed down. During the DADA classes, there are no more practicing on students but now on live animals.

The screeching and the agonizing shrieks are very painful to listen to. Though, I'm sure that once there is enough candidates, detentions will be spent getting tortured and I'm certain that even if I try to stand against it, I won't be too hard to cross.

Besides, people are only fooling themselves if they think that the Carrows have stopped for good. I have taken time to analyze what they were trying to do and I came to the conclusion that this was a warning. The torture of first-years were meant to scare us and even though what Neville and I did was a good deed, I'm not sure it lessened the fear around the Carrows.

I mean, having to torture first-years that you don't know is something but being forced into torturing people with whom you've been all your life is another. Now that I'm thinking about it, I think it might be actually worse. So needless to say that students are now terrified of the Death Eaters; Too terrified to act upon it...Which is a bummer considering what my    plan is.

Because there is no way in hell that I am going to sit back and watch Voldemort destroy my home. That's why I have been thinking and planning and trying to figure out exactly how I can do this. And now, two weeks after the start of the school year, my plan can finally take place.