Tormented by our Futures (Part 1)

Ron, Hermione, Neville and I slowly walk down the dark passageway towards Hogwarts. We apparated to Hogsmeade as soon as I returned from Malfoy Manor and Aberforth Dumbledore -Professor Dumbledore's brother- helped us get away from Death Eaters that almost caught us and on our merry way through a portrait and along a secret passageway to Hogwarts as is the only safe way in and out the castle. Neville met us and is now guiding us to the castle.

"How long has this been here?" Ron asks as we continue down the passageway. "It isn't on the Marauder's Map, is it Harry?" Ron continues, "I thought there were only seven passages out of school?"

"They sealed off all of those before the start of the year," Neville replies. "There's no chance of getting through any of them now, not with curses over the entrances and Death Eaters and Dementors waiting at the Exits." Neville turns around, walking backwards, drinking the three of us in. He must be ecstatic to see us again. "Never mind that stuff... is it true?" He asks. "Did you break into Gringotts? Did you escape on a dragon?" He rattles off. "It's everywhere, everyone's talking about it." He carries on. "Terry Boot got beaten up by Carrow for yelling about it in the Great Hall at dinner!"

I let out a short laugh, listening to Neville's gossip. It's good to hear him again. "Yeah, it's true," I confirm.

Neville laughs and wears a huge grin. "What did you do with the dragon?" He asks.

"Released it into the wild," Ron states. "Hermione was all for keeping it as a pet-" Ron continues, but Hermione cuts him off with an elbow to the side.

"Don't exaggerate, Ron" She scolds.

"But what have you been doing? People have been saying you're just on the run, but I don't think so," Neville says. "I think you've been doing something."

Understatement of the century. "You're right," I say. "But tell us about Hogwarts, Neville; we haven't heard anything," I ask, gently letting him know that we don't want to be talking about ourselves. The shit we've been through is not worth reliving at the moment. We need to understand what's going on at Hogwarts first. We need to fully understand what we're up against.

"It's been..." Neville starts, his smile slowly fading. Well, it's not really like Hogwarts anymore," he says. Do you know about the Carrows?"

"Those two Death Eaters who teach here?" Ron asks.

"They do more than teach," Neville says, shuddering slightly. "They're in charge of all discipline. They like punishment, the Carrows." He states.

"What, like Umbridge?" I ask, reminding myself of that evil toad-like woman who had me carve 'I must not tell lies' into my hand for detention.

"Nah, they make her look tame," Neville says. What have these kids been through? "The other teachers are all supposed to refer us to the Carrows if we do anything wrong," He continues. "They don't, though, if they can avoid it. You can tell they all hate them as much as we do." He sighs. "Amycus, the bloke, he teaches what used to be Defence Against the Dark Arts, except now it's just Dark Arts. We're supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on people who've earned detentions-"

"WHAT!" All three of our voices carry out, echoing down the passage in sheer disbelief.

"Yeah," Neville says. "That's how I got this one," he points at a particularly deep, angry red gash in his cheek, "I refused to do it. Some people are into it, though; Crabbe and Goyle love it. First time they've ever been top in anything, I expect." He states humorously. "Alecto, Amycus' sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for everyone. We've all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals, stupid and dirty, and how they drove wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how the natural order is being reestablished. I got this one," he indicates, another slash to his face, "for asking how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got."