Healing // d.m.

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• Flashback: Catherine Ariendra 17 years old •

Part I

  THE seventh year students were walking in rows of straight lines like they were prisoners. It was time for Defence Against the Dark Arts. In the Carrow's case, it's simply the Dark Arts. Classes were now different, no books, no duels, no friendly teachings.

  Catherine had heard about this class before and people usually end up crying or injured saying Amycus Carrow preferred a more 'hands-on' class. Neville went into the dining hall with a huge gash on his cheek and Luna cried for hours because her stomach hurt after receiving several stuns to the abdomen. Much to Catherine's dismay, Madame Pomfrey forbade her to work at the hospital wing this year. She said it was too dangerous and she didn't know what the consequences were if she got caught. For the past few months, she had tried her best to stay hidden every time she sneaked out. 

  Hogwarts has changed.

  Catherine swallowed the lump in her throat and she swayed a bit. She skipped breakfast this morning to sneak out and help Hagrid out to find some food for the newborn Hippogriffs. Being headmaster, Snape had cut out the budget for magical creatures. Hagrid received the bitter end, being sent away and was forbidden to enter the castle. Catherine helped him sometimes, bringing the things he needed.

  She skipped dinner last night as well. Alecto Carrow, having a distaste for other houses apart from Slytherins, gave them piles of unnecessary work while she stalked around them like a hawk. Gabby received several kicks to her ribs because she accidentally dropped a few textbooks, one book landing one in front of her. It took everything in Catherine not to run forward and do something to make her stop. But she knew if she were to intervene, it would have been worse. Catherine was glad Greg wasn't in the same class, because if he did he would have earned himself a year's worth of detention.

  She ended up healing Gabby herself back in the common room because it was way past curfew to get to the hospital wing. She gave Gabby her final stash of snacks and made sure she slept painlessly. Greg managed to sneak into the Hufflepuff dorms and Catherine helped him in so that he could stay by Gabby the whole night.

  Catherine walked stoically along the crowd, their steps perfectly in sync. Gabby was standing right infront of her. She had an arm linked around Greg who was walking next to her. Her ribs were doing much better today, but Greg still hovers like a mother hen. Hannah was walking to her left, practically in tears. Her hands were feverishly shaking and she used her hair to shield her face.

  "It's going to be okay Hannah," she whispered slowly, trying to calm her down.

  Hannah gave her a half nod and tried to suppress her tears. A few Ravenclaws on the far end row were also choking back sobs. Everyone's faces were white. They were all terrified, scared they would end up hurt, or even dead.

  Catherine felt her leg quiver and swayed again. She felt her head starting to spin a little and her knees starting to betray her. Do not faint, do not cause a scene, she told herself. She promised herself that she would never skip meals and would have to steal more food from the kitchens just in case something like this happens again. Hagrid needs more food too.

  She tried to shift her focus on calming Hannah, who looked like she was about to bolt out at any second. Suddenly the air around her changed and something shifted on her right. She turned her head and her eyes connected to the familiar silver pair. How on earth did he manage to navigate his way to walk beside her?

  He looked even more terrible than he did last year. Catherine had heard the rumours about his involvement in the Astronomy tower. She was shocked to see him here at all. The other students around him whispered softly between each other, talking about him nonetheless. Some even moved away from him like he was a plague.