Hollow

Nothing

For the second task, Creux was asked by Dumbledore to be the victim that Krum had to save.

She said no.

After the Yule Ball, she and Krum still skated together every few days, but he hadn't brought up what he'd said to her. And she definitely did not want to be the damsel Krum had to rescue. First of all, everyone would realize who Mute Crow was and secondly, Creux had had enough attention to last her a life time.

She had sometimes wished for someone to notice her in a good way, but now that someone did, Creux found herself doubting herself even more.
Why did Krum even like her? She wasn't pretty, she wasn't the smartest and brainiest witch, she wasn't even that likable.

She was ugly, selfish, mean and awful, just like everyone believed she was. Especially after another one of Rita Skeeter's articles, where the journalist stated what a safety hazard it was to have a Lestrange at Hogwarts.

Perhaps Krum had wanted to dance with her on the Yule Ball because he knew the other girls couldn't skate that well and he didn't want to embarrass himself. That was the only explanation that made sense to her.

Creux still felt humiliated for having given McGonagall the wrong picture. But to her relief, the professor never mentioned it in their next sessions. Instead, the main point was filling in Creux's mind-map, which was still as blank as it had been several weeks ago.

And then- Cedric Diggory died. Because of You-Know-Who. The entire school was shocked to find out that He was back, and even more when Moody turned out to be another Death Eater in disguise, called Barty Crouch Junior.

That explained the looks she'd gotten from the man. He'd wanted to see if she was anything like her parents.

Creux hadn't know Diggory that well. But she felt a bad feeling in her stomach, knowing that the last thing Diggory had felt was fear, before a green flash wiped out his consciousness. In her opinion, no one deserved to die like that.

The bullying got worse. Some students believed Creux to have helped the fake Moody kidnap the real Moody, and she found herself being shoved into walls on her way to class.

Creux swallowed it all. The names, the cursing, the hateful looks. But it hurt more than ever before. Why? Because she had been so stupid to believe that if she opened up to others, things would change for the better.
It didn't. She just felt miserable every time she looked into the mirror. And then she became angry at herself.

One week before the end of term, Creux hid in a bathroom stall. She was sitting on the closed toilet, staring at her arms. The bite marks had faded completely, but now she was burning from the inside. With a hateful fury that devoured her from head to toe.
People thought she was on the side of the Death Eaters. They always would.
Why should she fight for her own path, if people kept marking it for her?

She was so angry. And she didn't know how to let out.

By the time she went to her next class, Creux's arms were burning and her face was the stony cold mask once more.

****

On the last day at school, Creux found (while packing) a book that the fake Moody had given her, on the day of the third task, in her bag. She'd completely forgotten to return it.

A piece of paper was sticking out on the side. Curious, Creux pulled it out. There were only two sentences written on it.

I'm coming for you.
Mother.

Fake Moody had come from Azkaban. And the entire time, he'd carried a message around from Bellatrix Lestrange, to deliver to her daughter.

Creux dropped the book in panic and began breathing raggedly. She frantically looked around her room, wanting to open a window, but their dorm was under the black lake.

Bellatrix was coming for her. She was going to turn Creux into what the Slytherin never wanted to be and what the others always thought of her.

Creux pressed her lips together, holding back a sob.
She knew only one person to go to.

Dashing out of her dorm, she sprinted all the way to McGonagall's office and ripped the door open.

"Professor- I-"

"Not now, Miss Lestrange," said McGonagall in a stressed voice, searching in her drawers for something. "I have an important meeting with the minister in a few minutes."

"But-"
Creux held up the paper. "I need to show you-"

"Show me your mind-map after the holidays," said McGonagall after glancing at her. She grabbed a thick pile of parchment, two files and shut her cabinets and drawers. She seemed to be in a terrible hurry, but Creux couldn't wait. She needed to tell someone.

"Professor, I-"

"Not now," said McGonagall sharply and rushed past Creux out of her office. The door slammed shut. "You will have to wait until later, Miss Lestrange. Excuse me."

The older witch strode down the corridor and disappeared.

Creux stared after her in despair. In the back of her mind, she heard a voice trying to explain that McGonagall was in a lot of stress because a student had been killed and she was Deputy Headmistress.

But as Creux remained frozen in the empty corridor, she could only think about how her mother was going to come for her. Bellatrix would break out of Azkaban, Creux could feel it. And then-

Creux stopped thinking. The fear and fury she'd felt the past weeks mixed together, burbling inside her, until all that remained was a dull, hollow ache. The familiar feeling, that she'd carried with her all her life.

Having no feelings at all had never disappointed her. She should have listened to her instincts.

The paper in her hand burst into flames and Creux let it go. It fell to the stone floor and continued to burn, until it had been reduced to black ashes. By the time the ashes had cooled, Creux had left the castle with her suitcase to head for the train with the other students. She did not say goodbye to Krum or to Granger, or to McGonagall.

She left, feeling nothing at all.