A Dance In The Moonlight

Chapter Fifty-Five- Once A Squib, Always A Squib

TW: Torture/Being Cut

This week was the first week of school again which meant one thing- the next challenge was this tomorrow. Sebastian, Ominis, Poppy, and I spent our days trying to follow the three Averys and Albion. As much as I kept telling them that I didn't think Edward was an enemy, none of them believed me. As today was Friday- I needed to mentally prepare myself for what was to come tomorrow.

No snow blanketed the grass anymore so I was able to sit on the grounds with the golden snake in front of me. What could it involve in the next challenge? We already did Salazar's challenge. Poppy sat next to me with her legs crossed and elbow resting on her knee, her chin inside of her hand. Ominis, per usual, was sleeping on the grass and Sebastian nowhere to be seen.

"Perhaps you have to kill a snake to be brave? Gryffindor and Slytherin hated one another from my understanding." Poppy suggested, clearly giving up.

"No... I don't believe so." I answered.

Whatever it was- it was going to be the death of me if I can't prepare better. The words of Morgana and Albion clicked back into my head. They had plotted something against me in the last challenge but the only reason why they didn't go through with it was because of Headmaster Black being with me. What if they plan something for this one? Poppy shook me lightly as if bringing me back to reality was the best thing right now.

"You're going to be fine. You always are." She assured with a soft smile.

From a distance, I could see Albion and Morgana making their relationship status very clear. She had her arms wrapped around his neck as he kissed her, lowering his hands with every second. A couple made by the Gods themselves. How could two people so gross even match so well.

"Ominis! How can you sleep while Merlina is freaking out?!" Poppy lectured, smacking his leg hard.

"Very carefully. Now let me go back to sleep." Ominis groaned, using my robe as a blanket and bringing it over his face.

The snake was all dinged up from various spells or even when I just started to hit tables with it. 'Resorting to my muggle ways' as Sebastian called it before I started hitting him with it. With my last class starting in an hour, and then dinner, I would be screwed by morning. I couldn't keep my eyes off of Albion and Morgana. It was like they knew that I knew what they said on Christmas Eve.

"Hello love," Sebastian announced his presence with a simple kiss on the top of my head before sitting next to me. He glanced at where my eyes were looking and made a disgusted face before wrapping his arm around my side. "It will be better. I promise."

"What if it's not? Morgana said that he was supposed to hurt me last time. What if this time he does?" I asked out loud.

"Couldn't we just tell the teachers? Almost everyone on staff either loves you or owes you a debt."

"Everyone but Professor Avery." Ominis answered Poppy's question quickly and in a groggy voice. He was right. We all stayed silent, as if thinking of what to respond next. At least that was the case before a happy squeal came out of Poppy.

She stood up and ran towards Garreth who was already making his way towards us. Sebastian and I watched as she jumped onto him, holding him tightly. Both of them had smiles on their faces and eyes closed as if embracing one another was the best thing that had happened to them that day.

"Huh... she never did that to me." Sebastian stated, earning himself a light slap in the gut. She led him right back to us and they both sat down. Garreth had no idea what we knew- the repository, the Averys, none of it but he still liked that we included him in other conversations. At first, we did it more for Poppy but now it felt like he was really one of us.

"So what are we talking about?" Garreth asked, leaning on one of his elbows and biting into the most yellow apple I had ever seen.

"Merlina is trying to figure out what the snake is for tomorrow." Poppy explained, pointing at the dinged up snake statue in front of me.

"Oh that's easy. Headmaster Black is going to transform them into another beast for your next challenge. I don't know what beast but it's supposed the challenge is a Hufflepuff one which can't be too difficult- no offense Merlina and Poppy." Garreth stated as matter of fact.

"How do you know all that?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows and ignoring the Hufflepuff comment.

"Well because Professor Shah told me while I was under the polyjuice potion of my aunt. She doesn't realize how many detentions she gets me out of from Professor Sharp." He grinned as a matter of fact.

Professor Sharp may have regret over allowing Garreth into the NEWT potions class if he knew half of what I'm sure Garreth does. He explained to me that he already knows majority of the potions and just uses class time to experiment for new ones. We all laughed at Garreth's words and relaxed until class would be done.

*****

History of Magic is honestly so boring that I'm sure today, everyone went to sleep. None of my friends took that class though which just made it ten times more unbearable. I was making my way down the halls to meet with Poppy when I felt a hand clasp over my mouth and a pillow case thrown over my head.

I tried to fight them off but nothing was working. I could sense there were three of them. They had grabbed my wand and were dragging me somewhere. I could hear a door open and close and more dragging until one more door opened and closed with a lock clicking. The pillowcase came off and in front of me stood two seventh year Slytherin boys and Morgana. She was holding a jeweled curved knife that reminded me of an eagle's talon.

"What is this Morgana?" I asked, already annoyed.

"I am so annoyed with your presence. You think you're so big and bad when at the end of the day, you're a goddamn Hufflepuff. I've been talking with my friends here and we have realized something- you're nothing more than a glorified squib. We think you need a reminder." Morgana spoke those words with an evil tone.

As if the last two words were a cue, the two guys grabbed my arms and lifted the sleeves of my uniform to show my arm. No matter how much I kicked and screamed, nothing would be able to fight against this. She straddled me and gripped the point of my elbow, shoving it down so my arm would stay still.

"Do you know what this is? It's the Black Dagger. It's the only one of it's kind. So rare- I had to steal it from Headmaster Black. No matter how many times your arm will heal over the words, no matter what magic or muggle medicine they try to use, you'll always have this reminder. Nothing will ever heal it." Morgana explained before starting the carving.

I began screaming but one of the boys slammed his hand on top of my mouth. My muffled screams continued but Morgana's laughter was louder. Each time the dagger made contact with my skin, my skin would feel like thousands of ants were crawling in my skin. It didn't take a genius to know the dagger was imbedded with the cruciatus curse. I could feel the lights fade away around me- my body giving up from the amount of pain.

I'm sorry the chapter is so short!! Because of all of your kind words and writing this book, you have all given me a love for writing I haven't felt in years. I decided I'm going to start writing my own book. If you'd like me to publish it on here- let me know :)