The Wizard and the Muggle Girl

Pain

    "Nurmengard." Harry murmured. I shivered, then I heard something on the wind, something terrible. Screaming. Someone was screaming from inside the dark tower. The screams stopped and someone shouted in a weak voice, "It wasn't me!"

I gasped. I knew that voice. Without thinking, I pulled away from Harry and Ginny and through the shadowy arch. I didn't stop to answer Ginny's frantic calls and just kept running. I ignored the cells on either side of me and got to the stairs. I heard more screaming and I ran faster, praying that the images crossing my mind were my imagination. Harry and Ginny's footsteps were coming from below me and I didn't cease my climb of the steep staircase. I reached the top and the yells were much closer, I stopped and peered around the doorway. I almost burst into tears at what I saw. James was inside, tied to a chair, blood pouring from a deep cut in his cheek. There were other bruises and lacerations in his arms and his white shirt was stained red so I knew that he had injuries on his chest as well. A man was standing in front of him, shrouded in shadow, so I couldn't see his face, but I could recognise his voice.

"Just tell me, boy, where is Mr. Potter?" It was Lockhart's son.

"I don't know!" James was trying to save Harry, but he was getting tortured. The man strode towards James and lifted his wand above his head, ready to strike, I couldn't take it anymore.

"No!" I screamed, running forward and shielding James from the man. The man stared at me in surprise, but it quickly turned into a smile. It was a chilling smile, evil.

"Ava!" Said James, weakly as the man backed away. He started walking back to the stairs when Harry appeared, walking towards the man, his wand outstretched.

"What is your name?" Harry asked the man.

"Layton Lockhart." Said the man and Harry nodded.

"I thought so, Gilderoy Lockhart's son." Harry said and Layton snarled. When he did, his face changed. He stopped looking like a pleasant, charming man and became horrible and nasty. His eyes lost that shine and seemed to darken.

"Who are you?" Layton asked, pointing his wand at Harry.

"I am the person you are looking for."

"The girl said that he was!" Layton pointed a long finger at James.

"Ava didn't know you meant me, you didn't exactly give her much information."

"I told her everything my father told me."

"He told you that the man that made him lose his memories has glasses and is called Mr. Potter."

"Yes."

"It was me. You see, your father lost his memory when I was twelve because he went into the Chamber of Secrets with me and my friend. He didn't want to go any further so he took my friend, Ron's wand and fired a memory charm at me, but because Ron's wand was broken, it backfired and hit him instead." Said Harry. Layton cocked his head to one side, thinking.

"It couldn't have been James as he was not even thought of when it happened." Said Harry. I was still shielding James and I didn't want to move away. He put his hand in mine and I held it gently, as he had several cuts on it.

"I was there, at the battle of Hogwarts." Layton said and Harry looked startled.

"I was eleven and I wanted to fight, so I did. I was duelling a death eater when I saw you and two others, running through. The death eater I was fighting, saw you too and he started chasing after you. That is when I did it." Leyton said.