You can hinder me, but you'll never stop me

Neville's Training

The next few weeks went by quickly.

She wished that she could say there wasn't a lot that happened, but that would be a big lie. It seemed that Severus and Jay's stiff relationship was slowly crumbling away, only further proving to the girl how her view on adults was correct. They had barely spoken since the incident.

On Halloween, a paralyzed student was found. The fourth year Ravenclaw student was supposedly paralyzed the same way Mrs. Norris is. On the wall was writing once more, but with the amount of rumors going around, it was impossible to tell what had really happened.

One thing everyone seemed to agree upon though, Jay did it. She once again didn't have anything to prove where she was. She was the only student who wasn't at the Halloween feast, besides of course the kids in the hospital wing. This accompanied with their earlier suspicion of her, made her the guilty party in their eyes. Even Charlie's reassuring words weren't enough to squash the many rumors about her.

Jay didn't care much. She still had Neville, whom believed her upon the first glance, and -apparently- her brother. While Charlie couldn't convince anyone besides his two best friends and the Weasleys of her innocence, it meant a lot to her that he even tried.

The bullies who dared to get too close to her got their arses handed to them in a quick flurry of movements, while quips thrown her way barely got an eyeroll from her.

It wasn't until Neville showed up with a large bruise on his arm that she started to care.

"Nev, what happened to your arm?"

Neville looked spooked and immediately pulled his sleeves down over his wrists. "Nothing," He tried to sound convincing, but Jay saw right through it. "It's nothing, Jay, don't worry about it."

However, Jay wasn't about to let him get away with it that easily. "And why does 'Nothing' look like finger shaped bruises on your arm?"

"I- I- Uh..." Her friend stuttered, trying to come up with a good excuse on the spot. "..." He closed his mouth, knowing that he was caught and there was nothing that he could say that would get his best friend to let it go. He hung his head instead.

"Nev... who hurt you?"

Neville shivered at the tone Jay took, sounding soft, but with an underlying tone promising death to those who had dared to lay finger on him.

"No one. It- it doesn't matter. Look there were a few guys, they were just being stupid okay? It's nothing."

"A few?"

"..."

Jay exhaled, slow and low. "Anyone we know?"

Neville shook his head.

"Did you get them back?" She asked, and only once Neville raised his head did he realize Jay was serious.

"Wa- how? How could I get them back? There were like six of them!"

"So?"

"What do you mean, 'So?' There was no way I could have taken them all at once!"

Jay looked away, and Neville knew from the pensive look she had, that she was making a big decision. "I could..." she murmured, barely loud enough to be heard.

"Hm?"

"I could teach you."

Neville frowned in confusion. "Teach me what?"

Jay glanced at the clock. Almost time for her to go. Neville almost sighed at the determined air around the girl. Whenever she got like that, there was no stopping her.