Stranger

Chapter 11 - Rush

"You deserve each other."

She cast the curse, the words slicing through the air with a finality that echoed in her ears, and the spider crumpled lifelessly before her. A chilling silence enveloped the room, every pair of eyes glued to Violet, who felt a strange mix of triumph and horror flood through her veins. The intensity of the moment left her shaken, questioning her own choices.

Alastor's magical eye shimmered with something almost like admiration as he observed her. It was as if he reveled in the chaos he had orchestrated, delighted to witness a student embrace such darkness.

"That's mad," Ron Weasley whispered, breaking the spell of silence and jolting Violet back to reality.

"Violet, are you okay?" Hermione's voice pulled Violet from her thoughts.

She nodded but couldn't tear her gaze away from the lifeless spider sprawled across her book, the weight of her actions sinking in.

"You two deserve each other," Malfoy whispered, a cold smirk creeping onto his face. His words sent a shiver down her spine, but she refused to let him see her flinch.

"The Killing Curse," Alastor said, surveying the class with a grim intensity. "Only one person is known to have survived it." His gaze shifted deliberately to Harry Potter. "And he's sitting in this room."

Violet felt her heart sink as her thoughts spiraled back to what she had done. She stared at her hands, still trembling from the experience, unable to comprehend how she had taken a life, however small.

As Alastor recounted Harry's story, she couldn't help but imagine what it must have been like for Voldemort to raise his wand against an innocent child, unburdened by the weight of his actions. How could someone feel nothing at that moment? Yet, Violet felt everything—the remorse, the heaviness of her conscience, the overwhelming dread of becoming someone she didn't want to be.

"Class dismissed," Alastor's voice rang out, the finality of it snapping Violet back to reality. She rose slowly, still reeling, as she began to gather her books, her mind racing with confusion and turmoil.

"Do you want to go bury it?" Neville walked up to Violet, looking down at the dead spider on her table.
"Umh, I'm not sure I-" Violet couldn't answer, with her head still numb.
"It's alright if you don't feel like it." Neville said, slowly taking the spider off the table.
"Thank you for standing up for me back there." He said, walking off.

"Bloody hell, why did you do that?" Ron shouted as he rushed over to Violet, Harry and Hermione trailing close behind.

"I—I just thought I could answer." Violet stammered, her voice shaky but trying to maintain an air of calm. "I wasn't expecting to kill it..."

"Well, you didn't have to do it like that!" Ron's voice was sharp, concern etched on his face.

Violet took a breath, steadying herself. "I didn't have a choice," she replied, her tone surprisingly even, though she felt the anxiety churning inside her.

"We always have a choice, Violet," Ron countered, his brow furrowing in disapproval. His intensity made her shift uncomfortably.

"Lay off of her!" Hermione interjected, her voice firm as she stepped between them. "It's clear Professor Moody shouldn't have put that kind of pressure on her. She was just trying to survive the lesson."

"Yeah, it's not her fault," Harry added, glancing between Ron and Violet. "No one should be put in that position. It's just... wrong."

"It's alright," Violet said. "I just hope I don't get expelled for that..." She quickly finished packing her things, her hands trembling slightly as she stuffed her wand into her robe.