HEATHENS - Harry Potter ✔

CHAPTER EIGHT

"I'm not doing that bloody homework," insisted Kiera. "I don't care what kind of detention they give me, I'm not about to write an essay on the importance of blood purity, it's disgusting."

Neville sighed, turning the corner as they approached their Muggle Studies class. "I know, but they're going to use any excuse to get rid of you," he said. "It doesn't mean you actually believe any of it, but if you don't at least do your homework, they'll use it as an excuse to get you sent to Azkaban, or ... or kill you."

"Then they can send me to Azkaban, for all I care," Kiera said stubbornly.

Neville halted in his steps, causing the girl to do the same and turn to look at him. "Don't say that," he whispered, pain in his voice. "It's not funny."

Kiera couldn't help the guilt that spread inside of her. She hung her head slightly, and said, "I'm sorry."

The boy just smiled at her and began walking again. They reached the corridor to see most of the other students already gathered outside the classroom. Kiera was about to say hi to Seamus when a hushed conversation reached her ears. Turning her said, she saw two Ravenclaw girls talking to each other, both with solemn looks on their faces.

"We need to just keep our heads down," said one. "Potter -"

"He's run off, by the looks of it," said the other, much more angrily than the other. "Harry Potter is a coward."

"Don't you dare say that!" snapped Kiera, causing all heads to turn to her, but she paid no mind, being too occupied with the Ravenclaw girl.

"Say what?" she challenged. "The truth? Your boyfriend's gone, his run off to save his own skin, and he left you here without a second though-"

Kiera couldn't listen to it. She ran at the girl, wand pointed, ready to shut her up. But as always, luck wasn't on her side. The classroom door opened and Alecto walked out. With a wave of her wand, Kiera flew back, hitting the stone wall painfully. "Detention, Miss Walker," she said with a grin. "Now in, with the lot of you. And give me your essays on the way in."

Slowly the students began to file into the classroom, most with a dire aura, apart from the few Slytherins that actually enjoyed this class. Kiera watched each student hand in a scroll of parchment, Alecto collecting them all happily. She was the last to enter the classroom and with a look of fire, she gave Alecto a scroll of parchment with only two words written on it:

Screw you.

*

Kiera sat down next to Neville at the Gryffindor table for breakfast with a yawn. "Morning," she said, pouring herself a cup of steaming hot coffee.

"Morning," echoed Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Seamus. She looked down at the plain toast and few salad leaves on her plate. The House-Elves no longer cooked a variety of amazing foods which would fill the long tables of the Great Hall, but instead made individual portions dictated by the Carrows. It had soon become evident that those who, most likely, had Dark Marks were given much more, and much better food than the rest of the students.

"Bon appetite?" Kiera said, picking up the toast.

"I really don't understand what they're doing," said Ginny, who had already eaten her breakfast. "Are they planning on starving us or something?"

"It's just another power play technique," said Seamus grimly. "They just want to make it obvious that those who support Voldemort will get proper food so that people will stop rebelling against him. Everyone gets hungry eventually."