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! chapter thirty-two !
─── ∙ ~ ✩ ~ ∙ ───
HAVEN SLOUCHED IN HER seat, staring at Professor Carrow as he paced around the room, explaining the day's lesson to the students. Defense Against the Dark Arts used to be one of her favorite classes, it was exciting to learn different spells that she might have to use in the real world. It was definitely useful currently as well, considering the situation they were in. However, ever since Umbridge had taken over the school during her fifth year, Haven had lost almost all interest in the class. The woman had ruined it for her, not to mention how un-fun the class had turned in recent events. In fact, she couldn't name one class she actually enjoyed thoroughly that year. Everything was just so...dull.
"The Cruciatus Curse is one of the most dangerous spells you can cast out there," Carrow explained, and Haven tensed, getting a feeling on where he was going with his lesson. "Does anyone know why?" Everybody knew why, however, nobody bothered to raise their hands to answer. The Carrow siblings were the ones in charge of punishment, and they were all terrified to even speak to either of them. He looked around the room, brows raising in fake shock. "No one knows what the curse does? Longbottom! I'm sure you do, don't you? It was the curse that was used to torture your parents for information. Cowards, might I add. Absolute cowards."
Neville's jaw clenched from next to her, and Haven subtly moved her hand to his thigh, silently telling him to knock it off. He obliged, dropping his glare towards the professor, although his body didn't relax at all, he was still completely tense. "I know the curse, sir."
"Excellent!" Carrow clapped excitedly. "Why don't you come up here and show us what it does?"
"E-excuse me?" Neville stumbled over his words. "It's illegal, Professor."
"Do you think I care about laws?!" Carrow bursted out, making them all shrink back into their seats. Haven's hand instinctively inched towards her wand, and she tightened her fingers around it just in case. Carrow suddenly disappeared into his office, before yanking out a small boy, and her heart sank. He quivered in the grasp of the older man. A first year. A goddamn first year. "Longbottom, get up here and practice the curse on this student. The rest of you can follow in his footsteps once he's finished."
"You're mental," Haven accused. "None of us are going to participate in this madness."
"Would you like a repeat of what happened last time you spoke out in my class, Miss Potter?" He questioned, spitting her name out like it was poison. She swallowed, her brave exterior falling as she sat back down into her seat. Her eyes subconsciously drifted to the scar on her forearm, a reminder of what Carrow had been talking about. "Longbottom. Now."
Neville stood up, his shoulders tense, but he didn't make any move to walk up to the front of the classroom. "No," he said firmly. "That's absurd."
