The day it all began to happen we woke up with a feeling in the pit of our stomachs.
It was the 1st of May, a day that started out like any other, the sun shining through the windows as the birds outside tweeted. It had been a few weeks since the sword incident, and we had all returned to our classes, with me Ginny and Neville taking turns to fake injuries and illnesses so we could stay in the room of requirement. The Carrows seemed to only ever target the members of the DA, and the rest of Gryffindor house, all of us gaining new cuts and bruises, with words buried deep into our skin from a quill we knew all too well.
I deserve punishment was etched in my skin, thanks to standing up for myself on multiple occasions, the worst time being when Alecto decided to bring up what happened to my father in a Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson.
Aberforth brought us food everyday, even though it tasted awful we were glad someone had our back, it gave us hope that people on the outside of Hogwarts were looking out for Harry.
The day it happened we went to our classes like always. Transfiguration, Potions, then it came to Defence the Dark Arts. A load of first years were lined up against the wall, and Alecto commanded us to practise the cruciatus curse on them. Neville and I were the first to refuse.
"You will do it Greenwood, or you might just find yourself ending up like daddy." Alecto's face was practically level with my own, and that's when I reached my limit.
"Stop. Talking. About. My. Father." Having had enough of the death eater's taunts, I squared up to her, staring her dead in the eyes.
"You really think you can take me on? Well, I'll practice the curse shall I? Show you how it's done? CRUCIO!"
Within seconds I was writhing on the floor in pain, my whole body feeling as if white hot knives were stabbing me over and over, while the helpless students around me watched. Images of my father in the same position as I am flashed through my mind, which only made me more determined to not give into the pain and beg for mercy. He dealt with the pain and torture for two years, I could easily do two minutes. Once I was released from the curse Alecto seized me by the hands and pulled me to my feet, before she sent a clean punch into my nose, causing me to go lightheaded and my nose to instantly gush with blood. At once I felt Neville's presence behind me, his hand on my shoulder supporting me.
"Get out" Alecto commanded, and I took the opportunity, and headed to the prefect's bathroom. Loosening my tie, I leant over the basin, watching the blood drip steadily into it. As I splashed my face with water I looked up to see Theo standing behind me, silently watching.
"Jesus Nott how about a little warning?"
"What happened to you?" Something about him seemed different today, his eyes full of darkness, a hint of coldness in his voice.
"Carrows. It's fine though, going to take more than a broken nose and the cruciatus curse to stop my fighting spirit."
"I would have given you more than that if it was up to me."
I turned to face him, my stomach dropping.
"What?"
"Still believe Potter will come to save the day? You deserve everything that's coming to you for going against the dark lord. How dare you stand there, bold as brass, the daughter of a murderer."
The words echoed in my ears, a mixture of fear and confusion running through my body.
"Daughter of a-a what?"
"You heard me. Murderer. The great Benjamin Greenwood, so heroic protecting the Potters that night. What people miss out from the story is the part where he killed my mother in the process."
The words hit me like bullets and I felt my knees buckle underneath me. My father killed Theo's mother?
"Wh- how?"
"It doesn't matter how does it? The fact remains that I was left without a mother because of YOUR father. And he's the one who got all the glory, and now here you are, with that stupid fucking wand, another Greenwood getting the glory AGAIN. Stupid fucking halfblood." I could feel the rage radiating off of him. What happened to him? At the start of the year he was so nice, so caring, and now all I see is a monster.
"And I'm left without a father because of your precious "dark lord" Nott. Everyone's gone through pain in their life, there is not one single person in this world who hasn't experienced it. It's how you deal with the pain that makes you as a person. You can either choose revenge, or you can choose forgiveness and move on with your life."
Nott took his wand out of his robe and held it underneath my chin, causing the breath to catch in my throat.
"I. Choose. Revenge."
I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to hit me. But it didn't come. Instead, I felt Nott's wand leave my skin and with it came a thump on the floor.
"Get the fuck away from my girlfriend."