II. roman holiday | blaise zabini

chapter 29

chapter 29 - Theo's Interlude

"I'm just a kid.
I always make mistakes."

-Current Joys

*warning: torture/violence, suicidal thoughts*

Theo knew in his cold, dead heart that something was wrong. He knew in his very bones the second that a third-year Slytherin walked up to the table with a note for a few seventh-year Slytherins to join the Carrows in the dungeons.

He had been in that dungeon before. He had seen everything the Carrows could possibly do. He saw what Pansy and Millicent and Crabbe and Goyle were capable of doing.

"What do you think it is this time?" Millicent asked, seemingly bored as they walked down the steps in a group, younger students and other houses stepping out of the way as they neared in complete fear.

Theo gulped and stuffed clammy hands into his pockets. Please not another little kid. Not another first or second or third year. He couldn't take it anymore.

He braced himself as he reached the floor. The Carrows' harsh giggling as well as the hard breathing of someone who had already been hit with the Crutiatus.

Theo could admit that he fully expected a second-year student to be chained and beat in the cell. But what he saw was much worse.

Lyra Knight was hanging by her wrists, a cut on her forehead and blood dripping from her nose.

She was in a pair of pajama pants and a sports bra, revealing already forming bruises along her ribcage. Her eyes caught on his momentarily before sweeping across the rest of the group that had just entered.

For a quick second, Theo was sure they had widened in fear before flashing cold and hard.

"Ah. There they are," Alecto said, turning towards them, leading them into the room. "Avery here was caught stealing the Sword of Gryffindor from Snape. She won't give names of her accomplices."

"I told you I didn't have any," Lyra grunted, more blood dripping down her front.

"And we told you we don't believe you." Amycus gruffed nearing Lyra with a wand pointed under her chin, "Now shut up."

Alecto continued, "We saw other people with her, but they got away."

"So. Until Avery decided to talk, her punishment will continue."

Lyra smirked up at them all before saying, "I thought you told me to shut up."

Theo felt Blaise shake his head but it was too late. Amycus turned sharply, completely abandoning his wand and lifting a fist. It landed straight in Lyra's gut and she curled in on herself, the chains keeping her off the ground jingled and Theo flinched back.

"There is one week until Christmas break," Alecto said as Amycus picked up his wand and turned to them as well, "She doesn't leave this room until she talks. You are welcome to use any means necessary... As long as she stays alive."

No one said anything, Theo was sure that they had all been shocked into silence, no matter how cocky Pansy, Millicent, Crabbe, and Goyle had been earlier, nothing had prepared them for this.

"Now," Alecto's wheezy laugh caused a shudder down his spine, "Let's begin."

Just as Theo feared, Lyra didn't break. For one week, she took hit after hit, curse after curse, everything the Carrows would give she took and didn't back down.