Pariah: The Other Malfoy

Chapter 74: Punishment

Both were stood rigid, still in pyjamas, gagged and immobilised by silver ropes to a pair of stakes that had been sunk deep into the stone. Ginny's face was stony, but Hannah was terrified; her eyes huge and her cheeks shining with tears.

My thoughts moved at a million miles an hour as Neville pulled me to sit. What could I do now? Snape knew it was Neville and I, why had he targeted these two? I felt as though it wasn't him who had decided.

I locked eyes with McGonagall who seemed to be holding back more anger than I had ever seen. I was shaking myself, scenarios rushing through my head as Snape rose to speak.

"Last night," he spoke, "I caught two students in this Hall committing an act of vandalism. They managed to escape, but they have been apprehended. Miss Weasley and Miss Abbott will be demonstrating for all of you the consequences of such actions. The Cruciatus Curse does not seem to have been enough of a punishment, but the Carrows promise me that they have many other means of punishing such behaviour that they are eager to demonstrate."

The two Death Eaters stood and made their way over to the two girls. They pushed their sleeves up, wands in hand, standing in front of the girls with malice clear in their stances. Ginny screamed suddenly, Alecto hadn't touched her yet, but something in her eyes was enough to have that effect - Ginny, a girl who fought hard to maintain stoic so far this year.

That was the final straw. I stood, someone yanking at my robes to make me sit again, but I ignored them and stepped out from the bench. I walked into the aisle, staring at Snape as he deflated slightly at my actions.

"Miss Malfoy," he steadied his voice, "Do you object to my authority as Headmaster of this school to punish troublemakers?"

"They didn't do it."

"And do you know..." Snape paused, his eyes flashing, "Who did?"

"I did. Punish me."

"Very noble, but there were two," Snape turned away from me, willing me to step down. I opened my mouth, ready to argue that he was wrong and I had acted alone --

"Then take me as well," Neville stood, joining me in the aisle, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Sit down, Neville.

The silence was long, not a sound was heard in the hall. But then Snape waved his hand to the Carrows, who released their victims and shoved them to the side. Hannah fell into Professor Sprout's arms, sobbing freely, while Ginny steeled herself and marched to the Gryffindor table, her eyes on Neville and I, gratitude and fear clear on her face.

"The brave Gryffindors to the rescue yet again," Amycus snarled as Snape clenched his fists, concern almost blatantly obvious on his face, "We can certainly accommodate you."

He twitched his wand and thick chains burst from the wall behind the teachers, speeding towards us, clamping around our wrists and ankles before we could react. McGonagall let out a cry, but the look sent to her by Snape silenced her - I could only imagine what it had looked like to silence even McGonagall. I let out an inadvertent yell of shock as I dug my heels in, struggling against the chains, but I knew it was useless. I was dragged with Neville towards the wall, fighting all the time, held tightly under the words we had carved the previous night, a gag tightening around my mouth.

"You will remain there," Snape said smoothly, though there was an edge to his voice, "until the damage you caused last night has gone. It should take two or three days at least until the last has gone, some might say you made too good a job."

Suddenly, some of the younger students began to cry. Footsteps approached us, I braced myself for whatever was next.

I wasn't prepared.