Autumn was fast approaching. Brown leaves fluttered across the castle grounds and the grass became soggier and murkier as the rain arrived. The DA meetings, Neville soon discovered, were harder to arrange than he'd expected, mainly because seventh-years had been given so much homework; however, he'd resolved to organise meetings at least once a week, even if people simply wanted to do their homework in a safe, relaxing environment, as though they were expecting the Carrows to burst into their common rooms at any moment.
To Neville's (and probably the majority of the school's) disgust, Crabbe and Goyle had been hired by the Carrows to perform punishments on all years for those who had earned detentions. More often than not, Neville would be haunted at night by piercing screams from eight floors below in the dungeons, followed by nightmares of the same screams of his parents.
The DA had discussed 'the punishment situation'. However, the only thing they could think of to prevent it was to curse Crabbe and Goyle into oblivion, but they knew this wouldn't go unmissed, certainly not with the Carrows anyway. Meanwhile, Snape spent more time away from Hogwarts than he did in. Either that, or he shut himself up in his office for hours on end, perhaps comprehending, like Neville was, where Harry could possibly be.
Presently, the seventh-years were seated in Muggle Studies, listening to Alecto's rasping voice.
'We shall be examining your family trees today,' announced Alecto, waving a thick wad of parchment, which each had the Ministry logo stamped on the front.
'It's a shame that we're not all pure-bloods in here,' she continued as she finished dishing out the documents. 'But then again, we wouldn't have a chance to sort the undamaged from the scum, would we? For example ... Mr Finnigan – your father's a Muggle, is he not? Perhaps I should pay him a visit and –'
Seamus stood up. Neville bowed his head, eyes closed. That's right, just what we said in the DA ... stand up for yourself ... but he didn't want to see Seamus get hurt again either –
'You don't go anywhere near my father,' he hissed. The rest of the class had tensed. Crabbe and Goyle and a couple of other Slytherins guffawed stupidly.
Alecto grinned and, just like she had done on that first lesson, slashed with her wand like a sword, and another gash cut through Seamus' other cheek. He didn't cry out, but got his own wand out.
'Seamus, no!' whispered Parvati desperately. In Seamus' hesitation, Alecto cackled and shouted 'Stupefy!'
The whole class watched as the jet of red, as though in slow motion, flew towards Seamus' chest, before bouncing off. Alecto ducked just in time as the jet returned to her, missing her by a fraction.
'Oh yeah,' whispered Seamus, though his voice travelled easily across the silent classroom, 'not bad for a half-blood, eh?'
Alecto was shocked. Eyes wide, mouth half-open, she gaped at the spot on Seamus where the jinx had hit him, and then at her wand, as if she couldn't believe it had let her down. The Slytherins shared her expression, but the rest of the students knew exactly what had happened and were barely concealing grins. It looked as though their Shield Cloaks had been put to the real test for the first time.
'What's that you were saying about scum, Professor?' Michael Corner asked, his voice wavering as he struggled not to laugh.
'Yeah Michael, I swear You-Know-Who's a half-blood – and Snape,' Seamus called to him pointedly. 'D'you reckon we should tell them what this cow's been telling us?'
A class, as one, gasped. Seamus, sniggering, sat back down, as Alecto's eyes bore into his, but it was evident she still hadn't recovered from her failed attack.
'How – how dare you?' she breathed.
'So how much Muggle blood do you and Amycus have then?' asked Neville. The words had slipped out his mouth against the will of common sense, but he didn't much care – until she snapped out of her reverie and swiped through the air three times with her wand, each time producing a fresh cut on Neville's face, the third one being particularly deep in his cheek.
'I think a little trip to the Headmaster is in order, don't you think Longbo'om?' Forcing Neville out of his chair and through the class door with her wand, she yelled over her shoulder, 'And if anyone moves or touches anything, I'll Cruciate the lot of ya!'
She spun on her heel and directed Neville along the corridor and down the stairs. Neville had no control over his limbs, but his mind was racing, his footsteps in the empty corridor feeling like a pendulum. He couldn't even hear the countless curses and threats Alecto was throwing at him.
He felt more scared now than ever, more scared than either of the Carrows could make him. Snape, as well as hating Neville, was openly on the Dark side now. How would he treat Neville? Would he curse him into torture, or lock him up? He'd heard already that Amycus had at least threatened to lock misbehaving students up already.
'Evans,' said Alecto, and the ugly gargoyle leapt aside to admit them. Carrow directed Neville up the short staircase and she swung the door open without knocking. For the first time ever, Neville entered the Headmaster's office.
The room was circular and large. One window overlooked the unused Quidditch pitch and part of the lake could be seen through another. Rows of portraits of previous Headmasters covered the walls and strange silver instruments sat precariously on weak little tables. The dark figure of Snape lurked behind the Headmasters desk, and he looked round quickly at the sudden noise. His lips curled at the sight of Neville silently struggling against Alecto's invisible force.
'That will do, Alecto,' muttered Snape and Carrow released Neville, who glared defiantly up at Snape's face. 'You may leave.'
Carrow teetered on the edge of speech, perhaps to advise Snape to punish Neville severely, but she walked out the office without a word.
'Why are you here, Longbottom?' Snape asked when all was silent.
'Professor Carrow sent me.'
'I gathered that, you –' he cut himself short. 'What are you up to?'
Neville looked into those black eyes but looked away again quickly; he'd always had the impression that Snape could read minds. He didn't answer immediately, however, as his eyes met something else.
There was a large glass case above the Headmasters chair, containing a shining, ruby-encrusted sword. He knew, instantly, what it was. The sword of Godric Gryffindor. He had a sudden urge to jinx Snape and grab it, but he knew it was impossible. All the same, he couldn't stand being awake during the day knowing that Gryffindor's sword was in here under Snape's protection. It suddenly occurred to him that Snape was standing in the room of the person he had murdered, stealing his life, stealing his office.
'Nothing,' said Neville finally, still avoiding Snape's gaze; did he know about the DA? Surely not ...
'Go,' Snape said with a jerk of the head. Neville made to turn, but something held him back.
'I'm not doing the Dark Arts again,' he said to Snape defiantly.
'Don't be ridiculous, Longbottom, of course you have –'
'I'm not doing it. I'd rather have more Herbology lessons. If you can't organise anything for me, I'm going to the Greenhouses during that lesson anyway. There's not a chance in hell of me using the Cruciatus Curse, and I don't care if you half-kill me, I'm not doing it.'
Snape gazed at him again, perhaps surprised at the boy's uprising of bravery.
'I – I'll see what I can do. But be warned, Longbottom – if you misbehave again, I will half-kill you, is that clear?'
Neville nodded.
'Then go.'
Neville simply stood there, not quite believing. Snape hadn't even done anything.
'Not going to punish me then, Professor?' he asked politely but coolly.
'You do push your luck, Longbottom. I said, go, before I change my mind.'
Neville spun on his heel, and shot out the office before Snape did change his mind. He still couldn't understand why Snape had let him off so cheaply ... Carrow would be furious when she finds out. However, it wasn't the thoughts of Snape, or the Carrows, or the Dark Arts lessons that was on his mind as he ate during dinner and lay in his bed that night, but of the glinting hilt of the Gryffindor sword above that high-backed chair.
It looked as though the DA had its first mission.
Under Snape's Regime by joehook
Chapter Notes: Thank you all for the reviews guys! The story is actually complete, it's just a case of uploading all the chapters :)