Dumbledore's Army - Still Flying by Karaley Dargen, muggle girl marauder, minnabird, the opaleye
The dungeon door clanged open and their heads snapped up to see a pale and weak Susan stagger through the door. Immediately, Terry and Neville rushed forward to help her sit down. Neville felt her fall against him, her breaths short and sharp.
–I’m fine,†she whispered.
–No,†said Ginny, kneeling in front of her. –You’re not fine. None of us are fine.â€
Suddenly, the door opened again to reveal two dark figures. Neville felt the bile rise in his throat as Goyle stepped into the dungeon dragging someone else behind him, wand held tight against the victim’s throat.
Vaisey.
Seamus started up from his seat, and though no one spoke, the looks Vaisey received were uncharitable at best. Goyle released him roughly, then left quickly, locking the door behind him.
–You,†Seamus said. –We never should have let you in. This is all your fault.â€
Vaisey glared up at Seamus. –It wasn’t me. You think I’d be stupid enough to risk my own neck just to expose you? Breaking the rules is breaking the rules, and you never know which way the Carrows will swing.â€
Ginny let out a cry of disbelief. –As if they’d really punish you.â€
–You don’t think they’d punish me?†Vaisey growled, then pulled aside the collar of his robes.
Hannah gasped, and Lavender clapped a hand to her mouth. Running along Vaisey’s shoulder was a long cut, barely healed.
–That’s what I got for not knowing where my mother is,†he barked at Ginny. –You know, you chose to rebel and go against them. When they catch you, it’s because you chose to take the risk. I didn’t choose for my mother to run away just as Scrimgeour died, and I still had to suffer the consequences.†He took a deep breath.
–He’s lying,†said Seamus, although he sounded rather unsure of himself.
–But look at that scar-â€
–Oh come on, Hannah!†interrupted Ginny. –The Carrows may be thick as a brick but even they can fake a scar. He’s been planted in here to get information from us just like he planted himself and Greengrass in the match to snitch.â€
Neville shook his head and walked over to stand next to Vaisey.
–Parvati was the one who approached us about Vai-†Nevilled paused. –Jonathan, I mean. I trust Parvati and she trusts Jonathan, so I trust him too.â€
–Then who do you think did it?†Ginny demanded, whirling on him.
–I don’t know,†he said grimly, –but I don’t think it was Jonathan.â€
Ginny glared, but Neville stood firm next to Jonathan. She huffed and returned to her seat. –I still don’t trust him,†she muttered. –And he is not one of us.†Seamus eyed Jonathan uneasily, but he went to join Ginny without a word.
–Thanks,†Jonathan said quietly to Neville.
Neville shook his head. –I think you did keep our trust. It’s bad enough what’s going to happen without adding hatred from us on top.â€
***
Everyone was seated in the stands now and Ernie was waiting in the commentator’s box for Neville’s sign. Michael had his two groups patrolling the corridor outside in shifts, and they, as well as Ernie, had their old D.A. coins. If anyone got close to the Room of Requirement, they would know instantly.
Neville took a deep breath as he stood next to his broom, letting the energy and the pre-match tension flow through him. When he had first sat on a broom at Hogwarts, it had been a disaster. But so much had changed since then.
He glanced over at Ginny who had a look of sheer determination on her face. A whistle blew and the captains walked towards the referee for the coin toss. Hannah stood in the middle of the pitch, hands on her hips, and looking very different to how Neville was used to. She caught his eye and smiled and Neville felt the heat rise to his cheeks.
–Teams, mount your brooms!â€
Neville felt a nervous flutter in his stomach. His flying had improved but he was nowhere near at the same level as many of the other players.
–Captains, shake hands,†Hannah said, and Paul and Ginny stepped to the centre and obeyed. Ginny’s team, arrayed behind her, was dressed in purple robes (good practice for Transfiguration classes that barely mattered these days); Paul’s was in grey. The teams waited, poised for takeoff.
And then Hannah released the balls, and a sudden and loud cheer rose from the stands as Neville and the others took their places on the pitch, the Chasers streaking off after the Quaffle. Mark Bradley narrowly beat Astoria to it, and passed it on to Demelza.
–And purple takes possession!†Ernie cried.
Neville watched nervously as Demelza streaked up the pitch toward him. Ritchie slammed a Bludger in her direction which managed to throw her off course. She swerved to the left to avoid being hit and lost her grip on the Quaffle. Neville cheered as it slipped from Demelza’s fingers and was caught by Astoria, who was flying just a few feet below her. She quickly passed it to Iwan. There was no one between him and the goals but Susan, the purple team’s Keeper. He took a shot at the centre hoop and watched as it sailed though.
Susan sent the Quaffle flying to Demelza, who caught it and lobbed it over to Seamus. Neville grimaced as Jack Sloper hit a Bludger towards Vaisey, who was tailing Seamus closely. Vaisey flipped around sharply and let out a jubilant whoop as the Bludger whistled past. There was a collective gasp from the stands at the quick manoeuvre.
Seamus streaked towards Neville and he took a deep breath, readying himself. Seamus pulled his arm back, aiming the Quaffle towards the left hoop, but Vaisey stretched forward suddenly and snatched it away just as the ball left Seamus’s hands.
A mixture of boos and cheers came from the stands, and Neville found himself going a bit limp with relief as Vaisey turned away with the Quaffle. Seamus and Bradley closed in on Vaisey from either side, their strategy apparently to simply keep up with him and catch the Quaffle the moment it left his hands. They were so close they nearly knocked elbows with him, but stayed just this side of a foul, zooming on towards Susan’s goalposts together.
Vaisey came to a sudden stop midair and chucked the Quaffle to Iwan, who had circled behind.
–Nice play by Jonathan Vaisey,†Ernie said, somewhat grudgingly. –Cadwallader in possession, he passes to Greengrass. She takes the shot, but she’s forced to swerve by Padma Patil’s Bludger. Nice aim, Padma! Now Greengrass to Vaisey. It looks like he might score, there goes the Quaffle, and Susan saves it!â€
The first years were going crazy. It didn’t seem to matter who did what, they were just overjoyed to be watching their first match. Any remaining fear of discovery the younger students may have felt at the start of the match had been forgotten.
–And the purple team have possession.â€
Mark and Demelza zoomed down the pitch, lobbing the Quaffle back and forth at a rapid pace. Astoria swooped between them and intercepted the ball. There was a loud screech of frustration and Neville looked up to see Ginny circling the pitch, scowling down at Astoria as she took a sharp left and flew back towards Susan. She nodded at Padma, who took aim and sent a Bludger hurtling towards Astoria, who was so focused on the goal that she didn’t seem to notice.
–Watch out! Bludger!†he shouted without hesitation.
Astoria’s head whipped round as she heard Neville’s yell, and she swerved to evade the Bludger. Her reflexes, unfortunately, weren’t quite as good as Vaisey’s and she caught a glancing blow to the arm that made her drop the Quaffle. Demelza caught it and zipped away towards Neville, Quaffle tucked firmly under her arm, determination in every line of her body.
Neville’s hands clenched on his broom handle, and he held his breath as he tried to ready himself to move quickly. Demelza drew ever closer, dodging Coote’s Bludger, outstripping Iwan as he tailed her.
Neville watched her every move, hoping for some indication as to which goal she would try for. He was unprepared when she flew straight toward the centre goal, but threw the Quaffle to the left. There was no way Neville could get there fast enough, though he tried, only to have a closer view of the Quaffle soaring through.
–Purple team scores! Ten to ten,†shouted Ernie as Neville chased the ball.
Grey and purple swirled in front of him as he threw the Quaffle as hard as he could to the closest grey robed player.
Ginny pulled up beside him for a brief moment, giving him a friendly grin.
–Better luck next time, Longbottom!†she said with a laugh, speeding off across the pitch before Neville could reply.
–And Vaisey has the Quaffle!â€
Neville watched as Vaisey, Iwan, and Astoria wove around the purple players, lobbing the Quaffle between them. Iwan sped up, heading for the left goal before flipping the Quaffle behind him to Astoria as Susan jerked her broom in response to the false goal. Astoria threw the ball through the right hoop with a triumphant whoop.
–Ten more points for the greys!â€
The stands erupted in cheers again as the Quaffle was thrown back into play. Seamus caught it and threw it down the pitch to Demelza. She headed for the goal again, but a Bludger whizzing past in front of her face stopped her momentarily - long enough for Iwan and Vaisey to get between her and Mark, further along the pitch. She tried to get around Iwan, but he blocked her; the same result when she tried to go round Vaisey, or through the middle.
–Come off it!†she shouted, annoyed, and Vaisey and Iwan exchanged smug looks.
This moment of inattentiveness was enough. Jack hit a well-aimed Bludger right between their heads, so that it struck both their cheeks. In the split second that it took them to realise what had happened, Demelza dived underneath them and zoomed across the pitch until she was close enough to pass the Quaffle to Mark.
"What a move from Jack Sloper!" called out Ernie. "The grey Chasers better hope he doesn't keep up this aim! And Bradley makes for the goal..."
Demelza spun around again, and Seamus joined her to block the two other Chasers.
Neville blanched. Mark was coming at him too fast. His hands slipped from the broom and he swung around underneath it, struggling to hold on to the handle with just one hand. His feet flailed about as he tried to get back upon the broom, twisting around behind the hoops. He could hear Ernie in the background but with the blood rushing to his head everything else was a distant buzz.
–Bradley shoots…â€
With one final heave, Neville’s foot kicked out, right through the centre hoop as the Quaffle flew in from the other side.
–Foul!†cried Seamus.
Iwan and Ritchie helped him get back onto his broom properly, and within moments he was safe, if a bit winded. His face felt hot, and he was probably red as a beet. He’d known going in that he wasn’t as good as the others, but actually falling off his broom and getting a foul by accident was more than he’d expected.
–And the referee’s awarded team purple a penalty shot for Flacking,†Ernie said over the noise of the crowd.
Neville straightened, pushing away his embarrassment and nerves. Third time’s the charm, surely, he thought.
Mark took the penalty, but to Neville's relief, the Quaffle soared past the goal hoops at least six feet too far on the left. Now Vaisey, who had been in the exact right position, caught it and sped off with it, Astoria and Iwan on either side. A Bludger, hit by Padma, zoomed across all three of them, but they lay flat on their brooms and avoided it. Jack aimed another Bludger right at Vaisey, but Ritchie flew in and intercepted with his Beater's bat, giving the three Chasers the time to manoeuvre around the Beaters.
–And Vaisey passes to Greengrass who passes back to Cadwallader… and the greys score!â€
Neville punched the air without thinking and Paul swooped down to pat him on the back, briefly.
–Thirty points to ten for the grey team.â€
Neville, forgetting his previous embarrassment, steeled himself as the purple Chasers pelted towards him. Seamus held the Quaffle tightly against his side as Astoria and Vaisey tailed him closely. Suddenly, Astoria spun away with a yelp as Seamus’s left elbow made contact with her ribs. Above him, Neville heard Ginny laugh.
Seamus shoved past Vaisey and the ball spun towards Neville.
***
An uneasy silence had fallen over the dungeon, punctuated only by Terry’s cries of pain from Alecto’s office. A clear division had formed, those who distrusted Jonathan silently grouping together, and those who were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt rallying around Neville and Jonathan. The tension had curdled by this point, and even Ginny’s glares were losing strength.
–Psst.â€
The hiss came from the doorway, only just cracked open. Several heads shot up, but Neville was the one to answer softly, –Yes?â€
–I’m here to help, but I’m not sure how,†the voice murmured.
"Well, we need to get out of here," Seamus said, the disagreement about Jonathan temporarily forgotten.
Neville moved to the door and tried to push it further open, but the person on the other side still seemed reluctant to step into the dungeon. Removing his hands from the door, Neville instead asked, "Is any of the Carrow's pets in the corridor outside keeping a look out?"
There was a brief pause. "Not as far as I can tell," the voice replied. "Are you very badly hurt?"
At that moment, Neville caught a glimpse at the person's eyes.
–You?†he whispered in disbelief.
–Who is it?†asked Ginny crawling over to the door and crouching behind Neville. –I can hardly see in here, it’s so bloody dim.â€
–Yes, me,†replied the voice. –And there’s no need to sound so surprised.â€
***
The Quaffle hurtled through the right hoop and Neville groaned as the stands erupted with cheers and whistles.
–Purple score!†shouted Ernie with glee, not even bothering to mask his obvious support. –Thirty points to twenty for the greys. And Cadwallader has the Quaffle, passes to Vaisey… and he’s dropped it! Nice Bludger there from Sloper.â€
Mark scooped up the Quaffle, and passed it off to Seamus, who bulled down the pitch and scored a goal on Neville. Astoria took possession of the Quaffle when it went back into play, but the purple Chasers used the grey team’s own tactics against them, Seamus and Demelza blocking Astoria while Mark circled below. Padma deflected the Bludger meant for Seamus, and this time it ended in a tussle and a penalty to team purple for cobbing.
Demelza made the goal, putting purple ahead of grey for the first time. After that, the competition grew more intense.
Neville felt beads of sweat trickling onto his brow. He couldn't let another Quaffle in. Already, Seamus was zooming towards him again, and now there were no grey Chasers around to block him. They were all being held far off by the Bludgers Padma and Jack were lobbing at them. Seamus got ever closer, leaning forward on his broom. Neville didn't even dare blink. There was a split second when nothing seemed to move, and then Seamus threw - and Neville caught the Quaffle safely in both hands. With all his strength, he threw it across the pitch.
Astoria zoomed up the pitch and plucked the Quaffle out of the air as if it were a feather. All the other players were far behind her as she approached Susan. She zigzagged towards the goals and sent the Quaffle flying through the center hoop as Susan lunged to the right.
–Greengrass scores!†shouted Ernie. –That leaves them tied at forty points each.â€
Suddenly, there was a collective gasp from the stands and Neville looked up to see a streak of purple and grey cut across the pitch.
–And it seems our Seekers have spotted the Snitch!â€
Neville couldn’t help but watch as Paul and Ginny streaked after the Snitch, neck to neck. They soared up to the ceiling of the Room of Requirement, then swooped sharply towards the stands, skating at the edge of the boundary line, almost close enough to touch the spectators. The cheering from the crowd rose to a deafening volume as the Seekers closed in on their quarry, inching past one another by turns.
–This is going to be a close one!†Ernie enthused, his voice nearly drowned out by spectators.
The Seekers were flattened against their broom handles now, hands outstretched.
The whole match paused as everyone watched the two seekers. Paul had longer arms, and his fingertips were almost grazing the Snitch now...
***
Ginny's mouth opened in surprise. "But then-"
Whatever she was going to say was interrupted as a shriek came from the other side of the door.
"Put me down, you oaf!" the voice was screaming.
"Gotcha," came a deep grunt. Then someone kicked the door to the dungeon fully open, and all around the room, people got up and stared in disbelief.
Standing there was Gregory Goyle, trying to hold a kicking and screaming Astoria.
–Ooh another traitor!†crowed Goyle as he threw Astoria into the dungeons and slammed the door shut behind her. They could hear his grunty laugh echo down the corridor as he no doubt left to inform the Carrows of their latest prisoner.
–What in Merlin’s name are you doing here?†demanded Ginny with a blazing look in her eyes.
–What in Merlin’s name does it look like, Weasley? I didn’t realise you were as thick as your brother,†Astoria hissed back. –I was trying to help you idiots escape.â€
–What’s in it for you?†asked Seamus.
–I felt guilty, okay?â€
–It was you, then,†Ginny said, her voice dangerous.
–Me?†Astoria asked.
–Don’t play innocent,†Seamus said impatiently. –You told.â€
–I didn’t!†Astoria said. –I just felt guilty because you got caught and I didn’t. Everyone knows what the Carrows are like.â€
–A likely story,†Seamus huffed.
Neville rose abruptly. –Can we just stop blaming people?†he shouted. –We haven’t got any proof. Besides, there are more important things right now.â€
Ginny’s fists clenched, and Neville knew with a sick feeling in his gut that a blazing row was about to break out.
But then the door opened again.
Everyone stared as a terrified looking Zacharias Smith was pushed inside. Crabbe and Goyle seemed beside themselves with glee at the number of people they had managed to catch. –I hope we get to practice a few Crucios on you lot,†Goyle said as he laughed and shut the door behind them. Zacharias looked like he might pass out any moment.
–What are you doing here, Smith?†Neville asked, looking confused.
–I wanted to warn you that The Carrows found out what you were up to,†he replied defensively.
–Thanks for trying, but how did you know where we were?â€
Zacharias looked around at everyone, his breaths short, sharp, and panicked. He looked like he was about to wet himself any second.
–I knew something was up and just wanted to help, so when Susan and the others left the common room tonight I followed them-â€
He was interrupted as the door to dungeons opened yet again.
–Oh, what now?†yelled Ginny in frustration.
Goyle appeared once more, his wand pointing directly at Neville.
Hannah reached out to grab Neville’s hand, but before he could react someone grabbed him by the neck and he was dragged out into the corridor.
***
In Neville’s memory, time slowed down as Paul and Ginny closed in on the Snitch, nearly stopping. A long beat of his heart measured out the time between Paul’s hand closing on the Snitch and Ernie’s voice shouting, –The alarm’s been sounded!â€
In reality, it was a mess of actions all running together. There was general panic, the spectators pouring out of the stands towards the exits while the off-shift sentries tried to impose some kind of order. Parvati corralled the first-years and got them out first; that at least ran to plan. The rest was chaotic at best.
While Parvati directed the frightened first years who had forgotten which door they were supposed to leave through, the players all sped to the ground. Neville and Ginny helped get the Gryffindor first years out one exit, while Padma and Terry did the same for the Ravenclaws. Susan and Ernie herded the Hufflepuffs out through the door which opened closest to their common room. Neville knew he’d have to stay until the last person was out so that no one else could get in. He watched Vaisey grab Astoria’s hand as they sprinted for their own exit.
Neville rushed back to the stands to make sure everyone had left as the remaining members of Dumbledore’s Army rallied the last few stragglers out of the exits.
–Neville, come on!†Ginny yelled as she ran to the Gryffindor exit. –Everyone’s out. Get your bum over here now!â€
Neville sprinted towards her. He watched as Hannah, Susan, and Paul disappeared through the Hufflepuff exit and Terry through the Ravenclaw one.
His feet pounded across the pitch to where the last Gryffindors waited.
–Let’s go!†he yelled and they hurtled through the door.
There was a flash of red.
–Stupefy!â€
Neville couldn’t stop himself in time; he tripped and went sprawling over something large, squishy and rather warm.
–Oh Merlin, Lavender,†he said when he realised what it was he’d stumbled over. She was unconscious, but he realised a moment later that that was the least of their problems. Seamus was down too, and as Neville watched, Demelza fell to the floor, Stunned. He scrambled up to help Ginny fend off their assailants - Carrows’ goons, Crabbe and a pair of nasty sixth years - but they were outnumbered now, and within moments Neville too fell to one of their Stunners.
***
Neville was shoved roughly into a chair by Alecto. She had a murderous look on her face, like she was determined to break him this time. She started with a stinging hex to his face. –Tell me who else was there!†she screamed. I know there were more.â€
‘There weren’t,†Neville answered back. We were just practising, we thought we’d have a little fun-â€
–Lies!†she screamed. –Crucio!â€
Neville screamed; he couldn’t help it. White hot pain coursed through his body. She put all of her anger into the curse. When she stopped, she asked again, –Who else, Longbottom?â€
–There was no one!†Neville repeated. –We didn’t have enough people for two teams, so we just flew around a bit, that’s all!â€
When Alecto brandished her wand again, Neville twitched. This was of course not the first time that he had been in a situation like this, but the Cruciatus Curse was still close to too much for him to bear in this quantity. He gulped, clenched and unclenched his fists, and thought of his parents. He had to be strong for them. Keep up this lie.
He looked back up at Carrow. –You got us all, honestly.â€
Alecto sneered at him.
–That’s not what your little friend Zacharias Smith told us when he came running to my office this evening. Crucio!â€
Neville gritted his teeth as the pain burned through him. Smith! That pathetic, evil little boy. He had thanked him! Neville had thanked him for trying to warn them and…
–He’s lying!†gasped Neville. –He’s just trying to pay me back for not letting him copy my Potion notes.â€
Alecto grabbed him by the chin and yanked his face towards her own.
–Maybe one of your girlfriends will have something else to say. And if they don’t, we’ll have another chat with Smith. Take him back to the dungeons!â€
Neville returned to the dungeon, aching and barely able to walk straight, and the first sound that greeted his ears was Smith’s voice.
–…and I was looking for you lot to warn you, and they caught me.â€
Neville felt a jolt of rare red-hot anger go through him. He caught himself against the wall, willing his legs not to buckle, and said, –How dare you.â€
Smith’s eyes grew wide as saucers in his worried face.
–How dare you lie to us and try to ingratiate yourself with us when you were the one who gave us up to the Carrows?â€
–Hang on,†said Ginny. –Neville, what are you talking about?â€
Alecto shoved Neville into the room. –You’re up next,†she spat at Ginny.
–Neville, what’s going on?†Ginny repeated, not moving. –He was only trying to help, didn’t you hear him?â€
Zacharias fidgeted for a moment, then looked up and said, –Yeah, I was just trying to warn you. I knew something was going on even if-â€
–Just shut up and stop pretending like you’re a hero,†Neville groaned.
Alecto was pushing past him now to get to Ginny, who still stood rooted to the spot.
–Please,†said Smith, pathetically. –I didn’t mean for this to happen.â€
Neville had no idea what the others were reacting like; he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the boy who had risked them their lives. The Carrows made no excuses for their violence towards rebellious students and Smith knew exactly what he was doing when he ratted them out.
–You better watch out-†Ginny was cut off as Alecto pulled her from the room.
Zacharias fell to his knees.
–Please!â€
Neville turned to Seamus and cocked his head to the side in question.
–So, what shall we do with him?â€
Chapter Endnotes: This is it! We hope you had as much fun reading this as we had writing it. May the next inter-house QWC come! If you leave us a review, we'll all be very happy :)