Torment and Turnips

TORMENT AND TURNIPS

CHAPTER 4 - Crumbling Walls

Cho stood before the door to Flitwick's office and took a deep breath. She'd been here before, of course, but this time was different. After all, it wasn't exactly academic matters she was coming to discuss.

Though the diminutive head of Ravenclaw House was nothing if not benign, Cho couldn't help feeling a certain creeping nervousness sneaking up on her. Professor Flitwick had always made his open door policy abundantly clear, but Cho didn't feel comfortable barging into his office without at least making her presence known first. Her stomach twisted slightly as she rapped lightly on the ancient oak door. She bit her lip and awaited a response.

When it came a few moments later, Cho gaped in apprehension and took an involuntary step backward when the door opened to reveal not the Charms Teacher, but the black-clad Head of Slytherin House, staring down at her coldly.

"Yes?" he intoned without preamble.

Cho realized her mouth was gaping in shock.

"I - I'm sorry, I t-thought this was - "

The Potions Master raised an eyebrow at she tried to stammer out a coherent response.

"I was looking for P-Professor Flitwick," she finally managed to blurt out. "I - I could've sworn this was his office - "

"Miss Chang?"

The Potions Master stepped to the side to reveal the source of the familiar voice. Professor Flitwick, his reading spectacles leaning low on the bridge of his nose, was seated at his desk in the midst of his rather cluttered office, a large number of unrolled scrolls scattered across the desk before him.

Cho felt intensely relieved to see the tiny Charms teacher. For one thing, it proved she wasn't suddenly losing her sense of direction, but more importantly, she no longer had to deal with the decidedly unpleasant and intimidating head of Slytherin.

She walked briskly past Snape and drew herself up straight before the large oak desk.

"Excuse me, Professor," she said earnestly, "I need to see you about...about my assignment. I do apologize for interrupting, but it really is important."

Flitwick smiled down at her from his perch atop the slightly elevated chair. "No need to apologize, Miss Chang," he said encouragingly. "Professor Snape and I had just finished our discussion, I believe?"

Flitwick looked to the Potions Master, who nodded curtly in confirmation.

"Indeed," said Snape dryly. "I expect the Headmaster will wish to speak with us both following these findings, Flitwick. Keeping your schedule clear for this evening would be advisable."

"Of course, Professor Snape," agreed Flitwick cordially, just as the head of Slytherin cast one last look at Cho before closing the door behind him. She let out a sigh of relief.

"You need not fear Professor Snape, Miss Chang," said Flitwick, a look of amusement crossing his wizened features. "While he is admittedly rather strict, he is nevertheless totally committed to the school charter."

"I - he's just a bit...unnerving," admitted Cho sheepishly. "I imagined he'd be very irate after his Veritaserum disappeared, he's not exactly the forgiving sort."

Flitwick's expression changed abruptly, becoming unusually serious. "You know about the Veritaserum?"

Cho felt her insides suddenly tighten. What had she done? This wasn't what she'd come to talk about!

"I...um...I overheard someone..."

She held her breath and desperately hoped she wouldn't be asked to elaborate.

Flitwick nodded solemnly. "I see," he said softly. He seemed to consider her for a moment before leaning forward, his voice adopting a slightly hushed tone, although there was no one in the room other than he and Cho.

"As it happens, Professor Snape has been investigating the case of the stolen Veritaserum," he said solemnly. "And I'm afraid the evidence he's uncovered thus far points quite convincingly to Ravenclaw House. Shocking, to be sure. But his evidence, I must admit, is irrefutable."

Cho swallowed hard. This wasn't going at all like she'd hoped. She had to change the subject somehow, and quickly.

"As you're aware of the Veritaserum's disappearance," continued Flitwick, "I therefore assume you're equally aware that is was used very irresponsibly during Monday's dinner?"

"I...I do," said Cho in a tiny voice.

Flitwick sighed. "I must convey to you, Miss Chang," he said carefully, "the seriousness of this infraction. The dosage used was quite lethal. Had Madame Pomfrey not been close at hand, the consequences would have been...dire."

His words were not lost on Cho.

"I know," she squeaked.

The Charms teacher nodded. "So, if you can shed any light on this matter, Miss Chang," he said, "it would be of great assistance in our investigation."

Cho's shoulders tensed as she thought of the resulting consequences. Would Steven Cornfoot retaliate by ratting out Marietta in turn for her book, dragging her down with him? There was no way to be sure. But Cho was determined not to risk her best friend's expulsion.

"I...I overheard s-someone mention Veritaserum in the library," she said nervously, "but I didn't see who it was."

Cho held her breath and desperately hoped Flitwick wouldn't ask her anything more. Actually lying to the Charms teacher would be altogether different form withholding information.

"I see," said Flitwick after several long moments of silence. He drew back into his chair. "Well...I do hope that if you hear anything more that you will seriously consider bringing it to my attention, Miss Chang?"

"I will," she choked. Something in Flitwick's expression told her he was seeing right through her, and it was making want to run out the door as though she were having her ankles gnawed on by Blast-Ended Skrewts.

Flitwick nodded slowly. "Well then," he said in a slightly more normal tone, "what can I do for you, Miss Chang?"

"P-Professor?"

The wizened teacher smiled benevolently. "You came to see me, as I recall," he said. "You said you wished to discuss your assignment?"

But Cho was beyond such discussions now. All she wanted to do was to get out before she inadvertently ended up getting her friend booted out of school.

"I...it's not...I didn't..."

"Miss Chang?"

She pushed off from the chair. "It...it'll keep," she said hoarsely, turning back and running from the room until all she could see through her clouded gaze were the drab stone walls rushing past her on either side and a multitude of curious stares...

* * *

"By the way, did you hear?" said the Hufflepuff girl seated at the table behind Cho. "Someone found out why Loony's so...well, 'loony'..."

Cho's ears picked up. Her eyes were still fixed on the book on the table before her, though her attention had quickly shifted to the conversation behind her. There was a momentary pause that made Cho think the girls had left, though the true reason quickly became evident when she saw Madam Pince drift by as quietly as a House ghost while observing the students severely.

The conversation resumed once she'd returned behind the counter, though it was at a much lower pitch.

"I heard about that! Laura told me all about it this morning," a different voice affirmed in little more than a whisper. "It does explain a lot, doesn't it?

"Definitely," the first voice replied. "I knew there had to be a reason for her living in her bubble world like that, but I'd never figured..."

"Yeah," the second voice agreed. "Poor thing."

"Think they're going to investigate?" the first voice asked. "Now that it's out in the open and all?"

"Well, I think they'll have to, won't they?" the second replied quietly. "I mean, if this ever got out into the Prophet or something and they did nothing - "

Cho snapped her book shut and quickly threw her parchment and quill into her bag. Something was going on, and she wagered it wasn't likely virtuous by the sounds of it. Maybe Marietta or Lisa had heard something, she thought.

She drew up from the table and left the library, judging that her friends would likely be outside at this time, in preparation for their Care of Magical Creatures class that afternoon.

She made her way down to the main hall, stopping at a gathering of fifth year Gryffindors congregated around the notice board within a stone's throw from the courtyard. Ginny Weasley was at the rear, standing on tiptoes trying to see the latest edition of Colin Creevy's school newsletter over the heads of her housemates. They were all quite silent; something in their demeanour made Cho uneasy.

"What is it?" Ginny was saying, straining to see over the heads of her companions. "Come on, somebody crouch or something, let me see!"

But no one seemed to be paying any heed, their attention strangely fixed on the notice board. Cho took a step closer and strained to see, but being hardly taller than Ginny she had no better success.

"Oh...come on, get out of the way," snapped Ginny at last, losing patience as she squeezed herself through the small grouping, coming to stand before the board. None of the students had uttered even the feeblest protest at having been so abruptly jostled.

"What's all the fuss?" asked Ginny. "Oh, big deal. We all know the score, the game was just a couple of days ago - what, oh this? Oh okay, let me..."

There was a prolonged silence as a few of the Gryffindors who had finished reading turned away, their expressions serious and stunned. Had someone died?? Cho wondered.

There followed a sudden gasp as Ginny suddenly reached up and violently snatched the newsletter from the board.

"Hey!" exclaimed one of the Gryffindors. "I wasn't done with that - "

But Ginny ignored his protestation, staring at the paper and shaking her head. "No...oh no..."

Cho took another step closer. "Ginny? What is it? What's going on?"

The young Gryffindor spun around, her eyes wide as saucers.

"Where's Luna?" asked Ginny, looking to be in a state of near panic. "Tell me, Cho, hurry!"

"I don't know!" replied the Ravenclaw, her apprehension growing by the second. "Why, what's happened?"

"I saw her heading down by the lake just before lunch," said a brown-haired Gryffindor whose name escaped Cho at the moment. "She might still - "

Ginny didn't wait a second longer, bolting for the courtyard as Cho dropped her books to the floor and sped off after her.

"Ginny, wait!"

The young Gryffindor was fleet of foot, forcing Cho to sprint as fast as she could to keep up as they ran through the courtyard, eliciting several curious stares, then down the grassy hill past Hagrid's hut. Cho called after Ginny several times, though this had generated no response from the red-haired girl. At least, none that Cho could understand.

"...can't...believe...this..." said Ginny breathlessly, seemingly to herself, as they ran down along the meandering path that followed the lakeshore.

"Can't...believe...what?? Wait up!!" yelled out Cho from behind.

A figure finally came into view at the forest's edge a short distance up the path. Cho was thankful; she was beginning to doubt she could maintain such a pace much longer.

"LUNA!" cried out Ginny as the waif-like Ravenclaw drew up from a patch of cattails up ahead and gazed curiously at their approach.

"Hello," said Luna when Cho and Ginny had finally reached her, both girls by now breathing hard. "Is everything all right? Or are you two racing? I'd say Ginny was the faster, but then I didn't see the start - "

Ginny thrust the newsletter into Luna's hands.

"Here," she said in between gasping breaths. "Tell me it isn't true, Luna. Please tell me...it isn't true!"

Ginny's voice held more than a trace of desperation. Cho's stomach tightened as she fought to bring her breathing down to a more manageable rate. What had happened??

Luna stared at Ginny for a moment before looking at the paper.

"Yes," she said dreamily after reading the headline. "As I recall, that was the final score, wasn't it? I wasn't able to watch the match, of course, but I heard about - "

Ginny shook her head. "No," she said quickly. "Below that. Oh Gods, Luna, tell me this isn't..."

Luna looked down at the paper once more, her large silver eyes scanning back and forth as she read along, Cho watching with ever growing concern as they grew wider with every passing line.

Cho's apprehension swelled as Luna suddenly let go of the paper as if holding so much hot coals. The partly torn parchment drifted lazily to the ground as Luna took a halting step backwards as though worried the paper might rear up and bite her.

Ginny took a step closer. "Luna?" she said in a choked voice. "It...it's not true, is it?"

The straggly-haired Ravenclaw slowly drew her gaze up to meet Ginny's. Her eyes, Cho could plainly see, were eerily wide and misty. It seemed to take several long moments for her to realize Ginny's question, to which she slowly shook her head, though this hardly seemed to satisfy the young Gryffindor. She reached for her friend.

Luna pulled away and took a sudden step back, running a pale and badly shaking hand back through her long straggly hair. Cho could see something was terribly wrong; Luna's eyes were glazing over and she was breathing rapidly through her mouth. The younger Ravenclaw was looking in every direction, as though desperately searching for something...or lost...

"Luna, if...if it isn't true we're going to get to the bottom of this," said Ginny earnestly, reaching once more for the young Ravenclaw. "Come on, let's go get - "

But Luna had taken another step back, ogling Ginny as if she were a two-headed dragon. Her breathing was becoming ragged. Cho took a step closer; the usually serene girl seemed to be on the verge of hysteria.

"Luna?" choked the Gryffindor, "Hey, it's me! It's Ginny!"

Luna swallowed hard and closed her eyes for several moments, balling her fists tightly at her sides. When she re-opened her eyes she seemed to reestablish an all too tenuous hold on her sanity, directing an unfathomable gaze at her friend.

"This - " she whispered hoarsely, pointing to the newsletter on the ground. " - is the worst lie...it's...it's...Ginny...please...you MUST BELIEVE ME!"

"I do," said Ginny raspily, her eyes reddening. "I believe you, Luna..."

Luna staggered backwards and turned around, taking several unsteady steps towards the lake before collapsing to her knees and burying her face in her now violently shaking hands. In an instant Ginny was on the ground at her side, wrapping her arms around Luna's trembling shoulders protectively.

Though Luna did not cry out, Cho could see that it was a losing battle. Ginny shut her eyes tightly as she drew Luna into her and held her close, whispering something that Cho couldn't hear from her vantage point, having been shocked into immobility by the sight before her.

Her eyes were stinging as she swallowed hard, glancing down at the paper a few feet away. She carefully picked it up and began to read.

Loony Lovegood - The Shocking Facts

Most of us will no doubt recall the strange events at Monday's dinner. While certainly causing a spectacle, Luna "Loony" Lovegood's apparent mental fluctuations have a root cause that was revealed to the Hogwarts Express by a highly credible source.

It is with considerable shock that this reporter has learned that, as it happens, Luna Lovegood's constant drifting in and out of reality all these years has stemmed not from any inbred condition, as some have previously thought, but rather from her suffering continuous and violent abuse at home. While these beatings (and perhaps worse, rumour has it) have inexplicably never been acted upon by the Ministry, the witnesses to these events serve to give pause to one's previously uninformed opinions of Luna Lovegood's odd behaviour. So as a lesson to be noted, the next time one witnesses someone acting strangely, please do remember there may well be mitigating circumstances behind such actions, odd though they may be.

It is unfortunate that such parental behaviour still exists, let alone tolerated, in this day and age. While the physical bruising may heal, the emotional scars - "

Cho let her hand drop limply to her side. She felt she was going to be sick...

She staggered over to where the two girls were weeping in each other's arms, falling limply to her knees and gently rubbing her hand in circles on Luna's back.

"I believe you...I believe you..." Ginny was whispering, her eyes shut and tears streaming down her face, one hand cradling the back of Luna's head in a desperate attempt to bring her comfort.

"It...this was really foul..." whispered Cho. Ginny's eyes flew open and glared at her.

"What's wrong with you people?" she cried angrily, her voice hoarse.

Cho shrank back. "It...it wasn't me...I didn't..."

But the glare Cho received in return spoke volumes. As far as Ginny was concerned, it was obvious, Cho was just as guilty as those who had perpetrated the insidious act.

Cho knew immediately what to do. "I...I'll make this right..."

She drew up, her legs feeling strangely weak, her arms feeling like dead weights. Her inaction had allowed things to reach this point, she knew with sickening realization.

She looked back at the spires of the Castle up on the hill, looking at one window in particular, up on the second floor near Gryffindor tower.

"Colin Creevyyyyy!"

She marched off, drawing her wand from her robes and clutching it so tightly her knuckles were white. Consequences be damned, she thought. She couldn't let this go on, no matter what.

She stormed through the courtyard, ignoring the muffled, disembodied questions from her friends and the stunned gazes of the onlookers. All that mattered now was setting things right. Colin would retract that story immediately or face her wrath. She might get in serious trouble, perhaps even expelled, but a line had been drawn. A line, which she realized painfully, which should have been drawn long, long ago...

She marched up the main staircase to the second floor, heading down the hall to the small room that served as Colin's office from which he wrote and published the school newsletter. Usually closed, she was surprised to find it half open.

Regardless, she marched in forthwith, in no mood for social niceties.

She was fully prepared to scream at the offending Gryffindor at the top of her lungs, so the sight which greeted her upon entering threw her completely off balance. Not only was Colin not present, but the small room was a shambles. There was an large charred area on the wall just opposite the door, the desk was upended and leaning in a corner, upside down and with two of its legs snapped off. Papers were strewn throughout the small room, and the small magical printing press along the side wall appeared to have been partly melted. Cho looked around. There were several other scorch marks on the side walls and the floor. What had taken place here??

Just then she heard the sounds of running footsteps approach from the hall. She whirled around just as someone burst into the room. Her breathing suddenly ceased.

Harry stood frozen in the doorway, looking at her with raging green eyes.

No one spoke. Cho's lower lip trembled.

Finally Harry lowered his wand. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a very strained voice.

Cho swallowed with difficulty. "I...I was l-looking for - "

Harry's eyes suddenly widened. "You're behind this," he whispered ominously, "aren't you??"

"No!" cried Cho, her voice trembling. "N-no, Harry, I was just - "

But the sight of his pained face made her voice falter. He slowly shook his head, raising his other hand and pointing a trembling finger at her.

"If you ever do anything else to Luna," he warned hoarsely, "so help me..."

"B-but - Harry!!" Cho took a desperate step forward.

But he was gone.