Neville laughed gleefully.“What did you do with the dragon?”
“Released it into the wild,” said Ron. “Hermione was all for keeping it as a pet“
“Don’t exaggerate, Ron –“
“But what have you been doing? People have been saying you’ve just been on the
run, Harry, but I don’t think so. I think you’ve been up to something.”
“You’re right,” said Harry, “but tell us about Hogwarts, Neville, we haven’t heard
anything.”
“It’s been …. Well, it’s not really like Hogwarts anymore,” said Neville, the smile
fading from his face as he spoke. “Do you know about the Carrows?”
“Those two Death Eaters who teach here?”
“They do more than teach,” said Neville. “They’re in charge of all discipline.
They like punishment, the Carrows.”
“Like Umbridge?”
“Nah, they make her look tame. The other teachers are all supposed to refer us to
the Carrows if we do anything wrong. They don’t, though, if they can avoid it. You can
tell they all hate them as much as we do.”
“Amycus, the bloke, he teaches what used to be Defense Against the Dark Arts,
except now it’s just the Dark Arts. We’re supposed to practice the Cruciatus Curse on
people who’ve earned detentions – “
“What?”
Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s united voices echoed up and down the passage.
“Yeah,” said Neville. “That’s how I got this one,” he pointed at a particularly
deep gash in his cheek, “I refused to do it. Some people are into it, though; Crabbe and
Goyle love it. First time they’ve ever been top in anything, I expect.”
“Alecto, Amycus’s sister, teaches Muggle Studies, which is compulsory for
everyone. We’ve all got to listen to her explain how Muggles are like animals, stupid and
Dirty, and how they drive wizards into hiding by being vicious toward them, and how the
natural order is being reestablished. I got this one,” he indicated another slash to his face,
“for asking her how much Muggle blood she and her brother have got.”
“Blimey, Neville,” said Ron, “there’s a time and a place for getting a smart
mouth.”
“You didn’t see her,” said Neville. “You wouldn’t have stood it either. The thing
Is, it helps when people stand up to them, it gives everyone hope. I used to notice that
when you did it, Harry.”
“But they’ve used you as a knife sharpener,” said Ron, winding slightly as they
passed a lamp and Neville’s injuries were thrown into even greater relief.
Neville shrugged.
“Doesn’t matter. They don’t want to spill too much pure blood, so they’ll torture
us a bit if we’re mouthy but they won’t actually kill us.”
Harry did not know what was worse, the things that Neville was saying or the
Matter-of-fact tone in which he said them.
“The only people in real danger are the ones whose friends and relatives on the
Outside are giving trouble. They get taken hostage. Old Xeno Lovegood was getting a bit
Too outspoken in The Quibbler, so they dragged Luna off the train on the way back for
Christmas.”
“Neville, she’s all right, we’ve seen her –“
“Yeah, I know, she managed to get a message to me.”
From his pocket he pulled a golden coin, and Harry recognized it as one of the
fake Galleons that Dumbledore’s Army had used to send one another messages.
“These have been great,” said Neville, beaming at Hermione. “The Carrows never
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