「 CRUMPLED HORNS AND CURSES 」

ONE WEEKEND, THEO FOUND HIMSELF perched upon a windowsill in one of the second-floor corridors, opposite Luna who as usual stared with a sort of distant look in her pale silver eyes, out at the cool early morning of late October, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Theo wondered how one could be so indifferent to what was happening around them, especially during a time like this, when Hogwarts wasn't really what it used to be. Didn't she care? Or was this simply a method she employed to keep what she was feeling at bay?

He rummaged through his bag until his fingers caught the edition of the Quibbler that Luna had given him a few days prior. He glanced at the odd cover briefly before placing it upon the space between them.

"Thanks for letting me read that," he muttered. He felt awkward for reasons he couldn't understand, though he guessed it was probably because Luna acted like he wasn't sitting right in front of her. "It was ... an interesting read."

"You can have it." She smiled and slid the magazine back toward him. "I've finished reading that already."

Surprised, he thanked her and put it back in his bag.

Another awkward silence ensued. Theo wasn't exactly sure of what to speak about with her. He couldn't say that they were friends – really, they haven't even spoken much except for the last two times. He wondered why he had decided to meet up with her in the first place.

Maybe because he needed someone to distract him from the war that was slowly creeping its way toward them.

"You know, Theo," Luna flitted her eyes over to him. He couldn't say he wasn't surprised – this was the first time she spoke first. "You're the first Slytherin to ever speak to me properly."

"Oh." He rubbed the nape of his neck.

It wasn't news to him. Most of Slytherin house consisted of close-minded people who would rather drown themselves into the depths of the Black Lake than associate with someone who was remotely different from them. He wasn't proud to admit it, but he used to be one of them in the past.

And a part of him probably still was.

He cleared his throat and pushed the invasive thoughts into the back of his mind. "So, I read about this other creature. In the Quibbler." Luna nodded, showing that she was listening. "It's called a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, I think. What does it look like? They didn't show any pictures of it."

She shook her head, giving him a smile. "They wouldn't show any pictures, though, would they? No one knows what Crumple-Horned Snorkacks look like. No one has seen them. We only know about them from the evidence they leave behind, like footprints."

Theo thought for a moment. "But if they don't know what the creature looks like, why would they name it like that? How would they know that they have crumpled horns?"

Luna smiled and gave him a knowing look. "You really don't believe that it exists, do you?"

He blushed, considered lying, but then decided against it. He shrugged. "Not really, to be completely honest."

"It's okay. At least you're not being rude about it."

He watched her for a moment, completely amazed by her strong faith in the existence of those creatures. Maybe he didn't believe that such things as Nargles existed in this world, Nargles that could simply be warded off by a couple of mini butterbeer corks, Nargles that loved to hide in mistletoes and possibly spring out at unsuspecting couples kissing underneath it, Nargles whose only sign of existence lay in a magazine that was the laughingstock of the wizarding world. Maybe he was just sceptical, and maybe Luna was just a girl who loved to have faith, who loved to believe, because perhaps a belief in something special, something to discover one day was what kept her motivated to live through each day without questioning her existence.

Theo was certainly beginning to envy her very much.

"So is that what you wish to do after Hogwarts?" he asked her, shaking off his thoughts. "Look for Nargles?"

She nodded. "My father loved travelling. He took me and my mum to many different places, mostly to see native creatures. Egypt, Greenland, Vietnam, Belgium. He stopped though, after my Mum died."

Theo blinked at her, surprised at the new information. He hadn't imagined he would find something in common with her. "I'm sorry," he muttered awkwardly. He wasn't really good with emotions. "How did she –" The question was left trailing.

"A spell backfired on her," she answered simply.

"My Mum died too," he said after a while. "It was a long time ago – she died right after my birth. I didn't really know her."

"So you were raised by your father?"

Theo fidgeted uncomfortably. Surely, it wasn't news to Luna that his father was a Death Eater? How could she speak so calmly about him when she should turn her head in disgust, like anyone else would?

But then again, she wasn't like anyone else.

"Yes," he breathed.

Through the window, he saw the sun peeking out from beyond the dark waters of the Black Lake, spreading its orange glow over the rippling water. He tried to remember what classes he had today. Defence Against the Dark Arts – now shortened to simply Dark Arts – in the first period. Great. Just what he needed early in the morning.

Luna slid down from her seat and fixed her skirt. She offered him a smile – one of those smiles that lured him into a false sense of security about the conditions inside the castle. He wondered how she managed it, every single day. "I'd better be off now. Breakfast is about to start."

He simply nodded. Luna waved him goodbye and left for the Great Hall but he remained seated there for a little while, waited until the corridors were moderately filled up with passing students, and quietly slipped into the crowd. He followed them and entered the Hall, heading straight for the Slytherin table where he joined Blaise and Corben.

Corben greeted him cheerfully – a trait that suddenly looked far too similar to Luna's. Theo stared at him for a moment, before he noticed that he was under Blaise's scrutinising frown.

"What?" Theo asked, perhaps a little to sharply than he had intended. Blaise didn't answer. At least not right away.

"You keep disappearing," He responded such a long time later that it took him a while to realise that Blaise was speaking to him.

"Do I?" He decided to play dumb, though he wasn't really sure how long he would be able to fool him. He wasn't the type of person who could be fooled easily. Of all the time he spent not talking, he simply observed.

Blaise didn't say anything else for the rest of breakfast. The bell rang soon, calling the students to abandon their food and head for their classes. There was a simultaneous shuffle as everyone stood up and began to make their way out. They parted ways with Corben and headed toward the dungeons, where Amycus would deliver his Dark Arts class.

"You seem to be quite close with Loony Lovegood."

Blaise's monotonous voice came so suddenly that Theo nearly jumped. He flitted his eyes around to check if anyone has heard him, but there were only a few students and they were far too busy with themselves to eavesdrop on them. What should he tell Blaise? He had spoken with quite a flat tone, but Theo has spent enough time with him to identify the hint of disapproval that edged his voice.

"Do I?" he repeated the phrase from earlier.

He could almost feel the eye roll smacking him on the face.

"I'm not a fool, Theo," he whispered harshly. "What are you thinking, befriending nutcases like her? Your father is ashamed of you enough as it is –"

"She's not my friend," he snapped, cutting off his words. He didn't need any reminder of the dreadful disappointment that he was.

Blaise didn't seem convinced. Theo braced himself for a possible argument that was about to occur, but they arrived at the Dark Arts classroom and a hush fell around them. Amycus, who stood at the door, smiled at his students.

Slowly, they filed into the class one by one. Theo quietly took a seat at the back, before he was joined by Blaise. They would be sharing their class with the Gryffindors, of whom half were missing.

Amycus gave them what was supposed to be a gracious smile, but it nearly chilled Theo's insides. Nausea spread through him and he felt that he might throw up any moment.

"Today we will learn a new curse," Amycus began. His eyes shone with sadistic pleasure and he twirled his wand between his bony fingers. "The Cruciatus Curse is one of the Unforgivable Curses meant to inflict pain upon the victim without leaving any scars." He ran his eyes over the students, all of whom remained frozen in place. He spoke slowly and deliberately, as though to make sure each of the words he spoke would be carved deep into their minds. "It comes in handy when trying to force secrets out of said victim, or to punish them, or," he smiled and shot a meaningful look at them, "just for mindful pleasure."

Theo dropped his eyes to his book that lay flat on the tabletop, feeling his nausea growing. Amycus continued to speak, but the words flew over his head.

Blaise placed something in front of him, and he realised it was a scrap of parchment. Peeking a glance at the Professor to ensure he wasn't looking, Theo opened it.

Are you okay? You look pale.

I'm fine, he scrawled the two words hastily beneath and shoved the paper at him. Blaise didn't question him further.

"However, the Cruciatus Curse is not for the weak," Amycus's voice carried over. "One would need immense willpower and strength in order to fully deliver the curse. They would need to want to hurt. Otherwise, it wouldn't even hurt a fly."

He looked around at the students in front of him, tapping his fingers over his desk. "Would Mr Zabini like to demonstrate the curse?"

Theo looked wide-eyed at Blaise as he calmly stood up and walked over to the front, standing a few feet away from Amycus.

"And Mr Longbottom."

Neville Longbottom joined them at the front amidst the horrified looks of his friends. He looked as calm as Blaise was, and Theo was momentarily reminded of the time when Draco had applied the leg-locker curse upon a stuttering Neville back in their first year, while the rest of them had laughed and mocked at him. He looked nothing like that Neville now.

Amycus moved them around until they were standing exactly face to face, a couple of feet away from each other. Blaise had his wand raised and pointed at him, but Longbottom kept his by his side although his eyes looked ferocious, chin high.

Amycus signalled for them to start, and Blaise instantly cried out the curse. Neville doubled over, clutching his body, and his wand dropped from his hand. He managed to stay on his feet for a couple more seconds before his knees broke away and he fell. A painful cry shook the air of the classroom, reverberating off the walls. Blaise continued to point the wand at the Gryffindor, as composed as ever.

It stopped suddenly. Blaise nodded at Amycus and returned to his seat, but Neville remained on the ground. Amycus stepped over him and neared the class.

"Now you have seen how effective the Cruciatus Curse is and," he gestured toward the boy writhing on the ground with a dismissive wave of his wand, "what happens to those who are too weak and cowardly to even raise their wands."

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