Chapter Text
Gwen woke up to see light flashing through the sky out of the window, followed by a loud clap of thunder. The first night back at Hogwarts was always the hardest to sleep through. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, almost hoping to fall asleep again, but her eyes opened just as quickly as they had shut.
Gwen threw her covers away and sat up in bed, smoothing her nightgown. The rain and the thunder soothed her thoughts. Memories of her dead parents came and passed in confusing blurs, but the one thing that always remained was the knowledge that they had loved her.
She had grown closer and closer to Harry over the past few years because she was also an orphan. They found comfort in each other, knowing they experienced many of the same things. Gwen wondered if Harry was awake now, thinking of his parents, possibly.
Gwen looked over at her roommates, all sleeping soundly while she was a prisoner to insomnia. The clock showed 3 AM. She couldn't take just sitting any longer and she crept downstairs to the Gryffindor Common Room, stealing a good book from Hermione's dresser along the way.
Gwen was unsurprised to see Harry there, his black hair more messed up than usual and his glasses-covered green eyes bloodshot from staying awake too long. He smiled at Gwen softly, and she sat down on the floor next to him.
"Perfect way to start fifth year isn't it." Harry chuckled, "Thinking about Cedrick."
"Come on, Harry. You know perfectly well that it wasn't your fault." Gwen clutched Hermione's book a little tighter to her chest. "I understand it's hard, but you have to somehow forgive yourself."
Harry twirled a strand of Gwen's hair between his fingers.
"I know. But I still see him every time I close my eyes."
"Then try not closing your eyes first to try to sleep? I sometimes just stare and stare for as long as possible, so that when my eyes are ready to close, I fall right to sleep." Gwen rambled.
"Did you hear?" Harry asked, changing the subject, not really wanting an answer. "A dementor attacked me while I was still staying with the Dursleys. Of course, I had to make a Patronus, I wasn't going to just let me and Dudley die. But the Ministry still tried me at court for using magic while underage. They had me sit there in this chair, staring at me intimidatingly while they questioned me. Gwen, I was scared to death."
Harry's lip quivered slightly, threatening to shake.
"No, I didn't" Gwen answered quietly, resting her head on Harry's shoulder. He stopped twirling her hair and put his arm around her. "That's stupid and terrible. Awful ministry folks."
"They won't believe that Voldemort is back either, the stupid gits."
"Bitches, all of them."
"Yeah," Harry sighed.
"I just can't get my parents out of my head, Harry." Gwen finally said, breaking a long silence as she made intense eye contact with the fire in the fireplace.
"You know the fire wasn't your fault, it was a spell from an ex-death eater......"
"But I should have told someone sooner. I keep thinking that if I had called for help instead of running, I could have saved them."
"Gwen, you were what, four. Shock gets the best of adults, let alone young children." Harry squeezed Gwen reassuringly. "I know that feeling of guilt and thinking you could've done something different all too well. I know how hard it is to not blame yourself, and I know you always will, but please know they didn't die because of you. They died because of Voldemort's death eaters."
"And he's back now." Gwen's eyes stang and she couldn't hold back the tears that unexpectedly escaped.
Harry lifted her chin and wiped away her tears tenderly.
"I promise you, Gwen, he's not staying, and this time I'm going to kill him for good."
Harry wrapped Gwen in a hug. She quit crying and embraced Harry back.
The sound of rain calmed both and they felt safe and secure in each other's arms.
"Harry," Gwen's voice quietly pleaded. "braid my hair."
The statement was neither question nor command, and Harry's hands entangled Gwen's long black hair, softly weaving a pattern that was familiar, and provided solace. Although Gwen didn't have a hair tie or anything, she felt the tranquility settle between them as this ritual, almost, of braiding her hair captured both of their focus, causing them to forget their troubles for the time being.
Harry dropped the long braid as he finished. It slowly unraveled as Gwen turned back around to face Harry, still holding her book.
"Do you think you can sleep now?" Harry asked, brushing aside a stray hair that fell in front of Gwen's face.
"Maybe," Gwen replied, straightening Harry's glasses with one hand. "but do you think you can sleep now?"
Harry smiled, and stood up, then held out his hand to Gwen. She took it and stood up as well.
"Goodnight Lewis,"
"Goodnight Potter."
Gwen headed back to her dorm, careful not to wake anyone. She placed Hermione's book back where she found it, smiling that she didn't need to read it to get to sleep. She crawled in bed and replaced her covers over herself without a sound. Gwen easily fell asleep before her head touched the pillow.
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"Gwen," Hermione shook her awake softly. "Gwen, wake up. Breakfast is in ten minutes."
A groggy Gwen half processed Hermione's words but still got up to get ready.
They walked quickly to the great hall together, as Harry and Ron had already gone.
Gwen yawned during Dumbledore's announcements. She was still tired and wished she could have been able to sleep through the night.
Gwen smiled at Ron and Hermione arguing and looked at Harry. He laughed with her at the sight of Ron and Hermione, who were obviously in love. Gwen was glad to be back at Hogwarts with her friends and back in the Wizarding world.
She lived with her muggle Aunt and Uncle who had no children. They weren't at all as bad as Harry's aunt and uncle, but they were distant as they both worked full-time jobs and hardly tried to tune in to Gwen, and didn't seem to truly care about her life. They sometimes forgot her birthday even.
Gwen didn't mind though because she didn't truly see anything special with her birthday. It was the day before Halloween. Of course, Ron, Hermione, and Harry always remembered, even if her Aunt and Uncle forgot.
They didn't ever write to her while she was at Hogwarts either, which she knew was not something to fuss about as Owl post might be confusing to them, but still, Gwen wished for a letter from family while she was away from home.
Breakfast passed quicker than Gwen would have liked and soon it was time for the first class of the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins. Gwen despised the Slytherins, but especially one group of Slytherins. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, and Parkinson. All of them were best friends, except for Malfoy's pet girlfriend, Parkinson who doted on him like a dog. And Gwen hated them all from the bottom of her soul.
She sat down next to Hermione in class, behind Ron and Harry, and tied her hair up in a low messy bun.
"Oi, Lewis," Malfoy smirked. "What do you need to tie your hair up for?"
Gwen's face burned red and she could feel Hermione's anger radiating.
"Shut up, will you Malfoy?" Gwen spat. "Or I'll bust that nose clean off of your pretty face."
"Ooo, looks like the tiny blood traitor thinks she can give me a beating." Malfoy laughed.
Gwen was only a bit shorter than Hermione, however, this meant she was more than a head shorter than Malfoy. Although she was short, she was strong.
"She bloody well could beat you up Malfoy," Harry growled as he stood up.
"Alright then, a duel." A flicker of fear passed over Malfoy's eyes so quickly Gwen thought she only imagined it. "At 11 in the dungeons."
"It's settled then. "Gwen motioned for Harry to sit back down as the new DADA teacher arrived.
The new teacher looked like a toad and wore pink. Her voice was so high, Gwen thought that it might shatter the windows.
Umbridge went on about "The lies" that Dumbledore said that Voldemort was back. Gwen fumed as she knew what He Who Must Not Be Named had done, and tried to do to Harry. A dead wizard couldn't have killed Cedric either.
Harry told Umbridge that Voldemort was back, and Gwen patted his pack, smiling at him proudly when he turned around to look at her. He was always brave about random things, but that was what made him Harry. Gwen was glad to have friends who stood up for what was right.
However, Umbridge did not appreciate Harry standing up for the truth and he got a detention. Ron and Harry turned to grumble to each other about Umbridge.
Gwen looked back up at the front of the classroom to see Umbridge smiling sweetly.
She knew from then on that Umbridge was pure evil. Nothing could convince her otherwise.
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Gwen bent down to tie her shoes a little tighter. "Harry, is your detention tonight?"
"No. It's tomorrow," he replied.
It was only 9 o clock, but Gwen was preparing herself, doing pushups and reciting spells that would pack a punch, but not too illegal of a punch.
"Gwen," Hermione slapped her book down, looking at the sweating figure of Gwen. "You really are going to waste all of your energy before the duel if you keep that up."
"Lay it off Hermione, let her do what she wants," Ron grumbled.
"Also, maybe Draco won't come again this time. In first year he challenged Harry to a duel but didn't show up, however, Filch did because Malfoy tipped him off that we'd be there." Hermione stated.
"I remember hearing about that. I wasn't friends with you until second year really, wasn't I? If he doesn't show up this time then we'll find some way for him to get in trouble instead of us, and you can bet that I will for sure beat him up anyway." Gwen balled her fist. "He's not getting away this time."
At 10:55, Gwen, Harry, Hermione, and Ron made their way to the dungeons, and they arrived at 11 sharp. Draco was standing there, much to the relief of Gwen that he had not set them up.
"Looks like the ugly little blood traitor came after all." Malfoy drawled.
"She's not ugly." Harry seethed.
"Yes, she is. Especially since she looks like your twin. Tell me, Lewis, did you plan to be friends with someone who had the same color hair and eye color as you?" Malfoy demanded
Gwen looked at Harry for a second. Yes, their hair and eye color matched but everything else about them was different. Harry was much taller and lankier, his muscles hardly showed through his baggy robes. Whereas you could see some muscle on Gwen's bones through her robes, and she was much shorter than Harry.
"Just shut up Malfoy and start the duel already! Gwen's more beautiful than your girlfriend and you know it quite well." Hermione yelled.
"Alright, then I'm Draco's second, who is your second Gwen?" Zabini lazily looked at Gwen.
"Harry will second me," Gwen stated.
"Alright then, shake hands." Ron directed.
Gwen walked to the center of the room and shook Draco's hand coldly.
"Now, bow."
They bowed.
"Begin."
Gwen and Draco circled each other slowly, searching the other for any sign of surprise attack.
"Expelliarmus!" Gwen suddenly shouted, pointing her wand at Draco, who was immediately disarmed.
Gwen grabbed Draco by the neck of his robes as he reached for his wand. "No, you don't."
She punched him in the eye, causing Malfoy to cry out in pain.
He flailed his arms trying to get her hand off of his robes, but Gwen pushed Draco onto the ground and pinned him there. "This is for harassing me." She slapped him, hard. "And this is for every time you've called Hermione a mudblood." She slapped him again, and Draco bit his lip in order to not cry out.
"Look who's weak now, Malfoy." Gwen punched him in the jaw.
Draco tried to move his arms to get up, but Gwen dug her knees into his wrists as she sat on top of him.
"And this is for every time you have messed with anyone here at Hogwarts." Gwen gritted her teeth in anger and grabbed Draco's throat. She squeezed hard, choking him.
Draco gasped and searched for any air to breathe, but Gwen clamped down harder and slapped Draco again with her other hand.
In her focus on choking Draco, Gwen had let up on Draco's wrists and he took advantage of that to punch Gwen in the nose. Surprised, she took her hand off of Draco's throat, which gave him enough time to punch Gwen again in the nose, harder. Gwen felt a sickening crack, and stood up, feeling blood gush from her nose.
Draco hurriedly stood up and punched Gwen again, this time in the jaw. She backed up, but her back hit the wall. Draco grabbed her throat and lifted her up slightly, pressing Gwen against the wall harshly. She clawed at her throat but it was no use.
"Here's a taste of your own medicine," Draco whispered into Gwen's ear, and a drop of blood dripped on Gwen's neck, causing her to wake up to the situation, and kick Malfoy in the gut.
Winded, Draco stepped back and let go of Gwen giving her enough time to catch her breath.
Suddenly Goyle tossed Draco's wand to him.
Time seemed to freeze as Draco pointed the wand at Gwen. Draco wanted her to hurt.
"CRUCIO!" He yelled.
Pain erupted inside of her and Gwen screamed.
It felt like an eternity, and she clawed at her chest, her throat, her hair as her nerves overloaded unpleasantly. Gwen fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
Fuck you Malfoy Gwen thought, unable to do anything but writhe and scream. Angry voices circulated around the room, and spells were exchanged, but Gwen didn't know truly what went on as her brain was fully focused on the worst pain she had ever felt.
"Stupefy!" Gwen heard Harry shout.
And the pain stopped.
Gwen wiped her nose, as it was still gushing blood. She tried to stand up shakily, but everything went black as she collapsed to the ground.