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"Crucio!"
He did not miss the warble in the caster's voice. He wanted to think, they are still boys. Both of them. On either side of the wand.
But the Dark Lord cared not. The war cared not.
The boy on the ground writhed and wheezed, but gave no one the satisfaction of so much as a whimper.
He forced himself to watch - one session every day, as a reminder of what exactly he was fighting for.
"Weakling! You are a shame to our name! Crucio!"
The former caster was himself now twitching under the force of the Unforgivable.
"This is how it should be done. This is the Dark Lord's wish. Have you learned your lesson?"
The high, nasal voice drowned out the boy's whimpers, holding the curse.
"Y-yes, ma'am."
A moment later, the curse was lifted. "Dismissed."
The student stumbled out of the open classroom, clawing at the green-and-silver tie around his neck.
"Now, to you. Be grateful the Headmaster believes you somewhat rectifiable, or I would have held you under the curse until you are nothing but a useless pile of flesh - just like your parents," was added gleefully.
She was met with stoic silence.
"Now, get your mudblood-loving face out of my sight."
And yet, he could see the little beads of sweat on her twisted face.
"Yes, ma'am."
He watched this student turn before she could hear the trace of mockery in his voice; this student walked by stiffly, letting none of his pain show, his lips tightened into one bloodied line, his fists clenched at his sides, much as he himself had after the more extended sessions with the Dark Lord.
Another student with the same red-and-gold tie met the boy a few corridors down. "Look at you," she hissed. "This can't go on!"
"Shh!"
"We can't stay here or we'll be dead in no time!"
"What do you suggest we do? All the passages we know of are blocked and probably warded. Who knows what traps Snape and the Carrows have laid there!"
Clever boy.
"We have to do some-"
"Not here! They will overhear us!" the boy hissed back urgently.
"And you think they wouldn't hear us in Gryffindor Tower too?"
A pause, then, "I think… The DA's room. I will have to check that out."
He could hear the girl acquiesce before he slipped back to his office.
Later that night, he felt a shift in Hogwarts' wards. The sanctuary has been opened again. It had been his sanctuary, too, a long time ago, when he had been a student himself, and a few other times over the course of the years. It had provided many things - even food from Hogwarts' kitchens brought by the house elves. He would have allowed them to continue to do so if that would not risk them blabbing his allegiance to any of the other inhabitants of the castle.
But still, if the students were to hide, they needed some source of nutrition. There was no place inside of Hogwarts that would grant them this, should they choose to disappear.
The next village, then. Hogsmeade.
Honeydukes and Madam Puddifoot's were out of commission, as was the Three Broomsticks. But - The Hog's Head could be feasible. Its owner was Aberforth Dumbledore, who, while not devotedly loyal to his brother or to the Order for that matter, was firmly against the Dark Lord.
The students would both receive sustenance and have a secret escape route towards friendlier territory from there, one the Carrows were not aware of. Such a connection would be… highly beneficial. And if Aberforth Dumbledore received an anonymous donation in the old Headmaster's name, who would know?
Yes, this could work if Hogwarts allowed it.
Mistress Hogwarts, please open a secret passage from the sanctuary towards the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade if any students should request nourishment there.