"Fifth Year"

                              ••••••••••

There are moments when I wish that I didn't have certain classes without my friends, and this was one of them. I was walking back from DADA, when I heard a high pitched voice shout at me.

"Hey, Salamander!"

I stopped in my tracks and let out a frustrated sigh. Turning towards the group of Slytherins that were cackling like idiots.

"Yes, Bellatrix?" I asked with a huff, knowing that whatever was about to happen would not be good.

"What's it like being related to a bunch of lunatics?" The Lestrange girl cackled, making me roll my green eyes.

"I don't know, Bellatrix. Why don't you tell me? I do believe that Sirius and Nymphadora are the only sane ones in your family." I shot back with a smirk.

"She's just as stark raving mad as her father!" Narcissa screeched, shooting me a glare as she tried to calm down her seething sister.

"Why you mudblood loving half-wit!" The wild haired brunette shrieked, whipping out her wand. "Alarte Ascendare!"

"Protego!" I exclaimed, but I was too slow. I felt myself being thrown through the air, my head hitting the ceiling.

As I hit the ground again, my grip on my wand loosened and it rolled off on the other side of the hall.

I heard the Slytherins cackling as Bellatrix cast the spell again, launching me up to the ceiling again. I was beginning to get light headed due to the repeated blows to the head.

"What in the name of Godric Gryffindor is going on here?!" I faintly heard Professor McGonagall shout. "Put Miss Scamander down this instant!"

I was then heavily dropped back on the ground, causing me to land painfully on my side. Tears streamed down my cheeks, as I felt a warm liquid run down the side of my face and out of my nose.

Due to the level of pain in my arm and ankle, I could tell that they were both broken. My newly split lip stung like hell and it definitely didn't help when I let out a cry of pain as I failed to get up.

"The five of you will report to Dumbledore immediately and I will be speaking to Professor Slughorn about this!" The Scottish woman snapped as she began to help me stand. "Are you alright, dear?"

I slowly nodded, the motion causing me to wince due to the pain in my head. I almost collapsed as I tried to put pressure on my bad ankle.

"Norie!"

"Nora!"

"Lenora!" I looked up from the ground to see James, Sirius, and Remus running towards us. I tried to give them a reassuring smile to prove that I was fine, but it just came out as a wince.

"What the bloody hell happened?!" James asked with wide eyes.

"I'll tell you lot later, but can one of you grab my wand? It fell somewhere over there." I asked, nodding my head in the direction of my wand.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, I need your assistance with taking Miss Scamander to the Hospital Wing." McGonagall told the boys, receiving quick nods from my concerned friends.

James and Sirius carefully picked me up in a cradling position, and began to carry me down the stairs to the first floor. I saw Remus grab my wand from the ground and quickly catch up to us.

"It was those Slytherins, wasn't it? Bellatrix and her group of spineless idiots?" Sirius asked with a locked jaw at the very mention of his cousin. I didn't say anything, but apparently my silence was answer enough for the boys.

"I'm gonna kill each and every one of those good for nothing bastards!" James snapped angrily. "I swear on my life, Norie, that they'll never hurt you again."

"I may just let you, Mr. Potter." McGonagall grumbled, her Scottish accent getting thicker.

When we arrived at the Hospital Wing, McGonagall held the door open as the boys carried me in. Madam Pomfrey began to fuss and urgently shout at the boys. "Put her over here! Be gentle with her, Mr. Black! She is not a sack of potatoes, Mr. Potter!"

Once I was placed down on one of the beds, Madam Pomfrey gave me Pumpkin Juice and some herbs. She shooed the boys out of the Hospital Wing, telling them that I needed rest.

_*~•~*_*~•~*_*~•~*_*~•~*_

By the next morning my bones were all healed up, along with the cuts on my head and the mild concussion that I'd received. All that was left to heal was my busted bottom lip and a few bruises.

Despite my quick recovery, Madam Pomfrey insisted that I say in bed and rest for the continuation of the day. She did not appreciate the eye roll that I'd replied to her request with, thus proceeding with her muttering to herself about 'not being afraid to hit an injured person'.

After the day's classes had ended, all four of the boys and Michael came to visit me. Remus greeted me with a warm smile, chocolate and the homework that I'd missed. James and Sirius greeted me with goofy grins and tales of the day's pranks. Peter greeted me a shy smile and a simple 'I'm glad you're okay'. Michael greeted me with a big hug and tales about his day.

They all surrounded me with warm smiles and endearing jokes about 'welcoming me back to the land of the living'.

Michael lay next to me, curled up in a ball with his head on my shoulder and my arm around his small frame. Sirius sat at the foot of the bed with his legs crossed under him as he played with my blanket covered feet. Remus stood to the left of Sirius, his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

Peter sat in a chair to the far right of Sirius, being quiet as ever. James sat in a chair directly to my right, cracking jokes and doodling on my hand with the muggle ballpoint pen that I'd gotten him during the summer.

I looked around at the people that I cared about most in the world and just smiled. Only one single thought passed through my head at that moment.

God, I love these idiots.