Later:

After classes were over, I suddenly received a summoning from Lotty. I found her with Julia by the Greenhouses. Lotty was looking serious, and Julia was looking frightened.

"What's happened?"I asked.

"They're doing another trial,"Lotty answered.

"What!?"I said,"who are they putting on trial this time?"

"Max,"Lotty answered.

"Max!"I said, shocked.

"It's true,"Julia said, in a shaky voice.

"But why?"I asked,"is it because of what happened at the last trial?"

Lotty nodded,"you were at the last trial, weren't you?"she said.

I nodded.

"They're saying he's a traitor,"said Julia,"they're accusing him of being ashamed of being Muggleborn and being a pureblood sympathiser."

"Pureblood sympathiser?"I said.

"Yeah,"Lotty said,"stupid, isn't it?"

"If they called him a pure-blood supremacist sympathiser it makes sense,"said Julia,"but Pureblood sympathiser doesn't make sense!"

"Do you know when they're planning on doing the trial?"I asked.

"I don't know,"said Lotty,"but I haven't been able to find Max, neither has Julia, we've looked everywhere for him."

"What can we do?"said Julia.

"We can go to the Courthouse,"I said,"but no! Let's get a teacher!"

"We don't know if they're doing the trial right now,"said Julia.

"Go ahead to the Courthouse and check it out,"I instructed,"if a trial is ongoing, or about to begin, summon me!"

I ran into the castle and looked around. I didn't find a teacher, one found me.

"Don't you dare run in the halls, Carrow!"Professor Park called after me.

I looked at my wand, which was glowing red with Lotty's summons.

"Professor, it's an emergency!"I said,"we need your help."

"Need my help with what?"Professor Park asked, impatiently.

"It's difficult to explain,"I said,"could you follow me?"

"This had better not be some prank, because if it is, you'll be in detention for an entire month!"Professor Park warned.

He followed me to the Courthouse. Lotty and Julia were waiting outside, they ran up to us.

"It's awful!"Julia said,"they've tied him to the stake, just like they did with Dominic!"

"Tied who to a what?"said Professor Park,"is this about those rumours I heard?"

"See for yourself,"I answered, in a grim voice.

Professor Park went through the entrance of the Courthouse.There was an instant hush. Max was tied to the stake, though the trial hadn't properly begun.

"What kind of Muggle nonsense is this?"said Professor Park, angrily,"what exactly is it you're doing to him? Burning him at the stake? For what? For being a wizard?"

"It's not what it looks like,"said Lauren Golding.

"It's a trial! They're putting him on trial!"said Lotty.

"What's the meaning of this, Warren?"Professor Park asked Silas.

"It's just a game!"Lauren insisted.

"Is it?"Professor Park asked Max,"IS this just a game?"

"No,"Max answered,"could you ask them to let me go, please, sir?"

"Let him go!"Professor Park ordered,"do you know what they were planning on doing with you, Castellanos?"

Before Max could say anything, there was a chorus of denial that spoke for itself.

"They did it to Dominic and Antonius too,"I explained.

"Is this true?"Professor Park asked Max.

"Yes, Sir, but I was also to blame for that,"Max answered.

"All of you return to the castle at once!"Professor Park ordered,"you four - you'll be coming with me. Oh, and you, Warren! The five of you - follow me!"

Silas looked furious.

We followed Professor Park to the Headmistress' Office. Professor Park was muttering the whole time, things like,"what is the world coming to?"and,"unbelievable!"

On the way there, we came across Professor Livia.

"Professor Livia,"Park said, in a stern tone,"you're Head of Gryffindor House, so I think it best you come with me. We have an important issue to investigate."

Professor Livia didn't say anything, but joined us as we went up to see the Headmistress.

"You wait outside for now,"Professor Park instructed us,"Professor Livia and I will speak to the Headmistress first."

"Speak to the Headmistress about what?"Professor Livia asked, as she followed Professor Park through the door.

We waited outside in an awkward silence for about five minutes. Max was called in. Another five minutes, then Julia was called in. Then Julia and Max came out and Silas was called in.

"This is it,"I thought,"they're finally going to do something about it."

Silas departed the Headmistress' Office fairly quickly. He cast a glance over at us, and sent Max a look of pure hatred before making his way quickly down the spiral staircase.

The door to the Headmistress' Office opened, and Professor Park looked at us with a bewildered expression.

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"Well, what are you doing out here?"he asked us.

I looked at him, confused. He departed. Then Professor Livia came out, gave us a very curious look, and went down the stairs.

"Who is there?"came the Headmistress' voice from inside her office.

"Just us?"I said.

"Well, all of you, come in!"barked Wells.

We all walked in.

"Let's see; Max Castellanos, Charlotte Carrow, Julia Brown and Catherine Carrow,"said the Headmistress, counting us,"what on earth were you all doing outside my office? Who gave you permission to be here?"

I looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?"said Lotty.

"Don't be rude, Miss Carrow!"Wells said, angrily,"could you please, kindly, tell me exactly what is going on?"

"Didn't Professor Park tell you?"I asked.

"He was just in here,"Wells said,"but he's completely forgotten what it was he wanted to tell me."

It was then I realised, in horror, what had happened. I don't know how he managed to do it, but Silas Warren had somehow successfully obliviated the Headmistress, Professor Park and Professor Livia all at the same time!

"I'm sorry, Headmistress,"I said,"I've forgotten what we came here for too. May we go?"

"Yes, be off with the lot of you!"Headmistress Wells answered,"I don't have time to be dealing with this kind of nonsense."

As we left, Lotty asked me why I hadn't tried to explain things to Wells. As soon as we reached a suitable place, away from the Headmistress' Office, I turned to the others.

"I know what happened,"I said.

"That was just - weird,"Max said,"one minute they were asking me about what happened, and seemed like they were going to do something about it, and then - all they needed was a few minutes with Silas and all of a sudden, they're completely ignoring us!"

"He obliviated their memories,"I said.

"Oh,"said Max.

"He can't have!"said Lotty,"all three of them? At the same time?"

"I'm such an idiot!"said Max, putting his head into his hands and sitting down onto a step.

"You know he can?"I asked Max.

"Yes,"Max answered,"I've seen him do it before. More than once."

"I've suspected he's done it to me,"I said.

"He has,"Max answered.

"Do you know any times he has?"I asked, feeling suddenly strange and incredibly uneasy.

Max drew in his breath, in a way that meant he was about to say something very difficult,"yes,"he said,"and you,"he said to Lotty.

"You KNEW and you didn't tell us!"said Lotty, angrily.

"I couldn't tell you at the time!"Max said,"afterwards, with all that happened in Antonius' trial, well, I didn't think of telling you. I wasn't just suddenly going to go up to you and go 'oh yeah, did you know Silas Warren has been obliviating your memories?'. I had no idea he was so good at it, though. I'd never had thought he'd be capable of obliviating three professors at the same time."

"What happened when he obliviated our memories!?"Lotty demanded.

"Has he obliviated any of mine?"Julia asked.

"Julia - I don't know; and you, Lotty and Cathy, can I call you Cathy?"

I nodded.

"Well, there's only two times I know of, and one was quite - horrible,"Max answered,"I'm very ashamed I didn't do more about it then."

"Horrible?"Lotty whispered, in horror.

"It was fairly recently,"Max said,"you and your sister somehow found a tunnel near Silas' base - a secret base he has. I can't remember where the tunnel is, or the base, it's like he's obliviated my memory of its location or something. I used to know where it was, but ever since I left the Muggleborn Rebellion, I haven't been able to remember where it is."

"The Muggleborn Rebellion?"I asked.

"It's what Silas calls his gang,"Lotty said.

"Another name for it is APS,"said Max,"Anti-Pureblood Supremacy. For us Muggleborns, it's mostly referred to as the Muggleborn Rebellion."

"What happened in the tunnel?"Lotty asked.

"Silas was furious when you two accidentally discovered his secret place,"Max explained,"he wanted to know how you knew about it, and he wanted to find out about anything other things you might know too. Cathy - he used the Cruciatus Curse on you."

"Maybe I'm glad I don't remember it then,"I said, feeling like I was starting to understand some things.

"I did tell him he shouldn't do that,"Max said,"but he sent me out. After that, I don't know what else happened. Silas got Kenneth to make sure that I left. I don't know what Silas did after that. All I know is that he was trying to get information out of you. Silas and I had a big argument after that happened. I don't know if I should have told you, it must be really disturbing."

"Well, we can't undo what happened,"I said,"I'm appreciate you telling me."

Lotty was looking horrified, so was Julia.

"I think we should go now,"Lotty suggested, quietly.

"Max - will you be alright?"I asked,"they'll be after you again - even more, after this."

"Don't you worry about me,"Max said,"I appreciate what you did for me today, but really, I was just as bad as them until recently. If they want revenge on me for my 'treason', and they punish me for it, it's nothing I don't deserve. Not for trying to stop them, of course, but for all the things I allowed to happen, that I helped them do."

"But..."I began.

"I can look after myself,"Max insisted,"please promise me none of you will put yourselves in any kind of danger for me!"

"I'm not going to promise any such thing,"Lotty said.

"If Lotty helps you, then I have to help her,"I said.

"I can't promise either,"said Julia.

Max sighed,"I don't deserve people like you,"then he added,"if any of you get yourselves into trouble on my account, it'll hurt me much more than anything they're planning on doing to me."

"When he puts it that way,"I said to Lotty.

"No,"said Lotty,"if there's anything we can do to stop them, we'll do it!"

"You've already saved me once,"Max said,"you managed to get Professor Park to the trial just as they were pronouncing my sentence."

We said our goodbyes and parted ways. Just as I was making my way down the staircase from that hall, I bumped into Antonius.

"Why were you talking to those Gryffindors?"he asked.

"Those Gryffindors?"I responded,"one of them is my sister!"

"Looked like you were having a council of war, or something,"Antonius said.

"We were, sort of,"I said.

Antonius looked at me curiously.

"They put one of their own people on trial this time,"I said,"Max Castellanos. They accused him of being a traitor."

"Well,"Antonius said,"he sort of - was."

"It's not right!"I said.

"Of course it's not right, Catherine,"Antonius said,"what happened anyway?"

I knew he was going to be angry at me.

"Lotty told me what was happening,"I said,"I decided to get a teacher."

"And did you?"Antonius asked.

He didn't look angry. At least - not at the moment.

"Yes,"I answered.

"Who?"Antonius asked, calmly.

"Professor Park,"I answered.

"What did he do?"Antonius continued.

I told him everything that happened.

"You understand now,"Antonius said, quietly,"Silas will have already factored in the possibility of his actions being reported to the teachers. He'll already have multiple strategies in place in order to deal with that. You've seen that now."

"Yes,"I said,"but you haven't exactly been helping! By refusing to report what happened to you, and when you lied about what happened to Dominic!"

"It's not that simple, Catherine,"Antonius answered me,"even if Dominic's trial was successfully reported, and the same goes for mine, Silas will already have a strategy in place to counter that. We have to fight this carefully."

"I don't see how we're fighting it,"I disagreed,"all I see is how we're just allowing everything to happen."

"For the moment, we can't do anything else,"Antonius argued,"you should know we can't fight them, and you know now that we can't report them."

"There must be a way of letting a teacher know without Silas being able to interfere,"I persisted,"he can't just obliviate everyone!"

"Maybe he can,"Antonius said,"from what you've just told me, it sounds like he obliviated three professors at the same time, and one of them was the Headmistress."

I remembered the potion I was brewing in the Room of Requirement, but, for some reason, and I don't fully understand why, I felt like I shouldn't tell Antonius about it.

"Where there's a will there's a way,"I said.

"Catherine,"Antonius said,"you need to stay out of trouble, and leave this to us. If you want to play a part in it, you can wait for my orders."

"Wait for your orders?"I said,"so you're some kind of general now?"

"This is a war,"Antonius answered,"and you're not even one of the victims."

"I am!"I objected, telling him what Max had told me about Silas obliviating my memories.

Antonius looked surprised for a moment, then he said,"all the more reason to try your best to keep out of harm's way. If Silas is getting used to doing terrible things and obliviating peoples' memories afterwards, then he could be capable of a lot worse than he's already done! I overheard that boy telling you not to risk yourselves as well, you should listen to him."

"Oh, so you were spying on me, were you?"I said.

"I wasn't spying,"Antonius said,"I just happened to overhear some things."

I remembered when Antonius had suggested I'd been spying on him on the night of the May Festival, and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"If there's something I can do to stop all this, I will do it!"I insisted,"I'm not going to sit back and wait for others to do things, when others aren't doing things!"

"You just have to be patient!"Antonius advised,"anyway, do you have any ideas?"

I did have one, just one that I didn't feel like telling him about. Not just yet, anyway.

"I thought not,"Antonius said, reading my silence,"just - stay out of trouble."

"I won't if my sister is in danger,"I said.

"Well, if you feel like you need to do something, couldn't you just tell me about it?"Antonius asked,"I won't try to stop you, but I would like to know."

This seemed reasonable,"alright,"I agreed,"if I'm about to do something risky, I'll try to let you know."

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PP Night 2, OM Day 1