I watched Darren Potter fall.
He screamed in agony.
He bit down hard on his lower lip, as though that could make it hurt less. I had hoped he would get up and fight back, but he never did.
Like Little White, he waited helplessly for death to come.
I clenched my fists.
When Little White died, I hadn't helped at all.
Was I really going to watch him die now?
My thoughts were in turmoil.
Until an older student interrupted them.
"Enough, right? It's not much fun just listening to him scream!"
He left.
I stood there, pale-faced.
I had missed my chance again.
I hadn't been able to help Little White, and now I couldn't help him either.
I couldn't do anything...
I wasn't as brave as I imagined.
I watched Darren Potter lying on the ground.
Becky Greengrass's Cruciatus Curse had ended, and he curled up in pain.
My eyes were full of guilt.
I staggered out of the Common Room.
I was pathetic, wasn't I?
I asked Crabbe and Goyle.
The two of them wore idiotic expressions.
I thought they were idiots.
But then I realized I wasn't much different from them. Just now, hadn't I been the same as them?
I didn't even have the courage to resist.
I didn't!
I was too weak... Was I really just too weak?
I thought of the effort that little fool had made. He knew what punishment he was about to receive, yet he wasn't afraid in the slightest.
He had never spared his own abilities just to meet Harry Potter, while I couldn't even protect Little White's life.
If I had stood in front of Little White that day, Father might have spared him, right?
That Crucio had been a contest.
I lost. From then on, I