Unbreakable - Fred Weasley

Olivia, the Great & Powerful

Defence Against The Dark Arts: A Return to Basic Principles
Olivia turned the book over in her hands, it looked like something you'd give to a child. Professor Umbridge was talking about the "ministry-approved curriculum" as Olivia gawked at the text in front of her. Cho had taken a seat beside her and they had both been sitting awkwardly and still, each not knowing what to say to the other.
"Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?" Umbridge asked. There was an indistinct murmur that ran through the class.
"I think we'll try that again," she smiled venomously, "when I ask you a question, I should like you to reply, 'Yes, Professor Umbridge', or 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
"Yes, Professor Umbridge" rang through the room.
"Wonderful, we will begin with page five. Chapter One, Basics for Beginners. There will be no need to talk."
Olivia opened her book and began perusing the contents, she looked up at the board where Umbridge had written the course objectives earlier and realized that there was no 'use' of magic anywhere to be found. Finding her courage she raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss...?" Umbridge answered, seemingly annoyed.
"Wood," Olivia replied, "I'm sorry Professor, but I just don't see anything here about using defensive spells?"
The entire class looked at Olivia, then towards the Professor, eagerly awaiting her reply.
"Using defensive spells?" Umbridge asked, "you don't intend to be in a situation where you would ever need to use a defensive spell in this class, do you?"
"Well, Professor, what about out in the world? Surely we need to be prepared for any possible attack?" Olivia rebutted, her voice taking on a new aggression.
"Attack? The world is completely safe." Umbridge shrugged as if to signify that there was no need to worry.
"But Professor, what if a time should arise that we-" a voice piped up, Olivia turned to see Katie Bell asking the question. She stiffened and awkwardly tore her gaze away from Fred's ex-girlfriend.
"Students in this class will raise their hands, Miss?"
"Bell, Professor." Katie replied. "But we might need to know how-" she was caught off again.
"I do not wish to criticize the way that things have been running in this school," a venomous smile spread across her toad lips, "but you have been exposed to very irresponsible wizards in this class— not to mention some very dangerous half-breeds." A cackle escaped from her lips as she said it. Olivia turned mortified to Cho Chang who was standing up and raising her hand,
"If you mean Professor Lupin— he really was our best teach-"
"Hand!" Umbridge cried, exasperated, "Miss?"
"Cho Chang." She said coldly, her eyes fixed on Professor Umbridge.
"Miss Chang, you have all been scared into thinking that there are dark attacks out there waiting for you. If you study the theory well enough, there is no reason that you shouldn't be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions." Professor Umbridge lectured, holding her hands clasped in front of her.
"So the first time we do the spells will be during the exam?" A Gryffindor boy asked,
"Hand!" Umbridge cried again, "Mr?"
"Pearson. Harvey Pearson." He answered.
"I repeat, as long as you study the theory properly, you should have no-"
"What good is the theory in the real world?" Olivia interjected, all eyes were on her now. Her chair had made a screeching noise against the stone floor as she stood up.
"We're in school." Umbridge replied, an anger underlying her voice.
"So we're not meant to be prepared for anything that's waiting in the world?"
"There's nothing waiting for you in the world, Miss Wood."
"Then what happened to Cedric Diggory?" Olivia hadn't said his name out loud and felt a sickening lurch in her stomach at the sound—even from her own mouth. There were hushed tones and whispers around the class, Cho shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident." Umbridge said coldly.
"An accident!? He was murdered. By you-know-who. He was killed. He's dead—he's dead— and you don't want us practicing defensive spells!?" Olivia was spiralling out of control, tears slipped down her face as she stood angrily ready to confront the pink professor in front of her.
"Detention, Miss Wood." Professor Umbridge smiled manically and Olivia stuffed her things into her bag.
"Fine. By. Me." She grabbed her bag and stomped out of the class, ignoring everything around her. She had tears streaming down her face and was angry at herself for it. She was so engulfed in her emotions that she very nearly missed Roger Davies who had been calling her name after seeing her storm out of the class.
"Olivia!" He called to her, she turned slightly and then rolled her eyes. This was not at all what she needed.
"What, Roger?" She asked, sniffing and wiping her tears away.
"What happened?" He asked her,
"Just, detention with Umbridge. She said Cedric's death was an accident." Olivia couldn't bear to even say it, she spat out the word as if it were poison on her tongue. She wasn't sure why she told him, but needed to share her outrage.
"Oh." He paused, unsure of what to say. He hadn't spent any time with Olivia, other than when she passed out and slept over, but he knew that she and Cedric were close. He hadn't spent much time with Cedric either, the Yule Ball when he was Fleur's date being the only exception. Olivia stared up at him and pursed her lips,
"Thanks for... asking. I suppose." She began to turn away.
"Quidditch!" He yelled suddenly, she swivelled back to him, her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you still interested in joining the team? I'm the captain this year."
"I don't... know. But, congratulations Roger, that's great." She answered replied. She had been so excited, Cedric had practiced with her and was so enthusiastic about seeing her play— he never would though, and she didn't know if it was something she could come to terms with. In actuality, she'd been playing since she was a child, with Oliver, and she was quite good. She had let Cedric 'teach' her anyways, wanting to see the look on his face he realized she was great, and had been feigning the indifference to Quidditch. She had brought his broom with her to Hogwarts this year, but was still unsure.
"Well, tryouts are next Monday. So, we'll maybe see you?" He asked, smiling reassuringly at her.
"Maybe." She said softly.
"I'm headed to the library, do you want to study?"
"Yea, alright." She agreed, walking alongside him. They passed some fifth year Gryffindor boys on the way,
"She's moving on quite quickly," Olivia heard one of them say. She stopped in her tracks and swiveled her head towards them.
"Excuse me, what did you say?" Her voice was deep, dark, frightening. Roger's eyes widened, as did most of the Gryffindors. Roger tried to pull her back, clutching her left arm in his as she walked towards the group.
"Oi, I just said that you are moving on quite quickly. Diggory, you spent last night with Weasley, and now" he motioned to Roger who had Olivia's hand in his. She remembered the name of who was speaking now, it was Seamus Finnegan. After what she just had gone through with Umbridge she couldn't quite take the attitude of this boy, something deep within her shifted. She drew her wand quickly, Seamus did the same, but she was quicker.
"Flipendo," she sneered, watching as Seamus was knocked backwards onto the floor. His wand clattered out of his hand and she walked over and stepped on the wrist that reached for it, not with enough weight to break anything, but enough to ensure he was in pain. She pointed her wand directly at his face and looked menacingly down at him. "Don't you ever, ever, sully his name by saying it in your foul mouth again. This," She brandished her wand, "is a warning. But believe you me, Finnegan, if I ever have to point my wand at you again, I promise, you will wish that I was nice enough to use one of the Unforgivable Curses on you. That is what you will pray for. Do you understand?" Everyone was frozen in place watching the events unfold, no one dared breathe. Seamus whimpered and nodded pathetically, she kept her weight on his wrist. Olivia was generally perceived to be shy, and meek. Consistently under Cedric's wing and never far from him, never straying. Certainly not the terrifying figure standing over Seamus at this moment. Her robes were flowing wildly, her eyes dark, Seamus was almost entirely sure he was going to die, and vowed that if he didn't he would never take her competence for granted again. Fred and George had stumbled across the episode half-way through, they watched her in shock. No one seemed to believe that she was as powerful— or menacing— as the exhibition she was putting on.
Fred walked towards her slowly,
"Wood... stop." He spoke softly, pleading. She turned to him and he could see nothing but fury in her unfamiliar eyes.
"Right, because everyone in Gryffindor is allowed to call me your whore?" She rebuked him,
"What? Of course not! What did he-" Fred stumbled for words, not knowing what had happened and wishing he'd just kept his mouth shut.
"Roger, we're leaving." She kept her eyes on Fred as she spoke, and narrowed them into a harsh glare, praying that he wouldn't notice that she was holding back tears. She turned suddenly and gripped Roger tightly around the arm, he winced and let himself be pulled along behind her. He shot the group of Gryffindors an apologetic look as he was whisked away by the angry brunette. Fred turned to Seamus, who was now on his feet, and gave him a cold look,
"What. Did. You. Say. To. Her?"
———
"Hey." Cho said, walking into the dormitory and seeing Olivia. It was unusual seeing Olivia in her own bed, it was usually neatly made.
"Hi." Olivia replied, looking up from the book she was reading. She had missed all her classes except for the History of Magic, and was reading through what Professor Binns had lectured on when Cho walked in.
"I heard about what happened with the Gryffindors." Cho looked towards Olivia who sighed and closed her book. She crossed her legs and set the book down in front of her.
"That Seamus Finnegan has a big mouth. Someone had to take care of that for him."
"I heard he mentioned... Cedric." Cho was careful, saying his name softly. Olivia stiffened and nodded curtly,
"Yea... yea, he did. He's vile." Olivia felt the anger bubbling up in her again.
"I agree. But, you know, Weasley's down there, waiting for you to come out." Cho motioned towards the common room.
"Who let him in?" Olivia groaned, pushing her face into her hands.
"No one. He answered the riddle all on his own."
"Of course he did." Olivia said bitterly, "well, I'm not going down and he can't wait forever."
But, Fred waited. He skipped dinner, and watched as all the Ravenclaw students filtered into the Common Room and to their respective dorms, each giving him a strange look as they ascended. He leaned back on the armchair he was in and got ready to spend the night, looking up at the high ceiling of their common room. It was less cozy than the Gryffindor one, there was more space, colder colours. He wondered if that was why no one stayed in the common room for very long, or if his being there was a factor. At quarter past midnight, Olivia trudged down, Cho having told her before bed that Fred was still down there. She saw him, lying uncomfortably on an armchair, his neck was slack and against one shoulder, his breathing jagged. She sat in the chair across from him and kicked his leg,
"Oi! Bloody hell, what was that f-" he stopped as soon as he saw her. The firelight was casting an orange hue onto her very stern face, "you look beautiful."
"W-what? That's what you came to say?" Olivia stammered, surprised by his outburst. His hair caught the light of the fire, it was shimmering in the darkness of the common room.
"You look beautiful."
"I'm going back to sleep."
"Love, wait-"
"Stop it, you need to leave." She demanded. He had a hurt expression on his face,
"But I'm sorry."
"Alright."
"Can't we talk about this?"
"No."
"Ever?"
"Not now." She was getting exhausted by the conversation already, "I just want to go back to sleep."
"Can I see you tomorrow?"
"I don't know, I just need-"
"Please?"
"Fine. But, leave now please." She ran her fingers through her hair and looked up at him sadly,
"Okay, but I'll see you tomorrow." He said with certainty, nodding for emphasis.
"I reckon you will." She sighed. She watched him walk out, but as she closed the door he peeked his head back in,
"I used the jelly legs jinx on him after you left."
"After what I did to him, you did that?" She asked in surprise, she had thought that he'd taken Seamus' side in the whole encounter.
"Yes, once he told me what he'd said."
"You didn't have to do that." She told him,
"Anything for you." And he slipped away and sauntered down the stairs. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she watched him leave— 'anything for you.'
—————
Ahhh, this is my favourite chapter only because of that whole kerfuffle with Seamus.
Did you guys like it? Or was it too much?
I really actually like Seamus, but tbh in the beginning half of the fifth book he was such a little b to Harry so I wanted Olivia to put him in his place and also show that she's way stronger than she looks. A lady never starts a fight, but she can always finish them :)

This chapter is a bit shorter than what I normally do, but the next one is preeeetttyy long, so.

Hope you guys enjoy!