Fragile Delay

Chapter I - Chapter One

"Cecelia Nadir," she introduced shortly. "When are your friends getting back?"

"Soon," Katalina replied, voice smooth. "They're looking for the owl you just found."

Cecelia slightly hummed in response before placing her head on her hand and fixing her gaze to the people scrambling onto the train last minute outside the window.

The silence in the train cabin had been obvious, though it seemed like everyone else but the Slytherin cared. Just as Estella was about to speak up again, heavy footsteps were heard coming down the hall.

Not long after, the compartment door slid open with a loud bang, an even louder groan of exhaustion following after.

"We couldn't find—" One of the two girls who had just entered started before stopping suddenly.

"Zorah!" She cried in excitement before rushing up toward the owl and giving him a hug. "Aw, I've missed you, and I'm so sorry I lost you!"

The bird squawked indignantly, nipping at the girl's fingers lightly. She paid the bird no mind, stroking the owl's feathers with a gentle hand.

"Where'd she run off to this time?" She asked, a fond note of exasperation coloring her tone.

Devara nodded her head towards the unfamiliar Slytherin paying no mind to their current conversation. "She found her. Everywhere else is full, so she's gonna be sitting with us. Cecelia?"

The girl hummed in response, tilting her head to show that she was listening.

"This is Luella Kim and Anastasia Sahar. Luella, 'Stasia, this is Cecelia Nadir," Devara curtly introduced.

Cecelia nodded at the pair. Anastasia narrowed her eyes, expression lighting up in familiarity, "Oh, I know you! We just bumped into each other, didn't we?"

Cecelia hummed in confusion, drawing a blank at her question she had asked, already forgetting the insignificant encounter earlier.

She shrugged, murmuring a "Possibly," with a levelled tone, moving her gaze back to the spot out the window she had been looking at.

Immediately afterwards, the train lurched forward, signifying the beginning of another journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Devara could smell the delicious aroma of the traditional welcoming feast from the hallway. It was so potent she could practically taste it. Hogwarts always went above and beyond when it came to mealtimes, a fact she could appreciate although her stomach often protested.

She hid her tie under her robes, slinking off to sit at the Ravenclaw table where most of her friends were situated. They rarely got called out for sitting at the wrong House table, especially considering their new found seniority, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

She made brief eye contact with Cecelia from across the room. She had situated herself at the far end of the Slytherin table, not particularly close to anyone there but not especially far either. She nodded once in acknowledgement when they caught sight of each other before returning to eating with a certain grace that shouldn't be achievable while digging in on a five course feast.

Devara turned back to her group of friends, starting up a lighthearted conversation while they waited for the Sorting to begin.

Gradually, the mess hall lights started to dim, signifying the beginning of the annual sorting. All chatter quieted down as Headmistress McGonagall stood up elegantly. She steadily glanced over the room of students, and finally spoke.

The sorting went relatively smoothly, save for a couple first years going mental at being sorted into Slytherin. The latter group responded with stark difference— loud cheers and pounding on tables.

Then, when it was believed that the students could enjoy their meal in peace, and were starting to become rowdy once again, there was a surprising, though not unexpected, announcement.

Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts cleared his throat gently, a hushed silence immediately washing over the mess hall.

"We would also wish to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge," he started, with a brief pause as he continued, "And I am sure, you will all join me in wishing the professor good luck."

This short introduction had prompted the addressed woman to giggle, pulling the attention of Professor Snape, McGonagall, as well as a few students.

"As usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you—" The headmaster had proceeded with the announcements only to once again be interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

A stout, petite woman dressed like she was for the streets, covered head-to-toe in a sickly shade of pink, giggled softly as she stood up, walking over to where Professor Dumbledore stood at the podium.

Students all over gave hushed whispers, others looking at their housemates in confusion. Some of them had already begun to dislike the woman, who had the nerve to interrupt the Headmaster not once, but twice.

The woman peered over the students. "Thank you, Headmaster, for the kind words of welcome." She smiled at her soon-to-be disciples. "And how lovely to see your bright, happy faces smiling up at me."

At her last statement, Cecelia raised an eyebrow. Taking a quick glance at the faces of those she could see—all of which were a mixture of weary, upset, or unimpressed. She took a mental note that this woman was either delusional or going to be hell to deal with.

Possibly both.

"I am sure we're all going to be very good friends," she says, and it doesn't take much to hear the Weasley twins' sarcasm laced 'That's likely', causing whispers to erupt once again across the hall, some snickers.

Umbridge gave an unsettling smile before continuing, "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance." She began to pace near the podium before starting again.

"Although each headmaster has brought something.. new, to this historic school," she paused again, looking to Professor Dumbledore as if to continue, which he granted with a nod, "Progress for the sake of progress, must be discouraged."

"Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." She finished her speech with another sadistic giggle, causing a shiver to run down many students' spines.

Among the students, the atmosphere in the Mess Hall was tense. Some had lost their appetite completely, pushing away heapings of food that had seemed appetizing moments before.

Devara narrowed her eyes, refocusing her attention back to her friends sitting by her side. "Sounds like a load of bull."

"Agreed," Katalina said, glaring at the short woman's ridiculous get-up as though it had personally offended her. "Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged? Prune practices that must be prohibited? The hell does she have against the way our school handles things?"

"With everything that happened last year with the Goblet of Fire tournament and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named supposedly returning, the Ministry has grown more and more hostile towards Dumbledore and, by extension, Hogwarts," Estella explained, tone serious. "It's not just her—the Ministry as a whole is biased. I think it's pretty obvious why they sent her here."

"Why?" Anastasia asked, seemingly the only one at the table not affected by the tense atmosphere that had fallen over the hall.

"They're using her to monitor Dumbledore and Hogwarts as a whole," Luella broke down. "Basically, this is the Ministry's way of interfering at Hogwarts."

Silence descended over the table as her words sunk in.