The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 22

"It was very brave though, I don't think either of us could have done it."

Delilah was tempted to butt in and say maybe when they saw their friend get murdered they could get some favoritism, but Umbridge came up to the pair and demanded to go through their bags. Delilah hurried away before she noticed her.

Most people seemed to believe Harry and think he was a hero, but that night in the Slytherin common room she heard plenty of sour conversations about how he had accused a relative of being a Death Eater. Yet none of them could contradict him anywhere else, because they'd have to admit to reading the banned article.

"Hey, Delilah," Daphne said as she walked up to her. "Want to go do our nails?"

Knowing she probably had another motive, Delilah agreed.

Sure enough, once Daphne closed her door she put a charm on it so no one could hear what they were saying.

"Ok, what do you want to talk about?" said Delilah.

"Nails first. We'll talk once they're dry."

And so they painted their nails. Daphne went for a bright blue that matched her eyes while Delilah chose a grayish blue that made Daphne smirk.

"What?"

"Oh nothing." Her eyes sparkled, saying that there was something.

"So now can you tell me what you wanted to talk about?"

"Harry's article."

Of course it was about that.

"I didn't know he was doing it."

But Daphne shook her head.

"No, I just... wanted to tell you that... I believe Harry."

Delilah blinked. She didn't know what she had been expecting, but that had not been it.

Daphne continued.

"My family has been acting... odd since last summer. His story, now that I've actually heard his version instead of just the Ministry's, makes my family's actions make sense. And with the disappearances...." She trailed off.

They stared at each other.

"Um, that's good?" Delilah said. She didn't know how else to respond. "I'm sorry about your family," she added.

Daphne shrugged.

"It's fine. I'm fine, or I will be. It's not too surprising."

Delilah pulled her into a hug.

"It's still hard."

She hugged her back.

"I'll be fine."

"It's starting to get late," Delilah said. "We should probably go to bed."

Daphne nodded and Delilah left, quietly closing the door behind her.

The week did not improve as it progressed, but it didn't worsen either. Sturgis Podmore had gotten arrested for trying to get somewhere in the Ministry, and Filch got so irritated that to Draco's dismay he banned "Weasley is Our King." The only truly interesting thing happened near the end of the week.

After dinner a huge crowd surrounded the entrance hall. Delilah pushed through until she could see what was happening.

Professor Trelawney was standing in the middle of the crowd with her wand in one hand and an empty sherry bottle in the other, looking utterly mad. Her hair was sticking up on end, her glasses were lopsided so that one eye was magnified more than the other; her innumerable shawls and scarves were trailing haphazardly from her shoulders, giving the impression that she was falling apart at the seams. Two large trunks lay on the floor beside her, one of them upside down; it looked very much as though it had been thrown down the stairs after her. Professor Trelawney was staring, apparently terrified, at something Delilah could not see but that seemed to be standing at the foot of the stairs.