Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

42

“Don’t you just love it” Eliza spoke lying on the sofa next to Daphne “when things work out”

“Don’t you mean ‘don’t you just love it when you con a fourth year into letting you use her father’s magazine to stage a coup against the minister?’” Daphne retorted and stopped Draco from copying her transfiguration essay with a well-placed, fluffy socked, kick.

“Well yes but that’s just a mouthful isn’t it?” Eliza responded and Daphne snorted slightly.

“You do know that Umbridge is going to be out for your blood after this right?” Blaise asked and Eliza levelled him with a blood thirsty grin.

“Oh I’m counting on it”

This was just the first step in her ruination of the toad, Eliza planned to enjoy it.

The next day Eliza wasn’t surprised to find that she had been summoned by Umbridge for a ‘small chat’ As far as Blaise had been able to gather five other people before Eliza had been summoned by Umbridge, all five of whom had consented to allowing photos of their blood quill detentions to be publicised. Obviously Umbridge was trying to put a stop to Eliza’s Quibbler coup as soon as possible. Not that it would negate the damage already done, according to Tom the minister actually had to evacuate from his office today on account of all the howlers.

She was having a good day all in all, until she had to walk into Umbridge’s office. There were notably less kitten plates on the walls than when Eliza had last visited she was pleased to note. The toad herself was sat behind her desk with a sugary sweet smile that had Eliza feeling slightly murderous. Deciding to play innocent for now Eliza slipped into the chair across from Umbridge plastering a polite smile onto her face as she did so.

“Good afternoon professor, what’s going on?” she asked and Umbridge’s plastic smile didn’t even twitch.

“In the rise of recent events” Umbridge began and Eliza couldn’t help but glance at the damning copy of The Quibbler sat on the desk. “I have decided to check in on my students in the face of this absurd propaganda”

“Of course professor” Eliza demurred and watched curiously as Umbridge set about making a cup of tea.

“I have to look out for the students after all, the minister himself has tasked me with the upkeeping of Hogwarts – do you take sugar in your tea miss potter?”

“Just the one” Eliza replied lightly and watched when Umbridge turned her back slightly to presumably add sugar to the tea.

“Now Miss Potter you understand I have to ask some routine questions on the matter” Umbridge began saccharine sweet but Eliza could easily recognise the sadistic gleam in the woman’s eyes.

“You didn’t have anything to do with this did you Miss Potter?”

Eliza reeled back as if shocked by the accusation. They both knew they were playing a tenuous game but at this point it seemed that Umbridge wasn’t going to reveal her hand, Eliza certainly wasn’t.

“Of course not professor, I wouldn’t dare disobey my betters” Eliza kept a soft polite smile on her face but she didn’t even need to look to know that her eyes were hard and steely. A frown flashed across Umbridge’s face before it was replaced with a tight smile.

“You’ve hardly touched your tea dear, drink up”

Luna’s warning rang through her head.

Eliza raised the teacup to her mouth and Umbridge’s smile widened almost grotesquely. She pretended to take a sip and instead focused intensely on trying to siphon away some of the obviously drugged drink. Eliza placed the cup down with a clatter and Umbridge leaned forward slightly.