Light in the Darkness

Chapter 18: A Present From Sirius

"When have we ever cared about school, Hermione?" He smirked as she thought about what he was saying. What this would mean.

"When are you leaving?" she asked quietly. He shrugged.

"We're not sure yet. But sooner rather than later. We've decided to give Umbridge a proper goodbye."

"You're not going to do anything too awful, are you?" She looked at him worriedly.

"We're going to do what we have to." She looked a little upset.

"I don't want you to go," she protested quietly. "We just started..."

"We're going to fine, Granger," he told her resolutely. "I can't promise the same for Umbridge. But you and me, Hermione, are going to fine." Fred didn't want to say "goodbye" to her anymore than she wanted to him. But he and George were leaving. And no one could stop them.

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Hermione dreaded going to detention the following evening. She had been having a rotten day. First, Malfoy docked fifty points from Gryffindor because she was a Muggle-born, and then Umbridge interrogated her, wanting to know if she had anything to do with the fireworks that Fred and George had set off in the Great Hall. She didn't even know they were planning it, but Umbridge still docked thirty points because she was being "uncooperative." Fred was apologetic he had brought her into this, but Hermione didn't care. She just wanted to do her homework and go to bed. But she couldn't yet. She had to go to detention because had wanted to learn how to defend herself.

She couldn't wait until Umbridge was gone. Hermione never put a lot of weight in the theory that the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was cursed, but she did now. It was her only hope that life at Hogwarts was going to get better.

Fred and George seemed oddly determined during detention. Hermione didn't think too much of it. She just assumed they wanted to be the first one done with their lines. They had considered writing whatever they wanted since Umbridge never checked their work. Like "I must always cause trouble." Hermione thought it was a terrible idea, but that never stopped Fred and George.

Half-way through detention, Cho Chang raised her hand and asked, "Professor, are you alright?" It was these words that caused everyone to glance up at Umbridge. Hermione's mouth dropped in happy surprise.

"I am fine, Miss Chang. Everyone back to your work," she ordered. But the chances of that flew out the window the minute fungus started to grow on Professor Umbridge's face. Seamus was the first to burst into laughter at the sight of it. The toad-like face was slowly being covered by a small blanket of fungus.

The former members of the D.A. were trying desperately not to laugh. Why on earth was fungus on Umbridge's face? Hermione instantly looked back at Fred and George, who were chuckling in the back of the room. When and how had they slipped Umbridge a Fungiface Potion? "Quiet," ordered Umbridge, causing everyone in the room to burst into laughter. "I WILL HAVE ORDER!" This did little to quell the cackles of laughter around the room. "Silence, all of you! Fifty point from each house!" Fred raised his hand.

"Er-Professor, you have something on your face," he said, barely being able to finish the sentence without laughing. Sighing, she reached into pink purse and pulled out a small mirror. Up to this point, no one had heard Umbridge shriek before. She looked for a moment like she was going to faint at the sight of her own face before giving a loud cry and walking swiftly out of the room to the Hospital Wing. "Looks like detention's been cancelled," Fred declared. "Reckon we best get out of here before she comes back."

The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs jumped to their feet and raced out of the room. Hermione walked over to where Fred and George were talking quietly to themselves. "When did you give Umbridge a Fungiface Potion?"