magic • j. hale [✓]

Chapter 42

When the twins had made their grand exit at Hogwarts, Ariella's days at the school became brighter when she found out that the students had purposefully been giving the headmistress a hard time. From playing pranks on her and so on, the days at Hogwarts were not as dull as it was.

Of course, Ariella had heard countless of gossip about how students would suddenly faint, vomit, have nosebleeds, and etc. during Umbridge's class. When she asked what it was, they just responded with, "I'm suffering from Umbridge-itis."

This made Ariella grin to herself, and silently give their houses points. Ariella also found that she wasn't a full vampire. Either that or she was an exception to the downsides of being a cold one. Anyhow, she was able to come out to the sun without any problem, and she didn't necessarily thirst for blood. Every Saturday, she would go to Hogsmeade and apparate to a forest to look for a small creature she could drain blood out of. Occasionally, she would deal with a deer, but that was only if she hadn't fed in weeks.

When Ariella agreed to be an assistant teacher, she hadn't really thought about the paperwork and etcetera. Nevertheless, the vampire would be sitting with McGonagall in the older woman's office, marking papers, and giving grades to students. The young woman had quickly become a favorite of the students, with her carefree but strict attitude and her beautiful features.

The woman strolled around the grounds, and beamed happily when she saw Harry, Ron and Hermione under the tree. "I mistranslated 'ehwaz,' " said Hermione furiously. "It means 'partnership,' not 'defense,' I mixed it up with 'eihwaz.' "

Ariella chuckled. Ron told Hermione, "Ah well," said Ron lazily, "that's only one mistake, isn't it, you'll still get —"

"I once answered a question incorrectly. Nearly cost me my life." Ariella replied, plopping down beside the trio.

"Ariella has a point," said Hermione angrily, "it could be the one mistake that makes the difference between a pass and a fail. And what's more, someone's put another niffler in Umbridge's office, I don't know how they got it through that new door, but I just walked past there and Umbridge is shrieking her head off — by the sound of it, it tried to take a chunk out of her leg —"

"Brilliant." Ron and Harry said together, making the teaching assistant laugh.

"It is not brilliant!" said Hermione hotly. "She thinks it's Hagrid doing it, remember? And we do not want Hagrid chucked out!"

"She thinks Hagrid is doing it?!" Ariella looked offended by the mere idea.

"Yes!" Hermione huffed.

"He's teaching at the moment, she can't blame him," said Harry.

"Oh, Harry." Ariella patted him on the arm in faux sympathy. "This is the same Umbridge who thought McGonagall wanted to work in the Ministry, remember?"

Harry snorted in laughter.

*****

A few nights later, McGonagall wanted to head down to Hagrid's Hut, and Ariella wanted to accompany her. So she did. The two women headed down towards the hut, and McGonagall broke out into a run. "How dare you?! How dare you?!"

Ariella was quick to whip her wand out.

"Leave him alone! Alone, I say!" said Professor McGonagall's voice through the darkness. "On what grounds are you attacking him? He has done nothing, nothing to warrant such —"

Due to pure instinct, Ariella yelled, "Protego!"

A shield was conjured up in front of the older woman, blocking the stunning spells coming for Minerva. A furious look was plastered on her face.

"How dare you?!"