The holiday spent in Grimmauld Place was not as glamorous as their previous festivities, but having families over to celebrate was enough to make smiles on everyone's faces, especially Sirius. Though Snape's visit to inform Harry of his "Remedial Potions" every Monday come the return to their classes did start a fight between Snape and Sirius, the holidays were still one of the best that Harry has ever had, and Carina's first one celebrating with her father.
After a hurried breakfast, everyone had their trunks lined down at the bottom of the stairs, everyone had their jackets and scarves on to keep them warm from the chilly gray January morning. Everyone didn't really like the idea of going back to Hogwarts –with Umbridge still around – especially Harry and Carina. Carina had an unpleasant sensation in her chest the moment she woke up; she didn't want to say good-bye to Sirius. She felt bad about leaving her father alone in his mother's house with Kreacher. She found her father drinking some butterbeer at the side as Mrs. Weasley busied herself with checking everyone if they had everything packed. Carina had squeezed herself from the chaos and went to her father.
"Excited to go back?" Sirius asked.
"No, not really," Carina said. "Umbridge's still there and I don't want to see that woman."
"It'll pass," Sirius smiled.
Tom suddenly came to where they stood, looking for her.
"Are your things all packed?" Tom asked Carina.
"Yeah – Uncle Tom, can I talk to you for a second?" Carina said.
"Of course," Tom said.
Sirius was about to leave but Carina stopped him.
"Actually, I want to talk to the both of you," Carina said.
Curious, the two men stood in their place, waiting for what Carina was to say. They glanced at each other, as they were still working out their differences. Carina never talked to them both in the same room, it would always be individually.
Taking a deep breath, Carina finally spoke, "I know that you two are not on good terms, and I know that you've been arguing about how to raise me."
The two men guiltily glanced at each other and then returned their gaze at Carina.
"And I know that there is more into this... but I do hope that you can work out because it's really, really hard having two fathers not being on the same page," Carina saw the sudden shock in the two men's faces. "Especially when we're all going to live in one roof – and even if we decided to move out, I still wish to see that we all get along."
"Carina, we didn't know that..." Tom trailed off, still overwhelmed that Carina still regarded him as a father.
"We promise that Tom and I will fix everything," Sirius said.
Carina smiled, she then pulled the two men to an embrace, startling them.
"For a while, the thought of not having a father bothered me... but I was so blind by my fear that I forgot how lucky I am to not just have one, but two fathers in my life when some don't even have one," Carina said to them.
Touched by Carina's words, Sirius and Tom turned to each other and had an unspoken agreement. They were both fighting over what was best for Carina, fighting who could raise her better that they forgot about how she felt. They didn't know their strained relationship brought by the war has affected Carina.
"I love you, alright? Both of you," Carina said as she let go of them.
"And I love you," Sirius joked.
"Sirius!" Tom chastised.
"Oh, come on, it was just a little – fine, we love you – happy?" Sirius said.
Carina chuckled, "Very."
"Now, hop you go! Don't want to miss the train!" Sirius ushered Carina to the door. "And, remember to not get into too much trouble." Sirius winked.
Tom rolled his eyes at the obvious hidden message in Sirius' words while Carina laughed.
"Yes, because my father's such an angel when he was in Hogwarts!" Carina said as she dragged her trunk to the door.
"For your information, your mother once described me as a cute-angel," Sirius called out.
"And again, Emmanuelle was getting her prescribed glasses at the time, so she was practically blind when she said that," Tom added.
"Bye! I'll miss you!" Carina waved goodbye to her father.
~*~
The first few days back in Hogwarts, Carina wanted to snap Snape in half. She hated that the man's been giving her – and Harry – a hard time, it was probably because of his and Sirius' exchange during the break, the two men were pointing their wands at each other's face, ready to hex one another. It wasn't the best sight to see. Add to that, Harry had "Remedial Potions" every Monday evening, so no D.A. meetings then. The only thing that actually made Carina's day was getting to see Theodore and Roman.
"I hate her," Carina muttered whilst she looked through the first volume of the book Practical Defensive Magic and Its Uses.
"You're not the only one," Roman said as he unbuttoned the cuffs of his sleeve that Umbridge magically buttoned and fastened. "She even put a barrier between me and Morgan when she saw us walking through the halls hand in hand."
"I can't breathe with this thing!" Theodore snapped as he took off his necktie and have it simply hanging around his neck.
"Don't," Carina went to fix his tie, but in a much more breathable knot. "She'll just use a spell to permanently stick this one up your arse."
Theodore sighed. After Carina fixed his tie, he loosened it a bit, to his preferred size.
"If she puts up another idiotic degree, the students will riot," Roman said.
"By the way, Hogsmeade is coming this weekend, want to go?" Carina asked them.
"Got nothing else to do," Theodore said.
"Can't because I have a date," Roman said as he watched Morgan enter the Hall with Cedric and Susan Bones.
"Nothing new," Theodore shrugged.
"Excuse me, lads, while go ask my date to Hogsmeade," Roman got up from his seat.
Carina and Theodore both leaned forward, curious to Roman's approach in asking Morgan to join him to Hogsmeade. His previous attempts were quite entertaining since Cedric would often block his way, which resulted in their last date which the couple had Carina drag Cedric around Hogsmeade so he wouldn't interfere.
"Three Sickles he says something stupid," Carina and Theodore said at the same time. They both glanced at each other and then went back to eavesdrop on their friend. Luckily, Morgan and Cedric were not that far from them, so they could hear and see their reactions.
"Hello, Morgan. Cedric," Roman greeted with an innocent smile.
"Roman," Morgan greeted with a confused look as to why Roman looked like a boy scout about to make a salute.
"Alston," Cedric's greetings were more displeased as he knew that he was about to do something. "Need something from us?"
"Yes, being a gentleman –"
"Far from it," Cedric added.
"—I just want to ask you – as Morgan's older brother –"
Morgan stepped aside to watch Roman and Cedric's exchange.
"—If I can have Morgan for lunch."
Morgan, Cedric, and as well as Carina, and Theodore's eyes widened at what Roman said.
"I'm sorry?" Morgan asked.
"Can I have you for lunch?" Roman grinned.
While the brothers grasp what Roman was saying, Carina and Theodore were now trying to get rid of the image of Roman having Morgan for lunch.
"He really needs to fix his wording," Theodore said.
"Theodore, please, erase my memory of it," Carina shook Theodore.
As Roman waited for an answer, which he was sure to be a "yes", Morgan's face turned and Cedric did not look pleased. The older brother grabbed Morgan and dragged him away.
"I'll see you this Hogsmeade weekend, Rome," Morgan called out as Cedric dragged him to the Hufflepuff table.
"You will!" Roman said. He then returned to his seat with Theodore and Carina with a satisfied look on his face. "That went well."
"Roman, can you please think about what you're going to say before saying it?" Theodore said.
"What's wrong with it?"
"I'm sure Cedric would much prefer if you said "Can I take Morgan for lunch"," Carina said.
"It's the same thing!"
"When it's you, Rome, it's not," Theodore stated.
"Oh, shut up, and just get your mail!" Roman rolled his eyes.
Noctua and Hester came just in time and dropped two rolls of the Daily Prophet. Theodore easily caught the two and handed Carina one before opening his own. After saying her thanks, Carina opened the paper to read the news. She froze upon seeing the front page, and it wasn't just because of the headline that read, MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN. MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS "RALLYING POINT" FOR OLD DEATH EATERS. Her eyes were rather fixed on the image of Bellatrix Lestrange thrashing around like the deranged witch she was. The last time she saw an image of Bellatrix Lestrange was at Grimmauld Place at the Black family tree, but seeing her now sent a chill down her spine as the woman truly was an embodiment of madness.
"Carina, are you alright?" Theodore asked.
"I-I – uh – I – yeah, I am, just – well, it's not every day you see your estrange relatives on paper," She attempted to joke, but Theodore saw right through it.
Before he could say anything, Carina was called by Hermione, Harry, and Ron to discuss something. Obviously about what they saw on the paper. After saying a temporary goodbye to Theodore and Roman, Carina gathered her things and went to join the Gryffindors at their table. She sat down beside Hermione and handed the paper to her.
"'We find ourselves, most, unfortunately, in the same position we were two and a half years ago when the murderer Sirius Black escaped –" Hermione read.
"He's not a murderer!" Carina said.
"Shhh! 'said Fudge that last night. 'Nor do we think the two breakouts are unrelated. An escape of this magnitude suggests outside help, and we must remember that Black, as the first person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally placed to help others follow in his footsteps. We think it likely that these individuals, who include Black's cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, have rallied around Black as their leader. We are, however, doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magical community to remain alert and cautious. On no account should any of these individuals be approached.'"
"They think my father let these criminals out? They think he'd let my mother's murderer out of Azkaban?" Carina said.
"I don't believe this..." Harry snarled, "Fudge is blaming the breakout on Sirius?"
"What other options does he have?" Hermione said bitterly, "He can hardly say, 'Sorry everyone, Dumbledore warned me this might happen, the Azkaban guards have joined Lord Voldemort – stop whimpering, Ron – 'and now Voldemort's worst supporters have broken out too.' I mean, he's spent a good six months telling everyone you and Dumbledore are liars, hasn't he?"
"I hate it that they're blaming my father for these things," Carina muttered.
"It's not that they know the truth, Carina..." Hermione said solemnly.
"Then the Order should fix it! They should've started another trial of clearing my father's name so they could stop blaming him for rubbing as this – I hate that every time I open the Daily Prophet and see his name on the front page and it's involved in the disasters that are happening!" Carina said.
None of them spoke any more of Sirius after Carina's hushed outburst. Instead, they turned their attention to the other article that involved Broderick Bode, entitled Tragic Demise of Ministry of Magic Worker, where it said that Bode had died some weeks after his accident in the workplace because of the Devil's Snare that was at his bedside table and was believed to be a harmless Flitterbloom.
"Bode..." Ron said. "Bode. It rings a bell."
"Who?" Carina asked.
"We saw him," Hermione said. "In St. Mungo's, remember? He was in the bed opposite Lockhart's, just lying there, staring at the ceiling. And we saw the Devil's Snare arrive. She – the Healer – said it was a Christmas present..."
"You saw Lockhart?" Carina snorted. "How is he? Got his memory back?"
"Still the same," Ron said.
"How come we didn't recognize Devil's Snare? We've seen it before... we could've stopped this from happening..." Hermione said.
"Who expects Devil's Snare to turn up in a hospital disguised as a potted plant?" Ron said sharply, "It's not our fault, whoever sent it to the bloke is to blame! They must be a real prat, why didn't they check what they were buying."
"I doubt that it's just careless buying, Ron." Carina said, "besides, I don't think anyone could put Devil's Snare in a pot and not realize it tries to kill whoever touches it – this was murder... a very clever murder..."
"Carina's right," Hermione said, "If the plant was sent anonymously, how's anyone ever going to find out who did it?"
"I met Bode," Harry said. "I saw him at the Ministry with Mr. Weasley..."
"I've heard Dad talk about him at home! He was an Unspeakable – he worked in the Department of Mysteries," Ron said.
They looked at one another for a moment, then Hermione closed the paper. She glared for a moment at the screaming and thrashing – and some laughing manically – photos of the mad ten escaped Death Eaters on the front, then leapt to her feet.
"Where are you going?" Ron asked.
"To send a letter," Hermione said. "It... well, I don't know whether... but it's worth trying... and I'm the only one who can..."
Hermione then left with her things.
"I hate it when she does that." Ron grumbled as he, Carina, and Harry got up from the table and made their way out of the Hall, "Would it kill her to tell us what she's up to for once? It'd take her about ten more seconds – hey, Hagrid!"
Upon seeing Hagrid, Carina noticed that he was still heavily bruised as he had been the day he came back from his mission to the giants, and there was a new cut right across the bridge of his nose.
"All righ', you three?" He asked. He tried to muster a smile but came out with a pained grimace.
"Are you okay, Hagrid?" Carina asked him.
"Fine, fine. Jus' busy, yeh know, the usual stuff – lessons ter prepare couple o' salamanders got scale rot – an' I'm on probation."
"You're on probation?" Ron said very loudly, that many students passed by looked their way. Carina stepped on Ron's foot for his loudness, Ron wince and pulled his foot out of her painful heel (just an inch heel). "Sorry – I mean – you're on probation?"
"Yeah..." Hagrid said, "S'no more'n I expected, ter tell yeh the truth. Yeh mighp' not've picked up on it, bu' that inspection didn go too well, yeh know... anyway." He sighed, "Bes' go an rub a bit more chili powder on them salamanders or their tails'll be hangin' off 'em next. See yeh, Harry... Ron... Carina..."
Hagrid's probation became common knowledge within the school over the next few days. To almost everyone in the school – except for Harry, Hermione, Carina, Ron, and Roman – hardly anybody appeared to be upset about it; especially Draco Malfoy, who had the guts to talk badly of Hagrid, which of course caused him to grow a ferret's tail at his behind in curtsey of Carina, during their Care for Magical Creatures class.
"Nice one," Harry chuckled.
"GET IT OFF ME, BLACK!" Draco yelled at her.
"You never learn, do you, dear cousin?" Carina said as she watched Malfoy run around trying to catch his tail and... 'pull it off'.
"He does know that it's attached to him, right?" Roman said. He winced when Malfoy pulled his own tail and jumped in pain. "That's gotta hurt."
Parkinson, having enough, raised her wand at Carina, but she did the same with her.
"What's wrong, Pansy? I thought I might spice up your kinks for the night, don't want ferret-tailed-Malfoy?" Carina teased.
"Remove it, Black, or I'll give you detention!" Parkinson said.
"You can't give her detention, you idiot, she's not from our House," Theodore spoke whilst reading his book from where he sat. Eating an apple as he did so as well.
"Carina, stop it," Hermione stepped up, embarrassed that she and Ron were not doing their duties as Prefects.
Carina sighed, "Fine, but only because Hermione asked me."
With a simple spell, Carina removed the tail, but she made sure to tie up the laces of Malfoy's shoes, so the moment he tried to take a step he fell on the ground. Hard.
"Bloody bastard!" Malfoy called her.
"What can I say, that's who we are," Carina shrugged as she joined Theodore on the large rock and sat beside him.
"You do know you'll still get detention for that, right?" Theodore said as he offered Carina some sweets.
"I know, but, it's Hermione, what's the worse she can have me do? Clean the common room?" Carina snorted.
It was. For the night, Carina was given detention by McGonagall to clean the common room as the house-elves are no longer doing so. Though it took her the whole night to finish, she would prefer this than serving detention with Umbridge.
~*~
"So, your opinion about Romeo and Juliet?" Carina asked.
The three friends sat on the grass by the Black Lake doing their homework for Astronomy. After finishing their own, Carina and Theodore decided not to help Roman to mess with him. Whilst Roman turned page after page to search for the names of the stars and constellations in his book, Carina and Theodore were sitting on the grass, taking turns to play the harp, as they discussed their latest reads.
"Two words: teenage rebellion," Theodore said.
"You read Romeo and Juliet?!" Roman exclaimed.
"Yes, and shouldn't you be writing that essay?"
Roman grumbled something under his breath and then returned to his parchment.
"What about you, Black, what is your opinion about Romeo and Juliet?" Theodore asked.
Carina thought for a while, "Impulsive decisions – I mean, seriously, if Romeo wasn't too dramatic, he and Juliet might have lived in the end."
"So, you agree with their romance?" Theodore raised a brow.
"To be honest, it's a bit foolish, I mean, who falls in love after meeting them for the first time?" Carina snorted.
"Idiots, that's what," Theodore chuckled. "But, aside from their idiotic decisions, it's good... a good romantic tragedy."
"You two are the biggest hypocrites I've ever met," Roman spoke.
"What did we do now?" Carina turned to him.
Roman stared at them with a deadpan look on his face. How could he have survived being a third-wheel for two of the most oblivious and stubborn people in the world, he thought.
"I can't believe you bloody idiots –" Roman suddenly started speaking in Gaelic that was too fast for the two to understand.
Theodore and Carina simply watched as he ranted about something. Theodore, though he knew the language, was not very fluent in it so he didn't understand a word of what Roman was saying, but he did get a few words, such as, 'five years' and 'sexual tension'. But didn't get the rest.
"It's getting on my last nerve, seriously!" Roman finished.
"Oh, shut up!" Carina pushed Roman. "And do your homework, and by the way, you got that question wrong, so I suggest you start again with a whole new parchment."
"I have to agree with Carina... since when is Lupus a star, Roman?" Theodore said as he read the essay.
"I'm not good at Astronomy, okay!" Roman said.
"I'm quite offended that you don't know at least one constellation at the southern hemisphere!" Carina added.
"A piece of advice, Rome, don't sleep during Astronomy," Theodore said.
"Oh, shut up, Birdbrain," Roman rolled his eyes.
Theodore grabbed his wand and cast a spell. A water balloon suddenly fell on Roman's head, drenching him. Luckily, it did not damage his homework.
"You're dead, Nott!"
Theodore got up before Roman could get him. The two boys chased each other around the grounds, Theodore casting spells in Roman's way just to get away, while Roman dodging them. For the longest time, Theodore has not done something as fun like this and did everything to prolong the chase.
~*~
Hogsmeade weekend came, and Carina was spending it with Theodore as Harry had his date with Cho, Roman with Morgan, Hermione with her engagement, and Ron was off to Quidditch practice. They first went to Huneydukes to restock their sweets stash in their dorms, getting as much as they can because Merlin knows when Umbridge would stop their little trips to the village. Their next stop was then The Three Broomsticks to get a glass of butterbeer before returning to Hogwarts as there was nothing interesting to do in the village, but before they could go to the inn, they saw an episode of Harry and Cho Chang's date in Madam Pudditfoot's, they watched through the glass as Harry and Cho's date turn downhill, and ended with Cho walking out of the tea shop. Carina was confused as to why it went downhill though, as she always knew Harry as a kind person.
"You reckon it got something to do with Diggory?" Theodore asked.
"But Cedric said it was mutual," Carina said.
"There are always two perspectives in a story, Carina... you'll never know," Theodore said as he caught a glimpse of Cedric Diggory walking with his own group of friends and glancing at their way. He smirked when he noticed that the seventh year was about to approach them. "Want to head to The Three Broomsticks or do you prefer Madam Puddifoot's?"
"Broomsticks, I need butterbeer," Carina said, grabbed Theodore by the wrist and dragging him to the inn.
Theodore chuckled as he followed after Carina, but he made sure to glance at Cedric's way before they disappeared into the inn. He was sure he saw the disappointment in the senior's face.
After a glass of butterbeer and pie, Carina and Theodore went back to the castle. They separated to join their Houses; Theodore joined Blaise at the table, while Carina joined Harry and the others. Carina asked Harry about his date and why Cho walked away, and he told the whole story. As it turns out, Hermione has set Harry to be interviewed by Rita Skeeters. She was nervous the whole time Harry told the story as he also dropped the names of the Death Eaters he and Cedric saw in the graveyard.
"It must've been tough talking about it... but it was the right thing to do," Carina said.
"I know," Harry said. "People need to know what Voldemort's capable of."
"How about next we give The Quibbler a story on how my father's not a mass murderer and is actually an innocent man blamed for a rat's crimes?" Carina said in an innocent voice mixed with bitterness.
"I'm sure Sirius's name would be cleared, Carina... we just need to wait," Hermione said with a solemn look.
"When?" Carina asked, "When he's old and have gray hair? When he's rotting in Twelve Grimmauld Place?"
"Calm down, Rina," Ron said, "I'm sure Dumbledore's doing something about it, right?"
"I doubt it," Carina muttered.
After a few minutes of silence, Carina asked about why she saw Cho walking out of 'that bloody tea shop' crying. Harry had the look of both pissed and distraught then started to tell her the story. It made Carina raise her brow when Harry mentioned Cho suddenly brought up her break up with Cedric at the beginning of the term, she now saw the sixth year Ravenclaw differently, and believed that Harry was just Cho's rebound.
"You should've said that it was really annoying that I made you meet me, but I'd made you promise to come along ... and it might have been a good idea to mention how ugly you think I am too..." Hermione said, trying to give Harry the possible side of Cho why she just did that outburst and stormed out of the place.
"But I don't think you're ugly," Harry said
Hermione laughed.
"Harry, you're worse than Ron... Well, no, you're not." Hermione sighed("Hey!" Ron said). "Look – you upset Cho when you said you were going to meet me, so she tried to make you jealous. It was her way of trying to find out how much you liked her."
"Is that what she was doing?" Harry said. "Well, wouldn't it have been easier if she'd just asked me whether I liked her better than you?"
"Girls don't often ask questions like that," Hermione said.
"Even so, it's a bit rude of her to suddenly bring up her ex while on a date, you know, and for what? To get Harry jealous?" Carina said.
"See, even Carina gets it," Harry said.
"But, Harry, I agree with Hermione, girls don't really just say that they're jealous or mad," Carina added.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Pride?" Carina shrugged. Unsure herself.
"How do you know?" Ron asked.
Carina turned to Ron with her arms crossed.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Carina asked.
"I mean, come on, Carina, we both know that you're more of a boy than a girl," Ron attempted to chuckle.
"And please, Ronald, explain to me what a girl should be," Carina stated.
Harry moved away from Ron and watched them.
"See, Harry, she's mad," Hermione pointed out, as she also glared at Ron.
"We can see that very clearly, Hermione," Harry said.
"You know what I mean, Carina, you don't really act or dress like a girl – you run around with muddy shoes – you play with boys – you don't really care about your looks," Ron shrugged.
"So, you're saying that because I prefer to run in the mud than keeping my hair perfect means I'm not a girl?" Carina said. "You know, I hope you find yourself a pretty little doll, Weasley. And may I remind you, even when I had muddy shoes and tangled hair, I was asked to the Ball by a very handsome date."
"I'll see you later," Ron said, and then ran out of the Hall.
"Why can't girls just state the obvious?" Harry asked.
"Now, where's the fun in that?" Carina smiled.
~*~
HARRY POTTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST:
THE TRUTH ABOUT HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED
AND THE NIGHT I SAW HIM RETURN
It was the title that woke Carina from her sleepy state. She, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were given a copy of The Quibbler by Luna, and they also saw the mail that Harry got from the readers outside. Most of the readers still believed it to be a lie, some believed his story, whilst one had an unsure thought about it.
"This is great, Harry!" Carina said, after reading a letter that said that they believed Harry, "If this goes on – who knows – it might knock some sense to the Ministry."
"What is going on here?" A false sweet, girlish voice said.
Harry looked up with his hands full of envelopes and saw Professor Umbridge standing behind Fred, Luna, and Carina, her bulging toad's eyes scanning the mess of owls and letters on the table in front of them.
"Why have you got all these letters, Mr. Potter?" she asked slowly.
"Is that a crime now?" Fred asked, loudly, "Getting mail?"
"Be careful, Mr. Weasley, or shall I have to put you in detention?"
"Wasn't banning them from Quidditch enough?" Carina asked sharply.
Umbridge breathed in sharply and glared at Carina.
"Well then, Mr. Potter?" she asked.
"People have written to be because I gave an interview," Harry said. "About what happened to me last June."
"An interview?" Umbridge asked. Her voice was thinner and higher than before. "What do you mean?"
"I mean a reporter asked me questions and I answered them," Harry said, "Here –"
Harry tossed the copy of The Quibbler at her. She caught it and stared at the cover. Her pale, doughy face turned an ugly, patchy violet.
"When did you do this?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Last Hogsmeade weekend," Harry answered.
Carina and Fred were now smirking under Umbridge's nose, they made a quite high-five at the woman's reaction.
"There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you, Mr. Potter," She said. "How dare you... how you could... I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies. The message, apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor and another weeks' worth detentions."
"No more Hogsmeade trip?" Carina exclaimed, "And more detentions?"
"Is there a problem, Ms. Black?" Umbridge asked. Carina heard a bit of disgust when Umbridge said her name.
"Yes, you can't do that!" Carina said.
"Carina, that's enough," Harry said, he reached to hold her hand and stop her, but she didn't listen.
"You must not tell lies, Professor," Carina sneered.
"Detention, Miss. Black, with Mister. Potter," Umbridge said. "I don't think neither you have learned from your previous detentions."
"I would gladly take that detention, Professor," Carina said, she tried to hide her sob and kept a brave face. She didn't want another detention with Umbridge, that pen that Umbridge makes them write with had given her nightmares.
Umbridge then left the Hall with the copy of The Quibbler in her hand. By mid-morning, an enormous decree had been put up with all the other decrees.
--------- by order of ---------
The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts
Any student found in possession of the magazine The Quibbler will be expelled.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number fifty-seven
Signed:
Dolores Jane Umbridge
High Inquisitor
It was quite the banning of The Quibbler caught the interest of the students that they had been asking for a copy of the magazine. Carina – being one of the only people with a copy – asked permission from Luna to duplicate a copy of the article for those who wanted to see it, and promised to pay her and her father for it (so she put up a quiet sign that said 'Two Sickle for a copy of Harry's article on The Quibbler'), Luna agreed and, she, of course, gave half of it to Luna and her father, and she kept the other half.
Theodore, being one of the people who bought a copy of the article – through a Hufflepuff second year – hid it in one of his books. He only read the article when he locked himself in the bathroom cubicle and read it. Just as expected Harry had listed down the names of the Death Eaters in the graveyard: Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, and some other names, and then he saw his father's name in the list.
He crumpled the paper and burned it with the Incedio Spell. This wasn't what he wanted to happen. He knew that Roman had read it and he was sure that Carina had read it as well, but the two didn't act differently around him – maybe they were just acting it out, he thought. Theodore let out a frustrated scream in the cubicle, after a few minutes of silence and heavy breathing, he slammed open the cubicle door and stormed out of the bathroom. It seems his father was right, he thought, happiness is nothing but an illusion to hide the truth.
.