*ANNOUNCEMENT*
- A new cover for this story will be coming soon :) it is being created by the brilliant sygmys - please go and check her account out, she's so talented! :)
***
"Bloody potions! Why do we have to know about this? Honestly I don't understand what the use for a wit sharpening potion is!" Ron complained as the fifth years sat in the library.
"You might like to know what it's useful for, Ronald," Hermione muttered underneath her breath. Ron, of course, heard her.
"Thanks a lot, Hermione," he said, turning around to her. "Maybe you'd do well with using a potion that would do well with fixing that stubborn tongue of yours."
"If you would do some revision yourself, you'd know that it doesn't exist," Hermione said quietly, but still conveying her anger. "Of course, you've never bothered to lift a book in your life. You always copy off my notes!"
"Shove off," Ron said angrily. "You always offer to read over my essays for me so don't try and say that I beg for your notes."
"Well—"
"Honestly you two, would you shut up?" Anastasia interrupted before Hermione could say another thing. "This isn't couples counselling, it's the bloody library and some of us would like to get some revision done before the exams start in three days."
"Fine!" Hermione grumbled and her and Ron continued to work in huffy silence.
Hallie laughed. "Them two never seem to stop arguing."
"There's a lot of romantic tension right there," Ana laughed. "You mark my words, one of these days they'll be together."
"I can't argue against that," Hallie laughed.
"How are you feeling about Ancient Runes?" Ana asked.
"Yeah, I think I'm fine with it," she agreed. "I'm hoping to do it for NEWT level and I don't really have a back up plan if I fail everything."
"You're not going to fail everything," Ana laughed. "You're smart, Hallie, and not just book smart. You've got emotional intelligence as well."
"Thanks," Hallie smiled."Although, sometimes I think I lack that."
"I would stop thinking that, if I were you," Ana uttered. "Now tell me, what is the incantation for the vanishing spell?"
"Evanesco," Hallie answered.
"Correct."
Ana looked down at the page once more to ask her another question. "What is one of the main ingredients in the draught of living peace?"
"Oh," Hallie thought for a second. "Moonstone?"
"You're on fire Blackwell!" Ana stated, applauding her.
"Thanks," Hallie smiled. "Let me ask you some questions!"
"Be nice," Ana pleaded which made Hallie laugh.
"What animals should you practise the silencing charm on?"
"Erm," Anna thought for a second. "Frogs and ravens?"
"Yeah!"
"What do bowtruckles eat?" Hallie questioned.
"Woodlice," Ana answered.
"Very good," Hallie nodded, feeling a lot more confident in her revision now that she had went over things with Anastasia.
For the last few days, a lot of the fifth year students had been frantically panicking about the exams that were coming up. Hermione had been renown for chanting off incantations for Transfiguration in her sleep. Hannah Abbott, a kind hufflepuff girl, had fainted about 10 times in the last three days due to over exerting herself from revision. A lot of the boys in Gryffindor House would resort to punching games where, if you answered a question correctly, you couldn't punch someone on the arm. If you didn't, you were the one being punched. Hallie knew better than to stress too much over her exams, for whether she got 12 outstanding or 1 acceptable, you-know-who would still kill whoever got in the way of his mission.
"Look who is coming in," Ana said, looking towards the door where Harry was entering. She hadn't approved of the way he had spoke to Hallie, especially since she had been one of the people to believe that he hadn't put his name in the Goblet of fire last year.
"No worries," Hallie shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her revision notes again. She was surprised at how neat they were.
"I can't wait until these are done," Ana sighed, lifting up her quill again to write.
"And then what?" Hallie asked.
"What do you mean?"
"It's not like anything is going to clear up in the Wizarding World."
Hallie, although not conveying this feeling very often, knew she was right in saying the statement for things didn't look very hopeful in the wizarding world. The ministry was still very much in the dark about everything while people panicked about what the fate of their lives would be.
"I suppose you're right there," Ana agreed. "I guess hope is still stronger than fear."
"It has to be," Hallie agreed. "What else can we do?"
"Dream," Anastasia laughed.
***
As Hallie walked down the halls alone with a large pile of books in her hands, she spotted a small girl who looked no older than around 11. Her hair, which was black and tied back into a ponytail, sat comfortably behind her collar. She didn't wear glasses but if she did, Hallie could imagine they would be completely steamed up from the crying that she was doing. Her robes were neat and tidy, and she was wearing a Ravenclaw tie. Hallie immediately walked over to the girl, set the books down that she was carrying, and lifted the girls hands away from her face.
"What's wrong?" Hallie asked
"I—it's my ankle," the young girl cried. "I can't walk on it."
"Oh angel," Hallie sighed. "Let me help."
Hallie lifted her wand. "Ferula," she mouthed, and the sore ankle was wrapped with bandages. Although her facial expression indicated that the pain was slightly more manageable, the girl looked like she had just attended a funeral.
"Did Umbridge do this to you?" Hallie asked.
The girl nodded. "I was only trying to defend my friend and then she told me I—I deserved to be punished for my uncouth tongue."
"That wretched toad," Hallie said, even though she wanted to say much worse. "I have the medicine just to help you out."
"Oh really?"
"Yes," Hallie nodded. "What's your name?"
"I'm Lucie."
"Well Lucie," Hallie began. "Back when I was third year, there was a teacher who swore by this stuff if you felt drained or sad about anything."
"What was it?" Lucie questioned.
"Chocolate," Hallie smiled, lifting a bar out of her pocket and handing it to her. Lucie suppressed a smile. Before she knew it, the young girls arms had been flung around her. Hallie smiled at this, not knowing how much she yearned for kindness from someone she didn't really know.
"Now, we must get you to the hospital wing," Hallie said, supporting the girl.
"Looks like my friend Michael is getting some help from them ginger haired boys," Lucie pointed towards them.
"It's going to be fine," George said. "It's not as bad as it seems. You'll be okay kid, it'll be okay."
Hallie felt her heart beat faster in this moment. It had been George's kindness and gentle nature that had made Hallie fall in love with him. She knew a lot of the people assumed that Fred and George were absorbed in their own jokes and pranks, but it was moments like these that showed just how kind hearted they were. Moments Hallie was used to after being friends with them for so long.
"Come on," Hallie said, smiling at Michael. "Why don't we get you some rubbing balm in the hospital wing?"
"Oh," the young boy gave her a weak smile. "Thank you."
Hallie smiled back and nodded towards Fred and George. For a split second, she forgot about her circumstances with George for the sake of these two innocent children who had been hurt by the one woman Hallie despised most.
"Ahem."
Speak of the devil, Hallie thought.
"As I told you once before," she said, with a sneer that was almost devil like. "Naughty children deserve to be punished."
"No," Hallie said, not containing the deep, loathing hatred she felt for this small woman. "A child deserves to feel safe in a learning environment."
"How dare you," Umbridge's demeanour still remained calm, although Hallie knew a hideous beast was forming on the inside. "You think I don't know how to educate?"
"I never said that."
Umbridge lifted out her wand. "Hmm, but you implied it."
"Please put your wand down," Hallie said, pushing the children behind her.
"That foul tongue of yours is going to get you into trouble one day," Umbridge professed. "I guarantee it."
Fred and George were contemplating lifting their wands out too...
"Dolores?" Professor McGonagall said.
"Minerva," she articulated, with a fake, optimistic tone present in her voice.
"Might I ask what you're doing here with Miss Blackwell?"
"Well I could ask you the same thing."
"Career's appointment," McGonagall lifted out a piece of paper. "Every student in fifth year must get one."
"Well, Professor, as you can see I am busy speaking to her," she said, imagining she had authority over Professor McGonagall. The audacity, Hallie thought.
"You mean threatening this student?" Professor McGonagall rendered. "Not that Miss Blackwell doesn't have full capabilities of defending herself."
"Is there a problem?" Umbridge asked, receiving a glare from Fred, which she didn't notice.
"No, not at all. Unless there is for you?" Professor McGonagall stated, her deep dislike hidden from her tone.
"Well then," Umbridge nodded. "Good day."
She walked up the hallway and left, leaving every person there happy that her presence no longer had to burden them.
"Boys," She began. "I kindly ask you to take these children to the hospital wing for me."
"Yes, professor," Fred said, smiling at Hallie. The two young children walked off with them slowly.
"Right, Miss Blackwell. Let's go to my office then."
***
"What type of career did you have in mind?" She asked once they had sat down.
"Well, since I was in third year, I always wanted to work in the ministry. There's a lot of problems with it, so I was thinking the senior undersecretary to the Minister of Magic."
"An ambitious career, Miss Blackwell."
"Yes, I know," she nodded. "Some of the statutes and laws implemented should have been removed decades ago,"
"Well, to work in the ministry, they expect a minimum of five NEWTs," Professor McGonagall looked down at the page. "You have full potential to do really well in your OWLs as well."
"Oh really?" Hallie smiled.
"Yes," she continued. "Professor Flitwick has informed me that you've been attaining exceeds expectations since the start of the year. In the most recent past paper you completed, he gave you an Outstanding."
"Now it is clearly comprehensible that you are sufficient in the area of charms," she continued. "All your other teachers have positive reports. Even Professor Snape."
It was if pigs had flew backwards, Professor Snape had something good to say about Hallie's work?
"You're up for the Anfield Scholarship along with four other students."
"The what?" Hallie questioned.
"The Anfield Scholarship. Every year, one student going into their sixth or seventh year at Hogwarts is chosen to train with Sir Nicholas Kingslington, who won a first class order of Merlin for his work in the first Wizarding War."
"Oh wow," Hallie smiled. "What must we do to compete?"
"You will create a potion one level higher than the standard you're used to," Professor McGonagall continued. "You will be with Ernie MacMillan, Hermione Granger, Tom Blotts, and Albert Williams."
"Oh okay," Hallie smiled. "Thank you Professor."
***
"I'm up for the scholarship, Freddy!" Hallie said to him enthusiastically as they sat in the Gryffindor Common Room. "I can hardly believe it."
"That's brilliant," he agreed. "Can I talk to you about something?"
"Is this about Angelina? I'm so sorry you two broke up—"
"Oh no it's about something else."
"Alright," Hallie smiled at him.
"Well, George and I have always believed that our future lay outside the world of academic achievements."
"Oh, I know," Hallie laughed.
"That's why we-re limblin," he mumbled underneath his breath.
"Make it make sense?" Hallie added, slightly confunded.
"We're leaving," Fred sighed. "Tomorrow."
"Huh? You're leaving Hogwarts?"
"Yeah."
"Oh," Hallie managed. "Oh—y—yeah I—er—see."
"Are you angry or anything?"
"Oh no I'm fine," she stated although many people knew what it meant when a girl said this.
"I know with everything that is going on in your life and—" Fred began.
"Don't worry about it, honestly I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Uh huh."
Fred looked at Hallie and looked at how rosy her cheeks had become.
"We can talk—"
"Nothing to talk about," she giggled nervously and left towards the girls dormitory.
"Hallie!" Fred called after her, but she didn't say anything.
"Girls," Neville Longbottom laughed.