"Take over the world, guys," I said, hugging George. Giving Fred a kiss, I said, "Don't forget me out there in the big, glamourous world."
"We could never forget you," George said.
"Well then, see you all soon," I said, parting from them.
When the sounds of screams and yells echoed through the halls of the castle, I smiled sadly, my heart sinking in my chest at the thought of this being the last time. I was one of the first to begin the crowd soon-to-be surrounding Fred and George standing before their swamp. A sizable crowd had gathered by the time Umbridge arrived, shouting, "So! So, you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"
"Pretty amusing, yeah," Fred said cheekily, winking in my direction. I bit my lip, holding back a laugh as I gave him an affectionate grin.
"I've got the form, Headmistress," Flinch said, shuffling through the crowd towards her. "I've got the forms and the whips waiting. Oh, let me do it now."
My smile fell and my eyes widened in horror as Umbridge replied, "Very good, Argus. You two are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."
"You know what?" Fred replied. "I don't think we are." Turning to George, he said, "George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."
"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," George replied.
"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" Fred said.
"Definitely," George agreed.
Together, they raised their wands and shouted, "Accio brooms!" Once they showed up, the twins grabbed their brooms and took off.
Fred called, "We won't be seeing you."
"Yeah, don't bother keeping in touch," George replied.
"STOP THEM!" Umbridge shrieked.
"Give her hell from us, Peeves," Fred added. Peeves saluted him just before they took off. Blowing a kiss in my direction, Fred called, "Until we meet again, Luv."
"So long and farewell, babe!" I called, waving.
The next few days were some of the most peculiar days of my life. To address the elephant of this current plotline, Fred and George were gone. Both my boyfriend and one of my best friends with whom I had never spent a day at Hogwarts without. For another, immediately after they disappeared, Umbridge had found me in the crowd and forced me into her office.
I smirked at the broom-sized holes in her door. Trembling in anger, she shoved me into one of the chairs opposite her desk. I smirked, crossing my legs and staring her down. "Yes, Headmistress?" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You had something to do with this!" she shrieked.
Still smirking, I countered, "I didn't, actually. This was all Fred and George."
"Sure it was," she snapped, stalking toward me. "Tell me the truth or so help me I will curse it out of you."
Glaring at me, she yelled, "Mr. Filch!" He came stumbling angrily into the room, still clutching a pair of whips in his hand. Clenching my jaw, I raised my chin, trying to keep my features neutral and unafraid. "Do what you want with her." My eyes widened as he grabbed onto my arm and pulled me to my feet.
Scoffing, I spat, "You're such a bitch."
"Detention, Ms. Black," she thundered, grabbing hold of one of the whips herself. "A week."
An hour later, I painfully left her office, crying out in pain every time I moved. I stopped outside the common room, unsure if I wanted anyone to know what had happened. I would've just blocked it, but I knew I'd rather suffer than let her know I have the ring. Making my decision, I pointed my wand at my robes and muttered, "Reparo." Once the cuts in the fabric had sealed, I went inside.
A few people tried to talk to me, but I merely walked on to my dorm.
By the time Saturday had come, I was a mess of scars as well as the words 'I must not cause trouble' cut into my hand. "Hey Dad," I said, sitting down gingerly.
"Raven, are you hurt?" he exclaimed, sitting down next to me. He instantly noticed my hand and stared at it in horror for a moment before looking at me in horror. Then his expression shifted like the gears in his head were turning. Then they clicked into place.
"Dad," I exclaimed warningly. "No. Don't do anything. It's not worth it, Dad."
"She hurt you, Raven!" he thundered, getting to his feet.
"Dad!" I cried, getting to my feet as well. I groaned, steadying myself against the table before stepping towards him again. "Dad, you're only going to make it worse if you do anything. For all you know, that's why she did all this, to try and prove if I have contact with you."
"All this?" he repeated. "There's more?"
"Nothing I can't handle," I replied. Leaning back against the counter, I admitted, "I'm almost tempted to pull a Fred and George and just leave at this point, but I can't do that."
"Raven, what else did she do?" Dad demanded.
I stared at him for a moment before admitting, "She made use of her new approval for whipping."
"WHAT?" he shouted. I flicked my wand, locking the door to the kitchen and stole his wand.
"Dad, don't do anything," I insisted, catching his wand from the air. "I can handle this."
"How?" he retorted.
Smirking, I said, "I may or may not have a few tricks up my sleeve." Giving him a harsh look, I asked, "Can you trust me to handle it, Dad?"
Reluctantly, he said, "I will step back on one condition."
"What's that?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
"You tell Professor McGonagall," he insisted.
"Fine," I agreed. "I should probably get back then. I'll need time to sneak into her office. Also, don't send any letters. Umbridge is having people read through them before we get to them."
"I'll keep that in mind," he said. "Let me know if you need anything."