A.N.
Thank you guys so much for reading and reacting, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do when I write it <3
Also, I think Fred's pining might be my favorite thing ever ;)
_
The ride back to Hogwarts was not as cheeky and light as the others were, it was understandable, they weren't as carefree anymore.
Selena and George were blissful to see each other again, she didn't leave his grasp for the whole ride.
She also left for the summer in the States, visiting her cousin and couldn't exactly use magic around them, George couldn't Apparate to see her either, it was a bit painful for both.
Sarah had read all about it in Selena's letters, and Fred had heard about it all summer from George. Then, Sarah and Fred spent a while venting and laughing about it to one another.
Sarah smiled endearingly at them and Fred nudged her shoulder, "Hey, check this out," he got out some pieces of paper where he and George had scribbled their brand name and some sketches.
"Skiving snackboxes," she read out loud, trying to decipher Fred's handwriting.
"Yes, there's supposed to be some products in here, this one's for provoking nosebleeds, and this one's for fainting, some are still in process, but we're getting there," he excitedly showed the written plans and drawings.
"What's this one for?" she asked, pointing at what looked like a little pill with two colors.
"Puking," he beamed at her, "Puking Pastilles. One part's supposed to make you vomit, the other to stop."
"Charming," Sarah grimaced, not really willing to imagine how the developments for the pill and the cure would come about.
He nudged her shoulder, "Yes, well. Oh and this-"
He rambled a bit more about the different products, the majority was almost finalized, some were dropped and he explained why, and she listened intently to him, heart soaring to see him this passionate and get to have an insight on it.
"Wow," she marveled, turning the pages, "This is amazing. Oh! It's-" she reads some recipes for the snacks and recognizes some parts from the books she lent them last year. She had underlined the parts with the charms and spells that seemed useful.
"Yes, thank you actually," he said with a sly smile, nudging her shoulder again, and didn't move after, kept the contact. He glanced down at her, smiling still, and continued, "Also, there was a part about the Murtlap Essence that was useful for the side effects of the Fever Fudge. They were a pain in the arse, literally."
"Ouch."
"Yeah," he cringed, recalling them, then returned to the subject, "But it's all fixed now-I think- and we need some volunteers to test them-"
"Oh!" she looks up at him, half-accusatory and amused because she should've seen this coming, "That's why you're being so nice and forward! You want me to be your experiment mouse!"
He stared for a few seconds, because he didn't mean it like that, but now that he said it, it was much easier to pretend that's what it was, instead of admitting he wanted an excuse to be near her and see her smile up at him. "Yes, well, George won't ask Selena, figured I'd try something else."
She rolled her eyes, "I can't believe you. Beware, Weasley. I might just slip you some of those Puking Pastilles and see the side effects it has."
"You wouldn't dare," Fred smirked.
She shot him a playful look, "Yeah, right. Watch me," then turned to the pages again, leaving him to the fluttering of his heart. He quickly shakes his head to get rid of those thoughts again that keep crawling their way back, and shares the sketches with Selena, too, so he'd feel less nervous all of a sudden.
_
They get off the train and head towards the carriages, bumping into Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville. When they arrived, Malfoy was around them, spitting his usual venom at Harry. Sarah hurried, because Harry started shouting.
"What's going on?" she asked, looking between Malfoy and Harry.
"Nothing," said Harry dryly.
"Just Malfoy, Sarah," whispered Hermione.
"Still flying to the rescue of Potter, I see. McCauley," sneered Malfoy. "Just like your pathetic parents, following each other around."
"You'll excuse me, I just-" she took out of her pocket the Head Girl badge and inspected it, "Would you look at that?" She pinned it on her chest and looked back at Malfoy, "You were saying? Pathetic parents, okay. Let's see what else you come up with."
Fred had arrived to her side, and Malfoy looked at him disdainful, didn't say much, though.
"Nothing, huh? Too bad, it would have been fun to officially use this badge," she moved and it caught the light from above them, hitting Malfoy in the eye and he recoiled.
"That works, too," she grinned, watching him rub his eye. He glared at them and left with some grunts.
Sarah glanced up at the Thestrals, acknowledging this year to be the last she sees them on those carriages. Only, Harry seemed to glance at them, too.
"What is that pulling the carriage?" he asked, pointing up at a Thestral.
Sarah's head shot towards him and she closed her eyes, realizing that because of what happened last year, he could see them, too, now. "It's a Thestral, Harry," she said regretfully, started turning her ring without realizing it. "They're-Um, they become visible to you once you've seen death."
He glanced at her, "Oh..." he took a moment to look at them and then it hit him, "So, you've been seeing them since-"
"Always, yes." she nodded, and saw how they all looked down, both because Harry could see them now, and because Sarah always had.
"Well, that was a cheerful note to start the year on," said Fred, putting an arm around Sarah, grinning at the rest of them. She had to clear her throat, and her heart fastened when he brought her closer. She focused for a few seconds, this was Fred, her best friend, and still, she merely hoped it wouldn't show on her face whatever rushing feeling she had.
This was happening too frequently, lately and she needed to shut it down, whatever it was. Ridiculous and stupid, that's what it certainly was. But she also realized that him doing so got her to stop fidgeting her ring.
Harry and the others get into a carriage and pull away, while Fred and Sarah wait for George and Selena to resurface.
"What do they look like?" asked Fred, looking up at what for him was only air.
"Bony, with wings, something reptilian about them but they look like horse skeletons," she said, her gaze sweeping over the creatures, "Could you imagine? Bearing the resemblance of death and still continue living? Isn't it the saddest thing in the world?"
He didn't know what to say, he just held her, while she still admired them, thinking how not only were they looking dead, but could only be acknowledged by people who had seen the horrid thing.
"Somehow, they still look better than you," she joked, grinning up at him and he went to pinch her waist then but she quickly recoiled, stretching out her hands to keep him away.
"I'll catch you," he warned.
She grinned again, "Bring it on," and jumped further when he pretended to lunge forward. They cackled and both climbed into the carriage, Selena and George approaching it, too, with his arm around her, both laughing.
"I don't think we'll see much of them this year," she said, looking at them amused.
Fred nodded, looking at her side fondly and he scoffed, faking annoyance, "Does that mean I'll be lumbered with you most the time?"
"Oh, shut up, I'm just lovely," she said smugly.
He chuckled, agreeing fully under his breath and he grabbed something from his pocket, "You would be if you agreed to try one," he said, stretching out his hand and she saw some sweets in his palm, figured it was some Weasleys' product from the Skiving Snackboxes.
She shook her head and Selena and George climbed into the carriage, "I'll bore you to death with information from my books," she threatened him and he pretended to take fright in that with a dramatic gasp before she smiled and rolled her eyes, sparking up a conversation about the fact that it was their last year in Hogwarts, the last time on these carriages and this ride.
_
They were all seated and the feast started, although people kept glancing at Harry with suspicious looks, like he was some kind of conspirator and they needed to get away from him. It was ridiculous. So they all tried to keep the conversation light and fun, enjoy the welcome feast with their friends.
"Good evening children," echoed Dumbledore's voice into the Great Hall, "Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank who'll be taking Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave."
Sarah frowned, she always loved this class, mostly because of Hagrid, and she eyed the trio, but they didn't know much about Hagrid's absence any more than she did.
"We also wish to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said Dumbledore, "Professor Dolores Umbridge."
Sarah and her friends glanced at the end of the table, next to Snape to see a pink clothed woman, looking a bit too cheerful.
"And I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck. Now, as usual, our caretaker, Mr Filch has asked me to remind you-"
Umbridge interrupted Dumbledore then, and got up from her seat and Sarah saw her whole outfit and winced.
She leaned in and whispered matter-of-factly, "Do you reckon some kind of curse befell her and everything she puts on turns pink or it's a choice? Honestly I'll be more concerned if it's the latter."
They bit down their laughter, Fred glanced at her and poked her side, making her flinch and look up at him. She flicked the side of his head, and he turned to face her clearly ready to retaliate when she held up a finger and grinned, "Ah-We're even. Turn around."
Fred kept his gaze trailed her face teasingly, "What do I get if I do?"
"I'll tell you what you won't get and that is a jinx thrown at her face," she said as quietly as possible and nudged his head to face the teachers table again, and did it more to prevent him seeing the strange feeling displaying on her face. The kind of feeling that let her to try to settle her breathing and cool her face with her cold hands.
That woman walked forward and Harry frowned, turned to whisper to Sarah, "She was at my hearing. She works for Fudge," and she and Hermione exchanged a worried look.
"Thank you, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome," started Umbridge, walking around in front of Dumbledore, "And how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling up at me."
Sarah frowned and quickly glanced at everyone around her, no one was smiling.
"I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends," said Umbridge.
"That's likely," said Fred and George, looking at her with a light grimace.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited," she finally finished and flashed them a sickening smile before going back to her seat.
Dumbledore started clapping, a few students following, "Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That really was most illuminating."
Sarah glanced back at her with disdain, "Illuminating? Alienating more like it."
"What a load of waffles," said Ron.
"What's it mean?" asked Harry.
Sarah and Hermione looked at each other again, taking a deep breath each, "It means that Fudge is going after Dumbledore."
Hermione nodded, "The Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."
"And that was the line no one thought Fudge would cross," said Selena, and the smiling and cheerfulness from before had distilled in worry and anxiety, that only grew by the minute.
_
Sarah had been talking with everybody about their summers, discussed Ireland briefly and Alicia snickered teasingly, "Met any fit blokes? Heard that at the Academy they have the looks and the brains."
Sarah snorted with laughter, "Where did you hear that?"
"Just people," she smiled knowingly, "But you were there two months. You're telling me nothing happened? Now that you didn't have those two always cracking jokes and messing around-" She gestured to the twins.
Fred and George gasped dramatically, "How dare you- We are absolutely entertaining," spat George at Alicia.
Sarah and the girls smiled at them, "You aren't denying anything, and that's saying plenty, Sarah," said Katie from across the table.
"Is Sarah McCauley finally dating?!" Angelina cheered next to Katie, exchanging a look with Selena and her other girl friends. Fred chocked on his pumpkin juice and started coughing.
Sarah turned to him, gently rubbed his back, "You all right?"
He nodded through coughs, hitting his chest, "Terrific." He gave her a thumbs up and settled down, cleared his throat before he asked coolly "Are you? Dating."
"No, Weasley. Godric this conversation got way out of hand," Sarah shook her head with an amused smile look at Alicia, Katie, Selena and Angelina, "Nothing happened, the last thing I needed was some bloke distracting me from the program. Besides, they weren't exactly my type." She mumbled the last part under her breath and her girl friends nodded.
But she heard a snicker next to her. "Interesting statement, and what exactly is your type, McCauley?"
Sarah raised a brow, her mind unintentionally yelling out a silent realization she wasn't ready for but she retorted, "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"That was the actual point of my question," he said with a teasing grin.
"And that was my way of telling you to sod off," she nodded pointedly at him, and stole grapes from his plate.
"Those were mine!" he whined with a displeased frown.
"Tax. For being a git," she popped one in her mouth and turned to rejoin the conversation with Alicia and Katie.
_
After the first day of school, Sarah was on her way to the common room from the library, walking through the portrait whole next to Ron when she heard shouting.
"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar!"
They upped their pace to see what it was about, and saw Seamus and Harry standing in the middle of the room.
"What's going on?" asked Ron, and Sarah made her way towards Fred and George.
"He's mad, is what's going on!" blurted out Seamus, pointing at Harry, "Do you believe the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who?"
Sarah reached for her wand, wanting to step forward but Fred held her arm, "It's not worth it, McCauley," he whispered.
"Yeah, I do," said Ron, glaring at the room, "Has anybody else got a problem with Harry?"
No one answered and they both went up, leaving Seamus standing with his disheveled hair and untucked shirt.
She looked at him in disbelief as he turned back to his paper, "What is wrong with you?" she breathed out, making Seamus look at her.
"You coward. Not even capable of forming an opinion for yourself," she walked to him and grabbed the paper he was reading, "Potter, Plotter?" she read out loud and shaking her head.
She looked around the room but no one except for Fred, George and Selena met her eyes and they were as mad as she was.
She looked at the paper again, "Pathetic." She tossed it back on the table before Seamus and went up to her dorm.
_
The first Defense Against the Dark Arts class this year was expected to be quite the event, since it'll be taught by pink phenomenon they witnessed on their first day back.
Sarah and Selena were sitting in front of Fred and George, and they were turned and talking when they heard the sickening chuckle behind them, and everybody stopped moving.
"Good morning, children," she said in an uncanny sweet voice, walking in between the rows.
"Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test," she pronounced distinctively, writing the words on the board, "More commonly knows as N.E.W.Ts."
She talked to them like they were some children and not almost of age wizards and witches.
"Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe," she flicked her wand at her desk and some books started being distributed.
"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven," she continued.
"That's a way of putting it," mumbled Sarah under her breath.
The books finally arrived on their desks and Sarah saw the title, 'Dark Arts Defense, Basics for Beginners' she went through it and only found ways of holding your wand for the most basic spells and theoretical knowledge. Nothing fit for the actual course they are enrolled in.
She turned to Fred, "Is this some kind of joke?" she whispered and he frowned. If it was a joke, he wasn't getting it.
"But you'll be pleased to know, from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic," said Umbridge.
Selena raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells and fighting actual Dark Arts?" she asked and Umbridge's eyes went wide, "Using spells?" she chuckled, "Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."
"We're not gonna use magic?" asked George from behind Selena, bewildered.
"You'll be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way," said Umbridge.
"What is the use of that? If we're attacked, it will be anything but risk-free," interjected Sarah, leaning forward on her seat.
"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class when they speak in my class," said Umbridge, turning around and raising her tone slightly, making Sarah shift uncomfortably.
Umbridge turned around and seemed to have put on her smiley mask again, "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your tests and examinations which, after all, is what school is all about."
Sarah shook her head, "And how's theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?"
"There is nothing out there, dear," said Umbridge with her uncannily sweet voice, "Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?"
Sarah scoffed, "Oh, I don't know, Voldemort? Or how about a Death Eater?" She ended it on a forceful tone, a defying tone that made Umbridge's mouth twitch.
And that made the class suddenly grow silent. Word got around about Crouch and how he held her captive last year. Few people knew the outlines of what had unwinded, though, that she'd been hurt. Those who did glanced at her and swallowed the lump in their throat. No one knew she still reached for her wand anytime she saw Moody in the Head-Quarters, or saw a shadow behind her only to find it was actually another student. No one knew that he had made it impossible for her to forget the pain and the fact that he wanted her dead, it was branded on her skin. And she hated it.
"Now, let me make this quite plain," whimpered Umbridge, looking at all the faces around the class, "You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. And that is simply not true."
"How oblivious can you be?" whispered Sarah in disbelief and Umbridge's head shot towards her, "Pardon, what was that?"
Sarah glanced at Selena who slowly shook her head, discouraging her from going forward with this argument. Sarah wanted to, she wanted to yell at her, make her snap out of her pink bubble of delusion, but she didn't. She leaned back on her seat and held her gaze, "Nothing."
Umbridge smiled, making her uneasy, "One more word Miss McCauley and I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave my classroom. It would be a shame, to start off the year as Head-Girl on a such wrong foot."
She chuckled again, making Sarah's stomach turn and returned to her desk. Sarah crossed her arms and her legs, and looked away from Umbridge for the entire class, she didn't listen, she didn't write, she just stood, waited for it to be over.