As soon as the Mediwitch scrambled out of the room with a panicked look on her face, and the sound of several loud crashes reached their ears, Remus, Ace, Aelius, and Fenris sprinted towards the door ready to get inside, only to find it frozen shut.
,, Damn it...!..." grunted Ace, pushing his shoulder against the frozen wood to try and break it out of its hinges.
,, Celestia! Can you hear me?!" called Remus out, his worry growing when he heard no reply.
Glancing at Ace and Aelius who were both pushing their weight against the door repeatedly, and Fenris, who was using his sharp claws to break through the ice, he decided to join them. ,, Screw it......"
,, Together on three." he said, both teens stopping to wait for his signal.
,, One... Two...... Three.!!!" he exclaimed, eyes turning amber as they all pushed against it, successfully breaking it out of its hinges and falling to the floor with it, groaning in pain from the abrupt landing.
Aelius was the first to recover, blue eyes wildly searching through the chamber that had been covered in purple ice, and pushing himself up.
,, Celestia?" he called out, worriedly looking around for his fellow Veela, Fenris letting out a loud bark as he leaped towards a specific direction, which he was quick to follow.
,, 'Tia!" he called out again, breathing out a sigh of relief as he found the white-haired witch sitting on a chair, not a single strand of hair out of place and completely unharmed, a yellow barrier having formed in front of her that caught the sharp particles of ice, protecting her from harm's way.
,, Are you all right, your grace?" he asked, taking off his white cloak and putting it over her shoulders to shield her from the cold, his blue eyes filled with concern as he tried to figure out the emotions brimming within her golden eyes.
He had seen how she reacted in certain situations over the years of knowing and serving her and usually could see how she felt with a single glance at her eyes.
No matter if it was sadness, anger, love, happiness, or blood lust......
But this... the emotions currently visible within her were incredibly rare to observe.
Excitement, curiosity...
She looked much too happy for someone who almost got murdered, and he didn't know what to make out of it.......
, Though I suppose the norm doesn't apply to her in most cases anyway....' thought the Veela, nervously tapping his fingers against her shoulders, her golden eyes remaining on the yellow barrier that had created a sun pattern in the middle of itself.
,, It is simply marvelous is it not...." she said, gloved hand tracing the surface of the projection that had shielded her from being impaled by spikes of ice, the barrier responding to her touch by turning a soft orange wherever she let them glide over. ,, Not a single piece so much as managed to graze me before the earring I was gifted sprung to protect me......"
Even through the material of her gloves, she could feel the warmth the shield gave off.......
There was no scorching heat like when she was made to carry the dragon egg back to her chambers, or the sizzling burn whenever the hot iron was pressed onto her skin to enlarge the numbers placed there.....
Instead, there was a feeling of belonging, like the gentle hues of the sun kissing one's skin on a pleasant summer's afternoon.
,, The ice either broke into pieces or melted upon coming into contact with it......" she told him, the corners of her lips tugging up into a grin that could only be described as mad. ,, I wonder which material was used to create this....... Just imagine all the possible things we could achieve figuring out its functions and other abilities......"
A small part of her, the one that remembered the little girl stuck in her cell, creating weapons and toys while sitting in the lap of a man who shared his name with the Norse god of mischief wanted to immediately get to work, dismembering the earring down to its base parts to find out the true potential of this gifted piece of jewelry.
Unfortunately for her, there were other matters at hand that required her attention, something Ace was not shy to remind her of by lightly slapping the back of her head to snap her out of her admiring.
,, Enough with the evil genius plotting, you and your brain can do that later." he told her, warily glancing at the construction that had protected her, before activating his eyes. ,, Drop the shield whenever you're ready, I'll try my best to get her to fall asleep...."
Remus, who was busy checking over Celestia for any kind of injury, yet still heard the remark asked ,, Is it safe..?..."
He would rather not do anything that might harm the poor woman, much less when she was in a position such as hers.....
,, There's a ninety-nine point nine percent chance nothing will happen." shrugged the former prisoner. ,, I've had practice with much more unstable creatures... A pregnant lady is in the least amount of danger for someone with my skills, trust me."
If he could make the hearts of twenty-five armed men give out at the same time while a gun was being held against his temple, slowing a woman's heart down to a degree where she would end up in a light slumber was nothing short of a child's play for him.
Remus still did not look entirely convinced, but one glance at Celestia told him to trust her judgment, so he kept quiet and watched.
The half-Veela then turned her focus onto the barrier, trying to figure out how to deactivate it..
When she had used the bow and arrows to free herself from the plants underwater last year she had taken the second earring and placed it against the black star symbol carved into the bow, which made it turn back into the missing piece of the pair.
, Maybe this one will work under the same principle.....' thought the witch, hands traveling to her ear to take off the star-shaped earring that rested beside the Hourglass one she had gotten from Regulus.
Once in her palm, she pressed it against the sun pattern in the middle of the shield, and a moment later it fell.
Ace did not waste time, eyes landing on the crying woman's hunched over form her irregular breathing immediately slowing down until she was made to slump backward landing on the soft pillows on her bed, slipping into unconsciousness seconds later.
They waited a few more moments just to be sure that she wouldn't wake up and attack them, before deeming it safe enough to let others back in to check on her health.
,, Be sure to be careful when getting rid of the ice." advised Celestia, taking some samples to take back to her office to inspect later. ,, We don't know what else HYDRA mutated her genes with...."
,, Yes ma'am / your grace." they replied, getting to work as the Ravenclaw and her companions left the room to continue further back into the hospital wing.
,, Are you sure the ice hasn't touched you?" asked Aelius in concern once they were far enough away, the Veela inspecting her face, throat, shoulders, and hands, carefully to make sure no frostbites or the likes of them were forming on her skin.
She softly shook her head, fondly rolling her eyes as she gave him a pat on the cheek. ,, I'm fine, no harm was done."
For someone who dealt with incredibly gruesome things each day, he sure was a worry-wart in matters concerning her.
He furrowed his brows, not looking entirely convinced. She was known to downplay the severity of her injuries and well-being, after all.
Slowly letting her hand drop down from his face she inwardly sighed and stepped forward, embracing him so that her chin was resting on his shoulder.
Aelius was only a head taller than her, only a few centimeters smaller than Regulus, which meant she didn't have to stand on the tips of her toes like she would have if it had been Tom or the twins in his place.
The Veela let his tense shoulders drop, his arms encircling her waist as he let his forehead drop to her own shoulder blue eyes closing in defeat.
His Lady was definitely not like past monarchs of her blood........ that was most certain.
,, Do you have any idea what they might have done with her?" asked Remus, watching in amusement as the blue-haired young man began melting under his honorary niece's touch not a second after she let one of her hands disappear underneath the hood over his head to massage his scalp.
It was nice to see them get along, with the circumstances around their relationship being as difficult as they were.
Violet certainly had befriended the Concubines she had brought back to the castle, but all of them were mostly picked up by her like strays, abandoned by their families, abused, or otherwise mistreated before she offered them a way to escape their inevitable fate.
The Werewolf never held long conversations with any of them, but they were fiercely loyal to the Pendragon Heiress, fighting tooth and nail to make sure no one would be able to touch a single strand of her white hair.
In the end, their efforts were fruitless, with both Regulus and Violet dying within days or perhaps even hours of each other, while most of their own met their end shortly after Eliza was laid to rest.
If he remembered correctly only one of the five survived, though no one had heard from him in over a decade, the young man having left in search of Eliza's daughter only to never return.
,, They experimented on her and others in hopes of potentially awakening powers within them." explained Ace, pointing at his eyes. ,, It is a similar procedure to what they did with my eyes, just with a lot of Alien technology mixed with different types of Magic you'd rather not wanna deal with."
,, Magic itself harnesses various forms of energy to manipulate one or more aspects of the infinite realities that are present within the Multiverse." continued Celestia, her hand moving to create a glowing blue pattern in the air. ,, We use the Magical particles in the air to craft spells, while other forms like the Mystic Arts searches its energy in the infinitive amount of realities the universe has created."
,, There is also Eldritch Magic, which only the Masters of the Mystic Arts are able to wield, though it mostly functions the same way as I stated before." said the half-Veela, concentrating on turning the blue symbols into fine fiery lines of the same color, the Pendant of her necklace glowing green, both disappearing with a single snap of her fingers. ,, Both extremely dangerous when used incorrectly or by the wrong person."
Remus and Aelius frowned, already able to picture several scenarios of how this could turn out wrong.
,, They are creating weapons in human form, that we have known for a very long time," said Remus, amber eyes traveling to Celestia's. ,, but what happens when one day one of these people that have gained powers lose control of themselves like Adrijana just did in a public setting without the protection of a Magical shield or Magic itself."
Just imagining this same outburst in the middle of a Muggle city made the Werewolf fear for their future.
Exposing their kind to Muggles would be at the bottom of the list of problems this could cause, the top consisting of people being used as literal time bombs to destroy and kill others in the name of senseless wars.
,, Their solution to achieve world domination will end with our world being destroyed." said Celestia simply, her heels clicking against the marble floors as they made their way further into the hospital wing. ,, A funny twist when looking at their belief of gaining power to stop humanity from destroying itself when given total freedom. One would think they would read their own bloody handbooks before starting useless shit like changing a human's brain waves or autonomy, but the power-hungry sadly mostly only ever consist of idiots who have too much money and time to spare."
,, They had handbooks?" asked Aelius bewildered, to which Ace and Celestia merely shrugged.
,, A couple," replied Ace. ,, mostly consisted of repeatedly hammering their ideologies into the brains of whoever was reading them though. It was like reading Hitler's Mein Kampf with a different colored cover."
,, What in Godrics' name were they giving you kids to read..." said Remus, shaking his head in disbelief as he listened to the two former prisoners talk.
,, A lot of things you don't want to know about." answered the pair, seemingly unbothered by the fact that they were made to read extremely dangerous files containing racist ideologies and plans that lead to mass destruction.
For them reading books involving torture methods, trials of mass murderers, and nuclear weapons was the norm of their childhoods, which meant they had grown somewhat apathetic in matters concerning talking about such topics.
,, Forget I even asked." said the Werwolf, shaking his head to try and get rid of the images his mind was conjuring up.
---------------
The next morning Regulus entered the Slytherin common room only to see most members of his House nervously exchanging glances while quietly whispering to each other, most holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in their hands.
,, Reg, there you are." spoke Blaise, being the first to spot him.
,, What is going on?" asked the Heir of the Black family, silently observing the occupants of the room.
It had been quite some time since any of them had seen such a commotion within their halls...
,, Take a look at this." said Theo, pushing another copy of the Daily Prophet towards his fellow Slytherin.
He raised an eyebrow but quickly picked it up and was greeted by a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at him from beneath the headline of the front page.
MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM
DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED
FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR
, What in Salazar's name......' thought the male, a deep frown overtaking his features as he continued reading.
In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"The Minister has been growing uneasy about the goings-on at Hogwarts for some time," said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. "He is now responding to concerns, voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve of. "
This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, has used new laws to effect improvements at the wizarding school. As recently as 30th August, Educational Decree Number Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person.
"That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts," said Weasley last night. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone so the Minister put in Umbridge, and of course, she's been an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts. "
It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, which creates the new position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.
"This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the falling standards at Hogwarts," said Weasley. "The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post and we are delighted to say that she has accepted. "
The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts.
"I feel much easier in my mind now that I know Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation," said an anonymous source. "Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and are glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation. "
Among those eccentric decisions are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the employment of werewolf Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional ex-Auror, "Mad-Eye" Moody.
Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts.
"I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step towards ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose our confidence," said a Ministry insider last night.
Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts.
"Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office," said Madam Marchbanks. "This is a further, disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore. " '(For a full account of Madam Marchbanks's alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page seventeen. )'
Once finished, he walked towards the fireplace, others watching with bated breath as the male threw the newspaper into the burning flames which had turned purple and oozed dark magic.
And then he did something none of them would have expected.
He laughed.
A full, bone-chilling, maniacal laughter, that managed to send shivers up the spines of those witnessing it.
His eyes, which had turned a bright Amethyst and took on the glow of a crazed and deprived beast only added to their fear.....
Blaise and Theo shared a singular glance, both realizing that their friend had not become enraged like one might have suspected him to be, but somehow had become amused by the situation, his maniacal laughter one that mocked the efforts of the likes of Fudge.
Regulus let a single hand run through his waves of black hair, eyes glinting with madness and dancing with mischief as a grin stretched across his face. ,, They really think that they have won this battle, don't they?" he asked no one in particular, observing the Daily Prophet being swallowed by purple flames, the lies printed upon it slowly turning to ash.
,, Well, they certainly don't know who they are trying to mess with....." he said, his calm demeanor slowly returning, though the mad grin stayed rooted on his face.
The Minister would be in for a surprise once his other half learns about this if she didn't already know.
----------------
Celestia, staring down at the article of the Daily Prophet let out a small hum, tilting her head slightly as she let her eyes turn up to her eldest brother who was sitting beside her.
,, Had Percy and Rita not informed us about the publication of Fudge's newest idea I certainly would have thought someone was trying to play a joke on me." said the half-Veela, an amused smile on her face as she handed the paper to Oreon, who bowed his head before walking away to dispose of it.
,, There were many things he could have tried to do now that Dumbledore's reputation is tarnished, in the name of assuring the public of ensuing safety standards in Hogwarts." said Tom, crimson eyes moving across the chess board between himself and the little boy, before moving one of the towers, making the silver-haired boy pout, a concentrated look on his face as he tried to figure out a new strategy. ,, We should be appreciating the fact that he didn't actively try to change another law, and cause us a migraine in the later run."
Celestia only rolled her eyes, leaning back to watch the Hippogriffs above fly through the cloudless sky.
,, That we should indeed." she accepted, her fingers gliding through Fenris's fur as the Asgardian Wolf let himself be pampered by her while letting Lylla sleep, leaning against his side.
Her golden eyes traveled to the tunnels leading to the cellars of Pendragon castle, where a rat was scurrying off into the woods.
A chuckle left her lips, the pendant of her necklace glowing yellow as she made herself comfortable on the plush chair she was resting on.
, I wonder how long it will take for me to break you, piece by piece Dolores.....' thought the half-Veela, just as Tom spoke the word ,, Checkmate."
,, What?!" exclaimed their healthy twin in disbelief, his eyes switching from the board to Tom. ,, No fair.... You always win when we play chess, Tom." he pouted, letting himself lean against Celestia's legs next to Fenris.
,, It comes with practice, little love." assured the half-Veela, pressing a kiss to his head as he craned his head back so that it was resting on her lap. ,, Tom is much older than you are, which means he had loads of time on his hands."
,, You make it sound like I'm as old as Lord Black." said the former Slytherin, shooting her a playful glare.
,, You may have the body of a twenty-year-old brother dearest, but you are an old man at heart and we both know it." she replied, not mentioning his actual age.
The two pale-haired Pendragons shared a chuckle upon seeing the unimpressed look being sent her way.
------------------
By Monday morning everyone knew about Professor Umbridge's newly appointed position and the fact that at any point their lessons could be visited by her for an 'inspection'.
Harry breathed out a sigh of relief when the woman did not appear in his History of Magic lesson, and another when she couldn't be found anywhere near Professor Snape's dungeon when they arrived for Double Potions, where Harry's moonstone essay was handed back to him with a large, spiky black 'A' scrawled in an upper corner.
,, I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your OWL,'' said Snape with a smirk, as he swept among them, passing back their homework. ''This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in the examination. On the last page, you will see where your essays are lacking and how to improve the mistakes made for the next one.''
Snape reached the front of the class and turned on his heel to face them.
,, The general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week's essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those dunces who get a "D". ''
Harry realized that Hermione was looking sideways to see what grade he had received; he slid his moonstone essay back into his bag as quickly as possible, feeling that he would rather keep that information private.
Determined not to make the same mistake twice in a row, Harry read and reread every line of instructions on the blackboard at least three times before acting on them. His Strengthening Solution was not precisely the same clear turquoise shade as Hermione's but it was at least a light turquoise rather than pink, like Neville's, and he delivered a flask of it to Snape's desk at the end of the lesson with a feeling of relief.
He glanced at Regulus, who had to wear gloves and a mask for brewing Potions and was one of the first finished with the task.
The Slytherin looked much more relaxed than he had yesterday, some younger Slytherins having let it slip that he had burst out laughing in the middle of the common room upon being handed the Daily Prophet containing the article about Umbridge.
, Looks like 'Tia was able to talk to him......' thought the Gryffindor, observing in sympathy as his Godbrother had to sit with the face mask until the end of the lesson because he was allergic to most Potions.
,, Well, that wasn't as bad as last week, was it?'' said Hermione, as they climbed the steps out of the dungeon and made their way across the Entrance Hall towards lunch. ''And the homework didn't go too badly, either, did it?''
When neither Ron nor Harry answered, she pressed on, ''I mean, all right, I didn't expect the top grade, not if he's marking to OWL standard, but a pass is quite encouraging at this stage, wouldn't you say?''
Harry made a non-committal noise in his throat, eyes traveling through the rows of people seated at the four tables for one specific person.
,, Of course, a lot can happen between now and the exam, we've got plenty of time to improve, but the grades we're getting now are a sort of baseline, aren't they? Something we can build on . . . "
By that point, Harry wasn't listening anymore and instead glanced at his forearm, where a single rune was engraved. , Hey.... Voices, can you point me to my friends?' he asked, pleasantly surprised when a familiar demonic hand formed from the rune, pointing him towards the direction of the Slytherin table. , Thanks...'
,, I'll be back in a bit." he told his two fellow Gryffindors, not waiting for a reply before walking away.
He didn't need to search long, able to spot his cousin's sliver/white hair from a mile away, and made his way to where she and the rest of the group were sitting.
,, I'm telling you, there is no way you can convince me that you made the bloody strawberry dance without Professor Brunner noticing it." he caught Aiden saying, the Ravenclaw seemingly in a heated exchange with a smug-looking Aspen.
,, Maybe the Professor needs to improve on his skills." shrugged the Hufflepuff, victoriously taking a bite out of his salad, having won the bet.
,, Oh! Hey there Harry." greeted Hunter, being the first to notice the Gryffindor. ,, How are ya?"
,, Good." replied the teen, immediately sitting down beside Hannah, a look of excitement on his face as he dug through his bag and handed her his moonstone essay.
,, An Acceptable!" she exclaimed, smiling proudly. ,, I knew you had it in ya! Looks like the hours in the library with our heads stuck in books proved useful."
The two continued chattering away, not noticing the rest of the group staring at them in mild surprise.
,, When in Hades's old shorts did that happen?" asked Aspen, turning to the others who looked just as bewildered as he felt.
,, Not a clue." replied Blaise, turning to Celestia and Luna. ,, Did you two know?"
Both Ravenclaws shook their heads, smiling faintly as they continued to watch the pair.
,, They're cute though, aren't they?" whispered Susan, chuckling quietly behind her hand with Fred next to her fondly shaking his head.
,, Very much so." agreed Celestia, her head leaning against Regulus's shoulder, while the Slytherin continued reading his father's letter concerning Arcturus's health, unbothered by his friends chattering away.
The half-Veela noticed trouble brewing behind his gray eyes, and slowly intertwined her hand with his, squeezing it.
,, How is he?" she asked, quiet so no one else heard.
,, Not good..." replied Regulus, glancing towards her. ,, My father said that he has grown weaker, refusing to eat most meals.."
He didn't want to imagine just how thin and frail the man had grown, still able to remember his grandfather Orion in his final days, the elderly Wizard unable to so much as talk, much less move.
It wasn't a fond memory to his young self, and he did not want to see it happening again to a loved one.
Celestia did not want to see him go through this as well, her hand once more squeezing his in comfort. ,, We'll get him the best help he can get... and we know how he is, he won't give up without putting up a fight." she told him, kissing his forehead and gently leading him to lay his head on her shoulder.
,, I know.." he replied, closing his eyes to soak up the comfort she offered, the scent of pears and Spider Lilies embracing him.
,, You lot had an inspected lesson yet?'' Fred asked them, a few minutes later.
,, No." answered Susan. ,, Have you?"
,, Just now, before lunch,'' said George. ''Charms."
,, What was it like?" asked Harry.
Fred shrugged.
,, Not that bad. Umbridge just lurked in the corner making notes on a clipboard. You know what Flitwick's like, he treated her like a guest, and didn't seem to bother him at all. She didn't say much. Asked Alicia a couple of questions about what the classes are normally like, Alicia told her they were really good, and that was it."
,, I can't see old Flitwick getting marked down,'' said George, ''he usually gets everyone through their exams all right."
,, Who've you got this afternoon?'' Fred asked Harry, knowing his sister's and friends' lesson plans.
,, Trelawney--''
,, Youch.... A "T" if ever I saw one. ''
,, --and Umbridge herself. ''
,, Well, be a good boy and keep your temper with Umbridge today as well,'' said George. ''Angelina'll do her nut if you dare mess up practice."
But Harry did not have to wait for Defence Against the Dark Arts to meet Professor Umbridge. He was pulling out his dream diary in a seat at the very back of the shadowy Divination room when Ron elbowed him in the ribs and, looking round, he saw Professor Umbridge emerging through the trapdoor in the floor. The class, which had been talking cheerily, fell silent at once. The abrupt fall in the noise level made Professor Trelawney, who had been wafting about handing out copies of The Dream Oracle, look around.
,, Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney,'' said Professor Umbridge with her wide smile. ''You received my note, I trust? Giving the time and date of your inspection?''
Professor Trelawney nodded curtly and, looking very disgruntled, turned her back on Professor Umbridge and continued to give out books. Still smiling, Professor Umbridge grasped the back of the nearest armchair and pulled it to the front of the class so that it was a few inches behind Professor Trelawney's seat. She then sat down, took her clipboard from her flowery bag, and looked up expectantly, waiting for the class to begin.
Professor Trelawney pulled her shawls tight about her with slightly trembling hands and surveyed the class through her hugely magnifying lenses.
,, We shall be continuing our study of prophetic dreams today,'' she said in a brave attempt at her usual mystic tones, though her voice shook slightly. ''Divide into pairs, please, and interpret each other's latest night-time visions with the aid of the Oracle."
She made as though to sweep back to her seat, saw Professor Umbridge sitting right beside it, and immediately veered left towards Parvati and Lavender, who were already deep in discussion about Parvati's most recent dream.
Harry opened his copy of The Dream Oracle, watching Umbridge covertly. She was already making notes on her clipboard. After a few minutes, she got to her feet and began to pace the room in 'Trelawney's wake, listening to her conversations with students and posing questions here and there. Harry bent his head hurriedly over his book.
,, Think of a dream, quick," told him, Ron. ,, in case the old toad comes our way."
, Great...' thought the Gryffindor, inwardly cursing his past self for having chosen Devination for an easy 'O', while trying to come up with a believable-sounding dream.
, Clouds of red raining down upon the bodies of innocent........ A crown of silver sacrificed to keep the peace between the mortal realm and the gods....' whispered the voices in his head, making a cold shudder run down his back.
,, ..... I... dreamed about a silver crown with a brilliant emerald in the middle, held in the bloodied hands of a girl..." he spoke after a moment, making Ron raise an eyebrow in shock.
,, Ehm.... okay... a bit on the morbid side but it'll do..." said the red-head. ,, We've got to add your age to the date you had the dream, the number of letters in the subject... would that be "crown", "bloodied" or "girl" ?"
,, It doesn't matter, pick any of them,'' said Harry, distracted by the images his mind had conjured up.
While he was trying to rid himself of the thing that looked very much like a pool of blood forming beneath the feet of a crying white-haired girl, Professor Umbridge had made a round and was now standing at Professor Trelawney's shoulder making notes while the Divination teacher questioned Neville about his dream diary.
,, What night did you dream this again?'' Ron said, immersed in calculations.
,, Huh...?.. Oh... ehm... last night or something..?... whenever you like." Harry told him, trying to distract himself by listening to what Umbridge was saying to Professor Trelawney. They were only a table away from him and Ron now. Professor Umbridge was making another note on her clipboard and Professor Trelawney was looking extremely put out.
,, Now,'' said Umbridge, looking up at Trelawney, ''you've been in this post how long, exactly?''
Professor Trelawney scowled at her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wishing to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. After a slight pause in which she seemed to decide that the question was not so offensive that she could reasonably ignore it, she said in a deeply resentful tone, ''Nearly sixteen years."
,, Quite a period,'' said Professor Umbridge, making a note on her clipboard. ''So it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you?''
,, That's right,'' said Professor Trelawney shortly.
Professor Umbridge made another note.
,, And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?''
,, Yes,'' said Professor Trelawney, holding her head a little higher.
Another note on the clipboard.
,, But I think-- correct me if I am mistaken--that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of Second Sight?''
,, These things often skip--er--three generations,'' said Professor Trelawney.
Professor Umbridge's toadlike smile widened.
,, Of course,'' she said sweetly, making yet another note. ''Well, if you could just predict something for me, then?'' And she looked up enquiringly, still smiling.
Professor Trelawney stiffened as though unable to believe her ears. '' I don't understand you,'' she said, clutching convulsively at the shawl around her scrawny neck.
,, I'd like you to make a prediction for me,'' said Professor Umbridge very clearly.
Harry and Ron were not the only people now watching and listening sneakily from behind their books. Most of the class was staring transfixed at Professor Trelawney as she drew herself up to her full height, her beads and bangles clinking.
,, The Inner Eye does not See upon command!'' she said in scandalized tones.
,, I see,'' said Professor Umbridge softly, making yet another note on her clipboard.
,, I--but--but . . . wait!'' said Professor Trelawney suddenly, in an attempt at her usual ethereal voice, though the mystical effect was ruined somewhat by the way it was shaking with anger. ''I . . . I think I do see something . . . something that concerns you . . . why, I sense something . . . something dark . . . some grave peril . . ."
Professor Trelawney pointed a shaking finger at Professor Umbridge who continued to smile blandly at her, eyebrows raised.
,, I am afraid . . . I am afraid that you are in grave danger!'' Professor Trelawney finished dramatically.
There was a pause. Professor Umbridge surveyed Professor Trelawney.
,, Right,'' she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more. ''Well, if that's really the best you can do . . . ''
She turned away, leaving Professor Trelawney standing rooted to the spot, her chest heaving. Harry caught Ron's eye and knew that Ron was thinking exactly the same as he was: they both knew that Professor Trelawney was an old fraud, but on the other hand, they loathed Umbridge so much that they felt very much on Trelawney's side--until she swooped down on them a few seconds later, that is.
,, Well?'' she said, snapping her long fingers under Harry's nose, uncharacteristically brisk. ''Let me see the start you've made on your dream diary, please."
And by the time she had interpreted Harry's dreams at the top of her voice (all of which, even the ones that involved eating porridge, apparently foretold a gruesome and early death), he was feeling much less sympathetic towards her. She then landed on his final dream, the one involving the bloodied crown and little girl.
,, Oh my......" she whispered, as if mesmerized by what she was reading. ,, A crown of silver in the hands of a white-haired girl......." her wide eyes snapped up towards his green ones, leaning too close for comfort as she observed him closely.
,, Tell me Mr. Potter.... you wouldn't happen to be related to Mrs. Grindelwald, are you?" asked the witch, to which he couldn't help but gulp.
,, Not directly through blood... but yes." he answered, growing nervous the more excited she grew.
,, Wonderful! Absolutely delightful!" she said, clapping her hands together, seeming to not have heard the first part of his sentence. ,, You know, Gellert Grindelwald and his daughter Amaterasu were blessed with a second Sight..... both were incredibly knowledgeable on the art of showing others their visions by using human skulls and smoke. It is a shame the gift skipped Theseus and his daughters, else they might still be alive today."
Harry was about to open his mouth, a glare already on his face at the mention of his deceased aunt and her family members, only for the bell to interrupt her blabbering.
All the while, Professor Umbridge stood a few feet away, making notes on that clipboard, and when the bell rang she descended the silver ladder first and was waiting for them all when they reached their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson ten minutes later.
She was humming and smiling to herself when they entered the room. Harry glanced at Celestia, who was scratching Chrome beneath the chin while replaying Professor Trelawney's words....
, ..... Could 'Tia be a Seer....?......' he wondered, shaking his head. , .... No.... not possible... There surely would have been signs that I noticed if she were.'
Hermione noticed his absentmindedness, but before Hermione could ask any questions Professor Umbridge had called them all to order and silence fell.
,, Wands away,'' she instructed them all with a smile, and those people who had been hopeful enough to take them out sadly returned them to their bags. ''As we finished Chapter One last lesson, I would like you all to turn to page nineteen today and commence "Chapter Two, Common Defensive Theories and their Derivation". There will be no need to talk. ''
Still smiling her wide, self-satisfied smile, she sat down at her desk. The class gave an audible sigh as it turned, as one, to page nineteen. Harry wondered dully whether there were enough chapters in the book to keep them reading through all this year's lessons and was on the point of checking the contents page when he noticed that Hermione had her hand in the air again.
Professor Umbridge had noticed, too, and what was more, she seemed to have worked out a strategy for just such an eventuality. Instead of trying to pretend she had not noticed Hermione she got to her feet and walked around the front row of desks until they were face to face, then she bent down and whispered, so that the rest of the class could not hear, ''What is it this time, Miss Granger?''
,, I've already read Chapter Two,'' said Hermione.
,, Well then, proceed to Chapter Three. ''
,, I've read that too. I've read the whole book. ''
Professor Umbridge blinked but recovered her poise almost instantly.
,, Well, then, you should be able to tell me what Slinkhard says about counter-jinxes in Chapter Fifteen."
,, He says that counter-jinxes are improperly named,'' said Hermione promptly. ''He says "counter-jinx" is just a name people give their jinxes when they want to make them sound more acceptable. ''
Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows and Harry knew she was impressed, against her will.
,, But I disagree,'' Hermione continued.
Professor Umbridge's eyebrows rose a little higher and her gaze became distinctly colder.
,, You disagree?'' she repeated.
,, Yes, I do,'' said Hermione, who, unlike Umbridge, was not whispering, but speaking in a clear, carrying voice that had by now attracted the attention of the rest of the class, including Celestia, who was silently observing the interaction. ''Mr. Slinkhard doesn't like jinxes, does he? But I think they can be very useful when they're used defensively. ''
,, Oh, you do, do you?'' said Professor Umbridge, forgetting to whisper and straightening up. ''Well, I'm afraid it is Mr. Slinkhard's opinion, and not yours, that matters within this classroom, Miss Granger. ''
,, But--'' Hermione began.
,, That is enough,'' said Professor Umbridge. She walked back to the front of the class and stood before them, all the jauntiness she had shown at the beginning of the lesson gone. ''Miss Granger, I am going to take five points from Gryffindor's house."
There was an outbreak of muttering at this, and unfortunately, Harry's patience had run thin, the voices arguing in his head not helping.
,, What for?'' said Harry angrily.
,, Don't you get involved!'' Hermione whispered urgently to him, to which he hissed back. ,, Then maybe keep your mouth shut and stop provoking every teacher you can't stand!"
,, For disrupting my class with pointless interruptions,'' said Professor Umbridge smoothly. ''I am here to teach you using a Ministry-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions on matters about which they understand very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more license, but as none of them--with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects--would have passed a Ministry inspection--''
,, Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher,'' said Harry a little too loudly, his head hurting, ''there was just that minor drawback of him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head. ''
By the time he realized what he said it was too late.
This pronouncement was followed by one of the loudest silences Harry had ever heard. Then--
,, I think a week's worth of detention would do you some good, Mr. Potter,'' said Umbridge sleekly.