Chapter 7
"You bitch!" Dexter called, stepping towards me with his hands pulled into fists. Before I could even react though, Fred pushed around me and swung his fist right into Dexter's nose. I gasped, my own hands covering my mouth as blood sprayed like a broken hose from Dexter's now mangled nose as he fell to the ground with a thud.
"Fred!" I yelled.
"I'm sorry Charlotte, he just- and I didn't- because he shouldn't-"Fred fumbled, looking at me frantically.
I held my hand over his, hovering only half a centimetre above his injured hand, and suddenly there was a warm glowing light from my hand, a golden glow. Before my eyes, the split on his hand closed up and purple/bluish colour disappeared altogether.
I starred at both out hands for a moment, completely mesmerised and also slightly terrified. I'd never done that before.
"Charlotte..." Fred whispered. I looked up to meet his eyes and they were as wide as saucers.
A groaning behind me shook me out of my surprised state and I saw Dexter slumped up against the wall, blood rushing from his nose and his eyes closed. I ran over to him to see if he was ok.
"Dexter, hey, wake up," I said, poking his shoulder. He opened his eyes and looked at me.
"What happened?" he asked me, his words slurred. He went to move but winced, his arm moving up so his hand could grasp his forehead.
"You must have tripped, fell and hit face first. The ice can get slippery up here this time of year" I explained, hoping he hadn't remembered Fred hit him.
"Quick, we have to get him to the hospital wing" I stuttered loudly, already trying to pick up Dexter by myself.
Suddenly Fred was there, taking the other half of Dexter's weight and we hurried down the stairs of the owlery and ran as much as we could to the hospital wing where as soon as Madam Pomphrey saw us, she directed us to a bed and we laid Dexter down.
She asked what happened and I told her he had fallen and hit his head. "I think he may have a concussion because he didn't remember doing it and asked me what happened" I supplied helpfully.
We thanked her and walked out. Fred and I walked in silence until we'd reached the end of the hall that went in 2 directions. Up or down. Up led to the astronomy tower and down led to classrooms and anywhere else.
It was dusk and the sky was pulling away the light, quickly turning from light blue to a deep pink. You could just see Hogsmeade starting to light the lanterns and glow in the distance.
"Char" Fred started, looking at me. "What was that?" he asked. His gaze flittering from me to his newly healed hand, to me again. There was a distinct look of fear in his captivated green eyes.
I looked out at the sky and breathed in a lungful of air, holding it before I let it out slowly. I'd taken too long to answer so Fred persisted with his questions. "You weren't holding your wand Charlotte, but you did serious magic" he went on.
"How?" Fred asked.
"I really don't know" I shrugged, looking out at the sky again. "My parents used to tell me I was very special, and one day I'd understand." But they'd died and I had no idea what this was.
"So you have magic away from your wand?" Fred asked. "And it's pretty powerful" he added as another thought.
"Sometimes. They only manifest when I'm very emotional or in need of them. I've never healed anyone before. I didn't know I could do that" I told him. "I don't know what's wrong with me" I whispered.
Swiftly, Fred drew me to him, circling his arms around me. "Nothing is wrong with you. Just because it's not normal, doesn't mean it's wrong" he told me, hugging me tightly. I smiled and snuggled closer, liking the feel of his arms around me.
"You never told me" he whispered.
"I've never met someone who can do what I do. It was dangerous for anyone else to know" I explained. Very dangerous.
"That's true" Fred agreed. We just sat there like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. "Did you hear Umbridge banned any loud music? Unless it so quiet you can barely hear it, not allowed."
It was a serious relief to tell Fred after all these years of no one knowing. Well, not many at all knowing, besides...
I shook my head, the thought with it.
"Come on, let's go to dinner" I smiled, standing up and holding my hand out to him.
His stomach gave a growl of agreement and we both laughed and started towards the great hall. As we neared the entrance, it was hard to get through as rushes of students were hurrying in one direction, outside into the courtyard. I looked over at Fred but he just shrugged so we followed everyone else.
Umbridge and Trelawney were facing each other, Trelawney crying and holding a handkerchief to her mouth with her belongings surrounding her feet, while Umbridge stood tall and smug, that little smirk on her lips.
She couldn't be...
"Six-Sixteen years I've lived and taught here. Hogwarts is my home" The professor pleaded. "Y-you can't do this"
"Actually I can," Umbridge said, holding up a slip of parchment. Trelawney looked absolutely devastated. My heart went out to her. How could Umbridge be this cold-hearted?
Suddenly Professor McGonagall stepped passed through the crowded students and made her way over to Trelawney quickly. McGonagall held the crying professor as Umbridge just stood there.
"Something you'd like to say, dear?" Umbridge asked.
"Oh, there are several things I'd like to say" McGonagall replied as she patted Trelawney's hair, trying to calm her.
There were loud bangs, like locks in a door moving and the large wooden doors began to swing open. Dumbledore walked through, pausing to look at the crowd that had gathered. He walked straight up to Umbridge, coming at a stop a few metres away. "Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside" he asked.
The look of relief that washed over professor Trelawney's face was severe. She let out a breath and a few hiccups as the two started walking back towards the castle doors. As they passed Dumbledore, Trelawney reached out for his hand, thank him.
"Dumbledore, may I need to remind you, that under the terms of Education degree number 23, as acted by the minister-"Umbridge started.
"You have the right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the headmaster" Dumbledore told her sternly.
The students began to dissipate rather quickly, but Harry burst from the crowd from right next to me. I hadn't even noticed he was there. "Professor!" Harry called after Dumbledore.
"Oh my god, this a new level of awful" I whispered, turning to Fred. His features were pulled into a grimace, his eyes alight with anger.
"We have to do something about this" he said, his head shaking from side to side. I could see the turmoil working inside his brain. Something I have always loved about Fred is his need to protect others and make things right. His passion burns so brightly it draws you in.
"I agree Fred, but what can we do? The woman is high inquisitor set by the minister himself. It's not like we can get her fired" I sighed, shrugging. As much as I wish there was something we could do about the wretch of a woman, I couldn't think of anything plausible. Feeding her to a dragon came into thought though.
A knocking on my door startled me as I was getting ready for bed that night. I dropped my pyjamas onto the covers and walked over to open the door.
Hermione stood on the other side of it, shifting from one foot to the other, nervously looking around the corridor. It was after curfew but with all the things she'd done in her years at Hogwarts, I doubted that was what she was nervous about.
"You're up to something," I said immediately, eyeing her suspiciously.
A small smile appeared on her face before disappearing quickly. "Come downstairs," she told me, gesturing with her head and turning away. I followed, closing the dorm door behind me.
We shuffled as quietly as we could past everyone's' dorms and wound into the common room. Two figures, one dark-haired and one red were facing away from us, sitting on the couch and staring at the fire. Ron and Harry.
They turned when they heard our footsteps approaching, standing when they saw it was us.
"What's going on guys?" I asked, leaning against the edge of the couch. Hermione looked at me and started what must have been a speech she rehearsed in her head.
"Fudge believes that Dumbledore is building an army to go against the ministry, so he doesn't want any of the students at Hogwarts to be trained in combat" she began. My eyebrows raised high. "We thought that, well, that we should have someone to teach us what they are not willing to. What she is stopping them from teaching us."
I nodded, thinking over the information. "Sounds great, whose the almighty teacher though," I asked, crossing my arms. Hermione and Ron looked at Harry, and Harry just looked at the floor. "Harry is going to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts," I said slowly, turning it over in my brain. I nodded. "Okay."
"Okay?" Harry asked with a surprised tone.
"Well if there was anyone, it'd be you. You've learned spells no one else has from Professor Lupin, you've dealt first hand in the dark arts of magic, you know how to defend yourself, even though it's not advanced knowledge, it's knowledge these students aren't getting anywhere else. Especially the younger years" I explained.
This seemed to surprise Harry, his eyebrows furrowing as he thought over my words. Before he could argue as I knew he liked to do, I went on. "So how are you going to teach these students? It's not like you can put up a poster in the hallway asking for members."
Ron coughed, "Well that's where we thought you could come in. You know practically everyone at this school, and who to trust. Who would be open to it?"
"I don't know everyone" I laughed, shaking my head at the exaggeration.
"Basically you do" he replied. "You know who most people are."
I shrugged, I guess that was true. "Yeah, I can do that. Spread the word a bit. Get a group of people together that may be interested. They're going to want details though. You need to set up a meeting" I told them. Lightning lit up the room outside, casting dark shadows on everyone's faces.
"Tell them it'll be on Saturday at 2pm at the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade" Hermione told me. I had no idea where that was but I nodded anyway, there was a map at the entrance to the town that would tell everyone where to go.
We all were silent for a few moments after that, soaking in what we were about to do. This was big, beyond big.