✰✰✰
"SKIVING SNACKBOXES" Fred and George boomed in loud voices over the common room,
"GET YOUR SKIVING SNACKBOXES"
"EASIEST WAY TO GET OUT OF A LESSON"
"JUST TAKE ONE OF THESE AND YOU'LL BE SENT STRAIGHT UP TO THE HOSPITAL WING"
"ALSO MAKE FOR GREAT PRANKS"
"They've really got a flare for this don't they" Alicia hummed, they were sitting by the fire as usual. Elle felt pleased to be back here but she couldn't help but think that this was her last year in this school. It had gone by so quickly.
"Yeah, I suppose they'll do this when they leave" Angelina turned to Elle assuming she would have all the answers on this however the brunette was just staring into the fire, not paying much attention at all.
"Elle?" Alicia waved her hand in front of Elle's face and she jumped in surprise,
"Sorry what?" The girls smirked at her,
"Pay attention" Angelina laughed "I was saying that I presume they'll continue this when they leave school"
"Yeah I think so" truthfully Elle knew they would, since Harry had given the two of them his triwizard winnings the twins were adamant on setting up a joke shop. However the secret of Harry's winnings wasn't one that was passed around lightly, the twins had told Elle not to mention it meaning she couldn't confide in the girls that the twins would definitely be continuing their new business after school.
"I don't think much of that new defence against the dark arts teacher" Angelina sighed "I wish we still had Professor Lupin, he was the best teacher we ever had"
"He was" Elle muttered "I kept asking him to come back but he says he can't because of the whole-"
"Werewolf thing" Alicia interrupted "I see where he's coming from, a lot of parents would be against that... all the bad ones obviously" she added.
Elle wished she could tell the girls more stories of her summer in Grimmauld place however as the order was such a large secret she was forbidden to say anything.
✰✰✰
The next day, the group were all given their timetables at breakfast. Elle skimmed over it lightly. She had a few good days including one where she'd managed to bag three free periods which was good considering she took five subjects.
"No" Alicia groaned,
"Whats wrong?"
"We have double Snape today" Alicia moaned "and we have Umbridge"
Elle was grateful that she didn't have to endure lessons with Snape however the idea of having Umbridge on the first day back. made her skin crawl. She hadn't even had a lesson with the woman yet and she already knew that she hated her. Elle had care of magical creatures first which usually would have been exciting for her, however today she had to
have lessons with Professor Grubblyplank.
The class were stationed around the side of the forbidden forest. Elle immediately walked over to the Hufflepuff Emilia excitedly.
"Em!" She walked quickly and the girl looked up for a spilt second before Elle pulled her in for a hug "did you have a good summer?"
"Yes it was great" Emilia grinned "I went to a remote island in Greece, it was beautiful"
The lesson began. Professor Grubbly-plank wasn't a bad teacher in fact she was actually very good. However she was excruciatingly boring. She'd brought out some young unicorn foals which normally would have been a very exciting experience. The foals were pure gold in colour and pranced around happily. This however was ruined by the daring voice of the professor who could even take away the excitement of unicorn foals.
"They react better to females than males" most of Elle's class was made up of girls anyway which wasn't a problem. They all formed a queue and took it in turns to stroke and pet the foals. Elle had never seen anything so beautiful in her life, their coats were soft to the touch and glittered in the sunlight like rays of light.
"I want one" Emilia smiled as she fed a small apple to one of the foals "I think they'd make great pets"
"Unicorns prefer independence unfortunately" Grubbly-plank smiled "though they are exceedingly beautiful. Once the hour was up, Elle regretfully walked away from the foals wishing she was able to spend more time with them. She spent her next free period writing up an essay on unicorn properties before it was time to face the thing she'd been dreading most. Umbridge. Or more accurately, pink bitch.
✰✰✰
Elle met up with the twins and walked down to the lesson feeling as though Professor Snape looked like a worthy option. The classroom smelt like someone had sprayed way too much perfume. It made her eyes water as she took a seat beside George. Fred sat behind next to Lee. Elle began to wonder if she should ask George if he had any fainting fancies on him currently, they definitely seemed a good alternative to sitting through this lesson. However she felt as though the clouds of perfume were going to make her pass out anyway.
"Hem hem"
All heads turned to the back of the room where Umbridge had appeared from. She walked like a dumpling to the front of the room in a frilly pink dress and matching cardigan. Lauren was right when she said Umbridge gave pink a bad name.
"This year you'll be taking your N.E.W.T exams, also known as nastily exhausting wizarding tests. They are considered the most difficult examinations by the ministry so I ensure you that these lessons will not be easy"
Her voice was sickly sweet and infuriating.
"Now if you could open your text books-"
Maybe it was the excess perfume smell that had warped Elle's brain or maybe it was just the fake smile Umbridge wore that had driven her mad but in this moment she couldn't stop herself from speaking out.
"Professor, there's nothing in these books about practical work" Elle butted in, some heads turned to her. She wasn't usually one to speak out.
"Practical work?"
"Using spells"
"Well I don't see why you would need to use spells"
"Well I don't know" Elle frowned sarcastically "maybe because there's a practical element to our exam" the fake smile remained as Umbridge observed he testingly,
"When we expand our knowledge and learn about the use of spells, practical work will come easier in the exam"
"Well that's bullshit" Elle stated.
Everyone went quiet. The fake smile on Umbridge's face had now disappeared and George was staring at Elle half impressed half confused.
"What is your name?" Her voice was colder now,
"Elle Lupin"
"Well miss Lupin, I am going to make this very clear when I say in this class you may not speak up without permission, you may not question my teaching methods because if you do you are questioning the methods of the ministry"
"You're throwing us into the hardest wizarding exams without any preparation for the practical exams, if that's the ministry's methods then yes I'm most definitely questioning it"
Umbridge looked as though she was about to explode any second now, her frog like face was growing redder by the minute as her pudgy hands gripped on the textbook she was holding. Then all of a sudden her smile returned,
"Lupin" she spoke out "you wouldn't happen to be related to the halfbreed... Remus Lupin" Elle froze. Did she just say half breed.
"He's not a 'halfbreed' he's a human being" Elle muttered in disgust,
"Well not exactly is he?" Umbridge continued to smile "Human beings don't often turn into dangerous monsters now do they?"
"Don't you dare say that about him" Elle jumped up immediately, the anger raging through her was something she had never felt before. Never would she have imagined herself to lash out this way before a teacher but in this moment, she couldn't stop herself,
"He's ten times better than you'll ever even hope to be" she spat angrily.
"Don't talk to me in that tone" Umbridge scowled "I am your teacher" she cried out.
"Teacher" Elle yelled "HA, Don't make me laugh, your as much of a teacher as a jar of frogspawn". With that Elle picked up her bag and stormed out of the room promptly slamming the door shut behind her.
She stormed along the corridor for a moment before realising what she had just done. She'd yelled at and insulted a teacher. Who was she turning into?
✰✰✰
She made her way back to the common room as quickly as she could before stopping dead in the middle of the corridor to see her head of house (Professor McGonagall) blocking her path.
She didn't look overly happy however she also didn't seem angry.
"Follow me Elle" she smiled grimly and they walked towards the office.
Elle took a seat behind the desk,
"Biscuit?" McGonagall enquired as she motioned towards a tartan tin of round biscuits. Elle took one gratefully,
"I just received a very angry message from Professor Umbridge" she'd managed to sent a messsge that quickly? Elle thought to herself.
"She insulted my uncle" Elle defended "and she's not teaching us about using spells"
McGonagall sighed,
"I understand your frustrations Elle unfortunately there is nothing I can do about it, Delores is allowed to teach the subject any way she see's fit"
"Then I'm not taking it anymore" Elle responded quickly "I'll just take four subjects"
"You're going to drop the lesson just because you don't see eye to eye with the teacher?" McGonagall raised her eyebrows,
"Yes" Elle replied "I'm no good at the subject anyway"
"Well if you're sure Elle" McGonagall sighed "though I do suggest taking some time to think this through after you've calmed down"
"Yes I will do" Elle replied knowing that she'd already made up her mind,
"As well as that, Delores has wished me to inform you that you'll have to do a detention with her on Tuesday evening"
"What?" Elle gasped "I didn't even do anything wrong... well actually I did say she's as much as a teacher as a jar of frogspawn" Elle reminisced.
She was surprised to see McGonagall stifle a small laugh, she'd always seemed such a strict teacher.
"Unfortunately Delores has insisted on it, her office at seven on Tuesday"
"Yes I'll be there" Elle sighed,
"You may go now" The Professor smiled. Elle made her way back to the common room still raging this anger however now another thought had come to mind. How had she managed to land herself a detention before Fred and George.
✰✰✰