Chapter 6

Victoria, Renee, Fred, George, and Lee had extremely similar course schedules this year. (Since Becca was a sixth year this year, they didn't have any classes with her.) The only difference was Victoria and Renee had decided to take Care of Magical Creatures again, while the boys decided to take Divination for an easy grade.

Victoria and Renee had rolled their eyes at them.

"Why on earth would you want to sit in Divination?" Renee asked. "Professor Trelawney is frightfully dull."

"And full of---" Victoria started, but was cut off by Lee.

"It's so easy," he said. "You can just make stuff up. She'd never know the difference."

"You're a hopeless lot," Renee said. "Doing what you can to escape real work."

"Yeah, taking care of flobberworms is a real challenge."

"Okay, okay, settle down," George said stepping between Renee and Lee. "Girls, you go on to Care of Flobberworms---"

"Care of Magical Creatures!" Renee said defensively.

"Right, sorry. Magical Creatures, sorry, baby." George knew how important it was to Renee. "We will go to Divination and meet you in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Victoria groaned. "In the past Defense Against the Dark Arts has been an interesting class. But with this Umbridge woman as the new professor..."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about Umbridge," Fred said. "We'll deal with that when we have to."

Victoria nodded a little. She and Renee had said goodbye to the boys and headed out to the Care of Magical Creatures class.

"I can't believe Lee sometimes," Renee fumed. "Why must he always talk against Care of Magical Creatures?"

It always upset Renee when things like this happened. Renee wanted to make a career out of the subject. She had been fascinated with them for as long as she could remember. Whenever Charlie Weasley came to visit, she always had questions about his caring for dragons. However, she wanted to specialize in hippogriffs and unicorns.

"You can't let that prat get to you," Victoria said. "He just doesn't get it. He never has been an animal person."

"Well that's easy for you to say. He never scoffs at your dream."

Victoria's desired profession was to be a nurse, primarily in a children's hospital.

"Just ignore him," was Victoria's advice.

"Yeah, I guess," Renee muttered.

Renee's mood brightened considerably when they arrived at their class. Professor Grubbly-Plank had decided to start with unicorns, which pleased Renee (and all of the other girls) to no end.

Victoria had mixed feelings as Care of Magical Creatures came to an end. She was happy to be seeing Fred again, but she was dreading sitting in Umbridge's class. Victoria had never even been in the class yet and already this professor grated on her nerves. She couldn't really put her finger on why. Of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione (among other students) grumbling about her class the previous day didn't inspire a lot of confidence.

When the girls got to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, Victoria sat between Lee and Fred while Renee sat next to George, as far away from Lee as she could. She was still a bit angry with him. However, Victoria knew it would be history by lunch time. Nobody in their little cluster could ever stay mad at each other long. The chattering around them stopped as the stout woman clad in hideous shades of pink walked up the front of the room.

"Hem, hem," she said, clearing her throat a bit. "Before we start our Ministry-approved lesson, I would like to clear up something. Now I know there have been rumors about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named..."

Lee snorted. "Really? I hadn't noticed," he mumbled to Victoria.

Umbridge glared at him before continuing.

"Let me reassure you, He-Who-Must-Be-Named is not back. I'm sure Harry Potter believes it...but he is wrong."

"Harry Potter is not a liar!" Victoria said, unable to contain herself. How dare this woman talk against one of Victoria's friends? Umbridge clearly did not understand that it was probably one of the worst things you could do in front of Victoria.

Umbridge went ridgid and Victoria could feel Fred tense next to her, ready to defend if necessary. Lee just snickered at Umbridge's reaction.

"Excuse me, dear," Umbridge said as sweetly as she could. "You must be mistaken."

"I am not mistaken. Harry Potter is not a liar. He wouldn't lie about something as big as this."

"He may have been delusional at the time...or just seeking attention...quite sad really."

"If there's one thing he doesn't need to seek it's attention!" Victoria was steadily getting angrier. "How dare you say those things about him? You don't even know him!"

"And you do?" Umbridge said stiffly.

"Harry Potter is my friend!" Victoria shouted, standing up quickly and knocking her ink, quill, and parchment to the floor. "If he says V-V-Voldemort" --- she forced herself to say the name--- "is back, then I believe him! Harry is one of the most brave and honest people I ever met! What gives you that right to drag his name through the mud?"

"Detention! See me after class!"

Victoria glared at Umbridge and slowly sat back down as books floated to the desks.

"Want me to take care of her?" Fred whispered, reaching for his wand.

"No."

"Tor--"

"I said no. I'll deal with it."

Fred reluctantly left his wand in his robe pocket and opened Defense Against the Dark Arts: For Beginners.

After class, Victoria went up to Umbridge's desk alone. It took some convincing to get the twins, Renee, and Lee to leave though. They were all ready to pounce in defense of Harry and Victoria.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Victoria said through gritted teeth.

"What is your name, dear?" Umbridge asked in that falsely sweet tone of hers.

"Victoria Wallace."

"Miss Wallace, it would like you report to my office promptly at eight o'clock this evening."

"Yes, Professor."

And at exactly eight o'clock that night, Victoria found herself pounding on the door.

"Come in," Umbridge called sweetly.

Victoria grimaced as she pushed open the door. She had to repress a twitch as she surveyed the office. The walls were splashed a medicinal shade of pink. There were ceramic kittens and collectable plates (also adorned with kittens) lined the walls. The final touch were the doilies and flowers laid around the office.

'Surely no self-respecting Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher would do this to their office?' Victoria thought to herself as she took a seat at the desk in front of Umbridge's. A piece of parchment awaited her. Lines obviously.

"You are going to write lines for me," Umbridge informed Victoria as she stood up and walked over.

'Duh,' Victoria thought.

"I want you to use this quill." Umbridge placed a black quill upon the desk. Victoria glanced up at her questioningly. "You won't be needing any ink," Umbridge said at once, as if she recently answered this.

"What am I writing?" Victoria asked.

"I will show respect. And as many times as I deem necessary."

Sighing, Victoria started writing. As she did, she felt a sudden, sharp pain on in her right hand. She winced and saw that the quill had started cutting into her hand, and that the ink on the parchment was bright red. Umbridge looked at her smugly, which infuritated Victoria. She kept her head down and kept writing, no matter bad the pain.

After that detention, she didn't talk about it with anybody. However, when she heard Hermione ask how Harry's detention had gone earlier he told Hermione he didn't want to talk about it. Victoria silently sympathized. Umbridge had decided to continue Victoria's punishment every night that week. On the fifth night of her sentence, Victoria's hand had been permanently scarred and bled freely. She dug tissues out of her robe pocket and put pressure on her hand as she stomped back up to Gryffindor tower.

When she got to the portait of the Fat Lady, she muttered the password and went inside.

"That Umbridge is the most vile woman to ever walk this planet!" Victoria said angrily sitting on the couch, cradling her hand and trying to stopped the bleeding. Her hand hurt the worst tonight, and she didn't care who saw it now.

"What happened?" Renee asked, frowning. She glanced down at Victoria's hands. "What's wrong with your hand?"

Victoria removed the blood sodden tissues and Renee gasped.

"Yeah, I know," Victoria muttered.

"Let me see if I can find anything for you to soak it in." Renee jumped off the couch and went in search of medicene.

At almost that same moment, Fred dropped onto the couch next to her.

"Hey, Tor. Whoa, what happened to your hand?" He asked as he grabbed her hand. Victoria winced a little. She noticed Fred's face had gone from looking quite happy, to looking grim. "Did she do this to you?" There was venom in Fred's voice as he said "she". That scared Victoria a little. She had never heard Fred sound so angry with anybody before.

"Yeah," was all Victoria said.

Renee came back with a bowl of essence of murtlap.

"Soak your hand in this; it'll make it better," she said.

Victoria removed the reddened tissues and stuck her injured hand in the calming solution. Renee was right; it was already starting to feel better.

If only Fred would stop looking so angry...