An Unfortunate Miracle
Chapter Fourteen
Back To Hogwarts
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Have you ever seen a marching band perform in the dark? At rehearsal a few nights ago, it got so dark that we couldn't see the yard lines, and one of our instructors commented on the fact that we still had the lights from the Varsity field, which was directly behind us (we were on a practice field, having been kicked off the JV field by the football team, curse them). Seconds before we began, the lights from the Varsity field were turned off! Typical, huh? Well, we went on with our run-through, and halfway through the closer, there was a three-trumpet pile-up on the field. Quite funny. Just thought I'd share that story with you.
Hey, any band geeks out there who are going to be at the field show in Ankeny, Iowa on October 15, keep an eye out for me! I'm the only female baritone (aka. Euphonium, or "the small tuba thingy") player in the Blaine Marching Bengals (from Blaine, Minnesota)!
Now, read on!
Scott, Lee, and I returned to Hogwarts on January 12. I told Angelina, Alicia, and Katie about kissing George, and they all squealed excitedly. This even scared me slightly.
The next few days passed very slowly. Fred and George (who hadn't spoken to me much since Christmas Day) demonstrated their Headless Hats in the common room on Monday. On Tuesday, the news that ten convicted Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban became common knowledge.
And on Wednesday, Educational Decree Number Twenty-Six was posted in the common room, banning teachers from giving students information that doesn't relate to the subject they teach. It was for this reason that on Thursday, Lee got detention from Umbridge for telling her she couldn't tell Fred and George off for playing Exploding Snap in the back of the class.
"Exploding Snap's got nothing to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor!" he had told her. "That's not information relating to your subject!"
When I saw Lee that night after his detention, he was soaking his hand in a bowl of murtlap essence.
As January progressed, the members of the D.A. worked harder than ever, now that the ten Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban. Harry taught us new jinxes and counter-curses, and we all worked hard to learn them.
February came quickly, bringing warmer weather, and more frequent Quidditch practices. Angelina and Alicia kept nagging me to talk to George (who was still avoiding me), so about a week before the Hogsmeade trip, I cornered George in the common room, and we agreed to remain friends.
On the Monday after the Hufflepuff match (which had not gone well, despite the fact that I managed to hit Zacharias Smith with a Bludger), Harry received numerous owls from the readers of The Quibbler. Unfortunately, Umbridge noticed, and descended from the High Table. She promptly banned Harry from Hogsmeade, took fifty points from Gryffindor, and gave him a week of detention.
Later that day, Educational Decree Number Twenty-Seven banned The Quibbler, but despite this, all the students were to quote the interview. There was a small party in the common room that night, and Fred and George enlarged the front cover of the magazine and hung it on the wall. Occasionally, it said things like, "The Ministry are morons" and "Eat dung, Umbridge" in a booming voice.
"I promised my Muggle friends I would go back to America after I got done with school."
About two weeks later, I was eating dinner in the Great Hall with the rest of the Gryffindor seventh years, and Alicia had just asked me what my summer plans were.
Part of me really wanted to get done with school so I could see my friends again, but another part didn't want to leave Hogwarts, just as I hadn't wanted to graduate from high school in America: I was afraid I would never see my school friends again once I went to college. But then again, there wasn't a Wizarding college, so unless I went to a Muggle college, I wouldn't have to worry about college. Whatever.
"Are you going to stay there?" asked George.
I shrugged. "I dunno. Probably not, since Scott still has to finish school."
Truthfully, I had already planned out my entire summer. I would go back to America, and if I got Dumbledore's permission, I would tell my friends about the wizarding world. After a few weeks, I was going to return to England, so that Scott could finish at Hogwarts, and I could fight in the Second War, which was drawing closer.
"George and I are starting our joke shop," said Fred proudly. "We've already got a place in Diagon Alley."
"What about you, Angie?" asked Lee.
"Well, I'm – "
She was interrupted by a scream coming from the entrance hall. The Great Hall fell silent.
"What was that?" asked Lee.
"I dunno," said George, as another scream echoed from the entrance hall.
For a moment I was confused, but then I remembered about Professor Trelawney. We followed the other students out of the Great Hall to see what was going on.
Trelawney was standing in the middle of the entrance hall with her wand in one hand and an empty bottle in the other. She was staring, terrified at Umbridge, who was standing at the foot of the marble staircase.
"You c-can't!" she sobbed. "You c-can't sack me! I've b-been here for sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is my h-home!"
"It was your home," said Umbridge coldly, "until an hour ago, when the Minister of Magic countersigned for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us."
Professor McGonagall suddenly pushed through the throng of students and marched up to Trelawney. "There, there, Sibyll...Calm down...Blow your nose on this...It's not as bad as you think, now...You are not going to have to leave Hogwarts..."
"Oh really, Professor McGonagall?" said Umbridge, taking a few steps forward. "And your authority for this statement is...?"
The oak front doors suddenly opened, revealing Professor Dumbledore. "That would be me," he said. He strode through the onlookers toward Trelawney and McGonagall.
"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" asked Umbridge, with an unpleasant laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation, and sack any teacher she – that is to say, I – feel is hot performing up to the standard required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."
Dumbledore was smiling. "You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge. As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid," he continued, bowing, "that the power to do that still resides with the headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts."
George whispered to me, "Why d'you suppose he wants her here? Everyone knows she's a fraud."
I shrugged, though I knew exactly why. Sibyll Trelawney would be in great danger outside of Hogwarts, because she made the prophecy about Harry and Dumbledore.
"And what," Umbridge was saying, in a whisper that carried throughout the entrance hall, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"
"Oh, that won't be a problem," said Dumbledore. "You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor."
"You've found – ?" said Umbridge shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Twenty-Two – "
" – the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if – and only if – the headmaster is unable to find one," said Dumbledore. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"
He turned toward the open front doors. A creature with the head and torso of a man joined to the body of a palomino horse trotted through the doors.
I gasped. "George," I said, grabbing his arm, "is that a centaur?" He nodded, looking amazed as well.
"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge. "I think you'll find him suitable."
Author's Note: Hope you liked it! Review, please!