I'd like to formally apologize for my prolonged absence. It was unplanned.
Writer's block, cat had some kittens then stopped nursing them so we're having to hand rear them, been working a lot. Been moving in with my boyfriend as well.
Ugh.
Welp, here it is folks.
Chapter Fourteen
Lou Ellen through the vast corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, cursing herself for her love-stricken impulsiveness. Yes, love. She was certain now that this wasn't some teenage infatuation.
She loved Nico. Really loved him. He was a good person. Dark, but good. And in many ways it gave her hope that needed.
It wasn't something she liked to think back on. Back to the Titan War so many years ago. She had been just a girl who hadn't been at camp for very long. But then her mother claimed her, and she had found herself without a home.
The one place on earth where she wouldn't be hunted, and suddenly she was tossed out. Sure, she could stay in the Hermes cabin during the summer, that old cabin was run down and stuffed to the breaking point with kids. No, it was better to just stay with her father. Spells were usually capable of keeping out unwanted visitors. Usually.
Lou Ellen kept running, collapsing somewhere by a window in the Astronomy Tower. She liked in up here. At night you had some of the clearest views of the heavens, and during the day the view of the school grounds was breathtaking.
In many ways she didn't blame her half brother for joining Kronos's army. She almost joined him herself. Almost.
Katie kept her on the side of the Gods. Katie with her warm smile and hugs. Katie who had stayed with her through thick and thin
Lou Ellen's eyes burned, and all of a sudden, for the first time since coming to this amazing and magical place she felt homesick.
Gods above, she was an idiot. A few kind words when she was stressed from school, and suddenly she was kissing the boy she had been in love with since she first laid eyes on him
And his reaction was nothing like she had fantasized.
She expected him to lean into the kiss, and break away, and look at her with sudden revelation in his eyes. That they'd kiss again, and laugh awkwardly while blushing. Nico would confess that he, too, had been in love with her.
No. It was nothing like that.
Nico had pulled away from the kiss. He'd looked at her with shock and disgust in his eyes. Katie had been right about everything.
Lou Ellen drew her knees to her chin, and hugged herself, ashamed at what she had done. In all honesty, she didn't blame Nico for being disgusted. Had Jason suddenly swooped in and kissed her like that, well, she'd have hexed his lips off.
She groaned. She could feel her face turning red as a summer cherry while her eyes burned with unshed tears of embarrassment. Gods, maybe she should just run away and marry Katie.
"What's the matter with you?" said a voice from across the tower. Apparently she wasn't alone.
Lou Ellen bit her lip to keep herself from groaning. The voice belonged to the one and only Draco Malfoy. AKA number one douchebag in Slytherin House. The boy stood in the entrance to the astronomy tower, leaning in the doorway with a haunty air about him. He was smirking down at her arrogantly. Lou Ellen resisted the urge to hex him, deciding instead to fiercly glare at him and hope it would scare him away. It didn't.
"Nothing you'd care about," said Lou Ellen hotly.
Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Is it that Gryffindor you're always following? You know, you might have more friends in your house if you weren't always tagging around with him."
"Whatever,"
Malfoy smirked, "It is, isn't it?" He sauntered towards her, but Lou Ellen wasn't going to have any of it. She stood up and began to walk away, shoving past to blonde boy as she passed the doorway.
"You know, you're on the wrong side." said Malfoy.
Side? Suddenly, the fact that Malfoy's parents must be Voldemort supporters hit Lou Ellen like a ton of bricks. She stopped in her path, and turned to face the ferret faced boy. He smirked turned cocky.
She smiled back, putting all of her boy troubles aside for the moment. Draco's parents were obviously encouraging his behavior. Over the weeks, the amount of times he had referenced something 'his Father' had told him was immeasurable.
The boy was a follower. And not just a boy, a malleable boy.
Douchebag he may be, Lou Ellen knew she could manipulate him if the incident in New York was any sort of evidence. She just needed to make him doubt in whatever sort of foundation he had underneath him.
Play stupid, she told herself. "I'm sorry?"
Draco scoffed, "Potter and those friends of his. You're always hanging around them. You're on their side. Dumbledore's side." The last bit was spat out with abhorrence.
"But isn't Professor Dumbledore the Headmaster?" she said.
"Ha! Now he is, but soon someone more competent will take his place!"
"I don't understand," she schooled her face into an expression of innocent confusion, "I was told he is a great Headmaster."
"To the Gryffindors he is! My first year here, we won the house cup fair and square!. The Gryffindors were in fourth place, fourth! They went and snuck out at night at the end of the school year, got into trouble and did something underneath the school. They were hailed as damned heroes, but all they did was nearly get themselves killed. They broke so many school rules and what does that lazy, good-for-nothing do? He rewards them!" His venomous voice was laced with anger and jealousy. Lou Ellen struggled to keep her face neutral.
"Rewards them? How?"
"At the end of school feast, the banners were all Slytherin. We won the housecup. We stayed out of trouble and stuck to the rules, and got the housecup. Or at least we were supposed to. Then Dumbledore decided to hand out a few 'last minute points', or whatever," he glared to the side in distaste, "He handed them a couple hundred points, along with that Longbottom oaf, and then turned all the banners and decoration in the hall red and gold for Gryffindor, and everyone except Slytherin cheered. I mean, why? Why would he do that? Why would he make us believe we won, only to shove back in our faces how hated we are." he yelled in frustration.
Suddenly, his hatred of the other houses made sense.
In all honesty, while Malfoy was a grade A douchebag, and a slimeball to boot, he wasn't that bad of a person to his housemates. He liked to gloat to them, and show off the goodies and sweets his parents sent him, but he also liked to share them with his friends- and at least in Slytherin, he was a master at making them.
Lou Ellen smirked inwardly as inspiration hit her.
The truth was, she hadn't had much luck in making allies in her house, or anywhere, really. True, she had managed to worm her way into a group of girls by gossiping and obsessing over magazines, but the girls were still distant. Slytherin distrusted her due to Nico and Jason, and the rest of the school distrusted her due to her being in Slytherin.
If she could make Malfoy an ally...
She widened her eyes in shock, which wasn't that hard, because she was. She had a hard time believing Dumbledore would pull a dick move like that. If that was true, he essentially humiliated a quarter of the school, which would have been cruel and fairly unnecessary.
And yet, Malfoy didn't seem to be lying. He looked hurt and upset. With another pang of homesickness, Lou Ellen once again thought of her half-brother.
Alabaster had deemed the Olympian Gods as bullies. He joined Kronos, and when he was offered amnesty he had continued to urge their mother to fight against the Gods. he was exiled from the camp, and Lou Ellen knew she'd never see him again.
He had been hurt and angry, like so many of her cousins. And like Malfoy was now.
She kept calm, "That's horrible," she said.
"And that's not even the half of it," he muttered darkly,
"I'm sorry." She placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled kindly at him. "And I'm sorry about the New York incident."
Malfoy glared again, this time at her. "That was mean. My mother laughed at me! Laughed!"
"Well, you weren't very polite yourself." she said sheepishly, how about we call a truce?"
"A truce?" he asked, laughing, "What do you have to offer?"
Lou Ellen frowned, looking disappointed. "Nothing, I'm afraid. I'm rather sparse on connections. Except of Millicent, Nico, and Jason, I don't know too many people here. And I don't have much money…"
Money and connections. That's how things worked in Slytherin. Most of the kids there were old blood or Ministry brats trying to get into better careers than their parents. They formed alliances, held together at first with one person holding the money, and another knowing everyone's dirty little secret, and another who was simply able to be friends with everyone.
Through trial and error, some of these alliances lasted forever. They became dependant on one another, or they were just too stubborn to give up; outcasts bonding with outcasts, they stayed with each other because they knew they would never be able to find anyone else.
Everyone found a true friend in Slytherin. You had to. Two weeks in, and Lou Ellen already knew this.
Malfoy stared at her, his eyes seemed to be calculating. Then, he gave her another cocky smirk. Lou Ellen resisted smirking as well.
No, Draco Malfoy was not dumb. While Lou Ellen didn't like him, she had to admit he was a sneaky little bastard.
"Tell me, Lou Ellen, are Nico and Jason friends with Potter?"
Lou Ellen shrugged, "I don't know… Weasley and Potter were teaching Jason Quidditch. And Nico is friends with Longbottom."
Malfoy smirked, nodding, "Yes… And what about you, Blackstone? Are you friends with Potter?"
Lou Ellen tried to keep an oblivious facade while she shrugged, "I wouldn't say friends. We've only known each other a few weeks! We talk about what we're doing, homework, plans for the future. That sort of stuff."
Malfoy paced excitedly, "Of course… why didn't I think of it sooner…" He grinned, flinging his arm around Lou Ellen, while Lou Ellen allowed herself a small smile. "Lou Ellen, is it alright if I call you that? I think we are going to become very good friends."
…
"I don't understand… Could you explain it again?" said Ron through a mouthful of chicken. Lou Ellen mirrored Hermione's revolted face, adjusting her temporary spot on the stool.
"I can provide you information, for a price."
"Yeah, information from Slytherin Why would we want to know what those snakes are up to?"
"Excuse me?" said Lou Ellen, raising her eyebrow. Hermione glared at Ron, and cut in,
"What Ronald is trying to say, is why do we care."
Lou Ellen smirked, "Well, Umbridge is from Slytherin, isn't she?"
"Yes, but,"
"So what house do you think she's going to brainwash first? What house has a fairly good reason to dislike Dumbledore? What house had the most supporters for You-Know-Who?"
Ron's eyes widened in realization, and Hermione's narrowed. Harry look somewhat angry.
"Dumbledore's the greatest headmaster ever!"
Lou Ellen raised her eyebrow, "That's what you took from what I just said? Whatever… Let me explain. From what I hear, during your first end of school feast, he set the Slytherin's up to think they'd won the house cup, and then humiliated them by changing the banner's colors from green to red."
Hermione, Ron, and Harry all blinked and looked at each other as if they'd never thought of that. They probably hadn't.
"Regardless," she continued, "The enemy, of my enemy, is my friend. Here's the deal. You're all semi-officially in the Order of the Phoenix. I don't know much about this You-Know-Who guy, I was never taught too much about about that war. My dad never spoke of it too often. But I do know he's bad news, and I trust Dumbledore's word that he's back.
"I also know that I want Umbridge gone. I want to be Minister of Magic, and I I am to achieve that position, or anywhere near it, I need to know defense." She paused for effect, "Do you know what this means?"
Hermione was the first to speak, "It means that you're in a position to give us vital information on Umbridge, and quite possibly information about You-Know-Who's supporters."
Lou Ellen grinned at her rival, "Yes."
"But you said that it had a price. What's the price?" said Harry with distrust in his eyes.
"Information," she said nonchalantly, "What you're up to, what's happening in your lives, who broke up with who."
That wasn't entirely it. Malfoy actually wanted the stuff that could get them in trouble. It seemed the boy had an obsession with trying to get the three, or Harry specifically, into trouble.
"Oh," said Hermione skeptically, "Is that all?"
"Well, it's more of the stuff that could get you into trouble, and possibly more serious things later on in the school year."
"Serious, like what?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Who knows- can I read that?" Lou Ellen pointed at Hermione's newspaper copy folded next to her plate. There was was a picture of Umbridge on the front cover.
"Sure," said Hermione, grimacing, "but you'll hate it."
As soon as Lou Ellen read the cover she found out why.
'MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM. DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER HIGH INQUISITOR.'
You shall go East and face the Inquisitor's rage.
Lou Ellen stared in horror at the newspaper.
This was bad. She hadn't expected this. She had thought Umbridge would be an irritating, but small part of their quest. This would evidently not be so.
She had to talk to Jason and Nico. Screw the drama, this took priority.
"You can keep it, if you'd like. We've already read it." Hermione said, digging at her eggs.
Lou Ellen nodded and took off towards Nico. "I'll give you some time to mull over the offer."
Nico was currently in a very deep one-sided conversation with Neville. Neville was gesturing wildly with his hands and showing him something from from a book, while Nico listened with a smile and a far off look in his eyes. His elbow for whatever reason was in the bowl of butter next to his plate. Nico didn't seem to notice and no one had posted it out.
It was strange that it was the same look Lou Ellen wished would be in his eyes when she talked to him.
Approaching the two of them, Lou Ellen coughed to get their attention. Nico, being surprised, jumped. It was then that he noticed his butter soaked elbow.
"What in Hades?"
"Nico, I need to talk to you and Jason," said Lou Ellen quickly.
Nico nodded, "It's about the Daily Prophet, right?"
"Yeah,"
Nico stood up. Neville offered Nico his robe, and the Nico took it with an embarrassed smile. Lou Ellen felt a flash of jealousy, but she couldn't put her finger on why. It wasn't like Neville was competition.
Neither of them mentioned yesterday's incident on the way to the Hufflepuff table.
When Jason came into view, they both noticed something seemed off about him. He had dark circles under his eyes, and didn't look like he had gotten much sleep. His housemates were sending him worried glances. He was holding his stuffed eagle in his arms and looked absolutely miserable.
His eyes were staring at what seemed to be nothing. They just gazed out across the hall, but we're glazed over like glass.
He looked haunted, in a way.
"Jason," Lou Ellen called out.
Jason flew about a foot off his seat. He looked around wildly for them and nodded after he found their faces in the crowd.
"Hey," he said with a high, false cheerfulness. "What is it?"
"This," said Lou Ellen, handing him the paper.
His eyes widened and he gaped at the paper, reading it as quickly as he could.
"We should talk about this somewhere more private," Lou Ellen murmured.
"Right," said Jason, grabbing an apple and a few slices of toast. Lou Ellen did the same.
The three made their way towards the grounds where they could talk in peace, and without worry of interruption. Lou Ellen noticed Nico kept glancing at her, frowning. She tightened her lips and straightened her back, hoping something would end the awkward silence. Then, something did.
Just, nothing like she expected.
"I'm gay," said Nico quietly.
Lou Ellen stopped in her tracks, "Sorry?"
"I'm gay. Jason already knows, but no one else, at least not here. So don't go around telling people." Nico kept walking along with his hands shoved in the pockets of his robes. He darted his eyes around their surroundings anxiously, and chewed on his lip.
Lou Ellen felt oddly calm as she processed the information. She really didn't know what to think about it, honestly. She felt sad, certainly. For quite some time now, she had had a crush on the boy. Knowing he was gay didn't stop those feelings, it just meant that now she knew for certain that the life she had fantasized about would never come to be.
But at the time, her feelings weren't important. She could brood on her thought later on, and write to Katie to complain about the fact that she'd never raise ten beautiful babies with the love of her life. Right now, there were more important matters to discuss.
They stopped walking when they got to the edge of the Black Lake. Nico was still glancing around.
"What is it?" Jason asked curiously.
"I don't know... I feel…" He shook his head, "No, it's impossible. Why on earth would he be here?"
Nico started walking towards where they had just came from, then suddenly stopped. He stared at a tree for a few moments, narrowed his eyes, and walked back to the edge of the lake.
"Nico, what is it?"
"We're being watched." Nico sat down, "Someone has an invisibility cloak, but not just any invisibility cloak."
"What do you mean?" said Jason.
"One of Death's invisibility cloaks. He has an entire closet filled with them. Hands them out to demigods he becomes a patron to, or to his children. Kind of like Hermes and his winged shoes."
"And someone has one here?" I said.
Nico nodded, still looking at the tree behind us from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, and they have friends. There is three people underneath that cloak."
"How can you tell?" said Jason, confused.
"Their feet are sticking out from underneath the cloak."
Lou Ellen snickered, "So, I guess it's not too effective."
Nico smirked, "Lou Ellen, do you know any spells to keep us from being overheard?"
A manic grin spread over Lou Ellen's face. Oh boy, did she ever. "Well, I don't have a spell, per say; but I can manipulate the mist to make whoever is listening in on us think we are talking about the weather, or breakfast, or literally the most mundane thing your brain can come up with."
"Sweet, do it."
She concentrated, and used her mind to feel the tendrils of the Mist. They twisted and bent around the three demigods. Lou Ellen grabbed the tendrils and shaped them, forming something of a psychic shield. From there, she was able to command it to show onlookers whatever they thought would be the most boring.
It would take a little energy to hold up, and Lou Ellen knew she would be panting by the time the conversation was over, but it was nothing a nap in History of Magic couldn't fix. Nico would likely be doing the same. .
Nico was the first to speak, "All right so do you remember when I had that dream about the stag, rat, werewolf and dog?"
Jason and Lou Ellen both nodded remembering how Nico had told them about his odd dream with the dog, stag, rat and werewolf.
"I think Sirius Black is the dog." said Nico grimly.
"Why is that?"
Nico sighed, "I haven't said anything because I wasn't certain, but last night… Sirius's head appeared in the fire. He was talking to Harry, Hermione, and Ron about some things, checking up on them; I was hidden in the shadows. They didn't know I was there."
"Why didn't you show yourself? They wouldn't have done anything- Harry and the others trust you. Plus, you already know about Sirius." Lou Ellen said curiously.
Nico shrugged, "I dunno. I wasn't positive how they would react, so I held back."
Lou Ellen nodded, starting to feel the tiredness from holding up such a large area of mist.
"Another thing," said Nico, "I think Lupin was the werewolf in my dream. Sirius mentioned last night that Lupin was a werewolf, and I can't believe that it's a coincidence."
"If it is, it's a big one," agreed Jason.
"And Umbridge?" said Lou Ellen.
"The Inquisitor from the prophecy. She has to be." said Nico.
"So what do we do?" said Lou Ellen. She was nervous, and rightfully so. The prophecy hadn't exactly been the most cheerful, though a cheerful prophecy wasn't exactly common.
"Hecate's child will sleep forever in the Veil,"
The memory of the word still made her want to vomit with fear. What could that mean? Whatever it did, she knew the chances of her going home again were slim. Or if she did, she wouldn't see it. Your eyes were usually closed when you slept.
But it was also just as possible that the sleep wasn't literal.
It could mean death.
Sleeping forever in the Veil. That sounded a lot like dying to her. And dying wasn't an option. Lou Ellen couldn't become Minister of Magic if she were dead. You couldn't do anything if you were dead. No career, no husband, no ten wonderful babies.
"So, the next part of the prophecy, Four houses will unite, but the army will be razed." Jason said, bringing Lou Ellen out of her thoughts.
Nico shook his head, sighing, "I don't know."
Four houses… Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin…
She gasped, "What if it's the four houses of Hogwarts?"
Nico lifted his head, his eyes wide. He nodded slowly, "Yeah… It definitely could be, but…"
"But what?" said Lou Ellen curiously.
"Umbridge is a Slytherin, wouldn't the rest of your house side with her?" said Nico with more than a little uncertainty.
Part of Lou Ellen felt a little insulted, but she knew Nico's concerns held ground. Slytherin was the house Umbridge came from, and was the house she would find the most students willing to support her.
The Slytherins were ambitious, cunning, and many from old blood. From a very young age, most of them had been taught to pick their battles wisely, and their enemies even more so. As much as the students in the house would want and need proper defense lessons, it was more likely that they would abstain from openly protesting Umbridge's position.
However, if Lou Ellen could convince Malfoy to protest Umbridge, it was possible that the others might follow him.
"I don't think they'll side with her, at least not entirely. Slytherin is ambitious, and you won't rise very far if you bomb your end of year tests because you haven't learned anything that year. But at the same time, they're going to be reluctant to make her an enemy. I think it's likely that they're going to be sucking up to her, while silently hating her."
Nico and Jason nodded.
"Ravenclaw will side with Hufflepuff," said Jason, "Many of them are friends with my housemates, and I know they hate Umbridge with a burning passion."
"That's no surprise," said Nico, "They value intelligence."
Lou Ellen smirked while Nico and Jason laughed.
"You would have made a good Ravenclaw, Lou Ellen," said Jason a little distractedly.
"Me?" said Lou Ellen, laughing, "No, that's not me. I'm smart, but not the way they are. Though, Nico, you'd make a pretty good Slytherin," she teased.
Nico crinkled his nose, "Eh… I'm good where I am. I actually like my house."
They laughed for a few good moments, but the conversation regained its seriousness after a few minutes.
"So what's the plan?" said Jason.
"I think we should wait, figure out what Umbridge is going to do, and then try to sabotage her in any way possible." said Nico.
Lou Ellen nodded, "I don't really see what else we can do." She sighed, and hung her head, "All right, so is their anything else we need to discuss?"
"Harry, Hermione, and Ron said something about you offering to teach them wandless magic?" said Jason.
Her eyes widened. She had forgotten about that. "Oh, right. I should probably get to that. Okay, anything else?"
Nico and Jason shook their heads, and Lou Ellen dispelled the Mist barrier. She felt a tiredness spread throughout her body, and her head begin to ache.
"Alrighty, well breakfast is almost over, so we should get going." Nico said nonchalantly, standing up and dusting of his black uniform pants. Or trousers, as Lou Ellen's father often called them.
She and Jason both stood up, and he three of them made their way back up the winding path to the castle.
History of Magic was as dull and boring as ever. Professor Umbridge was apparently not going to be inspecting the class that day, nor was she in Professor Snape's classroom when they went down there for double potions, where Lou Ellen was handed back her essay with a large black 'E' on it.
She noticed that both Jason and Harry hastily shoved his essay out of view when he received his. She allowed herself a smirk. Studying pays off. She glanced at Nico, who was sitting right next to her. He rolled his eyes and showed her his grade.
'O'
"'O'?" whispered Lou Ellen disbelievingly, "How'd you get an 'O'? That essay was hard."
"I studied," said Nico, smirking, "Potions is actually kind of fun, now that I can read the instructions."
"But this wasn't a practical assignment, it was an essay," she countered.
Nico shrugged, and put the paper in his bookbag, not saying anything. Lou Ellen groaned softly, glaring.
Determined not to be second again, Lou Ellen read every line of the instructions for a strengthening solution at least three times. She was rewarded with a potion that was a bright clear shade of turquoise, rather than the blue color that was Nico's. Lou Ellen left the class feeling confident in her abilities once more.
Lunch was quiet. Millicent wasn't feeling hungry, so she took an apple and ran off to the library. Draco was busy showing off his potions grade to their housemates. She watched Harry, Hermione, and Ron chatting with the Weasley twins, while she munched on a slice of pizza.
When she met Nico and Jason in Divination, she smiled, sitting down at the round table the three had claimed for themselves. She pulled out her copy of Dream Oracle, about to read it, when Nico elbowed her. She looked up, and he motioned to the trapdoor entrance.
Professor Umbridge was pulling it open, holding a clipboard in her stubby hands. Lou Ellen narrowed her eyes, wondering how this was going to go.
"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney," said Professor Umbridge with her wide smile, "You received my note I trust? Giving you the time and date of my inspection?"
Professor Trelawney nodded curtly and, looking like Katie had when Travis and Conner had pulled a prank on her, 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 out 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 around her with slightly trembling hands and surveyed the class through her magnifying glasses. "We shall be continuing our study of prophetic dreams today," she said, giving a brave attempt at her usual mystic tone. Lou Ellen looked around the class, most looked bored, a few were glaring at Professor Umbridge. She did however, see Apollo watching Trelawney again, this time with a hint of concern. When the teenaged god saw Lou Ellen shocked expression, he held a finger up to his Ken Doll lips and winked. "Divide into pairs, please, and interpret each others latest nighttime visions with the aid of the Oracle."
After giving her instructions, Trelawney turned so she could sweep back to her seat, however, upon seeing Umbridge right behind it, she veered off to the left towards Lavender and Parvati, and Apollo sitting unseen, making sunbeams dance on the walls.
Lou Ellen wondered if he visited his legacies often, or if it was just Trelawney.
She paired up with Jason, Nico rushed off to buddy up with Neville.
"So… what have you been dreaming about?" Lou Ellen asked him hesitantly. He looked as if he hadn't been sleeping well, now that she thought about it.
Jason shrugged.
"Nightmares?"
"Kind of," said Jason, tapping his fingers on the table.
"Do you want me to start?" Lou Ellen said with an encouraging smile. He nodded gratefully. "Okay, but be warned, I'm just going to make one up since I can't usually remember my dreams, unless there the special kind."
Jason laughed Lou Ellen started jabbering away about a cotton candy cloud shaped like a dog that chased her around, barking obscenities. Jason decided to do the same, which Lou Ellen agreed with. Umbridge might want to inspect the homework or something, and the less she knew about them, the better.
Plus, Jason didn't look like he was ready to talk about whatever he had dreamt of.
"Okay, so when did you dream this?" Lou Ellen said, as she wrote down the detailed account of Percy Jackson chasing Jason in a boat, in a sea of brownies, throwing bricks at him, while a girl named Reyna, and the head of the Aphrodite cabin, Piper, forced Jason to eat his way to safety. She was trying to keep from giggling at the mental image. Jason looked a little cheered up as well.
Over their stifled laughter, they could hear Umbridge questioning Trelawney. they looked sideways to listen in.
"Now," said Umbridge, looking up at Trelawney, "You've been in this position how long, exactly?"
Professor Trelawney scowled at her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wanting 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 not reasonably ignore it, she said in a deeply resentful tone, "Nearly sixteen years."
"Quite a period," said Professor Umbridge, "So it was Professor Dumbledore that appointed you?"
"That's right," said Professor Trelawney shortly.
Professor Umbridge made another note.
"And you are the great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?"
"Yes," said Trelawney, holding her head a little higher.
Another note was made 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?"
She looked up inquiringly, still smiling. Professor Trelawney stiffened, as if unable to believe her ears.
"I don't understand you," said Professor Trelawney, clutching convulsively at the shawl around her neck.
"I'd like you to make a prediction for me," said Professor Umbridge very clearly.
Jason and Lou Ellen were not the only ones watching and listening from behind their books, or out of the corner of their eyes now; most of the class were staring transfixed at Professor Trelawney as she drew herself to full height, her beads and bangles clinking.
Lou Ellen could see Apollo sitting at Lavender and Parvati's table, his face particularly malicious, looking offended.
"The Inner Eye does not see upon command!" she said in a scandalized tone.
At least not to mortals like you, Lou Ellen thought, but noticed an odd quiet in the room.
Professor Trelawney had frozen, though Professor Umbridge did not appear to notice. She clucked her tongue and made a little note on her clipboard, but looked up as green smoke started appearing around Professor Trelawney, much like it did when Rachel made a prophecy. Professor Umbridge's eyes went wide, and her mouth formed a little 'O'.
Professor Trelawney spoke in a deep unearthly voice,
"You will embark on a war against the houses four,
For six months you will seek, but you won't find the doors.
Your goal will be met by the traitor's hand,
The army will be razed in their final stand.
But your enemies will be great, so take caution and weep,
You will fall when Hecate's scion delves into an endless sleep."
Lou Ellen felt her blood turn cold when she heard the final stanza of the prophecy, and prophecy it was. So that was why Apollo had spent so much attention on the batty woman. She wasn't just a fake psychic who spewed out tales with the aid of tea leaves and crystal balls. She was capable of making prophecies.
Apparently the Oracle wasn't the only prophet.
After giving the prediction, Professor Trelawney slumped so low that she would have fallen had Lavender and Parvati not darted out to catch her, and help her to her desk. Professor Umbridge eyes were like saucers, but she was smiling, and scribbling like mad on her clipboard.
Professor Trelawney was shaking so hard at her desk, that Lou Ellen feared she might be having a fit. She stood up, walking to the woman whose eyes were darting madly around the room, seeming to be searching for someone, and reached out to grab her trembling hand.
"Ma'am, maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey, you-"
Professor Trelawney grabbed Lou Ellen's arm with a grip as tight as iron shackles, "Beware! Beware the veil, child! Don't try to save your sibling, for it means a fate worse than death for you!" Professor Trelawney was sobbing now, and Lou Ellen could only imagine what the experience must have been like for the poor woman. Inwardly, she felt a sort of resentment towards Apollo, for it must have been him that enabled Professor Trelawney to give that sort of prophecy.
"Please, Professor, let me take you to the hospital wing. You're very shaken up." Not only that, but Lou Ellen wanted to get the woman away from Professor Umbridge, who was staring shrewdly at Lou Ellen with her beady eyes.
"No! Take me to Dumbledore! I must tell him of this." Lou Ellen nodded, and she helped Trelawney to her feet. "Class is dismissed!" Professor Trelawney announced, waving her arms about. With a dramatic flourish, and a rattle of her beads and bangles, the shaking woman descended the trapdoor with Lou Ellen following suit.
They walked through the winding hallways, and up the moving staircases, until Lou Ellen was certain they must have gone up three stories, and walked for fifteen minutes. Eventually they came to the statue of an eagle.
"L-lemon drop," said Professor Trelawney, her eyes wide and wild behind her large spectacles, and she clutched her shawl tightly around her.
To Lou Ellen's continued amazement, the eagle statue started turning, revealing a spiral staircase that weaved and swirled in the wall. The two of them started to climb up it until the reached a large, beautifully carved door, on which Professor Trelawney knocked.
"Come in," said the headmaster's soft, gentle voice.
Professor Trelawney burst through the doors, her trembling and fear seemingly all gone, replaced by excitement.
"Headmaster- I saw through the Mist, I had a vision! It was clear as day, clearer than any I have ever had!" She rambled on, telling him about the prophecy, stumbling over few words in her excitement. When she had finished, Professor Dumbledore, looked at her with puzzled, twinkling eyes.
"I see…" Was all that he said. He stood up, straightening a few papers on his desk.
"Please, Headmaster, you must believe me! Ask Miss Blackstone, she witnessed it!" Professor Trelawney pointed at Lou Ellen. Her eyes were ablaze with an emotion Lou Ellen couldn't identify.
"I believe you, Professor Trelawney, although I'm curious, you don't normally remember your prophecies."
"It was him, my great-great-great grandfather, I know it. He must have allowed me to remember my glimpse into the future." The Professor let out a sob, "Alas! It seems so far away now! I can remember seeing it, the future, but the details are fading away from my mind!"
Professor Dumbledore nodded gravely, then sat back down. "Thank you, Professor Trelawney, for bringing me this news. Might I suggest you take a few days and retire to the infirmary for now. You look quite shaken up from your ordeal,"
Professor Trelawney squawked with indignation, "Professor Dumbledore, the Lord Apollo has granted my Inner Eye access to see the future more clearly than I ever have! To bear such witness to these events is an honor and-"
"My dear Professor, I only meant that such an event has undoubtedly had an effect on you, and I'd like to let you rest and be examined so that if anything has gone wrong, our school won't lose such a valuable professor."
Professor Trelawney's mouth formed an 'O' and she nodded, with only a hint of embarrassment.
"Miss Blackstone, if you could ensure that Professor Trelawney gets to the hospital wing safely? I will let Professor Umbridge know that you will be late to class."
Lou Ellen nodded, and helped guide the still shaking, though not quite as harshly, professor out of the room
She couldn't stop thinking about that last line of the prophecy.
"You will fall when Hecate's scion delves into an endless sleep."
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