The woman dressed in pink was horrid. No wands in her class, no magic, we were doing everything the Muggle way. So, of course, we needed to get sneaky. I started teaching Fred and George wandless magic for little things. They would spill drinks on Umbridge, move her books off the shelves and overall make her life more difficult.
But today was a wonderful day. Today was the day the whole school was waiting for.
"Are you ready Fred?" I whispered to the empty space next to me
"You know it, love," Fred whispered back
I slipped him a small vial and off he went. Right on cue the owl's flooded into the great hall. I slipped my wand out and glanced around quickly. Everyone was preoccupied with the post. I said a quick spell and shot small green sparks into the air. I put my wand away and played along with the panic as the owls went crazy. I felt something knock into me and Fred popped out from under the table with a crazy sly grin on his face.
The hall went silent as the owl's left and then there was a defining scream that echoed through the hall. We turned to see the magic and Deloris was covered in Boils. Large nasty green puss filled boils. She continued to scream running out and through a door off to the side.
We finished our food and went off to DADA class, and it was safe to say she was going to be late.
I held Fred and George's hand along the way to class. We didn't get as many looks as before but the whispers still followed.
We sat in the back of the classroom us three to the table and we giggled and whispered together. We planned our next prank against her, we were thinking of turning her a nasty shade of vomit green, or maybe toad green. Or both, she could always have spots.
The door to the classroom slammed open and the woman herself rushed into the classroom. She worked quickly considering she was only five minutes late.
She turned to the class and scowled. Her face was covered in healing scars. She was still slightly green and the class laughed.
"Open your books to page 1. This school obviously needs a review on not using magic."
We turned our pages back to the introduction and groaned. "Mrs. Rose-Singer, begin to read."
I began to read slowly, "No one should ever need to use defensive magic unless necessary. This text will take you deep into the world of theoretical defensive magic. You will learn how spells work and when to use them, all without picking up a wand. A safe classroom is a happy classroom." I continued to read for 10 pages until she cleared her throat.
"There will be no more acts of unauthorized magic in this school. Anyone caught practicing magic will be punished."
"Yes, because using magic at a school for magic is just crazy," I whispered as the twins laughed
"Mrs. Rose-Singer did you have something to say
I looked up at her and smiled, "I was just saying how us, green behind the ear students should know better than to use magic in a school built to teach magic."
She smiled so sweetly it was sickening.
"Oh -Singer your humor is amusing. You students wouldn't know magic if it hit you on the behind."
"Oh, I think I know more magic than you, professor," I told her as I flicked my wrist under the table and pushed her desk back silently as she tried to lean on the edge.
She screamed as she fell on her arse.
"Detention." She screamed
Two months later and everyone has had detention with Umbridge. The school was silent in the halls now, nothing above a low murmur.
Students walked with their heads down and their wands hidden in their sleeves or socks anywhere so they wouldn't get confiscated. The twins never left my side, walking me to and from class and always sneaking me into their dorm at night, just to be safe.
"Come on, Hunn, we've got to go." George shook me
"What do you mean? It's Saturday." I whined
"Yes, it is love. But we have a meeting with Harry remember about learning defensive spells."
"That's today?"
"Yes, it's today." He said pulling my blanket away
Twenty minutes later we were on our way down to the Hogs Head, fully bundled up and ready to meet with everyone.
We walked in to see the trio whispering quietly in the corner.
"We've got to be able to defend ourselves," Hermione spoke fiercely
"And if Umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will.
Harry." Ron finished for her
"This is mad. Who'd wanna be taught by me? I'm a nutter, remember?" Harry told them laughing
"Look on the bright side you can't be any worse than old toad face," I told him plopping down in a chair to her right
"Thanks, Hunn." He said laughing
"I'm here for you, Harry."
"Who's supposed to be meeting us, then?" Ron asked
"Just a couple of people," Hermione answered looking away
"This is a lovely spot." Fred joked
"Thought it would be safer off the beaten track. So, no one important can find us."
Twenty minutes later and a large group of students wandered in and sat huddled around Harry sipping their butter bear out of foggy half cleaned glasses.
" , you all know why we're here." Harry started
Hermione butted in when Harry didn't continue, "We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."
"Why?" someone asked
I looked at them stupidly, "Why? Because of You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot."
He scoffed, "So he says."
"So Dumbledore says." I countered
"So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is, where's the proof?"
Someone else butted in, "If Potter could tell us more
about how Diggory got killed."
"I'm not gonna talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, clear out now." He waited and turned away, "Come on, Hermione. They're here because they think I'm some sort of freak."
Luna spoke up, "Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?"
"Yes."
"I've seen it." Hermione put in
"Blimey, Harry. I didn't know you could do that."
"And he killed a basilisk, with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Nevile added
"It's true," Ginny confirmed
"Then third year, he fought off about a hundred Dementors at once," Ron told everyone
"Last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh."
"Wait. Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help." Harry told them bringing himself down
"He's just being modest."
"No, Hermione, I'm not. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow. But out there... ...when you're a second away from being murdered...or watching a friend die, right before your eyes... You don't know what that's like."
"You're right, Harry, we don't. That's why we need your help. Because if we're going to have any chance at beating...Voldemort..."
"He's really back?"
Harry nodded.
At the end of the meeting, Everyone had signed up and added their name to the spelled list.
Before everyone could leave Harry spoke loud and clear. "Right. First, we need to find a place to practice...where Umbridge won't find out. Everyone needs to think of a spot where we could meet."
Everyone nodded and walked away back to their own lives, thinking and anticipating.
We walked back to the castle in a large group out of the Hoggs Head.
"What about the Shrieking Shack." Ginny asked
"It's too small."
"Forbidden Forest?"
"Not bloody likely." Ron put in quickly
"Harry, what happens if Umbridge does find out?" I asked
"Who cares?" Hermione interrupted, "I mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it, breaking the rules?" she laughed
"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?" Ron asked
"Anyway, at least we know one positive thing that came from today," Hermione said
"What's that?" we asked
"Cho couldn't take her eyes off you, could she?"
"Right. Over the next few days, we should each come up with a couple of possibilities of places we can practice."
"We've got to make sure, wherever it is, there's no chance she can find us.
"Will do, Harry." The twins and I saluted and walked off to the joke shop for last minute shopping.
"Do you think this is a good idea?" I whispered to the twins as they bought more supply's.
"Don't know love."
"But at least we have a teacher now."
I nodded and we walked into the bookstore a few shops down. We spent hours together before returning to the castle together. We held hands and chatted about the snack boxes along the way. The twins had sold out over the last few weeks and had made enough gold back to buy more supply's and have money to save.
The twins dragged me over to the Three Broomsticks and we sat together in the corner drinking fire whiskey and butterbeer. We talked until the late hours of the night and until we had to head back to the castle.
"Come on we should get back," I told them slurring my words slightly.
They groaned and stood to follow me outside.
I took my wand out and lit our way to castle. The leaves were falling and the sky was dark lit up with the fire of millions of stars.
"This is beautiful," I spoke quietly trying not to break the magic
"Not as beautiful as you," George told me wrapping his arms around my waist
"Nothing could ever be as beautiful as you," Fred told me tilting my chin up to the stars
Blushing I hid my face in his chest. They laughed, "How can you be so shy?"
"You're so cheesy. that's why."
"Cheesy?"
"We're only telling you the truth."
"You're the most beautiful woman in the world to us. You bring so much light and love to our lives and even with that toad running around the castle, nothing will ever change that."
"I love you. I love you both more than words could ever describe."
"Hunn. You're the love of both our lives."
"You're the most important person to us. You brought us more love and laughter than any joke ever could." Fred told me squeezing me between them
Smiling with joy, feeling more love than ever we walked back into the castle. We laughed and kissed all through the corridor. People pointed and stared and we didn't care. We were in love and nothing could ever change that.
We arrived at the Gryffindor common room before supper, as we laughed and joked waiting to get inside through a crowd of young first years when someone pulled me back, nearly knocking me over.
"I don't believe this is the Ravenclaw common room."
I looked up to find Umbridge holding me back. I was silent, I could not come up with the words to come back at her.
"She was just coming up to get a book from our sister Ginny." George tried to explain
"No, no no. No lies today Mr. Weasley. I have gotten many reports that this little girl has been sleeping in your common room."
"No, she hasn't. Anyone can tell you that."
"Well her roommates haven't seen her at all this term."
"Her roommates are twits."
"I do believe name calling is unnecessary."
"I spend my nights in the library!" I added quickly
"Tisk, tisk. Lies get you nowhere. I do believe detention is in order." She pulled me away and the twins watched on in horror as they could do nothing
She pulled me down the corridor. Everyone stared as she tugged at me and pulled me into her office.
"Have a seat." She told me flicking her wand and pulling the desk out from the corner
"Dear, girls your age are really far too young to have a boyfriend."
I didn't speak.
"Yet you have two." She laughed, "Do you spend your nights taking turns, fighting over where you'll sleep? Or do you sleep with both?" she taunted
I sat and waited in silence, "You will write lines for me." She clicked her tongue.
"What should I write," I asked picking up her ink black quill, meeting her cold eyes
"I will not be a whore."