The next night in the common room Hermione and Harry talked in hushed tones as they wondered what the nuisance in pink would make them do.
"Do you think she's going to make us serve detention in the Forbidden Forest?"
"I don't think so Harry since that would mean she would have to go with us."
"What do you think she's going to make us do?"
"I don't know Harry but we are about to find out,"said Hermione, looking a bit nervous.
Harry and Hermione slowly walked out of the common room and to their personal tourture for the night. They walked through the deserted corridors, their footsteps echoing loudly. When the two arrived at the classroom Harry went to knock at the door before hesitating and looking at Hermione for reassurance. Hermione nodded at him and he raised his hand knocking at the door.
"Come in!" greeted the shrill voice.
Harry opened the door and the two looked around the classroom in confusion as they couldn't see their professor. Just as Hermione opened her mouth to call out for the professor, Umbridge yelled from her office for the two Gryffindors to come up into her office. When the two walked into the office they stopped in their tracks at the sight of the office. The surfaces had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. These were so foul that Harry and Hermione stared at them, transfixed, until Professor Umbridge spoke again.
"Good evening, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger."
Hermione started and looked around. She had not noticed her at first because she was wearing a luridly flowered set of robes that blended only too well with the tablecloth on the desk behind her.
"Good evening," greeted Hermione.
"Evening," Harry said stiffly.
"Well, sit down," she said, pointing toward a small table draped in lace beside which she had drawn up two straight-backed chairs. Two pieces of blank parchment lay on the table, apparently waiting for them. Hermione walked over, placed her bag down next to her chair, and sat down.
"Er," said Harry, without moving. "Professor Umbridge? Er — before we start, I-I wanted to ask you a . . . a favor."
Her bulging eyes narrowed. Hermione looked at him slightly panicked.
"Oh yes?"
"Well I'm . . . I'm on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And I was supposed to be at the tryouts for the new Keeper at five o'clock tomorrow and I was — was wondering whether I could skip detention that night and do it — do it another night . . . instead . . ."
Harry's face fell at the terrifying look on the pink toad's face.
"Oh no," said Umbridge, smiling so widely that she looked as though she had just swallowed a particularly juicy fly. "Oh no, no, no. This is your punishment for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger, and punishments certainly cannot be adjusted to suit the guilty one's convenience. No, you will come here at five o'clock tomorrow and you will do your detention as planned. I think it is rather a good thing that you are missing something you really want to do. It ought to reinforce the lesson I am trying to teach you, Mr. Potter."
Harry looked livid at being called an attention seeking liar and he opened his mouth about to object again when Hermione put her hand on his forearm. Hermione shot him a look that clearly said 'Do you really want more detention?' before turning back to look at Umbridge with a look of anger on her face.
She was watching them with her head slightly to one side, still smiling widely, as though she knew exactly what they were thinking and was waiting to see whether they would start shouting again. With a massive effort Harry looked away from her, dropped his schoolbag beside the straight-backed chair, and sat down.
"There," said Umbridge sweetly, "we're getting better at controlling our temper already, aren't we? Now, you are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger. No, not with your quills," she added, as Hermione bent down to open her bag. "You're going to be using rather special ones of mine. Here you are."
She handed each a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point.
"I want you to write 'I must not tell lies,' " she told them softly.
"How many times?" Hermione asked, with a creditable imitation of politeness.
"Oh, as long as it takes for the message to sink in," said Umbridge sweetly. "Off you go."
She moved over to her desk, sat down, and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking. Hermione looked over at Harry as he raised the sharp black quill and then looked at it confused before realizing what was missing.
"You haven't given me any ink," he said a confused look on his face.
"Oh, you won't need ink," said Professor Umbridge with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.
Hermine placed the point of the quill on the paper and wrote: I must not tell lies. She let out a gasp of pain, Harry gasping not long after her. The words had appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink. At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Hermione's right hand, cut into her skin as though traced there by a scalpel — yet even as she stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth. Hermione looked around at Umbridge. She was watching them, her wide, toadlike mouth stretched in a smile.
"Yes?"
"Nothing," said Hermione quietly.
"Nevermind," muttered Harry at the same time as Hermione.
She looked back at the parchment, placed the quill upon it once more, wrote I must not tell lies, and felt the searing pain on the back of her hand for a second time; once again the words had been cut into her skin, once again they healed over seconds later.
And on it went. Again and again Hermione and Harry wrote the words on the parchment in what she soon came to realize was not ink, but her own blood. And again and again the words were cut into the back of her hand, healed, and then reappeared the next time she set the quill to parchment.
Darkness fell outside Umbridge's window. Hermione did not ask when she would be allowed to stop. She knew she was watching her for signs of weakness and she was not going to show any, not even if she had to sit here all night, cutting open her own hand with this quill.
"Come here," she said, after what seemed hours.
She stood up as Harry followed close behind her. Her hand was stinging painfully. When she looked down at it she saw that the cut hadn't healed, and that the skin there had the words 'I must not tell lies' carved into her skin. She looked over at Harry's hand and saw that the back of his hand was raw, but no words were carved into his hand like her's.
"Hand," she said.
She extended it. The toad took it in her own. Hermione repressed a shudder as she touched her with her thick, stubby fingers on which she wore a number of ugly old rings.
"Good Ms. Granger the lesson seems to have sunk in,"she said smiling wickedly. "You may go Ms. Granger."
Hermione walked over to her bag and swung it up on her shoulder after tucking her paper into it. When she looked over Umbridge had grabbed Harry's hand in her own and was talking to him.
"It seems as though the lesson hasn't sunk in for you Mr. Potter. I'll see you tomorrow," said the woman smirking with an evil glint in her eye.
The woman ushered the two students out of her office after examining Harry's hand. The two of them walked back to the common room in a stunned silence. As neither of them thought that their detention would consist of actual tourture.
The common room was deserted when they arrived back since everyone had gone to bed hours before. Hermione quietly bid Harry goodnight before stumbling up into her room. She pulled on her night clothes almost in a trance before getting into bed and pulling the covers up. She drifted off to sleep right after remembering that she was supposed to send Bella an owl about her first day of school.
—
The next afternoon news had spread around the school that Malfoy had gotten himself detention with Umbridge after calling her a toad and insulting her for wearing so much pink. Harry looked like he was dreading tonight even more since Malfoy was joining him.
"Harry it'll be okay. It probably won't be any different then last night with me,"said Hermione trying to reassure Harry.
"But Malfoy will be there," groaned Harry.
"He won't try anything Harry. At least not with Umbridge there."
"I guess," mumbled Harry.
Hermione looked up to see McGonagall walking out of the hall. She hurriedly told Harry that she would see him later and rushed to catch up to McGonagall.
"Professor!"
McGonagall turned around and her emerald eyes locked on Hermione.
"Ms. Granger what can I do for you?"
"Could we speak somewhere a bit more private?" asked Hermione watching Umbridge walk past them.
McGonagall followed her eyes and immediately ushered Hermione to follow her. When they arrived in her office McGonagall sat down behind her desk and gestured for Hermione to sit in one of the chairs in front of her desk.
"Now, what's this all about Ms. Granger?"
"Well I had detention last night," Hermione paused thinking over what she should say next.
"Is that all Ms. Granger?"
"No, her method of punishment I believe is not appropriate."
"What is this method of punishment?"
Hermione opened her mouth looking like she was about to answer before shutting her mouth and pulling up her sleeve. McGonagall's eyes widened and she immediately grasped Hermione's hand examining the wound. While examining her hand McGonagall began to mutter to herself.
"A blood quill! How did she even get one in here?"
"Professor? "asked Hermione questioningly.
"I'm glad you brought this to my attention. I will see that something is done about this."
McGonagall paused pursing her lips while looking at the clock before pulling out a piece of parchment.
"You have Herbology next correct?" asked McGonagall, not looking up from the parchment.
"Yes.
McGonagall handed Hermione the paper before saying,"Give this to Professor Sprout. It will excuse you for being late."
Hermione turned to walk out of the office before hearing McGonagall call her name.
"Hermione, thank you again for bringing this to my attention. I promise you something will be done about it."
"Of course. Thank you Professor!"
Hermione walked to Herbology smiling and in better spirits then she had been all day.
—
That night Hermione wrote a letter to Bella telling her about all the things that had been happening at the school. At the end of the letter she mentioned Harry, Draco, and herself having detention with Umbridge. She tied the letter to Hedwig's leg and watched the snowy owl fly off into the night. Hermione began her long walk back to the common room humming to herself. About halfway back to the common room she ran into Harry on his way back from detention.
"Harry! How was detention?"
"It was okay. Malfoy didn't try anything, actually he was being kind of nice...," Harry trailed off looking confused.
"That's good! How's your hand?"
Harry didn't answer her question and instead thrust his hand out in front of her. Hermione grabbed his hand and looked at it. The back of his hand had the phrase 'I will not tell lies' deeply engraved in the back of his hand.
"Oh Harry! This is horrible."
Harry didn't say anything and just grunted. He pulled his hand out of Hermione's hands and began to walk faster back to the common room. Before Harry disappeared up the stairs Hermione, worried that she did something to upset him, called out to him.
"Harry, I'm sorry if I did something."
"It's not you Hermione," said Harry tiredly.
Hermione nodded her head and walked to her dorm and crawled back in bed wishing for this week to be over.
—-
Bellatrix sat in front of her fireplace relaxing after a long couple of days doing spy work with a glass of firewhiskey. Bellatrix was reading a book on muggle poetry hoping that she would impress Hermione when she wrote her next letter when she heard the rap of a beak on her window.
She got out of her chair and rushed over to the window desperately hoping that the owl was from Hermione. Bella opened the window for a white owl with black speckles. The owl landed on her desk and offered her it's leg with the letter tied onto it. Bella quickly untied the letter recognizing the owl as Potter's. Hedwig flew out of the window after Bella took the letter presumably back to Hogwarts. Bella settled herself back in her chair taking a sip of her firewhiskey before beginning to read the letter.
Bella-
I'm so sorry this is late. I would have sent this earlier, but things are a bit crazy here. The ministry is trying to meddle here at Hogwarts. They sent a woman named Umbridge here to teach DADA. That woman is horrible, always wearing pink and flowers and talking in such an annoying high voice!
Harry and I got detention from the menace in pink. She only gave me one day but Harry got two days. Draco had detention with Harry on the last day. Her detention was horrible! She made Harry and I use blood quills! She made us write 'I must not tell lies' it's now engraved in Harry and I's hands. Draco had to write 'I must respect my superiors' I'm sure his parents will be thrilled. I thought you might want to find out from me and not someone else.
On a better note McGonagall said that she would take care of Umbridge and try to stop her from using the quills. I'm not sure what's going to come from that, but I hope it's something good. I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to get back to my dorm now before Filch catches me.
I miss you.
-Hermione
Bella was livid when she read that Umbridge hurt Hermione. She drank the remainder of the alcohol left in her glass. Her fingers tightened around her glass as she brought the glass down to rest on her arm rest. In a fit of rage she threw the glass as hard as she could at the wall causing it to shatter and glass to fly everywhere in the room. Her chest heaved as she took deep breaths, her hand ran through her wild hair as a loud growl escaped from her mouth.
She marched over to her desk and grabbed two pieces of parchment and angrily began to write her first letter in fast, violent strokes. She then pulled out her wand and cast a spell on the letter before setting it aside to write her second letter. Bella wrote this letter in a calmer state of mind, her strokes on the parchment were gentle and slow and a gentle smile appeared on her face. She walked over to her owlery and tied the letter addressed to Hermione onto Nyx's leg and tied the other letter onto her barnowl's leg. She walked them over to the window and watched them go with a smirk on her face.
—
Hermione sat down at the table filling her plate with eggs and toast. She settled into an easy conversation with Ginny as an owl she quickly recognized as Nyx landed in front of her with a letter attached to her leg. She untied the letter and tucked it into her robes making sure to give Nyx some bacon before she flew away. She turned back to Ginny and opened her mouth to speak before whirling around hearing a familiar voice begin to screech. The Great Hall went silent, Neville looking as pale as a ghost. Bellatrix's voice reached every corner of the hall, causing every person in the hall to pale a little in fear from the unbridled rage in her voice.
"DOLORES UMBRIDGE YOU DARE TOUCH WHAT'S MINE! YOU WILL PAY! NO HURTS WHAT'S MINE AND GETS AWAY WITH IT! ESPECIALLY NOT A FAT PINK COW! CONSIDER THIS YOUR WARNING. IF I EVER HEAR THAT YOU TOUCH WHAT'S MINE AGAIN…"
Her voice switched to a quiet baby voice that echoed through the hall sending shivers down everyone's spines.
"Someone may come over to play."
Her voice suddenly switched to a solemn and serious voice.
"And I think we both know how that's going to end."
A loud cackle sounded in the hall causing almost all of the students to whimper or make some noise out of their fear. The letter tore itself up before going up in a large burst of flames causing Umbridge who looked like she was going to pass out to jump up from her seat and run away shrieking. No one laughed at Umbridge's exit; in fact many students looked like they wanted to run out like Umbridge.
Hermione had happiness bubbling up in her chest at Bella's protectiveness and being called her's, but outwardly she had schooled her features into a look of fear. She looked around at Harry, Ron, and Ginny and saw that all of them looked terrified and Ron looked like he was about to pee his pants. Hermione inwardly snorted at how Ron looked before her attention was drawn to the High table.
"Students!" announced Dumbledore. "I know that the howler was unexpected. But please know that Bellatrix cannot get into this school or anywhere on school grounds. You will be safe here. Now please enjoy the rest of your day, go to Hogsmeade, or play some quidditch. Please try to forget this incident."
Once Dumbledore finished his impromptu speech Hermione looked at the teachers and saw that all of them had various forms of fear on their faces. Hermione was surprised to see that even Snape had an expression of fear on his face before he quickly changed his features into a sneer, as he had seen Hermione looking at him.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny stood up from the table and began to walk out of the Hall. Hermione, realizing she was being left behind leapt up from the table and shouted after the three of them.
"Hey wait up!"
—
The four of them walked out to the lake, three of them wanting to forget this morning and replace that memory with better ones as they made their way to Hogsmeade.
"Do ya reckon that she was talking about Malfoy?" asked Ron.
"Why would she be talking about Malfoy?" asked Harry.
"Because Malfoy's mom is sisters with Bellatrix," answered Ginny.
"Then probably who else would she be talking about?" said Harry.
Ginny quickly agreed, but Ginny noticed that Hermione hesitated with her mouth open looking like she was going to say something before nodding her head. Ginny just shook it off and thought to herself 'There's no way she would know anything about Bellatrix. Right?' Before she could dive deeper into her thoughts she was pulled out of them when they reached Honeydukes.
"Harry look , they have the new chocolate frogs!" Ron excitedly announced running towards the display.
Harry immediately followed Ron over to the frogs. Hermione and Ginny walked to the back of the store where the Fizzing Whizzbees and similar candies were kept. The four of them walked out of the store about an hour later, their arms loaded with sweets of all kinds and they walked over to The Three Broomsticks laughing the whole way.
The four of them spent the whole day in Hogsmeade, they bought tons of joke products from Zonko's and Ron almost got sick as he ate too much candy. Hermione had a huge smile on her face and she felt as light as air and filled to the brim with happiness as she declared the day to herself as the best day of her life.