Mystery, secrets and a detention with Astoria Greengrass
Monday morning, the lessons began in the most boring way possible: a whole first hour was dedicated to that pink toad of a woman... and perhaps it was better to leave Hogwarts immediately, heading into the unknown rather than being treated as a child five years by Umbridge. Indeed, the first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson did not go so well at all, because things turned sour from the moment students were ordered to read the first chapter of a book and do nothing else, copying verbatim what the teacher had written on the blackboard: from every basic principle of defense against the dark arts. This meant they would continue reading that boring and useless book throughout the school year, without practicing any spells.
"Did you want to ask about the chapter, dear?" Umbridge asked when Rose flicked her hand in the air five minutes after beginning to read.
"Yes ... there is no mention of using defense spells here," the girl replied logically, pointing to the book.
"Using defense spells? Oh ... I can't imagine why you should use spells in my class!" Umbridge said quickly, giving a high chuckle in her throat and leaving all the students stunned. Rose looked down as if to rethink what she said, whether what she said was wrong, but there was nothing wrong with her question: why couldn't they use defense spells?
"Aren't we going to use magic?" Ginny broke in, holding her hand up.
"You will learn defense spells safely and without risk!" Umbridge replied in that honeyed, unbearable voice.
"But why? I mean, I thought this subject included defense against dark arts!"
"Do you expect to be attacked during my lessons?"
"Attacked? No, not during the lessons..."
"Well, then this fixes everything!" the woman cut her short, in a childish and affected voice.
Ginny was furious: that Umbridge had practically silenced her. What reasoning could there be, for what Umbridge had done? No one could have attacked them in the classroom as the Dark Arts were outside the classroom. What game was Dumbledore playing by dumping on his students a teacher who made them read theory instead of preparing them for what was out there?
"I am giving you the opportunity to learn spell theory, under a program approved by the Minist—"
"Yes, but what is it for?" Ginny snappd rather aggressively, starting to get seriously impatient.
Lord Voldemort had been back for less than two months and they were already having the possibility of learning to defend themselves taken away, which was the most important thing they would have to learn that year— much more than theory or any other such nonsense! But then, the girl thought back to the new professor's speech at the start of the year, and the fact that she came from the Ministry of Magic, and thought firmly that perhaps it was better not to insist too much against her or to rage during her lessons: her father, Arthur, worked at the Ministry and if something bad happened to Hogwarts, Fudge could make him pay dearly.
There was no need for Demelza's desperate hisses in forcing Ginny to shut up and read the useless book chapter. Umbridge seemed more than pleased to be able to bring silence to the classroom and she stood over them throughout the lesson with a wicked grin.
"I thought you supported me ... and what did you do instead? You told me to shut up and listen to Umbridge!" Ginny whispered to Demelza, who was sitting right in front of her and immediately turned back to hold her, her eyes bright and her gaze determined.
"I'm not listening to anyone!" she retorted, accusing with her low voice. "I'm just doing you a favor by telling you to shut up. Better not lose control with Umbridge or else ..." she looked at the woman who was busy around her little pink purse, "you'll get in trouble, really serious trouble, along with your loved ones. Just ignore her, okay?" she added anxiously.
"But what does it mean?"
"Less chatter now!" trilled Professor Umbridge, craning her neck to see who was chatting and caught Demelza with her back turned around. "You ... the one who was turned ... what's your name, dear?" she added, trying to sound as harmless as possible.
"Demelza Robins ..." the girl answered weakly.
"Robins, dear?" Professor Umbridge asked, becoming animated, and Demelza nodded softly. "Your mother has told me so much about you, one doesn't often meet a brilliant and intelligent student like you. Well ... what can I say? I know very well that I can count on you and I know just as well that you'll be ready to prove yourself very useful, as she does, my dear."
Demelza made an indistinct nod of her head but the teacher continued to smile maliciously showing her sharp teeth: Ginny had the horrible and fleeting impression that she was not the only person who was hiding something important.
The days flew by, the long-awaited first weekend was getting closer and closer. The only news had been that Vicky, animated by a flash of genius and a wild desire to do something, joined all the clubs that Hogwarts had to offer, and was especially enthusiastic about the Dueling Club, where a very nice boy from Hufflepuff also went to, which meant the blonde had absolutely no desire to leave him unaccompanied. Following her shining example, William, Christopher and Ritchie also joined some clubs and Ginny, who had always hated the various clubs to death for their silly pretentiousness, found herself again alone and without friends to keep her company; this included Colin (he had always devoted a lot of time to his little brother, even if he tried to keep his friend company too) as well as Demelza, who seemed to avoid everyone and hole up in the room to do her homework.
The only great news was that Michael had fully forgiven her, and that could only be good.
"Hey ... can I sit here?" Hermione's voice asked.
Ginny turned and made room for Hermione on the bench next to her; she sat down and began serving lamb and potatoes for lunch. Ginny's friends were at the Magic Chess Club and Demelza had told her friend that she would only join her after she finished writing a long letter.
"Why are you alone? Don't tell me those two got detention from Umbridge!" Ginny exploded in shock, swallowing a big mouthful of stew and watched Hermione shake her head.
"They are both in Divination. Harry has detention after dinner, however, because he insisted on the return of You-Know-Who," she replied darkly as she cut the lamb and sighed. "I warned him not to insist, but he totally lost control on Monday. I think he is already under so much pressure ... you know?"
Ginny thought about how the boy might feel and a painful chasm opened in her chest.
"Anyway ... how's it going with Michael Corner? I only saw you together the other day and I made your brother turn around!"
"We are very careful now," the girl said, pouring some pumpkin juice into the golden goblet. "And then the other time I just had to be forgiven for ..." she hesitated, but after all Hermione had always told her everything and she had absolutely no intention of lying to her: she told her about the disastrous situation she had put herself in and how it was quickly removed, and Hermione didn't investigate further when she explained choosing to stay in the compartment with Harry.
"Isn't Michael here for dinner?" Hermione asked instead.
"He's in the library. You know, he's very paranoid with homework and all, and yours is an important year, isn't it?" Ginny said, thinking about what Michael had told her about the extremely difficult fifth year at Hogwarts. "The other Ravenclaws are just as paranoid: the library is constantly haunted by them!"
"Speaking of Ravenclaw ... that Luna Lovegood is from your year, right?"
"Yes, we call her Loony because she is strange and believes in things she doesn't know exist, like Nargles or Wrackspurts."
"And this stuff in fact does not exist," Hermione retorted sharply, probably thinking about how ridiculous Luna Lovegood was.
The two girls ate until they burst and chatted merrily among themselves, then when they finished lunch they said goodbye and took two different directions: Hermione began to climb the stairs while Ginny went down to the dungeons. As she went down the steps alone she thought that the chess club probably had given their members some sandwiches because it was impossible for Christopher to resist touching food for all that time.
She was the first to reach the classroom and took a seat at the back as some Slytherins entered giggling.
"Have you finally decided to bless me with your presence?" snapped the girl as Ritchie took a seat next to her.
"Chess finished just now," he panted.
"Wait ... were you running?"
"Yes and don't make me again!" William retorted in exasperation, collapsing on a stool next to Demelza.
"You wimps, it was fun!" Ritchie chimed in with enthusiasm.
"Speak for yourself ..." Christopher muttered.
The classroom door creaked and Severus Snape flew in ordering the class to be absolutely silent ... even if there was no need: the creaking of that door and the mere presence of Snape in the classroom was enough to keep the class immersed in suffocating silence. Potions was no Divination or Charms, where you could very well chat happily with a classmate or even, as in the case of Herbology lessons, with a whole group.
"Today we're going to practice the Pepperup Potion, the ingredients..." Snape announced hastily and flicked his wand in a precise circle, "are written right here on the board. So ... get to work and don't let me hear a fly!" he added sternly and the class immediately obeyed.
Ginny filled her cauldron and set the heat low as usual, then tossed in the first ingredient: two diluted drops of Phoenix tear extract. And in the meantime she began to chop her Mandrake roots, and she watched as Ritchie teased the level of his flame and Demelza, with a very unhappy look, cut up the other ingredients.
Meanwhile, Snape strolled between the various cauldrons and stopped to watch Ginny bustling around her potion a little too often for the girl's liking, and then quickly disappeared with a flourish of his cloak as if afraid she might yell at him. It was odd behavior on Snape... but it all slipped out of the girl's mind, who had enough trouble to think about without Snape getting in the way.
"Pssst ... Weasley ..." Selwyn's low, hoarse voice called as the teacher walked away from her and walked to the other end of the room. Ginny turned to him with an impatient look and raised an eyebrow as if asking for an explanation, and he said, "Your buddy Potter's convict friend is in really big trouble, did you know that?" and he gave a hoarse, malignant chuckle.
But who was her buddy Potter's convict friend? Convict friend ... maybe it was Sirius?
"What"
"Just read the Daily Prophet."
"That garbage?" the girl laughed, giving a low irritating chuckle.
"You can laugh now, you laugh now ... you'll be crying then," he retorted, grinning.
"And you talk like anyone listens, idiot!"
"Hey Muggle lover, moderate your tone with me!" Selwyn blurted aggressively, who had never endured any kind of insult and went on the attack every time anyone said something that was wrong with him.
"Oh ... moderate your tone with me ..." Ginny repeated, arrogantly mocking, and Ritchie, giggled loudly next to her as he dipped in the other ingredients of his potion and craned his neck to read the blackboard. "Damn, you Slytherins really can't do anything but whine? Slytherin and more..." she threw a disgusted look at Selwyn's aggressive face, "sons of Death Eaters" she added, feeling the urge to do something and say something, heedless of whether it'd get her in serious trouble.
"Don't you dare talk to me like this, little beggar!"
"Or what?" she urged defiantly.
"Or I will throw you a Curse that you will not forget."
"Oooooh ... I'm dying of fear!"
Selwyn drew out his wand and Astoria, his deskmate, intervened in a dry tone, grabbing her companion's arm: "What the hell are you doing? Put that wand down immediately and leave it alone, it's not worth being expelled for this!"
"Learn to mind your own business, won't you?" the boy snapped, freeing himself from Astoria's grip. Then, he added, turning to Ginny: "You act all haughty now, but when the Dark Lord is at the height of his power, you Half-Bloods and Blood-traitors will be the first to disappear ... and see who'll be laughing then!"
"GINNY!" Ritchie shouted in horror, unable to restrain himself, trying to grab the friend who had rushed herself forward.
Selwyn squeezed his wand tightly and pointed it at the girl as she pulled out her wand in response. Astoria intervened quickly and stepped between Selwyn and the Gryffindor, pushing Selwyn to her side to prevent him from hurting a surprised and perplexed Ginny. Behind the pair, their cauldrons had begun to boil dangerously but the whole class was distracted by Ritchie's terrified cry and had turned towards them.
"Move ... Get aside, Greengrass!" Ginny hissed at Astoria, lunging at her to catch Selwyn who had fallen to the ground.
"Will you stop pushing?" Astoria retorted stubbornly.
"Get out of the way!" insisted the other, even more stubborn than Astoria.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Snape roared as he watched the two girls almost fighting like Muggles, breaths racing.
Obviously, he had turned that way only a moment after Ritchie's scream, when Ginny had pounced on Astoria to get to the boy, and had absolutely not seen Selwyn's failed attempt to attack the redhead with a curse, or realised that Astoria had nothing to do with the situation she found herself neck deep in for an indefinite reason.
"Greengrass and ..." Snape hesitated, then squeezed his black eyes into two narrow slits before quickly pulling himself together. "Greengrass and Weasley, what are you doing? No spell magic is permitted here lest Muggle fighting, the rude baseness! Ten points from both your houses and ... detention for both of you! Tomorrow morning at nine in my office. Now back to work you all, and if I hear a single word you will pay the consequences!" he added, more menacing than ever.
Nobody dared to breathe: Ginny reached her seat under the worried gaze of her friends and the surly gaze of Astoria; Selwyn, on the other hand, still had the guts to grin mischievously and leaned forward to give Harper a high-five. A detention in the first week of school? Maybe her mother was right when she said she was becoming more and more like Fred and George: she had never had a detention before. There was a first for everything and she was almost proud of hers, so proud that she would even tell the twins about it with lots of details. The only thing that troubled her was Astoria's reaction: they had always been enemies ... what made her come to Ginny's aid, getting punishment instead of Selwyn?
It all remained a mystery.
"Sorry ... can I borrow that?"
"Go ahead and take it, I hope you like that funny article they wrote about Dumbledore, comparing him to the brother of one of the Weird Sisters that the Ministry put in an asylum. You know, they say that he is really gone ... it makes you laugh!"
"Thank you," Ginny said coldly as she took the newspaper from the hands of that rather idiotic girl, who had very bright eyes and dark curly hair. Obviously, she and her giggly friends, who seemed to enjoy the Daily Prophet, were people to seriously steer clear of if they truly believed Dumbledore to be a crazy old man and found it amusing to compare him to someone who had lost their mind in an accident.
"I wanted to read the article too, Romilda!"
"It's nothing to be impressed by, idiot ... you'll read it later."
Ginny turned away from them and snapped open the paper, immersing herself in reading.
CLOSE TO THE CAPTURE OF SIRIUS BLACK.
The Ministry of Magic received a tip from a trustworthy source that Sirius Black, a notorious terrorist who was captured and put in Azkaban for twelve years but who eventually managed to escape from prison, with aid of powerful Dark Arts gathered while preparing to be a Lord of Evil, he is currently hiding in London. The Ministry warns the wizarding community that Black is very dangerous, known especially for violent attacks: he, in fact, had killed thirteen wizards and Muggles by breaking into a quiet street. We therefore warn our kind people that any sighting must be reported immediately to the Ministry of Magic.
Was it this article that prompted Selwyn to foolishly tease the girl?
As soon as the day's lessons were over, Ginny, after spending some time with Michael, had catapulted herself into the Common Room to check the news in the newspapers: obviously, they couldn't catch Sirius when he was now kept hidden in Grimmauld Place and the girl simply found it further evidence for the Slytherin's lack of intelligence. After all, he had done nothing but draw attention to him and his Death Eater rather and if this could not be called stupid ... Ginny didn't know how to define it. She deserved that detention, and she would do it again and again: she was proud of it now.
A loud thud made the redhead turn abruptly: a few small children had collapsed heavily to the ground unconscious, while the twins and Lee took notes and giggled loudly.
"What ... what are you doing?" Ginny asked in a hissing voice, marching towards her siblings and crouched next to a first-year girl who seemed nine or eight rather than eleven. "You ... did you stun them or—? Are you going to explain to me what these children are doing out cold on the floor while you laugh like idiots? Oh you are all crazy!" the girl added, angry and irritated at the same time.
"Dosage too strong, Lee ... note carefully," Fred muttered thoughtfully.
"Are you testing your stuff on students?" the girl was horrified.
"Yes ... but we pay them!"
"YOU PAY THEM? Oh dear ... enough of this, you tell me now what's going on!" Ginny almost roared exasperatedly, attracting the attention of everyone in the Common Room who began to giggle at how her voice sounded so shrill and annoying to human ears. "I'm fed up with mysteries ... where did you get all that money? Did Mundungus force you to join him in selling stolen stuff?"
The twins looked indignant as Lee Jordan put purple sweets into the kids' mouths which made them wake up slowly.
"You don't really think that," said George with conviction.
"Okay, I don't really think so but ... man, can you tell me what you are up to?"
Fred and George looked at each other, then Fred quickly declared, "Harry gave us his Triwizard prize money!" and he said it so quickly that the effect on her sister was even more dramatic: her mouth traced a giant round 'O' that could have held a hundred of those purple sweets.
"He forced us to take it!" George added hastily.
"He said it was for our joke shop and..."
"... that some laughter would have been good for everyone."
"And we accepted!" the twins concluded in chorus, with a big smile.
Sure, it was really nice of the boy to give the Triwizard Tournament prize to the twins for the joke shop but Ginny was still very offended and furious with them. In short, they could have told her! Ginny and Ron had asked them at least a hundred questions ... there had been so many opportunities for them to explain everything and that meant only one thing: the twins didn't trust her.
"You could have told me ..." the girl only whispered.
"It was a secret, we couldn't tell you ..." George mumbled sadly. "Not that we don't trust you," he added when Ginny grimaced in disgust and nodded as if to say what he was feeding her were just lies to save her skin, "but we couldn't really tell you, and let's be serious. What if we got Harry in trouble with Mum? She couldn't know anything!"
"Do you think I would have told Mom?"
"NO!" Fred exclaimed at once, jaw dropping. "But we couldn't risk it, didn't you hear how she was screaming with Sirius' mother?"
"Okay ... okay ... you two stay away from me" the girl said impatiently, and walked away disappointed by the twins to join a cheerful Vicky who had just crossed the portrait hole and was sunk in a chair next to the fire.
What made her so happy?
"Honey ... Ritchie told us in detail what happened in Potions, and it's so weird that Astoria did that," the blonde said, before Ginny could ask her questions including about her excited state. "You two have always clashed since the first moment, haven't you? Who knows what jumped into her mind, maybe she thought Selwyn's intentions were too evil even for you!"
"I don't know ... but it's probably that," Ginny agreed, she hadn't really thought about it.
She had never imagined Selwyn would have the guts to throw a curse at her and then suffer the wrath of Snape and severe punishment or even expulsion. That was a shitty Slytherin, he had no idea how to handle the situation!
"Where are the others?"
"At dinner, but I had to come to you" replied the girl, then added, "Guess what? Just today there were Quidditch tryouts for the Gryffindor keeper ... and I went!"
"What?"
Ginny knew about the tryouts, but she didn't go watch, choosing instead to stay with Michael after class before landing back in the common room.
"Yes, but in any case I was not chosen because ... well, I told Angelina Johnson that if the training overlapped with the other clubs and especially with the Dueling Club I would have to put the club first. But I don't care, it's not Quidditch that's important now!"
"You're joking?"
"No. Well, I wanted to join the team but the role of keeper didn't really interest me too much ... and now that I have joined the Dueling Club, Daniel and I became very good friends and that's enough for me. Ah, by the way ... your brother Ron is the keeper, you know?"
"WHAT?"
"Won't you stop?" the blonde chuckled, pressing her hands to her mouth to stifle the laughter. "Your brother tried with me and got chosen, no one told you? Angelina says he didn't give his all and that I was better than him ... but the fact is that it wasn't worth joining the team if I never would have participated in training, so I gladly gave my place to Ron. He had almost kissed me!"
"I didn't know Ron ... but why are people always hiding everything from me?" Ginny yelled all outraged and inflamed, rising from her chair and striding towards the spiral staircase that led to the dorms, her friend at her heels. She talked quickly. "First my family, then those two pair of idiots, then Demelza and now Ron too! I've had enough of this crap!"
Most of the common room turned in her direction and before anyone could say anything about it, Vicky stupidly excused her: "Oh ... er ... what are you all looking at? Who likes being lied to all the time?"
Ginny had thought that when Saturday came she would have a good day: no Umbridge, no various groups and clubs that would take away her friends and, above all, no lessons of any kind. But obviously that detention had changed all the cards on the table: after breakfast, Ginny walked with a funeral march towards Snape's office, giving up watching the boys' Quidditch practice with her friends.
When she knocked on the door, the professor's voice had blown a consent to enter. The office really reflected Snape's character because it was the darkest of all the offices the girl had ever been in and the windows were tightly closed, as if Severus Snape expected that a ray of light could kill him: it didn't surprise her, since the man looked more like a bat than a human. Astoria had arrived before her and was sitting behind the teacher's desk, silent and looking rather sad and dejected.
"Good evening, Professor," Ginny mumbled mournfully, standing in the doorway before closing it behind her.
Snape stared at her for a couple of seconds, then said, "You can both start separating the ingredients of the various potions into the pots and when you have finished all the work without magic you can go. I don't want to hear you raise your voice or do anything else other than separating the various ingredients! Clear? "
"Yes, professor" the two girls answered in unison.
Ginny went to the shelf and joined Astoria, starting to work with her as Snape occasionally stared at the two girls sitting behind the desk, looking up from the papers to be corrected to see how the two were doing. A beautiful and captivating smell aroused Ginny's attention, and she grabbed some unicorn hair and sniffed them, narrowing her eyes; Snape twitched and jumped to his feet.
"Do not move and rage among yourselves like today, otherwise you will have to deal with me and the Headmaster when I return!" and having said this, he disappeared.
"What's wrong with him?" snapped Astoria Greengass, grabbing some salamander pupils. Ginny shrugged and snatched those pupils from Astoria's hands with arrogance, while Astoria continued to mutter curses at Snape: "Selwyn should have been in my place ... and instead I have to separate the potion ingredients with you without even the gloves. For your info, I was just trying to protect you from that idiot if you didn't notice, and I ended up in it! Thanks so much for the support, Weasley ... and you might as well drop your attitude and act differently! " she added, irritated by her punishment partner.
"What are you babbling about?" she hissed, dropping her pupils into the special container.
"It is you who are idiot and do not listen!" Astoria attacked her with exasperation.
"What do you mean you were protecting me?"
"Well, Selwyn knows a lot with that wand and I didn't want him to be in trouble ... so I defended you, so to speak!"
"You shouldn't have, I know how to get by on my own."
"You're as stupid as you look, huh! Instead of thanking me on your knees!"
Ginny didn't answer, thinking back to Astoria Greengass's words: her faithful Slytherin companion knew good things with that wand. Of course, the father was a Death Eater and it was more than logical ... obvious that that imbecile had learned from him some Curses and dangerous hexes! But the question always remained the same: why had Astoria sacrificed herself for the two of them? She was a Slytherin, she had to be on the side of the Death Eaters ... or maybe it was just her noble family of her Pureblood that was on the side of the Death Eaters, while she rejected that life.
You're making movies in your mind like your usual, Ginny thought angrily as she grabbed a hideous dead mollusk by the paws and threw it violently into Snape's rotting, hideous shellfish containers.
"I swear one day Selwyn will pay dearly for it!" Astoria hissed furiously, her eyes glistening and glistening with anger. "And he also makes fun of me, laughing cheerfully with Draco ... who also always sleeps with that total Parkinson's cow! I don't know what the hell he finds in that slobbery pug ... but that poor bitch seems to have no little fun with him! " she added, sniffling imperceptibly at her.
Although Ginny really despised Astoria very much, especially for the fact that she had made her go through the worst moments of her life during the first year, she didn't have time to control herself and gave in a chuckle at the last comment that the girl had done about Draco and Parkinson, a giggle that had quickly turned into a coughing fit. Astoria caught her laugh and ... smiled unexpectedly, then regained herself.
"What are you laughing at, Weasley?" she retorted.
"Oh ... go to hell, Greengass"
Author's corner
This chapter focuses mainly on the various secrets and mysteries: the small one of Demelza that I will resume later, that of the Triwizard gold twins, that of Ron and of course that of Astoria Greengass. I have always believed that the Greengasses respected Voldemort and the Dark Arts, but I never thought of an evil Astoria but rather influenced by her family and the Slytherins. In short, exactly like Draco: she is involved by her family in bad choices but she who knows ... maybe she will be able to do what Draco has never done, proving ... oh no, I can't tell you that. Moreover, even Snape's is a bit of a mystery but for us it isn't so much: we know that Snape sees in Ginny his love for him, Lily. And when Ginny smelled that unicorn hair, I like to think that Snape was almost feeling sick because Lily did it a lot since he was good at Potions and at recognizing various ingredients. Well, I hope you also like the idea of punishment: I added it just to highlight the figure of Astoria which will be important in the future.
A hug.
T/N
Loved this chapter, both me and helena procrastinate so we finished it today together lol. But it was nice, we listened to music with the spotify group session and talked while working, it was fun.