Chapter 48

The others and I couldn't keep the smiles off our faces as we sat down the next morning and had breakfast. "When is it going to happen?" Ron asked.

"Any second now." I said with a smirk.

Sure enough, the doors to the great hall burst open and Amelia Bones, the head of Magical Law Enforcement, strode into the hall purposefully. She was accompanied by several aurors that included Tonks. It wasn't hard to miss her bright pink hair.

People watched as Madam Bones made her way over to where I was sitting. Harry and I stood up and turned to face her. "What is the meaning of this?" Umbridge demanded, leaping to her feet.

"Well, as official owners of Hogwarts, Harry and I want to make sure that all the teachers here are up to the proper standards." I said politely. "Your methods of torturing students is only one of the many things that makes you someone who is not fit to teach here. Of course, we did not want to enrage the ministry by firing you without giving our reasons first."

"Thank you for alerting me of the problem Miss Rogers." Madam Bones said. "The blood quill you sent me was one of the ones that went missing at the ministry and it was confirmed with a spell that Delores Umbridge had handled it." Many of the teachers gasped when Madam Bones said 'blood quill'.

"I hope you are not suggesting that I use blood quills on my students, Amelia." Umbridge exclaimed in a seemingly horrified voice. "Whatever these children have told you is clearly lies and why are they under the delusion that they own Hogwarts? Surly the ministry is the-"

"No, Hogwarts has always and will always belong to the four founders and their descendants. Maybe you didn't get the memo: Harry and I make up three of the four heirs. However, since Salazar Slytherin left he renounced his ownership on the castle so Harry and I own it all." I explained easily. (I had checked in the library beforehand.) "What, did you think Dumbledore and Snape resigned?"

"The ministry was aware that Dumbledore and Snape left the castle but no one knew why until I received your letter." Madame Bones told me. "Now, you said that she made you use it. May I see your left hand?"

"There's only two of you!" Umbridge said in a triumphant voice. "How can you be heirs of three of the founders if there is only two of you?!"

"Harry is the heir of Gryffindor and I am the heir of both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw." I told her with a roll of my eyes.

I took my left hand out of my pocket and unwrapped the bandage that Hermione had put on. I haven't used the quill nearly enough to get a permanent scar but it hadn't healed yet so the words were still clearly visible. I showed her the scabbed lettering and she winced in sympathy. "How long did she make you use the blood quill for?" Madam Bones asked.

"Eight hours." I admitted.

Professor McGonagall jumped from her seat and rounded on Umbridge. She looked fully enraged. I would not like to be the toad right now. "You tortured a student for eight hours!" She yelled, her scottish accent was heavy with anger.

"The little brat deserved it!" The toad screamed back.

"I believe that is a confession." I said with a grin.

"May I ask what you did to earn this detention?" Amelia said.

"I tried to leave breakfast early yesterday." I explained.

"She spreads lies about You-Know-Who! I needed an excuse to bring her in!" Umbridge barked.

"Has Umbridge used the blood quill on anyone else?" Madam Bones asked.

Parvati Patil, Colin Creevey and several others stood up.

"They were supporting her and Harry Potter!" Umbridge spat Harry's name out with so much malice that he flinched.

"I think I've heard enough." Madam Bones said. She signaled and two aurors stepped forward and grabbed Umbridge. "Delores Jane Umbridge, you are under arrest for the illegal torture of children."

Everyone cheered as she was dragged away. "And you're fired!" I yelled after her. Harry laughed and we hi-fived.

...

The Yule Ball had been announced later that day. I'm hoping Fred will ask me but I don't know if he likes me that way. Sometimes I think it seems like he fancies me. I mean, he always gets super pissed off when I get hurt and he scowls when I'm with another guy. That could just be brotherly protectiveness though. I decided that if he asks me to the Yule ball he likes me and if he doesn't then he obviously thinks of me as just a friend. I just had to wait and see.

The next day, Draco said that he wanted to speak to me. He lead me into an abandoned classroom. "I need to talk to you about something and it's kind of embarrassing." He said. He looked slightly nervous. I was trying not to jump to conclusions but I was kind of worried he was going to ask me to the ball. I didn't like him that way. It seemed unlikely though, Draco has never shown interest before.

"I kind of fancy Hermione." He said quickly. I let out the breath I was holding as discreetly as possible. "Do you think she likes me back?" Hermione hadn't said anything to me about it. Draco and Hermione weren't together in the books. Then again, in the books Draco was kind of a prat, not to mention a death eater.

"I don't know." I told him honestly. "But if she does it would be worth it to ask her to the ball."

"What if she says no?" He said. His eyes dropped to his feet. I've never seen Draco be this insecure. He was usually so confident.

"That's just life I'm afraid." I replied. "But if you don't be honest with her, you'll always wonder what if? Also, Victor Krum asked her in the other timeline so you might want to hurry."

We exited the classroom and ran right into Fred and George. Fred scowled slightly when he saw Draco and I together. See! That could mean he likes me. "What were you two doing alone in a classroom together." George said suggestively.

"Joanne just gave me some great advice." Draco told them and I smiled at him encouragingly before he went off to find Hermione. Fred's frown disappeared.

"I've never seen him look so determined. What kind of advice did you give him Joey?" He asked with a grin. I flinched and the smile immediately left my face.

"D-don't call me that." I stuttered. No one had called me that since- No! I refuse to think about it.

"What? Joey?" Fred asked in confusion. I flinched again.

"P-please don't." I whispered. He just nodded.

Fred and George looked concerned but I didn't care. I needed to be alone. People say talking about it helps but I don't want to talk about it. I told my parents I didn't remember it but that was a lie. I remembered everything in sickening detail. I turned and started walking away. I felt numb as the memory flashed in my mind. I just wanted it to go away. I just wanted to forget.

...

Ginny's POV

I was sitting on a couch in the common room with my legs stretched out when Harry walked over to me. I looked up at him. He seemed kind of nervous. I waited for him to say something. "Um...Uh...Hi Ginny." He mumbled. Does he not want to talk to me or something? Was I in his way? I moved my legs out of his path.

"Hey Harry." I greeted with a polite smile before returning to my book.

He cleared his throat and I looked up again. Oh, he did want to talk to me. Now I feel like an idiot for going back to my book. "So um...Uh...The Yule ball is coming up and I was...Err... I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" He said awkwardly. Is Harry asking me out? I was kind of confused. Of course, I did have a crush on Harry but why would he ask me to the ball? Every girl wants to go with him. "As friends!" He added on hurriedly. Oh, so he doesn't like me back. "Would you like to go to the Yule ball as friends?"

I was kind of disappointed but I said yes anyway.

...

Harry's POV

I was going to do it! I was going to ask Ginny to the Yule ball! The ball had been announced days ago and I still hadn't worked up the courage. And I call myself a Gryffindor. I can do this. It's just a few simple words.

That is what I told myself as I walked over to where Ginny was sitting on a couch in the common room. Merlin, she was hot. It was the perfect representation of her inner beauty.

I realized that I had arrived next to her and had just been staring at her for a while. She was looking at me, waiting for me to say something. I am such an idiot. "Um...Uh...Hi Ginny." I mumbled. I want to bang my head against the wall right now. 'Hi Ginny'?! Really?

"Hey Harry." She replied with a smile that melted my insides. She then returned to her book. I cleared my throat to get her attention again. "So um...Uh...The Yule ball is coming up and I was...Err... I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" I eventually got out. She looked confused. Oh no! What if she doesn't like me that way? What if I ruined our friendship? I didn't want that. "As friends!" I added on quickly. "Would you like to go to the Yule ball as friends?" I am such a coward.

She looked kind of disappointed. I knew it, she doesn't want to go with me. "Sure Harry, that would be fun." She said.

"G-good." I said. I mentally kicked myself. I can face the Dark Lord but I can't talk to the girl I like? I am unbelievable. But she said yes! She said yes!

Suddenly Fred and George burst into the common room looking worried. "Has Joanne come through here?" Fred asked.

"No, why?" I replied.

"Fred called her Joey and she got all weird about it." George said. "Now we can't find her."

"She's probably in the Ravenclaw Library." Harry said. "Why doesn't she like the nickname Joey?"

"No idea." Fred replied. "She looked sad."

"Maybe that's what her family called her or something. She could be homesick." Ginny suggested. "It wouldn't be the first time. She'll tell us if she wants to."

...

Joanne's POV

The Yule ball was in three days and Hermione, Ginny, Luna and I had already been dress shopping. Fred hasn't asked me yet so I still didn't have a date. It's not that no one has asked me because plenty of guys have, I had just turned them all down in the hope that Fred would. I was tired of hoping Fred would ask me, though. He obviously doesn't feel the same way. I decided that I would say yes to the next guy who asks (Within reason).

On the plus side, Hermione had said yes to Draco and Harry had asked Ginny so they were all going together. Neville and Luna were always going to go together because they had been dating since the summer. Being in a coma, I missed the announcement.

It was dinner when Victor Krum came over. "I vas vondering if you vould do me the honor, of allowing me to accompany you to the Yule Ball?" He asked. A lot of girls were giving me death glares at the moment.

"I would love to." I answered with a warm smile. He smiled widely back before taking my hand gently in his and kissing my knuckles. I blushed slightly at all the stares we were getting.

...

Fred's POV

"I can't believe she said yes to Krum!" I fumed later to George in our dorm room.

"It's your fault for not asking her." George pointed out. I scowled but I knew he was right. I was just so scared she would reject me. I had been going to do it after dinner actually but I guess now it's too late. I should have asked her when I had the chance.

...