In which Ramona publicly humiliates herself
-November 1995-
Dear Ramona,
I am writing to you to express my disappointment and appall at your behaviour as of late. It is of my understanding that you have been particularly unwelcoming to your mother and I's good friend, Dolores Umbridge. We have been lenient towards many of your questionable and often insulting choices these past few years but publicly siding with Harry Potter and opposing the Ministry is where we draw the line. We understand that you are a teenager and that you look up greatly to your sister but these actions are not the same reckless yet harmless stunts Regina once pulled. What you are doing could get you, and us, killed, I'm sure I need not go into any more details. Keep your head down and your mouth shut, you're better seen and not heard.
Richard Aaron Burke.
Ramona almost laughed as she glanced over the letter again. Not once in all her years at Hogwarts had either of her parents ever written her which meant that they were actually scared. She'd guessed as much over the summer, they were even more absent than usual, were always off for what they claimed were meetings, often spoke to each other in low, shaky voices in the dead of night, and both had started to go grey. This letter was basically confirmation that they were, or at least affiliated with, the Death Eaters.
She folded up the letter and tucked it into her pocket and continued to eat her cereal as if nothing had happened and it was just a regular Sunday morning. The words on the back of her hand hadn't faded yet so she cleverly wore a sweater she'd nabbed years ago from Blaise that was far too big for her and covered her hands, she figured it would soon have to become a staple in her closet considering she still had a week of detention ahead of her and was worried it would actually scar this time.
Despite her efforts to keep quiet (for the first time in her life), Delilah knew, she'd spotted it while they brushed their teeth the night before and was now glaring at Ramona's hand, not having so much as touched the cup of tea placed in front of her, ignoring Draco who was dramatically recounting the attack on him at the game yesterday while Pansy cooed and fussed over him.
"The lake's frozen over," Ramona said casually, poking Delilah with her foot underneath the table to make sure she heard, "we can go skating on it later."
"Is that safe?" Pansy peered over.
"Of course not, but we should do it before Umbitch bans it."
Delilah met her eyes and she did not look amused. "Don't do it, Mona, you're in enough trouble as it is."
She thought of the letter in her pocket, any more stunts could get her and her parents killed, a small voice inside her told her to see how far she could push it while her hand screamed that enough was enough, she had to lay low. "Ice skating isn't illegal...yet. I want to have fun and I'm fully prepared to argue my way out of another situation."
"What if you fall in and drown?" Draco said through a mouthful of egg that Pansy had fed him like a toddler, he was still playing up his injury in typical Draco fashion, despite Pomfrey having said he was perfectly fine.
"Then I'll be dead, what do you think?" she snapped and rose to her feet. "So, who's coming?"
None of them stood. She suspected some were still a bit angry about her blatant betrayal yesterday with the song and the badges but she'd thought fun games in the freshly-fallen snow might've righted her wrongs with them. Clearly not, if their dour faces were anything to go by.
"Fine, stay inside and be miserable," she swigged the last of her tea and began to set off. "It's all any of you are good for anyways."
Ramona went back to her dorm, shrugged on her heavy winter cloak, a woollen hat that she just managed to squeeze over her curls and gloves, ready to brave the snow outside. Ice skating wouldn't be as much fun on her own but she was now determined to go through with it, for no reason but for the sake of proving herself right.
It was colder than she'd anticipated, despite her many layers and briefly she debated just going back inside to tackle her mountain of homework considering she'd be wasting her evening in detention but then she remembered how embarrassing it would be to have to eat her words and stepped onto the frozen lake. One of the many great things about being a witch was that she didn't even need those bladed shoes muggles used to ice skate, surely she could cast a simple Glisseo charm on the soles of her shoes and be off with ease. At least, in theory she could.
After casting the charm, she lowered one foot down towards the frozen surface of the lake, the voices of her friends echoing around in her head, spite flooding her very being.
"Burke!"
In shock, Ramona's foot slipped the second it touched the ice, sending her sprawling onto her back with so much force that the ice cracked underneath her. She was plunged into the shallow, icy water with a scream. She didn't think she'd ever felt so cold in her life, it completely engulfed her, seeping through her clothes and skin, seeming to take hold of every muscle. Maybe this hadn't been so much of a good idea.
Ramona had only been in the Hospital Wing a few times before then, once in third year to laugh at Draco and his 'devastating injury', again that same year after Peeves smashed an ink bottle over her head and once last year after breaking every bone in her hand for punching a statue (not her finest moment she'd admit) yet it always looked the exact same, the rows of neatly-made bed separated by blank screens, the perfectly polished cabinets of medicines and the stone floor so shiny that it reflected the light.
She sat on one of the beds, her wet clothes dumped in a pile on the floor, wrapped in several heavy blankets while Madam Pomfrey tried coaxing her into swallowing one of her nasty potions. Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood (who was failing at hiding her grin) and Neville Longbottom sat in the seats around her bed, none quite knowing what to say while Pomfrey yelled at her.
"Completely and totally idiotic!" she stuck another vial of Pepper-Up Potion into Ramona's hand. "What stupidity possessed you to do something like that? In all my years here there have been few injuries more ridiculously caused than this!"
Ramona avoided her furious gaze, feeling even worse as her ears started to smoke violently. "I was trying to prove a point, didn't work."
"Oh you think so?" Pomfrey said sarcastically, with wide eyes.
A little giggle escaped Luna's mouth.
"This isn't funny Miss Lovegood!"
"It was kinda funny."
"Wow," Ramona said dryly, "I really admire and appreciate your concern for me, Luna, thanks."
Pomfrey glowered. "Had you not been pulled out so quickly Miss Burke, you could've died."
Ramona wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to respond to that. "Okay..."
With a huff, Pomfrey turned on her heel and began to storm back into her office.
"Can I go?" No answer came. "I'm just gonna leave then."
Ramona slipped off the bed, still smoking at the ears, and took her pile of soaking clothes from where they'd been left on the floor. She couldn't remember how to dry them without setting them on fire so she supposed she'd have to leave in the pyjamas she'd been given that were about four sizes too big on her. The other three followed her out, Luna trying desperately to stifle her laughs.
"What were all of you doing outside anyways?" Ramona asked as they all walked down the hall, receiving some odd stares. "Hardly just waiting for me to embarrass myself?"
"No," Longbottom looked at her sheepishly, "we were looking for Trevor."
"Your toad?"
He nodded. "I lost him again, haven't been able to find him all morning, starting to get really worried."
"He'll turn up eventually, he always does," she said. "I lose my stuff all the time too but I find them most of the time, what did you say was taking them again, Luna?"
The young girl beamed brighter than Ramona had ever seen. "Nargles!"
"Yeah, those, maybe Trevor's off with them for a bit."
He looked doubtful but smiled nonetheless. "Thanks."
She gave him a taut smile as they reached the stairs. Ramona would be heading down to go to her common room while the others were planning to head back out and look for Trevor but as she readjusted her hold on her clothes, Ginny Weasley let out a little gasp and grabbed Ramona before she could bolt. "What's that on your hand?"
Ramona felt as if she'd been dunked in ice water all over again. "Nothing."
Luna took up her hand and held it close to her face before Ramona snatched it back and held it close to her chest. "What does that mean? 'I must not talk back'?"
"Exactly what it says," she snapped and began hastily walking down the stairs to the dungeons, not having expected them to follow her.
"Who did that to you?"
"Why would they do that to you?"
"Have you told Dumbledore?"
She picked up the pace a bit.
"Is it like a tattoo?"
"No Luna, it's clearly a scar."
Ramona stopped in her tracks and the three behind her almost crashed into her back. "It's Umbridge's idea of detention, justice, in her eyes."
"That has to be illegal," said Longbottom, pale-faced and slightly trembling.
"It's not," she snarled. "Ministry has given her jurisdiction over all punishments at Hogwarts, whatever she sees fit, so long as she can squash Dumbledore's power and spread Ministry propaganda. They're using fear and terror against anyone who doesn't agree with them to silence them."
There was a horrified silence between the others, broken only after a long, very loud croak came from Ramona's feet. "Trevor!"
Ramona had never been the biggest fan of Rubeus Hagrid or of Care of Magical Creatures in general but she found herself genuinely looking forward to another one of his eventful classes after she'd seen him return to the staff table that morning, black and blue with bruises. While Grubbly-Plank was great for following the course, she wasn't nearly as fun or dangerous.
That Tuesday brought about the first Care of Magical Creatures class of the week, Ramona trudged down with Delilah through the snow, wondering what dangerous creature they would encounter that day. She was worried, for a second, that Umbridge would be there to spoil the fun but there was no sign of her when they arrived, only half the class and a very bruised Hagrid with a dead cow slung over his shoulder. His grin was broad despite his ominous appearance and the wariness of many of his students.
"We're workin' in here today!" He gestured behind him to the Forbidden Forest which looked more threatening than usual. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."
Draco, who stood a bit behind her gulped audibly. "What prefers the dark? What did he say prefers the dark-did you hear?"
"Lots of terrifying, bloodthirsty creatures," Ramona dropped back as they ventured into the trees, grinning, "Vampires, Acromantula, Lethifolds, or maybe he's got another Hippogriff."
"That's not funny!"
The poorly-hidden smiles on the other students' faces begged to differ.
Hagrid led them deeper into the forest, the light growing dimmer the further they ventured. After a bit, he held up a hand to stop them, looking quite excited. "Ready? Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the Forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em."
"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" Draco said loudly, slowly growing paler. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"
A few people seemed to agree, even some reluctant Gryffindors who were still sour towards him for getting three of their best Quidditch players kicked off the team.
"'Course they're trained," Hagrid scowled, twisting his bruised face to make him look even more intimidating.
"So what happened to your face, then?" Malfoy demanded.
"Mind yer own business!" Hagrid snapped. "Now, if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me!"
"Must be really vicious to be able to do that to Hagrid," Ramona whispered to Draco, suppressing the rising giggle in her throat.
They followed the hulking man into the Forest, some more warily than others, and walked for about ten minutes until the reached an area where the trees clumped closely together, blocking out most of the light from above without even a speck of snow on the ground. With a grunt, Hagrid dumped the dead cow on the ground a few feet in front of him and turned to face the class.
"Gather roun', gather roun'," he encouraged at the sight of their pale faces, wondering if they'd soon be attacke. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me."
He turned and gave a chilling shriek that echoed through the trees, making all the hairs on Ramona's neck stand on end. He sounded like some twisted, monstrous bird. The class held their breath in terror. He gave the call again. Nothing answered, the trees were still. He shrieked for a third time. Her head whipped around at the sound of rustling leaves and watched as a blank-eyed, bat-winged, skeletal, black horse emerged from the trees.
She relaxed somewhat, recognising this as one of the creatures that pulled the carriages up to the school as it tore a chunk out of the cow flesh on the ground. It seemed, however, that she was one of the few could could see it, most were looking around in terror, eyes passing over the giant horse. The only others who seemed to see it were Potter, Theodore Nott (who watched it with distaste) and to her surprise, Neville Longbottom.
"Oh, an' here comes another one!" Hagrid pointed just ahead of them where another of these skeletal horses emerged, dipping its head to eat. "Now...put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"
Ramona raised her hand, not tearing her eyes off the horses. She'd wondered why nobody had ever commented on them before.
"Excuse me," Draco sneered, "But what are we meant to be seeing exactly?"
Hagrid pointed at the half-eaten cow on the ground and a few students screamed as they watched chunks of flesh disappear into thin air.
Ramona leaned over to Draco again. "Invisible rabid vampires, you can't see but there's one staring right at your pretty little neck."
"You're lying," he said but he flicked up the collar of his robes, eyes flitting about anxiously.
"What's doing it?" Parvati Patil shrieked, backing away as fast as she could. "What's eating it?"
"Thestrals," said Hagrid proudly, puffing out his chest. "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. Now, who knows-?"
"But they're really, really unlucky!" Patil said again, now almost behind a tree. "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once-"
Ramona had never been particularly superstitious and she hadn't been inclined to believe the waffling of Professor Trelawney since she'd watched her having an argument with a plate of roast potatoes.
"No, no, no, tha's jus' superstition, that it, they aren' unlucky , they're dead clever an' useful! Course this lot don' get a lot o' work, it's mainly pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's takin' a long journey an' don' want ter Apparate-an' here's another couple, look-"
Ramona watched as more entered the clearing, Patil screaming as she thought one brushed up against her. Truthfully, they looked very ominous but they hadn't attacked them yet which she was taking as a good sign that they were trained as Hagrid claimed.
"Righ', now, who can tell me why some o' yeh can see 'em an' some can't?"
To nobody's surprise, Granger raised her hand. "The only people who can see Thestrals are people who've seen death."
Ramona supposed that made sense, she'd watched one of her family's House Elves die after her uncle had killed it with such a strong Reductor Curse that there was nothing to bury but the tip of a bat-like ear, and Potter had seen Cedric die, she thought she remembered Theodore talking about watching his mother die but she had never thought that Neville Longbottom had once seen death. Now that she thought back to it, he, like her, had been more than a bit freaked out when they'd watched imposter Moody cast the Unforgivable Curses on those spiders.
"Hem, hem."
Brilliant, a creature more disturbing than bat-winged, eyeless horses of death. Umbridge stood at the edge of the group in a green cloak and hat, making her look like more of a toad than usual. When Hagrid didn't take notice of her, she gave her fake cough again.
"Oh, hello!"
"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" She spoke in a very slow, carefully enunciated voice, as if she was addressing someone recently Confunded or like one of those condescending people talking to someone with little English. "Telling you I would be inspecting your lesson?"
"Oh yeah, glad yeh found the place all righ'," he said brightly, lacking experience with Umbridge's foulness. "Well, as yeh can see-or I dunno-can yeh? We're doin' Thestrals today-"
"I'm sorry?" She cupped a hand around her ear. "What did you say?"
Ramona braced herself for another shitshow.
"Er-Thestrals, big-er-winged horses, yeh know!" He flapped his arms like wings as Umbridge began frantically scribbling on her clipboard.
"Has...to...resort...to...crude...sign...language."
"Well, anyway," Hagrid looked confused. "What was I sayin'?"
"Appears...to...have...poor...short...term...memory."
Ramona wondered how long it would be before Umbridge had Hagrid sacked, and they'd be back to doing boring, non-life threatening creatures. Draco, on the other hand, was beaming with excitement. The class went on this way, with Umbridge interrupting every so often by twisting the meaning of his words and writing them down in her review, Hagrid getting more and more flustered with each one, her speaking to him even more slowly and now with sign language, and Pansy and Draco having a silent fit of laughter. After a while she moved amongst the students, asking them questions, sticking mostly to the Slytherins.
"Do you find," she asked Pansy, "that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"
Pansy was trying and failing to suppress her giggles. "No...because...well...it sounds...like grunting a lot of the time..."
Ramona rolled her eyes and elbowed Delilah in the ribs as she snickered.
"Er...yeah," said Hagrid, having heard every word, "good stuff abou' Thestrals. Well, once they're tamed, like this lot, yeh'll never be lost again. 'Mazin' sense o' direction, jus' tell 'em where yeh want ter go-"
"Assuming they can understand you of course," said Draco, dissolving into laughter again.
Umbridge grinned at this and moved towards Longbottom, who looked at her, eyes darting at Ramona's gloved hand and gulping. "You can see the Thestrals, Longbottom, can you?"
He nodded numbly.
"Who did you see die?"
"My...my grandad."
"And what do you think of them?" she waved her hand around the clearing, indicating the Thestrals themselves.
"Erm...well, they're okay."
"Students...are...too...intimidated...to...admit...they...are...frightened," she muttered along with what she wrote on her clipboards.
"No!" said Neville, suddenly looking upset. "No, I'm not scared of them!"
"It's quite alright," she patted him on the shoulder with an extremely condescending smile.
Before she could stop herself, Ramona spoke. "Well, I can see them too and I think they're magnificent!"
"Is that so, Miss Burke?"
"It is so, why in my opinion, they are the most elegant, beautiful and intelligent creatures I've ever seen! Hagrid must be extremely talented to have not only tamed them but befriended them, you heard him yourself, he's the only person in Britain who's managed to train them."
She curled her lip into a sneer. "Well, wild beasts do tend to take better to other wild beasts."
November 21st brought heavy snow, the deadline for their Potions essay, and Ramona's sixteenth birthday. As usual, she was first awake and was glad to find no surprises in the dorm or down in the common room and she safely made it down to the Great Hall without any nasty surprises. Nobody said a word to her during breakfast and all she got in the post was that morning's Daily Prophet and a bunch of little jars of tea leaves from Regina with a singing card that she'd incinerated before it could get two notes out, sparing her any embarrassment.
Delilah muttered a 'Happy Birthday' and slid over a wrapped parcel as she came late to Charms. Inside Ramona found the emerald green cloak she'd been eyeing up the last time they went to Hogsmeade, and a worn Muggle novel with the words 'Animal Farm' written on the front. She folded the cloak carefully around the book and slipped them into her bag. "Thank you, Del, where'd you get the book?"
She smiled tiredly. "Bullied a first year into giving it to me, I also wanted to have a party but Pansy's still pissed at you."
"What did I do this time?"
"You gave Draco a funny look, apparently."
"Delusional."
Later that day, Blaise gave her a bunch of his old clothes so she wouldn't have to steal them anymore, Cho got her a little locket with a picture of them and Cedric, Daphne replenished her supply of hair care products and Pansy reluctantly gave over an album filled with pictures, dating all the way back to when they were little kids, having tea parties while their parents had meetings together.
That night, she was supposed to have a DA meeting and was hoping Cho wouldn't make a big deal out of it being her birthday, she didn't think she'd ever recover from the embarrassment. She was a bit late, having had to pry herself away from the others who actually wanted to spend time with her for once and when she finally arrived at the meeting she apologised quietly.
"It's fine," Potter said. "Happy Birthday by the way."
She gave him a suspicious look. "How do you know?"
"Er-Cho told me."
"Of course she did," she sighed and made her way over to Longbottom who was practicing with Ginny and Luna in her absence. "I'm so sorry I'm late, was a bit preoccupied."
"Happy Birthday!" Luna squealed, accidentally sending her wand flying six feet into the air.
"So Cho told you too, huh?"
Luna shook her head, bottle-cork jewellery clinking together. "I sense a change about you...also I saw you getting presents at breakfast and lunch."
"We didn't have much time..." said Ginny Weasley nervously as she went rooting through her bag.
"...But you're always eating them," Longbottom chimed in as he was handed five bundles of neatly wrapped Sugar Quills.
She took them gingerly from them. "I don't know what to say..."
"'Thank you' is usually appropriate in these situations," Luna had retrieved her wand.
"Thank you, all of you, I'll have them all lost by tomorrow."