Best Laid Plans
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Pride and Prejudice. All recognisable characters, content, or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Part One: The Defence Association
Chapter Nineteen:
Dumbledore stops speaking partway through his speech, and Helena's attention is caught by the unusual occurrence. She'd mostly been daydreaming - anticipating the warmth of her bed in Ravenclaw tower, mentally planning out a letter to Sirius regarding Leo's unfortunate encounter with George Wickham - but the cessation of Dumbledore's voice is jarring.
Dumbledore, though, is looking at Professor Umbridge - whom he's just welcomed as the new Head of the Defence Against the Dark Arts faculty, and thus far, the only teacher for the subject - and it takes Helena a long moment to realise that in fact, the short, stout Professor Umbridge is standing, and actually expects to make a speech of her own.
"For Merlin's sake," Lisa rolls her eyes, already exasperated. She isn't the only one.
Dumbledore returns to his seat, and settles in to listen with a show of interest that seems entirely sincere.
Professor Umbridge, meanwhile, approaches Dumbledore's vacated lectern, and addresses the room, "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome - And how lovely to see all of your bright happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends…"
Helena shares a dubious glance with Lisa and Padma, and Professor Umbridge continues talking, apparently undeterred by the student body's complete lack of enthusiasm for Umbridge's patronising attitude. Her saccharine voice sets Helena's teeth on edge, but she listens anyway - Helena is a Ravenclaw, after all, and knowledge is power - and Professor Umbridge's words are as unpleasant to hear as the voice that shapes them.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards of vital importance. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."
As Umbridge abruptly excuses herself to her seat with an entirely incongruous giggle, the students clap halfheartedly, partly confused, mostly impatient.
"A bit heavy-handed with the alliteration, I think," Anthony opines, tongue in cheek.
"I thought the ending was rather lacklustre," Lisa replies, similarly facetious, "It was quite abrupt."
Dumbledore returns to the lectern, and the remainder of his announcements pass without further incident. He dismisses them directly thereafter, and Helena and William move to gather up their newest contingent of Ravenclaws.
"How do you want to do this?"
"You can lead the way?" William suggests, "I'll bring up the rear - Make sure there aren't any stragglers."
"All Right," Helena acquiesces, "But you're showing them back here tomorrow morning."
William pulls a face, but he doesn't protest. "If you insist."
Helena smiles at him, guileless. "I do."
They introduce themselves as the rest of the hall clears out, do a headcount, and welcome the small cluster of First Years to Ravenclaw. Helena does most of the talking - William's aversion to public speaking and attention in general has only gotten worse with age - and Helena finds the entire experience oddly surreal. Nonetheless, she manages the introductions well enough, and the inadvertent tour, as well, and they reach Ravenclaw Tower without incident, without any missing First Years, and Helena considers it a win.
Before Helena directs them to their respective dormitories, William instructs them to be awake, dressed, and in the common room by seven o'clock the next morning. Professor Flitwick, without fail, meets with his charges at the start of every term - to welcome them, to introduce himself, to inform them of his expectations for them as Ravenclaws - and by the time the meeting is done, the Great Hall will be open for breakfast.
"Is that everything?" Will addresses Helena.
"For now."
They split the first years by gender, and Helena leads the girls to their new (shared) dormitory. All the while, she explains that they are to share a bathroom with the second years, that their curfew is in half an hour, that they're expected to be in bed by the time one of the prefects calls for light's out.
There's more to the Ravenclaw House routine - time designated for study, for tutoring, for dinner - but Professor Flitwick will explain it all in the morning, and it'll be spelled out on their schedules, besides.
In the meantime, it's been a long day, the first years are dragging, and frankly, Helena's ready for bed, as well.
"You're here."
Helena shuffles into the dorm room she shares with Lisa and Padma, yawns into her hand, and offers her blue-eyed friend a tired frown. "I'm here."
"How have the first years settled in?" Padma wonders. SHe's sprawled out across her bed, still dressed in her uniform, but sans her robe and blazer, her shoes, hat, and tie.
"All right, I think," Helena replies. She'll check on them later - once she's settled in, and once they've had some time to do the same - and she hopes Leo is all right in Gryffindor Tower.
"More importantly, what do you think Umbridge is really doing here?" Lisa prods. She's already made a mess of her study desk - how she's managed it in the 45 minutes since she left the Great Hall is a mystery - and she doesn't seem remotely inclined to make herself comfortable.
"Nothing useful," Helena replies. She deposits her robes, blazer, and tie over the back of the chair tucked into her own study desk, kicks off her shoes by her small wardrobe, tosses her hat on top of the wardrobe in question, and retrieves her toiletry kit, pyjamas, and a fresh pair of knickers from her trunk, "I'm going to go shower."
Helena doesn't wait around to hear her friends' reply. Instead, she meanders her way to the nearest bathroom, and by the time she returns, Padma and Lisa have disappeared.
A bit done with people after a day surrounded by them, Helena doesn't make any effort to seek out her friends. Instead, she gathers up her stationery supplies, makes herself comfortable at her writing desk, and sets to work on her letter to Sirius. SHe'll write to everyone else over the days to come, prattle on about her thoughts of Fifth Year, prefect duties, the drama among her classmates, but for the moment, Helena focuses on Leo's unfortunate encounter with George Wickham on the Hogwarts Express, and also her initial impressions of Dolores Umbridge in Hogwarts.
Pointedly, Helena doesn't mention the results of Leo's sorting, and she hopes the omission makes her godfather crazy. She hopes, she imagines, and she laughs.
