As they caught up with sleep and got back into their normal routines, The school started to feel a lot more like the Hogwarts they all knew and loved. Everyone was back to their happy selves and no longer grumpy from the lack of sleep and the sudden and unexpected workload that somehow always managed to overwhelm the students.
On the first Sunday morning of the new school year, Padmé woke earlier than the rest of the girls and felt well-rested for once. She decided that this would be the best time to start on her potions essay for next month. It was an essay on 'Essense of Insanity' and how to brew it. When they were given this task, one of the Slytherin boys had made an off-hand comment about how their professor probably took one vial every morning, because he was mental. Which was quite a stupid comment, since that wasn't even the effects of the potion. Never mind them actually insulting the head of their house. Lucky for them, he didn't notice it.
Later that evening, Padmé was making her way back from the bathroom when she heard someone crying in a classroom. She pondered whether she should check if they were okay or just let them have peace. She decided on the first option, it was probably just a first-year who missed home, she thought. But in the corner, she found her best friend sitting and hugging her knees whilst sobbing.
"Dormé, what's wrong?" Padmé asked, sitting down beside her best friend. If it was that stupid Pong Krell guy again, Padmé silently swore she would curse him so badly.
"It's nothing," she sniffled, pulling out a handkerchief to blow her nose.
"It is not nothing, it is clearly something." Padmé started stroking her hair, in an attempt to soothe her.
Dormé sniffled one more time. "It doesn't concern you."
"Dormé, since when are we keeping secrets from each other? If it upsets you, it does concern me. Now tell me," she said sternly. It came out a bit more harsh than intended.
"It's Rush Clovis," she said.
Padmé immediately felt her heart rate increase, but she managed to somewhat calmly ask, "What did he do?"
"It's not what he did, it was what he said." Dormé looked at her for the first time. It was obvious that she had been crying for a good while before Padmé found her.
"What did he say?
"Padmé, it's fine," Dormé said and turned her head away from her best friend.
"No, it is not. What did he say?"
"He said that he wished all mudbloods would be expelled. And that his father would be petitioning the board to allow fewer muggle-borns to be accepted."
Padmé felt her temper rise even further to the point where she could barely control it, "Did he say that to you, or was it something you overheard?" She wasn't sure what difference it would make. No matter what, he was still an awful human.
"I overheard him and his friends talking when I was leaving the bathroom."
Padmé turned around and walked towards the common room, where she knew he would be sitting.
"Padmé, what are you doing?" Dormé called after her, but Padmé was too angry to even register her voice, let alone stop and explain her thought process. 'Rush Clovis, Gryffindor, my ass', she thought. She knew he had some alternative views on quite a few things, but half the time she just thought he was saying it to mess with her, and the other half she convinced herself that he would grow wiser with age. It had only really begun after Easter, when he had started hanging out with a lot of 7th-year Slytherins. His father had been friends with their parents in school, and their views had apparently grown on him too.
"Ah, there we have my sweet princess," Rush smiled, he was laid back in an armchair and adjusted himself, expecting Padmé to sit on his lap. But his smile quickly faded, when he noticed her fierce expression.
She stormed towards him as fast as her short legs could carry her without running, and slapped him as hard as she could, yelling, "We are done." Before she could make her way back to Dormé, their house professor, Onaconda Farr, appeared at the entrance to the common room, holding a poster for Quidditch tryouts to put on the wall. The expression on his face and the face of everyone else in the common room, even Rush, was either shock, disbelief, or a weird mixture of the two.
"Padmé, please come with me." The professor said. His voice came out a lot calmer than the expression on his face.
Professor Farr led her into his office, and unlike all the other times she had been there, he didn't offer her any tea. He was one of her father's oldest friends and basically an uncle to her. They were so close that he had even been giving her private lessons in Charms ever since she started showing signs of magic. He had also given her the basic knowledge of the other topics and was always more than happy to answer her questions about magic in general.
"Padmé, what possessed you to do that? You know physical violence, or any kind of violence, is grounds for suspension. I will have to write to your parents about this." He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I would rather not say." She said, crossing her arms and looking around the room in an attempt to find anything worthy of her attention. Eventually, her gaze landed upon the teapot on his desk. She had never given its design much thought, but it seemed like a better use of her focus than the ongoing conversation.
"Padmé. If you explain yourself and say that you are sorry, then I can defend only giving you detention to the other teachers and the board. A board in which Mr. Clovis has a vital role ."
"The problem is that I'm not sorry. He deserved it."
"I know you two are together, or maybe not anymore. But any relationship issues the two of you might have is not relevant to this matter. The point is that you hit another student," he said. When he realized that she was keeping her mouth shut, he continued, "Padmé, you are very dear to me. I have watched you grow up. You can trust me."
"I would be able to tell my Uncle Orno about this, not professor Farr."
"I would hope that there isn't a difference other than how you address me," he said silently, a flash of hurt coming across his eyes.
"Normally there wouldn't be. But you have an obligation to the school, and it would put you in a bad place."
"Padmé, you can tell me." He insisted.
She knew how persistent he could be, and that he could make her life a lot harder if she didn't comply. So, she decided to trust him, and she gave in. "Fine. Dormé overheard him saying that he wished that all muggle-borns be expelled, and that his father would soon propose that fewer muggle-borns would be accepted. And he used the term 'mudblood' instead of muggle-born."
The elder man shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "And did he admit to this? Or was this all based on Dormé's word?"
"He didn't have time to admit anything. Besides, this was just the final straw. I was going to break up with him eventually, and he had that slap coming for many other reasons."
The professor chuckled slightly at the last bit, before turning serious. "If that is true, and he actually said those things, you will get a week's detention with Professor Koon. But if it is not, and this entire situation is based on Dormé's mistaken word, then I will have to give you 3 months' detention with Professor Windu."
"But what if he is lying?" Padmé questioned. The importance of the situation suddenly hit her. This could alter her future forever. All her good-will with the teachers and the spotless reputation that she had amassed during her five previous years could be ruined forever.
"In matters so delicate as these, it is permitted to use Veritaserum, when a ministry official is present, which there will be, so I will know if he is lying."
Padmé relaxed, and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "What will happen to him afterward?"
"I'm not quite sure yet. Probably 2 weeks suspension followed by 4-6 months of detention."
Padmé didn't reply.
"Look. I really want to believe you, Padmé. And off the record, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the truth. His father has said some questionable things over the years."
"I don't have a hard time imagining that," Padmé muttered, but the professor still heard it and let out a quiet laugh.
"I think that was all. You are free to go."
"Thank you. It means a lot." She stood up and just before she opened the door, she said, "When will this hearing take place?"
"Next week, I imagine. Probably on Wednesday. Just a heads-up, I will have to talk to Rush about this situation later, so he might be even more unfriendly than an ex would normally be."
"Thank you again, Uncle Ono. I appreciate it. "
The professor gave her a warm smile, which Padmé returned, and then she left in her search for Dormé. She was hoping that she wasn't in the common room. She wanted to avoid her housemates for as long as possible. Well, everyone except Dormé. She quickly found her by the lake, and after explaining the situation, they managed to get some house elves to bring them some food. They stayed by the lake until the sun set, talking about everything but boys. Eventually, they made their way back to their dormitories, where everyone was sleeping soundly, which Padmé was beyond grateful for.