Written for Quidditch League, Semi-Finals
Team: Montrose Magpies. Position: Seeker
Character: Madam Pince
Prompt: Write about your member of staff during the '97/'98 school year
Behind the Books
She sat at the desk in the library with an interesting book in her hands, though she couldn't follow the words on the page. The castle had been taken over by Death Eaters, and the library was full of students. None were studying, in fact, too much note-passing and whispering was happening.
But There were very few safe places in the school left for the students, and whereas she would have told them to keep the noise down in the past, now Irma stayed silent, hoping that the Carrows didn't come into the library again.
It was shocking how Hogwarts was being run these days. Her precious books weren't being treated with the respect they deserved. The Carrows made sure of that.
...oOo...
Irma was as surprised as anyone when she found out Harry Potter was back at the school. The Library had been locked for weeks now, the Carrows deciding that the students didn't need to study in the room.
Irma still went in there and secretly passed books to Neville. On threat of death if they came back damaged, she allowed him books on healing and plants and anything else he mentioned. He had unlimited access to the restricted section – she went as far as letting him take a lot of the books permanently as she realised that the Carrows were planning to teach the students the dark spells from some of the books.
She knew how dangerous the spells were and thought them better in Neville Longbottom's hands, than in the Carrows. She knew what Neville was doing, fighting for Hogwarts on the inside as they all waited to hear from Harry Potter.
As the librarian – someone overlooked by the staff and students alike – Irma used her position to listen in on conversations. Notes were placed in certain books and she was happy to check those books out to Neville on a regular basis. She would check the returned books, take out the notes, and hide them in book order forms, hoping that the Order understood the messages she was sending them this way.
She hadn't been caught yet, so at least Snape or the Carrows hadn't worked it out. But then again, they weren't the type to suspect an old librarian. She liked that her position kept her under the radar.
But the arrival of Harry had changed everything. Along with Harry's return, there were rumours that the Death Eaters were going to attack. She had seen Trelawny rushing to the Astronomy Tower, a look of determination in her eyes. Everyone was preparing for war.
Irma knew magic, sure, but what could she really do to fight the Death Eaters?
In her uncertainty, she went in search of her books. They would help her.
...oOo...
She listened to the sounds of the war around the castle and set her books aside. She knew that the rest of the staff were playing to their strengths, but her own was her books.
She knew how to summon them back to their places on the shelves, even the ones that were hidden from her sight. Maybe her books would come in useful after all. She unlocked the door. She would stand and fight for Hogwarts too, even if it cost them the precious books – after all, should the Death Eaters win, the library would most likely be destroyed anyway. A few books could make all the difference.
...oOo...
She stepped out of the room, her wand in hand, to see students running around, looking lost. She grabbed a few of the first year students, with tears in their eyes, shoving them into the library behind her.
First years didn't know enough to fight in a war, they would be a distraction that the older students wouldn't need. Any distraction could be the difference between life and death for someone else. She barked at them to hide themselves in the back, between the stacks. To stay low to the floor.
They did as they were told, and as Irma found a nearby window, she began to watch and waited for the right time.
...oOo...
The Death Eaters made the mistake of heading up the stairs to the library. She smirked, a very strange expression for her face. She couldn't help but admit she was excited to finally do something about all of this. Everything that had been disturbing her peace and ruining her library.
With a flick of her wand, the first wave of books came out. She had chosen the newer titles, knowing that they were able to be replaced. The hard-backed, heavy books smacked the two Death-Eaters in the face, knocking them off balance, and little trickles of blood from the pages that were scraping against their skin made her laugh.
People truly underestimated books.
The Death Eaters didn't know what to do, sending burning spells left and right, but as quickly as they rid themselves of their assailants, Irma sent more books flying in their direction.
...oOo...
There were no more Death Eaters coming, so she summoned her books to follow her. She had spells to leave the older volumes – the irreplaceable ones – in their shelves, and she headed down to the staircases. From her view, she saw fighting in the main hall.
The books were sent to help the students, smashing into the Death Eaters to distract them long enough.
She watched with joy as the Order stunned the Death Eaters, knowing that her precious books could have saved some lives. But she hadn't finished. She headed further into the battle, knowing that the books would be of further use.
As she sent them after more Death Eaters, she fantasised about the large order she would be allowed to place to refill the library.
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