WINDSWEPT - Chapter Three

Arianna rushed over to the trio.

"Oh Harry, I am so sorry!" she said, and Harry knew she meant it by the pained expression on her face.

"No, don't worry, it wasn't your..." he mumbled.

Arianna smiled gratefully. The four of them begun walking towards the cliffs again. Arianna stuck out her hand in turn to both Ron and Hermione.

"Arianna Blake, Ravenclaw."

They smiled, and Ron's ears turned pink.

"Hermione Granger."

"Er..Ron. Ron Weasley."

"Nice to meet you." she said, happily.

When they had made their way down to the cliffs, Umbridge addressed the fifth years.

"Hem hem. Now, I want everyone to gather into pairs."

There was a flurry of movement as everyone tried to find a partner. Ron stood beside Harry, and Hermione looked around anxiously before quickly pairing up with Arianna. Once everyone was still again, Umbrige resumed her speech.

"Now, we all know why we're here. We are here to witness the very spot where William Slinkhard wrote the last chapter of Defensive Magical Theory!" she said with a tittering laugh. "So, I want you and your partners to team up and write me a nice, long essay about why you think this place held such...inspiration...for Mr Slinkhard."

There was an audible groan. Harry and Ron both regretted not choosing Hermione as their partner now.

"She dragged us all the way here to make us write an essay?" Ron asked, incredulously.

Then Harry and Ron realized - they hadn't brought any writing instruments. No parchment, ink or quills. Harry stuck his hand in the air.

"Professor, I don't have anything to write with."

Umbridge looked astonished, before replacing her surprise with a look of delight.

"You didn't think we would be..." her voice dropped to a quiet tone of utter disgust, "...practicing?"

Harry didn't answer. Umbridge laughed and conjured a quill, parchment and ink out of the air. Harry took them and went back over to Ron. Understandably, he was wary of what horrors these instruments might hold. Then, he discarded his doubts - there were another 4 teachers around - and began his essay with Ron.

After around an hour, Umbridge gave her little cough, "Hem hem."

"How are we doing, girls and boys?" she said, in a sickly sweet voice.

Blank faces stared up at her.

"Finished?" she asked a small, weedy looking Slytherin to her left. He looked terrified and shook his head.

"Come on then, children. Keep working!"

Hermione had her hand in the air. Umbridge was steadfastly ignoring her. Arianna raised her hand too. Five minutes past in total silence, before Umbridge finally acknowledged their presence.

"Yes, dear?"

"We've finished."

Umbridge walked over to the pair, eyes narrowed, and snatched their essay out of their hands. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were watching, beady eyed for the slightest sign of corruption. Umbridge's eyes scanned the long essay. Her expression remained indifferent.

"Very well. Miss Granger and Miss..."

"Blake."

"Miss Granger and Miss Blake, you will proceed to the next task. You will now write for me an essay each, on Mr Slinkhard's book and its importance in learning defence." She shot them both an evil smile and resumed her position by the weedy Slytherin.

As Hermione contemplated her essay's introduction, Arianna was furiously scribbling, paragraph after paragraph. Hermione glanced over her shoulder.

"Arianna!" she whispered urgently.

Arianna ignored her.

"You can't write that! She'll go crazy! She'll give you detention! She'll expel you!"

Arianna stopped writing. Tears filled her eyes. Hermione looked shocked.

"I'm sorry- I- I didn't mean to upset you..."

Arianna looked up. Tears were falling onto the parchment now.

"It's not y-you. It's her." She sobbed furiously.

Hermione embraced her sobbing friend, and then turned her head to get Harry's attention. After a few minutes of making frantic gestures with her eyes, she decided she could do it without Harry.

"Arianna. You can join us. Dumbledore's Army. We're fighting against Umbridge, against You-Know-Who! Meet me tonight outside the girls' bathrooms on the fourth floor and I'll take you to the meeting." Hermione said, stroking Arianna's hair.

She stopped crying and smiled.

"Thanks."

And then suddenly there was a deafening CRACK, and black cloaked figures were surrounding the fifth years.