Sequel to "More Than Just Friends". All credit to JK Rowling and my crazy brain.
Set Aflame
By: Weaselle7
Chapter 6
Beginning of the End
Cecille entered the Great Hall with Katie and the two girls were being welcomed by the thick atmosphere of magic that barely changed since their first Sorting Ceremony. The scent within it, the sound echoing through the marble walls, the aura emitted from the magical candles, and literally everything seemed like they hadn't changed. But of course, everything had changed. Cecille walked inside with her head tilted down and she found herself concentrating to the sound her shoes made instead of the loud buzzing other students made. She knew what they were talking about; 'that's Cedric's twin sister', 'I never realize how much similar they are', 'poor Cecillia, being left by her twin'.
"I'll catch up with you later, Cecille," said Katie, snapping Cecille from her concentration. The next moment, Katie had engaged a warm talk with her peers, probably about her and Oliver. Cecille smiled sadly to herself as she muttered a quiet 'okay' to Katie, who Cecille was sure didn't hear that.
Cecille kept walking until she found herself arrived to the other end of the Gryffindor table. Fortunately, Angelina and Alicia were sitting not far from there. Sighing in relief, Cecille approached them and sat across of them.
"Cecille! Where have you been along the train ride? We were looking for you!" Alicia fussed just after Cecille settled herself. She looked up to fully see her friends' faces. Alicia looked as Alicia as ever but what caught Cecille's attention was the awfully-healed bruises around Angie's jaw.
"Alicia, you better thank me for not dragging you to the same compartment with your beloved Lee Jordan," Cecille answered briskly, though saving a wide smirk plastered on her face for Alicia. Turning to Angie, Cecille wiped her stupid smirk and her face read concern. "What did you do with your face, Angie?"
"Uh, this?" Angie asked, trying to sound amused as she pointed to her bruises. "That's my owl. He broke his wing and apparently the tending activity went a little bit chaotic."
Cecille nodded understandingly before a loud laughter erupted from the mouth of the Great Hall's door. Cecille craned her neck to see Fred, George and Lee entered the Hall laughing like three diseased unicorns; all of them were sparkling with sweats.
"I can't believe you fall for an idiot like those," Cecille heard Angie muttered as Fred, George and Lee settled themselves on the other end of Gryffindor Table. Cecille, looking at the prankster trio, didn't know that Angie was talking about Alicia. Both Alicia and Cecille turned to Angie in such a quick movement and both retorted, "Oh, shut up, Weasley."
This time, Alicia turned to Cecille and cast her a questioning look. She was about to answer Alicia when the buzzing in the Great Hall died and all pairs of eyes stared at a long line of pale-faced first years led by McGonagall. Cecille gazed her first glance to the High Table of the professors when a short figure stuffed in an irritatingly bright pink wardrobe caught Cecille's eyes. Why, the figure was dressed in a very bright cardigan it was hardly possible for anyone to glance up without their gazes being magnetically pulled to the figure. Squinting her eyes as if examining the figure too long could damage her sight, Cecille gazed to the Sorting Hat before it burst out into a new song.
In times of old when I was new,
And Hogwarts barely started,
The founders of our noble school,
Thought never to be parted,
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school,
And pass along their learning.
"Together we will build and teach!"
The four good friends decided,
And never did they dream,
That they might some day be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere,
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell,
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those whose
Ancestry is purest."
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest."
Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name."
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,
And treat them just the same."
These differences caused little strife,
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might
Take only those they wanted,
So, for instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the houses and their founders
Retained friendships, firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still I worry that it's wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still I wonder whether Sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin.
"At last," Cecille murmured to herself.
"A bit longer this year. Curious, eh?" said Angie, though it was almost crystal clear that she had slipped a sarcastic... no, ironic message with it. Cecille eyed her concernedly but nodded in agreement anyway. The Sorting Ceremony went as normal as it should, with some occasional applause from each house whenever they got a new member.
The empty space that bridged Cecille and Ginny and her Gryffindor fourth years was soon filled with some horrified first years. They were looking at Cecille somehow concernedly, or pitifully, that Ginny needed to nudge them on the shoulder and tell them to pay attention. Cecille smiled gratefully to the Weasley.
"To our newcomers, welcome!" Dumbledore spoke as he stretched his arms wide as if to embrace the whole Great Hall. "To our old hands, welcome back! There is a time for speechmaking, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
The Great Hall erupted into something between laughter and surprised exclaims (most likely from the first years) as the dishes and foods had bloomed out of nowhere on each Table in the Hall. Cecille was stuffing herself with pies and salads to prevent herself to notice how reluctant the first years next to her was doing, acting as if she was a ticking-bomb. After finishing her job with a glass of pumpkin juice, Cecille looked back to the High Table in time as Dumbledore rose again.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore as he went to the annually formal notices. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too.
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door," Dumbledore went on as Cecille felt herself grinning at the topic.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore said, gesturing towards the short figure Cecille had noticed earlier.
"Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -"
Dumbledore stopped talking and Cecille needed to fruitlessly scan the Hall twice for the unwanted interruption. Cecille's eyes dropped at Angie, who was scowling (must be something about interrupting the speech topic that she had captained) grimly at the High Table. Cecille followed her gaze and found out that the short figure, Umbridge, was actually standing and clearing her throat unpleasantly.
"Another speech?" Cecille asked in an incredulous tone before rolling her eyes and propped her chin to the edge of the table.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Umbridge started, "for those kind words of welcome."
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" the newly appointed professor said in a somewhat sickening sweet tone. It was draining her energy just to listen to her. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"
Cecille felt a very powerful rush to snort, but she managed her best to stay calm while drowsiness was penetrating her skull.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
"What kind of rubbish is that?!" Cecille heard Alicia sneered in a shushed voice, her face plastered with an utterly disgusted expression. Umbridge went on.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered..."
Cecille felt herself rose unconsciously to a proper sitting position after hearing it. She didn't realize she was glaring a very eye-piercing look at the speaker. Cecille might not know what was on Dumbledore's mind when he hired her (Cecille even doubted Dumbledore's intention to bring her to teach with the sudden chaos in the Ministry she heard from her parents), but whatever it was, Cecille knew this teacher wouldn't do any good to Hogwarts. Umbridge was a Ministry person and as far as she could remember, anything the Ministry was fussing recently was a load of waffle about Harry and some amoral mockeries over somebody who's dead already. Cecille's glare hardened at Umbridge. The longer she glared at Umbridge, the more and more similiarities between Umbridge and a toad that caught her eyes. Everything about her was sickening.
"...pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited," Umbridge finished her speech. She sank to her seat without making any significant difference in heights and Dumbledore clapped as a response to her speech. Students and staffs followed his lead, clapping unenthusiastically once or twice (Cecille dared to bet that only a handful of people there that noticed that her speech had come to and end).
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge," said Dumbledore, taking over the role as the speaker as he rose from his seat, "that was almost illuminating."
"Illuminating? Heck, that's a pile of garbage we'd have to deal for a year forward!" Alicia ranted indignantly. Cecille groaned as a response. "I mean, don't you two listen? Doesn't it sound like the Ministry is getting more and more power-drunk? Ministry this, Ministry that, Ministry forbids, Ministry courages."
Alicia continued to rant over everything she had absorbed from Umbridge and Angie was paying attention to what Dumbledore was saying about Quidditch tryouts. Cecille, on the other hand, played with the end of her bun and eyed the Umbridge woman disdainfully on some random moments.
After the dismission of the ceremony, Angie, Alicia and Cecille stood up and walked up to their dormitory silently. Angie and Alicia, being faithful best friends of Cecille's, towered on both her sides. Cecille paid no mind to anyone and simply rose to her feet, walking back to her home sweet home Gryffindor Tower thinking about how comfortable and warm her bed would.
It seemed to take eternity just to climb the staircases to their secret entrance on seventh floor. It was quite strange, seeing Cecille could have passed the corridors and stairwells in a blink of an eye with it came to running away from Filch. Her mind was so preoccupied that her thoughts looked like they had added some ounces to her weights.
"Mimbulus Mimbletonia," said Alicia and she led Cecille and Angelina into the Common Room. Cecille hastened to storm to her dormitory. After turning the doorknob of the last door, Cecille found Brooke Younglove, a girl Prefect from her year and her mate, Emily Chaste.
"...that's why Mum doesn't want me to get back. Dumbledore's getting old, death-resulting accidents under his nose- Oh, Cecille," Emily stammered out, turning to the doorframe's direction after receiving a warning look from Brooke. Cecille, feeling utterly bewildered, eyed Emily for quite a long time, before rushing to her bed.
"Oh come on, Emily, you don't believe the Prophet, do you?" Cecille heard Alicia arrived and backed her, as she rummaged through her luggage.
"But I do," Emily challenged coolly (Cecille squeezed her books until it got dog-eared).
"You heard Harry last June!" Alicia retorted.
"Yes, but it turns out that he's a bit of a liar," said Emily irritatingly.
"You supported him!" Alicia shouted.
"Yeah, before we all know that he's seeking for attention," again, Emily replied cooly.
"Harry is not a liar. The Prophet is!" Alicia raged.
"Excuse you," Emily let out an humorless dreadful laugh as she stood up, "my sister is one of the editor!"
"Well," Cecille said, also rising to her feet and faced Emily, "it's either she's also a liar or she's a dead moron."
"Don't ever insult my sister in front of me!" Emily bellowed it was almost curious she hadn't let out a breath of fire from her nostrils. Cecille laughed derisively it even sounded inhumane to her ears.
"How about stop insulting my twin brother's memory in front of society?!" Cecille confronted bluntly. Emily froze on her place but she recovered almost as instantly.
"That's not her fault," Emily shouted and pointed sharply at Cecille.
"Of course it's not her bloody fault!" Cecille found herself hissing sarcastically. Emily retrieved her hand and dug it into her robes. Cecille, realizing the movements, took out her wand and pointed it at Emily's head. Both were about to cast the spell non-verbally when Brooke disenchanted herself from the dramatic verbal battle and stood up between the two duelers.
"Whoa there, we don't want a fight here," said Brooke, her arms stretched wide between Cecille and Emily to make spaces between them as wide as possible. Emily launched herself to Cecille but Brooke pinned her easily to the wall by bare hands.
"Get off me, Brooke," Emily snarled.
"Emily, I may be your mate, but I am also a Prefect. Now, wands down," said Brooke commandingly. Emily refused. At Emily's rebellious action, Brooke said, "Alicia, help me!"
Alicia, looking between reluctant or scared, walked closer to Cecille's side without taking her eyes from Emily. Cecille was glad to see that Alicia wasn't willing to let Cecille disengaged the duel without taking any revenge. After five good seconds was spent to challenge Emily to launch the first spell, Alicia sighed and turned to Cecille. "Come on, Cecille. This is going nowhere."
Cecille glared at Emily before pointing her wand to her messy luggage, enchanted it to repack itself from throwing her wand to the drawer next to her bed, creating a spark in the process, and slammed herself against her bed. She closed the curtains violently. Slowly, her dorm mates retrieved back to their beds, bid goodnight at each other (except with Alicia and Emily) and went to sleep.
Cecille stayed unmoving on her spot for hours, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling with lying with her muggle jeans. The tiny piece conversation between Brooke and Emily seemed to meet no end as they replayed again and again before her eyes. It hurt to learn that Emily actually believed what Prophet said. She and Emily had gone along nicely through their years at Hogwarts. She lied there thinking until the only noise she could hear was the sound of her own even breaths and a silent noise of choked sobs from the bathroom.
A/N: Alright, another chapter's up! :D