Chapter 27: Living Death
TW/ Description of drowning (in a dream)
She knew she was dreaming. She remembered the moments before, lying awake in her dormitory and looking out into the misty depths of the Great Lake, seen only through the Slytherin windows. And yet, knowing it was a dream didn't make it any less scary.
It took a while to figure out what it was; the strange, pushing sensation on her lungs. She couldn't see much, not that she was looking for anything in particular, but the hazy shapes in the dark distance did nothing to help her.
Soon, she realised what was happening. Water flooded around her, suffocating her and stealing her final precious breaths away. She could feel herself sinking deeper and deeper to the lake floor, as if an invisible force was pulling her down, relentless and merciless.
She tried to fight it at first; to swim up to the surface. Only, she didn't know where the surface was. There was no semblance of light around, nothing to indicate where she was. No one to help her. No sun or moonlight to guide her way home.
Murky waters surrounded her. The deeper she went, the darker it got. She was drowning, she knew that, but she felt fine. Like she was an onlooker in her own body, eyes following the algae floating around her. It wasn't a nightmare, and she was conscious she was dreaming…
She awoke to the feeling of her necklace burning so brilliantly, she was sure it was going to leave a mark on her chest.
Madeline sat up suddenly, gasping for air in the dark dormitory. Of course, she was the only one awake. Even with the darkness from the lake-view windows, she could tell it was nowhere near breakfast time. There was a salty taste in her mouth, almost as if she'd drunk the lake water in her sleep. That was impossible, of course. Just a phantom of her nightmare, or dream. She wasn't sure which one it had been yet.
But she was okay. Her wand was still in it's rightful place on her bedside table. The nooks and crannies of the unusual wood type of her wand felt familiar between her hands, like home. Her pendant was around her neck, and she convinced herself that the heat around her neck was a phantom of her dream.
She knew she wouldn't catch another blink of sleep, and so, she slipped a bottle-green silk robe over her pyjamas - a gift from home - and pulled a pair of fluffy socks over her feet, sliding her wand into her robe sleeve and tip-toeing out of the dormitory. No one stirred as the door closed behind her, quietly making her way into the common room.
The fire was, surprisingly, still on. According to the numerous clocks in the room, it was just past five in the morning. The common room was warmer than she'd expected, the leather couch looking far more inviting than her cold dark dormitory had. Without a second thought, she all but threw herself into the plush pillows, sighing as she wrapped a blanket around herself.
"Comfy?"
Madeline shrieked, rolling herself onto the floor in shock as she pulled half of the pillows down with her. She groaned as the familiar voice laughed, looking up to find none other than Evie Sterling on the couch opposite her, nursing a warm mug of tea and looking at Madeline with mischief twinkling in her eyes.
"You're up early," Madeline groaned, rubbing her shoulder as she pulled herself up onto the sofa, scooping the pillows back up with her, "Couldn't sleep?"
"I napped yesterday and I've screwed up my sleeping schedule," Evie replied simply, stirring her tea with her finger, "You?"
Madeline shrugged, "Bad dream."
Evie nodded in understanding, sipping from the mug, "Seems like Slytherin is the hub for bad dreams."
"Meaning?"
"A certain blonde-haired ferret has made a dent in that couch from the amount of times I've seen him here in the mornings," Evie explained, "Reads his books and goes back to bed. It's like clockwork; it's creepy."
Madeline raised her eyebrow. Malfoy? It kind of made sense.
"Weird," she ended up shrugging, eyes slipping closed as she listened to the flickering fireplace. She didn't fall asleep, not that morning, but she was content listening to the fire with her friend by her side.
"This is a sick, sick joke."
Madeline all but threw her copy of the Daily Prophet back onto the Gryffindor table, head in her hands as Hermione picked it up, reading the title pages aloud.
'MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM'
'DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR'
"Umbridge – Inquisitor?" asked Harry darkly, his half-eaten piece of toast slipping from his
fingers, "What does that mean?"
Hermione continued to read aloud;
"In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an
unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"'The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said
junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by
anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'
Madeline didn't miss the way Fred tensed up at Percy's name. She squeezed his knee under the table, sharing a comforting glance with him.
"This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, has used new laws
to effect improvements at the wizarding school. As recently as August 30th, Educational Decree
Number Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being
unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate
person.
'That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,'
said Weasley last night. 'Dumbledore couldn't find anyone so the Minister put in Umbridge, and
of course, she's been an immediate success —'"
"She's been a WHAT?" said Harry loudly.
"Wait, there's more," Hermione continued grimly.
"'—an immediate success, totally revolutionising the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts
and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at
Hogwarts.'
"'This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling
the falling standards at Hogwarts,' said Weasley. 'The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her
fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post and we are delighted to say that
she has accepted.'
"I'm going to be sick," Madeline interrupted, ignoring Fred's hand rubbing her back, "Stop, please. No more."
"Agreed," Harry replied grimly, pushing his toast away from him.
"This is torture," Fred concurred.
"So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge! Fudge passed this Decree and forced her
on us! And now he's given her the power to inspect the other teachers!" Hermione was breathing
fast and her eyes were very wide, "I can't believe this. It's outrageous!"
"I know it is," said Harry, and Madeline didn't miss him glancing at his own hand. It was the same thing Madeline had done. An unspoken agreement to not bring it up, clearly. Because despite the healed wound, Madeline could still feel the phantom sting of the magic pen on her hand.
"I hope she doesn't inspect any of our lessons today," Madeline groaned, "I can't deal with that on top of her DADA lesson today."
Fortune didn't smile on Madeline that day. She thought she'd gotten away with it, sitting through monotone History of Magic lessons, until, of course, Divination.
"Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney," said Professor Umbridge with her wide smile as students began to sit down, Daphne snickering at Madeline's annoyed groan, "You received my note, I trust? Giving the time and date of your inspection?"
Professor Trelawney nodded, looking very disgruntled, and turned her back on Professor
Umbridge and continued to give out books. Madeline rubbed her eyes tiredly, glancing at Daphne and Theo who just shrugged. Harry, on the other hand, was glaring daggers into the back of Umbridge's head. Madeline joined him.
Still smiling, Professor Umbridge grasped the back of the nearest armchair and pulled it to the front of the class so that it was a few inches behind Professor Trelawneys seat. She sat down, took her clipboard from her flowery bag and looked up expectantly, waiting for the class to begin.
"This isn't going to go well," Daphne whispered as the trio took their seats, the room eerily tense. Madeline's fingers brushed over the phantom ache on her hand, quietly waiting and watching.
"We shall be continuing our study of prophetic dreams today," Professor Trelawney managed, her usual mystic tones lost, "Divide into pairs, please, and interpret each other's latest night-time visions with the aid of the Oracle."
Madeline ended up with Theo, while Daphne with Pansy (much to her dismay). It wasn't uncommon for students in Trelawneys class to make up homework assignments on the spot, but quite frankly, Madeline couldn't get her strange dream out of her head.
"Alright, you go first," Theo decided, opening his Dream Oracle, "What have you got for me?"
Madeline barely hesitated, "I had a dream that I was drowning, but I was conscious throughout it. Like, I knew it was a dream."
Theo furrowed his eyebrows, "Alright, when?"
"Last night."
"Lovely," Theo muttered sarcastically, scanning through his oracle. Madeline spared a glance over to Daphne and Pansy, who surprisingly seemed to be getting on quite alright.
Theo jotted a few words down onto his parchment, Madeline's gaze straying across the room to Umbridge and Trelawney. It seemed that, despite the Professors best efforts, Umbridge was far from impressed at her teaching skills.
"I don't understand you," Professor Trelawney said, clutching convulsively at the shawl around her scrawny neck. By now, most of the class was concentrated on the two women.
"I'd like you to make a prediction for me," said Professor Umbridge very primly, a smile etched on her face.
"The Inner Eye does not See upon command!" she said, scandalised. Madeline could see Harry watching the pair intently, nudging at Ron.
"I see," said Professor Umbridge softly, making yet another note on her clipboard. Madeline didn't miss the smugness hidden in her tones.
"I - but - but… wait!" said Professor Trelawney suddenly, anger vibrating through her voice despite her calm demeanour, "I… I think I do see something… something that concerns you… why, I sense something… something dark… some grave peril…"
Professor Trelawney pointed a shaking finger at Professor Umbridge who continued to smile blandly at her, eyebrows raised.
"I am afraid… I am afraid that you are in grave danger!" Professor Trelawney finished dramatically, silence befalling the room as every set of eyes watched Umbridge.
Professor Umbridge surveyed Professor Trelawney, seeming perfectly calm. She shook her quill around, bringing it back to the pages.
"Right," she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more. "Well, if that's really the best
you can do…"
Umbridge turned, the room averting their eyes as she briskly walked back to her seat. Professor Trelawney took a few deep, shaking breaths, eyes scanning the room. They fell on Madeline and Theo, of course, and the ample writing Theo had already made on his parchments.
"Well?" Professor Trelawney asked, reaching over Madeline's arms and to Theo's pages, "Let me see the start you've made on your dream diary-"
Professor Trelawney's arm brushed Madeline's bare hand, just for a moment, but it was enough. The Professor yanked her hand away, as if burned, clutching it to her heart as she stared at the young girl with wide eyes. Umbridge had noticed the exchange, of course, hastily writing notes on her clipboard.
"Living death."
It had been so quiet that Madeline had almost imagined it, but the silence that hung in the room said enough. Professor Trelawney's hand was shaking, eyes misty as if lost in a vision as she repeated, louder this time, "Living death."
"Excuse me Professor?" Madeline eventually asked, doing quite a good job at keeping the shakiness out of her voice, thank you very much.
Apparently, that was enough to break Professor Trelawney's trance. She shook herself, holding the shawl closer to herself.
"Sorry dear," she muttered, yet eyes Madeline wearily, "Uh… Good work, the two of you."
She floated shakily to the next table over, but Madeline could still feel her classmates gazes on her. Even Theo seemed a little shaken, because really-
"What the hell?" Madeline muttered quietly, searching Theo's face for answers.
"Well your dream chart definitely doesn't show 'living death' as an answer," Theo replied, eyebrow raised.
Madeline rubbed her arm soothingly, ignoring the few sets of eyes that were still fixated on her, "I'm sure it was nothing, right?"
And yet, somehow the pendant around her neck felt heavier than ever.
"Living death," Daphne mused as the three lounged in their common room, her legs kicked up onto the coffee table as she sucked on a sugar quill, "I like it. It suits you, especially on those horrible mornings before you have coffee."
"Gee, thanks Greengrass," Madeline sighed, shoving her parchment off her lap and onto the floor, "I'm done. I can't write another word."
"Me too," Daphne concluded, despite the fact she hadn't picked up her real quill in over an hour, "Theo, mind finishing it off for me?"
"Not happening."
"You're just such a good friend," Daphne replied tiredly, standing up and stretching out her arms, "So Professor Trelawney calls you living death, right after you have a nightmare about drowning, and we're just going to sit here and pretend that's normal?"
"It wouldn't be the strangest thing that's happened since I got here," Madeline pointed out, pointing her quill at Daphne, "I'm sure Professor Trelawney was just trying to win back some sort of credibility with Umbridge."
Theo nodded along with the theory, staying silent as he continued to finish his essays. The common room was bustling with life, Slytherins from every year group filling every seat, a couple spilling onto the plush rugs and laughing along to whatever stories of the day were being passed around the room. Rumours and retellings of Umbridge inspecting Professor McGonagall's classes, whispers of what Professors were going to get the sack, and the ridiculous amount of detentions none other than Harry Potter was amassing.
Which concerned Madeline, a lot. Because she knew what Umbridge did in her detentions, and over a weeks worth of that torture could never be good for anyone, ever. She made a mental note to try and find him in the next few days; just to check if he was okay. Maybe she could ask Fred to keep an eye out; she was sure he'd do as much anyway.
She took a few moments to close her eyes and lean her head back against the plush sofa, listening to the quiet murmur of the common room and the distant sound of something dripping in the dungeons. The laughter that filled the room felt like home, even if some of it was Malfoy's, somehow annoyingly shrill and deep at the same time, like bitter chocolate.
Little did she know that only a few floors away from them, in the Gryffindor Common Room, something was brewing. Something that would change the course of her life forever.