Disclaimer: I'm too young to be Rowling so there is sadly no way Harry Potter is mine…

MARCH CHALLENGE

Barbie

Write a story incorporating as much of the colour pink as possible.

Prompts

(location) Hogwarts

Word Count: 3260

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UMBRIDGITIS

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It started quite innocently with little Miss Zeller, a first-year Hufflepuff. She was sitting in the first row in Umbridge's DADA first year Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff class. It was late Tuesday afternoon in the middle of February and after that class, the day of teaching and learning would be over.

"Hem, hem," Miss Zeller cleared her throat. Umbridge turned away from Mr Gallstone, Ravenclaw, to look at the first row of her classroom.

"Is something the matter, Miss Zeller?" she inquired sweetly.

"No, Headmistress Umbridge," the girl answered immediately, a bit hoarsely, "I'm fine." But when Umbridge had just turned away, the girl cleared her throat again. "Hem, hem."

"Are you sure that there's nothing you want to say, Miss Zeller?" Umbridge turned back around to look at the normally quiet girl in the first row.

"Yes, Headmistress Umbridge, I'm sure," the girl said, and then cleared her throat again. "Hem, hem."

When Umbridge eyed her sharply at that, the girl looked away. "Hem, hem. There seems to be something stuck in my throat," the first year Hufflepuff whispered not daring to look at her teacher.

That explanation was one that was quite believable. Miss Zeller was an exemplary Hufflepuff, someone Minister Fudge could be proud to have in his old House. She was hard working, never spoke up when she wasn't spoken to and never tried to argue with Umbridge, no matter what part of the curriculum they were currently discussing.

Yes, Miss Zeller was the embodiment of Hufflepuff and an innocent first year on top of it.

"I suggest that you will go to the hospital wing for some Pepper-up Potion after class," Umbridge finally said.

"Hem, hem," the girl answered. "Yes, Headmistress Umbridge."

And with that, Umbridge let it go. She knew that dutiful Miss Zeller would hurry to the hospital wing after class and do as Umbridge had said, so she saw no reason to say anything else about the whole dreadful affair.

Sadly, that was only the start.

The next morning, Umbridge arrived at the same time as innocent, little Miss Zeller of Hufflepuff at the Great Hall – just to feel quite shocked at the girl's appearance.

"What exactly do you have on your robes, there?" Umbridge asked the Hufflepuff first year in front of her with a frown. The first-year shrunk before her eyes, her eyes huge and frightful.

"Hem, hem. I don't know, Headmistress Umbridge, hem, hem," Miss Zeller squeaked. "I woke up still feeling slightly ill and when I put on my robes, they suddenly looked like that, hem, hem!"

'That' meant that her robes were splattered with pink polka dots.

Umbridge frowned.

"Your robes suddenly looked like that?" she repeated.

"Hem, hem. Yes," the Hufflepuff first-year agreed with a squeak. "But, hem, hem, only after I put them on!"

For a moment, Umbridge pursed her lips, then she let it go.

Fudge would be more than unhappy if she faulted his former House for something that an innocent Hufflepuff would never do deliberately.

"You sound worse," Umbridge said instead with a displeased look. "Have you gone to the hospital wing like I asked you to, after class yesterday, Miss Zeller?"

"Hem, hem, I did, Headmistress Umbridge, hem, hem," the girl answered. "Madam Pomphrey gave me a Pepper-up Potion and told me not to worry, hem, hem."

"Maybe you should go and see her again before class," Umbridge suggested with a frown. "Just to be sure." Then she added. "And you might want to go to one of the older students later to remove those pink polka dots from your robes."

"Hem, hem! Yes, Headmistress Umbridge!" the first-year Hufflepuff agreed, shaking of fear. "Hem, hem, of course, Headmistress, hem, hem, Umbridge!"

"Well, then run along," Umbridge said and waved the girl off. The little Hufflepuff immediately turned and scurried away towards the hospital wing.

Umbridge shook her head and then went to teach the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff second years, then met the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff fourth years in the hallway before she taught the Slytherin-Gryffindor first years and then went to lunch.

When Umbridge saw the Hufflepuffs next at lunch, the clearing of throats and the pink polka dots had spread.

The first-years' robes were all full of pink polka dots and clearing their throats, the second-years' robes were three quarters pink polka dotted while all were clearing their throats and the fourth-years' about a quarter polka dotted with about half clearing their throats.

The younger ones who had more pink polka dots were all eating soup and drinking chamomile tea and nothing else.

Umbridge stepped up to the Hufflepuff table. "What is going on here?" she inquired with pursed lips.

She could admit that the pink dots looked quite good, but she didn't appreciate that the students were changing their uniforms.

The older Hufflepuffs exchanged a hesitating look.

"We fear that there's some illness going around the dorms, Headmistress Umbridge," one of the fifth years said. "We've already tried to remove the dots, but apparently, they're a symptom of the new illness spreading throughout our dorms."

"Illness?" Umbridge repeated, now a bit concerned.

"Apparently it started with poor Rosie Zeller, Headmistress," the fifth year told her. "She felt like something was stuck in her throat yesterday evening and went to Madam Pomphrey, but instead of getting better, whatever it was, has been spreading."

The fifth year gestured towards the younger years. "Madam Pomphrey has already been notified," he assured her. "We just haven't found a way to negate it or found a way to prevent it. We're not even sure where it comes from, Headmistress, hem, hem."

Umbridge frowned, but didn't say anything. If this was an illness, then surely the poor Hufflepuffs weren't to blame. And of course, Fudge's House, the sweet, shy Hufflepuffs wouldn't lie to her, Umbridge was sure about that.

She taught the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff sixth years next and then taught a mixed class of all Houses from seventh year before she went to dinner.

At dinner, most of the little first year Hufflepuffs were wearing totally pink robes, the second years were now all quite strongly polka dotted and the fourth years all had at least one or two polka dots. It had also spread to three quarters of the sixth years and the fifth year Umbridge had talked to at lunch. Even more students of those classes were clearing their throats.

Umbridge sat down on the teachers' table.

"What exactly is happening to the Hufflepuffs?" she inquired with Professor Sprout. The herbology professor sighed.

"I wish I could answer that, Headmistress Umbridge," she said. "Sadly, Madam Pomphrey seems to be as out of her depths as I am."

The next morning, all Hufflepuff's first, second, fourth and sixth years as well as one fifth year were all pink robed. The pink had also spread to the first- and second-years' hairs. The first years' hair was all pink, the second-years' was full of pink strands and even the fourth years showed a strand or two that were pink.

The seventh years on the other hand, were now polka dotted.

They all were clearing their throats and drinking chamomile tea for breakfast.

But that wasn't all.

Apparently, the clearing of throats and pink polka dots had spread to the Ravenclaws as well. Their first and second years were all adorned with pink polka dots and clearing their throats and their fourth years were showing some polka dots here and there. Some Gryffindor sixth years also showed a pink polka dot here or there and there was even one Slytherin seventh year that had a pink polka dot at the right sleeve of their robes. The Slytherin seemed to be horrified and was still picking at the pink polka dot on their sleeve. They all were clearing their throats.

Umbridge frowned.

"It's spreading," she said slowly while listening to the coughing and sniffing in their handkerchiefs.

Professor Sprout looked up from her porridge. "Hem, hem, it looks like it," Professor Sprout agreed and sniffed.

Umbridge immediately grabbed her chair and scooted away from the Professor next to her. Professor Sprout raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her and then went without another word back to her porridge.

"Are you well, Pomona?" Professor Flitwick asked from the other side of Umbridge.

Professor Sprout sniffed again. "Hem, hem, I'm fine, Filius, just a bit of a cold," she told him. "I'm sure it's nothing, hem, hem."

Umbridge decided that she was lucky since she was only teaching the Slytherin-Hufflepuff third years and the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff fifth years today. She would simply avoid the lone, ill fifth year and continue teaching like normal.

By lunch, the mysterious illness had spread further within the Ravenclaws and the first Hufflepuffs from Umbridge's morning class of Slytherin-Hufflepuffs were coughing.

By dinner, all of Hufflepuff was coughing, the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh years were all clothed in bright pink, the third years had pink polka dots and the first fifth years showed the beginning of those bright pink dots as well.

The Ravenclaw first, second and fourth year were also bright pink, their sixth years had spots even more from classes that Umbridge had taught that day were coughing.

Some Slytherin seventh years were also polka dotted, just the same as some Gryffindor sixth years.

"It's spreading!" Umbridge exclaimed.

"Hem, hem," Professor Sprout said. "There must be a spreader somewhere at Hogwarts who has been in contact with all those people, Headmistress, hem, hem."

"Now, Pomona, don't you go and cry wolf now," McGonagall said strictly. "I haven't heard anything from Poppy that says that we should be concerned."

Professor Sprout shrugged. "I'm sure, she has her hands full and no time to think about the repercussions, yet, hem, hem."

Umbridge looked at her neighbour and suddenly noticed at little, pink dot on Professor Sprout's robes.

She paled and hurriedly stood up. "If you excuse me, I have things to do," and with that, she hurried away from the table and towards the doors of the Great Hall.

"Are you alright, Headmistress Umbridge?" one of the sixth year Ravenclaw inquired when Umbridge nearly bumped into her and her friends as well as some first year Gryffindors. "You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine, Miss Evans," Umbridge immediately answered. "Thank you for your concern." With that, she stepped around the students and hurried to her rooms.

The next day, in class, Umbridge noticed that Miss Evans and her friends all had pink polka dots and coughed.

She kept her distance. When she hurried down to the Great Hall after morning classes in the hopes to get herself something to eat before she was forced to sit next to ill Professor Sprout, she overheard a fourth year Gryffindor talking to a fourth year Ravenclaw.

"I really don't want to go to DADA this afternoon," the Gryffindor whispered. "I think I'm going to skip that class today."

Immediately, Umbridge took a deep breath and was about to step up and dock points from Gryffindor, when the fourth year Ravenclaw answered.

"I get it, man," he said. "I mean, who wants to go in that classroom and get ill with Umbridgitis."

"Umbridgitis?" the Gryffindor inquired.

"Sure," the Ravenclaw said. "Madam Pomphrey confirmed it this morning. It's Umbridgitis, and a quite aggressive form, too." The Ravenclaw shook his head. "Those poor Hufflepuffs. Their constitutions have always been on the weak side, I'm not surprised they were affected first. All that clearing of throats and all that pink – it can't be good for them. Even worse, I heard that more than one of them started to speak quite high-pitched already and their eyes are glowing pink now. Now the only thing left is getting obsessed with cats for them."

"What happens if they end up obsessed with cats?" the Gryffindor asked concerned.

"Then there's no stopping them anymore," the Ravenclaw said gravely. "They will start to make up their own rules and will expect us to follow them and whoever doesn't will be punished harshly."

The Gryffindor gulped. "Punished in what way?"

The Ravenclaw just shrugged their shoulders. "The last time a known case of Umbridgitis happened, they ended up forcing those who didn't comply with them to spill blood, accept dark magic and even agreed that the rule-breakers should be whipped."

Umbridge paled, her thoughts stuck on those last words. Hufflepuffs were innocent. She couldn't see them as bloodthirsty monsters ready to whip anybody who didn't follow their rules.

"But what does that have to do with going to DADA?" the Gryffindor asked. The Ravenclaw leaned closer and Umbridge involuntary cast a listening spell to hear what the Ravenclaw had to say.

"Because we Ravenclaws are sure that Umbridge is the spreader," the Ravenclaw whispered. "It's obvious! Every poor Hufflepuff who ended up ill was in her class just a short while before!"

Umbridge swallowed harshly.

She wanted to object, but now, thinking back, she couldn't. Poor Miss Zeller had even started clearing her throat while she was still in Umbridge's class. Umbridge had to do something! She needed to find a cure!

She turned and hurried to the hospital wing. Sadly, Madam Pomphrey wasn't in. Most likely, she was currently at the Great Hall for a short breakfast before starting her day.

"I need to talk to her immediately," Umbridge said to herself. "This can't wait. If it's really my fault that those poor Hufflepuffs are ill, then I have to remedy that before Minister Fudge finds out. He will never forgive me if I turn his House into a House full of bloodthirsty monsters!"

With that, she hurried back to the Great Hall, determined to find Madam Pomphrey and fix the mess she was in.

She stepped into the Great Hall and froze. There was pink everywhere. Nearly every student wore pink robes and had pink hair. She couldn't even determine if the pink student had once been a Ravenclaw, a Hufflepuff, a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. There were only a few dots of colour here and there in the lines of the Gryffindors and Slytherins. Some of those dots of colours had already pink polka dots, others were still free of Umbridgitis.

Umbridge gulped and then hesitatingly stepped into the Great Hall – just to meet the pink glowing eyes of a former Hufflepuff.

The normally gentle girl's face was a bloodthirsty grimace.

"Hem, hem, Headmistress Umbridge, hem, hem!" Miss Zeller exclaimed. "Good that you are here, now, hem, hem." The girl was sitting on Albus Dumbledore's… no, Umbridge's chair and holding a kitten, petting it absentmindedly. "It's nice of you to join us, hem, hem."

Another Hufflepuff with pink glowing eyes and a cat on his shoulder stepped up next to Umbridge. "Hem, hem! If you would follow me, Headmistress," the boy said – he was the fifth year Umbridge had talked to just two days ago. "We have some things to talk to you about."

With that, the mass of pink students parted, revealing her educational decrees on the pushed together Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.

"There are some rules we want to establish and sadly, your little decrees are in the way, Headmistress," another pink student said. Umbridge was only half-sure that the girl had once been Ravenclaw. "While we have to say that your decrees were a good attempt, I think they were still a bit too lenient when it comes to those who are breaking the rules."

Umbridge paled.

The pink students slowly enclosed her.

"You see, that one," a former… Umbridge wasn't sure which House the boy had been, said. "It says that a group of more than two people is a club and therefore has to have an official allowance, Headmistress."

"But the punishment," the girl next to him said with a shake of her head. "Just a detention, how lenient, Headmistress! They should be punished worse for breaking a rule like that. Maybe…"

"…enclose them in an empty classroom with another four students and some whips to carry out the punishment," another student said. Umbridge wasn't sure if he had been a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

"…or you could push them down the moving stairs, throw some brooms down with them and watch where they are landing, Headmistress," another student said with gleaming pink eyes.

"…or you could–"

Umbridge turned and ran. She ran out of the Great Hall and towards her classroom. On her way, she stumbled into another pair of pink clad students.

"Hem, hem, Headmistress Umbridge!" one of them piped up with glowing pink eyes. "Running in the hallways is not allowed. Breaking those rules should cost you the thing you love most." The student reached for the sword of the armour next to him.

Umbridge screamed and ran faster. She reached her classroom, slammed the door shut and locked herself in. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Hem, hem." Umbridge froze, then she slowly turned towards the other end of her classroom. Professor Sprout was leaning against Umbridge's desk, her eyes a glowing pink. "Good that you are here, Headmistress," she said with a sweet and high-pitched voice. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about. It has to do with your blood quills and your inefficiency–"

Umbridge whimpered, turned and pulled on the locked door of her classroom. When the door didn't open, she threw herself towards her office and quarters. She barely managed to reach them before Professor Sprout. She closed the door, but that didn't stop the Professor. The door rattled.

Umbridge hurriedly reached for the floo powder. She threw it into the flames of the fireplace and with a shouted "MINISTRY OF MAGIC!" she was gone. The last thing she saw was her office door breaking open and Professor Sprout stepping inside.

Meanwhile, innocent Harry Potter stepped into the Great Hall and looked around in confusion. He had avoided the Great Hall and most of his classmates for a few days after another gruelling detention with Umbridge. Ron and Hermione, loyal as they were, had stuck with him and gone to the kitchen to eat. Now, in hindsight, avoiding everyone as much as possible might have been the wrong thing to do. Apparently they had missed something drastic. Everywhere, everyone seemed to wear pink. Pink robes, pink hair, even pink coloured eyes.

"I feel a bit out of place here, what about you?" he murmured and turned towards his best friends who also looked around.

"Well, if it's just feeling a bit out of place because of a bit of colour, that can be fixed, Harry," Susan Bones exclaimed cheerfully and stepped up next to him. There was a transfigured cat on her shoulder, miaowing happily. With that, Susan Bones pulled out her wand and with a swish and a flick, Harry's robes suddenly spotted pink polka dots that were slowly spreading more and more over the black of his robes.

It was then, that he noticed something else. There was food on the table everywhere – and all of it was pink. It looked like a feast – a totally pink feast.

"Are we celebrating something?" he inquired surprised. "I mean, this looks like a feast, even though it's quite… pink."

He wondered if it was the new Headmistress' doing.

"Sure, we are," Susan said cheerfully. "We're celebrating our sudden recovery from an aggressive bout of Umbridgitis!"

"Umbridgitis?"

"Yep, Umbridgitis," and with that Susan pulled him towards the former Hufflepuff table to sit down and eat something.

Yeah, apparently, Harry, Ron and Hermione had missed something, but whatever it was, Harry was sure that Susan would fill them in.

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THE END

I hope you liked it.

Over and Out.

Ebenbild