Potter's Girl / Butterfly Effect.

52. Dumbledore's Army

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO;

DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"What on earth is a High Inquisitor, d'you suppose?" Cassie asked as her and Neville walked side by side to Divination. "And did you complete your dream journal for last week? I got stuck on thinking of one for Thursday, but I just went with the safe play of 'I fell from a building and woke up with a start'. I expect she'll tell me I'll be dying soon, but that's–"

"I think we're about to find out what an Inquisitor does," said Neville glumly, slowing to a stop underneath the trapdoor to Trelawney's classroom. He nodded towards the open door and Cassie, stretching on her tiptoes, caught a glimpse of the very pink robes of Professor Umbridge inside the classroom.

"Merlin, give me strength," she prayed under her breath, before climbing the ladder after Neville and entering the stuffy room.

   It was just as hot and smelled just as much of incense but – and Cassie coughed harder than ever – Umbridge must have attempted to blanket the smell of burning incense with her own perfume. Instead of masking it, the two overpowering smells seemed to have met mid-particle and formed an even worse odor. Cassie gagged and moved to her desk.

   "Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney," said Professor Umbridge happily. "You received my note, I trust? Giving the time and date of your inspection?"

   Trelawney gave the woman a curt nod and turned her back on Umbridge, continuing to hand out copies of The Dream Oracle to her students. Umbridge began to float about the classroom, peering over students' shoulders and making loud scribbles on her clipboard.

   After a few minutes of unfogging the future with Neville, Cassie risked a glance over her shoulder to see Umbridge and Trelawney beginning a tensioned conversation. Trelawney's smile seemed to be extremely strained.

   "You've been in this post how long, exactly?" Umbridge asked her, glancing down to her clipboard and back up to Trelawney.

   "Sixteen years," she said shortly, pulling her shawls tightly about herself.

   "Quite a period!" said Umbridge in pretend impressiveness, making a mark on her clipboard. "And it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you?"

   "That's right," said Trelawney, her gaze not even flickering to Umbridge.

   "And you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney?"

   "Yes," the professor said, lifting her chin proudly. Cassie realized, for all she knew, she, herself, could easily be related to Cassandra Trelawney. Maybe she was Professor Trelawney's cousin, once removed, or something.

Neville tugged on Cassie's sleeve and pointed to her dream journal. "You're in mortal peril twice this year. Might want to fix that," he said gently, glancing over Cassie's shoulder to the two professors. Cassie nodded and ducked her head to think of another branch to her future.

A pair of emerald green eyes bore into the back of her head, and though she did not notice, Neville did. He mustered up all the bravery of his being and sent Harry a glare, to which the Boy-Who-Lived seemed quite startled to receive.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

It was four days later that Cassie ran into the golden trio for the first time since she had begun to avoid them.