Deus Fax Machina

Pioneering Pyrotechnics

After Charms Sophie had Arithmancy. The usually quiet class was buzzing, students were chatting almost as loudly as they had been in Charms. A knot was slowly forming in Sophie's stomach as the shock of Dumbledore leaving wore off and the reality set in. Hermione was the only person who would not comment.

Sophie took the chance to get some schoolwork done before the chaos which would later ensue. She tried to avoid Lavender and Parvati, which was not hard as they had spent the entire day gathering as much information as they could about the events of the night before.

Sitting at lunch they pondered over how and why the Aurors had been in Dumbledore's office, and what Fudge was doing and how it was only Harry and another girl, Mariette Edgecombe from DA, in the office.

'Who's Fudge?' Sophie leant over to ask Seamus.

'Minister for Magic.'

Sophie nodded and went back to her sandwich. Lavender and Parvati were questioning Hermione's ethic on cursing the parchment they signed, and the horrible acne on Mariette's face.

'It gave her acne?' Sophie turned to peer through the crowd at the Ravenclaw table.

'Oh, but not any kind of acne. It says sneak right across her nose!' Parvati said. They all craned their necks to catch a glimpse of Mariette.

'She's not here.' Parvati said. 'She's in the hospital wing trying to fix her face.'

'Deserves it.' Dean stabbed a spinach leaf with his fork.

'I don't know, Hermione can be pretty mean.' Lavender looked down the table to where Hermione, Ron and Harry were sitting, whispering rapidly.

'You're not wrong.' Sophie thought of how nasty Hermione could be when it suited her.

'Well, Firenze says –' Lavender began, Sophie sighed loudly, Dean rolled his eyes, and Seamus stood up.

'I'm going to Herbology. Anyone else?'

Sophie and Dean gathered their things and left the table.

'What?' Lavender called after them.

'I've heard about all I can take about that bloody horse.' Seamus dodged a group of sixth years as he marched out of the great hall.

'Same here, and about Mariette.' Dean said.

'At least you don't share a dorm with them.'

'At least you don't take Divination.'

'That's true.' Sophie nodded as they made their way down the sloping lawns to the green houses, fifteen minutes early. Neville Longbottom was already there, up to his elbows in dragon dung.

'Hi, Neville.' Dean dumped his bag next to the greenhouse door.

'Oh! Hi,' Neville jumped. 'You're early.'

'Yeah we couldn't take any more of Parvati and Lavenders horoscopes.' Seamus also dropped his bag and sat on the grass. Neville chuckled as he spread dung across a row of tomatoes in a garden bed. Sophie knew better than to assume they were merely tomatoes.

Seamus, Dean and Sophie sat on the grass, watching Neville tend to his garden, as they discussed Dumbledore leaving more seriously than they had at lunch. The knot in Sophie's stomach tightened as the reality of Umbridge's regime set in like dark storm clouds on a summer evening.

During class Professor Sprout made an awkward attempt at setting a written assignment for the class.

'But, Professor! This is Herbology!' A Hufflepuff boy called from the back of the greenhouse. There was a mumbling of agreement.