Discovery

48.

As I sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast, Fred practically tackled me to get a glimpse of my hand.

"I don't understand," he gave me a puzzled look. "You're not left-handed."

"That's the point, I suppose." I shrugged, reaching for a piece of toast.

"Have you got her today?" George questioned.

"Only for detention. But I wouldn't be surprised if she was poking around in my other classes for 'inspection'." I rolled my eyes.

"I heard she gave Trelawney heaps of trouble when she inspected Divination," Lee smirked.

"I think Trelawney getting sacked would be the least of our worries," Fred chuckled.

I elbowed him in the rib.

"Ouch! I'm kidding, El, relax!"

***

Just as I predicted, Umbridge was sitting in the corner of the Transfiguration room when I walked in.

"Excellent," whispered Ron, as we sat down. "Let's see Umbridge get what she deserves."

Professor McGonagall marched into the room and promptly began instructing Lavender Brown to hand a mouse to each student.

"Hem, hem," said Professor Umbridge.

Professor McGonagall ignored her.

"Right then, everyone, listen closely— Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention— most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a small amount of shell have the gist of the spell. Today we shall be—"

"Hem, hem," said Umbridge once more.

"Yes?" said McGonagall, turning round.

"I was just wondering, Professor, whether you have received my note telling you the date and time of your inspec—"

"Obviously I recieved it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom," said Professor McGonagall, turning her back to Umbridge. "As I was saying, today we shall be practicing vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell—"

"Hem, hem."

"I wonder," said McGonagall in a cold tone, "how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."

At this moment I knew there was no doubt that McGonagall was my favorite teacher.

***

The glee I felt in Transfiguration lasted all the way until detention with the troll herself.

She still demanded I write with my left hand, and I returned to the common room with Harry that night with blood dripping down my wrist.

Ron and Hermione were waiting for us when we entered.

"Here," Hermione said anxiously, pushing two small bowls of yellow liquid toward us, "soak your hands in that, it's a solution of strained and pickled murtlap tentacles, it should help."

Surprisingly, the gross tentacle thing gave my aching hand a wonderful feeling of relief.

"Is it any better?" Ron asked hesitantly.