The Enemy of my Enemy

The Potential Future

The Easter holiday came and went and soon the final ten weeks leading to the exams were upon them. Just like every year, Teddie fretted about not remembering what had happened at the start of term, much less what she had learned in the last few months since Christmas break.

The homework was still piling up on O. W. L. students, but for any students under year five, the homework was at a steady pace. Mason, having finished all his homework for the week, was looking over Teddie's defense work while she and Daphne tested one another for their upcoming Muggle Studies exam.

"When do you get your exam tables?" Astoria asked. She and Mason had their own exams coming up, but they weren't nearly as panicky about them as their friends.

Teddie shrugged. "Probably the same time that you have yours," she said. "We had them the week before last year."

"Oh. For some reason I thought the O. W. L. tables would be given out earlier," said Astoria. "You know, give you a chance to revise the stuff that you need."

"O. W. Ls aren't that much different to your exams," said Daphne. "If we have our tables early then you should too."

Astoria gave a small one-shouldered shrug and started to scribble on her essay.

"Your defense essay looks fine, Ted," said Mason, sliding the parchment back towards his sister. "If Umbridge fails you on it, it's because you refused to give up Dumbledore, which is bias marking."

Teddie rolled her eyes. "I didn't fail to give up Dumbledore," she said. "I genuinely don't know where he is."

"I know that," said Mason. "But Umbridge doesn't."

"Did you do any revising over Easter?" Blaise asked. "Mum made me sit for an hour with her and go over everything, she's fascinated by the study cards, Mason, thinks they're genius. Hans not so much."

"Why am I not surprised," Teddie muttered. She sighed and met Blaise' gaze, it wasn't a secret that his new stepfather was against Muggles, and Blaise knew that Teddie didn't really have time for Purebloods that disrespected her kind, but the fact was he was his family. "Sorry," she apologised.

Blaise shook his head. "Apology accepted," he said.

Silence enveloped the table and was only broken by the sound of shouting and heavy footsteps outside the library.

"What the -?" Theo asked, looking up and twisting around. There was a shout, followed by an echoing boom, and the library shook, books falling from the shelves in the process.

The group shared a confused look, before packing away their things and rushing out of the library.

As they reached the first floor (cutting through several secret passageways), the group came upon the Entrance Hall and found Umbridge surrounded by a group of students, with Fred and George in the very centre. Teachers and school ghosts were also present, but none of them seemed prepared to intervene or stop whatever was happening.

"So," said Umbridge triumphantly. She was standing at the very bottom of the marble staircase, Filch the caretaker at her heels. "So... you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swam, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred, looking back at her without the slightest sign of fear.

"I've got the form, Headmistress," said Filch, brandishing a form.

"Form?" Teddie asked, looking around at her friends. They shook their head, watching the scene with a mixture of fascination and confusion.

"It's a whipping form," said Harry, appearing beside Teddie. She jumped in surprise and them punched his shoulder. He winced.