Our little secret

Chapter 29

"How was practice?" asked Hermione rather coolly half an hour later, as Ophelia, Harry, and Ron climbed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room."It was —" Harry began."Completely lousy," said Ron in a hollow voice, sinking into a chair beside Hermione. She looked up at Ron and her frostiness seemed to melt." Well, it was only your first one," she said consolingly, "it's bound to take time to —" "Who said it was me who made it lousy?" snapped Ron." No one," said Hermione, looking taken aback, "I thought —" "You thought I was bound to be rubbish?" "No, of course, I didn't! Look, you said it was lousy so I just —" "I'm going to get started on some homework," said Ron angrily and stomped off to the staircase to the boys' dormitories and vanished from sight. Hermione turned to Harry."Was he lousy?" "No," said Harry loyally. Hermione raised her eyebrows."Well, I suppose he could've played better," Ophelia muttered, "but it was only the first training session like you said. . . ." 

On Sunday, Ophelia went out with Fred pranking a Filch. They were now running from Filch who was screaming at the top of his lungs. Fred grabbed her hand and pulled her into a small broom closet. Ophelia tilted backward so her back was on the wall and slowly slid down, out of breath "You know I think that was my weirdest date ever. Not like I've gone on any before this" she said laughing. Fred joined her and sat down beside her "Um, Lia I never got to ask you what Umbridge made you do in detention" Ophelia took a sharp breath "Um lines" "And do those lines have anything to do with the marks on your arm?" Ophelia looked away. Fred reached for her hands and held them in his "I know what she did, I was outside the door for half of it" Ophelia sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. They enjoyed the silence until "Freddie, do you by any chance have a paint bomb?" "What are you thinking of doing idiot" "Answer me carrot head" "Yes..." he answered hesitantly. Ophelia reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue bomb. She tossed it in her hand a looked at it admirably "Oh Freddie I love you so much" she said kissing his cheek and getting up "You missed" he said pointing to his lips. She sighed and leaned down to place a quick kiss on his lips before running out

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She stopped at the door of Umbridge's office and took a deep breath. She opened the door checking if Umbridge was there before throwing in the bomb. Smiling when she heard the loud boom and glass shattering

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Ophelia walked to the Great Hall to meet with the others for breakfast. They had expected to have to comb Hermione's Daily Prophet carefully the next morning to find the article Percy had mentioned in his letter. However, the departing delivery owl had barely cleared the top of the milk jug when Hermione let out a huge gasp and flattened the newspaper to reveal a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline: 

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORMDOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER
"HIGH INQUISITOR"

" 'High Inquisitor'?" said Harry darkly, his half-eaten bit of toast slipping from his fingers. "What does that mean?" Ophelia grabbed the magazine and read aloud:
"In a surprise move, last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." 'The Minister has been growing uneasy about the goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'"This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge has used new laws to effect improvements at the Wizarding school. As recently as August 30thEducational Decree Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person." 'That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,' said Weasley last night. 'Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate success —' "