𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃 - 𝐑.𝐖.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐅𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓

A couple weeks later, Adaline was up, she was awake, she hadn't spoken a word, but she was breathing and awake, her mouth 'reappeared' and the boils and pimples had gone they just left scarring. She could drink soup without it burning her throat. She walked to the platform with Charity, Barnum and Ester, "Are you sure, you want to return back? We can always go back home" Charity asked, Adaline shook her head, if anything was to happen to Hogwarts, Adaline hoped to be there and hoped she could stop it. Charity adjusted Adaline's jacket, and kissed her on the forehead, "I'll miss you" Ester sighed as he hugged Adaline, "You'll be back in no time" Barnum smiled as he hugged Adaline, "Bye"! They all waved as she got on the train. Harry and Ron saw the ginger locks as she hobbled onto the train, to be fair, they'd presumed Adaline was dead. 

Just as Adaline was about to get on the train she saw someone familiar, Voldemort, she shook it off as a side effect from the potions she had been drinking, she felt that twitch in her neck again. Ron and Harry joined Adaline in the carriage where they usually did, Adaline looked up at the two boys, she quickly grabbed her bag and walked out of the carriage letting out only one annoyed huff. The boys seemed to be confused as if they had forgotten the last day of term, what had happened and what was said. The dark dawned rather fast on the group of students, Harry and Ron purposely walked slow so Adaline would have to walk behind them, "Surprised the ministry's letting you walk around free, Potter" Draco spat, Adaline glared at her brother, "Better enjoy it while you can, I expect there's a cell in Azkaban, with your name on it" Draco snarled, Harry launched forward, Ron held Harry back, "Stay away from me"! Harry yelled, "It's only Malfoy" Ron sighed. 

The group of students walked to the carriages which were to carry them to Hogwarts School, Harry stared as Cho's carriage slowly moved away, Cho smiled at him. "Hi guys" Neville smiled, "Hey, Neville" Ron sighed, Adaline let out a gasp, the others turned around, Ron looked confused at the girls sudden change in emotion. Harry walked towards the approaching carriage, Adaline hadn't seen what had been dragging the carriages for so many years, they looked like furless horses, they we're beautiful, but scary looking. "What is it"? Harry asked, "What's what"? Ron asked, "That! Pulling the carriage"? Harry pointed, Adaline reached out her hand to stroke the thing, it warmed up to her pretty fast, "Nothings pulling the carriage, it's always pulled itself" Neville shrugged. 

Harry walked to the carriage, a girl was sat in the carriage, a girl Adaline knew very well. "You're not going mad, I can see them too, you're just as sane as I am" The girl shrugged, the group sat down in the carriage, "Everyone this is Loony Love-Luna Lovegood" Willow corrected herself. An awkward silence fell among the group, "What an interesting necklace" Willow smiled, "It's a charm actually, keeps away the Nargles" Luna explained, Adaline rose an eyebrow in fairness and agreement. "Hungry? I hope there's pudding" Luna sighed, "What's a Nargle"? Ron whispered, "No idea" Harry replied. "Ada, my father told me about your stay at the Manor...I'm awfully sorry to hear what happened" Luna frowned, Adaline put a small and thankful smile on her face.

The five walked into the Great Hall, Harry and Ron noticed Adaline tensed up as she walked past the Slytherin table. The only space for her to sit was next to Ron and opposite Harry.  Lavender Brown, a girl in their year, she had curly blonde hair, and was rather pretty, as was Pavarti Patil, they both quickly moved when they saw the group walking towards the table. They sat down, Adaline tried to sit further away but there wasn't much room, Harry moved closer to Ron as if he was going to whisper something, the two looked at Adaline, she looked up from her book and rolled her eyes moving forward so she could hear what Harry so desperately had to say, "Hagrid isn't here, maybe he's not back yet from-you know-his mission with-the thing he was doing over the summer for Dumbledore" Harry suggested, "Yeah, sure he is" Ron nodded, "Who's that"? Neville asked looking at a woman, she was dressed in all pink, with a matching hat, curly, short, brown hair. 

Adaline's face dropped, it was Umbridge, she had tutored her and Draco a few years back, she made Adaline's life a living hell. "It's that Umbridge woman"! Harry gasped, Adaline snapped her head back round shocked Harry had any idea of the woman's existence. "Nice cardigan" Ron snickered, Adaline wanted to laugh at the joke, because it was funny as the cardigan the woman was wearing was an awful pink colour. "She works for Fudge, she was at my hearing" Harry explained,  "She works for Fudge? What is she doing here then"? Willow questioned, Adaline didn't know Harry had, had a hearing, it would've helped if she knew or if he'd wrote about it to her. The sorting hat began to sing a song not many other students had heard off but after what felt like a life time the hat became silence.

It was a song about a warning of some sort most of the students shrugged it off, some of them weren't even listening. "Now we have two changes in staffing this year, we're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-plank, who will be taking care of the magical creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave and we also wish to welcome, our new Defence Against The Dark Art's teacher, Professor Delores Umbridge...well, I'm sure you will all join in wishing Professor good luck, as usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filtch, has asked me to remind you-" Dumbledore spoke as his usual welcome back announcement, but was cut off by a noise coming from the pink woman, it sounded like a high pitch cough. Everyone, including the professor's table looked at the woman in shock, no one ever interrupted Dumbledore, all the students were shocked too. Dumbledore turned to face the woman, but she had already stood up from her chair.

The woman began to slowly pace towards Dumbledore, "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome, and how lovely to see all your bright happy faces smiling out at me, I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends" Umbridge smiled, there was something off with the woman, Adaline could sense it, every time Adaline had ever sensed someone bad, they always were. Maybe it was because she was the Malfoy's old tutor but it didn't matter, it showed she hadn't changed at all. "That's likely" The two Weasley twins murmured, a few Gryffindor's let out chuckles only to gain an odd look from Umbridge. "The Ministry of Magic, has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be a vital importance, although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, progress, for the sake of progress, must be discouraged, let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prove practices that ought to be prohibited" Umbridge rambled, she let out a squeak of a giggle after her ramble, no one clapped until Dumbledore started. 

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, that really was most illuminating, as I was saying Quidditch Try-outs..." Dumbledore's voice faded, "That was certainly illuminating" Harry remarked, "Your saying you enjoyed that"? Ron questioned not noticing the obvious sarcasm in Harry's words, "I said it was illuminating not enjoyable" Harry chuckled. Padma looked at the beamed down Adaline who seemed to be in her own world, "I think it's a whole load of rubbish" Padma huffed loud enough so Ron and Harry could hear, Ron and Harry nodded their heads with agreement whereas Adaline had her head resting on her arm waiting for the food period to pass so she could carry on with her day. "But boys, it's also very factual, what Umbridge is saying may be a lead to something, something like the Ministry is trying to interfere with Hogwarts...isn't that right Ada"? Padma suggested trying to include the girl.

A girl from Slytherin raced over to Padma before Adaline could give her answer, and flashed the latest copy of the Daily Prophet in her face, "Have you seen this! She's going to be absolutely mortified" The Slytherin girl whispered looking at Adaline, Adaline began to look around as the hall almost fell to a silence, whispers where heard, Adaline's name being in everyone of them, Adaline looked in every direction, the corners of her ears began to heat up as she noticed all the eyes were on her, a smug look appeared onto Umbridge's face, and a panicked look on a few others of the members of the school. Before she decided to speak she looked down at her hands, her nails digging into them hoping it'd all go away eventually. Harry's name also became to crawl into the whisper's, Adaline didn't know what this meant, why this was happening. But she had to go, she had to get out that Great Hall, as soon as possible.