Depths of Despair ✶ Theodore Nott

forty five. silent atrocity

        Valerie Leclere had never before tasted the lure of unsolicited homicide, but then Dolores Umbridge walked inside the room, and the legilimens found herself submerged in rage. 

  Click clack, said her heels against tiled flooring, and with little shame had the woman coughed not once, but twice — Dumbledore faltering midst his annual welcoming speech, turning around with unspoken inquiries written across his features.

  Kieran, sat alongside Valerie, had to stifle a laugh, leaning closer to his best friend (wishing to break through the monotone facade shielding her away from him). "She looks like an overgrown pimple." Valerie almost snorted, however refrained the display of emotion.

   You know what happens to him if you make a single mistake, Valerie. Indeed, hence why she indefinitely opted to stay away. Kieran took notice of her inner conflict (of course he did), and frowned in concern.

   What to do when the person you care about most is spiraling? He pleaded the universe for an answer, for Valerie was stubborn, and shadows of purple decorated her skin. Never would she crack and tell, never would truth echo past her lips if risking danger to her surroundings, and he knew she would bottle it up — charging herself like an inwards killing curse, eating away at reason, spreading like a toxin until having obliterated everything in its way.

    A shared look with Theodore (the otherwise stoic ex-arch-nemesis of Valerie's seemingly fearful to even take his eyes off of her) and so his mind spun with hypotheses with little logic, trying his very best at piecing the jigsaw puzzle together into one.

   Valerie flinched when picking up on his every thought, momentarily distracted from her hostility for Dolores Umbridge before feeling guilty about intruding on his privacy — eyes returning to the insufferable woman stood alongside the Hogwarts Headmaster, rolling her eyes while wishing to 'Avada Kedavra' her right that very moment. It was not her first encounter with the pink-clad ministry figure, and merely comprehending the echo of her giggle had Valerie contemplating whether or not to stand up and leave.

    "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." A near ominous silence rested upon the Great Hall, one Valerie had never experienced anything alike. Skepticism was no rarity to be seen, yet the woman continued on, "And how lovely, to see your bright, happy faces smiling up me. I am sure we are all going to be very good friends."

   Valerie was doubtful, and not a single person within the room could be seen smiling (apart from Umbridge herself).

   "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 school.. progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged." It was odd, seeing Dumbledore so visible displeased as he stood alongside the woman and attempted at a polite facade. "Let us preserve, what must be preserved. Perfect, what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."

   Dolores Umbridge said no else, but finished off the unexpected (and fully translucent) speech with another sickeningly vile giggle. Valerie scowled, and Kieran frowned, and Theodore rolled his eyes all while Draco scoffed and uttered a typical "This school is ridiculous," phrase.

   Either way, Umbridge walked back to her seat unbothered, however Valerie's eyes did not once leave the woman. She was acquainted with her mother (both terribly insufferable, hence making a surprisingly efficient work pair) and it did not take long before Umbridge was looking right back at her; eyes ever so slightly widened in the on-the-brink-of-insanity fashion that made Valerie shiver.

   It took will-power not to dive straight through the uttermost pathetic mental shields protecting the pink-clad woman's mind, and instead she determinedly averted her gaze; sinking into the murmur of thoughts vibrating across her radar with capability off causing an immediate headache if unsuccessful to either block them out or lessen the intake and focus on only a few at the time.

    "Why is she here?" asked Blaise from where he sat across from her a second or two thereafter, Valerie so deeply dissociated with reality that she barely comprehended a single word. "She works for the ministry."

  "Exactly," Theodore replied nonchalantly, arms crossed, dark hair flopping into his face (almost long enough to shield his eyes). "She works for the ministry."

   Blaise registered his words, but still looked confused. "Elaborate, will you?"

    "The Ministry wants to take control." The sound of Valerie's voice was both intimidating and relieving for the group as she had not spoken a single word since sitting down inside the compartment with them on the train. All, apart from Theodore who was already observing her, turned toward her and pinned her with their eyes — Valerie trying her very best to ignore the concern, to ignore the silent 'Are you okay?'s wordlessly communicated through eye contact. "They mistrust Dumbledore."

    "And Potter", added Theodore.

   Valerie nodded in confirmation. "And Potter."

      One look at the way Dumbledore's eyes had narrowed, at the way the teachers at the teachers table appeared to sub on move as far away from their new (unwanted) college, and it was clear a silent war was raging — one of politics and of fear, for word stood against word, and fear does strange things to the kind; denial a regular occurrence.

   Silence reigned until Kieran gathered courage to break it, biting the inside of his cheek, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, so what does that mean for Hogwarts?"

They all looked towards Valerie for answers, yet only grew more unsettled when she had none to give.

. . . . .

this took forever to write, and i did not have the energy to proofread, so it is also
unedited :))