The Potions Master and the Ravenclaw

"Professor Snape Can Make It Better"

Dolores Umbridge was making everyone's lives a living hell during her first week at Hogwarts, but the heads of house were returning the favor ten fold.

On Monday, Flitwick had charmed Umbridge's office door to lock her in and out at random. Tuesday, Sprout had "gifted" her with a plant that kept her sneezing for two days straight before she discovered the source of her distress. Wednesday at dinner in the great hall, McGonagall transfigured her chair so that it turned into an octopus when she sat down on it (much to the amusement of the students). Thursday, Snape had laced her morning pumpkin juice with a draught that caused her to fall asleep at the table and miss her first two classes of the day, only waking when the students began to file in for lunch.

The professors were like school children having too much fun irritating and sabotaging the woman until things suddenly took a darker turn late Friday afternoon.

Olivia Crawley, the little Ravenclaw girl who had clung to Madeline the night all the students had gathered in the Great Hall after Sirius Black had been spotted in the castle, was now in her third year. She had came to Madeline in the hospital ward, obviously anxious and uncomfortable.

"Olivia! What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
Madeline asked, gesturing for her to sit on the nearest bed so she could examine her.

The girl sat down and shook her head.

"Are you hurt?"

She hesitated, then nodded.

"What happened, Olivia? Can you show me where you're injured?"

"You have to promise not to tell. Please, Maddie. You have to swear it."

"Alright. I promise."

Olivia pushed up the sleeve of her robes, exposing the back of her hand. Madeline gasped in shock. Cut into the girl's skin were the words "I must not be late." It was red and swollen and still weeping blood.

Madeline took her hand gently, examining it closely.

"Who did this to you, Olivia?" she breathed.

"I... I don't want to say. I'm afraid!"

"You can tell me."

"I wouldn't have come, but it hurts so much..." tears filled the girl's large green eyes.

"Who hurt you?" Madeline said. Her voice was calm but firm.

"Professor Umbridge."

Madeline closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"What happened?"

"This morning, I spilled dragon's blood on my uniform in potions class and I ran back to my dormitory to change clothes. I was so embarrassed about the spill that I didn't even think to use the scourgify spell. It made me late to defense class and Professor Umbridge gave me detention. When I got to her office, she said I'd be writing some lines for her and that didn't seem so bad at first. But then she told me I'd be using her special quill and when I wrote on the parchment, the words appeared on my hand. It cut like a knife!" She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Thank you for telling me, Olivia. I know that was difficult. Let me get you something to help with the pain." 

Madeline went to the cupboard and pulled a soothing salve off the shelf, then returned to Olivia's bedside.

"This will numb the pain and help stop the bleeding, alright?" she said, spreading the ointment on the girl's hand.

"That's better.  Thank you, Maddie."

"Olivia, do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm going to ask you to do something for  me."