Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Reyna had spent well over an hour that morning applying makeup to the parts of her body that still had welts on. She had known Dolores Umbridge was sadistic but she had not expected the witch to actually torture the students, rumours were circling that the Ministry Official was using blood quills in detention to torture other students.
The areas that weren't visible like her arms and her legs were bandaged and dressed with an ointment to help speed up the healing process. But the welts on her face had to be camouflaged by the makeup and fortunately, Reyna was an expert in all things cosmetic.
"Where were you last night?" George asks when she sits next to him in the Great Hall.
"Detention, remember?"
"I waited up for you until midnight," George replies. "Detention didn't last four hours, I know that much"
"I went for a smoke and fell asleep in the abandoned classroom," Reyna lies.
George opens his mouth to speak but loud shouts from outside the Great Hall draw their attention. Reyna and her friends are quick to get to their feet, curious as to what was unfolding outside.
Minerva McGonagall and Dolores Umbridge were standing on the stairwell, clearly in a fierce argument about something. A crowd of students had begun to form, all of them witnessing the spectacle before them.
"Pardon me, professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" Umbridge asks.
"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices"
"The rumours about her using the Blood Quills are true then," Reyna murmurs.
"She didn't use one on you did she?" George asks and Reyna shakes her head.
"So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom Minerva"
The tension in the air was so thick it was almost suffocating and despite the use of first names, their tones were so cold that Reyna was surprised that icicles hadn't begun to form.
"Not at all, Dolores, merely your medieval methods,"
"How come no one's stopping them?" Fred asks.
"Look at Flitwick's face, hell even Snape looks cheerful," Reyna murmurs.
"I am sorry, dear," Umbridge says. "But to question my practices is to question the Ministry and by extension, the minister himself. I am a tolerant woman but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty"
"Disloyalty" McGonagall nods, taking a step down.
"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action"
"That does not sound good," Reyna says, staring at the woman. "She has to go. Now"
"How?"
"We'll figure it out," Reyna replies. "But for the time being, heads down. Don't let any pranks trace back to you"
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
Reyna shrugs off her robes before peeling her sweater over her head. The witch then removes her shirt, beginning to remove the bandages off of her arms and wrists before she begins rooting through her bag for the ointment and more bandages. The witch begins redressing the wounds, wincing as the ointment stings the burnt skin.
"What happened?"
Reyna looks up to see Angelina Johnson standing in the doorway, staring at the burns scattered across Reyna's body. There was not a hint of malice in the witch's eyes, only sympathy.
"It doesn't matter," Reyna shakes her head.
"Do you need a hand?"
"If you don't mind,"
The two witches sit in silence as Angelina gently dresses Reyna's wounds. Her touch was soft, trying to cause Reyna minimal pain as she does so.
"I want to apologise," Angelina is the one to break the silence. "I treated you horribly last year and I have no excuse for my behaviour. I just want to say one thing, I believe you and Harry. My mum went missing this year, the Ministry said she just ran away after rumours of my father's infidelity with another woman but I know my mother would never leave me behind"
"And you think death eaters are behind it?" Reyna asks.
"A witch matching your mother's description was seen in the area," Angelina sighs, finishing securing Reyna's bandages. "It took my father's infidelity to realise that we are not our parents and we are not accountable for their actions"
"If we're apologising then I'm sorry for breaking your nose,"
"I deserved it,"
"You did,"
"I noticed marks on your face this morning," Angelina informs the witch. "Are you sure it's nothing?"
"It was just some idiot playing a prank that backfired,"
"It seems very malicious, to use the one thing that can actually hurt someone with your abilities,"
"People can be cruel,"
"Yeah,"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
