Burdened with the curse of a seer since she was born, Lianna Scamander was no stranger to the dangers of the wizarding world nor the horrors that took place. After watching her friend die at the hands of Voldemort with no power to do anything, she's...
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The Great Hall looked exactly as Lianna Scamander remembered it, unchanged in the four years since she'd first stepped through its grand doors.
Candles floated lazily in midair above the long tables, their warm glow reflecting off the enchanted ceiling, which tonight displayed a clear, star-speckled sky. The flickering light caught on the silvery forms of ghosts drifting between students, their translucent faces unreadable amid the chatter that filled the Hall. Everywhere, friends were exchanging summer news, shouting greetings across tables, admiring new haircuts and freshly pressed robes.
Lianna, seated at the Hufflepuff table, leaned her chin on her hand with a bored expression as Albus Dumbledore rose to give his customary start-of-term speech. To her left, Noah sat upright, hanging on every word with wide-eyed curiosity. To her right, Christina stifled a yawn, clearly unimpressed.
But Lianna's attention wasn't on the Headmaster's speech. Instead, her gaze wandered to the teacher's table, scanning the familiar faces. Most of the usual staff were present: Professor McGonagall, stern and regal as ever; Professor Flitwick, who was barely visible over his stack of cushions; and, of course, Professor Sprout. Lianna felt a flicker of warmth at the sight of her favourite teacher. As Hufflepuff's Head of House, Professor Sprout had been a steady source of kindness and guidance throughout Lianna's years at Hogwarts.
Her wandering eyes, however, stopped on a new figure seated at the table. The woman didn't resemble any professor Lianna had ever seen at Hogwarts. She was squat, with short, curly mouse-brown hair and an unsettlingly sweet smile. Her outfit clashed with the solemnity of the Hall: a garish pink Alice band sat atop her head, matched by a fluffy pink cardigan worn over her robes. The brightness of her attire seemed to defy the dignity of the moment.
Her name was Professor Umbridge, who had been introduced by the Headmaster.
Lianna's stomach sank slightly at the sight of her. The woman looked unnervingly out of place, like someone's overly cheery great-aunt who had stumbled into the wrong event. Lianna couldn't help but feel a prick of unease. There was something about Professor Umbridge's sugary exterior that felt... off.
"Lia, what's wrong?" Noah questioned in concern.
"It was her I saw...and I saw her at Harry's trial," Lianna whispered.
"Oh Merlin," Noah mumbled. "That's not bad, though, right? Just a general prediction?"
