The Sins of a Father

Chapter 14

           Another proclamation was going up onto the wall. I didn't need to see it to know that it was happening, all I heard was Filch's hammer banging the nail into the brick wall. It was hard to imagine that there was room left on the wall I heard Umbridge's voice echoing throughout the corridor, I paid no attention to her and continued my way outside of Hogwarts Castle and sat at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, dwelling on the school year and how Umbridge is making everybody's lives miserable. I looked down at my finger, where the twin's ring sat.

"Should I tell Harry about Snape?" I asked in almost a whisper. I sat patiently waiting for my heart to make a decision. I looked back down at the ring and it was empty. I groaned, took off the ring and held it in my palm. "Work!" I shouted at it. Suddenly I heard a chortle from behind, it startled me so much that I jumped. I turned my body to see the person who startled me, but as I secretly guessed it, I saw a head full of fiery red lava hair.

"What in the blazes is the matter with you? Scaring me half to death?" I demanded.

"It isn't going to work any better if you scream at it," George corrected me. I shoved the ring back up my finger and waited for George to sit next to me.

"I know that but I think it's broken, I asked it a question and I waited for it to answer me but there was nothing, no response or anything. The stupid thing is broken," My voice went louder than I intended but it didn't seem to upset George. George's hands took my own and ever so gently, then he carefully removed the ring and put it onto his own finger, he gazed through the transparent stone, then suddenly the word "yes" appeared in a fancy crimson script. I looked back at George as he slipped the ring off of his finger and slipped it back on mine.

"Still works," George softly whispered.

"What did you ask?" I questioned him; George kept his composure, firm and bold but relaxed.

"I asked it if I should tell you the truth and my heart says yes so I'm gonna tell you something," George didn't speak for a long while but then did speak. "Harry is going to tell you tonight but I wanted to tell you first. You know Umbridge is going out of control with all the rules so Harry has organized Dumbledore's Army, which is a secret class where we learn how to fight against the Dark Arts and Harry wants you to join - I want you to join."

I've heard rumors about the DA, but I thought they were only rumors, my heart told me to join but my fear of Umbridge told me to stay away and not do anything about it. My heart and mind were battling about the decision but I knew what I had to do and it was going to kill me.

"George, if I was still a student here you know I would - in a heart beat but I can't have Umbridge get me fired, you know she will - it was miracle that I passed that stupid evaluation, I want to, I really do - now George there's no need to get angry at me." While I had been making excuses, George got up and started walking away from me. I chased after him then grabbed his sleeve to make him stop. "George, I'm sorry but you don't know what it's like being an assistant that could get fired any day, at least you are protected unless Dumbledore specifically says you are expelled," I ranted on to him.

"Well you don't know what it's like to have to 'taught' by that nasty little - "

"Hey! She may be nasty and maybe a horrid teacher but things could be worse." George chortled at my remark and shook his head.

"How can things possibly get worse?" George demanded. It took my brain a long minute to come up with an answer.

"Well Voldemort, could invade Hogwarts tonight," I retorted.

"But he won't, Umbridge and the Ministry will most likely attack before You-know-Who does," he argued. I started to find this arguing pointless but I didn't know how to communicate with him. I sighed feeling defeated, my hand slid from his sleeve to his wrist and I grasped it.