Courage {Neville Longbottom} (ON HOLD)

Chapter Twenty One

With her head held up high, Kefira made her way to Professor McGonagall's office after a prefect came up to her and informed her that the Deputy Headmistress wanted to see her. When Kefira asked her what about, the prefect claimed that she didn't know but she had seen Professor Umbridge speaking with Professor McGonagall, so it obviously wasn't something good. Besides the small incident with the Slytherin Quidditch Team outside, Kefira knew she hadn't done anything to really warrant her getting into trouble. Unless Professor Snape was unsatisfied with how Dumbledore had handled matters and decided to go back to Professor Umbridge to allow her to serve her detention with the Pink Demon.

Whatever it was, Kefira was not walking in like some cowardly puppy, no matter who was calling her in. As she entered the office, she saw Professor McGonagall seated at her desk with the same usual stern look, however, as Kefira met her gaze for a brief moment, she could have sworn she saw a hint of worry flash across the woman's eyes.  Standing beside her desk was Professor Umbridge with the same sickly sweet smile, dressed from head to toe in pink attire. Kefira had to wonder to herself if the woman owned any clothing that was a different color. 

But Umbridge's poor fashion choices were not the reasons why Kefira had been called to McGonagall's office, although she was sure between her and the Transfiguration professor, they could sort the woman out. McGonagall had a grim look on her face as Professor Umbridge cleared her throat to regain Kefira's attention.

"Miss Walsh, do you know why you were called here?" The woman asked her in a high-pitch voice that made Kefira internally cringe. It resembled the sound of daggers being dragged across a chalkboard and paired with the smile, the girl wanted nothing more to just push the woman out of the nearest window.

"Obviously not," Kefira answered.

"Excuse me?" Professor Umbridge said with a very noticeable blink of her eyes.

"No," Kefira said.

"No what?" 

"Did you already forget the question you asked?"

Kefira knew what the woman wanted, she wanted Kefira to end every single sentence with Professor Umbridge, but as the girl crossed her arms over her chest, it became obvious that they were going to be going back and forth a great deal if the woman persisted with her nonsense. 

"Miss Walsh," Professor McGonagall interjected, deciding to take control of the matter and explain why she was there. "There was a report filed to Professor Umbridge that you disrupted the Slytherin Quidditch practice with some rather odd and-"

"Disruptive behavior!" Professor Umbridge finished as McGonagall's eyes narrowed for a moment. 

A fire was already starting in Kefira's chest at the false accusations. "That's a load of rubbish! I didn't disrupt their quidditch practice. Gryffindor reserved the pitch and the Slytherin team decided to come and disrupt them. They chanted that Gryffindors were losers the entire time and you want to say that my behavior was disruptive?"

"Surely if they were causing a problem you would have felt the need to come to a professor? Perhaps address the issue with the Head of the Slytherin House? Hmm?" If Umbridge's eyes became any bigger and if her smile grew any wider, Kefira would have been certain that was the woman was straining to pass the biggest bowel movement of her life.

"Why would I do that?" Kefira questioned. "He's a bully too."

"Are you being disrespectful towards a professor?" Umbridge questioned her.

"No, I was stating fact," Kefira replied calmly. "Why would I discuss one bully with another bully? Doesn't really make sense to me."

Before Professor Umbridge could go any further, Professor McGonagall rose from her desk, narrowing her eyes at Kefira, to the point where the girl took a step back.