Lily Potter (Harry Potter's Twin)

Chapter 20

"Umbridge has been reading your mail, Harry. There is no other explanation," I said simply the next morning in charms.

"You think Umbridge attacked Hedwig?" Harry asked, outraged by the thought.

"I'm almost certain of it," I said grimly.

"Watch your frog, it's escaping," Hermione told Harry.

Charms room was always one of the best lessons in which to enjoy a private chat. There was generally do much movement and activity that the danger of being overheard was very slight. Today, with the room full of croaking bullfrogs and cawing ravens, and with a heavy down pour of rain clattering and pounding against the classroom windows, our discussion wasn't overheard.

"It was a very, very close call last night," Hermione admitted, pursing her lips. "I just wonder if Umbridge knows how close it was. Silencio!"

The bullfrog on which she was practicing her Silencing charm on was struck dumb mid-croak and glared at her reproachfully.

I managed to silence both bullfrog and raven by the end of class. Harry and Ron were given additional practice of the Silencing Charm as they didn't succeed in the charm.

"I don't know how you are so good at this stuff!" Ron said when he saw me master the charm.

"I don't know either," I shrugged, unsure of why some magical things came easily to me. 

"It's not fair, you are basically a first year," muttered Ron. I rolled my eyes.

"Gee, thanks, Ronald," I said, getting up. "Maybe I will just go hang out with first years, seeing how they are my people."

"No," Ron said. "No, I'm sorry, you aren't a first year, stay here."

I sat down with a huff but my bad mood stayed the rest of dinner. 

In other news, we had gotten  permission to reform the Quidditch team. Umbridge had to give in when McGonagall pointed out that the Slytherin Team had already been approved. The weather did not improve as the day wore on, so that at practice that evening, when Fred, George, Harry and I went down to the Quidditch pitch, we were already soaked through before we arrived at the pitch. I actually slipped on the grass, and fell right into Fred, making him fall over too. We were both covered in mud. There might of might not have been a small mud fight involved.

The sky was a deep thundering gray, and it was a relief to gain the earth and light of the changing room, even if it was only temporary. Fred and George were debating whether to use one of their own Skiving Snackboxes to get out of flying.

"- but I bet she'd know what we'd done, " Fred said out of the corner of his mouth. "If only I didn't offer to sell her some Puking Pastilles yesterday-"

"We could try the Fever Fudge," George muttered, "no one's seen that yet-"

"Does it work?" asked Harry hopefully when the hammering of the rain on the roof intensified and the wind howled around the building.

"Well, yeah," said Fred, "your temperature'll go right up-"

"---but you get these massive pus-filled boils," said George, "and we haven't worked out how to get rid of them yet."

"I can't see any boils," I pointed out.

"No, well, you wouldn't," said Fred darkly, "they're not in a place we would publicly display-"

"All right, everyone, listen up," said Angelina loudly. "I know it's not ideal weather, but there's a good chance we'll be playing Slytherin in conditions like this so it's a good idea to work out how we're going to cope with them. Harry, didn't you do something to your glasses to stop the rain from fogging them up when we played Hufflepuff in that storm?"