Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 55

I stood there at the door, not daring to walk inside as I stared at Umbridge. But then, as McGonagall appeared behind me and cleared her throat, I moved along and she marched into the room without giving the slightest attention to Umbridge.

     "That will do," said McGonagall and silence fell immediately. "Mr. Finnigan, kindly come here and hand back the homework — Miss Brown, please take this box of mice and hand one to each student—"

     "Hem, hem," said Umbridge, but Professor McGonagall ignored her.

     Seamus handed back my essay, and I was glad to see that I had passed with an acceptable mark. Maybe I couldn't do any practical work, but I still found magical books highly fascinating; or at least, a million times better that math and physics.

     "Right then, everyone, listen closely — Dean Thomas, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention — most of you have now successfully vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have the gist of the spell. Today we shall be —"

     "Hem, hem," Umbridge coughed again.

     "Yes?" said Professor McGonagall sternly, turning round.

     "I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspec—"

     "Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom," said Professor McGonagall, turning her back firmly on Umbridge.

     A few students exchanged looks of glee and so McGonagall went on,

     "As I was saying, today we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell —"

     "Hem, hem."

     "I wonder," said Professor McGonagall in cold fury, turning on Professor Umbridge, "how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking."

     Umbridge looked as though she had just been slapped in the face. She did not speak, but straightened the parchment on her clipboard and began scribbling furiously.

     And so, as I looked up at McGonagall with a grin, all I could think about at that moment was how much I actually loved that woman.

     But my smile faded as Professor McGonagall asked us to take out our wands and try the vanishing spell on the mice.

     By that point of the year, all the students were sure that I was a stupid and talentless girl when it came to using a wand, but at least I made up for it in Potions.

     I shakily took out the wand that Dumbledore had given me and pretended to give it a way and say the spell; but nothing happened.

      After a few minutes, McGonagall sent me to fetch a few papers for her from her office, but I came to wish that she hadn't.

     Because I couldn't stay out of class forever and had to eventually return and get back to practicing.

     Although from the moment I sat back down, Umbridge narrowed her eyes at me from the dark corner where she stood, watching me warily.

***

After a week, when the classes had finally ended, I returned back to the common room and joined Fred and George in our usual corner.

     I proceeded to write my Charms essay as they were busy trying to perfect their puking pastils.

     Just then, the door to the girls' dormitory opened and Angelina Johnson and her friends walked down, talking.

"Alright," George cleared his throat and grinned at Angelina's direction. "Now if you guys will excuse me, I'm gonna go and have a little chat with Miss Johnson."

I smiled at him knowingly as he stood off the armchair and off he went, leaving Fred and I alone.

"I've been trying to come up with a rhyming nickname for you too. You know... like Cheesy Weasley," said Fred. "But all I could think of was Pooper Hooper."

"How romantic," I said sarcastically, pretending to be blushing. "You're flattering me too much, Mr. Weasley. How lucky I am to be your girlfriend!"

"You're lucky, indeed," Fred gave me a wink and I shook my head at him in disbelief, chuckling.

At the same time, the portrait of the fat lady swung open and Hermione walked in, looking over the common room.

Sighting us, she quickly came forward and said in an urgent whisper, "I need to talk to you guys."

"What is it?" Fred questioned, but I already had an idea of what she wanted to talk about.

     Although unlike in the books, I wasn't excited about it anymore and looked back down at me essay.

"Can you get George here as well?" said Hermione. "I've already told Angelina, Alicia, and Katy."

Curious as to find out quickly what Hermione wanted to tell us, he whistled loudly across the common room to get George's attention and gestured him over.

"What's up?" asked George, looking at Hermione as he took his seat again.

"Yeah, what is it, Hermione?" said Fred with a grin. "Here to force us into joining spew?"

"It's S.P.E.W. And no. That's not what I wanted to talk about." Hermione sent him a glare but then shook her head, saying sternly, "We've been thinking that we can't have that Umbridge woman stopping us from learning how to defend ourselves."

"No kidding," George scoffed.

"We have to do something. We need another teacher," she said. "And I think I just have the right person in mind."