The Unknown

Chapter 18: Professor Odin and Rogers

As everyone headed back to the castle after their Herbology lesson, Dahlia quickly got something to eat knowing her detention would start soon, but that wasn't before she passed Angelina Johnson, the new Quidditch Captain for Gryffindor. Apparently, she had heard about the week-long detention and wasn't impressed that Dahlia would miss Friday's Keeper trials, but she knew Professor Umbridge wouldn't change the date, so she didn't argue about it.

A few minutes before she was due at the Toad's office, she set off and got there just in time. Knocking on the door, a sugary voice said, "come in," that made Dahlia cringe.

The room was different than she had ever seen it. When Gilderoy Lockhart had been Professor, his office would have been littered with pictures and portraits of himself. When it came to Lupin, it was likely you would see some fascinating Dark Arts creatures in a cage. When it came to the imposter Moody, or should she say Barty Crouch Jr., it had been packed with instruments and artefacts for the detection of wrongdoing and concealment. Now, however, the surface had been laced in lacy covers and cloths, there were several vases filled with flowers while one wall held ornamental plates, each with a kitten with a bow on. Dahlia couldn't help but focus on them and how disturbing it was to have them in the castle, let alone the room of the DADA teacher. Professor Umbridge interrupted her thoughts and spoke, "good evening, Miss Potter".

"Evening," Dahlia said as Professor Umbridge then gestured to a chair to sit that was at a small table with a lace tablecloth next to the Professor's desk. A piece of parchment lay there, she knew it was for her.

"Now, you're going to be doing lines for me, Miss Potter. Here you go," Professor Umbridge handed Dahlia a thin black quill with a rather large sharp point, uncommon for a quill. "I want you to write 'I must not tell lies'".

"How many times?" Dahlia asked with sticky politeness she knew would irritate Professor Umbridge.

"As long as it takes for the message to sink in," she said sweetly as she sat back down at her desk, looking through essays to mark.

"I haven't got any ink".

"You won't need it," she answered with a small laugh that confused Dahlia but also intrigued her as to why.

Dahlia placed the quill onto the paper and wrote the words: I must not tell lies. An aching feeling then began to appear on her hand and turned from an ache into a pain. Dahlia gasped and quickly dropped the quill to look at her hand. The ink of the parchment was red, and on her hand, were the words she had just written. Her skin turned raw around the words, but a layer of skin had already appeared over it.

She glanced up towards Professor Umbridge and the woman was smiling sweetly, "yes?"

"Nothing," Dahlia almost sneered and looked back down and continued with her lines. Again, and again she wrote them, until the windows turned black by nightlight. She could sense Professor Umbridge looking at her, she knew that the Professor was watching for any sign of weakness, but Dahlia refused to give any. Akio taught her that once you showed weakness, it could be used against you by any enemy; she took his words to heart.

"Come here," Professor Umbridge finally said after hours. Dahlia did as she requested and walked towards the desk, her hand shaking on the way and she tried to stop it but couldn't. "Hand," Professor Umbridge said as she held out her own.

Dahlia raised hers towards the toad-like woman and Professor Umbridge gripped it, Dahlia had to repress a shudder as she rubbed her thumb over the marks. The ugly rings she wore were digging into her skin that was already red and painful

"Tut tut, I don't seem to have made much of an impression yet," she said smiling, "we'll just have to try again tomorrow evening. You may go now".

Dahlia snatched her hand back and wanted to glare at the woman but knew it would only add days onto her detention. Dahlia grabbed her bag and left the office without a word. She didn't get very far before she was looking down at her hand and bumped into someone. Both fell but while her bag fell to the floor, so did various objects such as screwdriver, a phone, and some device she wasn't familiar with but looked like a power cell.