Ineffable | Harry Potter - George Weasley // COMPLETED

36 | I Must Not Tell Lies

Knocking on Umbridge's office door, I stood beside Harry as we arrived for our detention. "Thanks for sticking up for me," Harry whispered. "No one seems to believe me but you, Hermione, and Ron."

"They're just scared...I think." I sighed. "They don't want it to be true that he's back, so for them, it's not. They'll see, though, they will. Hopefully it just won't be too late."

"Come in," Umbridge called as Harry turned the door handle and swung the door open to a room completely covered in pink. Never had I hated a colour more than I did at that very moment.

The brick walls had even been painted pink, and on them hung antique plates with moving cats on them. "Good evening, Mr. Potter. Miss Rookwood." Umbridge smiled. "Sit."

Closing the door, Harry and I walked over to a small table and sat down across from each other. "You're going to be doing some lines for me today," Umbridge said as Harry and I reached for our bags. "No, not with your quills. Going to be using rather special ones of mine."

"Okay." I made eye contact with Harry as Umbridge handed us each a sheet of paper and a black feathered quill.

"Now...I want you to write, 'I must not tell lies.'" Umbridge instructed.

Harry nodded. "How many times?"

"Well, let's say for as long as it takes for the message to sink in."

Looking down on the table for ink, I noticed there was none and cocked a brow. "You haven't given us any ink."

"Oh, you won't need any ink."

As the room fell silent, Harry and I looked to our papers and started writing the required sentence. With each letter I wrote down, the hand I wasn't using to write with began to burn more and more. When I finally placed the period down, I dropped the quill and watched as the words 'I must not tell lies' cut itself into the back of my hand.

Looking up, I noticed that the same was happening to Harry. When the period was engraved into my skin, I waited for the pain to stop, but it didn't. If anything it got worse.

Stepping over, Umbridge looked down at us. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Harry told her.

"That's right." she nodded, a satisfied look on her face. "Because you two know, deep down...you deserve to be punished. Don't you? Go on."

Standing up, Harry and I grabbed our bags and headed out of the office. Groaning, I scratched my nails lightly over the bleeding words, as they itched and burned at the same time. "Next time, don't stand up for me," Harry said as we entered the common room.

"Skiving Snackboxes." I heard Fred and George tell some of the younger students. "Sweets that make you ill. Get out of class whenever you like. Obtain hours of pleasure from unprofitable boredom. Care for another?"

As I passed by, heading towards the couch where Ron and Hermione were, George looked up at me. "What happened to your hand?" he asked, noticing it immediately.

Pulling my sleeve down over the embarrassing punishment, I winced slightly as the fabric touched the sensitive skin. "Umbridge," I answered. "Punishment for...never mind."

"Does it hurt?" Fred asked, more curious than worried.

"Of course it hurts." I huffed. "I have the words 'I must not tell lies' etched into my skin like I'm a bloody factory-made doll."

With that, I stormed off and plopped myself down on the couch beside Ron. "I hate your brothers," I told him.

He nodded as he and Hermione stared at the writing on Harry's hand. "Me, too."