black and white ✰ g.w.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Having to replace three members on the Quidditch team and train them after the season had already gotten underway proved to be just as stressful as Olivia had thought it would be, but she appreciated the fact that all three of the new members already had some experience under their belt and had a rough idea of what they were supposed to be doing. Having Arabella there to talk some sense into Ron whenever he was feeling unsure of himself made Olivia's job a bit easier, but she also had to make sure Arabella knew she couldn't be yelling at her twin from across the pitch during an actual match, but instead was to keep her attention strictly on the Bludgers.

Fred and George would come down and watch their practices whenever they had some spare time and Olivia seemed to always be having to remind them not to be coaching Fraser and Arabella from the sidelines. Now that they were no longer on the team, the twins seemed to be talking a lot more about leaving Hogwarts, and while Angelina and Olivia tried their best to remind them of all the reasons they should stay until graduation, as time went on and student life became more and more miserable, this proved difficult.

The first Quidditch match Gryffindor played in since being forced to get new members was a rough one indeed. While most people underestimated the Hufflepuff House, they had some fine Quidditch players and they were certainly more prepared than Gryffindor. Everyone tried their hardest but in the end, Hufflepuff won by ten points after Ginny caught the Snitch. This caused a slight and temporary rift between Duncan and Fraser, since Duncan was one of the new Beaters on the Hufflepuff team. Thankfully, Evelyn and Faustus were able to get them to sort things out rather quickly.

The month of March came along and the mood inside the castle was still fairly downtrodden, but something happened during one dinner that served as a nasty reminder that Umbridge still had a vast amount of power at the school and was still using it to suit herself.

Most people were just finishing up with their dinner when the wailing and screaming started. Upon hearing it, the Great Hall fell silent. When it only continued, that was when everyone began to leave their seats and head towards the sound, ignoring Olivia, Alexander, and most of the other prefects telling them not to. Eventually though, curiosity overtook them as well and they joined their classmates in migrating to the Entrance Hall.

The scene before them was unlike any they'd ever seen before. Professor Trelawney was standing there with her trunks, sobbing and looking like a complete mess. It wasn't long before they heard the clicking of heels getting louder and louder and the students knew what was coming before it even started.

"Sixteen years I've lived and taught here," Professor Trelawney said to a content-looking Professor Umbridge. "Hogwarts is my home. You can't do this."

"Actually, I can," Umbridge said, holding up a piece of parchment.

"What a miserable bitch," Alicia muttered.

Professor McGonagall emerged from the crowd of students and rushed to Professor Trelawney to comfort her.

"Something you'd like to say, dear?" Umbridge asked McGonagall.

"Oh, there are several things I would like to say," McGonagall retorted.

"Please say them," Angelina pleaded under her breath.

Suddenly, the doors to the Entrance Hall opened and in entered Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?" he requested.

McGonagall did just that, Trelawney thanking the man in passing.

"Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms of Educational Decree Number 23, as enacted by the Minister-" Umbridge began.

"You have the right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to banish them from the grounds. That power remains with the headmaster."

Umbridge mustered a smile. "For now."

The next evening, Olivia was approached in the common room by Fraser.

"Dumbledore found a new Divination teacher," he said.

"Really? What's their name?" Olivia asked absentmindedly.

"Firenze."

"Firenze what?"

"Just Firenze." When Olivia looked confused, Fraser continued, "He's a centaur."

"A- A centaur?"

"Yeah. Cool, right?"

After a moment of thought, Olivia agreed. "Yeah, that is pretty cool."

"You're not, like, shocked or anything?"

"Fraser, I've been here seven years. Nothing about this school can surprise me."

[word count: 756]
[written: 8/22/20]
[published: 8/22/20]
so i'm thinking about writing a separate story specifically about faustus once i'm finished with this and star shopping