Redamancy (d.m)

Chapter forty seven-mistletoe

I arrived to Hagrid's first class back from the mountains with an apprenhansive heart, anxious to keep him in line during Umbridge's inspection. Strangely, Umbridge had not yet arrived when Hagrid beckoned the class towards the dark trees behind his hut. He led the class into the wood until ten minutes later he stopped in a particularly dense area and deposited the dead carcass of a cow, turning and emitting a strangled sort of squawk into the trees. I let out the breath I had been holding tensely when dozens of thestrals emerged from the thickness of the trees

"Oh it's alright" I said breathing a sigh of relief, "theyre practically harmless compared to the skrewts"
"What are?" Ron asked confused
"Those thing over there" Harry said, pointing to the winged beast while Ron followed his gaze, still looking just as befuddled
"Now, who can see 'em, put yer hands up"

Harry's hand shot up into the air, as well as Neville's, and a lanky slytherin boy's. Slowly, I raised my own hand

"Excuse me" Malfoy sneered, "but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"
"Thestrals" Hagrid announced proudly, "now, who can tell me why some o' you can see em, and some can't? Hermione?"
"The only people who can see thestrals are people who have seen death" Hermione said

Harry looked over at me and I smiled sadly at him.

"Ten points to Gryffindor" Hagrid said, "Now, Thestrals-"
"Hem hem" he was interrupted by Umbridge, who had just arrived for hee inspection
"I hope one day she chokes on her own cough" I muttered to Harry, who snickered and played it off as a sneeze
"I am going to walk around" Umbridge mimed walking patronisingly to Hagrid, and I tensed, "and ask questions" she pointed to her mouth, "to the students" she finished, gesturing to the crowd
"Let me crucio her, please" I begged Harry, and he shot me a reproachful look, though he too was fuming at Umbridge's behaviour, and Hagrid, looking slightly dishelved, continued with his lesson
"Do you find" Umbridge's loud voice rang through the air, cutting through Hagrid's sentence as she turned to Pansy, who was in a fit of obnoxious giggles, "that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"
"Well...no, because...it sounds like grunting most of the time" Pansy gasped in between giggles, and Umbridge made a note on her clipboard
"I know what you're doing you sick twisted evil..." Hermione whispered, her face red with anger
"You can see the Thestrals, Longbottom, can you?" Umbridge asked Neville, who wring his hangs nervously and nodded, "whom did you see die?"
"My...my grandad" Neville said quietly
"That's hardly appropriate" I said, and Umbridge's plump head looked over at me
"You can see them as well then, Miss Lestrange?" she said, leering at me
"What does this have to do with the inspection?" I asked, looking back at her with disgust
"Whom did you see die, Miss Lestrange?"
"I..." I trailed off, appalled at the nerve of this woman
"Was it a family member, such as Longbottom?" Umbridge pressed, unbothered by the weight of her questions
"How does this relate to the class?" I asked again
"I am simply curious about these creatures, no need to get upset" Umbridge said with a broad smile

"That foul, lying, twisting, old gargoyle!" Hermione yelled an hour later as we made our way back up to the castle, "Thestrals are fine-in fact, for Hagrid they're really good. I mean sure they're a bit above O.W.L level, but they are very interesting, aren't they? I mean, I wish I could see them"
"Do you?" Harry said quietly, and Hermione realised the brunt of her words
"Oh Harry, I didn't mean-"
"Think I'd be a real treat, do you?" I said softly, looking down at my feet
"No, of course not, (y/n), I'm sorry, that was a really stupid thing to say"
"It's all right, 'Mione" I said, offering her a small smile

I was severely displeased to find out I would have to stay behind at Hogwarts this Christmas break, while Harry and Ron were going to the burrow, and Hermione was going skiing with her parents.

"I don't understand why I need to stay here, Professor" I said respectfully when Professor Dumbledore called me to his office
"The holidays have presented a favourable chance for Order meetings, and there is much to be discussed with everyone, including yourself, Miss Lestrange"

I felt slightly miserable when arriving at the next DA meeting, knowing it would be my last for a while until holidays ended. I arrived early to prepare the room, and was soon joined by Harry and Luna

"Hello, (y/n)" Luna greeted in her Misty voice, "what are we doing this meeting?"
"We're just going over everything we've done so far" I replied, and she nodded
"Yeah, no point in starting anything new right before break, is there?" Harry said, propping his arm on my shoulder as members started filling in the room

"Right, this'll be our last meeting until after the holidays" I began, suppressing my bitterness at spending the holidays alone, "so we're going to be perfecting everything we've gone over, especially-"
"Mistletoe" Luna said dreamily, gesturing above me and Harry, where a bundle of white berries hung suspended with a red ribbon

I blinked a few times, before saying

"Er, yes, well...anyway, like I was saying we'll be focusing on the-"
"You need to kiss, or it'll upset the nargles" Luna said with a very serious expression, and I glanced at Harry with an expression amused exasperation
"I'll take my chances Luna" I said with a laugh
"I don't think that's a good idea, (y/n), nargle attacks are especially painful" she said cheerily, to the entertainment of the audience in front of me
"Well we wouldn't want that" Harry said with a chuckle, placing a soft kiss on my forehead
"Impediment jinxes" I said finally, to many laughs

When I approached Cho and Marietta, she pulled me by the arm and spoke in a low voice after peering over her shoulder to check for listeners

"What's going on with you and him?" She demanded rather rudely, and I was taken back by her abruptness
"Excuse me?" I asked, and she sighed
"You and Harry" she spat, and I laughed at the comprehension of her anger
"Oh, Cho, you've got it wrong, really, you do" I insisted, "Harry's like my brother or something, I'd never fancy him"

I noticed her gestures visibly soften, and added

"Even if I did fancy Harry, you don't have any right to be so pissy towards me"
"Oh...you're right, of course you're right, I shouldn't...I didn't mean to" she began
"It's alright, I'm glad we talked this out" I said, and she smiled sweetly at me as I felt my opinion of her gradually improve, "two pieces of advice, though"
"What is it?" She asked curiously
"I saw you're having trouble with aim, look at your shoulder in proportion to your feet, and align them" I said, and she nodded, "also, Harry's totally into you, just do us all a favour and snog him already, would you?"

She giggled brightly and I winked at her, walking away to observe the Patil twins

When I heard Cho tell her friend not to wait up for her at the end of the meeting, I walked past Harry and poked him in the side

"You're welcome" I said
"For what?" said Harry, peering at me with a look of confusion
"For hooking you up" I said mysteriously before leaving him alone with Cho in a room full of mistletoe