Shifted: Book Two

Chapter Eleven - Blood Boiling

Hazel made her way back to the Gryffindor common room after Dumbledore's speech with Harry trailing behind. His face contained his utter rage that was waiting to spit out.

"Harry-", Hazel said before quickly being interrupted by his quaking voice.

"She was there, at my hearing", he spoke, repeating what he had said at the table moments earlier.

"She didn't want me to get let off without any forms of punishment", he added, wiping his hand across his lips.

"She recognised you, I saw her eyes lock with yours Hazel. How does she know you?", Harry asked, snatching his hand away.

Hazel uncomfortably shifted, just like her familiar understanding of everyone she encountered last year, including the Golden Trio themselves, she knew Umbridge, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

"I don't know, Harry. But what I do know is that I don't think she's here to improve the wellbeing of Hogwarts", Hazel informed in a disappointing but stern tone.

Harry scoffed and looked down to his feet as the two of them stood in front of their common room entrance.

"You've got that right", Harry agreed before walking in with Hazel shortly following behind.

The lively atmosphere briskly crashed and fell to a silent one when the two entered the room. Faces turned and conversations paused. They made their way to the front step, leading to their dormitories, before being interrupted by whispers dotted around the room. Harry turned around with irritation.

"Dean, Seamus. Good holiday?", he asked, looking at Dean and Seamus who were sat down on the other side of the room.

Hazel lightly grabbed Harry's arm, trying to pull him out of this situation that she knew wouldn't end well. Harry pulled away, quite fiercely, stepping slightly forward to the two boys he was speaking to. Hazel snatched her hand back and let out a sigh of impatience.

"All right, better than Seamus', anyway", Dean spoke lightly before being interrupted by Seamus as he stood out of his seat and took a step forward, closer to Harry.

"Me mum didn't want me to come back this year", he spoke in his thick Irish accent, folding his arms.

"Why not?", Harry asked, though by the dispassionate tone in his voice, he seemed to have no interest in why Seamus wasn't wanted to return to Hogwarts this year.

"Let me see", Seamus continued, sarcastically looking up at the ceiling for a second, then back at Hazel and Harry.

"Because of you two", he accused.

Hazel brushed her hand against her arm; she felt uncomfortable, not because she was being accused of lying, but because she felt an odd sense of ominous presence surround her, as though it was some sort of meaning that bad things were going to happen.

"The Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you Harry. And you, Hazel, about you're unexpected and unexplained arrival here. And Dumbledore too", Seamus informed.

"So you're listening to them now?", Hazel intervened, taking a step forward beside Harry and trying to make sense of the conversation.

"Why do you believe the Daily Prophet over your friends who, if you didn't realise, were there the night Cedric died", she spoke again, a little louder now, as her patience grew thin.

"That's exactly my point Hazel, you two were the only ones there when Cedric died", Seamus pointed out.

The audience of the Gryffindor students continued to watch this confrontation bubble and boil with rage as they all sat in silence.