• Serena Black •

"Tell all the truth but tell it slant,
Success in circuit lies,
Too bright for our infirm delight
The truth's superb surprise."

Serena had woken up earlier than usual on a Sunday the next morning and had made her way straight to Madam Pomfrey. She had placed the injured raven on a pillow in her drawer during the night, as she had always done with the infant before.

Fortunately, the healer hadn't asked too many questions and she felt that Serena could pick up the raven that evening and release it back into the wild.

Immediately afterwards, Serena joined Fred and George at the table they had set for the house. It wasn't long before numerous owls fluttered into the Great Hall to deliver their morning post to the students.

Serena was surprised to see that there was a letter for her too. However, she knew the envelope only too well and hoped that the letter had not been intercepted. She had actually thought that her father would have been more careful after the action in the fireplace.

"From Padfoot?" George whispered beside her and Serena nodded slowly. For some reason, she got an uneasy feeling in her stomach. What if something had happened? Had her father really been so reckless as to send her a letter while everyone was looking for him again? However, when she thought back to her third year at school, the answer was definitely yes. Even at that time, he didn't seem to care that people might find out about him.

As always, there was a bit of a commotion at the Gryffindor table, which naturally attracted Umbridge as well. She let her toad-like eyes wander around the table until they finally caught on Serena. The Gryffindor promptly pretended to be engrossed in her toast and egg.

However, Umbridge was not to be driven away so easily, "Miss Black, who did you get this letter from?"

"Is that a crime now?" George asked belligerently, waving his own mail around to demonstrate. "Getting a letter?"

"Watch your tongue, Mr Weasley, or I'll give you detention," Umbridge replied sweetly, gluing her eagerly glittering eyes back on Serena. "Well, Miss Black?"

At that moment, Ron and Hailey stepped up to the table to eat breakfast as well. The two looked visibly worried at their friend as they realised the risk of the moment. But Serena tried not to let it show. "I don't know," she replied smugly. "I haven't read it yet and there was no return address on it."

Before she could react, the pink plague had already snatched the letter from her. "Then do it in my office now. I won't tolerate any papers circulating in this castle that could spark conspiracies."

Serena stared at her teacher in amazement, hoping that this was a rather unfunny joke, but Umbridge didn't seem to be in the mood for jokes. Reluctantly, she stood up, but not without making a scene and pushing the wooden bench back more roughly than necessary, causing an unpleasant squeak to echo throughout the hall.

George looked like he was going to say something at any moment, but Serena just shook her head imperceptibly. The Weasley was definitely in enough trouble with the old drooling witch as it was. She silently followed Umbridge out of the Great Hall, ignoring the curious glances of individual classmates who followed her into the next corridor. Let them see how little her teacher thought of the privacy of correspondence.

Clenching her teeth tightly, the Gryffindor followed her teacher into one of the side corridors on the first floor. Professor Umbridge, still at a loss for words, sank into the chair behind her desk. Serena didn't know what she had expected, but this was beyond her wildest imagination. Everything she discovered was, without exception, pink in colour. On small side tables and on every piece of furniture in the room in general was a small pink lace blanket. Serena had expected to find her favourite colour in the office. But she obviously had a completely different soft spot: cats.

Meowing and each decorated with a different bow, there were at least a hundred little kittens on small decorative plates on the wall. Serena had nothing against cats, quite the opposite, but in this situation they seemed absurdly repugnant to her. "Have a seat, Miss Black."

Umbridge managed to banish her emotion from her face much better than she did, but Serena could still see a dangerous expression flashing in her eyes. Lurking, like that of a predatory cat on the hunt. Hesitantly, she followed her instructions and sank into a chair with a steep backrest. "Can I have my letter back now?" Serena asked more dryly than an old piece of bread.

"Not until you tell me who it's from," she replied sweetly and Serena just gave her a sour look. Of course she had an idea who the letter was from, even if she hoped not to see it confirmed. "I think the letter is from my mum, she never writes a return address on it," she finally lied.

"Why don't you grab a biscuit and a cup of tea," Umbridge said suddenly, gesturing harshly to a tartan-covered plate and an equally ugly mug in front of Serena. "If the letter is from your mum, I'm sure she won't mind if I open it, will she?"

"Yes, she would." Serena put on a haughty look and smugly reached for one of the golden-brown biscuits. "I think that violates the privacy of correspondence." She nibbled on the biscuit with as little concern as possible. If there was one thing she knew how to do, it was play poker or, alternatively, magic chess. She wouldn't make it that easy to lure her out of her reserve. Not even if she had to eat this biscuit to do it. Serena's face contorted imperceptibly as the unconventional flavour spread across her tongue. She had never liked poppy seeds.

"Well, in certain cases and situations, that rule is meant to be broken, my dear," Umbridge said with a strange undertone in her high-pitched voice, "For example, when the safety of the wizarding community might be jeopardised."

Serena snorted inwardly and put the disgusting biscuit aside. To get rid of the taste, she washed down the rest of the crumbs with Earl Grey, which was far too sweet.

Victory was now reflected in Professor Umbridge's face and Serena had a dark premonition that what she had just done might have been a mistake. "Well then, how about you open the letter and see who it's from."

Relieved to get her letter back, she took it and opened it slowly after a moment's hesitation.
She skimmed the lines, without reading a single word properly she knew that the letter was from her father. When she reached the end, however, she was flooded with relief; perhaps her father hadn't been as careless as she thought.

"So?" Umbridge asked impatiently, her frog eyes lusting after the letter, "Who signed it?"

"Remus Lupin."

There was a second of silence in the squeaky pink office before Umbridge spoke up again, "Why is Remus Lupin writing you a letter?"

"He's my godfather," Serena explained truthfully, earning a scrutinising look from her teacher, who obviously recognised her opportunity in the answer.

"So he knew your father quite well? Sirius Black?" she asked. "So well that he knows where he is at the moment?"

Serena pressed both lips together, she didn't really want to say a word, but the answer was on the tip of her tongue and wanted to be heard. She tried with all her might to fight it and in the end all she could manage was a cramped gurgle.

"Excuse me, I'm afraid I didn't quite understand." Umbridge's face once again reflected a sense of victory and if there hadn't been a knock at the door at that moment, she would certainly have got her answer.

Relieved as never before, Serena exhaled the pent-up air and turned to the door to see who her unwitting saviour was. And her father's saviour.

"Excuse me, Professor Umbridge," she heard a familiar voice and even before the door had fully opened, she knew who had been responsible for the disturbance. Edmund Hall had put on his most charming smile and was leaning against the dark wooden door like a good little schoolboy. "I urgently need to speak to Black."

The anger from the night before was still deeply embedded in Serena, but at that moment she was actually quite grateful for his help. However he had known that she was under interrogation. Umbridge, on the other hand, gave her a cursory glance - she clearly didn't agree with it. "And what for, may I ask?"

But Hall had a suitable answer to that too, "My father has given us an assignment that I'm not allowed to talk about. At least not for the time being." He said it all so easily and with a smile that looked so sincere that Serena almost bought it. She herself tried to look as if she wasn't hearing the whole thing for the first time.

Umbridge's small mouth, disfigured with pink lipstick, stood open for a moment as if she didn't quite know what to say in response - after all, she was a proud representative of the Ministry's views. "I won't stand in the way of your father's plans, of course," she said quickly and gave Serena a brief look of disdain. "Give my best regards, Mr Hall."

"Of course," the Slytherin replied businesslike and before the toad had a chance to change her mind, Serena stood up in a flash and stumbled out the door with her letter.

"Miss Black." came from the desk again and Serena knew it had been too good to be true, "Detention at 5pm all week."

She groaned inwardly and pulled the door shut behind her without saying anything in reply. Only after they had left the office far behind did Serena finally dare to open her mouth again. "How did you know she'd put me through the wringer?"

"A thank you would have been enough for me," was all she got in reply, but she wasn't going to be brushed off that easily and impatiently crossed both arms in front of her chest. Hall seemed to realise that he had no chance and sighed in defeat. "Price besieged and blackmailed me."

"Blackmailed?" Serena asked in astonishment, "What did she blackmail you with?"

"If I told you that now, I could have left it alone," he explained dryly, looking as closed off as a dungeon in Gringotts. "Don't you still think it's worth a thank you?"

"Yes... Thank you." She had actually wanted to say no, but ever since she had entered Umbridge's office, her tongue seemed to do what it wanted. Nevertheless, she made a mental note to herself that she really needed to get her how-can-I-make-Hall-what-I-want-miracle cure out of her best friend.

"So friendly today, Black?" Hall teased, running his fingers through his light-coloured hair, which for once wasn't carefully done. It stood back from the back of his head in a tangled mess and at the same time fell powerlessly down his forehead.

Only now did Serena remember that she was actually still angry with him for his little joke at the lake. But as often as that happened, it was no wonder that it was no longer on her mind. But one look at his face, disfigured by the hangover, made her forget the action for another moment and a provocative smile spread across her face. Perhaps she should rub his nose in the fact that he had wanted to pick a fight with a horde of ravens, "Rough night, Hall?"

"If I remembered, I might be able to answer your question," he replied pointedly, giving a brief mock grin that didn't reach his turquoise eyes. "But maybe you'd like to help me out in the library?"

Serena stared at him, puzzled. Had she missed something? After all, she wasn't the one with a film tear. "In the library?" she asked. She couldn't remember meeting him there.

"I thought you wanted my help with your little conspiracy theories."

"Not after last night, to be honest," she snorted contemptuously.

"Why?"

"Because you behaved like the biggest arse," she explained angrily. "First the thing with the kiss..."

"I remember that," he said, visibly satisfied, but Serena's expression darkened even more. "Then you kissed the stupid cow and then the thing with..." She paused abruptly, she hadn't actually wanted to say that at all.

Hall started to laugh, "Are you jealous?"

As before in Umbridge's office, Serena had to press both lips together to stop the wrong word escaping her again. Had she really been jealous? Actually, she wasn't, of course she wasn't. But last night, after he had comforted her, it had actually hurt a little if she was completely honest. No, it hadn't. She had been angry that he thought he could get away with anything and make out with as many girls as he liked. Nevertheless, all that came out of her mouth was another sound she couldn't quite place.

Hall's grin began to widen. "She gave you Veritaserum, didn't she?"

Serena stared at him as if this was the most absurd thought in the world, but as she continued to ponder this theory, she realised a few things. "C-could be possible somehow," she said.

"Didn't your mum teach you not to accept anything from evil witches, Black?" he teased.

"That's illegal!" Serena exclaimed indignantly.

"Some of the things she does are illegal."

Serena crossed both arms in front of her chest and thought about how wrong this could have gone if Hall hadn't got her out of there in time. Or if she had asked the right questions. Her eyes fell on Hall again, who was looking at her with an expression she didn't like at all. "So, so, you were jealous."

Serena began to think about it for longer than she would have liked. How could she be jealous of the way he played around with Daphne like a swatter that he caught and threw away at will? The fact that he hadn't kissed her last night when he was told to choose the prettiest girl didn't bother her either. It would only have made the situation with Maxon even more complicated. "No," Serena finally replied, realising that the word had never come more easily to her lips.

Hall looked as if he had just been told that Santa Claus wasn't real. He then theatrically placed a hand on his chest, right where his heart was. "Did you hear it break?"

"Your ego must have drowned it out." She replied.

He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head down. Only to give her a puppy dog look from there. "What about the library now?" he asked with a smirk.

"All right," Serena finally sighed and walked forwards towards the fourth floor. Just behind her, she could hear Hall laughing briefly, catching up with her in a few steps and then whispering in her ear: "Do you actually find me attractive?"

"Don't push it, Hall," she growled, relieved to realise that the effects of the Veritaserum had worn off again.

It wasn't long before Serena found herself in front of a huge pile of books. But not the kind of books that were freely accessible to everyone and that she had almost torn her hair out over with Nate and Hailey. The books in front of her were copies that she and possibly many others would never get to see.

"Do you have them from the forbidden section?" Serena asked, barely daring to touch one of the books for fear that it might curse her with just one touch.

"We have our own library," Hall replied unimpressed and Serena almost replied, "So do we," just to annoy him, but there were only books there that had less to do with black magic curses than Puffskeins. He dropped down at the table opposite her and purposefully grabbed one of the books that Serena would have loved to take a look at: 101 of the most dangerous curses.

While Hall made himself comfortable in his seat and crossed both legs on the table, which Serena was convinced would get him in a lot of trouble from Madam Pince, she took another book from the pile and started leafing through it.

Not much time had passed before Serena was bored and found the books she had looked through extremely disturbing. She was almost certain that there was nothing useful in them. She put the book she was holding back on the table and stretched, the reading always made her sleepy. Yawning, she turned to Hall, who was still glued to the pages of the first book.

Curious as she was, she stood up, walked around the table and stood behind the Slytherin so that she could also catch a glimpse of the book. "What is the Unbreakable Vow?" she asked.

Shocked that she was suddenly standing behind him, he quickly closed the book and looked at her in bewilderment. "Er, what?"

"What you just read." Serena helped him impatiently.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, that's why I looked at it."

Serena nodded briefly. "I'm tired and I have things to do," she mumbled and took her leave. She felt so incredibly exhausted as she climbed the marble steps to the hospital wing. If she was a character in a comic book, her head would probably be smoking by now, as she could barely manage to think straight after such an eventful day.

Madam Pomfrey seemed to have been expecting her and just hurriedly pressed the raven into her arms. "If some students were a little less snivelling, I might have some free time..." she muttered, scurrying back to a group of first years who were whimpering quietly - presumably because of the painful-looking pustules on their faces. Serena really hoped it had nothing to do with the twins' products.

All she really wanted to do was get into her warm bed, but instead she went outside through the large double doors in the entrance hall and stepped out into the icy wind of late autumn. It was already dark at this time of night and she was lucky that the door wasn't already locked. She didn't quite know how to go about leaving the raven to its freedom.

Serena provisionally stretched out both arms in front of her. "Go on, fly," she murmured softly into the cool air. After what felt like an eternity, the bird actually spread its wings, flapped them carefully and then took to the sky. Serena watched it for a while before making her way back to the castle.