❛ chapter eight ⎜ the unexpected ❜

 "𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓?" 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘'𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄.

I looked up blearily and took another sip of my tea. Next to me, Sylvia sat straight up, anxious to hear whatever new gossip was circulating.

"He must have heard about Professor Umrbidge's new post," Kiera sighed.

I scowled. "I can't believe this is happening." The article itself sat across the table under Kiera's plate. I wedged it out, my frown deepening as the photo of Professor Umbridge smiled.

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER "HIGH INQUISITOR"

In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. "The Minister for Magic has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time" said Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic Percy Weasley. "He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve."

This is not the first time in recent weeks Fudge has used new laws to effect improvements at the wizarding school. As recently as 30 August Educational Decree Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person.

"That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts," said Weasley last night. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she's been an immediate success, totally revolutionising the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts."It is this last function that the Ministry has now formalised with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-three, which creates the new position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

"This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the falling standards at Hogwarts", said Weasley. "The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she has accepted." The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts.

"I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation," said Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night. "Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and will be glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation." Among those 'eccentric decisions' are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the hiring of werewolf Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid and delusional ex-Auror .

Rumours abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts. "I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose confidence" said a Ministry insider last night." Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts.

"Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office", said Madam Marchbanks. "This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore." (For a full account of Madam Marchbanks' alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17).

"I can't believe Percy would do that," Sylvia sighed as I waded up the paper and shoved it under the table, practically quivering with fury. Her voice became dreamy. "He's so handsome."

"He's a prat, that's what he is," Kiera replied, fetching the Daily Prophet from where I had banished it. "Elise, I wasn't done reading."

"Sorry," I said, not sorry at all. "When do you think she's going to inspect our classes?" I nearly spit out the words.

"Whenever she does, you should keep quiet," Kiera said. I glared at her but her nose was buried too deep in the Daily Prophet to notice.

"It was a one time thing," I said through gritted teeth. Then, wanting to change the subject, I turned to Sylvia, who was more quiet than usual. Now that I thought of it, she hadn't said much the entire breakfast, something very un-Sylvia-like. "You okay Sylvia?"

"She's still pouting because she didn't get on the Quidditch team," Kiera replied immediately.

"Kiera!" Sylvia glared.

"It's true, don't blame me."

"Doesn't mean you have to say it for the world to hear!"

"As if you wouldn't."

"I can keep information a secret, thank you very much!"

"Those happened Friday, right?" I asked listlessly, trying to distract them from their arguing.

"Yes," Sylvia said in a clipped voice. She stood up. "I'm going to head to a History of Magic. I'll see you too there." She was gone before I could say anything

"She's in a mood," I sighed, draining the last of my tea.

Kiera shrugged as we stood up. "She's always like that when she's disappointed."

"I hope Umbridge isn't in History of Magic," I said, "I didn't sleep well last night."

"You can't keep using it as a block for sleeping." Kiera's disapproving look was so familiar, I didn't think much about it.

"Don't even start. You sleep half the time too. If Hermione didn't lend you her notes on those days...."

Kiera flushed. "At least I try, which is more than you can say."

I smirked. Kiera is so unflusterable, it's fun to see her get defensive.

"Wipe that smile off your face," Kiera scolded. I laughed, knocking into her playfully. She rolled her eyes, shaking back the wisps of wavy dark hair that had floated into her face.

Thankfully for me, Umbridge wasn't in History of Magic, letting me catch up on some much needed sleep. Nor was she in Potions. Unfortunately, she was in Divination.

"Why does she have to be in this class?" I grumbled, moving closer to Lilliana Littleman, a pale, petite girl, to interpret our latest dreams.

I had managed to get my anger under control. Now she was just like a bee buzzing around me: annoying, but not worthy of my attention.

"I don't know," Lilliana shrugged, pulling back a piece of her frizzy blonde hair. "What'd you dream of last night?"

I stiffened. Talk about my dreams? Or, rather, the nightmares that had been haunting me for months? How was I supposed to share that I'd been dreaming of something many people thought hadn't happened? The Ministry had pronounced Uncle Paul's death 'a tragic accident'. Lilliana was still talking to me, which was more than I could say about a lot of the people I thought were my friends. I didn't want to ruin our friendship, no matter how small it was.

"Elise?" Lilliana's voice pulled me out of a whirlwind of green, red, and silver. The images flashed and faded before my eyes. "Earth to Elise."

I shook my head, blinking furiously and trying to look like I had just spaced out instead of looking like I had just rewatched the moment of my uncle's murder. "Sorry, I was just trying to remember what happened. I dreamed that I was on top of the Eiffel Tower, and that suddenly everything turned into bread, and I ate the entire thing."

I looked away before Lilliana could give me the skeptical look I knew so well.

"That - surprisingly - isn't the craziest thing I've heard come out of your mouth," she murmured, chuckling. Normally her breathy voice made me feel comforted, but now all I felt was tension.

"What do you mean by that?"

She looked up, her azure eyes wide. There's something about the depth and intelligence in them that makes her seem like an old woman trapped inside the body of a teenage girl. "No need to get so defensive. Remember that time you drank that laughing potion that your sister had asked Sylvia to give you and you were talking nonsense for an hour?"

I relaxed, forcing myself to chuckle. "Oh, yeah. That was crazy. Sorry, I thought you meant something else."

Lilliana pursed her lips, but instead of saying something, she looked back down at her copy of The Dream Oracle.

"What did you dream of?" I tried to change the subject, ignoring Professor Umbridge's high pitched voice in the background. It was getting harder and harder, but I didn't want to hear her interrogate Professor Trewlawny. I also ignored the black haired boy giving me looks from across the room. I didn't need any more distractions.

"I wandered around a forest in pitch dark until the sun suddenly appeared in the sky and I found that I was actually in a library."

"I'm pretty sure that is the craziest thing I've heard from you."

"Dreams aren't supposed to make sense," Lilliana said with a shrug. "That's why they're so fun to live in, although I personally prefer to live in the present with facts instead of whimsical imaginings."

That made me giggle. "Always so wise, aren't you?"

Lilliana flipped her hair mockingly. "That's me."

It's always nice to be with Lilliana. She's like Kiera, factual and witty, but on a higher level. She looks at everything from an analytical point of view, and she's always ready to launch into a way-too-long presentation of why she's right. She doesn't like to be wrong, but then again, who does? We represent the two sides of Ravenclaw: the brainy, factual, bookworm side, and then the artistic, creative side. She's my opposite and my similar in so many ways, that it's like looking down at a quirky mirror. It's so nice to have someone who I can dispute and agree with so easily.

I would have made a good Ravenclaw.

After a few minutes of fervent page flipping, Lilliana broke the silence. "Apparently you're going to suffer from a family quarrel over food before the new year, but it will be resolved by a mysterious force of nature."

I snorted. "I can tell you exactly when and how that's going to happen. My aunt and uncle on my dad's side are French, and my aunt makes a huge deal over food. She's an amazing cook, but she's kind of intense sometimes. She's probably going to make a fuss about something and then my younger siblings and my cousins will storm in and end up making a bigger mess and distracting everyone."

"Your family is so interesting, mine's so small and boring compared to yours," Lilliana sighed, looking unusually dreamy.

"Interesting? You mean the fact that I have two younger siblings, one of which is the living incarnation of the devil and the other of which is supposedly perfect but always managed to get himself into weird positions, and a mom who works as a medi-witch and is always overrun with work and relies on me to keep my siblings in line, and of course a dad who works way too much for his own good and never takes a break is interesting? It's a little too interesting. You have peace and quiet."

"Your father is the Ambassador to France, that's got to have some perks. My mom's a muggle writer and my dad's an editor for Monday with Magizoologists. All they ever talk about is animals and grammar."

"Perks? Well, it's got equal downsides. He's always stressed and he's never around," I mumbled. "You'd think that life would be easy because the relationship between the Ministry and la Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France are on good terms, but he still works like a madman, especially after last year."

Lilliana looked down.

A minute too late, I realized what I had said. "I'm sorry- I didn't mean-"

"It's okay," she murmured. "I keep pretending like he's going to come walking back in through the doors, but he's gone. He's not coming back." I looked down, helpless and her bright eyes began to dull with pain.

I never knew the extent of their relationship, but from what I gathered, Cedric Diggory was her good friend. Her father knew Amos Diggory, and so Lilliana and Cedric had gotten to know each other over several summers of family vacation. Any mention of his death was probably like stabbing her. I knew how that felt. Why am I so careless sometimes?

"Apparently you're going to be lost with no way to find yourself and you'll find solace in the library," I said lightly, trying to change the subject. I didn't need more death and depression right now.

"So.... basically every day of my life?"

I nodded. We were only able to keep a straight face for a few seconds before we started snickering.

"So, how's life going?" Lilliana asked, closing her book now that we were done and could relax.

I shrugged. "Good, I guess. You?"

She also shrugged. "The best that I can manage." She paused and took a deep breath, as if steeling herself. "Elise, I wanted to ask you something."

I winced. "If it's about my uncle, don't. Please."

With pursed lips, Lilliana nodded. She opened her book again, her eyes darting across the page so fast I didn't think it was possible.

A part of me wondered what she had been about to ask me. I'd never thought of Lilliana as a possible ally - we'd never been all that close, only chatting in Divination - but maybe she was on my side. With an analytical mind like hers, she probably wasn't buying everything the Ministry said. Maybe she really believed me. After all, she was still talking to me. Who knows, maybe the serene girl with the wild hair across from me could prove to be one of the only people who I could trust with the truth.

Unfortunately, before I could ask Lilliana the question that might have defined a hundred different things, the bell rang. And she was gone before I could open my mouth.

By the time I got back to the Common Room that night, I was exhausted. All the worrying and questioning I'd been doing, plus the awful Defense Against the Dark Arts class we'd had, had not put me in a good mood.

So, with my sketchbook and pencil in hand, I'd pushed aside my homework and settled into a comfy armchair to draw.

"Can you believe Potter got himself another week of detention?" Sylvia sighed. I heard the clink of one of the chess pieces being knocked off the board. "Check."

I didn't look up. "Not really."

"He's got an awful temper sometimes," Kiera commented. "He can't stop arguing with Professor Umbridge."

I deepened another shadow to the pawn piece I was drawing. "He does, but she's pure evil, so it's understandable." And he's right. You-Know-Who is back, and it's so hard for me not to stand up next to him when he says that.

"You're still in check, Kiera."

"I haven't moved yet, of course I'm still in check."

I sighed as the bickering began.

"You take way too long to move."

"Excuse me, I don't rush!"

It took an inordinate amount of time before they settled down, with Kiera Sylvia's rook and Sylvia looking as if she was going to explode.

"Took you long enough," the latter of them muttered.

My eyes shot up. "Don't you start again." I had my peace long enough for me to add the final shadows to my drawing (and for the pawn in question to proclaim it a masterpiece) before the game ended.

"Check mate!" Kiera crowed.

I could practically hear Sylvia scowling. "I call a rematch."

"Get Elise to play, I need to study for our Arithmancy test, which you should do."

Sylvia waved it off. "I'll do it tomorrow. Hey Elise?"

"What?"

"Is it true that Harry Potter asked you on a date?"

I nearly fell over. "WHAT?"

"Shh!" Kiera hissed as the people around us gave us strange looks.

"Slyvia, where in the world did you hear that?!"

"There's a rumor going around that after your detention, he asked you out and you declined."

I felt my cheeks flaming. Stupid cheeks. "NO! It was a detention! Sylvia!"

She shrugged. "It was just a rumor! Jeez."

I scowled, my embarrassment turning into anger. "He's an annoyance and is way too cocky for his own good, I'd have no interest in dating him. He's as immature as all the other boys in the grade, the Boy Who Lived or not. Seriously Sylvia. I thought you know how stupid they are."

Honestly, where does she get her information! I thought crossly as I started a new drawing. He's an egotistical idiot who needs to control his temper. It doesn't matter if he's famous, he's got an awful attitude and needs to follow the rules for once in his life! Even if what he's saying is true, he needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.

No matter what Sylvia or anyone else thought, there was no way I would even even think of being anything but acquaintances with Harry Potter. Honestly.

𝔸𝕌𝕋ℍ𝕆ℝ𝕊 ℕ𝕆𝕋𝔼

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I'm so excited for DA to start, because that's when Elise and Harry are really going to interact and start spending time with each other.