Order of the Phoenix pt2
The next morning she ate very little at breakfast with Ginny while Luna was out with the thestrals. She’d asked her not to go until she could find her some of her shoes but the girl had insisted that they needed some company.
Harry entered and approached Hermione and Ron awkwardly.
“Can I join you?” He asked.
Before they could answer they heard Umbridges piercing voice from the hallway.
“Excuse me Professor, what exactly are you insinuating?”
They stood and moved toward the doors, out into the hallway where Umbridge was standing on the steps with McGonagall.
“I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practices.” McGonagall spat.
“So silly of me, but it sounds, as if you’re questioning my authority in my own classroom. Minerva.” And the little woman took a step up the stairs to match McGonagall height.
“Not at all, Delores.” McGonagall matched her step up. “Merely your medieval methods.”
“I… am sorry dear, but to question my practices is to question the ministry and by extension the minister himself. I am a tolerant woman but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty.”
McGonagall took a step down, repeating “disloyalty” in a shocked tone. Then Umbridge stepped up again.
“Things at Hogwarts are far worse than i feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action.”
They all looked at each other nervously.
Xx
She and Luna had located themselves a little corner of the hall to wait in between classes in. It was separated enough that Ryleigh felt comfortable kissing and cuddling without everyone seeing. Except of course they were seen, by the new ‘high inquisitor’ who flicked her wand and they slid apart rather harshly.
“How horrendously inappropriate.” She hissed.
“Detention for both of you.”
Xx
She’d devised a different punishment for them “something much more classic” she’d said.
“Roll up your sleeves, both of you.”
Nervously they did as they were told. She walked over to Luna first and in her hand had what looked like a thin piece of wood. Almost the shape of a wand but longer and more flexible. Ryleigh looked between the wood and her girlfriend.
“No way!” She shouted just before Umbridge brought the wood down on Lunas arm. The girl cried out loudly as it connected leaving a long red stripe horizontally on her arm.
“Stop! You can’t do that! It’s barbaric!” Ryleigh screamed.
Luna was crying.
“Punishment needs to be administered Ms Walsh. 10 strikes for each of your abhorrent behavior.”
“I’ll take them, all of them. Let her go.” Ryleigh said frantically.
“No Ryleigh, I’m fine I’ll be fine okay?” Luna said.
Ryleigh ignored her. “I’ll take them.”
Umbridge looked between the girls and then nodded, taking Luna by the underarm and pushing her out of the room, closing the door behind her. The blonde banged on the door something fierce for some time before she gave up. She was sobbing and crying as she turned and ran out of the DADA room.
Ryleigh looked back to the Professor with a glare. She took a deep breath and held out her arm.
The evil little woman smirked and make a sort of “Hm” sound before she began.
Xx
When the door opened from the office Luna was standing there with McGonagall.
Delores stared the woman down and Ryleigh looked between them.
“This has gone too far Delores.” McGonagall said firmly, taking Ryleigh and pulling her closer, right into Lunas arms. “They’re just girls. What could they have possibly—“
“They were behaving inappropriately in the school halls Minerva, the proper punishment was administered. Ms Walsh oh so nobly volenteered to take the whole of the punishment herself.”
McGonagall sneered at the woman but said nothing as she led the girls out. As soon as they were far enough away she pulled back Ryleighs sleeve. Her arm was a bright red color with shades of purple and blue forming underneath.
“Oh dear Merlin…” she whispered. “Come along dear we’ll take you to Madam Pomfrey.”
“No, I’m fine, it’s fine.” She insisted.
“Ryleigh this is not fine, it needs medical attention.” McGonagall insisted.
“I’ll deal with it, I’ve got potions… Snape will give me some cream or something I don’t want to go to hospital, please Professor.” Ryleigh said.
McGonagall looked at her with a raised brow. “Alright then but I’m coming along.”
Luna moved to the side of Ryleigh to walk beside her, hand clasped tightly in her own.
Xx
The arrival at evening potions was quite dramatic, far more dramatic than she would have liked.
Snape went to his closet and retuned a minute later with a cream colored paste that he then brushed onto her arm. Followed by McGonagall waving her wand and bandages wrapping around it.
“I would implore you and Ms Lovegood to keep your affections out of the halls from now on.” Snape said and both girls blushed.
“Severus, they’re just children.” McGonagall chastised.
“I only mean to avoid further injury.” He said and they nodded. McGonagall looked between the girls.
“Oh- your- well— very well then.” She said awkwardly. “You girls just keep your heads down like Severus says and… I’m off to speak with albus.”
Then she left and Ryleigh and Luna couldnt hold it back anymore, breaking into a fit of laughter.
After a moment it died down and Luna looked at her.
“You shouldn’t have done that.” She said firmly, in a tone Ryleigh wasn’t used to hearing from her.
“I had to do something.” Ryleigh responded.
“Not that Ryleigh. It’s not your job to protect me.” Luna said.
“I want to…”
Snape could sense the growing tension.
“She’s a Gryffindor Ms Lovegood, self sacrifice is written in her dna.”
Ryleigh glared at him and he shrugged.
“Will you be joining us this evening?” He asked Luna who nodded.
“If it’s alright.”
“So long as you refrain from reviving any of my dried flowers.” He noted and she agreed.
Xx
They were watching in disgust as Filch carried all Trelawneys things out into the courtyard and leave them on the ground. The poor woman was trembling and all they could do was watch.
“Six… sixteen years I’ve lived and taught here… Hogwarts is my home… you… you can’t do this.”
“Actually, I can.” Umbridge said, snark coating her words. Ryleigh took a step forward and Luna grabbed her arm, shaking her head firmly.
“She can’t just—“
“You can’t stop her.” Ginny whispered.
McGonagall ran out past Harry and Hermione, she gathered the weeping Professor in her arms shushing her.
“Something you’d like to say dear?” Umbridge asked.
“Oh, there are several things I would like to say.” She snapped back.
Then the large doors opened and Dumbledore emerged.
“Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybil back inside?”
Immediately McGonagall lead the woman back toward the castle, they spoke something quietly that Ryleigh couldn’t hear and then Umbridges piercing voice broke through.
“Dumbledore, may I remind you that under the terms of educational decree number 23, as enacted by the Minister—“
“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.”
“For now” she said back shortly.
Then he turned and walked back toward the castle, “don’t you all have studying to do?”
Ryleigh, Luna and Ginny all sprung into movement with the rest of the students, deciding to head to the astronomy tower.
Xx
“Why isn’t he doing anything about this?!” Ginny huffed. “I mean she’s literally abusing kids!”
“He doesn’t have the power to.” Luna supplied.
“Yeah well. He should do it anyway.” Ryleigh added.
“It’s not right! She’s awful! I mean look at her arm Luna! They’ll scar! And Dean has the scar on his hand just like Ryleigh and Harry too! It’s not right.”
“It isn’t right,” Luna agreed, “what will we do about it?”
“Let’s just talk about something else…” Ryleigh said then she looked at Ginny. “How’s Quidditch?”
“Honestly, not great without Harry and my brothers.”
Xx
“It’s freezing.” She complained as they sat in hogs head. Luna shifted closer to her, holding her hands to warm them up. Ginny had told them to come with her to some meeting Hermione had planned in hogsmede and they’d agreed because… well no one else was doing anything.
“Um… hi.” Hermione said as she stood before them. “So… you all know why we’re here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who’s had real experience defending themselves against the dark arts.” She said.
“Why?” Someone asked.
“Why!?” Ron shouted. “Cause you-know-who’s back you tosspot.”
“So he says.”
“So Dumbledore says” Hermione bit back.
“So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is where’s the proof?”
Then someone else spoke, “if potter could tell us more about how diggory got killed..”
“I’m not gonna talk about Cedric so if that’s why you’re here you might as well clear out now.” Harry said.
Luna stood, “is it true you can produce a patronus charm?” She asked.
They stared at her for a minute before Hermione answered, “yes… I’ve seen it.”
“Blimey Harry, I didn’t know you could do that.” Dean said, followed by Neville’s “And he killed a basilisk. With the sword in Dumbledores office.”
“It’s true.” Ginny said.
“Third year he fought about 100 dementors at once.” Ron said.
“And last year he really did fight off you-know-who in the flesh.” Hermione said.
“Wait—“ Harry stopped them. “Look. It all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is most of that was just luck. I didn’t know what I was doing half the time, I nearly always had help.”
“He’s just being modest.” Hermione said.
“No, Hermione I’m not…. Facing this stuff in real life, is not like school. In school if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow, but out there… When you’re a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes… you don’t know what that’s like…”
“You’re right Harry we don’t. That’s why we need your help. Because if we’re going to have any chance of beating… Voldemort.”
“He’s really back?” A kid in the front asked.
Silence took over for a long moment as Harry nodded ever so slightly.
“Where do we sign then?” Ryleigh asked.
Xx
Neville found the room of requirement and it was perfect.
Harry taught them expelliarmus, stupefy and other simple defensive spells. She laughed with the others when Hermione knocked Ron on his arse. Then it was her turn.
“Ryleigh, Ginny, why do you two go on?” Harry asked and the two girls stepped onto either side of the room.
“Ready, go.” He said and simultaneously they shouted stupefy and both fell back with a thumb.
They all laughed including Ginny and Ryleigh.
“At least it was evenly matched then.” George noted as he pulled Ginny up and Luna pulled Ryleigh.
Xx
Then Ginny hit the dummy with reducto and it disintegrated, that’s when she decided not to spar with the red head anymore. She’d let her brothers take her on.
“Come on Ryleigh.” Ginny complained as they walked down the hall to potions.
“There’s no way. Beat up someone else with your defense skills!” Ryleigh laughed. “I’ve had enough of it, pick on Fred or George.”
“They’re in seventh year!” Ginny exclaimed.
“Exactly, maybe they’ll be able to fight back proper. Maybe.”
As they turned into the classroom they ceased the conversation.
Snape raised a brow at their sudden silence as they took a seat.
“Nothing to share?” He asked and they both shook their heads.
Xx
“Are you staying for Christmas or heading home?” Luna asked as they sat in the tower together.
“Home.” Ryleigh said sadly. “I don’t much like Christmas anymore.” She explained.
Luna didn’t say anything but she nodded and intertwined her fingers into Ryleighs.
“I’ve got to keep a sweater on while I’m there or else she’ll pull me right out.” She said with a gesture to her arm.
“You shouldn’t hide it from her…” Luna said softly.
Xx
She did in fact hide it all of winter break. Making sure to wear long sleeve sweaters and the like. Apart from that though she’d actually had a nice time. Of course nearly the moment they were back to school there was a mass break out of Azkaban.
She was looking at the paper with Luna and Ginny, “We strongly Suspect that the breakout was engineered by a man with personal experience in escaping from Azkaban; notorious mass murderer Siruis Black, cousin of the escapee Bellatrix Lestrange.” She read aloud.
“You know you really do sort of look like her.” Ginny noted and Ryleigh glared at her.
“Not helpful Ginny.”
Luna cleared her throat. “How’s your dad Ginny?”
“He’s good, doing much better.” She said, “Sirius sends you his best by the way.” She said and Ryleigh smiled.
“I haven’t written because I don’t want them to follow the owls.” She said.
“He figured and says you’re right not to.”
Xx
The great hall was quiet as they ate, Luna was sitting with her across the table, far enough apart that Umbridge and her little minions couldn’t say anything about it but close enough to talk if they wish to.
Draco and his friends walked in with the newspaper that she’d been reading early, he slammed it down in front of her.
“Shoulda been in Slytherin.” He whispered as he walked past.
She looked down at the paper where bright red writing said “family resemblance?” With a picture of Ryleigh taped next to Bellatrix.
She grabbed it and crumbled it up.
“Let’s go.” She said and stood, Luna following her closely.
Xx
The next morning she didn’t go to breakfast and Luna watched as everyone looked over the paper they’d spread around, specifically Neville who looked pale as a ghost.
Ryleigh instead spent the morning in the empty potions workroom mulling over her recipe. She wasn’t really doing any work, instead just trying not to let herself cry. She had no real reason to be so upset. She’d never even met the woman but she knew what she’d done to Neville’s parents and what everyone thought of her dad…
When Snape walked in, arms full of empty vials and bottles he was surprised to see her. She wiped at her cheeks with her cloak.
“Are you injured?” He asked as was becoming habit.
“No.” She said.
“Are you confident in that answer.”
“I’m not hurt, just being dramatic.” She whispered.
“What over?” He asked.
“It doesnt—“ she sighed. “Draco spread all over the school that I’m related to that deranged Bellatrix Lestrange and now everyone knows…”
“I hadn’t realized your parentage was a secret.”
“It’s not I just, don’t go around advertising it because everyone thinks he’s a murderer.” She said with a tone of ‘obviously’.
“Being related to someone does not make you like them.” He said as if that solved the issue.
“I know, it still isn’t great to have everyone know.” She said.
He looked uncomfortable, like he didn’t know what to say to make it better. So instead he took a seat, handed her a stack of first years papers and told her to grade them.
She did.