𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸, harry potter

˗ˋ 98

CHAPTER NINETY EIGHT
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-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH QUESTIONS 
ARE ASKED

. . .

Umbridge began to walk around the students, periodically asking them questions and actively avoiding the group of four at the forefront of the class. Ron and Hermione were murmuring to one another; Hermione was significantly upset about Umbridge's treatment of Hagrid, much more than anything else and the closest to her, Ron was trying in that awkward boy way to comfort her. Harry and Aviana, on the other hand, remained silent.

His hand firmly remained around hers, the both of them staring over at the thestrals. Despite them being such a gloomy existence to anyone who was aware of his presence, they were entirely magnificent, almost jet black with eyes that glowed like ghosts, lean and graceful in their movements. But despite their beauty, the awareness of just how they saw them hung over them, and their moods were nothing dampened. 

Harry glanced over her, for a brief moment. Her gaze remained upon the horses, eyes wide. She looked pretty, even from the awkward angle of beside her, and there seemed to be just something about the way her jaw was set in hatred of the woman. Something Harry couldn't explain. 

"Erm... anyway," Hagrid said, clearly struggling to regain the flow of his lesson, "so - thestrals. Yeah. Well, there's loads o' good stuff abou' them..."

"Do you find," Professor Umbridge asked, in a ringing voice to Pansy, "that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"

Aviana turned all of a sudden, glaring at Pansy. Their eyes met, briefly and the girl looked more than nervous, her initial laughter subsiding rapidly. Draco nudged Pansy, quite purposefully. He too was watching Aviana, who did not return the gaze as though he wasn't there at all. "No..." Pansy began hesitantly, before glancing at Draco. "No." She repeated, more confident. "Because, well, it sounds... like grunting, a lot of the time." 

Hagrid blushed upon hearing it, the clear skin amongst the many visible bruises turning pink. Umbridge scribbled the answer down quickly. 

"Two-faced prick." Aviana murmured. 

"Er... yeah... good stuff abou' thestrals."Hagrid cleared his throat. "Well, once they're tamed, like this lot, yeh'll never be lost again. 'Mazin' senses o' direction, jus' tell 'em where yeh want ter go-"

"Assuming they can understand you, of course," Malfoy said loudly, and Pansy collapsed in a fit of renewed giggles.

"So I suppose it would be you who trained this herd of thestrals to pull the carriages?" Aviana asked loudly.

Yeah, it were me." Hagrid nodded, surprised at her interest and certainly proud of himself. "The last lot were on their last legs, bless 'em, took a miracle to get 'em to know their route." 

Professor Umbridge scowled, and then turned to Neville.

"You can see the thestrals, Longbottom, can you?" She asked, with hardly any tact at all. Neville nodded, nervous. "Whom did you see die?" she asked, her tone indifferent. 

"My... my grandad," He replied awkwardly.

"And what do you think of them?" she said, waving her stubby hand in the direction of the carcass rather than the actual horse, who by now had stripped a great deal of the carcass down to bone.

"Erm," Neville began, with a glance at Hagrid. "Well, they're... er... okay... "

"'Students... are... too... intimidated... to... admit... they... are... frightened... '" Umbridge muttered, making another note on her clipboard.

"No!" Neville cried out, looking upset, "no, I'm not scared of them!"

"It's quite all right," Umbridge replied briskly, patting Neville on the shoulder with what she evidently intended to be an understanding smile, though it looked more like a leer to the rest of the students. "And Miss Rosier, from your tone I assume you too are able to see these creatures?"

"Yes." Aviana replied.

"And whom did you see die?" Umbridge asked, with the air of someone who didn't believe her in the slightest; that she was somehow making it all up." 

"Quite a few people." Aviana's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "And it wasn't the muggles you convicted my father of killing."

"'Unnecessary... aggression.'" Umbridge noted down. "Would you expand, please, Miss Rosier?"

"No." Aviana said shortly.

"'Refusal... to answer... High Inquisitor's... question... '"

"Fine." Aviana drew herself up. "Three of my grandparents. Libatius Borage the third, Emelia Rosen, Fortunata Quigg, my uncle, Evan Rosier, Charles Yaxley and... Rosamund Nott. A house-elf, two patient at St. Mungo's by accident and the kneazle my mother kept for three years." She hardly even blinked, the list far too extensive for Harry to even comprehend. "Of course, some of those I was just a baby and don't remember... but I believe they still count, no?"

Umbridge did not say another word for several minutes, before looking up from her clipboard. "Evan Rosier and Charles Yaxley?" She repeated. Aviana nodded, slowly. "They died in a battle against the brave Aurors of the Ministry."

"A battle that broke out on the grounds of my father's property. Evan and Charles were friends, and if you could not figure it out... all the pink clouding your brain, or something, Evan Rosier was my father's brother."

"Another detention, Miss Rosier."

"You already know the drill, Professor." Aviana turned her back on her, gaze resting on the Thestrals. "I will not be attending."

Umbridge cleared her throat, turning to Hagrid. "Well, Hagrid," she began, "I think I've got enough to be getting along with... You will receive" - she mimed taking something from the air in front of her - "the results of your inspection" - she pointed at the clipboard - "in ten days' time." She held up ten stubby little fingers, then, her smile wider and more toad-like than ever before as she turned her back on them and left.

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