when i met you

113

Alexis watched from the secure arms of her boyfriend as Umbridge attempted to throw Professor Trelawney from the castle, firing her. Trelawney was not taking this well, in fact, she was almost in hysterics about it.

"No!" she shrieked. "NO! This cannot be happening... it cannot... I refuse to accept it!"

"You didn't realise this was coming?" said a high girlish voice, sounding callously amused. "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrows weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable that you would be sacked?"

"You c-can't!" howled Professor Trelawney, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses, "you c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!"

"It was your home," said Professor Umbridge. She said something else and then added, "You are embarrassing us."

Making her own attempt, Lexi made a move to walk into the pavilion but Cedric held her back. The Gryffindor's eyes glittered with unshed tears—sure, she's never really liked Trelawney, but this was just crude.

"This is so unfair," she whispered, watching the scene in front of her.

"I know, but there's nothing you can do," replied Cedric against her left temple.

"I'll be damned if I can't do something!"

Then suddenly she was breaking free of Cedric's grip and marching out into the courtyard, taking up stance fiercely between Umbridge and Trelawney. People in the assembled crowd gasped and started whispering to each other, but Lexi simply glared harshly at Umbridge and reached a hand behind her back to grasp Trelawney's hand.

"Oh, dear girl," sobbed the Divination professor, clutching her hand.

"Miss Potter!" Umbridge announced shrilly like no one could see it was her. "What are you doing?" She was quite tense as she spoke.

Lexi continued to glare rather rudely, "Standing up to something wrong!"

"Miss Trelawney has been dismissed, there is nothing wrong about it."

"Yes, there is! Just because you're too power-hungry to see it doesn't mean it's not there!" snapped the brave Gryffindor, true to her name and her family. People around them 'ooh-ed'.

"Miss Potter, I must insist you stand down, or I might just have to send you with her," threatened the pink toad.

"Go ahead and try! See where that gets you."

A cheer came from the people gathered, Lexi didn't recognise their voice, but it sparked a few more people to cheer along. Umbridge's eyes darted around angrily, she was losing her footing.

"Professor Trelawney doesn't deserve to be kicked out simply because you hold a grudge! She is a fine teacher and we all very much appreciate what she has contributed to Hogwarts!" Lexi motioned to the surrounding students who—despite a lot of them very much disliking Trelawney—all shouted out their agreement in support. It turned out that Lexi was quite a revolutionary figure to follow. Trelawney let out another sob and squeezed the girl's hand.

"If you want to kick her out, you go through me."

This here struck up a staring—more like glaring—match between Umbridge and Alexis. During this match, a few students tentatively walked out into the courtyard, gaining more courage with each step they took. Umbridge's eyes snapped onto them.

The first to join Lexi between Trelawney and Umbridge was—quite unexpectedly—Slytherin seventh-year, Adrian Pucey. After him was Elora Dunn, Ravenclaw seventh-year, then Lexi's friends and Cedric. Soon enough, all the seventh-years were gathered around Professor Trelawney, supporting Alexis in her stance. Trelawney sobbed louder.

Standing now with Cedric on her right and Adrian Pucey on her left, Lexi held her head right with a threatening glint in her eye, "I think you'll find, Professor Umbridge, that it'll be harder to kick Professor Trelawney out than you expected."

An accomplished and prideful smile slipped onto her face, oh, yes, they definitely won this one.

"ALL OF YOU —" fumed Umbridge — "HAVE DETENTION —"

As Umbridge—steaming at the ears—shouted at them, she was interrupted by Professor McGonagall marching right over to them to stand between her seventh-years and Umbridge.

"You will not shout at my students," she said sternly, a bit tiffed herself. McGonagall turned to look behind a grinning Alexis and assured Trelawney that she wouldn't be leaving Hogwarts.

"Oh really, Professor McGonagall?" said Umbridge in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward. "And your authority for that statement is...?"

"That would be mine," said a deep voice.

The oaken front doors had swung open. Students beside them scuttled out of the way as Dumbledore appeared in the entrance. Everyone stared as he strode to stand with McGonagall and the students.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" said Umbridge, with a singularly unpleasant little laugh. She went onto explain how she essentially had more authority than Dumbledore did, continuing to repeat how she dismissed Trelawney.

"You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge. As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid," he went on, with a courteous little bow, "that the power to do that still resides with the Headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts."

At this, Professor Trelawney gave a wild little laugh in which a hiccough was barely hidden.

"Oh, thank you, headmaster!" she sobbed again, overcome with emotion.

Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall and the students behind her.

"Might I ask you to escort Sybill back upstairs, Professor McGonagall? And take your seventh-years with you, please. Fifty points to all four houses for unity!"

A loud cheer rung through the courtyard from the seventh-years and other students. Umbridge looked appalled.

"Of course," said McGonagall with the hint of a smile. "Up you get, Sybill..."

Lexi helped McGonagall bring the now former divination teacher to her feet and then Adrian offered himself to take McGonagall's place, him and Lexi helping Trelawney walk steadily. Cedric and a couple other seventh-years grabbed her luggage and together, McGonagall and her seventh-years escorted Trelawney back inside the castle.

When the great oak doors closed behind them again, McGonagall let a proud smile crack through her mask.

Yes, they quite were her seventh-years, weren't they?

I love this chapter so much. Adrian, my love <3 This lyric is from The Sorting Hat song by RiddleTM which if you haven't had it memorised for 8 years now is just a disgrace: "when things look bad and there's no where to run, unite all the houses and we'll fight as one" I adore the dynamic between the seniors and that no matter their house they were first all friends before they were sorted and it shows us that no matter how long it's been or how things have changed, some people will always pull through for what's right.

GO HEAD GIRL ALEXIS WOOO!!!!! SHOW THEM B*TCHES!!!

Don't forget to vote and comment <3