CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
xxiii: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF DUMBLEDORE AND FIREWORKS
BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.
Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic
THE NOTICE HAD BEEN PUT UP ALL AROUND the school overnight. As the students woke up, they were shocked to see the sudden change in the school. There were many rumours about Dumbledore travelling around the school, some weird details being added in the original story of what had happened. Everybody knew that Marietta and Harry were the only witnesses who seen the scene in Dumbledore's office, and since Marietta was now in the Hospital Wing being treated for her pimples, Harry was the one being bombarded with questions.
'Dumbledore will be back before long,' Ernie Macmillan said confidently on the way back from Herbology, after listening to Harry's story. 'They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this tine. The Fat Friar told me──' he dropped his voice, so that Harry, Ron, Hermione and Julianna had to lean in closer to him to hear '──that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her.' Ernie smirked. 'Apparently, she had a right little tantrum.'
'Served her right,' Julianna said, smiling in triumph, 'trying to replace Dumbledore. No one could possibly do that while he's still alive.'
'I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office,' Hermione said viciously as they walked up the stone steps into the Entrance Hall. 'Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old──'
'Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?' Draco Malfoy said, sliding out from behind the door with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. His pale and pointed face filled with malice.
'Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff,' he drawled.
'You can't take points from fellow, prefects, Malfoy,' Ernie said at once, forehead creased.
'I know prefects can't dock points from each other,' Malfoy sneered while Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. 'But members of the Inquisitorial Squad──'
'The what?' Hermione said sharply.
'The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger,' Malfoy said, pointing towards a shining sliver 'I' on his robes that was just beneath his prefect's badge. 'A selected group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, handpicked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points...so, Macmillan, five for contradicting me. Five because I don't like you, Potter. Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new Headmistress, and another ten for being a Mudblood and──'
Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione pushed it away immediately, whispering to him 'Don't!'.
'Wands away, Weasley, I'm not done,' Malfoy snarled, face contorted with disgust. 'And, Skyes, five from you for disrespecting our Headmistress and for thinking Dumbledore's back,'
Julianna advanced forwards onto him aggressively, face filled with pure anger, hands in her robes to get out her wand, 'You──you can't do that!' Julianna almost fisted him in the face, but was pulled away by Hermione.
'Wise move, there, Granger,' Malfoy sneered, then turned to look at Julianna. 'Didn't your parents teach you manners? Oh, I forgot! Your parents are gone!' He laughed heartily.
'You──imbecile!' Julianna had never felt more disgusted and she was raging with anger. She struggled to get of Hermione's grip, but Hermione was restraining her tightly. She didn't expect someone to bring this up at Hogwarts, this was old news that happened years and years before. Many wizarding families knew that they were her parents were missing, it was even reported the night they disappeared, leaving absolutely nothing behind except for their newborn baby. Until this day, it was a mystery whether they were dead or alive, but everybody had forgotten about it.
'Keep your tongue, Skyes,' Malfoy said, taking a few steps away, looking slightly alarmed. 'Be careful...you wouldnt know what will happen...new head...new times...' He turned around and strode away with Crabbe and Goyle.
'Let go!' Julianna huffed, tearing herself away from Hermione's gripped. Although Malfoy had thrown many insults at her before, this one was the one that truly affected her. The fact that what he said was true killed her most. She never got the chance to meet her parents, learn anything about them or see their photos, nothing. Her grandfather always brushed her off away whenever she brought up the subject.
The only thing she knew about them was that they were missing, gone from her live. But, the worst thing was that she was never told about them being missing, she found it out herself. Her grandfather just told her that they were working. Of course, as a naive child, she believed it. As she grew older, the excuse kept being repeated again and again, becoming a matter of repetition, Julianna became doubtful. One day when her godfather, Remus, came to visit France during her twelfth birthday, she overheard their conversation, about her parents being missing and her grandfather feeling guilty about lying. After that, she pretended she didn't know that they were gone, accepting the lies she was told about her parents "working".
All she wants to know is the real truth. Why were they missing? How were their personalities like? What really happened that night? Why were her godfathers and grandfather not telling her anything? Was she not good enough till the point where her parents decided to dump her? Julianna is tired, tired from being shunned away. She has been patient, patient for too long, patient for fifteen years. But what reward has she gotten for waiting and having patience? Nothing. Julianna knew that both her godfathers and grandfather knew the real reason behind their disappearance, she can even bet that the Order knew too.
Years and years, Julianna became more insecure about herself, wondering whether she was even a perfect daughter. She tends to cling to her friends, afraid that even they would abandon her.
Not only that, but she expected that Draco was different, that after her weird encounter with him during her fourth year, she knew that maybe he had a reason to why he did all those stupid things. But when he said those words to her just now, she lost the hope for him, thinking that he might change. He was just another insensitive boy.
Julianna started walking away, she just wanted space, where she could think and drift off into her thoughts. The others were hesitating whether or not to chase after her, but decided not to, respecting her time for her own space.
She gloomily ascended the deserted staircase, all the students were now already in the Great Hall, enjoying their food, but Julianna wasn't in the mood to feast.
'Julianna,' A vague and dreamy voice called out from behind her, making her alert and clear. Julianna spun her head around, watching as the Ravenclaw girl approached her.
'Luna?' Julianna said, now standing eye to eye with Luna Lovegood.
'I saw you just now,' She said, smiling serenely. 'You seemed troubled.'
'Oh,' Julianna said, thinking hard about what she should say. 'Erm──yeah, "troubled" seems to be the right word.'
'What happened?' Luna asked, her head tilted to one side, looking curious. 'Draco Malfoy?'
'Bingo,' Julianna said, smiling to hide away the pain of his name. Just thinking about his face or his name makes her want to strangle him ruthlessly.
'Well, Julianna, you shouldn't worry about someone like him,' Luna said softly and shrugged. 'He acts insensitively because he's insecure.'
'Insecure?' Julianna wondered aloud, but Luna was gazing distractedly at the dozing portrait behind Julianna.
'I have to go,' Luna said, ignoring Julianna's question, 'I need to find the Nargles.'
'Nargles?' Julianna wondered aloud again, completely bewildered by Luna but she seem to have ignore Julianna again and was already walking up the stairs. Julianna quickly called out after Luna as she watched her go, 'Bye!'
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'FIGURED YOU WERE AT THE COMMON Room,' Ron said, rushing over to a corner of the Common Room where Julianna was huddled up, looking like an overprotective brother. 'You really shouldn't think about what Malfoy had said.'
'Yeah,' Hermione said, appearing behind Ron, but Julianna noticed that Harry was not with them. 'He just likes pissing off people. Here, we brought you your favourite chocolate cake.'
Julianna smiled as Hermione handed her a plate of the chocolate cake, savouring it slowly. It felt awkward to her that her friends had to hear what Malfoy said. She never really opened up about her parents to them, but they do know that her parents were not in her current life, and did not bother her about it. Julianna was very thankful for them. At Beauxbatons, students were weirdly shocked about it, questioning her about it and she gets really uncomfortable.
'Umbridge requested for Harry,' Hermione said lowly, suddenly looking anxious. Julianna snapped out of her train of thoughts and looked up at Hermione.
'What?' Julianna exclaimed a little too loudly, some first year students glancing at them. 'Sorry──what? Did he offend her again?'
Hermione shrugged, 'We don't know either, Filch came up to him all so sudden, didn't really explain why he was taking him. Lets just hope it's not another detention.'
Ron noticed the glum look on Julianna amd Hermione's face. He looked from one to another, then said, 'On the bright side, Julia, I know you'll love this,'
Julianna peered up at Ron, looking curious to what Ron was about to say. He cleared his throat dramatically and said, 'Fred amd George are planning something to cause a ruckus for Umbridge.'
'That's amazing!' Julianna said loudly, and a few students glanced at them again.
'No, Julia,' Hermione said sternly, 'it's not amazing. Fred and George will get expelled for this if Umbridge knows!'
'You heard them,' Ron suddenly interjected, 'they seem like they wouldn't mind being out of the school.'
Ron and Hermione were bickering once again over a stupid topic. Ron was defending Fred and George while Hermione kept telling him how wrong it was. All Julianna could think about was that they fought like an old married couple.
BOOM!
The floor of the Common Room shook, the Gryffindor students look shocked and terrified, some even exiting to see what was happening.
'Is it happening now?' Julianna said like an excited child that was getting a new toy. 'Come on, lets go!' She dragged Ron and Hermione through the portrait hole. Ron, too, looked enthusiastic, while Hermione looked worried and anxious, but whatever makes Julianna happy, she was willing to do it.
They arrived at the Entrance Hall, students were watching the scene, while some were escaping from the Great Hall. Somebody (most likely Fred and George) had set off enchanted fireworks. It was all a very messy situation with many different things happening at the same time.
There were dragons emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs, Catherine wheels whizzing crazily in the air, rockets were ricocheting off the walls, sparklers were writing swear words in midair, firecrackers exploding everywhere. And the best of all, Umbridge was having a big crisis in the middle of it all.
The fireworks continued to burn and spread all over the school that afternoon. Although it caused many disruptions and disasters, the teachers didn't really mind it at all, they were simply nonchalant about it.
'Dear, dear,' Professor Mcgonagall said, as one of the dragons soared into her Transfiguration classroom during their class. 'Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the Headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?'
Umbridge spent her first afternoon as Headmistress running all over the school answering summonses of teachers, none of whom seemed to know how to get rid of the fireworks without her.
Fred and George were practically heroes in the Gryffindor Common Room, even Hermione was impressed and congratulated them.
'They were wonderful fireworks,' she said admiringly.
'Very amazing,' Julianna added, her mood flaring.
'Thanks,' George said, surprised about Hermione's sudden admiration, and he looked pleased. 'Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs. Only thing is, we used our whole stock; we're going to have to start again from scratch now.'
'It was worth it, though,' Fred said as he took orders from clamouring Gryffindors. 'If you want to add your name to the waiting list, it's five Galleons for your Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe...'
Hermione was uninterested and left, dragging Julianna with her back to the table where Harry and Ron were.
'Oh why don't we have a night off?' Hermione said brightly, as a silver rocket zoomed past the window. 'After all, the Easter holidays start on Friday, we'll have plenty of time then.'
'Are you feeling all right?' Ron asked disbelievingly, unable to digest the words of what Hermione had just said.
'Now you mention it,' Hermione said happily, 'd' you know...I think I'm feeling a bit...rebellious.'
'Is this really Hermione Granger?' Julianna said dramatically, 'because the last time I know, Hermione doesn't like being "rebellious".'
'Oh come off it,' Hermione nudged Julianna. Ron sniggered and Harry smiled lovingly.
AUTHOR SPEAKS!
OK, so y'all got an insight on Julianna's parents.
Hope you liked this chapter, though it wasn't much.
I am absolutely awestruck, WE'VE HIT 32K!!
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!
i hope you really enjoyed the story, i'm always filled with uncertainties whether y'all are enjoying it.
Anyways, thank you!
Lots of love<3