Dedicated to W3asleySweaters for the beautiful cover on the side! It's amazing ;3 Really, I love it!

Song For This Chapter: Running For Cover - Ivan & Aloysha

Ch. 16: Headmaster Umbitch 

    "Get your filthy hands off me, Malfoy!" I hissed as Draco yanked me up by my collar, tearing me away from Fred as a few Slytherins working for Umbridge grabbed him. Slowly, everyone was being hauled towards Umbridge's classroom; however, the toad grabbed Harry by his ear and dragged him out, probably to Dumbledore's office.

    "FILCH!" She screeched, hurting my ears as Malfoy shoved me forward, "Send an owl to the Ministry. I am sure Cornelius would like to be alerted about this."

    A tall, red haired man, who looked quite like Ron, stepped into the Room of Requirement, grabbing Harry by his shirt coat and giving Umbridge a firm nod as she addressed him, "Ah, Percy Weasley - good timing, please escort Potter up to Dumbledore's office, immediately."

    Umbitch turned on her heel, taking in my sharp glare with a deadly look. "As for the rest of you - take them back to their dormitories. Now."

    "Percy! You prick!" Fred and George glared at who I was assuming was their older brother, I had never met him before that I could recall. Percy brushed them off, following Umbridge like a lap-dog.

    As soon as Umbridge was gone, I turned on my heel and elbowed Draco in the stomach, causing him to release my collar. "Get off! I can take myself," I hissed, eye twitching as I took in the smug look plastered on his face.

    "Come along then, rule breakers." An older Slytherin sneered, shoving Ron forward. "Let's get you to bed. I'm happy I'm not you," She snickered.

    The night passed without sleep. Everyone was worried about Harry and Dumbledore. What was going to happen? How would the Minister react? This was all our fault, really. The Weasley's were all crowded around a letter, sent by Mr. Weasley. He had written almost as soon as he had heard the news.

    "What does it say, Ronald?" Hermione chewed her thumb nail, pacing in front of the fireplace while they read over the parchment for, what seemed to us, the third time. 

    Ron heaved a sigh, running a firm hand over his tired face. "It says that Dumbledore is missing, -"

    "-Missing?!" Hermione turned on her heel so fast that her frizzy hair was almost like a cloud of static electricity around her head. "Let me see that!" Quickly, 'Mione snatched the letter from Ron's fingers and scanned the words, eyes widening the further she read.

    "Headmaster Dumbledore has gone on the run, ... Dolores Umbridge declared new headmaster of Hogwarts?!" She nearly crumpled up the paper before deciding to hand it back to Ginny. "This is preposterous! They can't do that! She's vile," My sister began to rant, pacing faster and faster the more angry she became.

    Frowning, Fred and I spared each other the same glance of angst. She would torture us all, and, she would get away with it. 

    "I... I can't believe this is actually happening," I shook my head, hair splaying out of the French braid Hermione had given me this morning. "How could Dumbledore abandon us like this?"

    Hermione furrowed her brow, not liking the fact that I could accuse him of abandonment. "Surely he must know how horrid she is?"

     "Maybe he doesn't care," I suggested, shrugging my shoulders, but at those words everyone threw me looks of disbelief and confusion. "What?"

    Ron frowned a little, shaking his head at me. "Well, if any one cares about Hogwarts - Dumbledore does. I mean, he's been the bloody Headmaster for, what, a hundred years now?" He cast a glance towards Hermione who was giggling a little, but nodding all the same.

    "Something like that, Ron."

    The hours passed slowly, but no one could really bring themselves to sleep - even when McGonagall noticed the light of the Common Room on and came to to scold us. When she'd realized that we had heard the news of Dumbledore, McGonagall sighed, sent us all a sharp eye (which was still chilling despite the funny bonnet over her hair), and transfigured us all a cup of hot chocolate, muttering that we should get sleep soon.

    Walking towards the Great Hall for breakfast, the sound of Filch hammering a new rule to the overflowing wall echoed about, causing the students to gather and gawk. Half of the crowd was nervously watching his ladder teeter about, not wanting to see him tumble, and the other half were begging for him to.

    You could say that the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were the nice half, and the Gryffindors and Slytherins were the other extreme. We all spared each other a glimmer of dying spirit as Filch safely made it to the stone floor, peering darkly at Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I. "All students caught last night must report for detention later this evening," he grinned a decaying smile, "I really hope she'll let me watch."

    I made a disgusted noise in the back of my throat and pushed past him, stalking into breakfast. I had a feeling that this day was going to go by rather quickly - time always seemed to fly when you really didn't want something to happen. 

    Ginny scooted down a little, allowing me a place to sit beside her. "She's going crazy," Ginny spat, clutching a golden fork tightly in her fist. "She's having Filch dump all the portraits! Who does that?" I hadn't an answer for her, but it did seem rather suspicious. 

    The school was officially on 'lock-down'. Not that it made too much of a difference with all the changes Umbridge had made before. She had already taken away Quidditch, so it was not as if any one really needed to get outside. But, it still was slightly terrifying. If the Ministry could do this to a school, what else could they do? When did the dictatorship stop?

    Harry always said the first night of detention was the worst, but I think that's a lie. It was really the second, third, and fourth nights that killed me. Sure, the feeling of words being etched into the back of my hand stung like the bitch Umbridge was, but it was the next couple of nights after that, the nights were I was bruised and aching, that hurt the most. 

    The second night, tears pricked the corners of my eyes, and, my nose began to water. Beside me, Fred glanced towards my pain and his face crumpled a little, reaching out and taking my unoccupied hand into  his, almost soothing the pain. 

    Seeing this act of affection, Umbridge rolled out of Dumbledore's chair, the one she was lounging in like the Queen of the world, and stalked down the isle after us, wand extended. "Boys and girls are not permitted to be within eight inches of each other," her beady little eyes flickered between us as she parted our hands with magic, "Mr. Weasley, switch seats with Miss Hall." 

    After that, Fred wasn't allowed to be anywhere near my seat. Hermione lowered her eyes, muttering curses and inquiries  about how the toad had received so many blood-quills. 

    When the third night ended, Marietta was waiting outside the door, her eyes were blood shot and she still had the remnant scars of blisters etched on her face: SNEAK. Ron spared Hermione a small look, but she coldly brushed the girl off.

    In fact, the only one who would even glance towards the traitor was Cho, at least she was a good friend. But, I could tell that this was putting a huge hole in Harry and Cho's relationship, if there even was one any more. Harry quickly brushed past Cho as she told him to wait, making me hold back an obnoxious 'ouch'. 

    Walking beside Fred, I glanced up at his cold face. I could tell he was calculating something. He was debating something very carefully, I could see it etched deep into the frown lines on his forehead. "Hey, you okay?" I prodded, smiling softly at him.

    "Yeah." He shrugged me off, making me drop my hand that I had out stretched to lay comfortingly on his shoulder. Something was off. But, I couldn't really place my finger on it. I knew we hadn't had much opportunity to do 'couple' things, but, I hoped that was not the issue. 

    I stopped in my tracks, watching the people move around me, some pushing me out of their way. Frowning, I saw Fred, George, and Lee part away from the main group, walking towards the Common Room. In the corner of my eye, I saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron heading out towards the bridge in the direction of Hagrid's hut. I was conflicted on who to follow. 

    But, luckily, I didn't really have a choice in the matter. 

    "Elle," A low voice called from beside me, shocking me with how calm and controlled it was. Standing next to me, Blake was balancing her Potions book under her arm, not wanting to hold it in her sore hands. Blake, even though she is a Slytherin, was caught and tossed into detention with the rest of us. I guess loyalty is not a strong suit of Slytherins. 

    "Blake?" I rose a brow, concerned by how normal she was being. "What's the matter?" I prodded.

    She sighed, tucking a black lock of curly hair behind her ear. "Nothing, nothing. But, how are you?" 

    "I'm decent," I admitted, shrugging my shoulders with a small huff. "But, I feel.... off, you know?" Blake's sea blue eyes flickered dangerously low, like the time she snapped at Draco for calling me a 'dirty blood' in front of her. 

    "Yeah, I think we all are." She admitted, shaking her head. "We are graduating this year - all the seventh years. It's crazy right now." Her eyes lowered towards me, tired. "I mean, we only have a few more months."

    "Yeah," I sighed, realizing that it was already March once more. Time goes by fast when you're in hell. Wait... Shaking my head, I turned back towards Blake, walking next to her, "I think something is wrong with Fred."

    "He is possessed by the spirit of Moaning Myrtle?" 

    I scrunched up my nose at this, chuckling a little. "No, what?" I knew she hadn't lost all of her crazy yet. "But, I don't know, maybe I just feel like we haven't been doing 'romantic' things like couples should do. Am I wrong?" 

    Blake giggled at this, shaking her head. "Honestly - it's Fred. I haven't the slightest idea what to say about him. I am crazy in love with his idiot twin and I hardly know what he is feeling half the time." Her smile slowly slipped off her face as a thought dawned on it.

    "What?" 

    Blake shook her head, but paused, not wanting to leave me hanging. "Well, you know how people get at the end of the year. He's leaving the school to pursue a career in jokes and you will be in Hogwarts for two years yet..." 

    Furrowing my brow, I stopped in my tracks, sizing Blake's assessment up. "So, you are saying that Fred is thinking about... maybe breaking it off with me?"

    "No!" She blurted, waving her hands around ecstatically. "Not at all, but - I'm just saying that he could be thinking it. He'll be busy starting the business this summer, and you will hardly be able to visit each other during the school year," She lowered her eyes, feeling like a ditz, "I'm saying he could be thinking that - not that he is."

    Swallowing a rising lump in my throat, I forced out a chuckle and shook my head, "I don't want to talk about this right now - how about we change the subject?"

    "Good idea!" She jumped slightly, tapping a finger on her chin. "But, what to say?"

    "Well," I bit my lip, thinking of anything to distract me from the thought of Fred breaking up with me; but, it was a rather hard subject to drop. Blake could be right. And, what if Fred really did want to break up? Were we in a time limited period? At the end of the year, were we done? "What are you doing with your life?" 

    She cast me a curious eye, but went with it. "I want to work at Saint Mungo's. Be a Healer." 

    The way she sounded so completely sure of herself made me pause. To say I was taken by surprise would be an understatement. "Really?" I rose a brow, smiling slightly. 

    "Yes!" She lifted her hands in the air above her head. "I shall heal all the sicklees." 

    "I don't think that is a word..." 

~~

I know it is short, I'm sorry! The next couple of chapters will be fillers (since I'm lazy and basing the majority of this off the movies) - but, you are in for a surprise. Trust me.... xxJess

PS: THIS WAS POSTED ON THE 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF ELLE'S STORY! WOAH! TWO YEARS!