Elara Malfoy

03

"She did WHAT to Harry?!"

A few days later I was sitting in the common room with Lee going over our Charms essays when I overheard Hermione, Ron and Ginny talking about Harry's detentions.

Ron was red in the face and looked ready to march into Umbridge's office himself, "The old toad is using some kind of enchanted quill that uses your own blood to carve the lines into your hand! It's torture!"

Ginny piped up next, "Harry won't let us go to McGonagall about it, Dumbledore either."

"Why?", I demanded.

Hermione looked at Ron before sighing and answering me, "He's been...off lately. Angry. He won't listen to us and thinks that Dumbledore has more important things to worry about."

"That's ridiculous! Where is he now?"

"He should be finishing up detention with the toad now.", Ron said.

"Lee are you good? I promise we can go over it again later."

Lee shook his head at me and gathered up both of our things, "You go. I'll see you back here later."

Headed towards the door I yelled over my shoulder, "Thank you!"

By the time I made it to Umbridge's office I was out of breath from running up all those godforsaken stairs. Harry was just opening the door to leave when I raised my hand to knock. He looked shocked to see me standing there, but when my eyes travelled to the back of his bloody hand, understanding passed his green eyes.

My eyes softened at the younger boy. I had met Harry his first year at Hogwarts, Draco had been being an incessant prat to the shaggy haired boy. I happened to be walking past when Draco made some particularly nasty comments about Harry's parents and decided to step in. From then on I had taken Harry under my wing. He had confided in me about the ways his aunt and uncle treated him at home, something we can both relate to is relatives who don't take care of the children in their care.

Seeing him now before me, blood dripping on his shoe, I could see how alone he was feeling right now. Last year had proven how quickly people were willing to turn on Harry and it appeared this year wasn't turning out much different. I had heard about his argument with Seamus in the common room the first night back. And right now all I wanted to do was take the sweet kid into my arms and let him know he isn't alone. But first, I had a toad to exterminate.

Brushing his hair back from his scar I let my hand fall to his shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze before muttering, "Wait here."

Stepping into Umbridge's office I wanted to puke. Not from fear but from disgust. She had painted the brick a muted shade of pink and covering nearly every bit of the walls were portraits of cats. All shapes, sizes, and colors and all making some sort of ruckus. Umbridge looked up from where she was straightening some featherless quills and smiled her fake smile at me.

"Miss Malfoy, what can I do for you this evening?"

"What is wrong with you?"

Umbridge had the audacity to look shocked, "I beg your pardon?"

"What you are doing to students as 'punishment' is not okay!"

Her phony smile dropped and I saw her hand tighten around one of the quills. Looking closer there was some sort of liquid flowing through it, the red substance moving sluggishly. I realized with horror that it was blood inside those quills.

"Miss Malfoy", she reclaimed my attention, "how I choose to discipline my students is none of your business."

"It is when what you're doing is inhumane and hurting the people I care about!"