Sirius Black's Daughter

Chapter Twelve: Dentention with Delores

Posted: 6, November, 2022
Edited:

Natalia's POV

Dinner in the Great Hall that night was not a pleasant experience for any of them, especially for Harry. The news about his shouting match with Umbridge had travelled exceptionally fast even by Hogwarts' standards. Natalia heard whispers all around him as she sat eating next to him with Hermione and Ron sitting in front. The funny thing was that none of the whisperers seemed to mind her overhearing what they were saying about Harry. They knew how close Natalia was to Harry and didn't seem to mind when she sent them a glare or made it known she overheard. Natalia thought it was as though they were hoping Harry would get angry and start shouting again, so that they could hear his story first-hand.

"He says he saw Cedric Diggory murdered ..."

"He reckons he duelled with You-Know-Who ..."

"Come off it ..."

"Who does he think he's kidding?"

"Pur-lease ..."

"What I don't get," said Harry through clenched teeth, laying down his knife and fork (his hands were shaking too much to hold them steady), "is why they all believed the story two months ago when Dumbledore told them ..."
 
Natalia frowned, and reached out and squeezed Harry's shaking hand.

"The thing is, Harry, I'm not sure they did," said Hermione grimly. "Oh, let's get out of here."

She slammed down her own knife and fork; Ron looked longingly at his half-finished apple pie but followed suit. People stared at them all the way out of the Hall and Natalia glared at anyone who she made eye contact with.

"What d'you mean, you're not sure they believed Dumbledore?" Harry asked Hermione when they reached the first-floor landing.

"Look, you don't understand what it was like after it happened," said Hermione quietly.

"She's right," Natalia said gently. "You arrived back in the middle of the lawn clutching Cedric's dead body ... none of us saw what what happened in the maze ... we just had Dumbledore's word for it that You-Know-Who had come back and killed Cedric and fought you."

"Which is the truth!" said Harry loudly.

"I know it is, Harry, so will you please stop biting our heads off?" said Hermione wearily. "It's just that before the truth could sink in, everyone went home for the summer, where they spent two months reading about how you're a nutcase and Dumbledore's going senile!"

Rain pounded on the windowpanes as they strode along the empty corridors back to Gryffindor Tower. Natalia felt as though her first day had lasted a week, but she still had a mountain of homework to do before bed. She glanced out of a rain-washed window at the dark grounds as they turned into the Fat Lady's corridor. There was still no light in Hagrid's cabin.
Sure, she missed Hagrid. But part of her was glad he was away from Hogwarts, for whatever reason he had too. Professor Umbridge was something she wanted Hagrid to stay away from.

"Does anyone remember the password?" Natalia asked as they stopped in front of the Fat Lady.

"Did you already forget?" Harry asked with his eyebrows raised.

"If you know it, go ahead," Natalia gestured him to move in front of her.

Harry just laughed smugly and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, quit it!" Hermione whined. "Mimbulus mimbletonia," said Hermione, before the Fat Lady could ask. The portrait swung open to reveal the hole behind it and the three of them scrambled through it.

Natalia bumped Harry out of the way to get into the common room first and laughed when he stumbled. The common room was almost empty; nearly everyone was still down at dinner. Natalia looked at Harry and Harry looked at her before they both started to run to one chair in particular. They leapt onto it at the same time, both trying to shove the other off.