The Princess of Light

Chapter 5.15 (Harry VS Caspian)

Aurora spent every waking moment trying to finish her homework and helping Elizabeth with the Vanishing Spells. She had never worked so hard in her entire life and she wondered whether she should be proud or very exhausted.

The animosity between Harry and Caspian became clearer everyday and by the end of the first week it had become the talk of the school.

Wild theories spread. People grew quiet whenever the two boys were in the same room, hoping to catch some parts of the conversation.

But it mainly consisted out of Harry glaring at Caspian. Caspian responding with some witty remark and Harry losing his temper to the other boy's great amusement.

At one point Elizabeth actually cursed each of their lips together to keep them from saying anymore: 'monkey dung' as Elizabeth so delicately put it.

Secretely, however, Aurora knew full well Elizabeth was Team Caspian on this one. She didn't say it out loud but Aurora could tell from her facial expressions that Elizabeth was growing very aggrevated with her second-cousin and thought Caspian was being very chivalrous by sticking up for everyone Harry snapped at.

That Caspian did so without being asked was in Elizabeth's mind beside the point.

The detention that night passed the same way as the previous two, except that after two hours the words I must show respect did not fade from the back of Aurora's hand, but remained scratched there, oozing droplets of blood. Harry seemed to be having the same problem. The pause in the pointed quills' scratching made professor Umbridge look up.

"Ah," she said softly, moving around her desk to examine their hands. "Good. That ought to serve as a reminder to you, oughtn't it? You may leave for tonight."

"Do we still have to come back tomorrow?" Said Harry, picking up his schoolbag with his left hand rather than his smarting right one.

"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, smiling as widely as before. "Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another evening's work."

As soon as they turned a corner, Harry yelled, "That- that- insufferable old toad!" He shouted, blasting a candle from its spot against the wall. "Who does she think she is?"

"Harry, I understand you're angry but it's just Quidditch try-outs. It's not even a game. Just let it go." Sighed Aurora, cradling her bleeding hand with her other.

"How can you say something like that?" Said Harry, rounding on her. "You know how much Quidditch means to me." He was raising his voice again and Aurora was not in the mood to take the blame again.

"Look, Harry, why don't you stay here, yelling at ghosts. I'm going to bed. I have other things on my mind than whether you are at Quidditch try-outs tomorrow or not. Goodnight." And she stormed away.

She was getting so sick of this.

~~~~
The next detention, Aurora and Harry switched seats. That way Harry had a better view of the Quidditch pitch. It was the only thing Aurora was prepared to do to help Harry. She was getting steadily more annoyed with his behaviour.

Hermione had told Aurora that Ron was going to try out for Keeper. He had been practising all week.

As the sky was darkening, drops of blood from the back of Aurora's hand were now shining on the parchment.

"Let's see if you've got the message yet, shall we?" Said Umbridge's soft voice half an hour after dark.

She moved towards Harry first, stretching out her short ringed fingers for his arm. And when she took hold of him, Harry let out a gasp and wrenched his arm out of her grip leaping to his feet. He was staring at her.