Bonded

Seventeen

"Wands away!" was the very first thing that Professor Umbridge said to her Seventh year N.E.W.T class in their very first lesson of the year. 

Calliope was sat at the very back on the classroom with Fred to one side of her, George to the other and Lee Jordan sat beside George. She had her copy of 'Advanced Defensive Magical Theory' by Wilbert Slinkheart, which was the N.E.W.T set textbook that year for Defence Against the Dark Arts, placed upon her desk in front of her, and she held her wand in her hand, ready to place it beside the textbook.

When they were told to put their wands away, the twins immediately exchanged a look over Calliope's head, "no way are we doing Defense Against the Dark Arts without wands," muttered George.

"As I said to Fred," Calliope replied, "Fudge doesn't trust Dumbledore, I bet he doesn't want us learning anything that he thinks we might use against the ministry."

"Students will raise their hands if they wish to speak in my classroom!" Umbridge had a false pleasant looking smile on her face, but her gaze was steely as she stared at Calliope, "do you have something to say, Miss...?"

"Doge," Calliope replied, feeling her cheeks flush as most of the class was now staring at her."

"Well, do you have something to say?" Umbridge asked again.

Seeing Calliope's discomfort, Fred jumped in to answer the question, "we just think it's a bit stupid Professor for you to expect a N.E.W.T class to not use wands in a lesson."

"I do not see your hand in the air Mr...?"

"Weasley," Fred responded, briefly sticking his hand in the air before continuing, "I mean, we're going to be in the real world soon, and we need to know how to defend ourselves."

"Mr Weasley, the aim of this class is to aid you in passing your N.E.W.T exams in the summer, learning the theory behind the spells will be adequate for that purpose. After all, what is there for you to defend yourself against in the real world?" Umbridge gave a little girlish laugh, which Calliope found herself repulsed by.

"What is there to defend ourselves against?" Fred laughed, "did you really just ask that?"

"I do not see your hand Mr Weasley," Umbridge bobbed on the balls of her feet as she said this.

Again, Fred stuck his hand in the air quickly before continuing. Around the classroom, all eyes were on Fred. Calliope saw Angelina Johnson watching with raised eyebrows, clearly wondering what Fred was going to do next.

"I'm fairly sure we all know what there is to defend ourselves against, and if you can't face up to that then you're stupid," said Fred.

"Mr Weasley, I will not tolerate being spoken to in this way," Umbridge said in a girlish voice, with a fake smile on her face.

"That's fine I am done now," said Fred.

"In that case may I continue with my lesson Mr Weasley?"

"Go ahead."

Umbridge seemed a bit put off by Fred's interruption, but she either didn't care about it enough to put him in detention, or she was biding her time. Calliope couldn't see why either would be the case, the woman was foul but Fred somehow managed to get off without detention.

Umbridge moved to stand beside the large blackboard at the front of the room, "the Ministry believes it to be vital that you are educated about all forms of beings. Most common within our society is the dilution of wizarding blood with that of our less intelligent magical beings. The individuals who carry this blood are known as Halfbreeds."

Umbridge paused for a moment, to write 'HALFBREEDS' on the blackboard using her wand. Calliope's hand balled into a fist, crushing the quill which she was holding in her hand as her knuckles turned white.

"Halfbreeds may look like wizards and sound like wizards, but they are not. They possess the desire to destabilise all that we as a community hold dear," Umbridge continued, "however, perhaps worse than Halfbreeds themselves as the witches and wizards who choose to disregard the warnings set out against other magical beings of near-human intelligence and mate with them." 

Fred glanced at Calliope, and he saw something in her eyes that he had not yet seen. Calliope hadn't even looked at Voldemort with such hatred in her gaze as her stare held for Umbridge at that moment.

Fred exchanged a look with George over Calliope's head, silently asking for his brother's help to prevent Calliope potentially killing the woman, not that Fred liked Umbridge, but he was sure that Calliope wouldn't forgive him if he let her kill someone.

"Halfbreeds are-"

"Professor, Calliope isn't feeling well!" George declared loudly, "Fred and I need to take her to the hospital wing."

"Mr Weasley, I am sure that Miss Doge is perfectly okay," Umbridge looked annoyed to have been interrupted, "aren't you Miss Doge," she looked at Calliope, only now seeing the gaze that Calliope had her fixed with. No one in the class could mistake it for the gaze of someone who was about to hurt Umbridge. "Perhaps you should take her to see Madam Pomfrey," Umbridge suggested as if it were all her idea.

Fred and George exchanged a look, and between them they half carried, half dragged Calliope from the classroom.