Black Rose {Fred Weasley} ✓

FORTY-EIGHT

"Do my ears deceive me?" Aurora asked dramatically as she and the twins waltzed into the Great Hall and squeezing onto the bench next to Harry, "Hogwarts prefects surely don't want to skive off lessons?"

Ron rolled his eyes and passed Aurora his new timetable, "Look what we've got today. That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."

Aurora scanned the parchment and visibly winced, Fred- who was standing behind her reading over her shoulder- let out a low whistle as he looked up at his younger brother, "Fair point, little bro. You can have a Nosebleed Nougat for cheap if you like."

"Why is it cheap?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," George explained with a smile on his face as he helped himself to Ron's jam toast.

"Cheers," Ron muttered sarcastically snatching his timetable away from Fred and Aurora who were now more interested in each other rather than the previous conversation, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"Speaking of your Skiving Snack-boxes," Hermione piped up, Fred, George and Aurora all turned to look at the bushy haired girl, "You can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor noticeboard."

"Says who?" George asked raising his eyebrow.

"Says me," Hermione sassed back, "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it," Ron mumbled looking down at his plate causing Hermione to glare at him whilst Fred and George sniggered.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," Fred said as he thickly buttered a toast, "You're starting your fifth year, you'll be begging us for a Snack-box before you know it."

"And why would starting fifth year mean I wand a Skiving Snack-box?" Hermione intrigued.

"Fifth year O.W.L.s," George simply shrugged.

"So?"

"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," Fred said.

"Half our hear had minor breakdowns coming up to O.W.L.s," George sniggered, "Tears and tantrums...Anastasia Stimpson kept fainting..."

"Kenneth Bowler came out in boils, do you remember?" Fred reminisced.

"That's 'cause you put Bulbadox powder into his pyjamas," Aurora clarified, quietly sipping her coffee.

Fred grinned from ear to ear as he looked at the black haired witch that sat besides him, "That's right. I totally forgot...hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"

"Anyways, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," George concluded, before pointing his thumb at Aurora, "I mean, Aurora almost got killed to death by those soul-sucking Dementors."

"That was purely coincidental," Aurora commented, rolling her eyes at her best friend.

"Bish bosh," George said waving his hand at Aurora before he shoved his half-eaten toast into his mouth greedily.

"Anyway, looks like we've got Umbridge first," Aurora commented, she pulled out her own timetable from her robe pocket, the trio had bumped into Professor McGonagall on their way to the Great Hall and received their schedules, "So we'll let you three know how it goes. Come on you two," Aurora said as she stood up off the bench and grabbed Fred's arm dragging him up with her.

He quickly followed her like a lost puppy with his toast hanging half out of his mouth as they walked towards the Great Hall entrance. George quickly shoved a crumpet into his robe pocket before he ran after the couple, sliding on the floor as he reached them and almost knocked them over like dominoes.

"I still can't believe that she puts up with them on a daily basis," Hermione mumbled under her breath as she watched Aurora laughing at the twins who were pushing each other trying to make themselves topple over.

"You and me both," Ron muttered.

★★★★

Aurora sat patiently besides Fred awaiting for the arrival of Professor Umbridge in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"Is it just me or can you hear faint 'meowing'?" Aurora asked, looking at Fred who looked confused at her question.

"What?"

"Meowing," She repeated herself, "You know, like cats."

"I know what meowing is, A, but where would it be coming from?" Fred asked, he scanned her face as she scanned the classroom trying to see if she could figure out where the faint noise was emerging from.

"Well, I don't know," Aurora admitted shrugging her shoulders, "That's what I'm trying to find out."

Fred turned around to face George and Lee who were laughing about something, "I think she's finally gone crazy," he told them and then let out a loud 'ow' when she hit his arm.

"I'm not crazy, I swear."

"Good morning, children," Professor Umbridge greeted as she walked down the stairs from her office. A couple of students mumbled a quiet 'Good morning' back to her.

"Tut tut," Professor Umbridge said, "That won't do now, will it? I would like you all to reply 'Good morning, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good morning, class!"

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," the seventh year students grumpily chanted back at her.

Aurora turned to face Fred, her jaw was already clenched as she instantly took a disliking to this woman, there was a difference between being a Professor who taught children and a Professor who treated you like children, and it was very clear that this woman in pink didn't understand that.

"There, now," She said in her sickly sweet voice, "That wasn't too difficult was it? Wands away now and quills out, please."

The students shared a look between each other, the words 'wands away' had almost never been spoken in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom before.

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather...disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" She stated, clasping her hands in front of her, "The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculums, has unfortunately resulted in you being far below the standard level, especially in your N.E.W.T.s year. You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory centred, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

A dull murmur of responses echoed through the classroom.

"I think we'll try that again," Professor Umbridge said, "When I ask you a question, I want you to reply, 'Yes, Professor Umbridge', or 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So...has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

Aurora clenched her jaw as her eyes darkened.

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," The classroom said, their voices were strained and you could very easily tell they certainly weren't enjoying this.

"Good," She commented, "I would like you all to turn to page five and read 'Chapter One, Basics for Beginners'. There will be no need to talk," she spoke before she sat down in her chair behind the teacher's desk, scanning the classroom with her large eyes.