A Fluke of Sorts

The Prince & The Princess

"Right, shall we get started?" Harry asked in loud voice as he tried to gather the attention of everyone in the room.

"Wait, Cedric's not here yet." Fred spoke up. Everyone turned to look at the empty spot beside Hermione before looking at the fifth-year witch.

"I'm not his keeper for Merlin's sake. Would you mind to direct your questioning gazes at someone else?" Hermione said, slightly flushed at the attention – and apparent connection she and Cedric seemed to have stamped on everyone's perception.

"Umbridge's got a hold of him." Haden answered as he stepped into Room of Requirement.

"The old toad?" George repeated.

"One and only, we haven't got many amphibians in Hogwarts to speak of anyway," chuckles arose within the students, "He's caught for a detention with her."

"Cedric? Detention?" Ron said in surprise.

"Umbridge was telling the class how incredibly foolish it was for anyone to think You-Know-Who's back and that it was complete, utter lies created to mislead everyone. She said that almost every lesson and Diggory didn't take it to heart because she's a professor after all, and it didn't matter to him so as long there were people like us who believed in You-Know-Who's return." Haden explained. "But I suppose he lost it when she started saying Dumbledore's lost a screw in his head and with him as headmaster, Hogwarts is simply becoming a breeding ground for unwanted grimy commoners." He muttered darkly.

"Dumbledore's lost a screw in his head? Sounds like she's lost more than just a screw." Fred bellowed. Angry words and profanities started spewing from the DA members.

"She's really got some nerves." Dean commented angrily.

"Clearly her statement was aimed at Muggle-borns." Cho said with a frown.

"Obviously." Ernie Macmillan agreed with an irate snort.

"That foul toad." Ron gritted his teeth.

"Silence!" Harry shouted over the commotion. "Come on, saying those things about Umbridge is not going to do us any good." He turned to look at Haden, "So Cedric's now in detention with her?"

"For almost an hour now. She wasn't impressed when Cedric hollered at her for her disrespect to Professor Dumbledore and her impartiality to purebloods." Haden looked at Hermione with a small smile for a brief moment. "But it didn't do him any good seeing as he's now scheduled for double detention with the toad."

"Double detention?" Harry echoed. He had a sinking feeling of the very punishment Cedric was going through at that very moment. Harry looked up at Hermione and her gaze told him the exact same thing. He wondered if Hermione wanted to skip their DA meeting for the day.

"Well come on, let's begin. No point on verbally cursing Umbridge if we can't get our hexes right to do her in." Hermione briskly said. Everyone fell silent for a few seconds before taking their usual places, Hermione's words running on the logical and rational side of their minds. However, once the DA meeting ended, Hermione immediately excused herself and rushed out of the room. Harry and Ron didn't need to ask to know where she was going.

Hermione soon found herself at the door of Umbridge's office but seeing as the lights were out; she hurried off again and went straight to the library. She stalked each and every bookshelf but found no sight of the seventh-year Hufflepuff. Although most would have reasonably thought he may have returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room, somehow, Hermione had a feeling he wouldn't have done so. 'Knowing Cedric, he wouldn't want to worry anyone with the punishment. Quite likely, he would have gone somewhere else to allow some time for his wound to heal before attempting to pass it of as nothing the next morning.' Hermione came out of the library with harsh breathing but she continued on to the ground floor of the castle and her next destination in mind had been the large tree by the lake, but as she bounded down the marble staircase, she caught sight of a small, flickering glow in the Great Hall. Hermione held her breath and cautiously crept closer to the great double doors which were slightly ajar. 'Please don't let it be Filch.' She quietly peeked from the opened door and saw a male figure sitting down at the table on the far end. He had his back towards the door, but Hermione recognized it well enough to slowly let herself past the doors and quietly made her way to the figure.