If This Isn't Love (Fred Weasley Sequel)

Chapter 2 | Moody's Replacement

Friday, September 1

I hug Molly good-bye and notice how she is close to tears. "I'll write! You have been so lovely to me!" She nod with a smile and lets me go.

Fred and George help carry my things to put on the train, complaining on how heavy it was. I just roll my eyes and remind them that they don't have to help me.

When we get on, I find an empty compartment and look out the window. Just like last year, several parents are waving and smiling at their departing children. My mother isn't here but she did send a letter. I'll write back when we get to the school.

I have successfully read all the required books and finished all the work I was assigned to during the summer. I now know what 1, 2, and 3rd years know, but not in full detail. Two months is a very short time to fit in all that work.

It was a very busy summer, and surprisingly, being at Hogwarts will give me less work. It's like school is my break and summer is where I work the most. Weird.

The twins plop down beside me, feigning exhaustion from carrying my bags. Sooner or later, Angelina, Katie, and Alicia find us and sit in their usual spots with Katie by the window and Angelina nearest George.

"Hey, ladies," the twins say.

They greet us back. Alicia winks at me. "I heard you spent the summer with Fred."

"Oh, no," I say, laughing. "Only two weeks. And it wasn't just him, it was with their entire family."

If the twins think I would spill out the secret that we stayed at Grimmauld Place with the Order of the Phoenix, they are wrong. I'm not completely stupid.

"Mhm. So why didn't you write me back? I wrote to the Burrow." She sticks her bottom lip out.

"Oh!" I have to say something quick. "It was probably when I wasn't there."

"We got it," the twins lie. I give them a look.

"We didn't know it was from you," George covers up.

"Yeah, we just fed it to the birds. Sorry," Fred adds.

Alicia rolls her eyes. "Remind me never to write to you boys."

We share a laugh. The ride basically goes like that the whole time. I get up to go change into my robes just before we get to the school.

~~~~
I cannot believe this.

The fake who pretended to be Mad-Eye Moody was a disturbing, awful teacher. We can all agree he was terrible. I didn't think there could be a worse Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher after him.

Obviously I was wrong. According to Fred, they've only had bad DADA teachers since Quirrell. Well, besides Remus, but he wasn't cut out for it, let's be honest. The man looks like he needs to teach himself how to eat before teaching students.

Let's just hope this Umbridge woman isn't as bad as we think.

Though it doesn't help when Harry tells us about her during his hearing. He was protecting his Muggle cousin from a dementor that apparently came out of nowhere and he almost got expelled because of it.

Umbridge is one of the ones who wanted him to get expelled, which just makes me dislike her more.

For some odd reason, she decides to lecture us before classes even begin. That smile of hers is fake, I can tell. She is dangerous, though. Completely.

I should not get on her bad side.

She starts off, with a very threatening voice in my opinion, by saying, "Thank you, Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how lovely to see all your bright, happy faces smiling up at me."

No one is smiling. I think we are all thinking the same thing, Is she serious?

"I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."

Fred and George sarcastically whisper, "That's likely." I hush them so I can listen to this joke of a woman.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizard of vital importance. Although each Headmaster has brought something new to this historic school." She nods to Dumbledore.

How can he even consider this woman as a possible DADA teacher? She looks like she's never even pointed her wand at a toad. Unless she was transfigured from a toad.

That would explain a lot.

"Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited."

I stare at her, mouth parted, eyes squinted, trying to comprehend this. Dumbledore can not be serious. There is just a soft clap after that. Something tells me not a lot of people are favoring this teacher already.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," Dumbledore says, politely.

"Illuminating?" Ron mocks. "What a load of waffle."

"Whatever," I say when Umbridge finally steps down. "I am not a fan."

Fred and George grunts a response and then Dumbledore gives a small speech, then lets us eat. Naturally, the Weasley boys pig in while us other students with dignity eat like normal people.

Even Harry can keep his manners. "Honestly, Weasley's, don't you eat normally sometimes?" I ask, scrunching my nose at their indecency.

The twins share a look and shrug. Ron does his signature looks-embarrassed-but-doesn't-change move. I sigh and continue my dinner, letting myself enjoy it.

We are instructed to go back to our dormitories soon. A few first years have trouble getting to their common rooms, so the twins and I tell them where to go. The twins lead some to the other Houses while I go with the Gryffindors because honestly I don't know where the other Houses' dormitories are besides Slytherin's.

"Hey, I know you," a little girl speaks up. "You're the late girl, aren't you?"

"Whatever do you mean?" I ask, sarcastically. "I'm kidding. I suppose I am."

"Wow. I heard you learned everything in one year!" The girl's friend says, eyes sparkling. I could just melt from their innocence.

"Not everything. I'm still learning every day. What are your names?" I ask them.

"Marlene and Susan Adelman," the first girl, Marlene, says, proudly.

"Ah, so you must be twins?" You ask, considering the small age gap.

Susan snickers. "Nope! I was adopted."

They still look alike. Though Susan has a bigger nose and fuller lips... And her hair is long and thick, while Marlene's is more delicate.

Yeah, now that I think about it, they don't really look like sisters. Nevertheless, I show them to the common room and almost go in when I hear someone call my name.

"You girls go ahead. The girl's dormitory is on the right. I'll be there in a sec."

They obey. I turn around to see a certain Slytherin who really shouldn't be back, not after what she did.

"Greengrass."

She is smirking. "Hello, (L/N)."

~~~~
Published 5-4-20