The Girl Who Saw Tomorrow » Harry Potter

1.18 | Easier Said Than Done

This chapter is dedicated to writeyourheartout__ and emersonharwitz ❤️

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Margaret had reached the Charms classroom - after having sufficient breakfast since she skipped dinner last night - way before any of the other students had. She was in the process of napping on her folded arms fifteen minutes later when someone promptly perched on the bench beside her.

Looking up, she discovered it to be none other than a concerned-looking Hermione Granger.

"You didn't come back to the common room last night," Hermione states, getting straight to the point. Then she frowns, glancing down at Margaret's crinkled robes and gasps inaudibly. "You didn't come back at all last night!"

"It's fine, Hermione," Margaret sighs, dropping her head on her arms again. She then continues, her voice muffled, "I am fine."

"Did she..." Hermione looks around, spotting a couple of their classmates sitting about the class, talking lowly. She drops her voice, leaning closer. "Did Umbridge... make you do lines too?"

Margaret's left hand was thankfully under her chin; she instinctively fisted it and nodded curtly. There was no point in lying. Hermione didn't speak again but Margaret could feel the anger rolling off of her in waves.

Hermione was not happy that Umbridge had hurt two of her friends in such a terrible manner. She had never seen Margaret look so tired before, and as the lecture started, Hermione could see that she was trying to pretend to pay attention whilst blinking heavily.

When Professor Flitwick assigned them the charm they'd need to practise this lecture and climbed down from his stack of books on the desk to make rounds around the classroom, Hermione exhaled sharply and turned discretely to Margaret.

"If you, er, need someone... I'm here, okay?" she says, more like commands rather awkwardly in a low voice. Margaret looks at her, mildly startled, but then nods.

"Thanks," she mumbles, distractedly doodling on the top of the textbook page.

If she was being honest, she couldn't remember the last time someone had said that to her.

In Transfiguration half an hour later, all the students spotted the very pink Dolores Umbridge in the front corner of the bright classroom as soon as they entered.

"Excellent," Ron mutters, eyes wide with excitement. "Let's see Umbridge get what she deserves."

Margaret slowed down when she spotted Daphne Greengrass on their usual bench up front, reading something in what looked like a reference book, her hair typically curtaining her face. She could not help but look at Daphne differently after witnessing her kindness towards the young Slytherin girl; rather than just think of her as Pansy Parkinson's timid sidekick.

She looked away before taking a seat, not wanting to seem obvious.

Professor McGonagall marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that she knew Umbridge was there and silence fell immediately, causing Umbridge to glance up from her clipboard.

"Mister Finnigan, kindly come here and hand back the homework - Miss Brown, please take this box of mice; don't be silly, girl, they won't hurt you. Hand one to each student-" When Lavender Brown nearly dropped the box and uttered a small scream of fright, McGonagall pursed her lips. "Miss Xenakis, would you lend a hand to Miss Brown-"

Margaret was up on her feet before Professor McGonagall finished her sentence; offering to pick up the mice if Lavender carried the box, to which she nodded gratefully. Margaret made sure to use her right hand only as they started their way around the class.