Faith .|. H. J. POTTER ✔

Chapter forty-six

The next day, the four decided to talk about it over Charms. That was usually a good place to talk since it was packed with talking students, trying to figure out how to do a spell. When they sat in the back they were pretty much undisturbed. 

"Umbridge has been reading your mail, Harry. There's no other explanation,"

"You think Umbridge attacked Hedwig?" Harry said angrily. 

"I'm almost certain of it," Hermione said. "Watch your frog, it's escaping," Harry pointed his wand at the frog he was supposed to silence - Accio! - and it zoomed back in his hand. Faith was trying her best to do the charm they were supposed to practice today (the Silencing Charm) but with all the noise she just couldn't get on with it. All around her were croaking bullfrogs and cawing ravens, adding to the clatter of the rain against the windows, it was not a good combination. 

"I've been suspecting this ever since Filch accused you of ordering Dungbombs, because it seemed such a stupid lie," Hermione continued. "I mean, once your letter had been read it would have been quite clear you weren't ordering them, so you wouldn't have been in trouble at all - it's a bit of a feeble joke, isn't it?  But then I thought, what if somebody just wanted an excuse to read your mail? Well then, it would be a perfect way for Umbridge to manage it - tip off Filch, let him do the dirty work and confiscate the letter, then either find a way of stealing it from him or else demand to see it - I don't think Filch would object, when's he ever stuck up for a student's rights? Harry, you're squashing your frog," Faith looked to her left and saw that Harry was indeed gripping onto the frog a little too tight. 

"It was a very close call last night," Hermione said. "I just winder if Umbridge knows how close it was. Silencio," With a flick of her wand, her frog stopped croaking and stared up at her, dumb-struck expression. "If she'd caught Snuffles -"

"- He'd probably be back in Azkaban this morning," Harry finished. 

Faith tried swinging her wand at her raven to silence it but it continued to caw and caw, giving Faith a headache. The raven kept staring at her wand, following the tip with its head and cawing every couple of seconds. Faith let out some frustrated groans before putting her wand down and laying her head in her arms. Everything was hurting. On some days everything was just a little too much for her. 

"Silencio," Hermione whisper and Faith's raven immediately fell silent.  

"Have I gone deaf?" Faith mumbled as she looked up, not missing the grin on Harry's face, and saw her raven trying to make noise but not even a sign came from it.

"Well, he mustn't do it again, that's all. I just don't know how we're going to let him know. We can't send him an owl,"

"I don't reckon he'll risk it again," Ron told them. "He's not stupid, he knows she nearly got him. Silencio," Ron's raven cawed again. "Silencio. SILENCIO!" It only cawed louder.

"It's the way you're moving your wand," Hermione told Ron, after watching him with a frown. "You don't want to wave it, it's more like a sharp jab,"

"Ravens are harder than frogs," Ron opposed.

"Fine, let's swap," Hermione said, replacing his raven with her frog. "Silencio!" The raven stayed silent

"Very good, Miss Granger!" Professor Flitwick said, making them all jump in their seats. Where did he come from? "Now, let me see you try, Mr Weasley,"

"What -? Oh - oh, right," Ron said surprised. "Er - silencio!" He jabbed his wand in the eye of the frog which squeaked loudly before jumping off his desk. Safe to say; Ron, Harry and Faith all received extra work for the next lesson.