Prankster Princess

I must have cried myself to sleep with the memory of the last time I saw my younger brother, because I was shook roughly awake.

“Vera, wake up!” Angelina shook me roughly awake.

“What?” I snapped, opening my slightly crusted over eyes with difficulty.

“Get up!”

“Why?” I was getting more and more agitated.

“If we’re late to the devil woman’s class we’ll all be in detention!”

I groaned. “One day I’m gonna skive out of her class and she’s not gonna do a damn thing to get me back in it,” I muttered angrily, sitting up abruptly. “That woman has some issues. I’d rather drink the strongest poison Snape’s got then go to Umbridge for a double period!”

“Shut it!” Angelina snapped, “We all feel that way, except the Slytherins.”

“Damned Inquisitorial Squad,” I muttered. I have a tendency to swear when in a foul mood. Umbridge bright and early coupled with the guilt of letting the Death Eaters take my younger brother from me that night just a few short months ago. My wand…if only I’d had my wand, I would’ve fought them until they killed me…but Mum had my wand that night. Hers had been broken on Auror business, so she’d taken mine. It didn’t work nearly as well for her, but it worked considerably better than Grandma’s old one, and it was just until Mum’s was mended. Ollivander thought he could do that much, at least, as it hadn’t been a severe break.

I guess I’m being confusing, aren’t I?

I’ll slow it down just a little.

My name is Veronica Marie Henderson. I was home schooled by my Auror parents for most of my life. I’m nearing seventeen, and for the first time, in my sixth year, I’m at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My first friends here are Fred and George Weasley, one year my elders. One day in early August, my seven year old brother Henry and I were left home alone, with no wand and no adults. Our parents were out on Auror business, and their enemies knew that. They also knew that, of the two of us children, my brother was favored. By all three of us - my mother, my father, and I. I had never liked myself.

My little brother was my life. I cared for him almost like I was his mother, since our own wasn’t there for him. He was the light in our dark house for me…and I couldn’t protect him. Death Eaters came, one day while my parents were away. I thought we’d be able to scrape through, but Henry, young as he was, didn’t fully understand the consequences of what would happen if we were found. If I’d have had my wand, I would’ve distracted them long enough for Henry to floo to Uncle Joe’s house. If Mum hadn’t let her own wand get stepped on…but it’s in the past. All that matters is that I couldn’t protect what mattered most.

When Mum and Dad had arrived home, a day and a half later, I had cried myself to sleep for the second time in the floor of the small, cramped closet. They found me an hour after they arrived home and frantically asked where Henry was. I told all. I told them everything.

They never looked at me again.

They sent me off to live with my Aunt Janine in London, and I got an express invitation to Hogwarts from Professor Dumbledore. I accepted, and it landed me in sixth year (taking several seventh year courses already), a Gryffindor (already living in the seventh year dorms), and about as close to an outcast as a girl can be.

It was soon after being sent to Aunt Janine’s that I made my resolution. As soon as I leave Hogwarts, I’m going after them. I’m going to find the people who took my brother from me, and I’m going to make them pay. My brother was the one thing that mattered to me in that house, and they weren’t going to get away scot-free after taking him away.

“Vera!” Angelina scolded.

“Coming!” I called, pulling on my socks. In my reminiscing, I’d already finished getting dressed other than my socks and shoes.

“Hurry!” was hollered at me, and I shoved my feet into the wrong shoes and rushed out.

“Let’s just get down to Toadface’s class so I can put my shoes on the right feet!” I muttered as I reached Angelina at the bottom of the dorm steps.

“Whatever, whatever, as long as we get there on time!” she hissed.

We rushed headlong through thronging students in the corridors to get to Umbridge’s class on time. I ducked an arm that flung out in front of me and jumped a first year who’d been tripped by a burly fifth year Slytherin named Vincent Crabbe. I shot a stinging hex at the unsuspecting and guffawing boy all while running, snorting in mirth as his face changed rapidly from laughter to anger and pain.

We skidded into the room, Angelina first, and she hurriedly took her seat near the front just as the bell rang. I flopped into mine in the back by Lee Jordan (we sat together at the desk in front of the twins) just as the bell stopped ringing.

“I’m afraid, Miss Henderson, that you’re late to my class. I think you need a detention to get you here on time.” the toad-faced woman’s grin looked like a grimace.

“Hey!” both Fred and George cried.

“She wasn’t late!” Fred cried indignantly.

“She got here as the bell rang!” George added.

“What’s the deal?” they both said.

“Angelina - sorry, Angie - got here at the same time!” George said angrily.

“Yeah, why isn’t she getting detention too?”

“You will both contain yourselves, boys. Miss Henderson is the only one to get detention because she was the one who wasn’t in her seat.” Umbridge grinned her sickening smile.

“I think that’s bogus.” The twins said in unison.

“You’re just discriminating against her,” Fred said, then added, “’cause you’re a dirty old hag and she’s a pleasant, clean, and - this is the part you hate most - a quite beautiful young lady.”

“Yeah, just ask anyone in any other year or ours.” George said. “They’ll tell you the same.”

“Detention!” Umbridge shrieked at them. “You, sirs, are disrupting my class!”

“Good.” George said.

“We’re not done yet.”

“You’re insufferable -”

“- toad-faced -”

“- hag -”

“- toerag -”

“- and you’re a bitch!”

A lot of things they said were hard to distinguish because the were standing, had their voices raised, and it was echoing. I’m not even sure Fred called her a toerag, but that’s what it sounded like.

George’s ‘- and you’re a bitch!’ was, however, crystal clear and in a shout. He grinned smugly, not at all worried about it. Umbridge was inflating like I assumed Harry’s Aunt Marge had, only this was anger. Pure, unadulterated anger.

“A month’s worth of detentions, I think. Miss Henderson, I’ll be seeing you every night this week -”

“WHAT?!” was the cry from Lee, Fred, George, and I.

“Same for you, Mr. Jordan. Every night this week.”

“Why?” I asked, furious.

“You had no opposition for these boys yelling at me. It’s only fair that you get four more days than I would have given you when I give your protectors a month.”

“Bullshit!” I shouted. “What does it matter to you?”

“Calm down,” Angelina was mouthing at me from behind Umbridge’s back.

“I will not have you disrupting my class.” Toadface had her grimacing grin in place.

“You’re a toad-faced bitch, you know that?” I said loudly. “I agree with everything they’ve said.”

“A week and a month for you, then.” Umbridge grinned her sickeningly sweet grin again. “Or, maybe I should just keep you in here all year, hm? After all, since your younger brother disappeared in August, we have nothing to say you didn’t get angry at him, do we? Poor, poor little Henry. How he loved his older sister, and she might’ve been the one to kill him -”

“SHUT UP!” I shot out of my chair, shrieking at the top of my voice. “DON’T YOU DARE SAY HIS NAME WITH THAT TONE OF VOICE! DON’T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT! IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHAT HAPPENS IN MY FAMILY! HE’S NOT -” I choked on a sob. “- he’s not dead.” Another sob racked my frame. “He’s not! It’s none of your business what happened to him! Leave him out of this!”

“So you did get mad at him. As I thought, you need to sta -”

“SHUT UP!” I shrieked again. “What the hell is your problem?! Why would I attack the only person in that house who gave a damn what happened to me? Why would I kill him? Why would I even raise a hand against a seven year old boy?! You’re such a bitch you don’t even know what it’s like to have one person in your whole life that you care about! You don’t know what it’s like to care for someone like they’re all you have, only to have Voldemort’s Death Eaters come take them away! What the hell do you know about that, huh? Tell me!”

She opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off. “NOTHING! You don’t know anything! Keep your fucking nose out of my fucking business!”

“Miss Henderson, I think it’s in everyone’s best interest to know if there’s a person capable of murdering a seven year old child in their midst -”

“I DIDN’T LAY A FINGER ON HIM!” I shouted, tears running freely. “STOP IT! Just…just stop!” the last was in a feeble voice.

“What on earth!” came a strict voice from the doorway. “I heard shouting all the way from my office! What is the meaning of this, Dolores?”

“Students of your house have been disruptive.” Umbridge remarked simply.

“Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley -” Professor McGonagall began.

“No, they were only half of the problem.” Umbridge grinned again. “The other half was Miss Henderson. You see, she’s -”

“Professor! Umbridge gave Vera a month and a week of detentions and she’s accusing her of murdering -”

“Mr. Weasley!” Umbridge said loudly to George. “Another week of detentions, I think!”

“No.” McGonagall said loudly, looking back and forth from one to the other. “Who is she accusing of murdering someone?”

“Vera -”

“No one, Professor. They misunderstood.” Umbridge cut in. “I was merely saying that, since young Henry Henderson went missing this past August and Miss Henderson just made her first appearance here this September, perhaps there is something serious about Miss Henderson and that it should be made public.”

“You are insinuating that a student of mine murdered her brother,” McGonagall towered over Umbridge in her fury. “Which is not the case. Miss Henderson, come with me, if you please.”

“Minerva, if you don’t recall, I still have a class to teach -”

“Miss Henderson is not going to be present today.” McGonagall said stiffly. “And she will have none of those detentions.”

“She will have one,” Umbridge drew herself up to her very, very short height. “She was late to my class.”

“I suppose that’s why I heard the Weasleys roaring about how she was in her seat just as the bell rang, Dolores?” McGonagall snapped. “She will have no detention.”

“You cannot take away my right to give detentions, surely?”

“I would have done if I was capable of it,” McGonagall replied. “Now, I am taking this matter to Professor Dumbledore. Vera, please.”

I stumbled out of the room after McGonagall, who ducked her head back in. “Mr. and Mr. Weasley, Mr. Jordan, as well.”

We walked down the hall, Fred rushing to me to comfort me and George, fuming, talking with Professor McGonagall as, behind us, Umbridge was yelling furiously. Something about “might as well take my whole class with you, Minerva!” and other things, among the laughter of some of the students. Then, “Detention! All of you! Tonight at seven!”