Hand Me Downs.

Enjoying our sudden lack of work was only made more enjoyable by the frantic seventh and fifth years, Alicia had even burst into tears over her transfiguration book that very evening. The teachers were entirely focused on us so we, oddly, were practically free in the evenings.

“Last exam tomorrow mate, just tonight and that then you’re free!” Ryan offered, pulling Neville’s eyes lightly from his book, he just swallowed hard, eyes returning. “I’m so glad we don’t have any this year.”

“Just wait until next year,” Leanne grimaced, delicately eating, “It’s going to be horrific.”

“Can we deal with NEWTs when we get there?” She nodded at Dale wordlessly, nose scrunching up as he spooned far too much potato into his mouth, “What times is astronomy?” I asked gently, drawing Neville back into reality.

“Eleven o’clock.”

“How did the theory paper go?” Ron’s loud scoff from further down the table was enough and I grinned, “No-one does well on it from what I hear, at least you guys had a decent teacher for a while.”

“Trelawney told me I was going to die young.” Dale commented, swallowing hard.

“Maybe she foresaw Umbridge.” We all giggled, earning a glare from Hermione.

“Don’t even kid about that, she’s out for your blood,” He warned, waving his fork in my direction, “Eddie Charmichael heard her saying she thinks you’ve been sneaking Weasley’s stuff in.” I rolled my eyes, “And where does she think I’m hiding it?”

He shrugged, “Fuck knows, don’t shoot the messenger.” I smiled, turning back to my ravioli.

“I haven’t even done anything bad lately.”

“Yeah,” Ryan said, eyes comically wide open, “Nothing niffly at all.” I shushed him with a light slap on his arm, “What’s that mean?” Leanne asked suspiciously, I shook her off until other conversation started, distracting her.

Having Ryan happier was something I was thankful for, he had messed up the apparition test spectacularly, panicking as he did and ending up miles from where he was supposed to, leading the team out on a search.

Katie had failed as well, although she wasn’t as surprised, she’d splinched, her hand remaining in the hall. Which explained why I hadn’t seen on her on my way out. I felt bad, I was so desperate to see George I hadn’t even looked for her to ask how she did.

She was in the hospital wing and the whole of that evening and next day and I had felt like a terrible friend that I hadn't been there with her straight after it had happened.

“Your hair is going to fall in your food if you sit like that.”

“Oww,” I whined, hitting again at Ryan who was trying to dip it in, “Stop it! I don’t want pasta sauce all over it.”

“I wanted to paint with it.” He withered a little under my glare, “Alright Medusa.” I lifted my arm and he flinched, exclaiming at me to stop hitting him. I tightened my eyes but let my hand drop.

“How do you know about Medusa? Is that a wizarding thing?”

“I can read you know,” I lifted a brow at his tone, “And Katie had a mythology book she lent me.”

“I’m sure she did,” Dale slid in smirking at me.

“Oh quit it,” Leanne snapped, “I’m not going in to all that again.”

“I wasn’t going into anything Leanne dearest,” He patronised, “I understand you’re upset about transfiguration but that is no need too....” She was gone, up on her feet and storming from the hall, shoes tapping a fierce pattern.

“Dale!” I scorned, looking down at her, several people, including Katie who was sat with Angelina watching after her, she shook her head at me, indicating to stand. “You apologise later or I swear to God I’ll hurt you. Why do you two still keep arguing?!”

“I was joking!”

“Well it was hilarious!” Sarcasm was dripping, “We’ll go sort her out, you know how upset she gets when McGonagall has a go at her!” Ryan was just nodding silently, not wanting to offend his best friend and take sides too strongly. “You’re late.” He cut in before Dale could bite back at me, alerting me to Aaron, looking a little sheepish, hair messy. “I was in the library.” I almost grinned but his look silenced me.

So far I think I was the only one that knew.

“You must be so far ahead in potions,” Ryan mused, “Hope Leanne’s okay,” He called after me, Katie standing as I reached her. Not even having to say anything before we headed out, making our way after her, “What upset her?”

“Dale mentioning transfiguration.” She sighed, “I knew she was finding it hard but I had no idea it was so bad.”

That had been another revelation, when Leanne wasn’t essentially copying us she wasn’t doing anywhere as well as she should be. She’d never excelled academically, but none of us had ever really been top of the class. This was more than that.

McGonagall had pulled her into a meeting worried about her slipping grades, and also informing Leanne she had submitted one too many pieces of work almost identical to Katies’ or my own.
So far we’d managed to avoid a conflict, Leanne was upset, we tried to comfort her, ladled her with pile of transfiguration notes.

“Umbridge sent an owl to my mum.” She said miserably, cross legged on her bed, “She told me last lesson she had, ‘concerns about my education’. My mum is going to flip.”

“Umbridge has no right to tell your mum about anything, no-one ever sent anything to Molly unless the twins did something really bad.” She whined, a couple of tears making their way easily down her perfectly made up cheek.

“She said if I don’t do better, if I cheat, I can’t come back next year.”
I couldn’t express my outrage in words.

But that had just been the start of a long night, it had taken a while to calm Leanne down again, promising all the help we could offer, to see if McGonagall could do anything against Umbridge’s threat.

We had no chance to speak to her, not long after midnight there had been yells, echoing up high into the tower, blasts, shouts. The wind carried the voices up and we met everyone else rushing down into the Common Room in confusion. I had definitely heard Hagrid.

It was worse than that, Dean and Seamus arrived back breathless.

Umbridge had gone to arrest Hagrid, attacked him. Her and several others had attacked Professor McGonagall, stunning spells to the chest.

I was practically foaming by the time they all arrived and the common room was bursting with anxious, angry life.

I cornered in one one sentence, “And she through Hagrid was putting Nifflers in her office.”

“Katie!” I asked aghast, “Why didn’t you say that?” She furrowed her brow.

“Blimey,” Lee said, looking aghast, “That was us, Amelia and me, Fred and George left us a couple; We've been levitating them in through her window.”

Guilt washed over me.

“She'd have sacked him anyway,” Dean reasoned, trying to settle us, “He’s too close to Dumbledore.”

“Where’s McGonagall?” I asked, rubbing over my now wide awake eyes.

“They carried her back up to the castle, we watched through the dormitory window,' said Colin Creevey. 'She didn't look very well.”

Alicia nodded, but I rushed upstairs before she could explain, she was in the Hospital Wing. “What are you doing?” Ginny exclaimed following me and watching me pull a jumper over my tank top, shoes on my bare feet. “You can’t go rushing there! Amelia,” She rushed down after me, watching me mill through the crowd, “Amelia!” She called, “If Umbridge catches you!”

“Fuck Umbridge!”

McGonagall meant more to me this year than ever and the rage was building as I walked, having to dodge several prefects out looking stressed. How dare she, that filthy toad, that coward, attacking her like that.
I was livid.

But she was already gone, “I know you were close to Min...the professor,” Madam Pomfry tried to soothe, “But they came straight away, I got word and she’s gone to St.Mungoes, she’ll recover with time.”

“How many stunning spells did she take to the chest again?”

She swallowed hard, “Five or six.”

“Then she’s not alright is she?!”

“Miss Pelanci,” her voice took a strict turn, “I will not be spoken too like that, now get back to your dormitory before you get caught, I won’t tell anyone you’ve been here but if Dolores gets winds you were out you’ll be expelled faster than you can blink, now go, shoo!” She literally pushed me out into the corridor and I huffed, storming back up to the common room.

A part of me wished I could run into Umbridge.
Expulsion would be worth it for punching her in the face.

“Where did you go?” Aaron hissed worriedly as I re-entered, chatter still loud.

“To see McGonagall?”

“Is she alright?”

“They moved her to Saint Mungoes, she took four or more stunning charms in the chest.” I saw him pale in the candlelight, “Shit.”

“Exactly.”

“Umbridge is going down.” Dale twisted over around the people, “I mean it, fucking attacking her like that.”

“Might get expelled!” Aaron scolded, “We can’t do anything, the ministry will...”

“They will believe whatever Umbridge told them, that McGonagall attacked or something, they won’t do anything.”

“No, Fudge isn’t completely idiotic, he’d at least...”

“I’m telling you mate, they’d do nothing...which means we have too.”

I smirked at him, “You have an idea Mr Phillips?”

“Not yet, we’ll have to channel the twins a little I think.”


I didn’t sleep much, although I don’t think anyone did, it was almost light before the common Room was empty. People sighing, struggling up to bed or giving up, heads wearily tipped into books.
“Come on, nothing we can do now.” Leanne urged, “And you and him doing something dumb isn’t worth it, you both want to get expelled?”

I didn’t, not by a long shot, not after six long and often hard years, especially as of late. “I’d be fucking tempted.” Dale just growled again, fingers tapping an even pattern on his leg.

“She’s right guys.” Ryan yawned, “Don’t risk more.”

“But it’s McGonagall...Hagrid!” I argued, “She could have killed her!”

“And the healers will fix her up,” Katie soothed, hand finding mine, “Don’t both decide something stupid now, let’s go to bed.”

“We don’t have anything until tomorrow afternoon as well.” Ryan smiled, “Since stuff is cancelled for the exams.”

A large groan broke from Lee Jordan.

“Fine,” I submitted, “Let’s head up then.” I groaned, standing, my head fuzzy with the longing for sleep. Everyone agreed, starting up, giving Dale the chance to loop an arm around me, pulling me back into him. “We’re still doing something to that bitch right?”

“Of course. I’ll try and get a letter to George tomorrow.”

“Great. It has to be big!”

I was expecting nothing less. “See you tomorrow...or later.”

“Alright,” His arm lingered a little too long, “Night.”

“Night.” His fingers trailed over my waist as he left, heading up stairs, I twisted, straight to Lee.
“There’s one Niffler left right?” He nodded but with a deep frown.

“I don’t want to if she’s been blaming Hagrid...”

“Shit.” I swore, realising, and guilt bit at me again, “Well, we’re doing something, I don’t know what yet, but something.”

“Something dumb?”

“Most likely.” He managed his typical wide grin, “Let me get these exams over and you’re on.”

“What have you got?”

“Transfiguration in the afternoon.”

“Fun,” I sang, he shot me a look, “How many after that?”

“Two more and then my Hogwarts education is officially over,” he wiped away a mock tear from the growing bags under his eyes, “So, Umbridge can’t do anything, you guys can wait till next Tuesday and I am in, one hundred percent.”

I sucked on my lip, I had literally no ideas at the moment, an time may even talk us out of it but I nodded a little regretfully. “Deal, and you should get some sleep, you look shit.”

“Thanks...now leave me alone so I can read this, Alicia...” He called over my head and I nodded, standing and finally moving upstairs, each stair was a mountain, my legs weary. The only problem was as you moved up a year, you moved up a floor. I was in the opinion it should be the other way.
Katie was already asleep, Leanne wiping off her layer of make-up.

She didn’t realise just how pretty she was with less of it, but that was irrelevant, and I couldn’t say much when I wore it every day. “What time do you think we should get up?” I shrugged, reaching to my alarm clock, hand on the nozzle to set it.

“Well, its four now.”

“Eurgh.” She groaned, flopping back, still in her casual clothes. “I hate everything right now.” I nodded sympathetically, my rage at what happened was slowly being washed away by tiredness, my eyes stinging, longing to close as I snuggled into my thick covers. I changed into my pyjamas quickly, Leanne staring up at the top of her bed, “I’ll do it for what, ten?”

“Whatever.” She breathed, her voice thick again. “Do you think Umbridge would really kick me out?”

“We won’t let her.” I said with conviction, “I’ll bloody tutor you the whole summer if it needs it!” She managed a grin, “I’d rather die.”


The sun was warm again, although it didn’t make me feel much more sluggish, my untidily scrawled note to the twins attached to the leg of an owl, it was very basic, a sort of code so if Filch caught it as I assumed he may there would be nothing suspicious other than the address.

I’d just asked for ideas, advice.

I don’t think we wanted to hurt her, that wouldn’t make us any better. I wanted people to see how sick she was. Maybe that would be enough, proof Fudge couldn’t ignore, the scars on hands, her way, her words. I was hungry as well, her darling Inquisitorial Squad were stalking around, so I hadn’t risked sneaking down to the kitchen and we had totally missed breakfast and lunch so I’d have to wait, my stomach rumbling until dinner. I tapped my foot, I could go to the library, waste some time, I had finished all my work for the moment so I could jus try and relax.

But then the librarian would be fluttering around with her groans and loud shushing.
And the Common Room was full of stressed last years, who were snapping now worse than Hermione ever had. I sighed, straightening and pulling down the bottom of my dress.

Everyone else seemed to be having some sort of mid week weekend, boring lot.

I decided to trail the long way back up to the Common Room, I’d venture into the little lair she had made in her bed, accept a magazine and watch Katie polish and tidy her broom. I shuffled, hearing as the great hall doors open and students appear. Maybe I had subconsciously been waiting for Neville to check up on him. Either way there was a louder noise that caught my attention, Harry scurrying past me, knocking me.

“Harry?” I exclaimed, seeing the panic on his face and following him through the ground, watching as he tugged on Ron and Hermione, dragging them down and into a classroom. I sucked on my lower lip, managing a smile for Neville, and a quick question about the exam.

“Sorry, give me a sec.” I practically beamed, probably looking demented and patting his shoulder as I moved through the dispersing crowd and hesitated outside the room they were in, I heard a shout and stepping in, stopping the three instantly.

“What’s happened?” My instant worry was Voldemort, Bellatrix and from the looks of it I wasn’t far wrong. I could see Harry’s quick deliberation about telling me.

“I had another...premonition in the exam, Voldemort has Sirius, he’s torturing him to get whatever he needs in the Department of Mysteries!”

“The Department of mysteries?” I mused, brow furrowed, I knew little about it, nobody knew much, “Are you sure, that he’s got Sirius?”

“That was my exact point,” Hermione chipped in, “We don’t know if this is all,....”

An argument burst out again, Ron and Harry completely with rushing to the Ministry, saving Sirius. Hermione doubted he was there and I understand her meaning, but Harry had seen stuff before, he’d seen the snake attacking Mister Weasley.

But then Mad Eye had mentioned possession.

I stayed silent, mulling it over until Harry erupted, Hermione had dared to question if he had just dreamt, if Dumbledore wanting him to close his mind, occulemency (another surprise to me) meant that he didn’t want Harry to see this.

“IF YOU THINK I’M GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVENT SEEN___”

“Harry!” I hushed, his roaring would be echoing down the halls at this rate, he ignored me, “Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind!”

I went to ask more when Harry erupted again, “WELL I’D EXPECT HE’D SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF HE NEW WHAT I’D JUST...”

There was a creak and the door opened, almost bumping into me and revealing Ginny, looking bemused with Luna behind her, as vacant as ever. Harry and her snapped at eachother until Hermione again cut in, to check if it was true, if Sirius was gone from Grimmauld place we had to check, to use Umbridge’s fireplace. They needed a distraction, look outs.

A plan was forged.

And it all went terribly wrong.