Umbridge waved her wand, and two tattered armchairs flew from the corner of the classroom, landing beside the platform. She sat in one and smiled at Anne.
"Miss Reeve, no need to be nervous. Sit," she said, pointing to the other chair.
"Yes, Professor Umbridge," Anne replied stiffly, sitting upright at the very edge of the seat.
Umbridge seemed very pleased with her response and smiled broadly. "Such a good girl. Exactly the kind of student the Ministry likes to see. It's a pity there are always troublemakers, isn't it? Nasty, rebellious children. I believe what they need is a bit of discipline. Once they're taught a proper lesson, they'll learn. Don't you agree, Miss Reeve?"
The way she said Anne's name made Anne involuntarily shiver with discomfort.
But under Umbridge's watchful gaze, she could only nod.
Umbridge kept smiling and stared at Anne in silence.
"...Yes, Professor Umbridge," Anne added quickly.
Umbridge nodded, clearly satisfied. "Good girl. Then I suppose you don't believe in all that nonsense Mr. Potter has been spreading, do you?"
After a moment's thought, Anne answered, "No, Professor Umbridge."
Umbridge nodded more enthusiastically. "Good, honest girl. The Ministry believes that honest, clever students will become outstanding wizards and witches. The wizarding tradition has always been based on, "
She then launched into a long-winded speech about the magical world, full of vague ideals and Ministry propaganda, before ending with a seemingly rhetorical question: "The Ministry's actions are correct, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, Professor Umbridge," Anne replied mechanically, staring at her and thinking that if she kept going any longer, she'd interrupt just to get to dinner.
Umbridge seemed to notice Anne's growing impatience. She smiled sweetly and said, "These are important matters, my dear. You've behaved so honestly and wisely. I'm going to reward you, you're excused from this week's homework. Now go and have your dinner."
"Thank you, Professor Umbridge," Anne said quickly, springing from the chair and walking straight out of the classroom.
By the time she reached the Great Hall, there weren't many people left. She went straight to Fanny's side, grabbed a cup of milk tea, took a large gulp, and collapsed into her seat.
"So hungry..."
She immediately stabbed into a big slice of roast beef and began chewing quickly.
Fanny had only a glass of milk in front of her, she had already eaten and was waiting for Anne.
Once Anne had devoured half her plate and slowed down, Fanny asked, "Anne, what did Professor Umbridge want with you?"
Several people remaining at the Slytherin table pricked up their ears. Malfoy wasn't there, but Pansy Parkinson was, and Anne had no doubt she'd report back to him.
Anne didn't mind. In fact, she hoped word would spread. She wanted to test her theory about Umbridge's true intentions, though she still needed more evidence.
"Professor Umbridge first asked me whether troublemakers should be punished. Then she asked if I believed all that talk about You-Know-Who returning. Finally, she gave a long speech about the Ministry's hopes for young witches and wizards. I said yes to the first question, and no to the second. Then she excused me from homework to make up for the time she'd taken."
Anne finished her explanation briskly, then winked at Fanny.
"Oh, I see," Fanny nodded and sipped her milk.
Once Anne finished her tea, they both got up and headed back toward the Slytherin dorms.
The corridor was empty, and they walked slowly. Anne leaned close and quietly repeated everything Umbridge had said word for word.
"That's the 'important matter' she mentioned?" Fanny asked with a frown.
"I think it's only the beginning," Anne replied thoughtfully.
"You mean…" Fanny glanced around and lowered her voice. "The Ministry's control over Hogwarts is just getting started?"
Anne nodded.
Fanny frowned even more deeply. "But won't Dumbledore do something about it?"
Anne shook her head. "I think he has more important things to deal with right now. Besides, Fudge is still the Minister of Magic..."
Fanny said nothing more, and Anne stayed quiet too.
Just as they reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Fanny suddenly said, "Oh, by the way, during dinner, everyone was talking about what happened in Umbridge's class with Harry. Apparently, Harry, Hermione, and Ron left the hall before finishing their meal."
"Is that so? Noted," Anne said calmly.
Back in the common room, both girls took out their Transfiguration homework for Professor Snape. After finishing, they discussed it briefly and then went to bed.
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The next morning was Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class.
"If you do not study, practice, and apply yourselves seriously," she said sternly, "you will not pass your O.W.L.s. However, I believe every student in this class is capable of earning a satisfactory mark, as long as you put in the time and effort."
She glanced meaningfully at Anne. "So this term, we will be working harder than ever. And yes, some students will be getting my special attention."
Fanny gave Anne a sympathetic look. Anne let out a long sigh.
"Now, today we'll begin with the Vanishing Spell. This charm is somewhat easier than the Summoning Spell taught at N.E.W.T. level, but it's still one of the most difficult spells you'll encounter in your O.W.L.s."
It was difficult. By the end of class, Fanny had successfully vanished her snail, while Anne's was still happily crawling across the desk.
When the bell rang, Anne reluctantly handed in her fully intact snail. McGonagall glanced at it and said, with her usual tone, "Miss Reeve, I'm afraid since you're the only one to hand in a completely unharmed snail, you'll need to come to my office this evening for extra practice."
Anne pretended not to hear Malfoy and the others laughing. She just nodded with a dejected expression.
Fanny patted her on the shoulder. "It's alright, Anne. Maybe with Professor McGonagall's personal help, you'll do better. Besides, it's Tuesday, there should be new dishes at lunch! I'll grab extras for you."
At that, Anne brightened considerably. She thanked Fanny and headed to the infirmary, where Madam Pomfrey was already waiting. She expertly changed Anne's bandages.
"You don't need to keep it in a sling anymore," she said after finishing.
That news immediately lifted Anne's mood. Her arm was nearly healed, and lunch awaited.
She skipped into the Great Hall, only to feel several Gryffindor stares on her. Hermione, Harry, Fred, and George were all watching.
Unbothered, Anne sat beside Fanny and picked up a slice of a freshly served dish.
"Hey, is your arm better?" Fanny asked.
"Almost. Just two or three more days until the bandages come off. But at least I don't have to keep it in a sling anymore," Anne replied cheerfully.
As they were leaving the Hall, Hermione came striding up, wind practically trailing behind her. Harry, Ron, Fred, and George followed.
Hermione looked quite angry, but upon seeing Anne's arm, her tone softened. "Anne, is your arm better?"
"It's nearly healed. Just a few more days," Anne said. "So, what's this about?"
She glanced pointedly at Fred and George.
"It's about them," Hermione said bluntly. "They were using first-year students as test subjects in the common room!" She pulled a notebook and a bag of sweets from her bag and handed them to Anne.
"We paid them!" Fred blurted.
"Yeah, we posted a sign, totally voluntary!" George said, pulling out the flyer. In bold letters, it read:
LOADS OF GALLEONS!
Need extra pocket money? Want to earn some easy gold?
Contact Fred and George Weasley in the Gryffindor common room for a simple and nearly painless side gig.
(Disclaimer: All risks are assumed by the applicant.)
"I don't care, it could be dangerous!" Hermione said sternly.
"Nonsense," Fred snapped.
"They all woke up just fine yesterday," George added.
"Sure," Hermione said coolly. "But they had no idea what they'd eaten. They were still dazed after waking up."
"But we already tested these candies on ourselves, we just wanted to see if others had the same reactions, " Fred began.
"They're all safe! Almost zero risk!" George insisted.
Anne flipped through the notebook. It was filled with detailed data and conclusions. In fact, she thought their research was impressively thorough. But then she glanced at Hermione, back straight, eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Okay… I think I understand the situation," Anne said, causing all three to turn to her.
"So, Hermione, what do you think they should do?" Anne asked, weighing the notebook in her hand.
Fred and George stared at her in shock. They had fully expected Anne to take their side.
Hermione glanced at them, less angry now, but still firm. "I can't stop them from experimenting on themselves, but they're not allowed to use first-years."
"They're not stupid candy!" the twins protested.
"Mmm… this knockout marshmallow smells nice," Anne sniffed. "Did you add a basic sedative potion? Can it stay stable? What's the shelf life?"
"Of course it's stable!" George said, still frustrated. "We added powdered bioroot. It'll last around three months."
"Wow," Anne said genuinely. "You two really put time into this, huh?"
Fred huffed, arms crossed. "If we had more subjects, we could improve it even more…"
Hermione glared at them again.
"Alright, alright," Anne said, softening her tone. "Hermione, do you still want to confiscate these?"
Fred and George tensed, staring at the notebook containing months of work.
Hermione looked at Anne. "As long as they stop using first-years, I suppose I can give it back."
"Okay." Anne nodded, then turned to Fred and George with a serious tone, handing back the notebook and sweets.
"In that case, since the Gryffindor prefect has made a ruling, you are hereby forbidden from testing on Gryffindor first-years."
She emphasized every word clearly.
Fred and George instantly caught her meaning. Fred snatched back the notebook and candy with glee. "Understood! Absolutely obedient!"
The two high-fived and bolted.
Hermione gave Anne a sharp look. Anne blinked innocently. "Hey, I followed your instructions to the letter!"
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The complete release can be accessed through Patreon.com/Crimson_Lore