Powerful People

Chris hurriedly pulled Ginny back and they landed on the ground but before Chris could warn Ginny, something else happened. Angelina was holding Fred back with great difficulty and Harry was holding George, Ron was nowhere to be seen. 

Only then Chris understood what was going on.

"— We couldn't fit in useless loser either — for his father, you know —" said Montague smirking. "— but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter? Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay —"

Chris grabbed Ginny's arm to stop her. 

"Gin, ignore it — guys stop it —" Chris looked around for Umbridge.

"Or perhaps, you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it —" Montague said and before Chris could understand or stop what was happening, Harry and George were on Montague. Then take the opportunity of Chris and Angelina's shock condition Fred and Ginny got rid of them.

"FRED! HARRY! NO!" Angelina yelled.

Chris tried to pull Ginny or Harry or Fred or George anyone to pull back. But when she couldn't she pulled her wand out.

"IMPEDIMENTA!" Chris shouted and all four of them were knocked over backwards by the force of the spell.

Montague was curled up on the ground, whimpering and moaning, his nose bloody. Madam Hooch whistled loudly, coming down. Professor McGonagall was also hurrying towards them looking furious.

"We are doomed," Angelina muttered.

"Weasley! Potter! All four of you!" Professor McGonagall cried, "In my office. Now!"

"Hem, hem." Umbridge arrived with a delightful smile on her face.

Chris's stomach dropped. Something bad was coming she could feel it.

"May I help, Professor McGonagall?" asked Umbridge in her most poisonously sweet voice.

Blood rushed into Professor McGonagall's face.

"Help?" she repeated in a constricted voice. "What do you mean, 'help'?"

"I am talking about the thing Cornelius sent me," said Umbridge, still smiling. "Do you want to discuss that here or inside my office, Minerva?"

Chris would not have been surprised to see sparks fly from Professor McGonagall's nostrils.

"In my office, if you please," she said curtly and marched out of the Quidditch pitch.

"Well, after you four," Umbridge said pointing at Ginny, Harry, Fred and George. They all followed McGonagall silently. Chris tried to catch Ginny's eye but she just walked away. Unexpectedly Umbridge caught Chris's eye and her nasty sweet smile widened, almost into a triumph smile. Chris glared at her.

"Don't worry, I will not go very hard on them," Umbridge whispered to Chris. "But a advise for you, dear, you shouldn't know things which you aren't supposed to know. The circumstances can be dangerous."

"Just wait till I leak the Dementors thing about you," Chris hissed keeping her voice low.

"Oh don't worry, Fudge is not a threat anymore," Umbridge with her most honeyed tone. "I have more powerful people behind me, Miss Norton. You better behave yourself or your friends have to pay."

And she strolled out of pitch with a big smile on her face. Chris noticed Montague, who smirked at Chris before leaving with his fellow Slytherins.

Chris stared at Umbridge and the Slytherins retreating figures feeling perplexed. 

Fudge is not a threat anymore? She have more powerful people behind her? Now seriously, what the hell is going on?

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"Banned," said Angelina in a hollow voice, late that evening in the common room when Ginny, Harry, Fred and George returned. "Banned. No Seeker, no Beaters, and only two chasers . . . What on earth are we going to do?"

It did not feel as though they had won the match at all. Chris was half-listening to people talks and zoning out half of the times. Umbridge's words were still swirling around Chris's head.

"It's just so unfair," said Colin. "I mean, what about Crabbe and that Bludger he hit after the whistle had been blown? Has she banned him?"

"No," said Ginny angrily. "He just got lines, Montague was laughing about it at dinner. I can't believe she — she —"

Chris was staring out of the dark window. Snow was falling. The Snitch Harry had caught earlier and had forgotten to give back, was now zooming around and around the common room; people were watching its progress as though hypnotized and Crookshanks was leaping from chair to chair, trying to catch it.

Chris didn't hear Angelina or Fred and George leaving but when she tuned back to her surroundings she found only Ginny, Colin, Harry and Hermione sitting around her.

"Where is Ron?" Colin asked.

"I think he's avoiding us," said Hermione.

Colin's face fell.

"The song was terrible, I tried to silence the Slytherins but I guess it was too late." He sighed.

"You were the one who put that silencing charm on Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione said looking utterly surprised. "You did that really great, Colin. You put the charm on eight or nine people, didn't you?"

"Twelve actually," Colin smiled a little. "It was Luna's idea though."

"Chris, are you okay?" Harry said suddenly.

"Huh?" Chris looked back at them.

"Chris, look I'm sorry, I know you're mad," Ginny said looking very guilty. "I mean I also would have been if you did the same thing. You tried to stop me but I just didn't care and —"

"Gin, Gin, Gin! What on earth made you think that I'm mad at you?" Chris said feeling startled. 

"But you weren't talking like forever," Colin said. "So we just thought you don't want to talk."

"I'm not mad. I didn't want to talk because I'm just. . ." Chris trailed off. 

"You are just?" Ginny repeated.

"Confused, I guess."

"Confused about what?" Hermione asked.

But at that precise moment, there was a creaking sound behind them as the Fat Lady swung forward and Ron came clambering through the portrait hole. He was very pale indeed and there was snow in his hair. When he saw Chris, Colin, Ginny, Harry and Hermione he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Where have you been?" said Ginny.

"Walking," Ron mumbled. He was still wearing his Quidditch things.

"You look frozen," said Hermione. "Come and sit down!"

Ron walked to the fireside and sank into a chair.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, looking at his feet.

"What for?" said Harry.

"For thinking, I can play Quidditch," said Ron. "I'm going to resign first thing tomorrow."

"If you resign," said Harry testily, "there'll only be two players left on the team." And when Ron looked puzzled, he said, "I've been given a lifetime ban. So've Ginny, Fred and George."

"What?" Ron yelped.

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To be continued...