Ch. 20: He's Back [Part 1]

                                    

                                          
dedicated to bellamour_ for the beautiful (!) banner on the side, thank you so much :D, I think it really goes with this chapter :)
Ch. 20: He's Back [Part 1]
Song For Chapter: The Things That Stop You Dreaming - Passenger (beautiful song)
    There was a still silence in the testing room as we waited for Umbridge to administer our O.W.L.s. I couldn't even focus. It was a mistake to end it with Fred today, for many reasons. One was the fact that it was his birthday; the other was my tests. But, today was the last day for the Twins. Ginny had told me that Umbridge had finally pushed them too far, and, they would be gone before the start of lunch.
    My bottom lip quivered as my eyes watered, thinking about what had ended only an hour before. Hermione had found me curled up in the girl's lavatory, bawling my eyes out like a young child.
    "You know," Hermione had sighed, pulling her arm around me and letting me lean my head on her shoulder, "I had done the very same thing in this very same lavatory once," she had chuckled solemnly, furrowing her brow a little, "It was Halloween, my first year at Hogwarts, and Ronald had made fun of me for being a know-it-all and having no friends."
    "Prick," I had blurted out, drying my eyes to listen to Hermione's story while I tried to calm my breathing.
    She had giggled, "Yeah, he was," Hermione had smirked, moving on in the tale, "But, I had thought my life was so horrid at that moment - I had no idea what I was in store for."
    "Your life is not terrible, Hermione," I had rolled my eyes, pushing her shoulder lightly.
    Hermione had shook her head at me, "No, you are right. But, I was locked in this very lavatory for hours. I had no idea that a mountain troll had been released and was roaming around the castle."
    "What?!" I sputtered out, completely confused, "How did it get into the Castle?"
    "Professor Quirrell," Hermione nodded, a small smile peeking through as she realized that she had my full attention now. And then, she began to tell me the story of her first year at Hogwarts, pulling my mind away from what had just happened moments before.
    BANG, BANG - into the room whizzed colorful orbs as they shot past my ear, pulling me from my morbid thoughts. 
    My heart beat wildly inside of my chest as I joined the others around me our state of confusion, all heads in the Great Hall shifting towards the closed front doors. Umbridge rose a brow at the orbs as they dissolved into thin air, getting gingerly out of her 'throne' in front of us all.
    BANG, BANG - the sound erupted again, but this time it was much louder and obnoxious as the large Great Hall doors were slammed open with a great force, making way for two mischievous broom riders to rocket inside, hands clutching home-made fireworks.
    I knew the inventions almost immediately, as I had been given one by Fred for my birthday last year. It was a beautiful form of magic, yet something in the back of my mind warned me that they were most definitely not planning on using them for their attractive nature.
    "APRIL FOOLS!" The Twins hollered towards the students, causing them to erupt into cheers and returning hollers of good tidings. Rockets bombarded the air as Fred and George unloaded their stock on the Great Hall, shattering glass panes. A few even chased Malfoy and his goonies around - trying to hit them.
    I watched them shoot across the room with a grin plastered on my face, giggling at their antics, but subtly dying on the inside as I kept my eyes locked with Fred's. He looked like he was in pain, but as his eyes met mine, he gave me a happy smile and sent down some butterfly sparkles, the same ones that he'd given me for my birthday the year before.