Chapter Thirteen - I Won't Back Down

                                    

                                          
Year Five, Feb. 1996:
                          
I was nervous to walk into the room, knowing that I was to leave with a scar on my hand. We'd all been through it over the past months; the torturer was ruthless and completely determined to get any information out of us. 
                          
'Oh Miss Diggory, so good to see you.' I walked into the pink brandished office, taking note of the billion cats swarming the walls.
                          
'Professor...' I mumbled, taking a seat as she beckoned me in front of her desk.
                          
'I'm sure your father would hate to hear of any misconduct coming from his only daughter now wouldn't he, Celia.' I scowled at her as she took me in, what did she know of my father?
                          
'I wouldn't know Miss, my father's not the type to care.' I stated, refusing to back down on her advances.
                          
'Well, I'm sure he'd hate to hear that his beloved Celia was ruining the Diggory name, such a shame after a terrible tragedy.' She tutted her teeth and moved around the table to face me.
                          
'You don't know anything about my family.' I seethed back, clenching my fists tightly.
                          
'There's no need for that anger, I'm just saying that I'm sure after poor Cedric's death he's already quite fragile, he surely doesn't need to know about his daughters rebellious nature.' I realised then that she was trying to coax me into admitting I was doing something wrong.
                          
'Miss, he won't care if you tell him I set the school on fire.' I stated, hoping she'd realise that nothing could get to me.
                          
'So he won't care to know that you've been going against school rules?' She asked, blinking too much as she stared right into my eyes.
                          
'I don't know what you're talking about... I've just been studying.' I clenched my teeth and feigned innocence.
                          
'Such ridiculous lies that you tell... I know you are close with Potter, I know he would have told you everything he is planning with Dumbledore.'
                          
'I'm not lying, Harry's got nothing to do with Dumbledore, nothing's going on!' I clenched my teeth even further, scared that I would break one if she pushed me any more with the stupid questions.


                          
'We'll see about that. I'm going to get you to write some lines for me now, Celia.' I relaxed slightly; I knew all about this, Harry's hand was still red around the scars.
                          
'What would you like me to write?' I asked, moving to face the desk with the pen and paper she had handed to me.
                          
'I would like you to write... "My brother died in vain", until it sinks in.' I stopped in my tracks, shocked at her request.
                          
'What?' I asked quietly, not able to concentrate on the paper.
                          
'You heard me Miss Diggory... my brother died in vain, until I tell you to stop.'
                          
'What sort of sicko are you?' I asked. My voice was even louder now, as I stood up from the desk, anger shooting through my bones.
                          
Images of Cedric lying on the floor while Voldemort taunted his dead body flashed through my mind, if only she knew...
                          
'How dare you raise your voice at me! I will not ask again Miss Diggory, and if I have to it will be a worse punishment than this, I assure you!' I sat down at the desk and stared at her, tears forming in my eyes as I stared at the paper.
                          
'What do you think you get out of torturing us? None of us are going to tell you anything. You can keep hurting us and branding us with your mind games and devices, but nothing will work.' My anger was so strong in this moment; I could rip her to shreds. If the ministry thought that forcing Umbridge on us would break us down, they had another thing coming.