Chapter Eleven:
( unexpected turn of events )

▂✫⌒*･ﾟ

SPENCER DOES NOT MIND silence lingering in the air. There is a point in time where people just have to breathe and stop talking rather than continuing in their long debate. Silence is the time when thoughts are louder and open to discussion inside the mind. What she does mind, however, is the fact that within that silence she feels loneliness. Her best friend is angry with her, Theodore completely shut off everyone, and Spencer was left by herself without choice. Where her mind is free to think. Sometimes, she is okay with what went inside. Numerals, theorems, quotes, a random medieval book, would play in her mind to distract her from realities. Other times, all of them would team up against her and all at once play each of the words— overlapping over each other to make the words incoherent. It is that reason why she hates silence with loneliness. Nothing good came out of it. Only fear of her mind.

It is hard not to avoid Ricky (not like she wants to), but each time he notices her among the room, he vanishes from sight completely. Spencer cannot say that does not hurt, because it does. Any brief eye contact causes him to immediately look away and Spencer feels each nerve inside her melt. Merlin, she truly is not okay. The Great Hall is not any better. When she notices Ricky hesitantly sit down, looking around his surroundings which makes her realize that if she sits down, there is a high chance he would get up and leave. Instead, she stands by the doorway and despite her stomach saying otherwise, her appetite disappeared. It is not like she eats a lot either way, right? She sighs to herself before turning away from the Great Hall. Ignoring the fact that not eating would make her feel weaker— both physically and emotionally. Especially since she barely ate the day before.

"Spencer!" A loud and familiar yell is what makes Spencer stop from continuing to walk. She turns slightly and barely manages a smile, one that does not seem to be genuine at all. Fred Weasley's grin slowly begins fading when he notices the saddened aura around her. He slows down his steps and stares at her in concern. She can tell he knows there is trouble in paradise between her and Ricky as he hesitates to question if she is alright. "You two are still not in good terms?"

Surprise is filled in his voice, as if the thought of the two Ravenclaws being apart is the same as him and George being separated. His twin, from what she has seen, is currently sitting in the Gryffindor table. It makes her feel slightly better that Fred noticed her presence and made his way toward her. Noticing she has not answered his question, Spencer shakes her head. Fred stares at her curiously before choosing to stay silent together. That kind of silence, Spencer truly does not mind. Being muted with someone else who she likes makes her feel safe. It surprises her that he figured that out rather quick.

Spencer should have known better to think that perhaps slowly things could get better. Just as the two students begin conversing lightly, they stop abruptly when they notice a familiar Slytherin with her two followers beside her. She had last talked (or well argued) with Morgana in the last day of break and chose to ignore the wicked girl from then on. The redheaded Gryffindor narrows his eyes with a deep glare and places himself in front of the Ravenclaw.

Morgana smirks. "Oh, how sweet. Is this your boyfriend? One of the blood-traitor Weasley twins— do you even know which?" The Slytherin wonders out loud, her finger slightly tapping on her chin as if in thought.

The young Montague scowls. "Leave Fred out of this, Morgana. It may have not gotten into that big head of yours that I do tend to be more observant than you," Spencer retorts back, placing a thankful touch in her friend's arm. The redheaded male could not help but glance at the girl in wonder. It always surprises him how she never once thought about which twin is which. She just knows. Even his mother falls for the stunts they pull off, but Spencer could not be tricked unless they completely change their looks to the other's.

"Did you hear about Aunt Mordra? I do hope she finds her way home," Morgana snickers, a pleasant smug smile on her face. Spencer glares at her harshly.

"I hope that she faces a dementor the way back," Spencer spats back. It appears that is a bad thing to say as Morgana darkens her eyes and swiftly takes out her wand. Within seconds, the Slytherin casts a spell and being prepared, Spencer does one of her own, "Protego."

The spell is countered and yet Spencer's head starts to ache in pain— her eyes squint as if trying to gain a better focus. That does not mean Morgana is done. Instead, she points her wand at Fred— who is smart but not quick in his actions— and mutters, "Stupefy."

Spencer realizes what her sister has done and she moves closer to her friend to cover the both of them. There is no way she is about to let her sister harm one of her friends— no matter if the spell is a really harmful one or not. Which is why she had leaned closer knowing her own shield can protect them from her. For a few seconds, she feels a jolt of pain because of the bright light from Morgana impacting the force shield (creating two sparks which hurt her vision), before her eyes roll to the back of her head and she renders down unconscious.

Fred quickly catches her body, his heart beating faster than normal. He notices the surprise look on Morgana's face (did she regret it?), but then it changes into one of happiness. Morgana blows him a kiss and sends him a wink before fleeing from the scene of the crime. Instead of going after her, Fred places Spencer's head on his lap and yells out, "Help!"

He does not realize his yell had been loud, but the hall is crowded immediately and George is first to run to his side (having recognized the voice). His twin releases a gasp, and so did others that arrive. Professor McGonagall speeds up to them and orders for the twins to carry the young Ravenclaw out of there, creating a pathway from there to the Hospital Wing. The elder woman frowns deeply and ignores Professor Umbridge as the pink-dressed woman tries to gain her attention.

"That young Montague did something to get herself in this situation, didn't she? Oh— you just wait until I give her—" Professor Umbridge begins grumbling before Professor McGonagall sends her a cold look.

"She is injured. Spencer Montague will not get punished," demands Professor McGonagall in a strict tone. The other woman appears taken back but does not argue against her word's. Instead, she walks off with a few of her own. Hermione, Ron, and Harry huddle up together in worry, their eyebrows scrunch up together. Ricky, having heard the commotion, slowly makes their way toward them in confusion. They do not realize his presence as Ron whispers, "Fred is the one who yelled for help."

Hermione snaps her head toward him. "What?" She questions in shock. "How do you know?"

The Weasley male gulps slightly. "Well, I always hear 'em yelling back home. That and George went running faster than usual— he knows Fred better than anyone," Ron replies quietly.

Harry frowns. "Where did Fred go?"

"He saw Spencer leaving the Great Hall and went after her," Ron answers, his brows still scrunching up— except in worry. Ricky slowly begins to realize what the Gryffindor boy is saying and he grabs Ron's arm in alert.

"Are you telling me that..."

Ricky could not finish his sentence as Ron gives him a pitiful look. Hermione seems to realize as well and then finally it hits Harry. The Ravenclaw male fit himself through the crowd and began heading straight to the Hospital Wing. The Gryffindors blink in surprise before following behind him. All their steps are stopped by a familiar Slytherin male who has a face of worry. Ricky recoils at his appearance and forces himself to actually look at him.

"Ricky— um— Adams... is it true? Is Spence hurt?" Theodore Nott stops them in their tracks, his face filled with concern. His expression slightly falls as he notices the way Ricky glances at him warily. "Please, she's my friend too," he begs, scanning his face for any reaction.

Slowly, Ricky nods. The three Gryffindors stays silent, watching the awkward exchange, but also noting how the Slytherin with a Deatheater as a father actually does have emotions. Not just his usual snark or facade he put on for others. They let him accompany them as they make their way to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey sighs at the crowd of students before letting them pass.

"She'll be alright. In fact, she'll wake up like nothing happened. Poor girl hasn't eaten and the two emitting lights caused her to get light-headed," the elder healer tells them not unkindly. She glances at them in suspicion before leaving them to it. Fred and George are already by her side, one of them looking far more distraught than the other.

"It's my fault, I'm sorry," Fred apologizes to the Ravenclaw male, his hand rubbing his face in frustration. Ricky furrows his eyebrows in confusion while George pats his brother comfortingly. "If I just acted fast..."

"What happened?" Hermione interrupts. Everyone else seem to want to know as well.

Fred closes his eyes in regret. "Morgana attempted to hex Spencer," he reveals. While Ricky and Theodore do not seem genuinely surprised that the Slytherin girl could do such thing, everyone else widened their eyes in shock. "Except you know how smart and quick Spence is," he chuckles slightly, a proud smile on his face.

"She protected herself," Harry mumbles to himself and yet audible for everyone to hear.

The Weasley boy nods, but then his smile vanishes. "Then Morgana turned to me instead but Spence just moved closer to me and I think the light hurt her eyes or something."

"We have to tell someone!" Hermione exclaims loudly, anger building up in her for the Slytherin female.

Theodore scoffs. "Like they'll believe us. Umbridge would give Potter another week worth of detention, she would bring you down. The twins would get the same as Potter; Weasley here would get ignored along with Ricky, and I would get treated as if I have brain damage," the Slytherin makes a point, crossing his arms as he glares at the Ravenclaw girl. How dare she get hurt?

Harry frowns at his statement, realizing it is all true when it came down to Umbridge. Then what? George stayed quiet the whole time before glancing at his brother with a smirk. Fred notices his stare and the two silently talk with their eyes before they share the same features. "Let Fred and I take care of it... Morgana won't see it coming," George claims, his eyes filled with mischief and revenge altogether.

Hermione makes a face of disagreement, but she lost over the nods of encouragement coming from every other figure in the room. Madam Pomfrey returns with a jug of water and places it near the table. She gives them a look as she tells them, "All of you better head to your class. She will be up and resting after they're done."

.･:*:･ﾟ'✫,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

MADAM POMFREY HAD BEEN right. Spencer woke up while everyone else had been in class and after an hour of the healer checking up on her, the young Montague had been able to wander off. She thought she was afraid of Morgana (well, she actually is), but truthfully, she is more annoyed than anything. Her sister does not know when to relax and she is quite tired of her same tactics. Fear still rests in her system, but it is covered by the annoyance.

She wanders toward the entrance hall and sits down. Madam Pomfrey had given her a whole meal because Spencer revealed that she did not eat breakfast nor dinner the day before and the woman freaked immediately, giving her a whole lecture that her unconsciousness occurred and lasted longer than usual because of her loss of appetite. Apparently the loss of food over the course of days causes her to weaken her system and when the two bright lights collided, it rendered her unconscious because of it.

The young girl now sits outside and feels slightly better than in the morning. For some reason, her being knocked unconscious gave her a chance to breathe. Her mind fell completely blank and it felt calm when she woke up. It is the reason she does not mind being alone for the time being. It does not last long as the brooding-looking Slytherin finds herself in the steps and he leaves his own housemates to find a seat next to her.

"Are you supposed to be outside?" Blaise Zabini questions, choosing not to point out the obvious. He already knows Morgana had to be involved and honestly, none of the two wanted to converse about her. Spencer sends him an amused expression.

"Are you worried about me, Mister Darnay?" Spencer teases softly. He raises his eyebrow and scoffs light-heartedly. "But if you must know... Madam Pomfrey gave me permission, of course. Do you really think she would have let me leave?"

Noticing that he had come from elsewhere and not the Great Hall, she straightens up. "You should go eat," she points out, tilting her head in wonder.

Zabini leans back with a shrug. "I'm not that hungry," he answers.

Spencer stares at him. "Go eat. Or at least get food and then come back," she offers, not letting him choose any other option. The Slytherin arches a brow before sighing in defeat. He stands up from his spot and went inside the Great Hall. The boy offers no suspicion whether he is coming back or not, but she stays outside and waits. She wonders if Theodore is okay, and if Ricky is still mad at her. Hopefully, given the free time she has given him, he is now alright.

The Slytherin surprises her once more as she feels his presence beside her. Food rests on his lap and he offers her an apple, one that she gratefully takes. Comfortable silence lingers in the air as the two quietly eat. Spencer glances up as she hears a loud cry coming from a distraught woman. Zabini and her share a look before noticing the Divination professor wailing as if she were in pain. The Ravenclaw stands up in concern and Zabini follows her as they make their way to the scene. Suddenly, many other students come from the Great Hall and pushes around to get to the front. The Slytherin wraps his hands gently around her waist so the girl wouldn't get pushed down after coming back from the Hospital Wing.

A shock expression fell on her face as she notices Professor Trelawney with a wand in one hand and an empty sherry bottle in the other, looking utterly furious. Her hair is sticking up an end, her glasses are lopsided so that one eye is bigger than the other; her innumerable shawls and scarves are trailing haphazardly from her shoulders, giving the impression that she is falling apart at the seams. Two large trunks lay on the floor beside her, one of them upside down; it looks very much as though it has been thrown down the stairs after her. Professor Trelawney is staring, apparently terrified, at the woman Spencer absolutely loathed.

"No!" Professor Trelawney shrieks. "No! This cannot be happening... it cannot! I refuse to accept it!"

Spencer places her hand right in her mouth, covering her lips that are parted in bewilderment. Her hand clenches tightly as she overhears the High Inquisitor, in a very high-pitched tone with amusement, say, "You didn't realize this was coming?"

Her eyebrows are rose up high that the Ravenclaw almost notices a bird upon them. "Incapable though you are of predicting tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of improvement, would make it inevitable you would be sacked?" Professor Umbridge questions with her fake smile.

"You c-can't!" howls Professor Trelawney, tears streaming down her face. "Hogwarts is m-my h-home!"

Spencer lets her gaze fall to the floor. Personally, she never truly liked the woman. Even so, this feels too heartbreaking. Being kicked out of one's own home? The enjoyment in Professor Umbridge's face threw her off. There is nothing amusing happening— it is all rather upsetting. She slowly backs away (with all the shoving and crowding) and accidentally steps in Zabini's well-polished shoes. Spencer gives a quiet apology and forces herself to relax upon the area as he in return calmly soothes her shoulder.

(She definitely ignores the fact that his right hand is still placed on her waist).

"It was your home, until an hour ago, when the Ministry of Magic countersigned the order for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us," the disgusting, extremely wicked, and vile pink-looking toad claims happily. She stands and watches with an expression of gloating enjoyment. Professor Trelawney shudders and moans, rocking backwards and forwards as if in a state of shock. Professor McGonagall broke away from the spectators and marches straight to the Divination professor, patting her firmly on the back while withdrawing a large handkerchief from within her robes.

Just as Professor McGonagall comforts the wailing woman with the words, "you are not going to have to leave Hogwarts," Professor Umbridge clears her throat firmly.

"Oh, really, Professor McGonagall?" asks Umbridge in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward. "And your authority for that statement is...?"

It appears everyone hold in their breath immediately after a deep and familiar voice enters the area, pronouncing, "That would be mine." Spencer cannot describe the utter silence and disbelief she feels the moment her eyes notices a peculiar old man, standing among the doorway from the entrance in an oddly misty night. Albus Dumbledore strides forward through the circle of onlookers and toward the place where Professor Trelawney sits. For a complete moment, Spencer forgot that they actually do have a headmaster. Dumbledore is practically missing this whole school year which is extremely odd, but not unsurprising with Voldemort's return.

"Merlin, he knows how to make a dramatic entrance," Spencer she cannot help but gasp out, forgetting about the Slytherin behind her until an amused snort is heard from behind. She silences when the headmaster keeps the same wrinkly smile on his face, revealing nothing at all, but obviously keeping Umbridge out of touch.

What was the old wizard doing? The Ravenclaw girl chins up and listens in closely as he continues to speak. "As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid... that the power to do so still resides with the headmaster. And it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continues to live at Hogwarts."

"No— no, I'll g-go, Dumbledore! I sh-shall l-leave Hogwarts and s-seek my fortune elsewhere—"

"No," Dumbledore interrupts sharply. "It is my wish that you remain, Sibyll."

Spencer watches quietly with tension. Professor Umbridge truly does not know her boundaries, her schemes seem to be open-wide for everyone to see. She is evil in the most humane way, without the set of killing.

Dumbledore turns to Professor McGonagall. "Might I ask you to escort Sibyll back upstairs?"

Professor McGonagall along with Professor Sprout hurriedly took the Divination ex-professor out of the way. Guiding her past Umbridge and up the marble stairs. Spencer's head of house, Professor Flitwick, scurries right behind them, charming the luggages to follow the women and him. Umbridge wears a face of shock, while Dumbledore still stares upon them with a smile.

"And what," she says in a whisper that nevertheless carries all around the entrance hall, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs let lodgings."

Dumbledore says with a pleasant smile, "Oh, that won't be a problem. You see, I already found us a new Divination teacher, and he'll prefer lodging on the ground floor."

"You've found—?" said Umbridge shrilly. "You've found? Might I remind you..."

Spencer leans her head back slightly and tells Zabini behind her, "She's gonna mention the Educational Decree Twenty-Two and how the Ministry has the right to appoint whoever they find suitable— but Dumbledore has the advantage because he's the headmaster."

Just as she predicts, the woman does bring that decree up and Dumbledore definitely shut it down with the same excuse. Spencer smiles with triumph while earning an impressed look from the Slytherin.

"May I introduce you?" Dumbledore turns to face the open front doors, through which night mist is not drifting. Spencer heard hooves. It does not take long for her to realize what the newcomer may be. Her eyes widen as she notices white blond hair and astonishing blue eyes. The head and torso of a man joined to the palomino body of a horse.

"This is Firenze," said Dumbledore happily leaving a thunderstruck Umbridge. "I think you'll find him suitable."

Spencer grins at the woman's face. For all the months that Umbridge has been in Hogwarts, she realizes a few things among them. One of those is the fact that she despises half-breeds like Hagrid and now Firenze. The students slowly begins departing and without realizing it, Spencer's breath went back to normal (she had not realize she was holding it in). Perhaps she truly is crowded in the herd among students. With the help of Zabini, she steadily left the area and returns back to the place they had been eating.

"Seems like you're gonna have a centaur for Divination," Zabini points out, standing tall to look for any of his housemates.

"That's... different," Spencer replies softly. As her eyes wander around, they stop right at a familiar pair of blue. She faintly smiles, hoping that they could be reunited and would hug each other. The young girl desperately desires one. And a breath of relief escapes her as the boy across the room faintly returns it as well and begins strolling toward her.

The Slytherin, having notice the interaction, gently pats the girl in the back before walking away. Spencer barely mumbles a goodbye before she ran toward Ricky and instantly let her arms wrap him in an embrace. She smiles heavenly before noticing that her shoulders began to water up. It does not take long for her to realize that he is crying.

"I'm so sorry, Spence," Ricky cries out, squeezing his hold tight against his body. She can feel regret coming out of him— one that she knows he does not have to feel. "I couldn't— it was horrible seeing you in the Hospital Wing when beforehand I had been angry—"

"Ricky," Spencer cuts him off. She grabs his face and makes him look at her. "I'm fine. Really fine, actually. I get why you were upset and I'll admit it hurt worse than Morgana doing that. But I get it."

He swallows deeply before closing his eyes and bringing her in for another hug.

(And no matter how rough a path is for their friendship, the two could overcome what stands in their way).

▂✫⌒*･ﾟ

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
bro imagine thinking i'd not fix
their friendship ?? they're too important
to me and i just wanna protect everyone
but instead i cause ✨pain✨ idk guys

ricky&spence are literally inseparable u losers.
they can't really be fully mad with another,
that's impossible 😄 but anyway, next
chapter u already know what happens haha

also i just want to say how proud i am of
myself??? i wrote four chapters this week !!
if i continue this up i will almost be done
with em when school starts 🥺💓💓 &
then imma be sad cause i love all these
characters (except morgana, mordra, spencer's
parents, theo's dad, umbridge— u know what
nvm ❤️)