Bab 81: Chapter 100 - Detention and Souls
"If they wanted someone from Jenova cells, there were other choices! But they chose you, not because they wanted Jenova cells, but because they wished for Cloud Strife."
Cloud abruptly opened his eyes, gazing at the roof he hadn't seen before last night. The place where he was in a Hotel Room in Ohio, and for the past week, he had been on the search.
Since they didn't have a branch, it took some time to search for these people. However, he had an idea that helped him expedite the process.
"Hah…" He sat up, holding his throbbing head. He wasn't worried about finding the two that the system—Echo mentioned. He was worried about Hermione's echoing words inside his head that kept him fixed on them.
'After I have found them. I can take time,' Cloud thought in his head, getting off the bed.
'Echo.'
[Call me System.]
Cloud raised his eyebrow in confusion but didn't argue, 'System. How are Tifa and Aerith doing?'
[Do you wish to see System Logs?]
'Yeah. Show me?'
Cloud thought for a moment that System Logs would be written statements over the last few day's events, but he was wrong.
[System Log #6002 – Initiating.]
It was the second day of the start of the new term, and an army of Owls swooped down on the Gryffindor table, dropping letters on it and delivering them to one person. While some of them stayed to take a reply back, the others flew back instantly.
There was much to give attention to, and Tifa Lockhart was the one who was getting this unwanted attention.
As the owner of Daily Prophet, she had her work cut out for her. When she was at the Ministry, these letters were read and presented to her, but now, they were delivered at once.
"Say ahh," Aerith watched as Tifa read them, writing back an answer to each, and she fed Tifa in between.
Tifa parted her lips, taking a bite of the sausage links while ignoring the whispers of the other houses. Though, there were a few questions from a few people that she couldn't ignore.
"Tifa, why aren't you writing anything about Cloud?"
Tifa turned her head to her left, where the girl had come to sit, tilting her head as she replied to Ginny, "You should know why I am not writing."
"I don't really," Ginny leaned in, whispering, "I know he's not our enemy and ol. But we have to pretend he is, but won't it be suspicious if you don't write even a little in his favour."
"Well, he went ahead and revived Voldemort…so there is nothing I can write in his favour," Tifa sighed, "Moreover, I don't write. I tell them what they are allowed to and are not. And who has the right to tell them what to write without the Ministry."
Ginny screwed her eyebrows, "Aren't you being a bit too harsh on him?"
"Ok, Ginny, stop that," Aerith tilted her head, giving her a look, "Tifa's doing the best she can. Even…I don't want to do it, nor does she, but…it's necessary."
Both of them had been angry about it long enough for Cloud (since he wasn't), and he was being pushed under because most people were here in denial that the so-called Dark Lord had returned.
But being angry or sad didn't solve their problem, and it helped that there were so many people who believed in him despite the rumours, still.
Tifa took a deep breath, pushing a few letters to Ginny, "Starting today, you are helping me with all this work."
"What? No! I already have so much homework!"
"I'll help you out with your homework," Tifa resting the feather of her quill on her lips, "Maybe I should start hiring a few people. Do my work for me, and I can help them with their homework and teaching since we have already done most of our studies."
"Brilliant idea," Aerith grinned, and while a few others who heard it thought it was an ok deal, their thoughts had drastically changed by the evening they met again in the Gryffindor Common Room.
"I can't believe that woman!! If I didn't know better, I would have thought she was working for You-Know-Who!"
"You had her class too?" Ginny was rushing over to Tifa when she heard Hermione shouting and pacing.
"Yes! She doesn't want us to study spells! Theory-only she says!"
"Us too!" Ginny curled her lips, "She wouldn't teach a single thing. She says that we don't need it! I was looking forward to it too."
Ron and Harry were looking at the mountain of homework in front of them lifelessly, so when Ron said, "I didn't think things would be like this."
"Of course, they would be," Aerith curled her lips, resting her head on Tifa's lap, lying on the couch, "That woman is a bad, bad woman. The worst."
Harry raised his head, sitting on the lounge, "I think he means what is going on in the whole school. Everyone thinks that Dumbledore and I are liars. Not only that…I didn't know some articles said this was a plan that Dumbledore cooked up since Cloud threatened his position as the Strongest Wizard."
"Foolish really," Ron curled his lips, "As if Dumbledore would do that."
"Ok, it's just the Ministry. Fudge asked me, more like trying to insinuate if they didn't, then I'd be seen as another rogue wizard. He did so many times; since he wanted to allow my writers to write such articles," Tifa watched the paper and quill floating in front of her eyes, writing through her magic, "They came up with scenario's so absurd that I felt shame for their intelligence."
"I am not worried," Harry's eyes shimmered, "The things I have seen in the last month. They are bound to call me a liar even if I told them. I guess I understand why they are in denial."
Suddenly, a silence followed that made Harry sit up and look at his friends looking back at him.
"It's strange," Aerith muttered.
"Yeah, very strange," Ginny nodded, blinking, "He's acting so mature."
"Very strange indeed," Hermione agreed with them, and Harry's face flushed red.
"It's not strange!"
Ron nudged him, "You saw things? What things? Why didn't you tell me about them?"
"I'll tell you," Harry scratched his cheek, "Never got the time. First, let's do our homework."
"You better."
"Should have acted that mature in the class, and you wouldn't have gotten detention," Hermione sat down, huffing.
"You got detention? Why?"
"I…" Harry scratched, "I understand if they don't believe me. But she kept calling me an attention-seeking liar or things like those, and they aren't teaching us Defense Spells. If we don't learn and Voldemort attacks, our friends could die! It's fine calling us a liar but pushing us to death because they are in denial? How is that fair!"
"That's why he got the detention for the whole week."
"Whole week?" Tifa stopped working, yawning, covering her mouth. She looked at Harry, "Didn't Angelina tell you we have tryouts?"
"Uh…yeah…."
"Then you are dead," Tifa pressed her lips, "It was nice knowing you."
"It's not like I can help it," Harry's shoulder slumped, and Ginny walked over and sat down near him, "You can always ask Umbridge to leave you be on that day?
"I'll try."
And so, the next day passed at ease, most of the day that was, in the evening when Aerith stopped in the middle of the hall.
"Did you drop something?" Jordan looked back, asking her as they went to the common room.
Aerith turned back, and a wind brushed past her cheeks and ears, making Jordan Lee raise his eyebrows.
"Where is this wind coming from?"
Aerith didn't answer him, hearing the whisper of the wind, the voices of two souls.
"Aerith, help Harry...he needs help."
(To Be Continued)
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