Blue Tights And Falling Hammers

[sees_them_too]

While Luna was never one to fret, she did pay heed to the Grey Lady’s advice regarding Professor Umbridge. Luna, in spite of her wont to bend the rules, was generally well liked by her teachers and had never been in real trouble at Hogwarts. But she wasn’t so innocent as to believe that Umbridge would overlook the fact that it was her father’s publication that had printed Harry’s interview.

Luna knew that a reckoning of sorts was coming. She just wasn’t sure which direction it would spring from.

She didn’t have to wait long to find out.

Luna was heading for the library after her last class. All day, in the backs of classrooms and in the corridors in between, people had been whispering furiously about Harry Potter and You-Know-Who. The extra issues of The Quibbler (cleverly enchanted to look like pages of text or class notes) had apparently circulated all throughout the school, and most students seemed to have committed the contents to memory.

She was idly wondering what the reception to the issue had been outside the school (beyond the letters of response that had come to Harry that first day) when she rounded the corner and met a foreboding pink roadblock.

Professor Umbridge smiled. The effect was fairly horrific.

“Miss Lovegood,” she said.

It was the first time Professor Umbridge had ever addressed her directly.

Luna smile pleasantly and nodded. “Hello, Professor Umbridge.”

She watched the High Inquisitor curiously. Time to see which way the Professor would pounce.

Professor Umbridge didn’t seem to care for the frank appraisal. The smile didn’t waver, but the woman’s eyes narrowed considerably.

“Miss Lovegood, exactly what are you wearing?”

Luna blinked, wondering what sort of trick question this was. For surely there was some trick to it. She made a show of looking down at herself.

“My uniform, Professor Umbridge.”

Professor Umbridge’s smile grew even more unpleasant.

“On your legs,” she said, pointedly.

“Tights, Professor Umbridge.” In a shade of bright Ravenclaw blue. They’d been in her Christmas stocking this year.

Professor Umbridge’s smile had a tinge of satisfied triumph in it.

“It has come to my attention, Miss Lovegood, that you take a rather flippant and disrespectful approach to Hogwarts’ uniform policy. It’s little wonder that discipline at this school has been reduced to such shambles when such basic rules are not enforced. I don’t know how in the world you learn.”

“With our brains, of course, Professor Umbridge.”

Professor Umbridges’s smile thinned. It was not, Luna thought, perhaps a wise thing to have answered her question. But she was fairly certain that punishment was coming, regardless, so she chose to set wisdom aside for a moment.

“Miss Lovegood, you will go straight to your dormitory and adjust your uniform so that it is in compliance with the rules. Black tights, and also take those radishes out of your ears and throw away that ridiculous cork. Once you’ve done that, report directly to Mr. Filch. You will serve two hours of detention for your inappropriate dress and another two hours for your impertinence. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Professor Umbridge.”

Students had stopped to watch this byplay in the corridor. Luna could see two of her roommates, Rebecca and Cosmina, glaring openly at Umbridge. Luna shook her head at them very slightly. Not that she really thought they’d make a fuss, but best to be safe.

Apparently satisfied, Umbridge flounced off in the direction of her office. Once she rounded the corner, Rebecca and Cosmina quickly swooped down on Luna.

“She can’t do that!” Cosmina said, indignantly. “No one’s ever cared what you wore before. She didn’t care until your dad published that interview.”

Luna offered her half of a sympathetic smile.

“I think she just proved that she can,” Luna said, before turning and heading back to Ravenclaw Tower.

She had a detention to dress for.