alt_justin | I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

Hullo, all,

I say, something's going on....Did any of you lot hear whether there was anything more about those first-years who were involved in the scuffle yesterday?

Because I just got back to the Hufflepuff Common Room, what, and there's a small knot of Prefects (including Diggory) looking after Chelsea Abbott.

Sally-Anne, you've not heard there's anything wrong? Abbott looks well exhausted. Ought I to ask Susan, do you think?

-Justin

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From:

alt_hydra

I don't know much about Chelsea Abbott, except that something happened between her and Marlon Strangeweale and Judith Starling during yesterday's YPL activities?

Remy says that everyone's rolling their eyes because Marlon's been in the common room all night moaning about a head injury, even though the Matron has already treated him. So I'm guessing it was some kind of fight or duel. Maybe Chelsea has injuries, too?

From:

alt_justin

Well, that's just it; she's not at all injured. I heard from Stebbins about Strangeweale's injury; he was having a go at Abbott and Starling, from the sounds of it, and slipped on the floor where they'd been mopping.

So it's entirely his own fault if he got hurt, what?

But he was fine within a few minutes of Matron's care and she wasn't harmed at all. Only I know Stebbins had said that Madam Umbridge did tell Abbott and Starling to come see her this morning.

Hang on, I see Sue.

-Justin

From:

alt_hydra

Well, it might be someone else's fault if you look at why people were mopping in the first place. But yes, he was probably asking for it.

So Chelsea was dusting and fluffing all day? That does sound odd.

From:

alt_justin

Indeed, but let us say that it serves him right, in any case.

And yes, she was apparently seized by an attack of industry, I suppose. She told Dunstan and Diggory that she couldn't sit still, that it felt as if she had to be productive.

Not that Abbott's lazy, what, but I can't quite imagine her taking it into her head to straighten the entire sett.

-J

From:

alt_hydra

Is Madam Umbridge allowed to give students punishments?

I hadn't really wondered about it until just now, but, it sounds to me as if Chelsea might have been placed under Imperius.

From:

alt_justin

Surely she can't, can she?

And certainly not the Imperius. On a student?

It's not as if she's a teacher, what? Even if she is the former Minister for Magic.

-J

From:

alt_hydra

Well, it not might be Imperius exactly, but something like it. If you want someone to actually do something with no questions asked, then you use Imperius in a way so that they don't even realise they're doing it, or they don't mind one bit. But Imperius can also be cast so that they person knows that they're doing something that they don't want to do, or that goes against their will. That's the type of Imperius that's used for punishment.

She's not a teacher but, you know, she might think she's as important as one. Maybe even more important.

From:

alt_justin

Is that what she did? When she tried to 'help' you not fancy sweets? And your fear of heights?

I

I've a feeling I'm going to get through a great deal of homework trying not to think about that tonight.

-J

From:

alt_hydra

Yes.

I wish I hadn't said anything to Ron. How daft not to realise that his parents would never -

Well, it's just embarrassing, is all.

From:

alt_justin

Don't apologise.

And I know you think people pity you, Dux, but that's not what it is. We can all see that you're not a shrinking flower (and I hate that in part it's because your mother's so well horrid).

It's just that it's difficult to imagine parents who could routinely believe that no matter the provocation, it's preferrable to cast an Imperius variant than to find some other way to convince children to obey. But of course, you've nothing to compare.

It doesn't even seem all that uncommon. You've said Draco's had it, and Nott, I shouldn't wonder. And who knows who else. Crabbe and Goyle, most likely.

And it doesn't make me hate your mother any the less, what?

Oh, dash it.

Right.

Well, that's Arithmancy done. And Herbology. I think if I read History of Magic I shall actually be able to fall asleep. Perhaps.

Sweet dreams, dear heart,

-J

From:

alt_ron

Imperius as a punishment?

That's-

Yeah, never mind. I know exactly what it's like, and it's rubbish.

But Madam Umbridge isn't a teacher. I don't think she can do that. Milland can't, I know.

From:

alt_justin

Quite right, Ron.

-J

From:

alt_justin

Ought I to tell Diggory, do you think?

Do you think it happened to Starling, as well?

-J

From:

alt_sally_anne

Miserable old bat.

I think you should tell Diggory.

From:

alt_justin

Well. We're not certain, though, are we, Sally-Anne?

I hardly think Diggory will appreciate being given accusations about a member of staff, even if we've got a fair suspicion.

Ron, Neville, Evelyn--apart from her being well knackered, what, did Starling say or do anything similar to Abbott's behaviour?

-J

From:

alt_sally_anne

You don't have to say 'Madam Umbridge cast Imperius on Starling and Abbott,' you could just tell him what Evelyn said about Starling and the rest and surely he could piece it together on his own.

Or you could say that you think SOMEONE cast Imperius on her and you're quite worried and upset because who would do such a thing? And let him work out on his own it was Umbridge.

From:

alt_justin

I didn't have to mention either Madam Umbridge or the Imperius, at all, in point of fact.

I simply told him that Starling was acting much the same as Abbott. He'll work out the rest. At least, I assume so by the look on his face, what?

-J

From:

alt_neville

Yeah, that should do it.

From:

alt_justin

And yes, she bally well is, what?

-J

From:

alt_hydra

Your parents used Imperius on you?

That rather surprises me. But it is awful, isn't it?

From:

alt_sally_anne

It wasn't his parents, it was his brother. At least if we're talking about the same time.

I seriously can't even begin to imagine Mrs Weasley casting Imperius on anyone. I'm not sure she COULD. She might badger them relentlessly until they said 'alright! fine! whatever you say!' though.

From:

alt_sally_anne

I should've said -- it was Percy, not Fred or George. (Or Charlie or Bill. Ron has rather a lot of brothers.)

From:

alt_hydra

Oh, I see.

Yes, he does have a lot of brothers.

From:

alt_ron

Yeah. It wasn't my parents. It was my brother, Percy. When he was Head Boy.

And then there was the time Patil hexed me to have to write everyone who put anything in the journals all day on my birthday. That was like Imperius, too. And it wasn't just embarrassing, it was really bloody dangerous, because I ended up having to write stuff to people like Director Selwyn and Mr and Mrs Malfoy and your mum. And that wasn't- good.

From:

alt_pansy

I remember that. I stayed up til midnight to make sure it'd worn off.

From:

alt_ron

Yeah.

I remember that part, too.

Thanks.

From:

alt_pansy

I'd do it again, tuna brain.

After hexing the snot out of Padma Patil first, of course.

From:

alt_neville

Evelyn said something to me about it--she's not the type to carry tales, but she was pretty indignant about it. Evelyn says the whole thing was started by Strangeweale and Featherstone, but apparently Madam Umbridge singled out Chelsea Abbott and Judith Starling. Why? Is Abbott all upset about it now then?

From:

alt_justin

Hullo, Neville,

Yes, I had all that from Stebbins, too. Apparently she told Starling and Abbott to come see her this morning to tell her more of what happened. (I can hardly think why, when the incident was over and done with yesterday, what?)

But that's not it. She's not upset. She looks relieved. Exhausted but relieved. And the others look concerned about her.

Sue says that Abbott dusted all the shelves in the Common Room earlier. And she was fluffing the sofa cushions. And Blessfield just told us that Abbott offered to share her notes from History of Magic - three rolls of them.

Who takes that many notes in History of Magic, what?

-Justin

From:

alt_ron

Yeah, Starling came in from the library a bit ago, and she could barely manage the portrait hole. Looked done in. Or like she was going to faint or something. Towler and Kirke and Hooper took the mickey a bit, but she didn't seem put out.

She's not down here now, though.

From:

alt_evelyn

Maddie Myrtens said that Judith was cleaning up their dormitory room like a House Elf, scrubbing at things, and folding clothing, and re-organizing her trunk. And that she was smiling and humming the whole time.

From:

alt_justin

Cheers, Evelyn. That's enough for me, what?

I'll tell Diggory I overheard something in corridors by the library. It's close enough to Gryffindor Tower.

-Justin

From:

alt_evelyn

And she kept saying, 'oh, dear, I've ever so much to do,' in a funny little voice.

From:

alt_ron

Sounds daft.

From:

alt_evelyn

They were being awful bullies about it. I wish I hadn't been working further down the hall. Otherwise I would've

I don't know what I would've done.

Something.

From:

alt_sally_anne

If you had, you'd probably have wound up spending the day scrubbing doorknobs with Starling and Abbott.

From:

alt_justin

I say, fair point, Sally-Anne.

-J

From:

alt_ron

What were they doing?

Are people bothering Starling all the time, then?

Have you got to know her much? Seems pretty quiet.

From:

alt_evelyn

She's pretty good friends with Maddie and Alexa Bawsley. Arcturus Fellsworthy and Morgana Featherstone aren't very nice to either Judith or Alexa. But they aren't nice to lots of people.

Judith's quiet, but she's sweet enough. She's learning to knit. And she was very homesick during the first two weeks of school.

From:

alt_justin

You know, speaking of Sue....

I know we talked a while back about adding her to the lock. Is everyone still in favour? If so, ought I to talk to her or Neville, or might it work to tell her at one of your Teatimes, Pansy?

-Justin