Rowena_DUELS
November 13th, 2003, 12:32 am
Chapter One
Overshadowed
"Dolores! Dolores, get yourself in here! Your owl from Hogwarts came!"
Sighing, eleven-year-old Dolores Umbridge got up from her bed, where she had been reading a book written by her father about the Ministry of Magic and its laws.
"Coming, Mother," Dolores called as she carefully marked her place in the book and set it on her nightstand. She walked out of her room, making sure to close the door after herself. Her mother was very picky about leaving doors open; last time Dolores had left her bedroom door open, her two-year-old brother Andrew had decided to wreck his sister's room. Dolores's mother hadn't been the least bit sympathetic; in fact, Dolores had been forced to clean the mess without any help.
In the dining room, Dolores found her mother, holding an envelope, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Where's Father?" Dolores asked as she accepted the envelope from her mother, slitting it open with her nail. The crest on the back of the envelope was that of Hogwarts, where both of her parents had gone for seven years. Now it was Dolores's turn, and she felt obligated to be as successful as her parents. Both had been named prefect in their fifth year, and Head Boy and Girl in their seventh. Her father had been the Captain of the Quidditch team, and her mother, the best student in Ravenclaw House. Her father was now the Minister of Magic, the most important person in the magical community of Britain.
"At work," her mother replied. "He wasn't about to wait just for you to get your letter. For goodness sakes, girl open it. It's not going to bite you or anything!"
Cautiously, Dolores unfolded the letter inside the envelope and read aloud:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Armando Dippet
(Order of Merlin, Second Class, INternational Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Miss Umbridge,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a spot at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. YOu will find a list of all necessary books and supplies inclosed.
The school term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 September.
Yours truly,
Clarence Baelle
Deputy Headmaster
"Well there you are, Dolores," Mrs. Umbridge said as her daughter folded the letter back up and placed it in its envelope. "You're not an idiot after all. You got in. The next bit will be to get into Ravenclaw House, like your father and I. The only decent witches and wizards are in Raveclaw." She clucked her tongue. "Your uncle was, of course, not one of the bright ones, as he was placed in Gryffindor, that horrid house. The snobs thing they're the best." She shook her head. "Now, if you are placed in Slytherin, of course, that wouldn't be too terrible. Your grandfather was in Slytherin, and he was a fine man." She smiled down at her daughter, her white teeth shining. "Now, Dolores. I had work to do, but that can be changed."
"Why, Mother?" Dolores asked politely. She had been raised with the knowledge that nothing was more important than her parents' jobs, except an education at Hogwarts. For her mother to take time off workw as an amazing thing.
Mrs Umbridge laughed gently. "We must get your supplies, silly girl." She clucked her tongue again, smiling. "Come along." She swept out of the room, her navy velvet robe trailing behind her gracefully. Dolores hastened to follow.
"Mother, where are you going?" a voice from the stairs called. Dolores scowled, making her toad-like face even uglier than it already was. Her older sister, Marie, stood at the top of the grand staircase, long black hair trailing down her back. She wore the standard Hogwarts robes, her Ravenclaw badge sewn above her chest, but underneath, a silver pin shone in the light.
"Just to Diagon Alley, Marie," Mrs. Umbridge replied, glancing at her daughter, pride on her face. Marie was a sixth year, an exact replica of her mother. The year before, she had received not only a prefect badge, but the topmost marks in her year. All her life, Dolores had lived in the shadow of her older, prettier sister, and she had hated Marie for it. She longed to do something that would make her parents proud, that would turn the spotlight off Marie for just one minute.
"Oh, Mother," Marie called. "I got my OWLs." She smiled happily down at them. "Perfect scores in all of them."
Dolores watched hatred boiling in her, as her mother cried out jubilantly.
"We'll have to take you to get a treat, then, won't we?" she said. "An owl, and some new robes, perhaps. And a new broom? Surely we can afford that Silver Arrow you've been wanting." She beam at her oldest daughter. "Come on."
As Dolores looked on, her mother and Marie walked arm in arm towarst the fireplace that would take them to Diagon Alley. A moment later, greem flames enveloped them, and they were gone.
Sighing, the eleven-year-old put her letter in her pocket. She had hoped that this would be a day for her to spend alone with her mother, but she should have known better. Marie always ruined things for her younger sister. Last year, they had been in the middle of celebrating Dolores's tenth birthday when Marie's letter had arrived, proclaming her prefect. Both parents had been so proud that they had taken Marie straight to Diagon Alley, for a new chess set, a new broom, and a pet cat. Dolores had been left alone, as she was now, no one to care about her.
It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. Dolores knew that she was ugly, knew that she wasn't perfect like her sister. She didn't have the brains, or the beauty, but she was determined to make her parents proud. It didn't matter if it took her all seven years of her Hogwarts schooling. Someday, she would be getting a new broom. Someday, she would bring pride to her family's name, like her mother, father, and sister before her had. Someday, she would overshadow her sister, like her sister had done to her for eleven long years.
Overshadowed
"Dolores! Dolores, get yourself in here! Your owl from Hogwarts came!"
Sighing, eleven-year-old Dolores Umbridge got up from her bed, where she had been reading a book written by her father about the Ministry of Magic and its laws.
"Coming, Mother," Dolores called as she carefully marked her place in the book and set it on her nightstand. She walked out of her room, making sure to close the door after herself. Her mother was very picky about leaving doors open; last time Dolores had left her bedroom door open, her two-year-old brother Andrew had decided to wreck his sister's room. Dolores's mother hadn't been the least bit sympathetic; in fact, Dolores had been forced to clean the mess without any help.
In the dining room, Dolores found her mother, holding an envelope, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Where's Father?" Dolores asked as she accepted the envelope from her mother, slitting it open with her nail. The crest on the back of the envelope was that of Hogwarts, where both of her parents had gone for seven years. Now it was Dolores's turn, and she felt obligated to be as successful as her parents. Both had been named prefect in their fifth year, and Head Boy and Girl in their seventh. Her father had been the Captain of the Quidditch team, and her mother, the best student in Ravenclaw House. Her father was now the Minister of Magic, the most important person in the magical community of Britain.
"At work," her mother replied. "He wasn't about to wait just for you to get your letter. For goodness sakes, girl open it. It's not going to bite you or anything!"
Cautiously, Dolores unfolded the letter inside the envelope and read aloud:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Armando Dippet
(Order of Merlin, Second Class, INternational Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Miss Umbridge,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a spot at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. YOu will find a list of all necessary books and supplies inclosed.
The school term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 September.
Yours truly,
Clarence Baelle
Deputy Headmaster
"Well there you are, Dolores," Mrs. Umbridge said as her daughter folded the letter back up and placed it in its envelope. "You're not an idiot after all. You got in. The next bit will be to get into Ravenclaw House, like your father and I. The only decent witches and wizards are in Raveclaw." She clucked her tongue. "Your uncle was, of course, not one of the bright ones, as he was placed in Gryffindor, that horrid house. The snobs thing they're the best." She shook her head. "Now, if you are placed in Slytherin, of course, that wouldn't be too terrible. Your grandfather was in Slytherin, and he was a fine man." She smiled down at her daughter, her white teeth shining. "Now, Dolores. I had work to do, but that can be changed."
"Why, Mother?" Dolores asked politely. She had been raised with the knowledge that nothing was more important than her parents' jobs, except an education at Hogwarts. For her mother to take time off workw as an amazing thing.
Mrs Umbridge laughed gently. "We must get your supplies, silly girl." She clucked her tongue again, smiling. "Come along." She swept out of the room, her navy velvet robe trailing behind her gracefully. Dolores hastened to follow.
"Mother, where are you going?" a voice from the stairs called. Dolores scowled, making her toad-like face even uglier than it already was. Her older sister, Marie, stood at the top of the grand staircase, long black hair trailing down her back. She wore the standard Hogwarts robes, her Ravenclaw badge sewn above her chest, but underneath, a silver pin shone in the light.
"Just to Diagon Alley, Marie," Mrs. Umbridge replied, glancing at her daughter, pride on her face. Marie was a sixth year, an exact replica of her mother. The year before, she had received not only a prefect badge, but the topmost marks in her year. All her life, Dolores had lived in the shadow of her older, prettier sister, and she had hated Marie for it. She longed to do something that would make her parents proud, that would turn the spotlight off Marie for just one minute.
"Oh, Mother," Marie called. "I got my OWLs." She smiled happily down at them. "Perfect scores in all of them."
Dolores watched hatred boiling in her, as her mother cried out jubilantly.
"We'll have to take you to get a treat, then, won't we?" she said. "An owl, and some new robes, perhaps. And a new broom? Surely we can afford that Silver Arrow you've been wanting." She beam at her oldest daughter. "Come on."
As Dolores looked on, her mother and Marie walked arm in arm towarst the fireplace that would take them to Diagon Alley. A moment later, greem flames enveloped them, and they were gone.
Sighing, the eleven-year-old put her letter in her pocket. She had hoped that this would be a day for her to spend alone with her mother, but she should have known better. Marie always ruined things for her younger sister. Last year, they had been in the middle of celebrating Dolores's tenth birthday when Marie's letter had arrived, proclaming her prefect. Both parents had been so proud that they had taken Marie straight to Diagon Alley, for a new chess set, a new broom, and a pet cat. Dolores had been left alone, as she was now, no one to care about her.
It wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. Dolores knew that she was ugly, knew that she wasn't perfect like her sister. She didn't have the brains, or the beauty, but she was determined to make her parents proud. It didn't matter if it took her all seven years of her Hogwarts schooling. Someday, she would be getting a new broom. Someday, she would bring pride to her family's name, like her mother, father, and sister before her had. Someday, she would overshadow her sister, like her sister had done to her for eleven long years.