WHO: Dolores Umbridge, Ciara Fawcett & Chelsea Corner WHERE: Dolores' Office WHEN: September 10 WHAT: A discussion post capture WARNINGS: None really other than Dolores being awful, as per usual.
Dolores had ensured to tidy up her office from the mounds of paperwork that had started to pile up, there was so much to do. She had just brewed a fresh pot of tea and placed it on her desk. It was always best to offer a hot cuppa tea in moments like these. If only a dash of whiskey was appropriate in a work setting.
She was inspecting a cat plate when she thought she heard a noise at the door. “Do please come in and have a seat, tea?” She questioned as she started to pour herself a cup.
“No,” Ciara said, very grateful to have Chelsea at her side. Auror Robards was right. This wasn’t something she should be doing by herself. Panic was brewing underneath the numbness that had set in as soon as she read the announcement. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if it took over. “You already ruined cats. You’re not going to ruin tea as well.”
Chelsea had always fancied herself good in a crisis, able to keep her cool and figure out a way to find the best solution for everyone. But there were petty fights between classmates and there was this, this awfully unfair, completely unjust thing that had just happened where she knew that Umbridge wasn't going to budge, and there was nothing she could think of to undo the fact that the Snatchers had just captured Ciara's father. It made it all the more real. But she couldn't not try. "Madam Umbridge," she began, as polite as she could be. "Let's just discuss this properly. He hasn't done anything wrong and he hasn't hurt anyone."
Dolores’ brow creased a little as the mention of ruined cats. She patted the figurine seated on her desk as if to compensate for such a statement. “Alright then,” she finished prepping her own tea and sat back with her cup and saucer looking at the pair.
“Hitwizard Corner, I’ll stop you right there. I am here to speak with Ms. Fawcett, not you.” She looked at Chelsea directly. “I don’t mind you being here as emotional support,” finger quotes went up with one hand as she spoke before returning to hold her tea cup. “There is nothing that can be done, he chose not to register and these are the consequences.” Dolores took a quick sip of her tea. “Now, Ms Fawcett do you know any reason why your father chose not to register? Particularly when his daughter work for the Ministry in law enforcement, I haven’t a fear he didn’t hear of it.” Dolores spoke sweetly as if faking comfort where there was none.
Ciara was usually good at remaining at least somewhat neutral, and almost always polite, but that was slipping away from her as she sat there. There was no way this cow wasn’t going to put her dad in Azkaban and really, why force herself to be nice and quiet when that was the truth?
“He hasn’t done anything wrong.” She repeated Chelsea’s words because it seemed better than anything she could come up with. “He’s not guilty of anything but it’s not like I’ll be able to convince you of that because you’ve been seventeen kinds of brainwashed and I’m ––”
She paused, taking a shaky breath. “I don’t know why you made me come here,” she said instead of finishing her sentence. “You’ve already made up your mind.”
Dolores sipped her tea as Ciara spoke and watched her very intently. “My dear, of course I want to hear your side. He is unfortunately guilty of not come in and signing the registry. He is a muggle-born and from our research this simply cannot be. I am sorry you have been lied too, I truly am, but your father is a criminal. I know it must be hard to hear and accept.” She smiled trying to appear caring. “I just wanted to know did you have much contact with him, could you have helped him towards the registry to save him this fugitive conviction.”
Everything that came out of Umbridge's mouth set her on edge and made her uneasy. Chelsea couldn't help but think about what would happen if it had been her aunt that had been caught. It made her feel worse, to both think about that possibility and to think about that possibility when Ciara and her dad were actually in that situation. She had to shake that off. Taking a step forward, she grabbed Ciara's arm and pulled her back slightly. "She didn't do anything like that," Chelsea said, eyes narrowing at Umbridge. "Can't you show some compassion for once and realize that you're talking about an actual person whose life you're trying to ruin?"
“It is not I who is ruining her life, I was not the one to lie to her.” Dolores shrugged her shoulders. “I am doing as instructed by the Ministry, the one who employees you both.” She sipped her tea again watching both of them. How much the clung to the hope and idea that the findings were wrong. How silly they were to fight against the Ministry that employed them. If Dolores were in their position she would fear for her job.
“He never lied to me,” Ciara said after a long moment. “I knew. And I know you’re going to twist that in some awful way but he hasn’t done anything. He minded his own business. That wand chose him. He should get to keep it.”
“Hem-hem” she cleared her throat as Ciara spoke. “The wand did not choose him, that is not possible. Wands do not choose thieves.” Dolores leaned forward to place her tea down.
Chelsea took another step forward, almost placing herself in between the two of them, when Umbridge set down her teacup. If things were to escalate, she wanted to stop it before it happened. "That's because he's not a thief. He's a wizard and that's his wand."
“Also,” Ciara said, “we’ve arrested our share of thieves down in Knockturn and every single one of them had a wand.” Umbridge was still trying to hem-hem them into silence, but she really didn’t care. “Plus you can’t steal magic. It’s not tangible and even if it was, how would a baby do that? It’s not like they’re criminal masterminds at that age.”
“You should read the research.” Dolores started attempting to keep her sweet voice. “It explains so much. Muggle-borns have been stealing from the Wizarding people for centuries. It is time to finally put a stop to it. It is not his wand and he does not deserve to have it.” Dolores sighed, this conversation was going nowhere. “His wand will be taken from him and I believe further investigation will be completed by your department.” Dolores wished she had more involvement in that part. Though she trusted those involved in the trial, plus she was still a member of the Wizengamot. “So you had no involvement with his not registering then? That is all I wished to discuss.”
Ciara wanted to yell at her that it was her idea. That even Ministry employees hated this absurd idea so much that they’d rather have their families break the law than being caught up in it. But Owen was right. She shouldn’t give this terrible woman anything to build a case on. That wouldn’t help her dad anyway.
She glanced towards Chelsea, trying to somehow signal get me out of here before I commit murder, and then turned back to Umbridge. “I’m sure it’s totally legitimate and not at all funded by the crazy purist committee of terrible people,” she said, managing to sound only slightly on edge. “Completely unbiased and everything, is it?”
That was her cue. It was obvious that whatever Umbridge said next would turn ugly and having promised Ciara that she would stop her before she did anything to the woman, she needed to get her away from the office. Cutting in before Umbridge could respond, Chelsea started pushing Ciara towards the door. This had been a waste of time and, even though she had known that it would lead to nothing, she was still disappointed at the outcome. Ciara's dad was still in custody and she didn't know what they could do for him. She didn't know how to fix it.
With a look back at Umbridge, and a glare, Chelsea guided the two of them out of her office, releasing a deep breath only after they were out of the vicinity.