Everything seemed to be happening all at once; Autumn was using all the strength her body had to attack Jessamine for what she had said, which was quite a lot more than expected thanks to her usual farm chores giving her more muscle than the average eleven year old girl. Through all of the loud shrieking that Jessamine was doing, she could hear her protests, Millie’s laughing, and before she could even register that a prefect had shown up and yelled her name in a voice that reminded her quite a bit of her own mother, she was being thrown by some invisible force so that she was no longer on top of the older girl.

It was only then did Autumn process just how far everything had gone; she was completely disheveled, her new robes wrinkled, the ribbon torn from her braids that had fallen out, and she felt bruises beginning to form and a sting in her cheek from the scratch the older girl gave her trying to fight her off - but, at least she didn’t look as bad as Jessamine who looked to be bleeding from the face and in even worse disarray as if she got hit by a runaway carriage. She felt small as she saw the look on the prefect’s face, and heard the booming voice of Professor Foxwood, whom she admired greatly since meeting him in London, knowing she was in big trouble. What if she was expelled? “I was just…” she squeaked out, at first, afraid to speak.

She silenced herself until she could find the words, but it made her smile, just a bit to hear that Penelope and Tony both stood up for her, telling the authorities that she was only trying to defend her friends from being bullied. Their bravery gave her the confidence she needed to look back to Miss Farris and Professor Foxwood and defend what she did. “I know I shouldn’t have hit her, but Miss Parkinson,” it was only now that she realized she didn’t really know the seventh year’s name until Miss Farris had said it, “has been bullying Penelope since the feast. She’s said mean things about me and Tony too, but we can take it, you see, but Penelope is soft like…like a lamb! And so she’s got to be protected.” She swallowed hard, terrified of the chance of expulsion, but perhaps this was why the hat had a hard time choosing between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, “If you’re going to punish us, it’s between me and Miss Parkinson, please leave Tony and Penelope out of it.” She didn’t mention Millie, mostly as she didn’t know who’s side she was on now, since she had been gossiping and friendly with Miss Parkinson.