Author's Note: Wait, me, doing a Harry Potter fanfiction? Well, things happen. This was a class assignment and has grown. I can't guarantee it's tight, or got a great plot, but I think it's fun. Hopefully Vanessa can rekindle some love for Harry Potter (the book series) that she rekindled in me.
Things change though, as movies are watched and as books are examined once more. You will probably be able to tell where those changes are.
Part 1: Hogwarts
Every year I have at least one like you. Hmmm, difficult to place. I don't even know where I want to be. Well, you're not a Gryffondor. You may not be a coward, but you are not particularly brave either. I just want to be a part of this world. Hufflepuff maybe? No, you are not quite hard enough working. That leaves Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Hmmm, difficult to say really. You certainly are clever, very clever. Drumoir, Vanessa Drumoir…perhaps it is best if you go where your family went, or perhaps you should be given as much distance as possible. My family, I want to know more of my family. I can feel that, I can certainly feel that. Yes, you would do anything wouldn't you? You have a certain disrespect for rules and authority as well. Yes, I think it has become too full of rules and stagnant. I am placing you in…
"Slytherin!" yelled the Sorting Hat. There was great applause as Vanessa Drumoir joined her new house. She had no idea what to expect, no idea what was in store. She was both scared and exhilarated, but she belonged somewhere. A great ease washed over her as she considered that she now had a home. There would be no more lonely nights in the street, no more desperately pecking for food, and no more odd jobs. She was home.
Chapter 1: A Day With Umbridge
Vanessa learned not to talk to anyone very quickly and by the time her fourth year rolled around the only other student she ever talked to was a Ravenclaw in her year named Luna Lovegood. She was crazy, but at least she was nonjudgmental and Vanessa found there was something to be said for Luna's amazing ability to forget anything told to her in confidence.
There were probably several Slytherins she could have gotten along with as well, but Draco Malfoy made sure that no one had any interest in talking to her. She had made an enemy of him almost immediately through a combination of being raised among muggles and not understanding why his parentage was such a big deal. Now that she was four years in it made even less sense.
She got along with all of her teachers at least, which was good since she avoided heading home as much as possible. Professor Flitwick was very good about letting her use his classroom over Christmas to practice charms and Professor Snape let her use his potion ingredients provided he was in the same room and able to watch the proceedings (she had worked very hard to get that particular privilege). In fact, come her fourth year the only teacher she hated was one Dolores Umbridge. Hogwarts had run quite smoothly without a High Inquisitor before and it didn't need one now. All Toadface did was interrupt classes.
"Hi, Vanessa," Luna said nervously as they waited outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. It was double Ravenclaw and Slytherin.
"Are you ready for class?"
Luna nodded, but Vanessa knew perfectly well that she was having a hard time adjusting to textbook reading. Vanessa sympathized. Their last two teachers had been so hands on that it was hard having a class duller than history suddenly thrust upon them. They all filed slowly and silently in when it was time to find Umbridge sitting serenely at her desk. She gave them a sugary smile that Vanessa had learned to associate with boredom.
"Good morning, class," she said pleasantly. Vanessa was resisting the urge to strangle the woman upon entry, something she had gotten quite good at doing.
"Good morning, High Inquisitor," the class responded uniformly as they took their seats. Vanessa and Luna sat at the very front of the room while most of the rest of the class sat towards the back.
"I am glad to see all of you cheery this fine morning. Now, turn to page 210 and make sure to read up on basic jinx identification and shielding. There will be no need to talk." Umbridge glared at Vanessa, daring her to try something. In all of half a second Vanessa's hand was in the air. She had heard about a Gryffondor trying this trick and it seemed very appropriate. "Yes, Miss Drumoir?"
"I've read this section." She could almost feel Umbridge's groan of annoyance. "I have, in fact, read the entire book as well as several pieces of its suggested reading." The Ravenclaws all gave Vanessa small smiles and the little nods of their heads which told her that they would have been glad to have her in their house.
"Have you now?"
"Yes, Professor, and I can tell you that this book and the book you gave the fifth years contradict your own teaching method."
"How so?"
The Slytherins, so used to the idea of kissing up to teachers, were staring at Vanessa in shock. "Both books emphasize practice and yet you have not once allowed us to use our wands. I understand that the theory is extremely important, but it is useless without some practical use behind it."
"And why would you ever need to cast these spells?"
"Because the world is a bad place and a wizard needs their self defense. We need to know basic curses and countercurses because insane wizards do exist."
"And what wizards might those be?"
"Sirius Black, Professor. He escaped from Azkaban and is still on the loose. What if I were to run into him at some point? Surely I should be ready to defend myself and help bring him to justice."
"Sirius Black," Umbridge repeated, "why do you think you have any chance of finding him when the entire Ministry has been searching for two years?"
"I do not exactly look like a threat and he could get cocky, but wouldn't it be wonderful if I then surprised him with my surprising knowledge and prowess?"
Umbridge began to advance on Vanessa. Her smile was still sugary sweet, but there was a dangerous glint in her eyes. "And you think you could defeat Sirius Black? Do you know what he did?"
Vanessa looked her in the eye. "I know perfectly well what he did. However I want to at least go down fighting, even if I know there is no chance I actually survive. Maybe I could hold him off long enough for help to arrive."
"You are questioning Ministry teaching techniques!"
"I am questioning why the Ministry chooses to contradict itself," Vanessa corrected. She was noticing that Umbridge had a funny twitch in the muscles of her face. The way her lip quivered was quite humorous.
"Detention!"
"For what?"
Professor Umbridge slapped her hands on the table. "You are questioning the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Fifty points from Slytherin." The Slytherins around her grumbled. "I will see you tonight, at five o'clock, in my office."
"Yes, High Inquisitor." Umbridge looked ready to slap her, but held her hand. The rest of class resumed without a word, but Vanessa suspected that by the time she got to her next class she would have some new bruises.
Vanessa had gotten beaten fairly badly after Defense Against the Dark Arts, had then proceeded to Madame Pomfrey's, and was now slowly making her way back up to Umbridge's office. She blinked in surprise when she got there. There was a Gryffondor already waiting outside of the office. He seemed equally surprised, and then let out a groan.
"I suppose you want to have a good laugh, don't you?"
"What?" Vanessa asked, confused. "I have detention."
He looked shocked. "A Slytherin ended up in detention? That doesn't happen very often."
"I know, but can you stop acting so surprised?"
"She seems rather partial to Slytherin."
"Correction, she likes Malfoy and I'm the only person stupid enough not to take advantage of it."
"Um, right, I'm Harry Potter." He extended his hand, and Vanessa took it in a firm handshake.
"Vanessa Drumoir, and we seem to be in this together."
An ice seemed to have broken now that they had shaken hands. "So, you don't sound so fond of Malfoy."
"He's only a braggart."
Harry smirked. "Yeah, he is."
"I mean, I get so sick of hearing about his father in the Common Room. He makes the place uninhabitable."
"You sound like you've wanted to say this for a long time."
"You should try being in the same House as him, it's awful."
Harry now laughed. "So, why are you in Slytherin then?"
Vanessa shrugged. "It's just where the Sorting Hat put me. It also considered Ravenclaw. What about you? Although, Harry Potter, I guess it's fairly obvious why you're in Gryffondor. I mean, no matter how you look at it you either saw the Dark Lord return or you're lying about it. Neither route exactly speaks of a coward. I would have shut my mouth a long time ago."
Harry's expression had darkened. "You think I'm lying then?"
"I didn't say that. I mean, I'm a Slytherin, we assume everyone lies. The thing is, if Cedric had died in the maze then you would have at least sent up the sparks. Something happened in there; that much is clear."
"Thanks for not assuming I'm a raving lunatic."
It was Vanessa's turn to laugh and Harry was struck by her lime green eyes and sharp face. He shuddered, her face reminded him of Voldemort's. Umbridge's office door opened. "Miss Drumoir, Mr. Potter, come in."
They walked in together and Harry immediately headed for the one desk in her room. Vanessa approached Umbridge. "What should I do, Professor?"
Umbridge gave what Vanessa thought of as a rather evil grin and pulled out a quill. "Luckily I recently acquired a second. You will join Mr. Potter in writing I must not tell lies and you will need no ink. Now, go on."
Vanessa headed to the desk and noted that Harry was bleeding. This couldn't be good. She let out a gasp of pain as she began to write, but quickly stopped. Gritting her teeth she proceeded to write, and write, and write.
By the time Umbridge said they could stop, Vanessa was bleeding badly and she staggered when she handed her parchment in. Umbridge checked Harry's arm, but didn't bother with Vanessa when she noticed blood trailing down the young woman's arm. Harry helped Vanessa out of the classroom. Hermione and Ron were waiting for him.
"Who's that?" Ron asked. Harry guided Vanessa to lean against a wall.
Hermione was staring at Vanessa's arm while Ron seemed more transfixed by the symbol on her robe. "Ron, Hermione, this is Vanessa Drumoir," Harry announced.
Vanessa smiled at them. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Do you mind if I look at your arm?" Hermione asked suddenly.
"Sure, but let's do it a little farther away. I'm trying to avoid giving her satisfaction."
They all went a little farther down the hallway. Vanessa looked about ready to collapse. They turned a corner and Hermione stopped. "Now?" she asked.
Vanessa nodded and gingerly lifted up her sleeve. They all gasped. Written proudly on her arm was I must tell lies. "What makes you think you'll get away with it?" Ron asked.
"I am a self-respecting Slytherin," Vanessa declared, "and no self-respecting Slytherin would ever carve I must not tell lies into their arm."
"She's going to have your head," Hermione declared.
"I doubt it. She'll try, but I know Professor Snape will take my side in this one."
"You're mental."
"Maybe, but if nothing else Madame Pomfrey's going to throw a fit if I have to come to her again today."
"Again?" Harry asked.
"I got rather badly jinxed by my fellow Slytherins when I lost fifty points to our house."
"Do you want us to help?" Hermione asked.
"Don't worry about me. I just need to get this mended."
"You just keep bleeding."
Vanessa nodded. "There's something strange about my blood that makes me prone to that. I don't know why, but it is. Well, maybe we'll see each other gain. I mean, we've managed to miss each other for four years now."
"Well, maybe over the weekends."
"I'd like that. I like to practice my spellwork over the weekend and it can be a rather lonely job."
"That sounds wonderful," Hermione immediately piped up as her two companions groaned.
"Thanks, but maybe it's a bad idea anyways. My life is miserable enough without getting teased for being friends with Harry Potter. I think I'll be going now." She gave a small smile and staggered towards the dungeons.
She was almost to her common room when the world around her began to spin. She felt her side slam into a wall. "Come on," Vanessa muttered, "you're almost there." She began to drag along the wall and was vaguely aware of footsteps coming towards her. She slumped down to the floor. "Come on, legs, up!" The blood trickling down her arm was growing cold. A strange hissing sound escaped her mouth and her world went black.
"Vanessa, Vanessa, wake up." The voice which called her back to consciousness was stern and forceful. Vanessa opened her eyes to find herself staring face to face with Professor Snape. She looked around and realized that she was slumped in a chair in his office. Her arm was bandaged and he looked rather cross, but it wasn't necessarily aimed at her.
"Thank you, Professor," she mumbled.
"You should have gone to Madame Pomfrey."
"I thought I could make it to my room and use the bandages she gave me."
Snape moved towards one of his cabinets and pulled out a small vial. "Do you know what this is?" he asked as he held it out for inspection.
Vanessa looked at it a moment before replying, "No, sir, but it is clearly some form of salve."
He handed it to her. "This particular salve will close any wound. This is the only time I will give you some, if you need more than you will need to learn to make it. You should be able to find instructions in one of the books in the library. I will allow you to use whatever ingredients you need, but there is a limit to my generosity."
"I understand, sir," said Vanessa, barely trusting herself to speak. She and Professor Snape had always gotten along well enough, but this was beyond anything she had ever expected. "Thank you."
"I don't want one of my Slytherins to pass out in the middle of a crowded hallway," he explained. Vanessa knew better than to contradict him and was enjoying basking in the realization that someone actually cared at all. She would take even Snape's gruffness over nothing.
"I will make sure to make Salazar Slytherin proud," Vanessa announced with a slight bow. She then stood up, taking a moment to get fully on her feet. "Professor Snape?"
"Yes, Miss Drumoir?"
"I thought I should let you know that I have probably rather irritated our High Inquisitor."
"Would this have anything to do with your arm?"
"Yes, sir."
"What were you supposed to write?"
"She was just too negative for my liking."
Professor Snape's lips curled in a small smile. "You want me to support you when she goes on her rampage?"
"Well, I was just thinking that no self-respecting Slytherin…"
"I'll see what I can do. Now, get to bed. If you fall asleep in my class then my offer is gone."
"Yes, sir," Vanessa stated as she left his office, clutching the small vial he had given her. She had always gotten the impression that he liked her well enough, but this was the first time he had really shown it. This would be a great help with whatever else Umbridge was likely to throw her way. Malfoy's sneering voice when she entered the common room was more than enough to bring her back to reality.
"Enjoy your detention?"
"It was detention, a punishment but not a particularly bad one."
He sneered at her, looking quite lofty in his favorite chair. She had to admit the deep green did well as a backdrop for him and he looked rather regal, and like an arrogant brat. "You got points taken away from us."
"And what are you going to do about it, punish one of your own?"
"You are not one of my own," Malfoy responded, now sounding somewhat defensive and annoyed. It was only then that Vanessa took in the strangeness of this encounter. Even in the common room he was hardly ever alone and yet he had chosen to meet her on his own. She knew he could have prepared quite the audience, but something was holding him back from a public humiliation.
"I am in Slytherin am I not?"
"A fluke," Malfoy quickly announced.
"Then perhaps your placement is a mistake and Harry Potter should be sitting in your place."
Malfoy never got red when he got angry, at least she had never seen it, but a dangerous sheen now came to his eyes. "You would do well to watch your mouth, mudblood."
"That am I am a mudblood is your assumption and not a verified fact."
"Either way, you have no influence while my father controls half of the ministry."
"If the ministry is stupid enough to be controlled by your father then it is not a worthwhile government to follow." She was about to insult Toadface while she was at it, but decided it was best to stop short. She listened to Malfoy and Vanessa wanted to have the satisfaction of at least being there when she angered Umbridge.
"Are you insulting my father?"
"And you call yourself a Slytherin?"
"You are walking on dangerous ground," Malfoy snarled. She had rarely managed to get him this worked up. "You have no friends and no family and yet you move against my family?"
"You have no intelligence and no cunning and yet you move against my mind? All you are, Malfoy, is a stuck up, spoiled, brat."
"My father can take you down," Malfoy snarled.
"Your father must spend a lot of his time making up for his son's failings."
Malfoy was on his feet in an instant, wand drawn. Vanessa didn't hear what spell he attempted, smoothly drawing out her wand and shouting, "Expelliramus!" Malfoy was shoved back into his chair with a thud, wand flying. Vanessa didn't say anything else, just headed towards her dorm. She kept her wand out though as a reminder to him not to try anything. She was a fast spellcaster and knew more charms and hexes than at least any other Slytherin fourth year. Sure enough, Malfoy didn't try anything else and Vanessa finally went to bed with a smile on her face.
