Chapter 2- Welcoming Umbridge
Summer break had come to end. The students aboarded the Hogwarts Express and prepared for another year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
If there was one person to despise returning to Hogwarts the most, it was Draco Malfoy. However, it did resolve in some relief, from his bickering father and unconfident mother all summer. He took a seat in his usual booth, along with Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy. He looked out the window and exhaled, hoping the school year would go by faster than the other ones did.
'Bloody Hogwarts. Bloody father, always telling me how I'm not perfect enough. Pff, I'll show him, this year I'll get better grades than that mudblood, Granger.' He thought to himself, in a not so great mood.
"How was your holiday Malfoy?" His boisterous, large and jolly friend Crabbe asked, as if he didn't already know the answer.
"Typical. Just my father's Death Eater nonsense and rantings about how 'glorious' the Dark Lord is." Draco inquired.
"Oh, same at my place." Crabbe responded, as the train took off.
Draco's mood worsened when the train arrived to Hogwarts. 'Another fantasic year at Hellwarts.' He muttered to himself as he walked to The Great Hall with his friends. Of course Crabbe was only interested in the beginning of the year feast, and Goyle seemed to be excited to meet up with his death eater friends.
Draco took a seat at the Slytherin table, bored out of his mind, watching the first years get sorted, then the welcoming of yet another new defense against the dark arts teacher. 'I cant wait to see what's going to happen to this one.' He thought.
He dozed out of Dumbledore's boring welcoming speech, but seemed to be alerted when Umbridge had interrupted his speech, so she could state her 'blessings' to the school.
"Hello fellow students of Hogwarts school of Witch Craft and Wizardry. I am Professor Dolores Umbridge, your new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. It's so nice to see all of your bright, happy faces smiling up at me." She proclaimed happily.
Draco glanced around the room at peoples' expressions, no one seemed 'bright and happy.' For what she said was an understatement.
"I'm sure we're all going to be very good friends."
'Oh bother.' He scuffed.
"The ministry of magic takes no greater concern than the students learning experience and education. Although each headmaster has brought something new to this historic school, I'm afraid progress must be discouraged. I shall prohibit certain practices that aren't vital to your learning." She finished, with an odd giggle at the end before taking her seat.
"Looks like this year's going to be worse than we thought." Crabbe stated, then stuffed a biscuit into his mouth. Draco nodded, rolling his eyes.
"So did you hear about what happened to Potter recently?" Goyle asked Draco.
"Yeah, he got in trouble with the Order for under aged magic, didn't he?" Draco asked.
"Ha ha, yeah. Judging his personality it seems like he'd know better." he repiled.
Draco looked over to the Gryffindor table at Harry. He scowled at the fact that Potter was able to get away with such a ridiculous act.
'Stupid Potter. He can get away with anything with old Dumbledore at his side. Pssh.' He thought angrily.
Then he looked over at Hermione sitting next to Harry. He hated her just as much as he did Harry. With the plain brown wavy hair, and ridiculous amount of pride and intellegence, not to mention the fact that she was a muggle-born. Malfoy couldn't find anything nice about her. She was nothing but rotten uselessness to Draco, and wished that she and the rest of that 'Golden Trio' could fall into the hands of Voldemort.
He then looked over at Neville Longbottom, who looked vulnerable and bound for a roughhousing. Crabbe and Goyle noticed Draco's smirk, and knew what that meant.
"How shall we tortment Longbottom this year?" Goyle asked, in a dark, sadistic tone.
Draco thought for a moment, just how would he be making Neville's life miserable? He knew all the wedgies, nookies, twerlies, and indian burns over the years hadn't been quite enough to satify his entertainment. Draco was dark, heinous, and cruel, like his father. He got his kicks from messing around with the less fortunate.
"I'm not sure yet, we should think on it gentlemen." Draco replied, as the three of them smirked at their cruel intentions.
The students really got a proper taste of the new defense against the dark arts teacher, Profesor Umbridge. On the outside she looked like a sweet, middle aged woman, dressed in all pink, not willing to hurt a fly, but on the inside she was a cruel, strict and vile woman. She would fight to the death just to have things go her way, as the students learn not too long after her arrival.
The Slytherin's seemed able to accept and understand her bitchy persona, true surprise there. On the first day in DATDA class, Umbridge presented herself to the class. She didn't talk about herself, like where she was from or if she had any pets. Instead she flat out stated her restrictions and punishments that followed breaking them. She didn't seem to care for teaching the students how to actually defend themselves against the dark forces, since she didn't believe that the Dark Lord had really returned. Harry Potter of course felt it very important for him and his allies to know how to protect themselves from evil.
"Professor, don't you think we should take higher precautions and learn how to defend ourselves from you know who?" Harry asked, standing up.
"Why no silly boy, that won't be necessary. The Dark Lord is gone and gone for good." She exclaimed confidently.
Harry was shocked at her ignorance. "What? You're joking right? Voldemort has returned! We must be prepared to defend ourselves otherwise we'll all,..."
"Enough!" Umbridge interrupted. "You nor anyone else in this room has the right to lie. I will see tonight at 7:00 for detention in my office."
Harry was frustrated beyond belief, but continuing the argument would do no good, so he took a seat and carried on with his work.
"Potter sure has gotten some nerve over the summer hasn't he Malfoy?" Crabbe asked.
Draco was still a bit dumbfounded by Harry's audacity. "Oh, yeah looks like it." He replied.
Draco's next class was potions with Professor Snape. He wasn't sure why, but he was his favorite teacher. It was something about the bold, dark personality and rudeness torwards his peers that amused Draco.
Unfortunately Hermione and Weasel boy were in that class as well. 'Great. It was swell enough having Pothead in my first period. Now mudblood and Weasel? Bloody great luck.' He thought to himself, resting his head in his hands and rolling his eyes as Snape went over his restrictions and policies.
Draco strongly disagreed with the Professor's seating arrangments. He had to sit next to Ron Weasley and across from Hermione. He disliked it so much he picked up the nerve to protest about it.
"Professor, I would like you to make a slight change to your seating arrangements. Could you move Granger and Weasel across the room?" He asked, trying to be as polite as possible towards the strict Professor.
"No Mister Malfoy. I'm not going to make adjustments to my chart just to satify your needs. Now take a seat." Snape told him harshly.
"But Prof..."
"No! Now take a seat before I deduct points."
He hesitantly took a seat. Hermione glared at him for being so rude already. "Mudblood." He muttered, leaving Hermione to roll her eyes and begin the notes on how to make Wolfsbane potion.
It was late afternoon when Draco and his gang were wandering the halls, randomly throwing rude comments at first years, nerds, and muggleborns. They happened to run into Argus Filch, for once he didn't look angry, in fact, he had been looking for the boys.
"Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy, I'd like a word with you all." Filch muttered, his creepy tone frightened the three of them a bit. He brought them to an isolated hallway and began a deal.
"Alright. I'd like the three of to take part in a deal involving helping Professor Umbridge make sure all students follow her orders and wishes."
The three of them were a bit confused at his words. Of course they weren't going to take part in any of this until they heard what the 'deal' was.
"And what's in it for us?" Draco confidently asked.
Filch leaned in closer to the boys, a bit too close for comfort.
"I'll find a way to multiply your house points at the end of the year." He whispered, still not convincing the Slytherins.
"And?" Draco muttered.
"And I'll write all of your essays." He added, disappointed.
The three looked at each other, then grinned and nodded.
"Alright Mr. Filch. We're in." Draco stated.
"Excellent." Argus quoted, then went on his way.