Thank you for your reviews&likes&favorites for the last chapter. It was the longest one I had ever done, and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it! Now, enter Umbridge. This outta NOT be fun.

RavenclawLupin11 presents:

Sapphire Eyes Book 1

Chapter 4: Monday, Monday

I awoke to the sound of trunks being opened and a shower running. I opened my eyes groggily. Turning my head to to my left I saw Donna was facing away from me and had only her knickers on. Mandy came out of the showers and was toweling her hair dry. Padma was hopping up and down on one foot, pulling her dark grey sock onto the other. I threw a pillow at my slumbering bed neighbor and Sally-Anne groaned and sat straight up as I began to dress. Putting the finishing touches on my simple makeup, I helped Padma with her plait and we all headed down to the common room. Terry was staring at the message board.

"Any news, Terry," I asked him, sidling up to his right side.

"Just a sign from Fred and George. What I can't figure out is how they got it in here."

Surely enough a large sign had been tacked up overnight.

Gallons of Galleons!

Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings?

Like to earn a little extra gold?

Contact Fred and George Weasley,

Gryffindor Common Room,

For simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs

(We regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk.)

I smiled and said, "I bet Hermione is gonna have a field day with this."

"Isn't George interested in her," Terry asked me.

I nodded. "Yes and when she sees this on their notice board, I can bet George will be getting an earful."

And I wasn't wrong. Making our way into the Great Hall a few minutes later, after picking up Stephen on the way down, I saw Fred and George hovering around Harry, Evan and Hermione. Hermione's hair was bristling as George looked thoroughly indifferent to her glares and snarls. Before the three of us had made it six steps into the Hall, Professor Flitwick came sprinting up to us. "Ms. Black, Mr. Boot and Mr. Entwistle, here are your schedules for this term," he said in his squeaky voice, handing each of us small pieces of parchment.

I looked down at my paper, raised my eyebrows and gave a low whistle. "Double Potions, History of Magic and Double Defense in one day?"

"Snape and that horrible Umbridge woman," Stephen groaned. "That's the worst Monday I've ever heard of."

"At least Professor Black is interesting," Terry replied with a smile at my direction.

We sat down, our backs facing the wall. I saw Hermione still reaming out the twins. Each of them in turn looked at Harry and rolled their eyes. The food appeared on the table, and Anthony, Padma, Donna and Bradley all sat down around us. We began a thorough discussion on the awfulness that was today.

"How much do you want a bet that Snape will be giving us a foot and a half long essay on some obscure potions ingredient that isn't even used anymore," Sally-Anne said from around Donna.

"About as much as I'll bet Umbridge tries to tell us that Harry is wrong about Voldemort's return and that everything is sunshine and roses," I said, ignoring the collective grimace at the Dark Lord's name. "And if I have to stare at her sickeningly pink cardigan for an hour, I may just puke."

Micheal snorted as he sat down next to Donna as she said, her voice going into a higher octave, "Not to mention that sugary sweet voice of hers."

We all laughed.

I saw Blaise, Draco and Theodore Nott come in, as Snape handed them their schedules. According to my schedule paper, Slytherin and Ravenclaw have Transfiguration together. I saw Blaise look over at me and smile sweetly. I returned the gesture and slightly blushed. Terry saw what transpired and gave me a knowing look. Once breakfast was over we retired to the dungeons, with the Hufflepuffs. Ernie Macmillan was already boasting about his prefect's badge to Hannah's embarrassment.

"Oi, Ernie," Owen Caudwell said from behind me.

Ernie's head perked up. "Yes, Owen?"

"Nip it, would you? We had to hear this for three hours last night, and the Ravenclaws don't need to hear it. Ever."

Ernie's face flushed red and I laughed a little. Ernie was a good guy, but exceedingly pompous. He was basically a Percy Weasly 2.0 and most people really couldn't stand it. I for one like Ernie. Not so much his pompousness but Ernie in general was an okay bloke. "It's okay, Ernie," I whispered to him. "I like you." That got a smile out of him right as the dungeon doors opened.

"Stand along the back wall, and be quiet," was Snape's greeting for us. Terry and I stood next to each other and looked around slowly. The same decorations adorned the windowless walls, the same eerie fog created by boiling potions clouded my vision, and the same brooding, greasy haired git with the same hook shaped nose stood in the front of the classroom. "This year, I choose your partners." There was a collective groan from the class. "I said be quiet! Now, Ravenclaws write your name on these pieces of parchment and put them in his cauldron. Hufflepuffs the same with you just in this cauldron, not that one. I'll call one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff. That is your partner for the term. No questions or complaints."

We moved forward and did what we were instructed. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Harry, Evan and Hermione who would be paired with Slytherin's that would torment them to no end. After all our names were in the cauldrons, Snape moved to the first two desks. He pointed to the left desk as he read the two names. "Branstone and Perks." Eleanor and Sally-Anne sat down as "Finch-Fletchley and Corner" were called. This pattern continued until "Black and Whitby" was heard. I sat down next to Kevin and we smiled at each other. Kevin and I had never really talked and I was hoping we could this year. Terry was partnered with Ernie and I could tell Terry was already counting backwards from ten to settle himself.

Snape instructed us to make a Draught of Peace for our first potion of the year, and I was smiling inwardly, knowing Mum had a lot of flack from the ministry when she taught myself and Evan how to brew these when we were about six. "Does anyone know what this potion is supposed to do?"

My hand, along with Terry and Ernie's hand went up. Snape nodded at me. "It calms and soothes anxiety and agitation."

"Take ten points. And what are the side-effects," Snape asked.

Terry's hand went up first and was called on. "In some cases, if the potion maker is off with the amount of ingredients, the drinker can sleep for longer than intended, sometimes forever."

"Ravenclaw take another ten points." Snape flicked his wand at the blackboard. As the instructions appeared he said, "Instructions and method can be found here. You may use the store cupboard for your ingredients. Any questions or further reading on the potion can be found on page 90 of Magical Drafts and Potions. You have an hour and a half. Begin."

Donna's face looked horror struck as she read the blackboard. Wayne had to wipe his hand in front of her face a few times to get her attention. Ernie had already gotten his ingredients by the time my fire was lit. Terry stopped by my desk and handed out half of his arm load.

"What's all this?"

Terry smiled. "I got your ingredients for you. I figured it would be easier."

I smiled at him. "My champion."

Kevin came back to our desk and sat down. "So, Mira?"

Adding the powdered moonstone to my potion, I turned to him. "Yes, Kevin?"

"Are you and Terry a thing? I mean, you're always together and he seems smitten with you."

I shook my head as my potion turned blue. "No. He and I are just really good friends. And he is smitten with me, but I'm not interested in him in that way."

Kevin turned back to his now lavender colored potion. "Oh. I-er- well I'm sorry for asking. I guess it isn't really important."

After about an hour, my potion had become a bright orange. It seemed that I was the closest to being done. Snape had been making his rounds at different cauldrons. When he got to mine he nodded and moved onto Kevin's. Kevin, unfortunately, wasn't doing as well. Snape questioned his potion and told him he had extra homework to make up for his idiocy. My potion had achieved the shimmering silver vapor when Snape told us to pack up. I came back to the table after corking my sample.

"Kevin, do you want some help this year?"

Kevin looked at me in confusion. "Come again?"

"Well," I continued as we filtered out of the dungeon. "You didn't do very well in potions last year either, and this year being OWL year, I thought you'd like some help. I'm not the best at potions, that's Hermione, but I'm okay. I can tutor you with your essays too. I know Snape likes to be heavy handed with the homework."

After a few moments of standing in the Entrance Hall, he nodded. "Thanks, Mira."

"You're welcome, and most of my friends call me Mia."

We walked to History of Magic together, meeting up with the rest of our year. Dad, or Professor Black as he was known to me in class, was waiting at the door. "Good morning, class." All of us echoed his sentiment as we passed him into the room. It was a big, round room with desks and chairs made into the stairs all the way up to the top of the room. Each side of the room mirrored the other, with Dad's desk in the center, in front of the blackboard. "This term we will be focusing on the Giant Wars. Can anyone tell me what a giant looks like?"

Draco, surprisingly, raised his hand first, and Dad called on him. Draco smiled. "If we go down on the grounds a ways you'll find a great big oaf attempting to be a teacher." Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy, ever his faithful cronies, laughed. I saw Blaise roll his eyes.

"Ten points from Slytherin for your cheek and petty attitude." Draco's face paled even further as his smile faded. "Can anyone tell me how to recognize a giant?"

This time Hermione was first. Sighing, Dad called on her. "Full-blooded giants are about twenty feet tall. They are violent by nature and inter tribal fights between them are common."

"Verbatim from A History of Magic, but correct, five points to Gryffindor." Harry and Evan snickered as Hermione blushed crimson. Terry looked sideways at me. "Know it all," he whispered out of the corner of his mouth. I smiled and Dad singled me out. "Mira, can you tell me when the first of the Giant Wars took place?"

I sat there for a moment before answering. "I can only remember they happened in the early 1800's. Before 1811. But whenever it was they DID war, they nearly became extinct."

Dad nodded. "Five points to Ravenclaw." The rest of the lesson was Dad talking about Gurg, the present day Giant leader. After History of Magic was done, we had lunch. And I was starving.

Stephen was standing at the table. "And today's selection is Shepherd's pie, meatloaf, and always a favorite mystery meat kippers."

The whole Ravenclaw table laughed, no one more than Luna. I sat next to her at the table. "How is your first day going, Luna?"

"Frightful. Umbridge really is awful. She's not teaching us magic. It's all theory."

"And she's not letting us use our wands in class," Lucas Martin, fellow fourth year, said from her left. "How are we supposed to learn anything with just theories?"

Terry and I looked at our classmates. "We have her later today. I can't wait to see how she fares with Harry. He's the poster boy for You-Know-Who's return," Terry said. "She won't like him much."

"I just hope he controls his temper. Merlin knows he doesn't need any detentions," I said, glancing over to the Gryffindor table, knowing that what I wished for, was never going to happen.