Hey so my wifi is broken and the connection on my laptop is also broken sometimes i can get a connection as im posting this now. but im going to see if one of my cousins would let me use their computer seems with everyone having a phone hardly anyone has a computer nowadays. im going to work on a few more chapters so next time i upload it will be a lot. im hoping to get a new computer as soon as i save up for it.
Chapter 6
At breakfast Harry sat with Luna the girl he met on the train over at the Ravenclaw table. Hermione and Ron were giving him a headache with their passive aggressive tendencies. They were still sore at him for not standing up for them when they told Umbridge that Voldemort was back. Yeah, no he wasn't about to do that at all. People already thought he was crazy because the paper said so but in reality Harry had never said anything about Voldemort being back. It was the Prophet who claimed such a thing.
Double Charms was succeeded by double Transfiguration. Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall both spent the first fifteen minutes of their lessons lecturing the class on the importance of O.W.L.s.
"What you must remember," said Professor Flitwick squeakily, "is that these examinations may influence your futures for many years to come! If you have not already given serious thought to your careers, now is the time to do so. And in the mean time, I'm afraid, we shall be working harder than ever to ensure that you all do yourselves justice!"
They then spent over an hour revising Summoning Charms, which according to Professor Flitwick were bound to come up in their O.W.L, and he rounded off the lesson by setting them their largest ever amount of Charms homework.
It was the same, if not worse, in Transfiguration.
"You cannot pass an O.W.L." said Professor McGonagall grimly, "without serious application, practice and study. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve an O.W.L. in Transfiguration as long as they put in the work." Neville made a sad little disbelieving noise. "Yes, you too, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "There's nothing wrong with your work except lack of confidence. So today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until NEWT level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L."
The so called Vanishing Spell was nothing more then a banishing spell given another name to trip the students up. Why are they learning charms in Transfiguration is the question people should be asking but to do so they must be able to think for themselves. Not to mention Conjuring is the easiest bit of magic anyone can do. You're literally just making something out of nothing like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Humans really have fallen, forgetting so much magic when they tied themselves to useless bits of wood.
After lunch was Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Grubbly-Plank.
'Everyone here?' barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, once all the Slytherins and Gryffindors had arrived. 'Let's crack on then. Who can tell me what these things are called?'
She indicated the heap of twigs in front of her. Who revealed themselves to be what looked like tiny pixyish creatures made of wood, each with knobbly brown arms and legs, two twig like fingers at the end of each hand and a funny flat, bark like face in which a pair of beetle-brown eyes glittered. Hermione's hand shot into the air.
Bowtruckles, seriously? Rolling his eyes at such a creature, they should have learned about them back in third year. At least the woman knew they needed the help. Though he could have done without the disgusting little scavengers.
Grabbing a Bowtruckle he proceeded to sit with Neville and Millicent Bulstrode. "So who wants to feed it?" He did not want to touch lice eww.
"Why are you sitting here Potter." demanded Bulstrode.
Disdainfully he told her she could leave. If she couldn't grow up and work with them she could find someone else to partner up with.
"Just give me the lice." she demanded glaringly.
Working in silence they each did a sketch with all body-parts labelled by the end of the lesson. Neville had let the creature go when it was his turn so both Harry and Bulstrode let him copy from theirs. While he didn't like the little things he hated seeing anyone enslaved to the humans.
For the past week Hermione has been distant and moody. Harry just chalked it up to a girl thing everyone knows how girls are thinking some discomfort allows them to act like a total bitch. Ron tried to talk to her and she hexed him, so Harry cursed her back. Whatever she is dealing with is no reason to attack a friend or anyone really. He should have known she was the abusive type after she got into a fight every year. Ginny attacking people left and right he could see from her low station as a girl like that wouldn't dig herself out of the hole she was born in. Hermione though besides being muggleborn is a part of the upper-middle class and should know better. It's not like he let her pull away but he wasn't going to press when she was acting this way.
Away from her Ron and Harry spent their time with Luna and Neville and strangly Milicent Bulstrode who started pairing up with him in their shared classes. With Milicent brought Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. All they needed was a Hufflepuff to round out the group.
Potions has become tolerable seems Snape thinks we are old enough to not get ourselves killed in his class so he is not as overbearing as usually. The man is domineering but less so in a way.
Umbridge is still a bitch but its not like they can't self study. No one would pass their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s if they didn't teach themselves. With the kind of teachers they had he would be surprised if that wasn't the case.
Ron got a letter from his brother telling him to think for himself and to stop being a mindless follower as it will get him killed if he's not careful. Ron being Ron just thought he was being a git and tore up the letter it was Pansy who told him what the letter was really about. She explained why he wrote it and what he actually said instead of what Ron thought he said. Harry honestly didn't care enough to get involved.
Umbridge is now the High Inquisitor which means she can now inspect the other teachers. Everyone couldn't wait for her to inspect McGonagall the confrontation would go down in history they were all sure. The only good thing to come out of it was that Hermione finally came around, she still wouldn't tell them what was wrong but she was talking to them again at least.
Qudditch was fun, Harry loved flying and with Ron now on the team they can go flying more often since he has his own broom now. Snape is grading them on the O.W.L level which makes sense since the exams are at the end of the year. Considering he got an Acceptable, Harry could understand the grimice he got from the man. Hermione got the same grade while Ron got a Poor. Knowing he got a passing grade is great but he does have all year to get an Exceeds Expectations if not an Outstanding on the exam its self.
It was in Divination that Umbridge showed up.
'Good afternoon, Professor Trelawney,' said Umbridge with her wide smile. 'You received my note? Giving the time and date of your inspection?'
Professor Trelawney nodded curtly to the woman then preceeded to ignore her. Umbridge on the otherhand started her interrogation by asking innocuous questions at first then demanded point blank for a prediction. Harry knew that Divining didn't work that way, not the way Umbridge was demanding it to be used.
While he didn't like her and thought her an old drunk who was a pothead he still felt bad for her. Ones gift should not be trivialized by idiotic bigots.
Unfortunately they had Umbridge four more times that day, the confrontation between Umbridge and McGonagall was as epic as everyone thought it would be. Malfoy acted like the loser they all knew he was in COMC. Who trys so hard to be a teachers pet, besides Hermione?
The rest of the month goes fast, Hermione had so much detention that it became normal to see her holding her hand. He didn't understand why she refused to go to Pomfrey for it, or complain about the excessive dententions but it was her choice for better or worse. For some reason she tried to get him to teach DADA even though their little group already devoted their time to DADA study. He said no of course everyone else could do what they are doing and study during their own time. It wasn't his job to help everyone when they can do it themselves.
Their group was big enough as it was what with the twins, Ron, Neville, Luna, Milicent, Pansy, Blaise and Hermione when she bothers to show up. For being so worried about her O.W.L.s she hardly showed up to study with the group.