People didn't tend to notice the 4th year Slytherin girl. She was normally quiet, somewhat sullen at times. She had transferred that year to Hogwarts, from where no one knew. She had sharp features, long black hair tied back in a braid with ribbons, large doe-like black eyes with silver specks, and she was skinny as a rail. The girl wore pants instead of skirts like most of the girls. Even in the bright weather her arms were always covered. At the moment the girl was clunking along in boots minding her own business and carrying her white cat when Draco stepped out in front of her. He grabbed her arm pulling her into a side room no one was using. "I know why you're here…" he whispered menacingly to her staring right into her eyes sneering. "The Dark Lord doesn't believe I can do the task he set me too, so he brings you in." He pushed her arm up against the cold stones, she tried to struggle from his grasp and the cat was hissing at him even as he ripped her shirt sleeve almost clean off revealing the Dark Mark on her arm. "Stay out of my way. I will give him that Black bitch." He hissed at her through clenched teeth before back handing her across the face. The cat yowled at him before jumping on him. Draco used his wand deflecting the cat, but not before it had scratched him good. He left the room.
A moment later Fred Weasley came by, "Everything okay?" he asked the girl who was kneeling by the cat. He came over and stroked the white fur a bit until the cat came around. "See, he's all right…" the red-headed youth told her smiling. "Just knocked out, is all."
She didn't say anything, just scooped him up and fled from the room before he could see the few tears for what Malfoy had done to her cat. She didn't seem to care that he had hit her, the bruise just now forming. She just cared about the little white cat cradled in her arms.
Later, after making sure she was totally alone, slipped into the rooms of one of the Aurors staying at Hogwarts that year. The man came in presently and paused surprised to see her there. "Mira…you're not supposed to be here." He told her and saw the bruise on her face sighing. "Sit down." He told her looking it over before pulling out some salve and rubbing it into her face as he knelt in front of her. "I suppose you've found something out, that's why you're here?"
She nodded. "Malfoy has been selected to try and get the girl here at Hogwarts." She informed him.
"I suspected that was the case. I'll inform Dumbledore. You, be more careful though, I know you don't fear much, but stay low and don't bring any attention to yourself, all right? I know you do a good job of that, but you're only a kid, remember that. You may have the resolve and courage to face a full grown wizard, but you don't have the know-how yet. Just stay low and out of Malfoy's way."
She nodded, not saying anything about his little speech. She took the cat and left after Donovan made sure that the coast was clear.
The DA meetings had been a great success for all involved, they were all learning so much and getting so much better at everything Harry was showing them from Patronus' to defensive spells. It was after one of these lessons that they found out Hagrid was back and they raced down to see him. He let them in smiling, but hurried turned to get them tea. "Where's Erin now?"
"She's at home," Hermione explained. "Dumbledore thought it best she stay there until after holidays to recuperate from the end of last year. And he wanted some protections in place before hand."
"Doing okay, is she?"
"She's fine," Harry said sighing. "At least physically she seems to be doing fine, it's all the mental stuff she's dealing with that has me worried."
"Erin'll be all right, Harry, you'll see. And she'll be back 'fer you know it."
"Where have you been, Hagrid?" Hermione asked as Hagrid turned towards them. "Oh! Hagrid!"
"Ah, it's nuthin'!" He told her about his face, all black and blue and slightly infected. He was putting a steak over it, which Fang was whimpering for. He sighed. "Blasted dog, here," he tossed it to him. "And Dumbledore sent me to deal with the giants, o'course. But yeh already knew that, didn't yeh?"
"We did." Hermione nodded.
"Went to see them we did, me and Olympe," he smiled big at that. Something was up with that smile, but they didn't know what. "We had to go in as if we were unafraid, but really we was both scared, they're a lot bigger than we are and stronger, yeh see? But we brought them a gifts from Dumbledore. We tried our hardest, but it was no use, they kept the presents, o'course, but they've already sided with You-Know-Who."
"I'm sorry, Hagrid," Harry said. "Did you find out anything about your mum?"
"My—!" he practically choked on the tea. "Oh, oh right, my mum, she died years ago. They told me. Don't remember her much as it is. She wasn't a great mother, really."
"You haven't told us why you look like that, though, Hagrid." Hermione said as there was a tap on the door.
Hagrid peeked out the window. "Some bloody witch with a bow…wonder what she wants…"
"Umbridge!" Harry hissed and all of them got under his cloak before Hagrid opened the door.
"So," she said, "You're Hagrid, are you?"
"Yes, who are you?"
"I am Dolores Jane Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts."
"Oh, uh, nice to meet yeh."
"Who were talking to?"
"What?" He asked blinking. "Oh, I was talkin' to Fang, that's all."
"I heard someone else talking."
"Well, you know sometimes I say Fang's just about human, hisself." He said smiling a little lamely.
"Yes, well, where have you been? School started some time ago."
"Uh…I've been away on holiday, for me health…fresh air and all that."
"Fresh air? A Gameskeeper needing fresh air?"
"Er…yes, different air."
"And just where were you?"
"France, yeh can ask Madame Maxime if yeh want. She'll tell yeh."
"Madame Maxime, is it? I have heard she is in somewhat of a delicate position at the moment."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Hagrid asked in a low voice.
"I would think you would know better than I would what condition that is." She told him coldly. "Was it she who gave you those wounds?"
"What? Olympe? No, no, I tripped."
"You tripped," she repeated coolly.
"That's right, I tripped."
"Where have you been?"
"I already told yeh! I was in France with Madame Maxime!"
"In the mountains?" She knew, it was hard not to gasp when she said that.
"Mountains? No, south of France, sun an' the sea."
"Not much of a tan."
"Never said I went out in the sun, did I? Maxime an' I were there together." He said a firm look to his face.
"Well, I shall be informing the Minister of your late return and I shall be inspecting your classes."
"Inspectin'?"
"That's right. As Hogwarts High Inquisitor it is part of my job description to inspect to make sure teachers are performing satisfactory according to Ministry regulated procedures. Good day."
Hagrid closed the door. Umbridge sniffed and pulled out some perfume spraying it on herself and on Hagrid's door.
Draco followed Mira from the Slytherin common room that night right to the owlery. "Sending something?" He sneered at her from the doorway. "Tattling to the Dark Lord that I'm putting you in your place, little girl?"
She didn't say a word as she crossed the room going by him ignoring him completely, her cat, tail in the air following behind her. "Watch your back, Mira. Just because you're a favorite today doesn't mean you'll always be. He'll grow tired of you sooner or later. He always does."