Chapter 12

The Fight

Despite the fact that I had a chance to teach people in my year proper Defence, Umbitch's classes were pure torture. Not even Draco could make them in any way ok!

I turned to Ivy (who I was sitting next to for a change) one day while we had our DADA "lesson" and sighed "This is ridiculous!" I muttered.

Ivy nodded at me and slammed her book closed, making Umbitch look up with the trace of a smirk on her face!

"Do you not understand something, Ms Duff?" she asked sickly sweet.

Ivy nodded "No, I don't!" she snapped "I don't understand how you can sit there, telling us to read this piece of garbage like it'll make a difference!" she shouted, setting the book in front of her and leaning back against her chair.

I nodded "Yeah! When're we actually gonna use the counter jinxes and things mentioned in this book?" I demanded.

Umbridge looked from Ivy to me and back to Ivy again "No one is going to try and kill you all on the streets. Believe me, you must stop believing these nasty rumours-" Umbridge said.

Ivy cut her off, looking as livid as I ever saw her "No! No, you need to stop pretending that nothing is wrong! Lord Voldemort-" the class gasped at her use of the name "is back! Harry and Hannah saw him, and Harry duelled him, Hannah nearly escaped fighting six Death Eaters single handed with her life! And the last time Voldemort-" everyone went wide eyed but me and Harry "the last time he was here he rampaged around and murdered innocent people! Including my mum and Harry and Hannah's mum and dad!" Ivy said.

I smirked. I had never felt more proud to have Ivy Duff as my best friend until then.

Umbridge walked up to Ivy "Detention, Ms Duff. Next Friday." then she leaned down to Ivy's ear and hissed "Ever since your pathetic blood traitor mother died I have been stuck with you, so mind your tone with me, young lady."

Ivy glared up at Umbridge and took her bag and book, storming out of class without another word.

I beamed, letting my pride show "I've never been more proud of her." I said to Harry.

Harry nodded in agreement and rubbed is scabbing hand.

I started to open my mouth to say something to Umbridge about how Ivy was right and the Ministry was full of shit for not believing that Voldemort was really back.

"Now, back to the lesson." Umbridge said, walking back to the teacher's desk "And the next person to say anything will join Ms Duff and have fifty points taken from their house."

I growled "What lesson?" I muttered.

Umbridge ignored me and everyone returned to the Slinkhard book.

I didn't. it wasn't fair that Ivy had detention for telling the truth. so I refused to open my book up again, muttering "Screw this." and taking out some parchment and a quill and doodling.

Umbridge still ignored me.

When I went into the Great Hall for lunch, I saw Ivy sitting all by herself, with her kitten Coral on her lap as she picked at a sandwich.

I beamed as I rushed up to hug her from behind "That was amazing!" I said proudly. "I haven't been more proud of you until you said all that back there!"

Ivy shrugged "Yeah, I guess I got off lucky." she muttered, still picking at her sandwich. "What'd I miss after I barged out?"

I shrugged "Nothing. Umbridge just told us to return to the 'lesson'," I said in air quotes "and the next person to speak was getting the same as you and fifty points taken from their house. I didn't open my book again though. I was in protest over your detention. you were speaking your mind and telling the truth, too! That's not a crime!" I said, sitting down next to her.

"To her it is." Ivy muttered angrilly.

I rolled my eyes and sat down next to her "Still!" I said "It isn't really fair to you…and I can't believe Blaise didn't back you up, the bastard!" I said, before remembering what Umbridge said to Ivy before Ivy left the class "What was that Umbridge said to you, about watching your tone with her?" I asked.

Ivy was quiet for a minute, not answering my question until she took a deep breath "You remember all of first and second year I was getting letters from someone saying to stop what I was doing and I was embarrassing them?" Ivy asked.

I nodded "Yeah."

"She sent them." Ivy said, taking a sip of water.

I creased my eyebrows together…then I raised them up into my bangs. "Wait a second…" I said, starting to tick things off on my fingers "the letters…the mysterious aunt…the black eye and fat lip you got summer before second year…the 'Half Breed' engraved on your arm…Harry's 'I must not tell lies' on his hand…Ivy," I said, gaping and letting my eyebrows raise higher into my hairline "is Umbitch your aunt?"

"Right on the money, Han." Ivy said, sighing "She also likes to think that my mum left her in charge to beat the 'Half-Breed'," she put Half Breed in air quotes "out of me."

I scoffed "Half Breed is in your blood." I said, smirking "You'll need a transfusion." I said, giggling as Ivy just looked at me coldly. "Bad timing?" I asked.

Ivy glared at me "A bit." she sighed.

I smirked "Sorry, V." I said before becoming serious "Does Blaise know?" I asked.

"Nope, you're the only one." Ivy said, finally biting into her sandwich.

I beamed "I feel so special!" I said before becoming serious "But you have to tell him, maybe he can protect you from the worst of Umbridge?" I suggested.

Ivy shrugged "I should, but still." she said "Is he in your common room?" she asked me.

I nodded "Should be. Last time I saw him, he and Draco were in the common room getting a head start on that Herbology essay."

Ivy got up carefully, Coral now in her arm and started walking towards the dungeons.

I rushed after her "Hey, wait up!" I shouted as I ran "My boyfriend's in there, too!"

"But I'm not telling him and neither are you!" Ivy snapped when I caught up.

"AWW!" I whined "Why not!?"

"Because I don't want him to know." Ivy said simply.

"But…WHY!?" I whined some more.

"I just told you why!" Ivy snapped, Coral still in her arms.

"Why, though?" I whined the most "I can tell him to keep it to himself!"

"Look, Han, I'm serious, don't tell him!" Ivy snapped as we stood outside the common room entrance.

I pouted "Fine!" I said before saying the password.

The door opened and there sat Blaise Zabini on a couch with Draco.

I beamed and turned to Ivy "Told you so." I said before rushing to the couch "Draco!" I said, jumping on his lap and kissing his cheek.

Blaise stood up and went to hug Ivy as I played with a lock of Draco's hair. Ivy took him into a corner and started to explain to him about Umbridge.

I turned to Draco and smiled "I'd tell you what Ivy's saying to Blaise, but she'd kill me." I said.

Draco messed up my hair as Blaise hugged Ivy with a shocked look on his face "That's alright, love." he said, smiling.

I beamed and kissed his cheek "That's good. Apparently, Ivy doesn't want you to know…she won't tell me why." I said, pouting.

"Probably many reasons, she hates me's probably a good one." Draco muttered.

I wrapped an arm around him, resting my hand on his neck "I don't." I said innocently "I'd gladly tell you if Ivy wasn't going to kill me afterwards." I said, biting my lip.

I saw in the corner of my eye Ivy leaving the common room.

I turned to face the exit and waved with my free hand "BYE, V!" I shouted.

When the door was closed, Blaise still stood where he was.

There was only one who didn't know about Umbridge…and that was Draco. I was bursting to tell him.

Blaise sat down on the couch with Draco and I and thought for a second.

I creased my eyebrows together "What, Blaise?" I asked.

"Nothing." Blaise muttered before going up to do his homework.

I was now dying to tell Draco about Umbridge, but I kept myself calm, cool and collected "So, what've you and Blaise been up to?" I asked, kissing him, and not knowing what was going to happen.

"Homework of course." Draco said, kissing me and smirking "You know, Umbridge is a hard teacher but she does have a point."

I was taken aback. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, obviously, we should really be practicing magic, but people shouldn't be arguing with her."

I blinked "Why do you say that? I think that people are entitled to speak their minds over something that's upsetting them."

"Yes, but she is a professor and she's from the Ministry." Draco said, somehow knowing I was getting annoyed.

I scoffed again and almost burst out laughing "You call that a professor? All she's having us do is reading from that stupid book!" I said.

"Yeah, I guess." Draco muttered.

I got up off his lap "You guess!?" I shouted "What do you mean, you guess? That's a horrible teacher, worse than Lockhart in second year!"

"Yeah, I know." Draco said, not looking at me.

I took a deep breath, finally deciding it was ok to say something else "Then why are you standing up for that foul woman?" I asked. "Don't you know what she's done and is doing to my brother?"

"No, but his detention was a tiny bit justified, he was always snapping at people and moping over how his life is the worst and we should feel sorry for him." Draco muttered.

I scoffed. "And why shouldn't he say that?" I asked "Granted, I don't say those sort of things, but you know, our parents were murdered, we were sent to live with abusive relatives, we were hunted down and nearly killed numerous times, we witnessed the murder of Cedric Diggory and Harry had to duel Voldemort while I was fighting Death Eaters, including your father, six on one!" I snapped, losing my temper briefly.

"Yes, but he's not the only one with a horrible life, I mean, take Duff and you for an example. you went through the same things Potter did and you don't complain. and didn't you tell me that Duff's mother was killed by You-Know-Who and her sister died in Azkaban? Duff's not 'I'm the most important and I'm always right." Draco said. "What he needs is to be knocked down a bar or two and to realize the world doesn't revolve around him."

"Harry does not think he's the most important!" I snapped defensively "He bloody well knows that people have their own problems too. He's not bigheaded."

"Look how he acts towards everyone next time, he's not how you think." Draco said, getting up.

"You wouldn't be saying that if Harry had just shaken your hand on the first day on the train." I accused.

"No, but he might not be in Gryffindor, either. Probably wouldn't be friends with the Weasleys also."

I gaped at him "I'm friends with the Weasleys!" I said "And the Sorting Hat was pretty damn close to putting me in Gryffindor!"

"Yes, but we all know that things would have been different had Potter shaken my hand like you did, so if you were smart, I wouldn't use that as an argument." Draco said starting towards his dorm.

"What would you have done had I not shaken your hand?" I asked him "Would you have called me a whiner too?"

Draco ignored me and went upstairs.

I scoffed and barged out of the dungeons to the Gryffindor common room.

Scar saw me on my way and walked over "Hey, what's wrong?"

I took a deep breath, trying to save my anger for someone who wasn't in the heart of my recent row "Draco and I just had a row." I said simply.

Scar gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth "That's awful!" she said.

I nodded "I know. he said Umbridge is an ok teacher and that my brother's a whiner about how his life was horrible." I said dryly.

"Your brother's not a whiner!" Scar said, shocked.

I smiled "Thank you!" I shouted "I'm glad someone agrees with me."

"I completely agree." Scar said, nodding.

I smiled "Thank you." I said "You mind getting Draco and telling him that?" I asked.

"I can try, but he can be pretty stubborn." Scar said.

I nodded "You're telling me." I said "Still, you mind?" I asked, serious.

"Yeah, no problem!" Scar said "So, how're you and Ivy still doing?"

I smiled "Thanks, and pretty good." I said.

"It's always good to see friends still together after problems over the summer." Scarlett said, smiling.

I nodded "Yeah," I said "Her and I hung out while Harry was at his trail."

"I was more meaning what she did to her family." Scar said, lowering her voice to a whisper "Her dad and grandma were so worried."

I creased my eyebrows together "What d'you mean?" I asked.

"She didn't tell you?" Scar asked.

I shook my head.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't say after what happened but, she ran away. she cut her hair and ran off. she didn't even tell her aunt or her grandma were she was going after she cut her hair." Scar said, sounding nervous.

I nodded "Yeah, I know she cut her hair. it looks amazing. And I don't think her aunt would care, after all, she-" I stopped. I said too much!

"No, but she left so suddenly, they were all really worried. It's a good thing her aunt now works here or her father would be in a state of panic." Scar said.

I creased my eyebrows together "That doesn't sound like the Ivy I know." I said confused.

"Ask her yourself." Scar said "My family knows hers and her dad was asking if we had seen her." Scar said.

I cocked an eyebrow "Why wouldn't she tell me when I saw her?" I asked myself.

"I don't know, I can't read her mind." Scar said "But I am telling the truth."

I blinked and looked toward the direction to Gryffindor Tower and down to the dungeons "Ok. But I'll ask her though. Meanwhile, can you talk to Draco for me? I'm still a little miffed with him and I don't want to make things worse." I said quietly.

"No problem." Scar said and she left me to go down to the common room.

Little did I know that the worse day of my life was going to start when I went back down into the dungeon.