Disclaimer: If you know it, I do not own it and it is likely from Order of the Phoenix by JKR.

The Toss Out

Trelawney lasted till the end of March. Umbridge threw her out using the same tactic she'd used last time: public humiliation. Draco and Hermione stood on the balcony overlooking the Entrance Hall, crammed together with other onlookers while Trelawney sobbed, shuddered, and rocked back and forth surrounded by her worldly possessions. Draco wondered if Umbridge had had the House Elves pack or if Trelawney had managed that feat on her own. Umbridge, for her part, was lording over the poor woman with a smug, gloating expression. McGonagall broke through the crowds and made her way to Trelawney, pulling a tartan handkerchief from her robes as she went.

"There, there, Sybill," McGonagall soothed, patting the smaller woman firmly on the back and thrusting a tartan handkerchief under her nose. "Calm down. Blow your nose on this. It's not as bad as you think, now. You're not going to have to leave Hogwarts."

"Oh really, Professor McGonagall?" Umbrdige asked in a deadly sweet voice, taking a few steps forwards.

Draco could not see McGonagall's face from where he was standing, but the feeling radiating off the other professor was dangerous. Draco was amazed Umbridge didn't burst into flames.

"And your authority for that statement is?" Umbridge challenged.

"That would be mine," said a deep voice from behind Umbridge, the bang of the oak front doors not echoing due to the fact the entire school was standing around the Entrance Hall.

Dumbledore radiated power as he strode threw the onlookers towards his professors gathered in the Entrance Hall. He came to a stop and Professor Umbridge glared up at him, then let out an unpleasant little laugh.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" she sneered. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here—" she paused to pull out a parchment scroll— "an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. Under the terms of Education Decree Number Twenty-Three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation, and sack any teacher she—that is to say, I— feel is not up to performing to the standards required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."

Dumbledore smiled, which should have been down right scary if not for the serene expression in his eyes. It was as if he was simply amused by Umbridge.

"Quite right," Dumbledore agreed heartily. Trelawney sobbed harder. "As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that power to do that still resides with the headmaster. It is my wish for Professor Trelawney to remain here."

At this, Professor Trelawney gave a wild little laugh.

"No— no, I'll g-go, Dumbledore! I sh-shall l-leave Hogwarts and s-seek my fortune elsewhere."

"No," Dumbledore said sharply.

Hermione nudged Draco in the side. Draco turned his eyes to where Hermione was indicating. Harry had joined the crowd, managing to push his way to the front near the hallway leading from the dungeons.

"Where's Snape?" Hermione whispered.

"There," he said, pointing to the left of Harry. Snape was still in the back of the crowd, his face thunderous as he tried to set Umbridge aflame. Draco had never seen Snape look at Umbridge in such a manner. He usually was blank and indifferent.

"Might you escort Sybill back upstairs?" Dumbledore asked McGonagall.

Draco waited for Professor Sprout to hurry forward, but instead it was Snape who pushed students out of the way and scooped up a trunk along with Professor Flitwick (who did not use his brute strength but rather magic). Everyone was staring at Snape as he strode after McGonagall and Trelawney when Umbridge finally found her voice once more.

"And what are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"

Dumbledore smiled again, looking as if he had just heard the best joke ever. "Oh, that won't be a problem. You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor."

"You've found…you've found?!" Umbridge screeched. "Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Twenty-two—"

"—the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if— and only if— the headmaster is unable to find one," Dumbledore recited. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion, I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"

Dumbledore turned to face the open front doors. Draco smirked at the sound of hooves. Instead of watching Firenze walk in, Draco watched Umbridge's face. She looked a combination of thunderstruck and disgusted at the sight of the white-blond haired, blue eyed centaur.

"Oh, Dumbledore," Hermione sighed, tugging on Draco's arm to get him to move.

"It's brilliant," Draco said as they left the crowd behind. "She hates half breeds."

"I know," Hermione said. "You made a note of that. It's why she refuses to admit Lupin was a brilliant teacher."

"Does she still claim Quirrell was the best?"

"Yes," Hermione muttered. "The man was a moron."

"So, you regret giving up Divination?" Draco casually asked as they entered the library.

"No," Hermione said. "Do you?"

"I already suffered through the less than helpful classes once," Draco remarked.

After Trelawney's dismissal, it was the only thing the school whispered about. Draco waited for Harry a few days after the sacking, having gotten out of Arithmancy early. The Divinations class poured out murmuring between themselves. Harry exited looking bemused.

"So, how was the new teacher?" Draco asked, pushing himself off the wall.

"Unusual," Harry admitted. "We burned sage and mallowsweet and were told to look for certain shapes, yet Firenze didn't seem bothered when no one saw them. It was like he said one thing, then contradicted himself. It's like…he doesn't really know."

"Nothing is foolproof," Draco offered.

"Did you feel like it was kind of…useless?"

"It was bizarre," Draco offered.

"He told me something odd about Hagrid," Harry said in a lower voice as they made their way to Transfiguration. "That his attempt wasn't working and he should abandon it. Any idea what Firenze meant?"

"No. Sorry," Draco admitted. "Maybe he's got a new monster he brought back from France? He kept that huge spider in the Forest, right? After Marv chased it out of the castle."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Maybe. Guess I'll talk to him next class. I mean, Firenze was very serious and not that weird-not-really-sure-way he was during class."

"I think you'd call it being a centaur?"

Harry gave Draco a look and shook his head.

Talking to Hagrid next class did little for Harry, who still had no idea what Hagrid was keeping and failing at in the Forest. Draco couldn't care less, as the teachers had all upped their workloads now that OWLs loomed closer. The only relief Draco felt was in DMC, where learning was fun.

And boy did he feel like a nerd saying that.

Though, Patronus' were not easy and at the moment, Draco was not having fun.

"It's hard," Neville muttered, his face screwed up as only feeble wisps of silver smoke issued from his wand-tip.

"Yes, it is," Draco said, producing much the same wisps.

"Happy memories," Hermione said in a sing song voice as her otter Patronus soared around the room. "And you look like you might kill someone."

Draco glared at her and tried to fixate on the memory of returning to the past: when he had realized he was really here, he was really going to change the future, and everything wrong hadn't happened. He had been really happy. So happy, he'd hugged Dobby, hadn't he?

Or maybe not. He couldn't actually remember.

"You can practice over Easter," Hermione said, patting him on the shoulder.

"Harry, I think I'm doing it!" Seamus Finnigan shouted on the other side of the room. It was his first meeting, having tagged along with Thomas.

Harry was about the praise Finnigan when the bright red light went off above their heads.

"WANDS AWAY!" Harry bellowed, closing his eyes tight.

Two things happened at the same time: the tables of Muggle chess boards appeared and the door flew open to reveal a furious looking Nott. His expression morphed from furious to triumphant at the sight of them all standing around the room clearly not playing chess.

"What?" Harry asked, looking around. "We're playing Musical Chairs…I mean Chess."

Nott pressed his lips together and sneered. "Where's the music?"

Music suddenly sounded in the room and Hermione squealed and pushed Neville, who tripped over the hem of his robes.

"Run!" Hermione shouted.

It was clear quickly who was from Muggle households as they all began to run around the tables while all the wizarding kids ran over Nott in their haste to exit the room. Their exit upset the other kids playing chess and chaos broke out.

"GET THEM!" Nott shouted. "PROFESSOR! I FOUND THEM!"

"Run, for real!" Draco shouted, throwing open a new door that had appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed Hermione, who was still in the process of playing whatever Musical Chairs was, and ran through the door. It lead into a dark hallway that was twisting up and down, back and forth. When Draco was sure they weren't being followed, he and Hermione came to a halt and hid behind a tapestry, catching their breath.

"I was so sure that wasn't going to happen," Hermione panted. "We took all those precautions."

"I know. It looks bad that we were all standing when Nott entered. And he's part of that new squad of peace keepers."

Hermione snorted.

Umbridge had founded her Inquisition Squad (name to come) a week ago informally. She did not have the power for students to do her dirty work till she was in charge, but till then she was gathering people around her to support her for when she took power.

Draco had stupidly thought it was something Dumbledore was doing rather than the Chess Club.

"Well, if anyone knows what Musical Chairs is, then maybe we'll be fine."

"Half the kids ran out the door," Draco pointed out. "Least to say, Umbridge and Nott don't know how to play Musical Chairs."

"Yes, I realize this. Clearly, it's not a game you play in the wizarding world."

"What is it?"

"You put chairs in a circle. While music is playing you run around, when the music stops you sit down. There is always one less chair than there are people. The person left without a chair is out."

"Well, that's silly."

"We should…I don't even know. This is the night Dumbledore leaves, isn't it?"

"I would say so. It did happen shortly before Easter. But, she doesn't have any evidence this time. Last time we found the list of members of Dumbledore's Army. And that's what the list said!"

Hermione frowned. "Well, we'll be able to tell who blabbed the true purpose of the Muggle Chess Club."

"You have the list?"

"Of course," Hermione said, reaching into her robes and pulling out a rolled up parchment. She scanned the list of names till her eyes found the glowing red one. She groaned. "I knew it. I just knew it."

"What?"

Draco didn't recognize the name at all Hermione was pointing at.

"It's Cho's friend. God, why couldn't she just come alone? It was clear her little idiot friend didn't want to really join."

"She knows you, right?"

"She's in the year above me, so no. Not really," Hermione admitted. "I know of her and I have no idea how she wound up in Ravenclaw. I mean, I know Luna seems batty, but she's really not. She craves knowledge, just not the usual sort. All Marietta craves is knowledge of makeup. She, Parvati, and Lavender would get along brilliantly."

"And you know those two intimately?" Draco teased.

"Parvati is a prefect," Hermione reminded him. "We patrol together and she curls her eyelashes with her wand."

"Well, what could this girl have told Umbridge."

"For the curse to enact? Just the true purpose of the club," Hermione muttered. "Let's go to the Common Room. Hopefully, Harry got away."

Harry had not gotten way. The DMC members had gotten away (as well as the Chess Club members that no one cared about).

"Nott grabbed him before he could get one of the magical doors," one of the twins explained.

Hermione opted to remain in the Gryffindor Common room for the night, not caring to return to her own House. Most of the people who'd been up and sitting around when they'd arrived, drifted off to bed. By the time Harry returned, pale and furious, only Draco and Hermione were awake. Harry regaled them with the Flight of Dumbledore. It sounded much like how it'd gone the first time (if the rumors were right).

"That hex was nasty, Hermione," Harry said when he finished the tale. "Umbridge used that to prove the Muggle Chess Club was something it was not it claimed. That was the only actual proof she had, besides Nott catching us all standing around not playing chess."

"And Dumbledore stated he'd called us all there to form an army?" Hermione asked. "Why on Earth would he do that?"

Harry shrugged.

"To keep Harry in school and to go off to do something more productive," Draco offered.

"He wiped Marietta's mind," Harry whispered. "I'm sure of it. She remembered nothing of what she'd done or why she'd wanted to speak to Umbridge."

"Do you know why she wanted to?" Draco asked.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't recognize her past the girl Cho brought with her the first few times."

Hermione folded her arms across her chest and huffed. "Now what?"

"Well, Umbdrige will begin her reign of terror," Draco drawled, leaning back and staring into the crackling fire. "There will be no more unsupervised free time from now till we escape to the Ministry."

"Well, that is fine. We've got studying to do anyway," Hermione reminded them. "OWLs and such. I'm sure we did enough during Muggle Chess Club to pass the DADA OWL."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, because that's why we started the club."

"To some of them it was why they joined," Hermione pointed out.

The three sat in silence and stared into the fire place until the horizon began to change color. Draco realized Hermione had fallen asleep, but Harry was still awake.

"I felt like I was in a bad movie in Dumbledore's office," Harry whispered. "Like everyone had lines, but they didn't fit the situation. Has that happened to you?"

"Remember going to duel Nott?" Draco asked, eyeing his friend. "That felt very similar to me."

Harry sighed. "So, Dumbledore leaving was fixed."

"It seems. Who knows why?"

The next morning there was a notice from the Ministry of Magic appointing Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) as Headmistress. Without access to the old office, as the staircase wouldn't let her up, even when she spouted off all sorts of very Dumbledore like passwords, she turned her own office into the head's office by having Flinch hammer a sign up.

Hermione grinned when Draco told her.

"It means Dumbledore is still the rightful Headmaster as far as the magic protecting the school is concerned. I read about it in Hogwarts: A History."

While no one knew the exact details on how Umbridge got the job, they did know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister of Magic, and his Junior Assistant to escape whatever led to his downfall. The rumors were wild and most included the Chess Club, now disbanded forever and all members forced into a week's detention taking place in the Great Hall. (Where Umbridge had gotten that many Blood Quills made Draco shudder.) After the first night, Draco stared at his hand.

I must follow the rules.

"Not all that creative," one of the twins remarked, looking at his own hand.

"She's not creative at all," the other one stated.

"Did you see she set up a formal squad for those Slytherins that follow her orders ever so gleefully?" Twin One asked. "They have the power to dock points and give detentions. Her eyes. Everywhere."

Draco scowled. "You didn't happen to shove one of them into a cupboard, did you?"

Twin One and Two looked a combination of impressed and shocked.

"You did."

"He didn't dock us points, now did he?"

"Not that we care. We don't really care all that much about getting in trouble any more."

"Oh?" Draco asked.

"Yes, I feel our lives lie outsides these walls," Twin One said, looking out the window.

"So, we'll cause a bit of mayhem before we go," Twin Two flippantly added.

Draco grinned, remembering the brilliant pranks the two had pulled before their epic exit.

"Give her hell," Draco urged. He was greeted with identical evil grins and laughed for the first time in weeks.

"Umbridge just tried to drug me," Harry announced, watching a firework fly over his head. "She wanted to know if I know where Dumbledore is, which I don't, but still. She tried to give me that truth potion. She doctored my drink."

"How did you know?"

"She offered me tea, Draco. Honestly."

"Ah. Good key to being poisoned. Must never offer tea in the future."

Harry snorted.

"She also asked me where Lupin is," Harry said. "Why would she ask that?"

"Because she hates half breeds?" Draco guessed. "And for a werewolf, he's got a lot of wealth, thanks to Addy Black. That likely makes her very mad. Oh, and due to Addy, no one knows where he lives. Most werewolves have to file their homes and such. Lupin honestly can't past he lives somewhere in Glasgow due to the spells on the flat."

"I asked her why and she said it was none of my business. Do you think the Ministry is hunting werewolves down?"

"Not yet. And even if they are, they'll never find Lupin," Draco said, watching another dragon fly over their heads. "These are really brilliant."

"I love the fact that none of the professors know how to get rid of them," Harry giggled.

There were currently two in their Charms classroom and they were waiting upon Umbridge to come take care of it before beginning lessons. Flitwick could easily get rid of it, but he pretended to be completely helpless.

"This must be the worst start of a job for anyone," Harry commented, leaning back and smiling.

Draco smirked as a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottered into the classroom to aid Professor Flitwick in ridding himself of the bright red fireworks that were shooting around his classroom.

The next evening, Draco was busy working through his mounds of homework when a very pale Harry Potter stumbled in, looking as if someone had died. Draco packed up and followed Harry upstairs to the dormitory.

"Harry, what's wrong? Did Snape try something—"

Harry sharply turned and looked horrified, so Draco stopped talking.

"I…I…I…" Harry was unable to form words and looked at the ground. Draco stayed silent, waiting for Harry to gather himself together. "I know you told me Snape and my father didn't get along, but you didn't really know why, right?"

Draco narrowed his eyes at the black-haired boy. "You stuck your head in Snape's Pensive, didn't you?"

Harry turned bright red.

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Of course Snape was bullied," Draco said. "There is always a bully and someone to bully. In the past, I bullied Potter."

"Did you ever jinx me in front of the whole school, turning me upside down to show off my dirty pants to the entire world?"

"Uh, no. I did attempt to curse Potter multiple times in his life," Draco offered. "And one time in sixth year I tried to cast an…well, an Unforgivable at him."

Harry blinked. Draco didn't share that whatever Potter had thrown at him ought to have been an Unforgivable. He had cast the first nasty spell, Potter had simply reacted with the nastiest legal curse he knew.

"Sixth year was a very bad, a stressful year and he caught me at a an extremely bad time," Draco defended himself, balling his fists together.

"Yeah, okay. I know Nott bullies me and lots of others, but my dad and Sirius were…cruel. It was a sport to them. Sirius was bored, so they picked on Snape."

Draco wasn't sure what to say, being a former bully himself.

"Why did you do it?"

"Because I was jealous of Potter," he admitted. "Others…just because I could. People would never like me, so I made them fear me."

"Why wouldn't they like you?"

"Because I was trying to be my father and no one likes him," Draco said. "I was cruel, mean, and hid who I wished to be from the world. I wanted to be Potter. I wanted two true friends, I wanted to be liked, Harry. I was desperate to be liked and Potter rejected me for the poor, rude, dim Weasley."

Draco slapped his hand over his mouth when he finished his tirade, staring wide eyed at Harry, who gaped at him.

"And you got it. You went back in time and became my best friend," Harry spat at him, suddenly looking furious. "Do you feel better now?"

"No, he doesn't. Will you two stop?" Tom demanded, appearing out of nowhere. Harry jumped, staring at Tom, who looked incandescent. "Yes, Draco time traveled. Yes, he became your friend due to this, but do not think for a moment, Harry Potter, that Draco does not care about you as a friend ought to. You also forget, I was there when your father and Sirius were tormenting Snape. I doubt you saw the memories of what Snape dished out in retaliation, did you?"

Harry stared at the ground. "No. I did not. I just saw one memory. From their fifth year. You weren't there for that."

Harry looked up at Tom sharply.

"No, but I witnessed enough between them before your father finally gave up," Tom evenly stated.

"Why'd he stop?"

"Because Sirius did something inanely stupid," Tom replied. "It worked as a wake up call for all of them and they ceased tormenting Snape. He still tormented them, but no longer did they go after him as sport."

"What did Sirius do?" Harry asked.

"You will have to ask him yourself," Tom said, sinking onto the bed and floating above it a little. "Now, apologize to Draco."

"Riddle, I don't—"

Tom shot Draco a look that made his blood go cold, as it was reminiscence of Voldemort when he meant business. Granted it looked different due to Tom having hair, normal looking eyes, and a nose, but still. It was not often Draco had visual reminders Tom Riddle and Lord Voldemort had been at one point the same person.

"But, it's true. He only became my friend because he came back in time," Harry said, sounding stubborn. "It was all part of his overall plan to be my friend. Like it was step one: Befriend poor, pathetic, desperate Harry Potter."

"I wanted to be Potter's friend when I was eleven," Draco quietly reminded Harry. "Potter rejected me because I was a prat. He had every right to do so. When I came back in time, yes, it was strategic speaking to you that day in Diagon Alley, but by the time we parted ways, I liked you, Harry. I wanted to be your friend, Harry."

"He's always made a point to differentiate between you and Potter. You're never the same in his head," Tom pointed out.

Harry rubbed his head. "I feel as if we've had this argument before."

"We've likely have," Draco said, sitting down on his bed. "Harry, you must understand, I am not proud of what I did in the past. It is partly why I am glad I got a do-over. Not everyone is able to do things over again and while it's trying sometimes, I'm thankful for it. I'm sure if Sirius really had all the information on Snape…maybe he wouldn't have tormented him as he did."

Tom snorted. "Yes, he would have. Black was a pureblood brat from the moment he entered Hogwarts. He had been bred from birth to bully those like Severus Snape. He was poor and a half-blood."

"So, it had nothing to do with him being in Slytherin?" Draco snorted.

"In Black's case, it had little to do with that. I have no doubt Severus Snape was bullied within his own house."

Tom gave Draco a look that made Draco stare at his feet in shame.

"You bullied your own Housemates?"

"Some. Depended on their status," Draco muttered.

"It is how the pecking order is achieved within Slytherin. Those without status on the outside don't have any status within Slytherin. Unless it is fought for," Tom said as if he was speaking about the weather. "Gryffindor is very different. I have no doubt Nott bullies Ronald every chance he gets."

"I ignored Nott's existence until Potter's interview was published listing our father's as Death Eaters," Draco quietly admitted. "Ignoring someone's existence is a form of bullying, as Nott had no friends. He spoke to no one and no one spoke to him because I deemed him unworthy."

Harry looked horrified.

"He does the same in his own house," Tom assured. "Zabini and his friends are standing up to him, though. They disregard all the old ways."

"Just simply by existing together they are going against all the old ways," Draco pointed out. "Zabini always existed above House politics. I'm not sure why this time he's picked up Ronald and the other two girls, but since then, I've noticed that each year has a group of floaters that do not adhere to the old ways."

"Slytherin House is changing," Tom grinned.

"How did we get on this topic?" Harry moaned. "I was furious and angry. My father—"

"Changed," Tom assured. "Yes, he was a bullying prat—"

"Why did my mum even date him?" Harry wondered. "She stood up to him and defended Snape."

"She did?" Draco asked.

"Of course she did," Tom said at the same time. "Lily Evans was kind and righteous. Also, fifth year, I believe they might have still been friends."

Harry choked as Draco gaped.

"What? Did I not tell you that?" Tom innocently asked as if he had not dropped a huge dung bomb on them. "Ah, I guess I did not. I'm not exactly sure how or why they were friends, but they were no longer on speaking terms by the time I arrived, yet she mentioned him in passing a few times whilst we were working together."

Harry looked as if he'd swallowed a lemon.

"I don't understand," Draco said, blinking. "She was a Muggleborn."

"That she was," Tom agreed. "And a brilliant one, more powerful than anyone else in their class."

"What else do you know?" Harry asked, always greedy for information on his mother.

"I've told you all I know of Lily," Tom said softly, looking sad. "Other than her friendship with Snape, I guess. They worked on spells together."

"So did you," Harry said.

"Yes, because she'd lost Snape to work with, Addy thought we should work together," Tom quietly explained.

"Wow."

Harry sat down on the bed next to Tom.

"I wonder if it was after that…incident by the lake if they stopped being friends," Harry wondered. "He called her a…you know."

"He didn't," Draco said, looking askance.

"Yeah. She was furious," Harry breathed.

"In the other timeline, Snape was always telling Potter how much of an arrogant prat his father was," Draco remembered. "I guess he was telling the truth. Partly."

Harry nodded. Tom snorted.

"He did change," Tom said quietly when Harry glared. "And that's the important part. He stood up for those who were unable and Dumbledore made him Head Boy. Doubtful Dumbledore would have if James Potter hadn't stopped acting like a child."

"But, Sirius?"

"Sirius is always a child," Tom sneered. "I'm sure he only stopped…it's not my place to say. Ask your godfather. It is his story to share."

Harry nodded. Draco peeked at him from under his fringe. In response, Harry chucked a pillow at Draco's head and began to ask him about Quidditch practice.

A/N: Thank you for all of your reviews, favorites, and follows! Only eight more chapters to go, guy!