Voicing is in regular
Thoughts are in italics
Parseltongue is in bold


Hermione woke up that morning not looking forward to the DADA class. She knew the Dolores would try to rile Harry up, she would succeed, and Harry would be punished.

Nebakau, I am going to do everything in my power to make Dolores' life a living hell while she's here. I think I will enlist the Twins help. "Fred, George, I need your help."

"What can we do for you, Princess?"

"Up your pranks and target Dolores more than anyone else." Hermione ordered.

"Even Filch?"

"Even Filch."

"Consider it done, the Frog Face will not know what hit her."

Hermione laughed, "Frog Face! I like that!"

"Whose Frog Face?" Harry asked.

"Dolores." Hermione smirked.

"You know that fits her." Harry smiled.

"Why?" Ron asked, confused.

"She - looks – like - a - frog." Hermione explained.

"Oh."


The first day of classes went rather well, Snape didn't take off too many points from Gryffindor during potions and Hermione won all the points he took away plus some in her other classes. However, when they arrived to DADA class, their luck changed drastically.

The first thing that Hermione noticed was that Toad Face was wearing bright pink, again. The second thing she noticed was that the black-board had OWLs tips written all over it.

Do not tell me this is an OWLs prep class! Hermione growled.

"There is a seating chart on the right of the door." Toad Face said in her falsely happy voice.

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss...?"

"Granger" Hermione told her, "Is it house right or stage right?"

"I beg your pardon." Toad Face seemed a little agitated, but kept up her façade.

"Is it to the right as we come in the door, or is it to the right if we have our back to you." Hermione had her know-it-all personality in full force right now.

"If I'm looking at the door, it is to the right."

Hermione inclined her head.

Harry approached her, "We have the seats right in front. You sit right in front of her desk. I sit on your right and Ron on your left."

"She wants to keep an eye on us." Hermione rolled her eyes, "The more the Ministry tightens their grip, the more wizards will defy them."

"What?" both Harry and Ron asked.

A Ravenclaw leaned over, "It means that if the Ministry continues this oppression, there are going to be three factions: Voldemort, those that believe he has returned, and those that believe the Ministry's lies. With the two former being larger groups and the latter being rather tiny."

"Thanks." Harry told her.

"Settle down." Toad Face chipper said, "Now, this class is designed to get you ready to take your OWLs. The Ministry has decided that you need to only learn theory to be able to pass them. I am here to teach you this theory…"

Hermione's hand shot up.

"Yes, Miss Granger you have a question about magical theory?"

"I read through this book over the summer and I found nothing in it about offensive or defensive spell. Now I can understand the Ministry not wanting to teach offensive spells to students. But we need to learn defensive spells if you expect us to protect ourselves from those who would do us harm, Professor." Hermione asserted.

"And who would harm innocent children like yourselves." Toad Face smiled.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe Lord Voldemort!" Harry snapped.

Hermione sensed the assent of multiple students in the class. She wasn't surprised that the Slytherins agreed. It seemed the Ravenclaws had figured out that if the Ministry was trying to cover up the fact that Voldemort was back they would attack Harry and Albus. Ravenclaw was on their side as well. That just left a few stubborn Gryffindors who believed the shit being spouted by the ministry and Hufflepuff.

"Students will raise their hand if they wish to speak in my class." Toad Face snapped, trying to dissuade Harry.

Harry's hand shot up, Toad Face ignored him. Harry decided that he was going to speak anyway, "No matter what the Ministry says, Lord Voldemort is back and I would not put it passed him to attack students."

"Now, let me be very clear." Toad Face said in a falsely calm tone of voice, "You have been told a lie. That lie is that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned. He has not returned and he will never return. I will not tolerate anyone who says otherwise."

"Nazi*." Hermione coughed.

"It is not a lie!" Harry yelled, "I saw him! I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter. My office after dinner, every night this week." Toad Face looked a little terrified. "Now you will read chapter one and copy it until the end of the lesson. Then you will turn it in to me. Any questions?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"What is it now, Miss Granger?" Toad Face made it clear she didn't want any question.

Hermione smirked, "I have a hypothetical question. If, and I do mean if this is just hypothetical, if you saw Lord Voldemort, would you believe that he is back or would you rationalize the fact that he can't and come up with some story to support your beliefs."

"My stance is with the Ministry." Toad Face puffed up.

Hermione smirked and popped her eye brows.

The rest of the lesson was quite except for the scratching of quill to paper.


As soon as DADA class ended Hermione dragged the boys to Minerva's office.

"Ginger Newts." Hermione told the portrait of Godric Gryffindor.

It swung open to revel a room that was decked out in Gryffindor colors and Scottish symbols and green and black tartan.

"What are we doing here?" Ron whimpered.

"We are waiting for Professor McGonagall to get out of class. Sit wait." Hermione ordered.

"There are only two chairs. Where are you going to sit?" Harry asked.

"Sit in the chairs." Hermione growled, as she perched on the edge of Minerva's mahogany desk.

They only had to wait a few minutes for Minerva to enter her office. She stopped short when she saw the Trio.

"What are you three doing here?" She demanded.

"We just got out of DADA class." Hermione nearly growled, "We had an argument with Toa…Professor Umbridge. Harry got detention after dinner every night this week."

"Why did you come to my office? You know I can't negate you detention." Minerva said, watching Hermione warily.

"Come on, Professor." Ron pleaded, "Toad Face is worse than Snape. I would take double potions any day instead of her class."

"Toad Face." Minerva laughed. "That is too funny. She does resemble a toad." She chuckled.

"I guess you won't be able to take some sense into these boys." Hermione grumbled.

"Just because I find their antic funny, Miss Granger, does not mean I won't try to talk some sense into them." Minerva told her, "Look, you three need to keep your head down. You do know why she's here, right?"

"The Ministry is interfering with Hogwarts." Hermione snarled and her eyes flash red.

"Hermione, it's really freaky when you go Clark Kent on us." Harry told her.

"What, how am I going Clark Kent?" Hermione was confused.

"When you get angry your eyes turn red." Harry told her.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. "That's not normal, is it?"

"No, Hermione it is not." Minerva answered her, "You are correct though, the Ministry is interfering with Hogwarts."

"We have to do something!" Ron exclaimed.

"Ron, there is nothing we can do right now." Hermione stressed the 'right now' and flicked her eyes toward Minerva. "Thanks, professor, we'll be going now."

"Try to stay out of trouble this year." Minerva pleaded.

Hermione merely smirked back at her.


A/N *When I was reading the Fifth book, I saw many parallels to the Nazi regime in the stance that the Ministry took. I am going to exploit them now.