AN: I started writing this chapter listening to Mojo So Dope by Kid Cudi. I know it's not exactly appropriate, but the vibe of it really helped me write this chapter. If you're worried about it, maybe try and listen to the clean version.
Everyone was turning to look at him as he made his way into the common room that night. He had expected as much, trying to stick close to Ron and Hermione and Jamie and her friends as much as possible.
No one dared say anything to Jamie, she was pristine in the eyes of the media at the moment, but her fellow classmates weren't so easy to forget her short temper and flair for causing scenes.
Harry knew this summer had helped, a lot of the tension regarding what had happened had eased. Still, the whispers and the watching were not the most comfortable to deal with him.
He passed by Seamus and Dean and Neville, who were sat around a table closest to the boy's dormitory stairs, newspapers scattered before them. It was The Prophet, and there were headlines already trying to poke holes in he and Jamie's stories now that they had returned to school and were seemingly no longer a threat.
"Dean, Seamus, Neville, good holiday?" Harry asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere as everyone stared at him.
"Alright, better than Seamus'," Dean remarked. Seamus stood up, tossing a paper down, cheeks already flushed with anger.
"Me mam didn't want me coming back this year."
"Why not?" Harry's mouth felt dry.
"Uh let's see, uh, because of you and your 'secret sister'!" Seamus spat. There was a sound and Jamie stood up from where she had been tucked in the corner. Seamus flinched but turned back to Harry. "The Daily Prophet's been sayin a lot of things about ya, Harry, and Jamie and Dumbledore as well."
"And your mum believes them?" Harry asked incredulously. Jamie gave another warning sound as she stepped around their housemates, many of whom were either scrambling back and ducking their heads or fixing to watch the showdown. The Weasleys all stood up, looks of fury on their faces.
"Well no one was there the night Cedric died," Seamus shot back.
"Well I guess you should read The Prophet like your stupid mother; it'll tell you everything you need to know!" Harry snarled. Seamus squared his shoulders and moved to go at Harry.
"That'll do," Jamie said, watching Seamus' ramrod stiff body smack to the floor. She lowered her wand, watching him squirm as she silenced him. The room was dead silent.
"Anyone else want to be creepy and ask for a play by play on how someone died?" She asked, a sugary sweet calmness in her voice. She pretended to admire her wand, idly leaning against a chair. "Harry didn't really see it, to be fair," she lightly kicked Seamus' leg with the toe of her shoe. "I saw it though. I saw the whole thing. Kind of thing sticks with ya, Seamus. It's something you don't forget. Have you ever seen anybody die?"
Seamus was pale, eyes wide and darting from face to face in fear.
"I didn't think so, nasty sort of question to ask somebody, Sea," she continued on. Her eyes began flickering to every student standing in the dorm. "It appears the whole of Gryffindor has been replaced by a lot of simpering, slimy little traitors. Surely you all haven't decided to tuck your tail and start pointing fingers at your friend, right?"
A few housemates had the decency to look ashamed.
"We're supposed to be loyal and true, instead we're resorting to cowardice," she stood up, circling Seamus. "I don't much like cowards, haven't gotten any use for 'em, really. I'm trying to do my part, as is Harry, to fight back against the very things you all fear. I hadn't realized you all were going to shiver and cower your way into their ranks."
There were noises of insult, many taking offense to what she was accusing.
"Harry is the gentle-natured one…but me, I've got the mean streak…," she bent down beside Seamus, staring down at him. "I do so like you, Seamus, we've had so much fun up until now. I truly hope this little situation isn't the sign of the times changing for our house, don't you? I'd hate to have to call you out in front of the entire school for being a cowardly friend. You never were such a coward, what happened?"
"Jamie," Hermione spoke up, looking rattled and concerned for the boy.
"Don't worry Hermione, I'm not going to hurt him," Jamie assured her, a playful smile on her face as Seamus squirmed. "I'm just making sure everyone is clear about some things if we're to all have some fun this year. There's a dark lord out on the prowl ready to kill us all and some awful little toad woman hell-bent on ruining everything here at Hogwarts. You'd think you all would find better use of your passions somewhere else."
Jamie stood up, smirking. "If I catch any of you picking on another student, regardless of if it's my brother or not, I'll make sure the entire school knows what a coward you all are, and it won't be pretty. Let this be you're warning."
She gave them one last smile before turning on her heel and heading up the boys' dormitory stairs. Her friends followed suit.
Someone cast the counter spell and Seamus sat up, looking shell-shocked. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville moved to stand beside Harry.
"You believe this rubbish," Seamus was red faced and embarrassed.
"Yeah, I do," Ron shot back. "Anybody else got a problem with Harry or Jamie?"
Nobody spoke.
"I'm sorry," Seamus stood over Harry and Jamie at breakfast. Jamie glanced up; head foggy from drinking with her friends the night before. "I was an arse and a bad friend. I'm sorry."
"Hey mate, it's okay," Harry stood up to shake his hand, the two hugging and clapping shoulders. "I'm glad to have you back, I thought you'd gone over to the dark side."
Their reunion seemed to ease the tension of the rest of the table, everyone's shoulders relaxed and smiles, and nods were sent their way. Seamus turned to Jamie, looking abashed.
"You're a better man than you were behaving like last night, Sea," Jamie gave him a gentle smile and stood up, leaning over the table to embrace him. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, tussling his hair. "Glad we could fix things."
"Jamie," Katie called to her from down the hallway. They were in between their first morning lessons, and the group had split off for their respective classes. Jamie lagged behind in classes, so many of the advanced placements and electives her friends had access to were not in the cards for her.
Jamie was trying this year; she was slowly and diligently going to work through each course and pull as high of marks as she could…graduation was right around the corner and Jamie wanted a springboard for when it was time to consider careers. She knew without saying, there were hopes she would wind up in the ministry at this point.
"Bells, what's up," Jamie slowed so her friend could catch up with her.
"There's rumors going around," Katie told her grimly. "A confrontation with Harry and Umbridge during their class last period. Apparently, she called him a liar about You-Know-Who being back and gave him detention."
"You're kidding," Jamie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "We're not two hours into the school year and already that toad woman is causing mayhem?"
"Seems like," Katie shrugged. "Dean Thomas told me, said it was bloody awful to witness and Harry was madder than all get out."
"He shouldn't have to be dealing with this," Jamie shook her head. "It's my job to be mad, he's supposed to be left alone."
"I'm not sure it works that way, unfortunately," Katie agreed. Jamie wondered how Katie was doing? Oliver had been picked up early to play professional Quidditch, testing out of his final year of school during the summer to start playing immediately.
"I'm glad I get to be with you guys, this feels like something I don't want to miss," Katie told her, smiling warmly. "Looks like the rest of the Gryffindor's are going to band together now that everyone is made up. Dean came running to tell me, and some younger ones were right behind him."
"Good, now that Seamus is on our side of things, the younger crowd will be comfortable being bold in showing their support," Jamie agreed. Seamus was popular, he was loud and boisterous and far more domineering than the other boys in his year. Jamie had taken a risk embarrassing the boy in front of their house, but she had been willing to take it because she knew the true kind of character Seamus had, and how invaluable of a friend and ally he was.
"Oi, Shack," Dylan Dougherty called out as he rounded a corner. Dylan was a third year in Gryffindor. "Hear about Harry?"
"Just did, thanks for looking out Dougherty," she nodded and winked to him.
"It's utter crap!"
"It is, we'll handle it don't worry," Jamie assured him.
"I guess everyone is going to be looking out for each other now," Katie said. "It's nice."
"Well, after I go meet with Umbridge and find out why exactly she told off my ward, if I'm not back in an hour I'll at least have a group of rascals out looking for me," Jamie joked drily.
"This woman is going to be a problem," Katie narrowed her eyebrows.
"It's going to take a lot to get around her, that's for sure."
"Well, you know how the saying goes," Katie flashed a devious smile. "Facing a giant problem is a lot like eating an elephant. You do it one bite at a time."
"Cheers," Jamie knocked shoulders with her friend before splitting off to catch Umbridge in her office.
"I'm rather busy Ms. Potter, you'll have to arrange an appointment," Umbridge barely glanced up from her writing. Her office was vile. Painted pink, with lace doilies and china plates filled with colorful, moving kittens.
"It's Shacklebolt, actually," Jamie replied calmly. "I'm not here as a student, I'm here as Harry's legal guardian."
The woman gave a shrill, mocking laugh.
"Why wouldn't you use your "true name" after coming out as an "alleged" Potter heir?" Umbridge asked cruelly. "One would think you would be eager to resume identities, though nothing official has been proven to make your claim substantial."
"Are you suggesting—"
"Awfully convenient, to come out now as a Potter," Umbridge interrupted her. "One has to wonder what sort of coercing encouraged you to do it, and what one could gain from wielding such a name? Oh, but what would the punishment be, should your claims be proven false?"
"I was there the night my parents were murdered, I remember it vividly," Jamie snarled. "I do not need to prove myself to you, madame. I'm here as Harry's legal guardian, regardless."
"Certainly your brother is more than capable of handling his own affairs," Umbridge smiled sweetly at her. "I do not tolerate liars, Miss Shacklebolt, and as there were lies going around in my classroom, disrupting our precious learning environment, I did what was necessary and in my line of authority."
"That's just it, Harry isn't lying!"
"More heresy, Miss Potter."
"Shacklebolt."
"Miss Who-Ever-You-Are, I should think you should be more concerned with your academics this year than surrounding yourself on claims based entirely on heresy," Umbridge warned her. "Your prospects are…grim."
"You've been digging in my files?"
"It's my right."
"You—"
"Dear, it's time for you to run along now," Umbridge stood up. Her wand was clutched in her hand. "Unless you want me to write you up and give out a detention for harassing a Professor, you'll leave this instant. Your 'brother's' punishment stands. Perhaps you should spend more of your time re-evaluating some of your choices rather than trying to tell me how to do my job. Thank you for stopping by, I trust you know your way out."
Jamie didn't have to take the hint, never once had a Professor ever drawn their wand on a student. Jamie backed out of the office, infuriated. She already knew this altercation would be in The Prophet tomorrow morning.
Spinning on her heel, she marched toward Professor Dumbledore's office, fuming.
"Peppermint Whiskers," she told the Gargoyle.
"The Headmaster is busy," the statue told her.
"It's urgent," she argued.
"The Headmaster is busy," the gargoyle parroted back. "He cannot be disturbed."
"Bloody hell," she cried out in frustration.
"Incorrect password," the statue responded. She huffed, resolving to speak to Severus after class. She was actually late to Potions now.
"Utter bullshit."
"Incorrect password."
