I don't own Harry Potter
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Anya woke up that morning when she heard rustling from the bed next to her. She huffed before pushing some of her tangled blonde hair out of her face, peering out the closed curtains around her bed to see Hermione getting ready.
"Oh! Good morning Anastasia," Hermione said, gathering her uniform in her arms.
"Call me Anya, Hermione." Anya said pushing herself off the bed and over to her own trunk. She pulled out the neatly folded uniform and started to strip.
"Are you excited for the first day of classes? I know it's probably vastly different from homeschooling"
"Papa taught me a lot growing up. A lot that schools won't teach, the lessons will be boring and redundant." Anya said, straightening her shirt and buttoning her cuffs.
"Well, we'll have the same classes this year so if you do need help with anything, please just ask. Would you like to walk down to breakfast together?" Hermione asked, gathering her school bag.
Anya nodded and grabbed her own shoulder bag and followed the curly haired girl down the stairs and into the common room. She followed Hermione over to where Harry and Ron seemed to be having an awkward conversation with another boy Anya recognized from dinner. Anya briefly remembered Ginny calling him Dean.
"What's the matter?" Hermione asked the boys, "You look absolutely – oh for heaven's sake."
Hermione turned to the common room notice board where a bright, flashy sign had been hung.
Gallons of Galleons!
Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings?
Like to earn a little extra gold?
Contact Fred and George Weasley,
Gryffindor common room,
For simple, part-time virtually painless jobs
(we regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk)
"They are the limit," Hermione said with a frown, taking down the sign. "We'll have to talk to them, Ron."
Ron looked at the girl like she was crazy.
"Why?"
"Because we're prefects!" Hermione said as the four walked out the portrait hole. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing!"
Ron said nothing, and Harry just looked between the two, seeming to not know what to say. Anya personally didn't see a problem with what the twins were doing. She found their antics entertaining while she had stayed at Grimmauld's Place.
"Anyways, what's up, Harry? You look really angry about something." Hermione continued down a corridor full of portraits that ignored the students. The corridors were full of other students mingling and making their way to the Great Hall.
Anya kept a vigilant eye on her surroundings and those around her. She might have been acting slightly paranoid, but paranoia could save her life in the right situation. Her father had always taught her to always be aware of what was going on around her, so that she could respond in a moment's notice if she needed too.
"Seamus reckons Harry's lying about You-Know-Who," Ron answered when Harry stayed silent. Anya turned took look at the boy from the other side of Hermione.
"Why do you all refer to him as You-Know-Who? Are you frightened of a name?" Anya asked curiously.
Ron scowled at the girl, and Harry gave her a suspicious look. Anya felt her lips turn down into a scowl at their animosity. She was quickly getting over their attitudes towards her.
"You probably refer to him as the Dark Lord. Since your family followed him." Ron spat.
"When will you let that go, Weasley? I'm not even from England, in case you forgot! I might share a last name as some of his followers, but I wasn't raised by any of them. Your attitude is annoying and I'm tired of your baseless accusations of me." Anya rolled her eyes at his childishness.
"She's is right, Ron. You and Harry both have been antagonistic towards her since you first met her. As prefects and as fellow Gryffindor's, it's our job to make Anya feel welcome." Hermione said diplomatically.
"How do you know we can trust her?" Ron scuffed.
"How do you know you can't?" Anya responded.
"It just seems weird that you show up not long after You-Know-Who returns and that you have a last name that is connected to him."
"Dumbledore brought me here this summer. If you can't trust your leader, then who can you trust?"
Ron's mouth opened and then closed, this brow furrowing in thought and turning to face forwards again.
A few seconds of silence lingered between the four before Hermione continued the previous topic.
"I know Ron said Seamus thinks you are lying, Lavender thinks so too," Hermione said glumly.
"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry said loudly.
"No," Hermione said, "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down everyone's throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we're on your side."
"Sorry," Harry responded quietly.
"Was that why she was pouting when I came back from the bathroom?" Anya asked, impressed that Hermione was able to insult someone, she had assumed Hermione would be someone afraid of confrontation.
Hermione nodded to the blonde, before turning back in Harry's direction.
"It's alright. Don't you remember what Dumbledore said at the end-of-term feast last year?"
Harry and Ron looked at her blankly, while Anya briefly observed one of the animal portraits on the wall as they walked past.
"About You-Know-Who. He said, 'His gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust –"
"How do you remember stuff like that?" Ron said with admiration in his eyes.
"I listen, Ron."
"So, do I, but I still couldn't tell you exactly what –"
"The point is that this sort of this is exactly what Dumbledore was talking about. You-Know-Who's only been back two months, and we've started fighting among ourselves. And the Sorting Hat's warning was the same – stand together, be united –" Hermione said over whatever Ron was getting ready to say.
"And Harry said it last night," Ron retorted, "if that means we're supposed to get matey with the Slytherins, fat chance."
"Well, I think it's a pity we're not trying for a bit of inter-House unity," Hermione said crossly. Anya nodded in agreement with Hermione.
"I might be new, and I don't have the history the three of you do with other Houses. But I do know from what I was taught, that in times of danger, you need all the allies you can get. Fighting against a common enemy is a solid foundation to win battles." Anya said, remembering her father's lessons.
"She's right, you know." Hermione said as they made it to the entrance hall where a group of young Ravenclaws were huddled. As soon as the group saw Harry however, they huddled into a tight group as if they were being stalked by a predator.
"Yeah, we really ought to be trying to make friends with people like that," Harry's sarcasm made Anya's lips twitch in amusement.
The Great Hall was full of students already and all the teacher were already settled at the staff table. Unlike last night, the beautifully starry night that the enchanted celling had showed, was gone and now showed the grey and raining weather.
Anya followed the other three to the Gryffindor table, keeping an eye out to see if she could see Ginny. When she didn't find her, Anya took a seat next to Hermione and across from Harry.
A tall black girl with long braided hair walked up to Harry, interrupting the conversation the three had been having about someone named 'Hagrid'.
"Hi, Angelina."
"Hi, good summer?" The girl's tone was brisk, and she was quick to continue, not letting the boy respond to her question. "Listen, I've been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."
"Nice one," Harry said, grinning at her.
"Yeah, well, we need a new Keeper now Oliver's left. Tryouts are on Friday at five o'clock and I want the whole team there, all right? Then we can see how the new person'll fit in."
"Okay," He said with a smile and she abruptly turned to face Anya who had been buttering a slice of toast.
"You're the new Gryffindor, you any good at Quidditch?" Angelina asked.
"I'm not much of an athlete," Anya said, giving the girl a brief look through her lashes. Angelina gave a curt nod before walking away.
"I forgot Wood left," Hermione said, getting toast. "I suppose that will make quite a difference to the team?"
"I guess, he was a good Keeper…" Harry said.
"Still, it won't hurt to have some new blood, will it?" Ron said.
Sudden sounds of whooshing and clatter caused Anya to tense and immediately grab for her wand in her sleeve. Before she could pull it out, she saw the commotion had been caused the by hundreds of owls flying into the room.
They flew all over the hall, descending rapidly and dropping various letters and packages to students. Hermione quickly moved aside her cup of orange juice as a large brown owl crashed down in front of them with a damp Daily Prophet in its beak.
"What are you still getting that for?" Harry said irritably. Hermione gave the owl a Knut in its leather pouch and it flew off. "I'm not bothering…it's a load of rubbish."
"It's best to know what the enemy is saying," Hermione said, and Anya gave her another impressed look.
Harry, Ron and Anya didn't talk while Hermione read. They simply finished their breakfast and waited until Hermione folded the paper and laid it down.
"Nothing about you or Dumbledore or anything." Hermione said.
Professor McGonagall started to walk down the table, handing papers out the all the students she passed. She handed papers to the four of them with a brief 'good morning' before continuing.
On the paper was lists of what Anya assumed were her classes and professors. She compared it with Hermione and saw that their classes were the same.
"Look at today!" Ron groaned. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts…Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…"
"Do my ears deceive me?" Fred said, squeezing onto the bench between Harry and Ron, while George squeezed in between Anya and Hermione. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"
"Look what we've got today," Ron said grumpily, shoving his paper under the Fred's nose.
"Fair point, little bro," Fred said. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."
"Why's it cheap?" Ron said suspiciously.
"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," George said.
"Cheers, but I think I'll take the lessons."
Anya wouldn't admit it, but after looking at the schedule she felt some curiosity about the subjects. She was interested to see that the school taught Divination. Her father had a gift of seeing, but Anya didn't seem to inherit that trait from him.
"Speaking of you Skiving Snackboxes, you can't advertise for tester on the Gryffindor notice board." Hermione said, eyeing the twins.
"Says who?" George said.
"Says me," Hermione responded. "And Ron."
"Leave me out of it, Hermione!" Ron said quickly.
Hermione glared at him, while the twins snickered, and Anya smirked.
"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," Fred said thickly, buttering a crumpet. "You're starting your fifth year; you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."
"And why would starting fifth year mean I was one?" Hermione asked.
"Fifth year's O.W.L year" George answered.
"So?"
"So, you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping you noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," Fred said with satisfaction.
"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to O.W.L.s. Tears and tantrums…Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint…"
"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, D'you remember?" Fred said with a grin.
"That's cause you put Buladox Power in his pajama's" Said George.
"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten… Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"
"Anyways, it's a nightmare of a year, fifth year," George said, getting back to the original topic. "If you care about exam results anyway. Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow."
"Yeah… you got, what was it, three O.W.L.s each?" Ron said.
"Yep, but we feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement." Fred said unconcernedly.
"We seriously debated whether we were going to bother coming back for our seventh year," George said brightly, "now that we've got—"
He abruptly broke of his sentence when Harry gave him a sharp look.
"— now that we've got our O.W.L.s," George continued quickly. "I mean, do we really need N.E.W.T.s? But we didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early, not on top of Percy turning out to be the world's biggest prat."
"We're not going to waste our last year here, though," Fred said, giving the Great Hall an affectionate look. "We're going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from his joke ship, then carefully produce the products to fit the demand."
"But where are you going to get the gold to start a joke shop?" Hermione asked skeptically. "You're going to need all the ingredients and materials – and premises too, I suppose…"
"They have really thought this out. They seem like they would do well running a shop, especially a joke shop." Anya thought as she observed the twins.
The sound of a fork dropping to the floor caused Anya's eyes to leave Fred and shoot across the table to where Harry was ducking under the table. She raised an eyebrow before looking back at the twin next to her when Fred started to talk again.
"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Hermione. C'mon, George, if we get there early, we might be able to sell a few Extendable Ears before Herbology." The two red heads got up and walked out of the Great Hall as Harry emerged from below the table.
"What did that mean?" Hermione asked, looking between the two boys sitting in front of her and Anya. "'Ask us no questions…' Does that mean they've already got some gold to start a joke shop?"
"You know, I've been wondering about that," Ron said. "They bought me a new set of dress robes this summer, and I couldn't understand where they got the Gallons…"
Harry interrupted before Ron could finish his sentence. "D'you reckon it's true this year's going to be really tough? Because of the exams?"
Anya followed the Trio's lead when they gathered their things and left the Great Hall, going to their History of Magic class.
"Oh yeah, bound to be, isn't it? O.W.L.s are important; affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice too, later this year, Bill told me. So, you can choose what N.E.W.T.s you want to do next year."
The mention of careers caused Anya to briefly stop in thought. What was she going to do after school if she didn't manage to go back in time? She wanted to continue her father's legacy, but she needed a way to get a follow, get a reputation and her name out there. Would a career help her accomplish that? The most prominent position of power she knew of in England was Minister of Magic, could she attempt to become Minister? It would be a risky game to play. She would have to go to further lengths to hide her identity, and that didn't sit right with her. However, if she was Minister, she would have a powerful sway over the laws, and the Statue of Secrecy. Would her father approve of this path?
"Anya," Hermione's voice broke through Anya's thought, and the girl's sharp blue eyes shot to the girl. "Have you thought about what career you want to do after Hogwarts?"
Ron and Harry looked at the blonde too, interested in what she would say. Anya made quick eye contact with all three, before facing forwards.
"I haven't. I always assumed I would follow my Papa's footsteps, but that doesn't seem possible anymore." She said, a small trace of sadness in her voice that the Trio didn't miss.
"What did your father do?" Hermione asked. Anya chewed the inside of her cheek, deciding the best way to answer the girl.
"You could call him a Magical Theorist, I suppose. He went around and studied different forms of magic and their uses." It wasn't a complete lie, Anya told herself. Her father did study magic and how to use it, just not for the sole reason of academia. "What about you three? What do you want to do?"
"It'd be cool to be an Auror," Ron, surprisingly, was the one to answer first.
"Yeah, it would." Harry agreed.
"But they're, like, the elite," said Ron. "You've got to be really good. What about you Hermione?"
"I don't know," said Hermione thoughtfully. "I think I'd really like to do something worthwhile."
"An Auror's worthwhile!" Harry said.
"Yes, it is, but it's not the only worthwhile thing," she said. "I mean, if I could take S.P.E.W further…" Anya's curiosity was peaked when she saw the boys' glance at each other.
"What's S.P.E.W?" Anya asked, raising a brow when Ron quickly started to shake his head and Harry placed a hand to his temple.
"Oh! I can tell you all about it tonight during dinner!" Hermione said excitedly.
Anya settled into the seat next to Hermione who sat next to Harry, then Ron next to him. Exactly as the hour came, the ghostly apparition floating in the corner started to speak in a wheezy and droning voice. Within the first fifteen minutes, Anya was ready to fall asleep. Were all their classes going to be like this? She wasn't sure how anyone could survive seven years here if they were.
Anya's thoughts vaguely caught the professor lecturing about the Giant Wars, but she was mostly staring out the window, letting her thoughts wander.
When class ended Anya let her head drop in quick relief before fixing her posture and rising with Hermione and the boys.
"How would it be," Hermione said coldly as the four of them left the room, "if I refused to lend you my notes this year?"
"We'd fail out O.W.L.s," Ron replied. "If you want that on your conscience, Hermione…"
"Well, you'd deserve it," she snapped. "You don't even try to listen to him, do you?"
"We do try," said Ron. "We just haven't got your brains or your memory or your concentration – you're just cleverer than we are – is it nice to rub it in?"
"Oh, don't give me that rubbish," Hermione said looking mollified as she led the way to the damp courtyard.
"Are all of your classes at Hogwarts that boring?" Anya asked, taking solid steps, not wanting to slip on the wet cobblestones as their group made their way across the courtyard.
"No, not really. Well, if you don't count Snape's. His classes are torture for anyone not in Slytherin. D.A.D.A is something new every year, but I don't have high expectations for this year, not with Umbridge teaching." Harry answered, grabbing Anya's elbow as she slipped a bit.
She righted herself quickly, sending him a thankful nod. They came to stop under a dripping balcony, pulling their cloaks tighter to fight off the chilly September air.
The Trio started to tell Anya a little bit more about the professors, focusing mostly on what they expected from Snape's class that day, when someone came around the corner.
"Hello, Harry!"
Anya noticed as Harry's cheeks immediately blossomed with a pink hue, causing her to smirk in amusement at his obvious crush.
"Hi," Harry said, his cheeks getting even pinker.
"You got that stuff off, then?"
"Yeah," said Harry, grinning slightly. "So, did you…er…have a good summer?"
Anya placed the side of her fist against her mouth, hiding her amusement at his horrible attempt at talking to the girl. She shot a glance at Ron who seemed to be fighting a smirk too.
"Oh, it was all right, you know…"
"Is that a Tornado's badge?" Ron's smirk left his face as he pointed at the front of Cho's robes, where a sky-blue badge with a double gold T was pinned. "You don't support them, do you?"
"Yeah, I do," She said.
"Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league?" Ron said, with an accusatory tone.
"I've supported them since I was six," Cho said coolly. "Anyway…see you, Harry."
She walked away. The group watched as she made her way hallway across the courtyard before Hermione rounded on Ron.
"You are so tactless!"
"What? I only asked her if—"
"Couldn't you tell she wanted to talk to Harry on her own?"
"So? She could've done, I wasn't stopping—"
"What on earth were you attacking her about her Quidditch team for?"
"Attacking? I wasn't attack her; I was only—"
"Who cares if she supports the Tornados?"
"Oh, come on, half the people you see wearing those badges only bought them last season—"
"But what does it matter?"
"It means they're not real fans, they're just jumping on the bandwagon—"
"I don't mean to interrupt this wonderfully, amusing argument, but in my opinion, their conversation seemed on its way to disaster. Someone had to step in before it got even more painfully awkward." Anya said giggling. Harry shot her a glare, but his pink cheeks didn't make it seem very intimidating.
"That's the bell," Harry said, trying to change the subject completely. Seeming to ignore Anya's input, Ron and Hermione continued to argue on the way down to the dungeons.
They joined the line outside the classroom, Anya observing the other students around them. She recognized some of the other Gryffindor's and she tried to place names to their faces.
The classroom door opened with an ominous creek, the students all filing in. Anya join the three at a table, settling on the side between Hermione and Harry.
"Settle down," Snape's cold voice echoed through the room, as he shut the door behind him. Anya seemed the ordinance call was unnecessary since the sound all stopped as soon as the door closed.
"Before we being today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of the class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L. or suffer my…displeasure."
His gaze seemed to linger on Longbottom, causing the boy to fidget uncomfortably in his seat.
"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape continued. "I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying good-bye."
His eyes rested this time on Harry, his lips curling his distaste.
"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L students."
"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: The Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing." Anya wasn't worried about Potions, it wasn't her favorite subject to study with her Papa, but she wasn't bad at it by any means. She had made The Draught of Peace on a few occasions for her Papa after he had a particularly grueling day.
"The ingredients and method" —Snape flicked his wand, causing the instructions to appear— "are on the blackboard. You will find everything you need in the store cupboard. You have an hour and a half…Start."
Anya got to work on her potion, going through the meticulous instructions to create it. She gave a quick wave over her hair, using magic to stop it from frizzing from the amount of steam in the room.
"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," Snape called out when there were ten minutes left.
Anya glanced around the room, curios about how others were doing. Harry was sweating profusely and looking around desperately. His cauldron was giving off large amount of dark grey steam; Ron's was shooting of green sparks. Seamus was prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, causing Anya to wince at his idiocy. Anya and Hermione's cauldron were both a shimmering silver mist, Snape came by and looked down his nose at their work, but not giving any criticism. However, when he looked at Harry's cauldron a horrible smirk came across his face.
"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"
"The Draught of Peace," Harry said tensely.
"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?"
Anya heard a sharp laugh from the front of the room where the Slytherin's all sat. Looking up and meeting eyes with another sharp pair of grey. Malfoy sent her a smirk, and a quick look over before turning to the boy next to him.
"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."
"Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.'"
Anya say Harry's face drop, realizing the step he had missed.
"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"
"No," Harry said quietly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"No," Harry said louder. "I forgot the hellebore…"
"I know you did, Potter, which means this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco." The contents of Harry's cauldron vanished.
"Those of you who have managed to ready the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape. "Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."
Anya filled a flagon full of her potion, marking it with her elegant cursive, before getting in line to place it onto Snape's desk. When She, Hermione and Ron made it back to the table to gather their things, Harry was already gone.
"Is he always like that?" Anya asked as they walked to lunch.
"Who Snape? Yeah. He a tosser." Ron grumbled, and Hermione simply hummed in agreement. They arrived at the Great Hall and sat around Harry.
"That was really unfair," Hermione said consolingly, helping herself to some shepherd's pie. Anya helped herself to a simple soup, the warmth of the broth filling her stomach pleasantly. "Your potion wasn't nearly as bad as Goyle's. when he out it in his flagon the while thing shattered and set his robes on fire."
"Yeah, well," Harry said, glowering at his plate, "since when had Snape ever been fair to me?"
"I did think he might be a bit better this year," Hermione said disappointedly. "I mean…you know…" She looks around carefully, before continuing. "…Now he's in the Order and everything."
"Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots," Ron said sagely. "Anyway, I've always thought Dumbledore was cracked trusting Snape, where's the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-Know-Who?"
"I think Dumbledore's probably got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn't share it with you, Ron." Hermione snapped.
"Hermione has a point. Dumbledore doesn't seem incompetent from what I've gathered. If he trusts Snape, then he must have a good reason for it. You don't need to like each other to be allies." Anya added.
"Oh, shut up, all of you," Harry said heavily, and Ron opened his mouth to argue back. "Can't you give it a rest?" he said. "You're always having a go at each other; it's driving me mad." He abandoned the rest of his food, gathering his school back onto his shoulder and left them sitting in the Great Hall.
Hermione broke off from them to go to her own class while Anya followed Ron to Divination, which turned out to be a disappointment. She had expected more, especially with growing up with her Papa's gift of sight and being a firsthand witness of his power, Professor Trelawney seemed like a fake.
Anya walked with Ron and Harry to Defense Against the Dark Arts, listening to Ron grumble about homework.
"D'you realize how much homework we've got already. Binns set us a foot-and-a-half long essay on giant wars, Snape wants a foot on the use of moonstones, and now we've got a month's dream diary from Trelawney! Fred and George weren't wrong about O.W.L. year, were they? That Umbridge woman better not give us any…" When they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, they didn't see Umbridge anywhere.
Harry and Ron settled into the desk behind Hermione and Anya settled into the seat next to the bushy haired girl. A paper bird was fluttering around the room, lifting the spirts of everyone.
Anya even smiled at the sight as the bird flew to her, she gently pushed up on the bottom of it, giving it a boost to continue flying. Everyone was giggling and talking, until the bird caught fire and fell onto one of Patil sister's desk.
Everyone turned to see Umbridge standing at the top of the stairs, leading to what Anya assumed was her office. Umbridge gave the class a sickly-sweet smile and she walked down the steps and stop in front of her desk.
"Well, good afternoon!" She said when the class finally settled down.
A few people mumble a half-hearted "Good afternoon" in response.
"Tut, tut," said Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"
"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," They chanted back to her.
"There, now," Umbridge said sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."
Anya pulled out the textbook she had been required to buy at the start of the year, placing it in the center of her desk and sitting up straight.
Umbridge opened her handbag and pulled out an unusually short wand and tapped the blackboard sharply, words appearing immediately:
Defense Against the Dark Arts
A Return to Basic Principles.
"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" Umbridge stared, clasping her hands together as she faced the class. "The constant changing of teacher, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your O.W.L. year."
"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."
She tapped the blackboard again; the first message vanishing and was quickly replaced by:
Course aims;
Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.
Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used.
Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use.
Anya wrote the message down lazily. Not very interested in what Umbridge would be teaching them. Anya most likely knew the defensive magic they would be learned, along with the offensive magic they were being taught to defend against.
"Has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
A dull murmur of agreement echoed through the class.
"I think we'll try that again," Umbridge said. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply 'Yes, Professor Umbridge,' or 'No, Professor Umbridge.' So, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang out across the room.
"Good. I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, 'Basics for Beginners.' There will be no need to talk."
Umbridge settled herself down at her desk and observed them all closely. Anya turned to page five and skimmed the contents. The chapter was incredibly dull, and Anya was already disappointed in how her first Defense Against the Dark Arts class was going. Anya spared a glance at Hermione and was surprised to find that the girl hadn't even opened her book. Instead, she was staring at Umbridge with her hand held high in the air.
After several minute of Hermione holding her hand in the air, everyone had abandoned their reading and were now watching the Gryffindor girl. When Umbridge realized she could no longer ignore Hermione, she finally addressed the girl.
"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" She asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.
"Not about the chapter, no," Hermione answered.
"Well, we're reading just now. If you have other queries, we can deal with them at the end of class."
"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.
Umbridge raised her thin eyebrows at the girl.
"And your name is –?"
"Hermione Granger."
"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," Umbridge said with a determined sweetness.
"Well, I don't," Hermione said bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."
Anya could see the other students turning back to the blackboard to see if what Hermione said was true.
"Using defensive spells?" Umbridge repeated with a laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"
"We're not going to use magic?" Ron added loudly.
"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr.—?"
"Weasley," Ron said, thrusting his hand into the air.
Umbridge's smile got wider as she turned her back on the red-haired boy. Harry and Hermione raising their hands now too. Umbridge's eyes lingered on Harry for a few seconds before she addressed Hermione once again.
"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"
"Yes. Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"
"Are you a Ministry-trained education expert, Miss Granger?" Umbridge asked in her falsely sweet voice.
"No, but—"
"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way—"
"What use is that?" Harry asked loudly. "If we're going to be attacked it won't be in a –"
"Hand, Mr. Potter!" Umbridge sang.
Anya agreed with Harry. Spell work needed to be practiced to fully understand how to use it and to successful cast them. It wouldn't be enough to read theory about them and then produce a successful spell. And she knew first-hand that knowing defensive spells could save their lives in a split second, it was essential knowledge.
Several people now hand their hands in the air.
"And your name is?" Umbridge said to Dean.
"Dean Thomas."
"Well, Mr. Thomas?"
"Well, its like Harry said, isn't it?" said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free –"
"I repeat," Umbridge said, smiling antagonistically at Dean. "Do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"
"No, but—"
Umbridge then talked over him.
"I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," her smile was unconvincing, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed – not to mention," She have a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."
"If you mean Professor Lupin," Dean piped up angrily, "he was the best we ever –"
"Hand, Mr. Thomas! As I was saying – you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day—"
"No, we haven't," Hermione said, "we just—"
"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"
Hermione shot her hand into the hair, a frustrated look on her face, Umbridge turning away from her.
"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you –"
"Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he?" said Dean hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads –"
"Your hand is not up, Mr. Thomas!"
"Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than enough to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" She added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had raised.
"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the counter curses and things?"
"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions,"
Anya scoffed out loud and raised her hand as Umbridge turned and faced her sharply.
"Miss…?
"Rosier. You expect students to perform a spell for the first time during an exam? Truly? Studying a spell without practicing it before using it, is just asking for accidents to happen. Let alone trying to accomplish the spells under a stressful environment such as an exam. Are you truly qualified to be a teacher?"
Umbridge looked shocked at Anya direct insult.
"I don't think a student such as yourself can comment on my teaching qualifications. As a Ministry official I am highly qualified, whereas you don't know these spells."
"I'm not on the same level at these other fifth years. I know the counter curses and the curses as well. My Papa was a very capable wizard and taught me all that I know. Which, I can only assume is more then you can ever hope to accomplish." Anya said leaning forwards of her desk, placing her chin gently on top of her clasped hands, arrogance filling her voice.
"You can't practice magic outside of school—"
"I wasn't under your Ministry's authority until just recently, Madame. I did not follow the English laws growing up."
"You may have been taught these spells outside of school, but it still does not warrant the need to teach English students these spells in a practical manner." Umbridge said tensely.
"And what good would theory be in the real world?" Harry interrupted, his fist in the air.
"This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world." She said softly.
"So, we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting out there?"
"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter."
"Oh yeah?" Harry said, his temper clearly rising.
"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" Umbridge inquired in a honeyed voice.
"Hmm, let's think…" Harry said mockingly, "maybe Lord Voldemort?"
Anya and Umbridge seemed to be the only ones who didn't give a reaction to the cursed named.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."
Everyone was silent now, staring between Harry or Umbridge.
"Now, let me make a few things quite plain." Umbridge stood and placed her hands on her desk.
"You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead—"
"He wasn't dead," Harry said angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"
"Mr. Potter, you have already lost your House ten points do not make matters worse for yourself," Umbridge said not looking at him. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."
"It is NOT a lie!" Harry spat. "I saw him, I fought him!"
"Detention, Mr. Potter!" said Umbridge triumphantly. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any dark wizard. If you are still worried, but all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.'"
Umbridge sat down once again and Harry stood from his own desk. Anya was intrigued with the boy and his passion for standing for what he believed. She may not have the whole story about what this boy had been through or what this Lord Voldemort was capable of, but she could tell the boy wasn't a liar. Maybe a git, but not a liar.
"Harry, no!" Hermione whispered warningly.
"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.
Anya could hear the gasps throughout the class. Anya knew the basic idea of the Diggory boy, but nothing specific. It was information no one deemed important for her to know.
"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge said coldly.
"It was murder," Harry spat. "Voldemort killed him, and you know it."
Umbridge face was lacking her fake smile and was completely blank.
"Come here, Mr. Potter, dear."
Harry kicked aside his chair and stroke to her desk. Umbridge pulled out a small roll of pink parchment and dipped a quick, scrawling a quick note onto it. After a moment, she tapped it with her wand, causing it to roll up, and handed it to him.
Before he could take it, Anya decided to speak up once more.
"From what I can tell, it seems that your Ministry fears this man so much, it is willing to throw away all logic and fact for a false sense of security. Is the Ministries power so fragile that it must lie to its people about a very real threat?"
"Your hand is not up, Miss Rosier!" Umbridge shrilled.
"If that true then you are working in his favor. I remember a story I heard that during Grindelwald's revolution something similar happened in Italy. The Italian Ministry feared his power and influence so much, they hid the truth from their people, which then lead to oppression of them. Do you know what happened next? The Italian people were drawn to Grindelwald's message of freedom and it allowed him to gain a foothold in the country, right under the Ministry's nose. Your fear will set you up for failure and ruin." Anya said darkly.
Umbridge's face reddened slightly, and she stared at the girl for a moment longer.
"Detention, Miss Rosier. Same as Mr. Potter. My office, five o'clock tomorrow night."
Anya connected eyes with Harry as he turned to walk out of the room, note clutched in hand. Anya didn't know what made her stand up for the boy, but she didn't regret it.
"So much for keeping my head down like Lupin said" Anya thought with a small smirk.
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I made a double chapter for you guys! I hope you enjoyed it. I completely made up the whole situation with Grindelwald and Italy. I just thought it would be nice for Anya to make a comparison between her experiences and the current ones she is facing. I always thought it was moronic the way the Ministry handled Voldemort's return, and I want Anya to embody that belief. Let me know what you guys think!