Chapter 17
Following their Monday classes and dinner Harry returned to the Common Room, Hermione following closely behind, and he let her convince him to start on his homework. Not that they had much, Professor Snape was the only one to assign them an essay, Professor Trelawney wanted them to start a dream journal, and Tonks only assigned further study on the Shield Charm. They would get to try it in the double class on Friday. Harry had already learned it in the summer with Tonks and was looking forward to being able to show off in class.
Ron begged him for a chess game, but a quick 'Tempus' charm revealed it was close to eight, and time for his detention with Tonks, so he begged off and rushed to her quarters.
Tonks brought him back to the Common Room at ten, and he went to sleep very happy but somewhat tired.
Tuesday started slowly with Charms and Transfiguration. Both Professors Flitwick and McGonagall had a lot of new material waiting for them. Before he could leave for lunch, Harry was held back by Professor McGonagall.
"You have Care after lunch, correct, Mr Potter?" Harry nodded, and his teacher continued. "Be careful with Professor Umbridge. She is already convinced you are a troublemaker, and I don't want to hear you riling her up, understood?"
"Yes ma'am," said Harry.
"Good. Now what is this with Professor Tonks? Detentions straight away? What did you do, Mr Potter?" she asked.
"It's nothing, ma'am. She's just a bit more strict than I thought. I am not trying to get in trouble, really."
Professor McGonagall huffed. "That has never stopped you before, has it? Very well. Try to behave in and outside of class, but for now just take your detentions. I hope she isn't being too hard on you?"
Harry fought to keep his expression neutral. "I can handle it, ma'am," he said.
"Very well, off you go to lunch, then." Professor McGonagall sent him off.
–-
Care of Magical Creatures was still held outside. Harry and Hermione went by Hagrid's cabin but the window was shut and there was no indication the gentle half-Giant had returned to Hogwarts yet, so they walked past it to the field where their teacher was waiting.
Professor Umbridge was wearing her customary pink half dress, but had a green coat over it and was wearing green boots. The ensemble served to further make her resemble an overgrown toad, Harry thought.
"Welcome, everyone," the odious woman said to the Gryffindors and Slytherins as they arrived.
The students mumbled a greeting, and she frowned in distaste. "No, no, that won't do. Try, 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge,'" she instructed them.
Rolling his eyes, Harry repeated the greeting along with the rest of the class.
"There, isn't that better?" Professor Umbridge beamed at them.
"How old does she think we are, six?" Harry said in a low voice to Hermione.
"Hush," she shushed him. Luckily Professor Umbridge hadn't noticed them yet.
"Now, unfortunately you've not had a proper education in Care of Magical Creatures yet, since Headmaster Dumbledore was negligent... some would say, criminally so." Professor Umbridge spoke cheerfully, but her look was not pleasant at all.
Harry wanted to speak up in Hagrid's defence, but Hermione stomped on his foot as he opened his mouth so no words came out, only a grunt. If Professor Umbridge heard it, she ignored it.
"I think we'd best get back to basics. Now, can anyone tell me what sets magical creatures apart from other ones?" she asked the class.
The students looked at each other, then Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff student spoke up. "Errr... they have magic?"
Professor Umbridge rounded on the girl, an expression of distaste on her face. "Tut, tut. In this class, we raise our hand before we speak. Now dear girl, did you have an answer for me?"
Hannah looked incredulously at her teacher, but raised her arm. Professor Umbridge nodded, and Hannah repeated her answer.
"Simple, but correct," Professor Umbridge said. "Take a point for Hufflepuff. Now if you'll all look at these cages?" She pointed to her left, and the students came closer.
"Can anyone tell me what these animals are?" she asked them.
Harry took a closer look, and saw they appeared to be hedgehogs. He wasn't about to volunteer, though. Hermione on the other hand shot her hand up.
"Yes, you with the bushy hair?" Professor Umbridge called on her.
Hermione frowned at that but answered: "Those are either hedgehogs, or knarls, or both, Professor Umbridge."
"Very good Miss?" said her teacher.
"Granger, ma'am, Hermione Granger."
"Granger... hmmm. Of the Dagwood-Granger family perhaps?" Professor Umbridge stared at Hermione.
"No ma'am, I am a Muggleborn," Hermione said proudly.
Professor Umbridge visibly paled. "Oh... well... very well done then. You hear that class? The Muggleborn was right, these are hedgehogs and knarls."
Harry noticed Hermione tense up as Professor Umbridge dismissed her.
"Now on a visual glance they are identical," Professor Umbridge continued, "but knarls are far more intelligent, and have a limited source of magic. Can anyone tell me how we can tell these apart?"
Several students raised their hands but Hermione was not among them, Harry noticed. Professor Umbridge called on a Ravenclaw student who gave the correct answer that knarls would react badly to being served milk whereas most hedgehogs would go for it, and got five points. Hermione fumed even more, since she hadn't gotten a single point for her correct answer.
"Can anyone give me another example of a magical creature that has a non-magical counterpart?" Professor Umbridge asked the class.
A Slytherin girl was called to answer this time, and brought up the crup.
"Very good," Professor Umbridge beamed at the girl. "Take ten points for Slytherin. Yes, the crup resembles the common Jack Russel terrier known to the Muggles, but is of course far more intelligent. Does anyone have another example?"
A number of other creatures where suggested, such as the pig-like Nogtail, the dog-like Grim, and the ferret-like Jarvey. Then Professor Umbridge took word again. "Very good all, I am happy to see that despite your lack of a real teacher, at least some of you have learned on your own. But there is another creature that nobody mentioned yet. Can anyone take a guess?"
Most students looked uncertain. Then Hermione raised her arm again.
"Yes, you, the Gryffindor Muggleborn?" Professor Umbridge reluctantly called on her as no-one else seemed to volunteer.
"It's Hermione Granger, ma'am, and I think... perhaps the unicorn and horse?" she offered.
"I am fully aware of your name, girl," Professor Umbridge snipped back at her. "And that is wrong, for even Muggles can tell unicorns apart from horses. That will be twenty points from Gryffindor."
"What? That is not fair!" Harry shouted.
"Ah, Mr Potter. Defending your Muggle girlfriend? Another ten points from Gryffindor for talking back to a teacher," Professor Umbridge sneered at him.
Harry was about to say something else, but Hermione stamped on his foot again.
Professor Umbridge focused on the class as a whole again. "I trust you are all aware of the Kneazle? A highly intelligent feline with magical powers, that is however capable of producing offspring with common house cats. However, these unfortunate half-breeds pale in comparison. And very rarely it a Kneazle is said to be born to two common cat parents. Of course, those cases are all lies, they always turn out to be just smarter common cats. They might fool some people, but the truth will always out."
Harry noticed Hermione getting angry, but he didn't quite know why yet. It became clear however when their teacher continued, "In fact, there is a disturbing parallel between the Kneazle and something else... does anyone have an idea? Yes, Mr Malfoy?"
Draco's voice clearly was heard as he called out: "The Mudblood, Professor Umbridge?"
"Very good, ten points to Slytherin." Professor Umbridge smiled as she praised the boy. "Just like some smarter cats can be passed off as Kneazles to the unsuspecting, the occasional Muggle animal will produce a child that appears to be capable of magic. They are of course far inferior to real wizards and witches." She looked directly at Hermione as she said those words.
"How... how dare you! My parents are not animals, and I... I am a much better witch than you are!" Hermione shouted.
"Detention tonight, Miss Granger. Report to my office directly after dinner," Professor Umbridge said cheerfully. "Now class, I want you all to write an essay on how we can tell Mudbloods apart from real wizards. I trust finding sufficient examples shouldn't be too hard – after all, Hogwarts standards have slipped so that there are several in each class..."
–-
Hermione was bristling with righteous fury all through Herbology. Afterwards she sought out Professor McGonagall. Harry went with her for support.
Professor McGonagall listened to Hermione rant about Professor Umbridge's open racism, then let out a sigh. "I am disappointed in you, Miss Granger. You shouldn't let her get to you."
Hermione's eyes went wide as she protested, "But... but... how can she say those things? She's supposed to be a teacher!"
"She is a teacher, even if her views are distasteful," said Professor McGonagall. "Your detention stands. Keep your head down, and don't talk back to her in the future. And the same goes to you, Mr Potter. Don't forget she already has it in for you," she warned him.
"But... but..." Hermione had her fists balled, and was lost for words.
"Come on, let's go grab some food," Harry suggested. Hermione deflated, and allowed Harry to guide her away.
"I can't believe she doesn't even try to do something!" Hermione complained once they were seated. Harry sat next to her, but nobody else was: Ron was sitting with Dean and Seamus, and most others had also formed their own cliques.
"Doesn't surprise me one bit," Harry remarked. "When has she ever listened to me?"
"Yes Harry, but that is you," Hermione blurted out. His eyes narrowed, but she didn't notice and ranted on: "Unlike you, I am not a troublemaker, I am a model student! Surely she should take my word against Professor Umbridge? Did you hear what... that woman said about me, my parents?"
"I was there, yes," Harry simply said. "Now let's eat up. We both have detentions to get to, don't we?"
"No need to remind me," Hermione snapped at him. But she stopped ranting and ate her food.
–-
Hermione had her detention immediately afterwards, but Harry still had some free time, as Tonks did not expect him until eight. He went to his Common Room, and saw the Weasley twins sitting in a corner, whispering.
Harry dropped down on a chair next to them, startling them from their work. "Hey guys. What are you working on?" he asked them.
The twins looked around and saw nobody seemed to pay attention, then pulled Harry in close. "Some new Wheezes, for the shop," twin A said.
"Thanks to your investment, partner, we have enough cash to build inventory already," his brother added.
"That's great, guys," Harry said with a smile. Then his expression clouded a bit. "Hey, have you had Care yet? You're both taking it, right?"
"Fred is," twin B – George – said. "We split up the electives, Fred has Care and Runes, I take Divination and Arithmancy."
"And Muggle Studies?" Harry asked.
Fred and George shared a look, then laughed simultaneously.
"Yeah, I agree," Harry grinned. "Might still take the OWL for it though... Can't hurt."
"But to answer your question, yes, I had my first Care class yesterday," Fred said. "Why?"
Harry recounted his lesson, and that the insults had gotten Hermione a detention. He finished it by asking, "Was she like that in your class?"
Fred and George seemed to silently confer, then Fred shook his head. "Not really. Well, she did bring up that Cat/Kneazle Muggle/Wizard nonsense, but nobody made a fuss... She didn't assign detention."
"But Clara Willis was angry, wasn't she, brother?" said George.
"Right you are," Fred agreed. "She's Muggleborn like Hermione is, but in Hufflepuff" he clarified for Harry.
"I can't believe they're letting her teach," Harry said with a sigh.
"Speaking of teachers, dear investor," Fred started,
"And fellow prankster, let's not forget," George added,
"What's up with you and Call-Me-Nymphadora-And-Die-Tonks?" Fred concluded.
Harry froze, then carefully asked, "How... how do you mean?"
"You're on her shitlist, don't think we haven't noticed," said George. "In fact, don't you have detention in a few minutes?"
Harry glanced up at a conveniently located clock, and stood up. "Damn, you're right! I dunno why she has it in for me, but I've got to go now," he said.
"Maybe she knows you were behind the animal prank," George suggested. "So, when can we expect the next one from you, Prongs Junior?"
"Err... haven't thought about it yet. Hey if you see Hermione, tell her we can work on our homework together later, okay?" Harry called back, as he rushed off.
–-
Five past eight, Harry knocked on the door to the DADA classroom. Tonks opened it, a stern expression on her face.
"You're late, Mr Potter," she said.
"Sorry Nym, twins held me up," Harry said cheekily.
"Not in the corridor you goof. Get inside!" Tonks pulled him in, and closed the door behind him. "Don't call me Nym where someone else can hear, idiot," she said, but in a gentle tone that made it clear there was no anger behind it.
"But I can call you Nym when we're alone, right?" Harry asked.
"Of course, hero," Tonks leant in and gave him a quick kiss. "But you're still late, Mister. Maybe I should punish you..." She got a wide grin.
"Oh? Have something in mind then, evil teacher of mine?" Harry grinned back.
"We-e-ell, I was planning on making you do lines, but with that attitude, I think spanking may be better!" Tonks moved to grab him, but Harry ducked under her arms, and suddenly was holding her from behind.
"Good idea... I can't wait to have you squirm on my lap," he whispered in her ear, and gave her rear a smack.
"Oh you! Just you wait!" Tonks said back. Her left arm snaked back, and tickled Harry in the side, where she knew he was most sensitive.
Harry let out a high shriek, and released her, so she got the advantage again. But not for long, for as soon as she had him on his back on the floor, Harry flipped them over, so she was lying under him, and now his hands were attacking her sides.
In the end, neither got spanked, but both 'won' their struggle. Harry groaned as he pulled his pants back up, while Tonks was looking under the desks to see if she could find where her bra had ended up. Harry let out a sudden laugh, and Tonks looked up to see it hanging from the classroom's chandelier.
"A bed is more comfortable," she commented cheerfully as they continued redressing.
"And less destructive to the classroom," Harry answered. He gave Tonks another soft slap on the butt.
"Just for that, hero, you get to put all the desks back in place. I have the third years tomorrow morning, you know," Tonks ordered him.
"Yes ma'am," Harry gave her another smile, and took out his wand. A few waves later, and the room was back in order.
"Adequate performance there," Tonks said in a haughty tone. "You're almost as handy as a House Elf, Potter, I think I'll keep you." Then she giggled, ruining the effect.
"You're not getting rid of me, no matter what," Harry agreed.
–-
Tonks escorted him back to the Gryffindor Common Room as curfew had started, and Harry stepped back inside. He didn't see Hermione anywhere, but Ron was playing chess with Dean.
"Hey Ron, is Hermione back from detention yet?" he asked his sort-of friend.
Ron looked up briefly, and said, "Yeah mate, she came back shortly after you left. She went straight back upstairs though, and I haven't seen her since."
"Thanks," Harry said.
"Hey, do you want to play a round? I'll have Dean beaten in three turns," Ron asked.
Dean looked down dismayed at the chessboard, when his black queen spoke up: "He is right, you know."
"Nah, another time maybe," Harry called. "Hermione and I wanted to do our essays tonight.
Ron shrugged and Harry walked over to Lavender and Parvati, who were whispering in a corner.
"Hey girls," he greeted them.
The gossip duo looked at Harry, then at each other, then giggled in tune.
"Errr... yeah," Harry felt a little uncomfortable but went on. "Can either of you go up to your dorm and tell Hermione I am back? I thought she might be waiting for me."
"Sure thing, Harry," Lavender said in sultry tone. She got up, and walked towards the stair, swaying her hips in an exaggerated manner. Harry looked on amused as he realised this was Lavender's way of flirting with him.
Soon after, Lavender came back down and sat next to Parvati again. Harry and she had been talking about the Holyhead Harpies in the Quidditch competition – Parvati was not that much into the sport, but the Harpies' captain had recently become the face of a Wizarding make-up firm and that was her forte – but they stopped when Lavender rejoined them.
"I told her you were here, Harry, but she said she was tired and would do her essays tomorrow," Lavender explained.
"But maybe we can do it with you?" Parvati suggested.
"Thanks for the offer girls, but in that case I think I'll retire as well," Harry replied.
"If you're sure," said Parvati.
"We can be very nice though, Harry. Don't worry... we won't bite," Lavender added.
Harry gave them both a wide smile and backed off. His smile disappeared as soon as he was out of their view. Something about the way the two looked at him was unsettling.
Up in the Gryffindor girls' dorm, Hermione sat cradling her hurt right hand. Faintly visible on the back of it was a scar reading ,'I will not talk back to my betters'.
A/N: Thanks to stgulik for beta duties again.
In case you're looking forward to hearing from Amelia - news from the DMLE is coming next chapter :)