Sept 2 1995 (Wednesday)
Harry woke up very early in the morning to continue his workout routine. He woke up at 4:00 in the morning and went to his trunk. There he worked out for 2 and a half hours, since he now have classes the whole day he had to change his workout schedule, one in the morning and another at the evening. After he was done, he started preparing for the day, he took a shower and changed into his robes and went down to common room and saw that Hermione was about to leave.
"Hey Hermione, wait up." Harry called out. Hermione stopped at her tracks and looked back to see Harry jogging towards her. "Good morning Harry." Hermione greeted.
"Good Morning. Want to walk together?" Harry asked. "Sure." Hermione replied merrily and the two walked side by side.
"So are you excited for classes?" Harry asked to start a conversation with her. "Yes I am. Although I like all my subjects, I'm excited about Arithmancy and Ancient Runes." Hermione answered.
"Why those 2?" Harry asked.
"Because once we're in the NEWT level of those subjects, we're going to have a project where we enchant an item of our choosing. What about you?" Hermione asked.
"Uhmm" Harry thought while looking up to think. "I don't know, maybe Defense but I'll know that the toad will be terrible so maybe charms. Is the professor good at charms?" Harry replied with a question.
"Yes, professor Flitwick the professor for charms is actually great, he is the favorite of many students, and he makes the subject very easy with his method and style of teaching." Hermione replied, then he took his arm suddenly. "Come on, follow me, I know a shortcut." She said, Harry followed her since he is always up for an adventure. In just 5 minutes they arrive at the entrance of the great hall. Harry was amazed to say the least.
"Woah" Harry said in amazement. Hermione smirked as a response "The beauty of Hogwarts." Hermione replied and the two walk together and sat beside each other at a table. Because it was the first day of classes, the great hall was still empty except for a few students who like Harry and Hermione were early birds.
Looking at the food, Harry's mouth starts to water and he starts grabbing a lot of food and starts eating. When Hermione was finished eating breakfast, a wave of students started to enter the hall and just like that the great hall became noisy and bustling.
"Wew, I change my mind, the food at Hogwarts is my favorite." Harry said, he didn't ate as much as last night but still it was a lot for the average student. Hermione was just looking at him with amazement and she shook her head then she too started eating.
A few moments later students started to enter the great hall. Neville Longbottom, was the first Gryffindor classmate that arrived, he sat down next to them and greeted the two of them good morning and proceeded to eat breakfast. Lavender together with Parvati arrived next, they were good classmates but never really friends as they never really bullied her but they did made fun of her from time to time. Then Seamus and Dean arrived who just ate right away.
Then came Michael and Ron arrived the reason why her life in Hogwarts was miserable. Together Ernie Macmillan, the three of them made it their mission to bully her every day if possible but she was a survivor and she adapted into the situation.
With her intelligence she was able to create a plan that would have her the least contact with the five of them, the catch with her plan was also the least contact with any student as they key for it to succeed is isolation and the five years she had been at Hogwarts was her loneliest. She did have a friend though, Luna Lovegood she too was being bullied because of her eccentrics and quirkiness that other students would find her crazy. But not her, with their similar experience they had created a bond with it.
It was in Hermione's first year that the bullying by Michael and Ron had started, in total honesty she was bossy and condescending to anyone that isn't as smart as her at that age and anyone really didn't like that especially Michael and Ron.
In the first two months in her first year she kept correcting everyone that was wrong, was speaking of facts of knowledge to anyone to make her look smart, she kept bossing her classmate to do their homework and expected them to do with the same quality and productivity like hers. And because of that no one wanted to be friends with her and everyone just made fun of her and talk rude things behind her back.
It was hell. She wanted to drop out of Hogwarts but she was a strong girl, she wouldn't let this setback and situation derail her and make her quit. So she tried changing her attitude after Christmas on her first year. It was tough but manageable. And it showed, instead of demanding her classmate to do their homework she offered help, instead of showing off her intelligence she just shut up and it showed in class, gone was the Hermione who was eager in class and kept participating. Now she rarely raise her hand in classes.
After her change, she observed that her classmates just tolerated her, they no longer talk behind her back and make fun of her. Some even wanted to be friends with her but Michael and his gang continued bullying her even though she changed. To them bullying her was their sport, their past time when they got bored. She looked for teachers to help her but none did. Michael was the 'Boy-who-Lived', the hero of magical Britain, the sweetheart of the country. Who are they going to believe? Him, the Boy-who-Lived? Or her, the ugly, know it all, muggle-born? Michael of course.
She was broken out of her musings when professor McGonagall cleared her throat behind them. "Good Morning to you all. With me are your class schedule for the year." the professor announced and handed out their schedules. Hermione grabbed hers and looked at it,
MONDAY
Defense against the Dark Arts: 9:00 - 10:30 (Ravenclaw)
Astronomy: 11:00 -12:00 (Ravenclaw)
Lunch: 12:00 - 1:00
Potions: 1:00 - 3:00 (Slytherin)
Charms: 3:30- 5:00 (Hufflepuff)
TUESDAY THURSDAY
Herbology: 10:00 - 12:00 (Slytherin)
Lunch: 12:00 -1:30
History of Magic: 1:30 -2:30 (Hufflepuff)
Transfiguration: 3:00 - 4:30 (Slytherin)
FRIDAY
Ancient Runes: 7:30 - 9:30
Care of Magical Creatures: 10:00- 12:00 (Ravenclaw)
Lunch: 12:00 - 1:00
Arithmancy: 1:00-3:00
Divination: 1:00 - 3:00 (Slytherin)
Muggle Studies: 3:30 -5:30 (Hufflepuff)
Mondays is just going to be unbearable, Hermione thought. "Ms. Granger, I expect you to assist Mr. Harry Potter for the time being until he can get adjusted here at Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall sternly said.
"Yes professor" Hermione replied, while the professor just nodded and continued handing out the schedule to the sixth and seventh years. She checked her watch, the time was still 8 in the morning, there is still plenty of time left before classes, she looked over to Harry and saw that he was talking Dean, Seamus, Lavender and Parvati.
She sighed, this always happen to her. Someone became her friend and they eventually leave her because someone is more fun to be friend or because they would also be targets for bullying.
Harry was enjoying his time talking to his fellow classmates Lavender, Parvati, Dean and Seamus, they told him which people he would need to avoid getting trouble into, people like his brother and his friends as the teachers except Snape would always side on him especially Dumbledore and McGonagall because of his status as the Boy-Who-Lived.
Another group he has to avoid is Malfoy and his goons, the people they target are the ones they perceive weak and low social standings like the muggle-borns but their favorite target is someone close to Michael as Malfoy made it his mission to torment his twin brother.
They had also warned him that he and his sister will mostly be targets by Malfoy and some Slytherins. Harry was just nodding along what they said, listening intently to what they were saying. He was very thankful that they had given him time to warn him and give him tips about the life at Hogwarts.
When professor McGonagall came to them to give them their class schedule, the four of them excused themselves from Harry to go the dorm and get their books. They invited him first but Harry has his books in his bag already so they left and agreed to meet in the DADA classroom. When they left Harry was looking for Hermione to talk to her, he was about to go to her but his attention was caught by three girls. Three beautiful girls.
"Hey so I hear you're the new Potter." the girl with the black skin said. "I am, my name is Harry" Harry introduced himself to the girls. "I'm Angelina, these are my teammates, Katie and Alicia. We're the chasers for the Gryffindor team. We would like to invite you to try out next week for the keeper position." Angelina said.
"But I don't know how to play quidditch." Harry replied but he knew of the game before he was sent to the Dursleys.
"So did I before I got into the team." Alicia argued. "Yeah, why don't you just try it out before saying no? You might be good at it like all the Potters were." Angelina said encouragingly. Harry was questioning to himself if he should join the tryouts or not as he was already busy as it is.
As there is still no confirmation from Harry, the chasers, using their charms pestered him into promising that he will go to the tryout. Holding on to his arms, parts of their bodies are brushed at his arms where a boy would be in heaven. Harry tried to resist promising immediately as he still wants to experience this more and he tried not to show that he enjoyed it but it was a losing battle.
"Okay, I promise." Harry relented, unable to resist any further. "Great, the tryouts will be on Friday next week at 4 in the afternoon. Don't be late or get in trouble till then." Angelina said and left off together with Alicia and Katie who also said their goodbyes before following their captain.
A while after Harry's interaction with the three chasers, he saw Hermione standing up and walked towards him and told him that she was about to leave to go to the classroom and she ask him if he will join her or go with others. Harry said that he will walk together with her to the classroom.
"What do you think the professor would be? Lavender said she would be awful. Her mother warned her so. What do you think?" Harry asked. Hermione thought for a while before answering. "I think she is not here to teach, she is clearly here to dig up dirt on your family and Dumbledore. To get a better political footing, and for Dumbledore and your family to lose credibility so that the populace wouldn't believe in You-know-who's return." Hermione answered.
"Do you believe in his return?" Harry asked. Hermione stopped walking and looked grim. "I do, all the signs are present that he is truly back. I'm like all of the magical Britain, we all don't want to believe in it but unlike majority of them I am the few that believed in Dumbledore and that he will lead us through these dark times." Hermione replied, while getting a bit teary eyed, as fear and worry starts to creep in her heart.
"What if he fails to deliver? What then?" Harry continued asking. "No, I already told my parents about the current situation, though I did not tell them the degree the danger poses to us. We already are planning to leave for Australia, my dad fell in love with the place years ago when we went there." Hermione answered.
"Good. You shouldn't let your fate depend on one man. No matter how great he is." Harry said with relief and compassion, Hermione replied with a thankful smile and the two continued walking to the classroom quietly. They entered the room, and there were already a few Ravenclaws but the two of them were the first Gryffindors to arrive. Harry and Hermione sat beside each other at the front of the classroom awaiting silently for the teacher to arrive.
Umbridge. What a nasty woman. In the first five minutes of the class, Harry had confirmed the warnings and suspicions that Lavender and Parvati had given him before the class. Looking around and saw that most of his classmates were bored yet were they poured effort into looking like they're listening. How funny, Harry chuckled internally, he looked at Michael and he seemed to be the same with others, seems like he had been warned, based on the way that Lavender and Parvati had to say about him, it seems unlikely they would be the one to warn him about the toad.
The Order, maybe the ones to warn him about the professor, Michael had been spending a lot of time at the headquarters as it was the temporary place that the Weasleys lived for the summer. Or maybe his parents did. No, Lily and James were too busy in the summer either with the Order or mending their relationship with me. Plus, Jasmine wasn't also warned so it seems they had forgotten about warning us.
"Please open your books and open to page 37." Umbridge said, breaking Harry out of his thoughts. Harry along with his other classmates look for the books.
"Yes, uhmm miss?" Umbridge asked, "Granger mam. I already read all of it mam and it says nothing about using spells." Hermione said.
"Spells? Who said about using spells? Ms. Granger there is no need for you to learn spells as teaching you the theory would be sufficient for you to pass this subject." Umbridge declared.
"What about OWLs? What will we do about the practical exam?" A girl who look the same as Parvati but in Ravenclaw colors asked, if his memory serves correctly the girl's name is Padma.
"Like I said learning the theory sanctioned by the ministry would be sufficient for you to pass this class and the OWLs. So as long as you just study hard and follow the instructions by the ministry there won't be a problem." Umbridge said with an ugly forced smile. She must hate children, Harry concluded as it was evident that she hated every minute of being a teacher and was clearly forced to do this assigned task.
"Aren't you going to teach us to defend ourselves?" Michael asked.
"Students should raise their hands if they want to speak." Umbridge scolded. Michael became furious but just remained silent and raised his hand. The professor immediately called his name and gestured him to speak freely.
"Aren't you going to teach to defend ourselves?" Michael asked while containing his anger.
The professor giggled condescendingly. Harry and all of them students in the classroom shivered in disgust. "My dear there is no need for students like you to defend yourself as the ministry will make it their first priority to protect its citizens." Umbridge said.
"What if we are in danger?" Michael asked the second time.
"Danger? There is no present danger out there Mr. Potter and I don't appreciate that you spread these rumors and lies to spread fear and panic to the people. Any more actions like these will result in grieve punishments." Umbridge said sternly but with a calm demeanor.
"What about the people who want to do us harm. What should we do then?" Michael asked the third time but this time Umbridge ignored him.
"Students, you will start hearing about a dead dark lord that had terrorized this country in the past being brought back to the living. As confirmed by the department of Mysteries, that magic that would revive any living being in this world does not exist and will never exist." Umbridge declared.
'Pfft, then why am I here? Man, Dumbledore must be one strong, crazy person if he was able to revive me from the dead.' Harry thought in his head while chuckling internally.
"So if you hear the rumors that the Dark Lord has risen and will bring terror to us, ignore it, as it is all lies." Umbridge continue declaring to the class and most of the students were already hooked on what she had said.
"But it is not a lie. I saw Voldemort's rebirth. I saw him kill Cedric. I saw him summon……." Michael loudly declared but was interrupted by the professor.
"Detention Mr. Potter, I will not have anyone spread lies and panic, especially in this classroom." Umbridge shouted. Michael managed to contain his anger which shocked Harry, his twin always through a fit if anything and I mean anything didn't go the way he wanted to. He watch Michael quietly sit down with fury evident in his face and his body.