On Monday morning they went out on the grounds after breakfast with most of the rest of the fifth years. Care of Magical Creatures was a popular class.

"Do you know anything about the professor who is replacing Hagrid?" Hermione asked as they walked toward Hagrid's house.

"No, I haven't seen much of her, just in the Great Hall for meals," Rachel said. She hoped that Hagrid would come back soon. Whatever he was doing had to be important, but two months was a long time to be away.

There was an older woman with very short grey hair waiting for them near Hagrid's house. She waited until they'd all gathered quietly before beginning to speak. "My name is Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank. I'll be teaching Care of Magical Creatures as a favor to Professor Dumbledore for the next little while. Follow me."

They followed her out to the paddock that was around the edge of the forest and looked inside. There were a handful of what looked like ordinary horses and several small creatures that stood on two cloven hoofs. "Porlocks," Rachel said.

"Correct, Miss Snow. Porlocks," Professor Grubbly-Plank said. "Porlocks are guardians to horses and will protect the herd. They reside in stables and pastures, even when surrounded by muggles. Porlocks are very mistrustful of humans, most of the time you won't even see them. These ones have been around Hogwarts for many years, so they're a little less wild. Porlocks primarily will eat grass and they'll nest in the straw found in stables. When a beast or a being approaches the herd intending to harm the horses, they'll attack. They have sharp teeth and will aim to rip out the throat or the belly of whatever is attacking. Shavings of Porlock hooves can be used in potions. For today I'd like you to spread out in the pasture and watch the Porlocks, take notes on them or make a drawing. If you're very still, you may be able to get one to approach you."

Rachel was a little more keen on petting the horses than she was on interacting with the Porlocks. They climbed over the fence into the pasture and their group found somewhere out of the way to sit.

"I'm going to draw one in our books," Neville said, pulling his two-way book out of his bag.

"If you mark off where you're drawing, I'll take notes beneath it," Rachel said, digging out her own book.

They sat quietly as they watched the horses graze. The horses seemed undisturbed by their presence, but the Porlocks were watching the students closely. Rachel made notes based on what Professor Grubbly-Plank had said and what she remembered from her own reading, looking up every now and then to watch one of the Porlocks move closer to them.

"It's alright, no one is going after the horses," Millie told the Porlock.

The Porlock shook its multi-hued brown coat and dropped down to look at them with surprisingly bright blue eyes.

They all held still, watching as the Porlock moved its head around to examine them more closely.

"We're friendly, no need to worry," Hermione said softly.

The Porlock let out a sound that was somewhere between a snort and a bleat.

Rachel smiled. It was kind of cute, in a hairy pig sort of way.

They waited until the Porlock had gone back to the horses before they relaxed.

"Rachel, has anyone said anything to you about where Hagrid has gone?" Theo asked.

"No, Professor Snape says he doesn't even know, so it's a secret to keep Hagrid safe," Rachel said.

"Well, I'm glad they're taking precautions. Hopefully Hagrid will be back soon, but Professor Grubbly-Plank seems alright," Hermione said, leaning in to look at Neville's drawing.

"Hagrid is pretty sturdy, I'm sure he's alright," Millie said.

"That's what Professor Snape said too," Rachel said. "Your drawing is really good, Neville. You've got their hooves and their fur just right."

"Thanks," Neville said.

The rest of the lesson passed quietly and Professor Grubbly-Plank assigned them a short essay on guardian beasts to be handed in next Monday. It was a nice, slow start to their school week.

After lunch they went up to the seventh floor for Arithmancy.

"Why is this class almost entirely girls?" Theo asked as he looked around the classroom.

"Terry dropped it this year," Padma said as she sat down near the study group. "He didn't want to take the OWL, which I thought was silly. Why bother taking the elective if you're not going to take the OWL?"

"Exactly," Hermione said.

They waited as the last of the class arrived, which now was just Pansy, Daphne, Padma, and Susan.

"Is this usual, Professor Vector? Are most Arithmancy students girls?" Theo asked, raising his hand.

"It's neither usual nor unusual. My sixth year students this year are mostly boys. My fourth years are about half and half. It just depends on the year. It is also not unusual for people to drop the class as we progress. While I'm pleased with all of your final grades from last term, I suspect only half of you will continue to my NEWT class. I require an Exceeds Expectations or higher on your OWLs in order to proceed to NEWT level Arithmancy," Professor Vector explained.

Rachel thought that she did want to continue with Arithmancy on the NEWT level. It was a demanding class, but she did think it was interesting. On the other hand, if the rest of the study group dropped it, she didn't want to be taking it alone. At the very least she thought Hermione would want to continue.

"Please pass in your summer homework and we'll begin. As I've already mentioned, your OWL exams are rapidly approaching. We won't be conducting review sessions in class as we still have a great deal of material to cover. Be certain that you are reviewing on your own time. I suggest starting now, if you haven't already," Professor Vector continued.

Hermione looked pleased with herself as they passed their parchments in.

"This year we will be covering circles, angles, quadrilaterals, and other methods of placement. Those of you taking Ancient Runes will already understand why. We will also be covering the basics of Geomancy. Who can tell me what Geomancy means?"

Everyone in the study group put their hands in the air, along with Padma. There were definitely advantages to having already read the course books.

"Mr. Longbottom, if you would."

Neville paused for a moment. "Geomancy has two main functions. The first is the placement of buildings, objects, or runes to enhance whatever properties you're trying to enhance, usually power. The second is divination through marks on the ground or thrown dirt or sand."

"That's correct."

Neville looked relieved.

"Our primary concern in this class will be with the first function, though we'll touch on the basics of divination and apply what we've learned there as well. Open your books to page 214 and we'll begin with the properties of circles and arcs," Professor Vector said.

Rachel settled in to take notes, her book open and her quill ready. She was a little surprised at how much math could be involved in something as simple as a circle.

"I should have brought a protractor with me. I can't believe I didn't think of it," Hermione said as they climbed down the stairs to the sixth floor for their Ancient Runes class.

"A what?" Millie asked.

"A protractor. It's a metal device with a pin on one end and a clamp to hold your pencil, or your quill I suppose, on the other. You use it to draw perfect circles. I'll have to write to my parents and ask them to send me some. I hope they can pick up five," Hermione said.

"Oh, we have those in the magical world. I just didn't know what they were called," Theo said, pausing as they found Terry in the hallway next to the Ancient Runes classroom. "Terry, you left Arithmancy?"

"If I bring home anything less than an Exceeds Expectations my dad gets really upset. I didn't think I could get an Exceeds Expectations on the OWL," Terry said, shrugging.

Rachel frowned, wondering what Terry meant by 'really upset'. Obviously something bad or he wouldn't have dropped the class.

"I thought you were doing alright in Arithmancy?" Hermione asked, sounding a little uncertain.

"I was, I received Exceeds Expectations last year. I just don't have time for ten classes and being a prefect. Ravenclaw prefects host homework help sessions for the lower years," Terry said.

"It is a lot," Neville said, touching his prefect's badge absently.

"You know, I didn't realize it before, but our Arithmancy class may be almost all girls, but our Ancient Runes class is almost all boys," Millie said.

Rachel glanced over the students that were assembled and was surprised to see that she was right. That was a little odd. "And no one seems to drop Ancient Runes." It seemed like everyone who was in the class last year was here now.

Professor Babbling made her way through the crowd of students. "Come in, come in, let's get started."

Rachel sat between Neville and Millie and took out her homework from the summer. It seemed like it had been a long time since she'd done it and she hoped she remembered everything.

"Pass up your homework and let's start with a refresher quiz," Professor Babbling said, sending a pile of parchment down the aisle.

The quiz was hard, but doable, and Rachel fiddled with her quill as she stared down at her parchment. Maybe Severus had been right. She still didn't want to drop any of her classes now, but she was going to need to drop at least one more next year. She did want to keep her grades as close to perfect as humanly possible, and Terry was probably right in figuring that would be easier with fewer classes.

"I'm sure you've all heard this speech today already, but it's true. Your OWLs are coming. You need to be prepared. I'll be handing quizzes out like this often to help prepare you and review. Most of your homework assignments will be short translations, like you will find on your OWLs," Professor Babbling said as she collected the quizzes they'd just taken.

Blaise raised his hand. "What grade do you require on the OWLs to continue to your NEWT class?"

"I allow those who receive an Acceptable in my class, but only once we've a discussion about your commitment. I prefer my students to receive Exceeds Expectations or better. NEWT level work is nothing to sneeze at. Be certain it's something you want to do if you sign up for the class. Let's begin." Professor Babbling tapped the chalkboard with her wand.

Rachel prepared to take notes once again and put aside thoughts of what she was going to do next year. She still had time to figure that out.


"We're sitting in the back, right?" Theo asked the group as they climbed the stairs on Thursday after lunch.

"I think we should," Neville said, glancing at Hermione.

"At least until we know how this class will go, we can start in the back," Hermione agreed, though it was clear she was a little reluctant to do so.

Rachel was both nervous about the upcoming lesson and glad that it was finally here. She wanted to see for herself what Professor Umbridge would be like, though she was keeping Severus' warnings in mind.

They found Professor Umbridge already in the classroom as they entered. She was seated at her desk at the front of the room and was wearing the pink cardigan that she seemed to wear everywhere. Rachel imagined that she had a whole row of them hanging in her wardrobe. They quietly took their seats in the back row, and pulled out their books, parchment, and quills.

Rachel shifted uncomfortably as she realized that Professor Umbridge was staring at her, even as other students entered the room and quietly chose seats. She settled for staring down at her parchment so that she wasn't looking back at Professor Umbridge.

Finally the entire class had arrived and Professor Umbridge stood up. "Good afternoon. And since I've had this trouble with other classes, when I address you, I expect a response. When I say 'good afternoon', you shall say 'good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. Shall we try again? Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," Rachel chorused with the rest of the class. She turned her head to find Millie looking back at her with raised eyebrows.

"Please put away your wands and take out your books, quills, and a piece of parchment," Professor Umbridge instructed. "I must say, I have been dismayed to learn of the incompetent teaching you have all suffered in this class until this point in time. It has been disorganized, ineffective, and left all of you unequipped to take your OWLs at the end of this year."

Rachel noticed Hermione sitting up straight with something akin to panic in her eyes.

"Fortunately, this situation has been rectified by the Ministry. Minister Fudge himself has sent me here himself to teach you and bring all of you up to the Ministry approved standards of Defense education. This will be a theory-centered class where you will be instructed in the basics of Defense up to the advanced level expected for your OWLs. Please copy the following into your notes." Professor Umbridge tapped her wand against the chalkboard and the course aims appeared.

Rachel dutifully copied down the aims while thinking that Severus had been right about the Ministry interfering at Hogwarts. She hadn't been impressed when reading the book and now it seemed she would be going to Severus to ask him to teach her fifth year Defense so she could teach her friends. At least they had the OWL study guide to work from. She could also write Remus and ask what textbook he'd had his fifth year students studying from.

"Now that you've written down the course aims, please turn to page five and read chapter one: Basics for Beginners. I expect quiet while you study," Professor Umbridge said, leaving the board to go sit down behind her desk.

Rachel opened the Defensive Magical Theory to the first chapter and stared down at the pages that she'd already read just two weeks ago. This wasn't as bad as Lockhart acting his books out - and making people help in his demonstrations - but it was pretty bad in terms of teaching. At the very least Professor Umbridge hadn't written the book they were working from.

Hermione raised her hand in the air, her expression determined.

Theo caught her eye and shook his head.

Hermione shook her head back and resumed staring at Professor Umbridge.

Rachel hoped that Hermione knew what she was doing. She turned her attention back to her book, but couldn't stop from glancing over every few moments, her stomach twisting with anxiety.

"Tell me your name," Professor Umbridge finally said.

"Hermione Granger, ma'am," Hermione said, lowering her hand.

"You can ask questions about the chapter at the end of class," Professor Umbridge said.

"My question is about the course aims, ma'am," Hermione said, keeping her tone polite and curious.

"You may ask your question at the end of class," Professor Umbridge repeated.

"Yes, ma'am, I will," Hermione said.

Theo looked at her with raised eyebrows and Hermione just shook her head again.

Rachel used the class time to make an outline of the chapter so that she could copy it into their two-way books later. It wouldn't actually be useful - it was all a roundabout way of saying that Defensive spells should be limited in their use - but if they had a quiz on it, or needed to write an essay, the information was there. She decided she would start reading through the entire Defense OWL guide that evening. From there she could figure out which spells could be self taught and which she'd need Severus' help with.

When the chime sounded, indicating that class was finished, Professor Umbridge dismissed them with the instructions to reread chapter one before the next class period and write a twelve inch summary of what they'd learned.

Hermione stood up and made her way to the professor's desk.

Rachel, having copied down the assignment in her planner, put her things away and waited with the rest of the study group.

"Yes, Miss Granger. You had a question about the course aims?" Professor Umbridge asked.

"Yes, ma'am. There was nothing in the aims about using defensive magic," Hermione said.

"There will be no need to use defensive magic in my class," Professor Umbridge said steadily.

"But our OWLs will include a practical section where we demonstrate the defensive spells we've learned. Ma'am," Hermione said.

"As long as you understand the theory, you'll be able to demonstrate the spells just fine, Miss Granger. I, as an extension of the Ministry, have designed this class to be secure and risk-free. I will not have dangerous spells cast in my classroom," Professor Umbridge said with a sharp tone.

Hermione paused for a long moment. "Yes, ma'am. I understand entirely. May I be excused?"

"You may," Professor Umbridge said.

Hermione was scowling as she stormed out of the classroom. "In our OWL year. In our OWL year!" she was muttering as she stalked down the hallway with the rest of the group following her.

"Take a breath," Millie said, putting her hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"I'll have Professor Snape teach me what we need to know and I'll write to Remus and ask about an appropriate textbook," Rachel said, hoping to sound reassuring.

"We've dealt with bad teachers before, we can deal with her," Theo added.

"I know. I know. We just shouldn't have to," Hermione said, opening the door to their study room.

"We shouldn't, but sometimes we just have to make do with what we have," Neville said with a frown. "If all of the classes are like that one, we can manage her."

"I think this is just the beginning," Millie said as she sat down. "Rachel, let me know what Remus says about a textbook. Maybe ask him for lesson plans too?"

"That's a good idea," Rachel said, sitting next to Millie.

"I miss Hagrid," Luna said as she and Ginny entered the room. "Care of Magical Creatures is much more dull without him."

"I miss him too," Rachel said, though she'd thought the lesson she'd had was alright.

"How was Professor Umbridge? You had her today, right?" Ginny asked.

The group exchanged glances.

"Pretty bad. You have your two-way books from last year, right?" Theo asked.

"We do," Ginny said.

"You'll want to do lessons from our notes then, though I think you already know all the spells from our study sessions," Theo said.

Hermione shook her head. "This is ridiculous. I'm not sure what we're going to do."

"We're going to study. We'll be fine," Theo said. "We're starting with Charms today, right? Charms homework and then Charms OWL study?"

"We are," Hermione said, seeming to snap out of her worries. "Let's get started while we have time before dinner, and then Potions after dinner."

Rachel pulled out the books she needed, ready to begin. They had a lot to cover.


"Brew with me today," Draco said, coming up to where Rachel was holding her cauldron and her potions kit as they waited for the classroom door to open.

Rachel hesitated. Severus had warned her about Draco - what would he think if she partnered with him in class? On the other hand, Severus knew Rachel played Quidditch with Draco, so it wasn't like she never saw him. She looked at Neville and Theo. "Do you two mind working together today?"

"If you want to work with Draco, you can," Theo said, his tone carefully neutral as his gaze fell on Draco.

Neville nodded. "It's up to you."

"Thanks. I'll work with you, Draco," Rachel said. If Severus had a problem with it, he could tell her directly.

Draco rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"I can't wait until we don't have to take Astronomy," Millie said, covering up a yawn.

"Me too," Rachel said. She was awake, but there was awake, and then there was awake enough to brew potions.

The classroom door opened and they went inside. Rachel followed Draco to one of the front tables at the side. "Your cauldron or mine?"

"Yours will do. We should get water while we still have time," Draco said.

Rachel took her cauldron over to the sinks and rolled her eyes. It seemed that Draco was still Draco. She supposed some things never changed.

She had just returned to her seat with a half full cauldron when Severus strode to the front of the room.

"As you are aware, today we are brewing the Draught of Peace. If you have done your reading then you know that this potion requires absolute precision. If you miss a step, stop, empty your cauldron, and begin anew," Severus directed.

Rachel checked the recipe on the chalkboard against the one in her book and began noting the exact measurements of ingredients to the recipe in her book - the book only mentioned adding an ingredient until the potion changed color.

"Let's do ingredient prep first, this shouldn't take the whole class period to brew," Draco said, making the same notations in his own book. "We need powdered moonstone, everything else should be in our kits."

"You'll start the porcupine quills while I get the moonstone?" she asked, not willing to do all of the work.

"Yes," Draco said, dragging his set of scales toward him.

Rachel nearly bumped into Daphne in the student potions ingredients cupboard. "Sorry."

"It's okay, nothing spilled," Daphne said.

They switched places and Rachel took one of the measured vials of powdered moonstone. She could put back what they didn't use. Back at the table she began measuring the first amount of five grams.

"So, what do you think our chances are this year?" Draco asked quietly.

"What?" she asked, looking up from her scales.

"Quidditch, obviously," Draco said, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Well, I guess it depends on our new recruits," Rachel said. She was still hoping that enough people would come out for tryouts.

"Not really. We'll train them, we just need someone with raw talent. Gryffindor is going to be the team to beat this year. The only person they're recruiting is a new Keeper. We should go out on Saturday and watch the tryouts," Draco said, still keeping his voice pitched low.

Rachel looked around and saw that Severus was on the other side of the classroom. "Are we allowed to do that?"

"Sure, there's no rules against being in the Quidditch stands," Draco said.

"We also need to watch out for Hufflepuff. This is Cedric's last year," Rachel said, turning her attention back to her scales.

"You don't need to worry about Cedric, you've bested him three years in a row," Draco said dismissively as he finished his measurements and began heating the cauldron.

"Two years, Viktor was Seeking last year," she reminded him.

"Even so, you're faster than him. And the Hufflepuffs need two new Beaters and a new Keeper this year. I'm not worried about Hufflepuff," he said.

Rachel added the first measure of moonstone to the cauldron and watched as Draco began to stir. "Cho still has two years left as a Seeker, she's pretty good too."

"You're the best Seeker in the school, stop fishing for compliments, it's unbecoming," Draco said.

"I wasn't!" Embarrassed, though she couldn't say why, Rachel added the second measure of moonstone as soon as Draco lifted the stirring rod.

"Anyway, Ravenclaw won't be too much trouble either. Their Chaser team is tight, but just like Gryffindor they're losing two Chasers this year," he said.

Rachel glimpsed Severus moving in their direction. "So, the properties of the moonstone do change based on its color, but not so much that you can't use them regardless of color. It's really a matter of strengths. If we wanted a very weak Draught of Peace, we'd use pink or peach."

Draco stared at her for a moment and then turned his head just slightly. "That's true, and if you want a stronger Draught of Peace you'd use entirely white moonstone. Also, the color changes in the potion are a reflection of the varied nature of the moonstone, it's the reactionary ingredient."

Rachel checked the simmering cauldron and added three drops of syrup of hellebore just in time for Severus to reach their table.

He peered in their cauldron, raised an eyebrow at Rachel, nodded once, and then continued on his way.

"Good catch," Draco said quietly as he added the porcupine quills.

"He wasn't fooled," Rachel said, still able to feel the blush in her cheeks.

"How can you tell?" he asked.

"I live with him all summer, I can tell," she said, watching as Draco stirred the cauldron.

"I can't picture you ever getting into trouble," Draco said, removing the stirring rod and adding the next measure of porcupine quills.

"I do. Never on purpose, but I do," Rachel said, feeling the stirrings of guilt. She really did try.

"Do you get detention? Does he make you clean cauldrons?" he asked, with a hint of a smile, but his curiosity was obvious.

"No. We just talk about whatever I did and why I should learn to think better and anticipate the consequences before I do something," she said.

Draco's smile disappeared. "That sounds almost nice."

"Professor Snape is very nice to me. I'm not sure why people don't believe that." She added the powdered unicorn horn and watched as the potion turned a bright pink.

Draco began to stir again. "He's very strict in his class and with the House. I think people expect him to be like that everywhere."

"I suppose," she said. She decided not to ask what happened when Draco got in trouble with his family. They weren't close enough friends for that sort of conversation and she suspected it wasn't a conversation to have in the classroom anyway. She wondered what Severus would do if Draco needed help. Would he still help, even if he thought that Draco was going to become a Death Eater?

They watched quietly as the potion simmered and slowly turned purple. Rachel added the last measure of moonstone and then began to clean her scale.

"We should brew together more often. Theo's been a little standoffish lately," Draco said.

Rachel felt both of her eyebrows climb. There was no way that Draco didn't know the reason that Theo was avoiding him. "We can brew together sometimes, but I want to brew with my study group sometimes also."

"I'm better than they are," he said unrepentantly.

"All of them do just fine in Potions class. In all of our classes, actually," she said. "Time to add the last of the porcupine quills."

Draco added them and began stirring again and Rachel readied the syrup of hellebore.

"Lowering the heat, ready for seven drops of hellebore," Draco said once the potion had turned bone white.

Rachel carefully counted out the drops and recapped the bottle of syrup of hellebore. "Now it just needs to cool and we're done."

"And it has the shimmering effect, just as it's supposed to, also an effect of the moonstone," he said.

It did. It wasn't the most complicated potion she'd ever brewed, but it did require them to pay attention. She looked around the classroom and saw most of her classmates still bent over their cauldrons, though Hermione and Millie seemed to be finished as well. "Why do you want to brew with me?" she asked. It had been a question on her mind ever since Draco had started asking her several years ago.

"Because you're good at brewing potions and, don't tell anyone I said this, but you're decent company. Blaise looks at me like I'm going to curse him and Theo never wants to talk about Quidditch," Draco said.

Rachel smiled. That was simple enough. "Well, don't tell anyone I said this either, but your company is pretty alright too."

"I'll take that as high praise from the Girl-Who-Lived," Draco said.

She winced. Over the years she had really come to hate being called that.

"I think it's ready to be put into vials," he said, pulling out his ladle.

Rachel quickly labeled two vials with their names and handed them to Draco. That was Potions class finished with enough time for cleaning up and for her to make some notes on what was likely going to be their assigned essay for the week. She mentally reviewed her schedule. They just had Transfiguration left and then the weekend. It had been a long first week back, but not too bad overall.


"Rachel, can we talk in our dorm room for a few minutes?"

Rachel looked up to find Pansy waiting. Pansy was playing with the ends of her hair, which meant she was very nervous. "Sure. I'll be back in a little bit," she told Millie and Theo. She didn't miss Theo's raised eyebrows before she stood and followed Pansy back to their dorm room.

"I'm sending this to my parents tomorrow. I met with Professor Snape after classes today and he helped me with the parts that are about you, but he wanted you to read it too," Pansy said, pulling out a piece of parchment from her bag.

"Alright. Which part should I read?" She felt uncomfortable reading Pansy's private conversations with her family. Couldn't Severus just tell her what Pansy had written?

"You can read all of it, I don't care," Pansy said, sitting down on her bed.

Rachel sat down on her own bed and unrolled the parchment.

'Dear Mother and Father,

I made it safely to Hogwarts and we've completed our first week already. It's been very busy and everyone is very focused on preparing for our OWLs. In Charms we're reviewing the Summoning charm and in Transfiguration we're working on Vanishing spells. In Potions we brewed the Draught of Peace. It seems like we won't be practicing spells in Defense, just covering the theory. I'm teaching Charms to the first and second years in Slytherin House. It's harder than I expected, but I think it will get easier with more practice. I think it's good to do it now, so that I'm ready to help teach my children when the time comes.

I've been trying to do as you've asked, but it's not as easy as it sounds. I might share a dorm room, but the other girls are rarely here. Rachel and Millie are close friends with some Gryffindors and they spend all their time in the library studying. They should have been Ravenclaws! Rachel was third in our year last year, so I think it's safe to say she knew all the fourth year material very well. She vanished a snail in Transfiguration well before the class period ended and she did very well with the Summoning charm in Charms. Also, Rachel was named Quidditch captain this year. When I asked, she said she wasn't made prefect because she doesn't spend enough time in the common room.

There's one other thing she told me. Professor Snape told her to be careful around me and Draco and some of the other students. He's worried about her being too close to Pureblood students. She and Millie are both half-bloods and they're very close. I'm not sure how to get her to trust me if Professor Snape warned her to stay away from me. Do you have any ideas?

I miss you both already, but Christmas will come soon. I love you. Please let me know that you are well.

Your daughter in good faith, Pansy'

Rachel set down the letter and frowned. What a mess all of this was.

"Was there something in there that you didn't want me to say?" Pansy asked.

"No, it's fine," Rachel said. "There wasn't anything in here that people couldn't know just from looking around. I just don't understand what it is they want to know. I don't understand why the Dark Lord would want to know this sort of thing."

Pansy resumed wrapping her hair around her fingers. "It would be easier if we understood what they wanted. Then we could decide to either give it to them or to craft a lie that would be hard to discover. I mean, to a certain extent, knowing what spells you know and how well you can do them makes sense. You'd want to know that about your enemies, but the Dark Lord is so powerful, why would he care how well you can cast a Summoning charm? I've heard...I've heard that the Dark Lord is even more powerful than Professor Dumbledore."

Rachel shook her head. "Madam Pomfrey says that Professor Dumbledore is the only person that the Dark Lord fears, and that Hogwarts is protected as long as he's here."

"Maybe," Pansy allowed. "And wanting to know where you go. That could mean that he wants to kidnap you. But it would be very hard to do that in Hogwarts. No one can apparate in here and the Headmaster has to allow for portkeys."

"The Triwizard Cup was a portkey." She shivered. She had no desire to travel by portkey ever again.

"With the intention to take you back to the start of the maze, not somewhere else. How did that happen? My parents wouldn't say," Pansy asked.

"Mr. Crouch was actually his son, Barty Crouch Junior, who was a Death Eater using Polyjuice," Rachel explained, shifting on her bed. She did not want to talk about this.

"But, he's dead. He died in Azkaban," Pansy said. "My mom has a photo album with people that she knew during and before the war. He's in there and she told me about how his father sent him to Azkaban for life when he was nineteen years old."

Rachel hadn't known that. "Mr. Crouch sent his own son to prison? To Azkaban?"

Pansy nodded. "Mr. Crouch used to be the head of the MLE. But after the Death Eater trials, well, and after his son being revealed as a Death Eater, he wasn't very popular and he'd lost the favor of a lot of purebloods who had helped get him his position in the first place. He got sent to another department in the Ministry where he wouldn't have much influence."

"Was he guilty of what he was charged with?" Rachel asked, feeling a little chilled.

"I don't know. I suppose no one does." Pansy shrugged. "I guess Azkaban isn't as secure as they say it is, if both Crouch Jr and Sirius Black escaped. Did he ever tell you how he did it?"

"No, he doesn't like to talk about Azkaban," Rachel lied. She would keep Sirius' secrets.

"Is the letter okay then?" Pansy asked after a long moment.

"It's fine. Will you tell me what your parents say about how to get me to trust you?" she asked.

"I will. I'm actually curious as to what their advice will be. It was Professor Snape's idea to ask them that, he said it would give us a better idea of what they're thinking." Pansy stood up and Rachel handed the letter back to her. "Let's do this every Friday evening, after I've talked with Professor Snape?"

"Sure, that's fine," Rachel said, getting to her feet. "Anything else?"

"No. I'm going to go sit with Draco for a while. He was annoyed when I said I had things to take care of today. It's not like I'm not going to see him all tomorrow." Pansy shook her head.

"Oh. We might go watch the Gryffindor tryouts tomorrow," Rachel said.

Pansy sighed. "That's fine. I'll get some homework done while you two go spy on the Gryffindors."

They went back out into the common room and parted ways. Rachel went back to where Millie and Theo were sitting.

"Millie says that she knows what's going on but that she can't tell me," Theo said when Rachel sat down.

"That's true and I can't either. Professor Snape made us promise to keep it just between us," Rachel said.

"I tried to tell him," Millie said, rolling her eyes.

"I can't know, but Pansy can?" Theo asked.

Rachel looked at Millie, trying to figure out how to put it that wouldn't make it immediately obvious why Pansy was involved. "It's a secret that involves keeping people safe. One that the fewer people know about, the safer it is," she finally said. "Pansy was there when it happened, so she knows."

"Alright, I get the hint, I'll drop it," Theo said, leaning back in his chair.

"About time," Millie said. "He was trying to convince me to go check on you in case Pansy had you under some sort of spell."

"Well we all know I can resist the Imperius curse," Rachel said, only joking a little bit.

"There's plenty of things that aren't as serious as the Imperius curse that can make people act compliant," Theo said. "Now, my vote is that we don't study any more until tomorrow. My brain is full."

"Yes, please," Millie said, rubbing at her temples.

"I might not be able to come to the morning study session. The Quidditch team is going to go watch the Gryffindor tryouts," Rachel said.

"You can't just wait until they say who they're picking?" Theo asked.

Rachel shrugged. "It's not a bad idea to find out what the competition can do before we play them, though we have a while until the Slytherin vs Gryffindor game anyway. And I need some ideas for our tryouts."

"That's a good reason," Millie said. "They won't mind you watching?"

"They probably will, but I don't think they're allowed to make us go away," she said.

"And this means they'll come watch your tryouts on Sunday," Theo pointed out.

"Probably." Rachel sighed. Just what she needed - an audience.


"Why is this happening?" Rachel whispered as she looked up at the Quidditch stands. There had to be fifty people up there. There hadn't been nearly this many people in the stands yesterday when they'd watched the Gryffindor tryouts.

Ron Weasley had joined his siblings on the Gryffindor team, though after seeing his performance, Rachel wasn't worried about it. He was barely better than Cormac.

"Why are all these people here? They don't even play Quidditch," Rachel asked plaintively as the rest of the team approached.

"They're invested. And I think they want to see what you'll do," Miles said as he looked around.

"Don't worry about it. We're not the ones they're watching," Adrian said, clapping his hand on Rachel's shoulder with a little more force than was necessary.

"Just ignore them entirely. It's just like at the games," Draco added.

"What do you want us to do?" Scarlett asked.

Rachel glanced back at the Slytherin students who had gathered to try out for the team. There were eight of them and all of them looked like they were second, third, and fourth years. She realized she didn't know any of their names.

"Let's have them fly around a bit first, then I'll have everyone go up and cause some interference. Then we'll try out the Chasers, then the Beaters. Does anyone know their names?" Rachel asked, turning back to her team.

"I know the two second years, they're in my potions study group. That's Graham Pritchard and the little one is Maynard Hatton," Draco said.

"I can help you with the rest," Scarlett said.

"Alright. Anyone have any concerns or suggestions?" Rachel asked.

"Let's just do this," Adrian said.

"He's right, let's get started," Miles said with a nod.

Rachel nodded and turned to approach the students with her team at her back. "Thank you for joining us for tryouts. To start with I'll have you do some flying and then we'll start testing Chasers and then Beaters. Is there anyone only trying out for the Chaser position?"

The only girl there raised her hand, along with the two second year boys.

"Okay, and is anyone only trying out for the Beater position?" Rachel asked.

No one raised their hands or said anything.

"Start flying, show us what you can do," she said, stepping back to watch them take flight.

"Oh that's not going to work," Adrian muttered.

Rachel could immediately see what he meant. The larger of the second years, Graham, was clutching his broom like it was a lifeline. She fiddled with her whistle but decided to give him a little longer in case he was just nervous.

"Who is he?" Draco asked, nudging Scarlett and pointing at one of the boys.

"That's Harper. We don't want him, trust me," Scarlett said firmly.

"He can fly," Draco said, glancing at Rachel.

"We'll see, there's still time and we haven't seen any of them with the Quaffle yet," Rachel said. "That's Stephen Higgs, isn't it? Terrance's brother?" She could see the resemblance.

"Yes, that's him," Scarlett said.

"Not as skinny as Terrance was, but he'll have a better reach once he's older," Miles said.

Rachel nodded absently as she watched them fly. "Who is the girl?"

"That's Sylvia Melville, a third year. She's a little too…" Scarlett trailed off.

"Hesitant. Look how she avoids the other players," Adrian finished. "She'd flinch if you threw a Quaffle at her. Scarlett, who is that?"

"Martin Urquhart. Also a third year. He's not bad either," Scarlett said. "The last two are also third years. That's Timothy Morcott and that's Daryl Morden."

Rachel nodded. "Let's get up there. Put the Quaffle into play. Miles, take the goal. Scarlett, run interference without the Bludger for now, I'll join you. Draco and Adrian, start passing the Quaffle to them and see what they do."

"Let's go," Draco said, taking off.

Adrian grabbed the Quaffle and the rest of the team joined the flyers in the air.

Rachel took a moment to look around at the stands, but she wasn't close enough to make out who was watching them. It felt a little weird to know she'd be judged based on the choices she made for her team before they even played a game. She began flying and took a run at Sylvia. Sure enough Sylvia balked and veered out of the way well before Rachel got close. Good for avoiding Bludgers, not so much for passing the Quaffle.

She turned and watched as Adrian tossed the Quaffle to Graham. The Quaffle hit him, Graham not even taking his hands from his broomstick to try to catch it. Rachel sighed and flew over to him. "Graham?"

"Yes?" he asked, wobbling in the air as he turned to see her.

"Why don't you go take a seat before we take the Bludger out?" she asked.

"Okay," Graham said, clearly understanding that he shouldn't be on the pitch when they released the Bludger.

Rachel shook her head and turned her attention back to the pitch, watching as Miles blocked a shot from Martin. She didn't actually expect them to score on Miles, but it was a nice shot regardless. She flew again, this time going for Stephen. He met her eyes and neatly dodged out of the way, heading to where the Quaffle was in play.

She winced, seeing Scarlett nearly unseat Sylvia and decided she needed her off the pitch before the Bludger was released. Rachel flew over. "Sylvia, can you go take a seat?"

"You haven't seen me score with the Quaffle yet," Sylvia complained.

"We're releasing a Bludger soon. Do you really want to be out here with it?" Rachel asked.

Sylvia frowned and her shoulders slumped. "I guess not. I want to play, but I'm kind of scared."

"You might see about playing pick-up games of Chaser's Folly with other kids. No Bludgers there," Rachel offered. She could just imagine Severus' expression if someone from his House actually got hurt during these tryouts.

"Okay. I suppose so," Sylvia said, carefully guiding her broom over to the stands.

Rachel turned just in time to see Daryl get hit in the head with the Quaffle. "Please don't let him be hurt," she whispered to herself as she flew over.

"Catch the Quaffle! It's called a pass!" Harper was shouting.

"Are you okay?" Rachel called, coming to a stop next to Daryl. "Anything broken?"

"I'm okay. Just a little dizzy. I'm going to go sit down," Daryl said.

"See Madam Pomfrey if you don't feel better in a few minutes," Rachel said, flying over with him to the stands in case he became more unsteady. This was a disaster.

Scarlett flew over to join her. "Are we ready for the Bludger?"

"Do you think we're going to kill anyone with it?" Rachel asked, looking over the pitch.

"Maybe Timothy," Scarlett said.

Rachel sighed again as she watched Timothy nearly collide with Adrian as Timothy tried to take the Quaffle. "Go release the Bludger. I'll deal with Timothy."

She flew across the field and found everyone gathered with Adrian holding onto the Quaffle. "You don't take a Quaffle like that, not even from a rival team. It's not safe," Adrian was saying loudly.

"Let's play," Harper called.

"Timothy, go sit down, please. Everyone else, we're releasing the Bludger. Stay on your brooms, pass the Quaffle, try to make goals," Rachel directed. "Adrian, are you okay?" she asked once everyone had dispersed.

"What are they teaching kids these days?" Adrian asked, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "I'm fine, but I don't care to be speared by a Comet 260."

"Understandable. What have you seen?" she asked.

"Harper is decent, but I already understand why Scarlett doesn't want him. Martin isn't bad. I think we could train him in a year. Stephen's okay. Maynard would be a good Seeker, but he's not up to the Chaser position," Adrian said.

"Thanks," Rachel said. She took off again and began watching.

Harper was good, that was undeniable. He nearly scored on Miles and then flew back around to immediately cross the pitch. He'd definitely played before. Maynard simply didn't have the reach or the skill yet. He might be okay in a few years, and he could pass the Quaffle alright, but scoring would be difficult for him. Scarlett had mentioned that Stephen would be a decent Chaser, and he wasn't bad, but Rachel thought she'd like to see him with a Beater's bat. Martin was okay - he looked for opportunities to pass the Quaffle, he kept his head around the Bludger, and his aim wasn't bad. He needed work, but he wasn't bad.

Rachel blew her whistle. "If you're not going out for the Beater's position, take a seat. The rest of you, grab bats and get back up here."

Scarlett, Miles, and Draco flew over to Rachel.

"What are you thinking?" Draco asked.

"Not Maynard. The others are maybe. I want to see who is best with a Beater's bat first," Rachel said.

"Not Harper. Please not Harper," Scarlett said. "I don't know that I would stay on the team with him."

Miles looked at her. "What did he do to you?"

"He's a bully. Not just to me, but to Fergus too. Because we're half-bloods. And he keeps some bad company," Scarlett said, pausing to knock the Bludger away from them with her bat.

Rachel frowned. She didn't want bullies on her team no matter how well they played Quidditch.

"Let's see how they do. Don't go easy on them, Scarlett," Draco said.

"Trust me, I won't," Scarlett said, flying away to join Martin, Stephen, and Harper.

Adrian flew over to join them, the wind blowing his hair into his eyes. "What do you want us to do?"

"Spread out and watch, but stay within playing distance," Rachel said.

"Do you really trust those idiots to protect us?" Draco asked.

"I trust all of you to know how to move out of the way of a Bludger if you need to," Rachel countered.

Adrian flew away laughing.

Rachel shook her head and went back to watching. Again, Harper was decent. He could aim when he knocked the Bludger away and he was good at following its trajectory. Martin was less good - it took him two swings to actually hit the Bludger when it was coming his way and Scarlett had to dart to follow it. Stephen was better. Not great, but better.

She let them play for a while before she blew her whistle and motioned everyone to the ground, Maynard flying down from the stands to join them. "Give us a few minutes," she told them before turning to her team and casting a privacy ward around them.

"Professor Snape taught you that one?" Draco asked.

"This summer. What do you all think?" Rachel asked.

"None of them scored on me, so we can't judge that way. The three of them at least know what to do with a Quaffle though," Miles said.

"I think we can count out Martin as a Beater. I don't want him watching my back on the pitch," Adrian said.

"Harper was the best one out there," Draco said.

"He was good, but I don't know that I want him on my team. Scarlett, do you think you can train Stephen to be a decent Beater?" Rachel asked.

"It will take some work, but I can do it," Scarlett said with a confident nod.

"Adrian, Draco, are you okay working with Martin?" Rachel asked.

"We can train him," Adrian said. "With some work he'll be just as good as Harper. Hell, by the time we're through with him, he'll be better."

"Draco?" Rachel asked.

"You know my thoughts. But you're the captain," Draco said.

"Can you work with him?" she pressed.

"I can work with anyone if they can play," Draco said, sounding irritated.

"Alright, Stephen and Martin then," Rachel said, dismissing the privacy ward.

"Thank you all for trying out for the team, we really appreciate it. Martin will be taking the Chaser spot and Stephen will be taking the Beater spot," Rachel said to them.

"What! I'm the best player here! What are you playing at you, you jumped up little muddy bitch?" Harper demanded, dropping his broom and stepping forward.

"Hey, easy," Adrian said.

"No, I should be on the team," Harper said, pushing Adrian out of the way. "And if you don't change it now, I'll curse you so bad your traitor daddy won't be able to fix you."

Rachel stumbled backwards as Harper drew his wand, fumbling for her own wand in her Quidditch uniform pockets.

"I don't think so," Miles said, grabbing Harper's arm, kicking him in the shin, and then pulling his wand out of his hand.

Adrian came forward and grabbed Harper's other arm.

"How dare you! How dare you touch me!" Harper seethed as he struggled.

"Holy shit," Scarlett said, grabbing Rachel's arm and pulling her a few steps back.

"You're coming with me to see Professor Snape," Draco said, his own wand drawn. "Stop fighting or I'll stun you."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"What is this?"

They turned to see Madam Hooch approaching, looking absolutely livid.

"As a Slytherin prefect I was just taking him to see our Head of House for threatening a fellow student," Draco said, drawing himself up.

"I shall accompany you. Mr. Young, do you have control of yourself?" Madam Hooch asked.

"I'm fine. Give me back my wand," Harper demanded.

"I think I'll be giving this directly to Professor Snape," Miles said. "Rachel, are you okay?"

"Fine. Thanks," Rachel said, watching as Miles, Draco, and Madam Hooch led Harper away.

"Well, that was fun. Glad we didn't pick him. Good call you two," Adrian said. "And, welcome to the team, it's usually far less dramatic."

"Yeah, welcome. Stephen, I'll be training you. Martin, Adrian and Draco will train you," Scarlett said.

Martin looked a little bit unsettled. "Thanks."

"That's just Harper. You get used to him," Stephen said. "When are practices?"

"Wednesdays four thirty to six, and Sundays, one to three. The boys will help you get set out in uniforms on Wednesday. The brooms should still be in the locker rooms," Rachel said. "Welcome. We're glad to have you."

"And let's go change. I'm done for the day," Scarlett said.

Rachel nodded and joined her. She wished she was done for the day. She had an essay to write, OWL studying to do, dinner with Severus, and then she was reading the Defense OWL guide to figure out what they were supposed to be learning in fifth year. At least they'd all survived tryouts.


"And how was your first week back with your House, Severus?" Albus asked as he picked up his teacup.

"Eventful." Severus held his own teacup in his hands. It had been far more eventful than he'd wished for and this had been his first opportunity to speak with Albus privately. "There are several things I need to discuss with you."

Albus nodded, sipping his tea as he looked out the window. "Has Rachel experienced another vision? New sensations in her scar, perhaps?"

"Not that she has reported to me and I believe she would have come to me if that were the case. She is aware that she needs to monitor herself," Severus said. He was relieved that the visions had not continued beyond the one she had this summer. He wasn't foolish enough to believe they wouldn't return, but the fewer in number the better. "She came to me on the night of the first with Miss Parkinson. Miss Parkinson has been instructed by her parents to spy on Rachel and report her findings. Miss Parkinson informed Rachel of this immediately and they came to me for assistance."

"I take it you are using the opportunity to provide false information to Voldemort?"

"That is my eventual intent, though we are limited in what we can do for fear of discovery. Miss Parkinson fears for her parents' safety. She believes Ambrosia may wish to leave the Dark Lord." Severus was less certain about that, particularly in that she would need to leave Wardell, but he wouldn't dismiss the possibility.

"Miss Parkinson knows that she and her mother can seek refuge with us, provided that her mother is willing to prove her sincerity?" Albus asked, turning to look at Severus.

"Yes. I do not believe the Dark Lord would send Ambrosia to spy, she is not an Occlumens. But nevertheless, we would need to test her. I assured Miss Parkinson that regardless of her mother's decision, we will provide sanctuary to her. She still holds with pure-blood ideals, but she has no wish to be a Death Eater."

"One piece at a time. How close is Miss Parkinson to Rachel?" Albus appeared mildly curious, but there was a hint of intensity in his gaze.

"Closer than I expected for her to immediately tell Rachel of what her parents asked, though I suspect Miss Parkinson wished to show me that she was not allying herself with Death Eaters." He thought Pansy was intelligent enough to anticipate how her revelation would play out, and that she would believe an alliance with Rachel would be to her advantage.

Albus nodded and set aside his teacup. "And the others?"

Severus frowned. This afternoon had revealed things he should have known sooner. "I believe they're attempting to recruit within the House. Subtly, not so bold as to attract the attention of my prefects, but it seems that some students are taking things into their own hands. Just two hours ago, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Bletchley accompanied by Rolanda brought Mr. Harper Young to my office. Apparently he drew his wand on Rachel when she denied him a spot on the Quidditch team."

"And you believe this is a sign of Death Eater recruitment?" Albus asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Not on its own, but Mr. Bletchley informed me privately that Miss Lympsham accused Mr. Young of bullying her and another boy in her year because they are half-bloods and that he's keeping company with Mr. Pike. I will look into the situation further and attempt to persuade Mr. Young of his folly. I am also attempting to create a confidence between myself and Mr. Baddock. His appearance has not improved over the past week, if it continues beyond my next class with him I will accompany him to see Poppy and see if I can discover the difficulty."

"You believe that Mr. Baddock is subject to his father's lack of mercy?"

"It's a possibility we can't ignore, though he will fight if we attempt to remove his heir from him. Bertrand Baddock is far more dangerous than Ignatius Nott. Also, I'm not sure where we could safely place Mr. Baddock. I cannot take him as it would place him in more danger while Rachel is in my care. We cannot ask Celeste to take him for a number of reasons," Severus said, shaking his head.

"Let me worry about that. For now, determine if Mr. Baddock needs our assistance and we will go from there," Albus said.

Severus inclined his head, deliberating about what he was going to say. "Rachel did not acquit herself well today when Mr. Young drew his wand on her. I was told she stumbled and was unable to draw her wand."

"And Mr. Bletchley and Mr. Malfoy came to her aid?" Albus asked.

"And Mr. Pucey."

"I would not worry about it overly much, Severus. She's a child of barely fifteen and Alastor has told me she did very well in Defense," Albus said after a moment.

"She did well in a controlled situation in the classroom. I have been attempting to work with her over the summer, though my focus has been primarily on defending herself and escaping from threatening situations. There were times when she was easily frightened, where she froze instead of responding." Severus had always stopped their practice sessions when he saw real fear in Rachel's expression or body language.

"We do not need to prepare her to be a soldier. She is doing what she should in cultivating capable allies to defend her. Continue preparing her as best as you both can manage. Rachel is otherwise doing well? She is healthy and strong?" Albus asked.

"She is doing well enough," Severus allowed, not sure how to characterize Rachel's ongoing difficulties. "She's still seeing the Mind Healer, and I believe that is helping her. As far as I can tell she's recovered from her experiences on the night of the third task."

"Good. I trust that the Mind Healer has been kept a secret so that Voldemort will not attempt to use them to gain information about Rachel?"

"Yes. People are aware that I take Rachel from the castle every Saturday, but they don't know where we go. The Mind Healer has strong wards around their office and is also an Occlumens. We are as safe as we can be without using the Fidelius to guard the secret," Severus said.

"That should be enough for now, though that may change as the war continues," Albus said, getting to his feet and moving closer to the window. Fawkes flew from his perch and settled on Albus' shoulder.

"Is there anything I should know?" Severus asked.

"Voldemort, or a Death Eater, used the Imperius Curse on a Ministry Unspeakable to attempt to gain access to the prophecy. Broderick Bode is in Saint Mungo's after being afflicted by a curse placed on the prophecy orbs that prevent any but those named in the prophecy from accessing them," Albus explained, still facing away from Severus.

"Meaning either the Dark Lord needs to enter the Ministry to retrieve the prophecy, or he needs Rachel," Severus realized out loud.

"And now Voldemort knows this as well. Safeguard Rachel. That is the most important thing we can do," Albus said.

"I will," Severus said, standing up. "Anything else?"

"Not at this time. Please keep me up to date with anything that seems significant, regardless of its source," Albus said.

"Of course," Severus said, letting himself out of the Headmaster's office.

Severus went back down to his office, half lost in thought. The situation with his Slytherins was already complicated and would only grow more so over time. He needed to act now. He knew well enough he couldn't save them all, but he had to do more to save the ones he could.

At his desk he pulled the pile of summer homework toward him. He wanted to pass these back this week, even if most students' efforts were barely passable. What was it about the summer holiday that rendered them incapable of writing a simple essay?

He was barely aware of the passing time but looked up when his door began to open. A quick glance at the clock told him it was now time for dinner.

"Grading?" Rachel asked, shutting the door behind herself.

"I only have the second year essays left, saving the worst for last," Severus said as he stood. He could feel his back popping as he straightened it.

"How long does it take you to grade all of our essays?" Rachel asked, leading the way into their quarters.

"About two hours per year," Severus said, going to the floo to ask the kitchens for their meals.

"You grade fourteen hours a week, on top of teaching all day?"

"Indeed." By the time he made it over to the dining table two meals were in place - roast chicken, sweet potatoes, bread rolls, a red wine for him and a pumpkin juice for Rachel.

"Have you ever considered not assigning us essays every week?" she asked as she sat down at her place.

"If I believed that students would actually do the reading and research before brewing I wouldn't assign the essays nearly as often. I tried that in my first year of teaching, actually, and it went rather poorly. I noticed an immediate change after assigning essays and grading them harshly."

"I still think that you're overworked." Rachel looked at him as if she expected something in response to that.

"I won't deny it. Are you well after what happened today?" he asked as he cut his chicken.

Rachel blushed. "I'm fine. Harper didn't actually cast any spells at me. I can't believe he was that upset over not making the team. It was a really good thing that Scarlett warned us about him."

"Was it just her word that caused you not to place him on the team?" Severus was genuinely curious.

"When Scarlett said that she didn't think she'd be on the team if he was, I knew it must have been pretty serious. But I saw Harper hit another player in the head with the Quaffle and then yell at him for not catching it. Truthfully, he was the best player trying out, but I don't want someone who acts like that on my team," Rachel said, looking a little worried.

"I think that's a wise decision," he said.

"Scarlett said that Harper bullies her and Fergus because they're half-bloods."

"Yes, Miles let me know that as well. I will be attempting to rectify the situation with Harper - he will be doing weekday detentions with me for the remainder of the month. I will also talk with the House about bullying." Severus would not sit idly by while it was happening in his House.

"Do you really think that will help?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Which?"

"Either. I just don't think telling people not to be a bully actually stops them." Rachel set down her fork with a quiet clunk.

Severus looked over Rachel's plate and noticed that while Rachel had pushed the food around on her plate, she hadn't actually eaten any of it. "I agree with you. With Harper, I will attempt to find out what is causing his behavior and resolve it if I can. My purpose in talking to the House is to both discourage bullies by letting them know I'm watching closely, and to encourage people to come to me if they are being bullied. Do you need a Stomach Soothing potion?"

"No. I'm fine."

"You haven't eaten anything. Do you want different food?" he pressed.

"No. I'm just not very hungry right now." Rachel looked down at her plate and frowned.

Severus stopped himself from sighing. He could not keep track of Rachel well enough during the week to know if she was eating, but he could do something about it here. "Would you try the Stomach Soothing potion and see if it helps you feel more inclined to eat?"

"I don't need a potion." There was an edge to Rachel's tone now.

"You need to eat. I will not see you starving yourself. Have you talked with Torey about why it is difficult for you to eat?" he asked, bracing himself for a fight.

"It's not difficult for me to eat." She picked up her fork, stabbed a piece of chicken and shoved it in her mouth. "See," she said after swallowing it.

Severus rubbed his temple. This was not how he wanted to do things, but he wasn't sure how to handle this when she was so intent on fighting him about it. "I am not trying to force you to eat. I want you to be healthy. This did not seem to be as much of a problem while we were at home, but I'm noticing it more now that we're at Hogwarts. Do you know why?"

Rachel sighed and looked down. "I feel fine. I'm just not hungry sometimes. Most of the time I do eat."

He wished he could be more certain about that. "You understand how important it is that you do eat?"

"I do, really. I went long enough without food that I know how it feels to be hungry all the time. If I'm not hungry at mealtimes I get something from the kitchens later."

Severus frowned at the reminder that she had been starved by her relatives. Maybe that had something to do with why she wasn't eating now? "You take one of your friends with you to the kitchens?"

"I do. I'm not stupid, Severus." She looked at him that time, seeming weary and frustrated.

"I know you're not stupid. I just want to see you healthy and safe. It's important to me for a number of reasons," he said. "Would you mind trying the Stomach Soothing potion and seeing if you felt hungry after you've taken it?"

"Why would a Stomach Soothing potion make me feel hungry?"

"You've told me before that your stomach has felt too tight with anxiety to accept food. I wonder if the same thing might be happening now, but you're interpreting the sensation as being full," he said. It was his best guess as to why she wouldn't be hungry at the end of the day.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try and find out," she said.

Severus got up and went to retrieve a vial of the Stomach Soothing potion for her. He'd been keeping some on hand in case she needed them.

"Thanks," she said, accepting the vial and turning it over in her hands while she stared at it.

"If your stomach is already settled then it won't do anything, the only thing you'll notice is the chilled sensation when you drink it. I would not give you anything that would harm you," he said when it was clear she needed prompting.

"I know you wouldn't. I'd never think that you would." She met his eyes before taking the potion. She shivered immediately afterward. "At least it doesn't taste bad."

"The potion would do no good if it made people with already upset stomachs vomit upon taking it."

"That's a good point," she said as she set aside the vial with a frown.

"How was the rest of your week?" he asked while they waited for the potion to work.

"Alright. Classes are pretty intense right now, but I'm keeping up. Oh, Professor Umbridge is only a little bit better than Lockhart was, which is in no way meant as a compliment."

"Dare I ask?"

"She has us reading from the book in class. Which is better than people reenacting Lockhart's books, but not by a lot. Hermione asked her if we were going to cast spells in class, and Professor Umbridge said no and that we'd only be learning the theory," Rachel explained.

Severus did sigh that time. Another year, another useless Defense teacher. "I will teach you anything you need to know for Defense, though you've already shown yourself to be proficient with most of what will be covered on your OWLs."

Rachel nodded. "Thanks, I'm going to look through the OWL guide and see what we might need help with. I'm also going to write to Remus and ask him what textbook he used for his fifth years. It's not fair to the rest of the students though. They don't have anyone to help them."

"They do. Each student has prefects or a Head of House that they can ask assistance from." Severus knew that was a poor substitute for a Defense teacher, but it was something.

"Still. There is really no way to get rid of her, is there?"

"No, not until the end of the year most likely. In the meantime, stay out of Umbridge's way. Don't raise your hand in class, speak only when she speaks to you, be as polite as possible. You can always come to me if there's a problem," he said. It was the best he could do.

"I know. Also, the book she assigned us is terrible. There's no Defense in it." Rachel shook her head. "We have to write essays from it too."

Now Severus was curious. "Could I borrow your copy? I'd like to know what it is that she's teaching you."

"Sure, I'll bring it by tonight. I'll need it back on Wednesday though," she said.

"That will be fine. It's been about five minutes since you've taken the potion. How does your stomach feel?"

"Okay, I guess. Not really any different," she said, making an odd face while she evaluated herself.

"Do you feel well enough to try eating some of your dinner?" he pressed.

"I suppose," she said, picking up her fork again.

Severus nodded and watched as she began to eat. That was good enough for now.