Chapter 5: The Lion, The Witch, and the Audacity of this Bitch
Today was the start of the new school year, but as people know there were some changes. Firstly Hagrid wasn't teaching his class anymore as he had disappeared for reasons unknown. The squad were at the Great Hall eating breakfast as they were given their new schedules. "Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts . . . Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day!" Naruto was frowning as he too had a similar schedule akin to his friends, though he can tolerate Runes class, as it was an alright class. Fred and George came by to talk about their whole business venture they were doing in the school as they were planning to leave Hogwarts after their sixth year. They also described the fifth year to the group as this year was going to be the beginning of their most stressful school years, as this year is where they take their O.W.L.S. Now another thing happened last night and that was where an argument ensued between Harry and Seamus regarding the whole Voldemort situation. Naruto was pretty pissed at Seamus and considered retaliation but luckily Ron was there to hold him back before he does anything he regrets. Most people sided with Seamus, while Naruto, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and some of their friends sided with Harry.
"So guys, do you have any idea of what you want to do after Hogwarts?" Harry asked the group as they all were heading to their first class of the day. "Not really," said Ron slowly. "Except . . . well . . ." He looked slightly sheepish. "What?" Harry urged him. "Well, it'd be cool to be an Auror," said Ron in an offhand voice. "Yeah, it would," said Harry fervently. "But they're, like, the elite," said Ron. "You've got to be really good. What about you, Hermione?" Hermione thinks about it, "Well I've been thinking of going into the Ministry of Magic and wanting to be head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," she stated. The three looked at Naruto, "What about you Naruto, what do you plan to do?" Harry asked. Naruto thinks about it, "Well I haven't thought about it as much, like I thought about joining the ministry, but given the recent events that happened, it shook my faith in bureaucratic positions, so I still have yet to decide." The others understood what Naruto said and didn't press on further.
The first class of the day was History of Magic and let's just say that it was the most boring class, due to their teacher, Professor Binns, being rather boring. Both Naruto and Hermione paid attention and took notes, though Naruto tried to pay attention, while both Harry and Ron just messed around by playing Hangman. As the four left the class, Naruto had this to say. "Honestly this class needs a professor who could at least interest the class on the subject material and not just talk about one repetitive event." Hermione sighed, "Honestly you're correct, but then again this professor has been teaching at Hogwarts for a long time, so they can't just kick him out." The next class was potions, and both Harry and Naruto dreaded the class due to their mutual hate for Snape, with Snape hating the two as well. Now Naruto sometimes doesn't hate Snape as a teacher, but as a person he hates him for the way Snape treats the class and favors his house only, even if they were late or made a mistake and yet he doesn't punish them as much. The class was learning to make a potion called the Draught of Peace, and after they were given the instructions to make the potion, they had to make the potion. Things were going smoothly even though the potion was rather difficult to make as expected since this is an O.W.L type of potion. Well things were only going smoothly for a select few, whereas the others were having a pretty hard time making it.
But to make matters worse, Snape had the audacity to taunt Harry for his mistake. "Potter, what is this supposed to be?" The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry. "The Draught of Peace," said Harry tensely. "Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?" Draco Malfoy laughed. "Yes, I can," said Harry, his fingers clenched tightly around his wand. "Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter." Harry squinted at the blackboard; it was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multicolored steam now filling the dungeon. "Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of hellebore syrup." His heart sank. He had not added syrup of hellebore, but had proceeded straight to the fourth line of the instructions after allowing his potion to simmer for seven minutes. Harry admitted his mistake, yet Snape was still taunting him and he even gave him a zero for the day. When class was over, Harry just dashed out of the dungeon quickly.
Naruto and the others were worried for him so they checked up on their friend who was in the Great Hall already eating lunch. "You alright Harry?" Naruto asked his friend. "That was really unfair," said Hermione consolingly, sitting down next to Harry and helping herself to shepherd's pie. "Your potion wasn't nearly as bad as Goyle's, when he put it in his flagon the whole thing shattered and set his robes on fire." Harry scoffed, "Yeah, well," said Harry, glowering at his plate, "since when has Snape ever been fair to me?" All four of them didn't answer as they knew both Snape and Harry would be enemies throughout Harry's school career. "I did think he might be a bit better this year," said Hermione in a disappointed voice. "I mean . . . you know . . ." She looked carefully around; there were half a dozen empty seats on either side of them and nobody was passing the table. ". . . Now he's in the Order and everything." Ron scoffed, "Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots," said Ron sagely. "Anyway, I've always thought Dumbledore was cracked trusting Snape, where's the evidence he ever really stopped working for You Know-Who?"
"I think Dumbledore's probably got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn't share it with you, Ron," snapped Hermione. The two were arguing as both Harry and Naruto looked at each other and groaned. The two silently left as both Ron and Hermione kept arguing causing a scene in the Great Hall. As they were walking out of the hall, they went their separate ways as Harry decided to go to Divinations early, while Naruto decided to go to the cabin before he heads off to his Runes class. He arrives at the cabin and sees that it hasn't changed much other than Jiraiya not being here. It was a good thing Dumbledore gave him this place as Dumbledore didn't have the heart to demolish it. Given how his next class didn't start until lunch was over, he decided to practice some katas he learned from his training of course.
A Few Hours Later
It was now time for Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Dolores Umbridge, hoo boy this is going to be "fun" am I right guys? Anyways Naruto sat next to Neville in this class as everybody took their seats. One of the Patil twins was flying a paper bird in the air until it was burnt. "Ordinary Wizard Levels, O.W.L.s otherwise known as owls," the woman in pink said in a tone that was getting really annoying. Everything about this professor was just wrong in general, from her hair to her clothes and don't even get started with that ridiculous voice of hers. "Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so and the consequences may be…severe." She flicked her wand and the books began to file themselves out as she went on about how the new course will be less harsh than the previous ones and that everything would be done as the Ministry would want it to be.
"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells," Hermione pointed out. "Using spells?!" Umbridge annoyingly squeaked. "I can't see any need to use such spells in my classroom." Naruto's eye twitched angrily, "So we won't actually be using magic?" Naruto said as he could feel tension rise in the room, but he didn't give a shit. "You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free way." However Harry wasn't having it, "Well what we use is that? If we're going to be attacked then it won't be risk-free will it?" Harry said, causing a vein to pop out of the professor's forehead. "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class," she said firmly, turning on her heels. "It is seen by the ministry that reading of the spells will be more than sufficient to get you past your examinations, which is what school is about?"
"And how is this theory meant to prepare for what's out there?" Harry said, further agitating the human flamingo over here. "There is no-one out there dear~who do you imagine would want to attack you?" That was when Harry decided to respond, "Oh I don't know, maybe Voldemort?" Silence filled the room as a pencil dropping to the ground was the loudest thing that happened until it seemed that Umbridge was seething and getting pissed. "Now. Let me make this quite clear for you. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This. Is. A. Lie-"
"It's not a lie, I saw him! I fought him-" Harry struggled to emphasize, but was cut off quickly. "DETENTION Mr. Potter! Professor Jiraiya's death was a tragic misunderstanding-"
"HOW DARE YOU!" Naruto shouted with enough hate and anger in his eyes as he stood up and entered the conversation once the name came up. "DON'T YOU DARE MENTION HIS NAME AND TREAT MY SENSEI'S DEATH AS A TRAGIC ACCIDENT YOU F-"
"ENOUGH!" she screamed. "Enough. See me later, the both of you. My office." Naruto was pissed, but he kept it in control as he didn't want to unleash his wrath, not unless he wanted to get a one way ticket to Azkaban for assaulting a professor let alone someone who used to work for the ministry. After class was over, Naruto stormed out of the classroom with his friends following him behind. They see him, punching a tree repeatedly, while yelling out some obscenities as he's trying to vent out his frustrations. "Naruto," Ron said, coming over to the blond. "You alright mate? She was well out of order back there." Naruto sighed as he took some deep breaths to calm himself down. "Yeah. Yeah I'm alright. Sorry about what happened, it's just that…Umbridge struck a nerve when she mentioned that incident and treated it as a happy little accident." The three were understanding as Naruto is still dealing with a lot. "What she did and said over there wasn't right," Hermione said softly trying to comfort her boyfriend. "Yeah mate, you had the right to be angry, if I had lost someone close to me and I saw it, I would've been in your place too," Harry said. The four found a place to calm down for a while until the time of the detention took place, as both Naruto and Harry left to go see Umbridge's office.
Note: Hey guy's so I just saw a comment regarding if a Naruto/Hermione/Luna pairing is going to happen. Let me be clear that Naruto and Hermione are going to be a couple, not Naruto and Luna as I already planned for who is going to be paired with her, and plus Naruto and Luna work more as friends instead of a couple. Anyways hope you like this chapter and feel free to review.