Anya instinctively looked up to the enchanted ceiling when she heard owls flying into the Great Hall the next morning. She spotted Copernicus, her father's handsome eagle owl or rather it spotted her. He soared downward and landed with a soft thud on the table right in front of Anya's bowl of cereal.

"Hey there," Anya murmured, stroking the owl's soft feathers. "What have you got for me?"

Another owl, a screech this time, swooped downward and almost landed on top of Copernicus, who was hooted angrily.

"Virgil!" She gasped, recognizing their house owl.

He had a small package with him. It was probably her usual ration of sweets and treats, prepared by their house-elf Delilah. She took the package from Virgil without opening it, she was much more curious about what her father had personally sent her. She pried a sealed parchment off Copernicus' leg and tore it open.

Dear Anya,
I have not received an owl from you even if I specifically
instructed
you to send one as soon as you get there. Since I haven't received any
owls from Dumbledore telling me otherwise, I assume you're fine

Anya rolled her eyes at the letter. She had just sent an owl to her father before coming down for breakfast, typical of him to be so impatient.

The house is quiet and peaceful without the usual racket and minor
explosions you love to create. It's also quite sad. I will count the days
'till Christmas, when you will finally come home.

Anya felt her throat constrict painfully, she always felt a bit guilty every start of term, for leaving her father all alone in a big house with only Delilah for company.

Enough about that, I've heard from your godfather that Delores
Umbridge took over as your new Defense Against Dark Arts professor.
I admit, she would not have been my first choice if it were up to me;
nonetheless, I can sleep better at night knowing that there is someone
from the ministry in Hogwarts.
And Anya, I know how fond you and Luna are with each other and I
know you abhorred it that I didn't let you go with her and your Uncle
to another expedition to find nonexistent animals. Anya, I beg you, stay
away from her for the meantime and from anyone else who poses the same
threat. I doubt you will find any from, Slytherin, your own house.
These are difficult times, Anya. We must rally behind the minister, he is
your godfather after all and a great friend of mine. I have nothing but
great respect for Dumbledore, as I know you do too. But he has always
been soft where Harry Potter is concerned, as Lucius Malfoy told us.
I trust his son, Draco, will keep an eye out for you over there. Nice boy,
that one is. Take care, then.

Love,
Father

Anya crumpled the parchment in irritation. The nice thoughts she had of her father momentarily vanished as she remembered those long summer days she was forced to spend with the horrid Draco and his equally horrid family. Just thinking about them made Anya's skin crawl. It's frustrating to think that her father cannot see through them.
Lucius Malfoy is just vile. If she thought the things Harry Potter said were unbelievable, Lucius Malfoy being a Death Eater was not one of them, he was definitely wicked enough. As for Draco, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Aunt Narcissa on the other hand was very disturbing. She actually heard her humming the wedding march after she left Anya and Draco alone in a room.
She wondered why her father liked them. True, Lucius Malfoy was nothing but generous and polite to them but Anya was sure he was just faking it, just look at how he treats the people he deemed inferior to himself?
Unfortunately, both Malfoy and her father came from Slytherin in their Hogwarts days and were big believers of keeping their bloodline pure. But unlike Malfoy, her father was never unpleasant to Muggle-borns or Muggles. He just prefers that Anya never marry one or the other. As one would expect, his job, after all has enabled him to encounter the worst of Muggles and they do not appear to be a very impressive lot to him.

"Tatiana, dear," A ridiculously girly voice purred behind Anya.

She jumped on her seat and turned around in surprise. It was none other than the Umbridge woman.

"Is that a letter from you father you're holding? Hem, hem; the Minister of Muggle Relations?"

Anya glanced at the parchment she clutched in her hand and then to 'Auntie Delores'. She was aware of her father's position, why is she telling her?

"Yes. This is a letter from my father."

"Ooh," she said giggling. "I recognized his owl. You tell him now not to worry 'Auntie Delores' will take good care of his precious Tatiana."

"I'll tell him that." Anya said, trying very hard not to barf at her phony syrupiness. Eww, she thought to herself.

Umbridge walked back to the staff table and Anya went back to staring at the entrance of the Great Hall, waiting. Ingrid walked in, looking bouncy. Finally awake, are we? Anya mumbled slightly disappointed. She woke up extra early, hoping to run into either Luna or Harry without having to worry about the other Slytherins. She wanted to finally talk to Luna. And she had hoped to stare at Harry for a while and maybe watch him eat. Apparently, both Luna and Harry aren't early risers. The great hall was still almost deserted and it was getting too lonely eating alone. Ingrid's company will do. Ingrid saw her and increased her pace towards Anya, her face broadening into a furtive smile. Anya soon discovered why, right behind her was Draco and Letitia. They seemed to be caught up in an animated conversation but when Draco spotted Anya, he held up his hand for Letitia to stop talking. His face broke into one of his trademark half-smiles/half-smirks. And Anya, despite her deep dislike, couldn't help but think he looked really cute, in a conceited jerk kind of way. It was undeniably time for her to go. She took one last swig of her pumpkin juice and got up.

"Tatiana, where are you off to?" Draco asked, looking slightly miffed, "Are you done eating?"

"I just remembered," Anya said, suddenly inspired. "My father asked me to send him an owl as soon as possible. You know how he is."

"Wait a minute Miss Janacek." Anya turned around at the familiar voice of Professor Snape. "Your timetable."

Anya mumbled her thanks and inspected it as she walked back to the dormitories. She had double Potions with Gryffindor this morning and Arithmancy and Muggle Studies in the afternoon. Anya shrugged her shoulders unconcerned. Potions was easily her best subject, along with Charms and Defense Against Dark Arts. Too bad it was only during Professor Lupin's time that they had yearend exams. Arithmancy was a bit more difficult but Anya found it interesting. Muggle Studies, she took because it gave her something to talk about with her father. Binns and Umbridge right after each other on Tuesday? Anya thought miserably. At least she had Care of Magical Creatures in the afternoon, again with Gryffindor; Herbology as well, this time with Ravenclaw. Luna! She though, smiling. Sadly Harry Potter wasn't in her year. She would've had two classes with him. Maybe she can take advance classes in Potions or Charms, she was sure good enough. Professor Flitwick even told her that the only one who's as good as her was Hermione Granger, the top student in the fifth year. Anya was surprising even herself with her Harry Potter obsession. She had no idea where it came from, and she had to admit, it was a bit pathetic. Anya had never had a crush with this magnitude before. She has found other guys good-looking in the past, lots of them, like Oliver Wood, Roger Davies, Michael Corner, Dean Thomas and even Draco Malfoy. But she has never had the urge to be a stalker, like the urge she has with Harry Potter now. "What is it you've got, Harry Potter?" Anya whispered vaguely. She gave out a little laugh when the answer hit her. As far as she was aware, the only thing Harry's got that none of the other boys do was a lightning shaped scar on his forehead.