I'm posting earlier as I won't be able to on Saturday…but the next update is Saturday 7th May, I think.
This chapter is quite short. Not much really happening. I think the only thing interesting is the conversation between James and Draco Malfoy…
Prongs Rides Again
Chapter Nineteen: Educational Degree Number Twenty-Four
On the Monday after the Hogsmeade weekend, James made his way down the Great Hall for breakfast, only to find to his dismay and surprise that Umbridge had proclaimed another Educational Degree. He found a large piece of paper in front of him as he sat down; large black lettering with a highly official-looking seal at the bottom. He sighed as he read through the scroll, his patience with Umbridge now wearing thin.
BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS
All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded.
An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.
Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).
No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.
Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.
The above is in accordance with Educational Degree Number Twenty-four.
Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor
James cast a glance over the Great Hall. His eyes met Harry's for a second and silent communication passed between them. The Defence Club would still go ahead: they would just have to do it secretly.
How did I know that something like this was likely to happen? James thought. After all he had expected this. Umbridge happened to have a vice-like grip on Hogwarts, and seemed to know everything.
Spies. She has to have someone who was in Hogsmeade that overheard about the club. James frowned. But who would work for her?
It was a mystery, James realised, that might possibly never be sold. Thankfully, if she did know something about a Defense Club, she might only know about the existence and nothing about who was participating in it. Hopefully she knew nothing about the Room of Requirement either. As long as that could be kept a secret, there was the possibility of everything running smoothly.
If it was discovered, James had no idea how to hide his involvement in it. He would attend the club but only to help in organising it. He hoped his presence would go unnoticed.
"Professor Potter."
James glanced up from his breakfast and found himself seeing Umbridge, smiling sweetly.
"Yes." James responded, his tone showing the unpleasantness of the situation.
"I trust that you understand Educational Degree Number Twenty-four?"
"Explicitly."
"Good. We can't have our teachers involved in anything illegal, can we?"
She knows. "Of course not. I will endeavor to uncover any meetings, clubs, teams or anything of that nature for you."
"I am glad that we have reached a good understanding." Professor Umbridge said, and then turned away, walking to Professor McGonagall to talk to her about the new decree.
Monday passed in a slow daze. James was sitting in the staff room, alone, enjoying the comfortable peace and quiet that came with it. He glanced up when the door opened and in walked Severus Snape, grumbling muttering about something.
If he had been younger James would've pulled out his wand and cursed Snape, but the maturity in him, told him not to. He sometimes wished for the simpler days, before war, before his death.
"Bad day?" James asked.
Snape scowled turning his gaze on James. "If you must know, Potter, I just had an inspected lesson."
"Ah."
"Our esteemed High Inquisitor thought it would be best if she knew some little facts about me, mainly about me applying for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. Very personal questions, which I didn't want students to hear the answers to."
"Who were you teaching?" James asked.
"O.W.L year."
"Harry, then?"
Snape nodded. "Unfortunately."
James scowled. "I wish you would respect Harry instead of hating him for all he is worth."
Snape turned to answer but James stopped him, continuing: "I know its because of me that you hate him. I was an idiot all those years ago. I've changed. If I could change my actions to you, that would be one of them. And do you know why? Because I am ashamed. It was that stupidity that made Lily dislike me for six years. Did you notice that I left you alone in seventh year?"
Snape frowned, not answering. James was right, but as a Slytherin, he held grudges far longer then a Gryffindor ever could. He sighed. "I can't promise, James, but I am trying. Every time I see Pott - Harry - I see you, with your wand raised, about to curse me. I can never forgive you for the stuff you did to me. Maybe my hatred wouldn't be so bad if Harry didn't look exactly like you."
"I can't really help that, can I?" James replied, inclining his head. "I just want the past to be forgotten. I appreciate that you have tried, but Harry doesn't really understand why you hate him and me. I don't think he's ever been told the full truth."
"Then perhaps you should tell him." Snape suggested, his anger abating.
"Maybe I'm waiting for the right moment." James replied.
Silence passed between them.
"She's banned Quidditch as well?" Sirius objected when James informed him that no house teams could practice as they had been postponed because of the new decree.
"Until the team captains come up with a plausible excuse as to why they should reform," James sighed, "though I think she's allowed the Slytherin team to reform, as well as Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. I was speaking to Harry earlier. Angelina - the team captain - said to him that Umbridge needed time to consider it before allowing it to reform."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I suppose she said that because Harry is on the team?"
"That's the impression I get at least." Commented James. "I know I shouldn't say this as she is my colleague, but Umbridge is a right bitch. I can't stand her. I'm even beginning to wonder if she truly is on our side."
"By our side do you mean Fudge's? 'Cause I'm not on his." Sirius remarked, slightly annoyed that James would even suggest that he would be on the Minister's side.
"We'll be on Fudge's side once he gets his head out of the shadows and into the light. Once Voldemort has revealed himself, he will come crawling to Dumbledore. Until then we just have to live with the way the world is run and interpreted by him. Much as I dislike it, I have no desire to get thrown in Azkaban for not agreeing with him."
Sirius shrugged. "I still think banning Quidditch is stupid. And not letting Gryffindor reform because of Harry is preposterous!"
"There's nothing I can do about it, otherwise I would do so. I'd rather stay on Umbridge's good side for as long as I can. The longer I remain here, the better chance I have at protecting Harry. I said dozen of times, I will not leave Harry to face this dark future alone. Not now that I have a second chance." James picked up a book and headed to his door, "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go to the Library."
"-you're pathetic Potter…running to daddy all the time…"
The sly voice of a Malfoy attracted James' attention as he made his way to the Library. He paused in his step. There was only one other Potter in this school: Harry. His son. Anger flushed through him. Lucius Malfoy had insulted him dozens of times. He would not have his offspring insult his son.
"In fact, Malfoy, I do not run to my father. I talk to him, since I have not had the chance like you have had with your father." Harry replied, anger evident. "Unlike you, I go to him for advice, whereas you get your father to do your dirty work for you."
"That's a lie." Malfoy sneered.
"You want to bet on it?" Harry asked.
"You wouldn't dare Potter, not with dear daddy around!"
"And who's to say I would care?" James interrupted, stepping round the corner.
Malfoy turned and glared at James. Crabbe and Goyle appeared at his sides.
"What do you want, Potter?" Malfoy asked.
James blinked. "You should not speak to me in that manner, Mr Malfoy."
"You can't tell me what to do. No dead person can."
"Hey-!" Harry began.
"Harry!" James barked.
Harry stopped in his tracks, but allowed his father to intervene.
"If I am dead then how am I here? Living, breathing, touching?" James asked.
"I don't know."
James nodded. "Then therefore we must come to the conclusion that I am alive and no dead person. Understand this Mr Malfoy, anyone who dares insult me or my son about our past will suffer the consequences. Are we clear?"
"Yes." Malfoy growled.
"You may go." James dismissed.
As Draco Malfoy turned to go, he turned back and hissed: "I know who you're hiding! So does my father. You wait Potter, I'll make sure that you lose everyone you've ever cared about! Mark my words!"
Before James could reply, Malfoy had left the hallway. He turned back to Harry. "I'm sorry."
"What for, dad?"
"I'm endangering everyone I care about."
Harry looked puzzled.
"I think he knows about Snuffles." James mumbled.
"Oh," Harry said, "Why not send him back to headquarters?"
"Can't. It would look suspicious. Umbridge would guess and then Malfoy would tell her. I've got to be more careful." James sighed. "Much as I hate that kid, he's got a lot on me. If he knows about Snuffles, then what else could he possibly know that he can use against me to control me?"
Harry shrugged. "Dad, don't be afraid of Malfoy."
"I'm not!"
"I know. He may have guessed but that doesn't mean anyone can do anything about it. If he tells someone who are they going to believe: Slytherin or Gryffindor?"
"Depends on who he tells, if he does." James reminded him.
"Yeah, but I don't think he will tell. He's afraid of you which is why he acts the way he does." Harry explained. "He's just trying to intimidate you."
"I hope you are right, but I will worry about Snuffle's safety. I don't want to lose him."
TBC
Oh….James has really got it bad, hasn't he?
Thank you's go to the following people: RoschLupin-Black; Happyherminchen; Pure Black; Lady Ghost Buster; shannyauburn; FutureGoddess; Gryffindor16; Kill-all-flamers; Lunatic Pandora1; ambereyes2873; Inumara12; Padfoot's Sidekick; Loonie Pooter; Daftlilime; DarkHuntress; angelicmayuka; Dark-Angels-Tears; RosieLady; JTBJAB; MarauderKid; missy mee; HarrysGrrl; InvisibleA; zippyfox; Fairy Blue; IamSiriusgrl; faeriekittie306 animelover; Barbossa'sApples (the next chapter will answer your questions); emuerz; dweem-angel; The Munchkin; Suicidal Bubbles;queen-of-monkey-magic; Eric2; and Jb (yes it was meant to be carelessness!).
Kim Kotchanski: I hope you don't fail on your dissertation. I hope you get the mark you would like to get. And in relation to my mistake, you are right: I meant to put anonymous but I put unanimous. A silly mistake…Thank you for pointing it out.
Mage of all Trades: I just wondered if it was possible for memories to be shown in a cinematic way and as I couldn't find anything like that in the text, I created it and incorporated it into the magical world.
WriterGirl859: It's okay that you thought James wasn't rebellious enough, but later on he will start to regain more of his old self. But as he has more responsibilities, I feel that he shouldn't pranking r messing about. He wouldn't be that joyful after all he's been through. Thank you for your review.
littlewolf-moony: Yay! You're back…I was wondering where you had got to. I hope you did well in your exams. I've got 2 exams coming up in May/June (thankfully they are the only ones). Hopefully they won't stop me from updating as I'm several chapters ahead of myself at the moment. Thank you for your kind comments on my characterisations. It's nice to hear that they are appreciated. Your comment on Harry being a bit too cheerful was interesting. Basically, Harry is more cheerful because he knows his father is there to help him. He's not alone anymore, so he's happier. I will try and put in some more description. I didn't realise it was becoming too dialoguish. I hope you enjoy London! It is a nice place, lots of things to do and see!
realpyromaniac: James is responsible but there are some things he feels are morally right. He believes that there should be a secret DA club, mainly because he knows the truth about Voldemort. I hope that answers your question.
Jamesismine: I'm not sure if Sirius will die or not. I'm waiting for the sixth book to be released before I decide. It all depends on what the plot is for the sixth. If I don't kill him, I've got to find a way to fit him into the general story line of book 6.
Supernova8610: As with the response above, I will only decide if Sirius will die, if I can't fit him into the story for book 6. Not long to wait till I do make a decision though!
Melian Maia: Awww, your 4'11, the same as me. If you don't mind me asking, but did you have something wrong with you when you were born? Because that is the main reason why I'm so short. It is rather annoying when you are in Year 12 at school and the youngest year (year 7) are taller then you. Thank you for your comments!
xLaceMeWithWindx: Thank you for your kind comments on my portrayal of James and Draco!
magicgirl45852: Well, at the moment Sirius doesn't get thrown in Azkaban again, though there is still a possibility of that happening. I hope this chapter answered your questions about Draco sneaking around and what he does to cause havoc!
LiLaZnGrLy: Hmmm, so that's what the AznGrly stands for…interesting. And the Voldemoore scene was hilarious. Pity that you killed Lily and James…oh well…it was funny. I hope this chapter answered what Draco (the slimeball did) That's a very good point about the carefulness/carelessness. Why didn't I see that? Another unnecessary mistake! And another typo! DOH! And how did I manage to leave out the 'G' in Hogsmeade? I swear I pressed the 'G'…probably didn't register the letter. As I live in the UK I have school up until July the 20th and then I break up till September. I just had a long holiday for Easter. I play Badminton but I don't play any instruments. I can't play an instrument to save my life (though I'd certainly try if there was a case for it). I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Lady Taliesin: Oh, you really have a thing for Remus, don't you? Maybe I should draw picture of you and Remus (I'd send it to you, if I had a scanner!) Now your brother and his pigeon calendar is disturbing…no more! Yep, I have watched Pirates of the Caribbean. Excellent film…so that's fencing, with the masks…sounds really interesting. Heh, heh, yes, I am very small. I'm the smallest sixth former at school, with year 7's (11year olds) who are bigger then me. They think I'm a year 7! None believe I'm 17. I have to have an ID card to get into 15 rated films and everything…it frustrates me! But I'm small mainly because of all my problems as a baby. There's too many to list here, if you're interested. Onto the actual review now…hmmm Padfoot in black leather…(author drools - not really, but you get what I mean!) Now that's a good idea with Sirius and James posing as one another…just one thing, if they used Polyjuice Potion, and James went to class as Sirius, he would not be able to transform into a dog, and it might look suspicious if his pet didn't turn up, as students are used to him. But that is a good idea. Maybe I could write a one-shot on it…or maybe you could as it's your idea? I loved those two scenes - especially the little bunnies with specs. In fact I could imagine that…I have a really weird imagination, especially when someone writes a really weird scenario…Excellent! Thank you for pointing out the spelling! You're about the tenth person who really doesn't like the fact the Draco knows about Padfoot. Interesting reactions. Don't worry, since Remus isn't a Professor, Draco can't get him in trouble, but with James he can. Actually, if James was found helping the DA, the most that could happen is that Umbridge could get him convicted for conspiring against the Minister and have him arrested (which is what nearly happens to Dumbledore in Book 5). James will be getting his Marauderish attitude back, eventually. He's slowly becoming the rebel again. (SPOILER) I tell you when Umbridge finally uncovers our canine friend…the old James will return…(I probably shouldn't have said) (END OF SPOILER) I'm glad you like my Draco! Sorry I haven't been in touch, but I've been really upset over something at school and I haven't really wanted to speak to anyone about it. But you can e-mail the Ron POV if you want. I haven't done anymore yet. Last weekend I wrote Chapter 22 which is entitled Hagrid's Tale, and that was 18 pages! My longest yet, so I've been really busy. Hmmm, I couldn't find those Draco stories you told me about. I searched title and author and couldn't find them. I'm interested in reading them though. And I did check out the art sites you told me about. Some really good ones too. Maleficium was the best, I think. Fantastic. And now this reply has got way too long. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Next chapter: The First Meeting - in which James attends the first DA meeting. This is a very short chapter.
Thank you for reading!
MissBlackPotter