Harry stood abruptly, raking his fingers through his hair, a nervous tick he had picked up in his childhood. "What are you doing Ginny?!" He yelled out, his voice louder than he had intended it to be.
"I was just congratulating you." She said back with a smile, as if what she had done were a normal occurrence.
"With a kiss?" He asked her disbelievingly and Harry noticed that the common room had gone quiet, and all eyes were looking at them.
"What's the big deal?" She replied hotly, and Harry could see the famous Weasley temper rearing its head, but he knew he had a temper that could match it. Especially after the encounter with Umbridge.
"I'm dating Daphne and you're dating Michael!" He yelled back.
"It was just a little kiss; I don't understand why you're making such a big deal out of this." Her face was reddening as she spoke.
Harry suddenly remembered Daphne telling him that Ginny fancied him and how he had laughed at the idea. He took a few slow deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. When he spoke again, he lowered his voice, not wanting to give the room a show.
"Gin, look." He started a little awkwardly. "I- I'm flattered, really, but I don't like you in that way. That's not to say you're not pretty or funny or anything like that, but I like Daphne. A lot. And I couldn't bear to lose her or hurt her, so what just happened now can't happen again."
He was surprised by the firmness he heard in his own voice, and he saw that Ginny, who moments ago had looked ready to explode, had deflated. The red on her face deepened as she shifted from upset to embarrassed and Harry saw her eyes shining.
She didn't speak, but she nodded at him quickly, then stood, running towards the girls' dormitories with a muttered apology. Harry looked at Hermione helplessly and she nodded her head towards the staircase she had run up. "I'll make sure she's okay, you should probably let Daphne know what happened."
Harry thanked her and took her advice. He left towards his own dormitory, the fervent whispers of those who had witnessed the interaction following him all the way up the stairs. When he was certain no one else was around, he took out his mirror, closed the curtains around his bed, and threw up a nonverbal one-way silencing charm that would allow him to hear any noise from the outside but keep his own conversation private.
"I would like to speak to Daphne Greengrass." He said clearly and his mirror warmed.
It took a minute, but Daphne's face appeared into the mirror, and she smiled at him. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you for at least another couple of hours," she joked at him. "I thought the party would go late into the night."
Harry tried to laugh normally but must have done a poor job as her eyes immediately narrowed. "Is something wrong, Harry?" She asked, with slight concern lacing her voice.
"Uh, nothing is wrong. There's just something I need to tell you." He replied and hated how he could hear the nerves in his voice.
"What is it?"
"Well, you see… I… I mean… You know what, maybe this would be better if I told you in person." He said, fearing she would break the connection of the mirror as soon as she heard what happened.
"Uhm, alright. Third floor classroom in 15 minutes?"
"That would be good. I'll see you soon."
Daphne gave him one last worried glance and then severed the connection. The mirror once again showed Harry his own worried reflection and he sighed deeply as he stood.
He made his way back into the common room and it seemed like the students had put the confrontation behind them as they resumed the party. He saw Hermione chatting quietly with the twins and Ron in the corner closest to the portrait hole and made his way over to them quietly.
Before he could say anything, Fred spoke up. "We're really sorry Harry. We knew she liked you but figured she would back off now that you were both dating someone else."
"I don't know what she was thinking, she saw you kiss Daphne just after the match." Ron said angrily and Harry appreciated that he was taking his side in the ordeal.
"That's actually why she did it." Hermione said sadly. "She said her goal with dating Michael was to make you jealous, but she realized that it wasn't working today after the match. She had spent the last hour amping herself up and came in thinking if she kissed you and made it clear she was interested, you would be willing to end it with Daphne."
Harry sighed. He did care for Ginny, but more as a sister or friend than a potential love interest. "We do hope you can forgive her." Said George cautiously but Harry waved him off.
"Of course. I feel horrible for making a scene, though. I didn't mean to embarrass her." He replied honestly.
"She brought it on herself, Harry. Don't worry, really." Said Fred
"Besides, you did it about as nicely as someone could have." Continued George.
Harry thanked them for the support. "Please let her know that I hope this doesn't change anything and I would love to continue to be her friend if she doesn't mind. For now, I need to run to meet Daphne. I'm really hoping she doesn't get upset over this."
His friends agreed to pass on the message and wished him luck. He opened the portrait and made his way out and towards the third-floor classroom.
When he arrived, Daphne was already waiting for him. She looked at him calculatingly for a moment. "You look guilty. What did you do?"
Harry ran a nervous hand through his hair once more causing it to stick up at odd, random angles. He began to explain everything that had happened since he had left the changing rooms. Starting with his encounter with Umbridge as a way to stall and also to keep the story in order.
Daphne had been furious at Umbridge's punishment but agreed that if he tried to get out of his detentions it may infuriate her further and cause her to retaliate. After deciding his best course of action would be to keep his head down and serve the punishment, he shifted his feet and told her about what had happened in the common room. Daphne looked upset, but when he finished recounting what had happened, she laughed.
Harry looked at her confusedly wondering if she had misheard him or maybe gone crazy, but before he could decide she spoke. "So, let me get this straight. You came here a fidgeting ball of nerves to tell me that another girl threw herself at you and you pushed her away and publicly declared that the girl you wanted to be with was me?"
"I mean, that's the gist of it, yeah." He replied dumbly. "Are you not angry?"
"Oh, I'm furious, but not at you Harry. You did nothing wrong." Harry looked at her disbelievingly and she rolled her eyes. "If the roles were reversed, would you be upset at me?"
Harry considered her question for a moment and came to the realization that he may had indeed been overly nervous for nothing. "No, I would be upset at whoever did that to you, but I would be more concerned for you than upset."
"Well, there you go then." She replied simply. "If you still feel guilty then just think of Valentine's Day later this week as a way to make it up to me."
Harry considered her words for a moment and nodded. "That's actually not a bad idea. Speaking of Valentine's, I'll be picking you up in front of the Slytherin common room at five, don't eat dinner." Daphne gave him a curious look as she had another clue for the mysterious date Harry had planned for them.
She had been asking about it for the last week or so and Harry kept saying she would find out soon. "Are you sure you're not mad at me?" He asked one last time to be sure and Daphne sighed at him shaking her head.
"Not at you, I promise. I will be having words with Weasley to be sure, and I know you're trying to keep us apart in the DA meetings, but believe me, there will be some retaliation." Harry sighed knowing he wouldn't be able to stop her and thinking that maybe a little retaliation may keep other girls from trying the same thing. "Now Potter, why don't you cast about five breath freshening charms and cleaning charms on your mouth."
Harry gave her yet another confused look and Daphne rolled her eyes again. "To get the Weasley off you. I didn't think I had a jealous side, but I'm feeling a sudden urge of possessiveness right now and to use Umbridge's terminology, I'm going to assault you."
Harry was slightly concerned by the reaction those words had on him, but he pulled out his wand and began to cast the demanded spells while Daphne stepped towards him purposefully.
Daphne was putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup while Tracey pondered suggestive activities that Harry had planned for the two of them. She wanted to roll her eyes, but she had finally managed to get her eye liner just right and didn't want to risk smudges.
She allowed Tracey's latest ideas about what potions Harry was smuggling from Snape's office for their evening to flow around her without paying them too much mind, and instead reflected on the past few days.
Four days had passed since the match on Saturday, but it felt more like several weeks. The first major change that had occurred was Harry confirming the worst kept secret in Hogwarts by kissing her after the match. She was happy to be mostly done with the sneaking around, but at the same time the kiss had led to more open hostility as well, from Slytherins and other houses alike.
While the Slytherins grew more hostile because Harry was a Gryffindor that opposed Voldemort, the members of the other houses that had become antagonistic were mostly among the female population. Daphne had yet to be hit by a curse, but she was starting to feel as though it was going to happen soon.
She had taken to walking with Tracey just about everywhere she went for a little extra protection, and no one was stupid enough to try anything when she was with Harry, but it was just the day prior when a pair of Slytherin seventh years had cornered her and Tracey after dinner.
They had their wands drawn and were saying some crude things about what Daphne and Harry must have been getting up to, when they were suddenly hanging upside down. Standing behind them were the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan with their wands drawn.
"Now, now, what do we have here? Wilkes and Craggy, eh?" Said one of the twins while the other tsked at them and cast a series of spells in rapid succession. She saw that Wilkes was bright crimson and Craggy was a startling gold. They both had horns growing out of their head and Wilkes' teeth were already growing past his chin.
"We're going to make this really simple for you." Said the other twin. "If anything happens to Greengrass or anyone she cares about, we will lose every single point that Gryffindor has in our retaliation, and I guarantee you it won't be just us."
Lee broke in a moment later and his voice sounded drastically different from the happy commentating she was used to hearing from him. "We don't care if you two are the ones who did it or not, you're going to get it the worst." Then they dropped their curses and the Slytherins crashed to the ground in a heap.
They stood looking murderous but scampered off quickly. Daphne wasn't sure if they had helped her situation or made it worse but thanked them, nonetheless. "We know you're a capable witch, you've more than proved it at the meetings." started a twin waving off her thanks, "but we figure some fear in their hearts might keep them from trying something stupid."
"I appreciate it." She said sincerely.
This time it was Lee who waved her off. "We protect our own, and if you're good enough for our favorite trio of troublemakers, then you're good enough for us."
Daphne was blown away by the camaraderie they displayed for their housemates and friends and thought, not for the first time, how frustratingly different things were in Slytherin. She had departed then, and no one had tried to hex her since, but still she had been slightly on edge.
Her date with Harry was going to give her a much-needed reprieve, even if she still knew frustratingly little about what he had planned.
She checked her watch and saw that it was nearly time to head out. She walked away from the mirror giving herself one last look-over to ensure she hadn't missed something, but her black dress looked stunning, and her hair and makeup was exactly as she wanted it to be.
She grabbed her jacket and a handbag that was slightly expanded to fit more than should be possible and put Harry's gift inside of it. Tracey realized she was getting ready to leave her and pouted. "I wish I had a date for Valentine's." She said sullenly.
"Then you should have asked Neville, he would have said yes." She replied quickly, making her way to the door.
"Believe me I hinted, but he must be the most cowardly lion in the pride." Daphne laughed at her chosen metaphor and bid her goodbye, making her way into the common room and out into the hallways.
She walked down the first corridor and saw that Harry was surprisingly on time waiting for her. He sent her the small smile that still made her weak in the knees after all of this time and looked her up and down. When he finally took in her outfit his eyes glazed slightly and his jaw dropped.
"You look… wow." He breathed, and she felt a surge of confidence run through her at his praise. "I mean… just, wow. You're beautiful."
She laughed and pulled him into a hug. "You don't look so bad yourself." She replied in a joking manner, but she meant it. He was wearing a black button-down shirt and a pair of dark jeans that fit him much better than the other clothes he usually wore.
"Thanks." He replied, his cheeks pinkening slightly. "Hermione helped me pick out some clothes from a mail in catalogue and these were some of them. Are you ready to go?"
She nodded. "Are you finally going to tell me what you have planned?" she asked, and he chuckled.
"The castle doesn't exactly have many great spots for a date, and it's still far too cold to do something on the grounds, but there's somewhere that can be anything we need it to be."
Daphne wanted to kick herself for not realizing sooner. Of course Harry would use the room of requirement. He took her hand and began to walk the familiar path up to the seventh-floor room. When they arrived, Harry let go of her hand and paced three times with a look of concentration on his face.
A door appeared and he opened it beckoning her inside. The first thing Daphne noticed was that the room was considerably smaller than when they used it for their DA meetings. The second was that the lighting was much darker.
There was a fireplace against one of the sidewalls with a large soft couch that was crimson and gold in front of it. Towards the center of the room was a small circular table with a white tablecloth and two elegant chairs. Where the back wall should have been, there were instead large floor to ceiling windows that showed the black lake and forbidden forest and allowed the light of the setting sun to bathe them and the room in brilliant hues of red and orange.
Harry walked the short distance to the table and pulled her chair out for her and she smiled at him as she sat daintily in the chair and allowed him to push it in. Harry took his own seat then and before she could ask what they would be eating, Dobby popped in.
"Hello Miss Greengrass!" He squeaked excitedly. "Mister Harry Potter be hiring Dobby today to serve you. Mister Harry Potter be requesting a special meal for Miss Greengrass, if anything be amiss, please let Dobby know." Daphne thanked the small elf who beamed excitedly and disappeared out of view.
"Getting Dobby to help might be the smartest part of this whole date." She said laughing and Harry shrugged.
"It was his idea really. I went down to the kitchens last week to see if he would help, and he insisted he could serve us. When I told him I wanted to pay him for the food and service I thought he was going to pass out." Daphne laughed at the mental image of the overexcited little elf.
A few moments later a tray of buttered bread and two glasses of water materialized between them, followed shortly after by two plates full of homemade spaghetti. Daphne held back the urge to clap excitedly. Spaghetti was her favorite food and something that Hogwarts didn't make surprisingly. The last time she had had it was over winter break and she hadn't been anticipating eating it again until she went home for the summer.
She looked at Harry who was watching her expression closely and gave him a smile. "You do listen when I talk to you." She said impishly and he chuckled.
"Of course I do. Now try it and tell me if it's any good." Daphne gathered some on her fork and took a small bite, fighting back a sigh of contentment.
"It's perfect." She said, and Harry smiled at her and began to eat. "There were a few other food items that Dobby prepared, and everything was as delicious as she could have hoped for. To end the meal, they had each had a bowl of vanilla ice cream – again her favorite – as the sun finished setting over the lake. By the end she felt ready to burst.
With the meal over and her stomach full, they made their way over to the couch and sat down together basking in the warmth of the fire and each other's bodies. A few minutes later Harry pulled out two wrapped packages.
"I got you something." He said into her hair as her head was on his shoulder. She pulled back and he held up the two packages. One was long and thin and the other looked the right size to be a book or journal. "Which one would you like to open first?" He asked, and Daphne considered.
"The small one first."
Harry smiled and handed it over. She tore at the packaging and found a black velvet box. She opened it and found a beautiful necklace inside. It looked to be made of silver and at the center was a light blue stone that shone brilliantly in the faint light of the fire.
"The chain is made of silver and the stone is an aquamarine." He told her nervously. "When I saw it, I thought the shade matched your eyes perfectly and I-"
She cut him off with a kiss. After a minute she pulled back panting slightly and handed him the box turning around. "Put it on for me?" She asked as she took her hair in both hands and lifted it off of her shoulders.
Harry's hands came around her neck and she could feel his fingers trembling. Finally, he secured the clasp and ran his hands down her bare shoulders. She shivered in response, but let her hair fall down and turned to face him.
"How's it look?" She asked, and Harry glanced down, blushing immediately. The stone rested elegantly just above the neckline of her dress and Daphne realized he must have glimpsed her cleavage. She wanted to roll her eyes but found his nervousness endearing.
"It looks beautiful. You look beautiful." He told her quietly not meeting her eyes and she gave him another kiss.
"Here do mine, before we do your second one." She said handing him her own wrapped package. Harry took it and opened it fingering the leather inside.
"Thank you." He told her sincerely, but she could see confusion in his eyes.
"It's a wrist holster. For your wand." She told him and Harry appraised it again.
"But how will my wand fit in here? It can't be more than a couple inches long."
Daphne shook her head fondly. "There is such a thing as magic Harry." She said not unkindly, and he looked back at her sheepishly.
"I forgot about that." He slipped his wand from his pocket and placed it inside the holster, looking at her in mild surprise when it did indeed fit. He put the holster on his wrist and looked at her quizzically once again. "How do I get the wand out?"
"With some holsters you snap your wrist, and it will fly out, but with this one you only need to will it."
Harry concentrated for a moment and the wand shot out of his holster quickly, only his seeker reflexes allowed him to procure it before it flew away from him. "Wow that's really neat. It'll take some practice, but this is great. Thank you so much, Daph."
She smiled back at him. "You're welcome. It's made out of dragonhide, so it shouldn't damage easily and should be impervious to water and fire, and it also has an anti-summoning charm as well as a charm that will only allow the wand to jump out for you." She told him and felt her own happiness rise at the look of joy on his face.
"Wow, that's brilliant. Thank you again Daphne." She smiled at him once more and then reached for the last gift. "This one isn't anything special by comparison." He told her in warning, but she opened up the last package and found a book.
The cover was green and blue showing a mountain range framing a forest in the foreground. In large script were the words 'The Hobbit'. She looked at him waiting for an explanation, and he didn't disappoint.
"When I was younger, I liked to read. I remember you telling me that you've never read any muggle books, so I got you one of my favorites. It allowed me to disappear into a magical world when I would read it and I could forget about everything else that was going on. When I first found out magic was real, this book is what I thought it would be like. If you wanted to, I could read some of it to you." He told her, and she heard some of the previous nervousness slipping back into his voice.
She hugged him again. Harry didn't talk much about his life growing up, but she knew from the pieces he had let slip and some of what Hermione had been able to ascertain over the years and had shared with her, that his life wasn't an easy one. The fact that he was willing to share something from that time with her that had brought him joy meant more than any necklace or holster.
"I love this, Harry." She said trying to pour every ounce of sincerity into her voice. He gave her a small smile.
"Shall I read?"
She cuddled up against him before she replied. "Yes please."
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort."
Daphne listened as he read about Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf and the fantastical world that they lived in. At some point during his reading her head had found its way onto his lap and the sound of his voice and the heat from the fire lulled her to sleep.
She awoke suddenly, unsure of how much time had passed. She realized Harry had been shaking her gently and calling her name. "I'm up." she replied rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, as she extricated herself from his lap.
"Sorry I fell asleep." She told him sheepishly and he laughed in return.
"Believe me I didn't mind at all. I would have let you sleep there all night, but if we want to make it back before curfew we should be leaving pretty soon." Daphne thought the idea of curling up to sleep with Harry on the couch for the rest of the evening sounded lovely, but she stood, nonetheless.
Harry followed her to his feet, and she pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for this evening and the gifts Harry. It was all so perfect." Harry squeezed her tightly and gave her a kiss on her head.
"Anytime, Daph. I'm just happy you liked it."
"I loved it. I love you." The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could realize what she was saying.
Harry stiffened and Daphne immediately doubted herself. "What I mean to say is... I-"
"Do you mean it?" He asked softly, cutting her off.
She looked up and saw his eyes looking into hers desperately, searching for any sign of deception. She couldn't lie to him. "I absolutely mean it." She reassured him, softening her own voice.
"No one has ever told me that before." He admitted and Daphne felt her heart shatter for him. Harry was one of the best people she had ever met, and he deserved so much more than what he had gotten from life.
"Then we have a lot of time to make up for. I love you very much Mr. Potter." She replied and was again surprised at how easily the words slipped out of her mouth and how much she meant them. Harry smiled the most beautiful smile Daphne had ever seen from him and he leaned down kissing her fiercely.
He pulled away after a moment and looked at her like he was willing himself to say something. She realized he was building up his courage and stopped him. "You don't have to say it back, Harry. Whenever you're ready I'll be here, and I promise that you can take as long as you need, it won't change anything."
He looked at her bashfully but thanked her for understanding. She kissed him again then, only breaking every so often to tell him how much she loved him. Curfew came and went, but she paid it no mind. She had years to make up for and she was going to do her best to get as far as she could tonight.
It was a quarter to six and Harry was walking towards the defense classroom for the first of his scheduled three detentions. He had given himself plenty of time to arrive before the scheduled time not wanting to risk the possibility of Professor Umbridge punishing him further for being late, something he was sure she would do without hesitation.
Harry arrived to the classroom a few minutes later and knocked on the door. She called for him to enter and when he did, he saw her seated at the front of the classroom wearing a smile he could only describe as sadistic. She stood and gestured for him to follow her into the office that adjoined her classroom.
The surfaces in Professor Umbridge's office were draped in lacy covers and pink cloths, and several vases of dried flowers were placed decoratively on doilies around the room. One wall had a large dresser housing a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. The cats moved on the plates and their eyes followed him in a disconcerting manner.
In the center of the room was her desk, also covered with a pink cloth. She had a few more picture frames on her desk, each with a different cat in it, and some papers that looked like their latest assignment.
She took a seat behind the desk and beckoned for him to sit in the chair across from her. He did as she requested, and she smiled at him. "Your detention the next two evenings will consist of writing lines." She said happily and Harry internally sighed in relief. Lines were tedious, but they were among the easier punishments a professor could give. Before he could respond she continued.
"For this first lesson however, I would like to have a conversation with you. I feel like we haven't had a chance to really speak to one another since the start of term." She said in a sweet voice. She called for an elf and requested a tea tray which was immediately brought to her. As she poured two cups she continued to speak. "I am happy that you have stopped publicly spreading the fear inducing rumors that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned, but there are certain students who still tell me that you persist the stories are true in private."
She waited expectantly for him to say something but seeing as she hadn't asked him a question Harry kept quiet. She finished pouring the tea and handed him a cup which Harry immediately set down. She took a long drink from her own cup and then looked at him again. "Please do drink, the elves prepare wonderful tea."
Harry didn't want to accept any hospitality she was offering, but at her insistence he took a sip. Immediately he felt his mind fog over. It felt vaguely like the imperius curse had, but there was no command. He was trying to piece together what had happened when he heard her voice again.
"Tell me, is the headmaster using your lessons as a way to plan to take over the ministry?" Harry was surprised by the bluntness of her question, but before he could think about it his mouth moved without any consultation from his mind.
"No."
"Has the headmaster ever mentioned or implied any plans that include the minister or myself?"
Harry threw his occlumency shields up and slammed down the urge to answer. He blinked his eyes trying to clear the fog and saw she was waiting impatiently for his answer. He stood abruptly causing his chair to crash to the ground.
"Is there veritaserum in that tea?!" He shouted and saw a look of surprise flash over her wide face.
"Of course not." She blustered, her face reddening and her eyes widening in panic.
"Then I'm sure you won't mind if we take it to Professor Snape to check." He said reaching for the cup.
She stood surprisingly quickly, and her wand was out in a flash. "Stupefy!" She shouted and Harry quickly ducked out of the way. His wand jumped out of his new holster and into his hand and Harry quickly threw up a shield and heard two more spells ping off of it.
He returned to his feet eying her warily from across the desk. Her face looked furious, but there was a clear undertone of panic lacing her features as well. Harry was unsure what he could do, he didn't want to cast spells back at her because she may find a way to pin him for attacking first.
Instead, he tried to goad her. He had learned early on from Dumbledore that if you could put your opponent off mentally it was far more likely they would make a mistake. "I wonder what the papers will say when they find out you tried to illegally take advantage of a student." He told her curiously.
"They will never find out." She sneered at him and cast another three spells in quick succession. Harry sidestepped the stunner and allowed the disarming curse and binding curse to reflect off his shield back towards her. She crashed towards the ground avoiding her own spells and he could hear her mutter a string of foul words.
"I thought you were meant to be the professor." Harry told her in a mocking tone. "You really can't subdue a fifth year?" She stood back up and eyed his reflective shield that he hadn't let drop. She cast three more spells quickly and Harry recognized them as nothing more than first year spells, tripping jinxes and the like.
He wondered what her intention was, but she answered quickly as she cast two more stunners to the left and right of his shield and then shouted "Imperio!" It was a smart move. The unforgivable curses were called that for many reasons, but one of the major reasons was that a magical shield cannot stop any of the three unforgivables. If he chose to dive to the left or right, he would be stunned. If he stayed where he was the imperius would hit him.
He could drop straight down, but with his shield shattered by the curse and him on the ground, she would be in a much more advantageous position. Harry considered his options as the three spells flew at him and he stayed still, willingly allowing the unforgivable to crash into his chest.
At their last training session Dumbledore had told him that it is unlikely that a wizard can dodge or shield against every spell in a duel, and that at times it was beneficial to trade getting hit with something slightly less lethal so that you could be more aggressive or catch them off guard.
In this case Harry allowed her to hit him with the imperius because he knew he could throw it off, gaining him the advantage back. He stood still waiting for her command, but it seemed she was in the mood to gloat.
"You stupid boy, did you really think that because of some lessons with that senile old man you could defeat your betters in a duel? Your blood barely makes you half a wizard." She smiled at him, but Harry kept his expression blank.
"Now sit down in the chair so I can obliviate you." She commanded and Harry felt the urge to listen to her request rise up, but he pushed it away, breaking her hold of the spell. "I said sit down!" She yelled.
"No." Harry replied simply as he sent a nonverbal body bind. She stiffened immediately and fell forward with a thud. Harry noted with satisfaction that she landed on her nose, and it appeared to be bleeding. He sent a binding spell that wrapped her in ropes and levitated her so she could lay on her back.
He then sent a patronus to Professor Dumbledore asking him to come to the classroom as quickly as he could and sat down to wait. He could see Umbridge's eyes staring at him with contempt and fear, and he couldn't help himself.
"I'm not sure if you remember our first lesson this year," he started in a low voice, looking at her as she glared back, "but the assignment we had to complete was a paper describing why learning magical theory was more important than practicing practical magic. Feel free to consider this my response as to why I disagree."
AN: Being able to resist veritaserum with occlumency is actually canon. It is also something I had mentioned a few chapters prior as specific foreshadowing for the last scene. I know in fanfiction it is often viewed as extremely powerful, but for the purpose of this fic I wanted to allow Harry's occlumency to come into use as opposed to him just dumping the tea out like he did in canon.
AN 2: I had been hoping to get this chapter out sooner due to the slight cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, but I came down with covid and it really sapped my energy making it hard for me to find the energy to edit this chapter. That being said, if there are any mistakes in grammar/spelling please feel free to leave them in a review/private message and I will do my best to get it corrected ASAP. Your incredible support on this fic continues to overwhelm me, and I want to thank each and every single person who has been reading. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts if you care to share them. I do try my best to reply to every review. Thanks again and I'll see you all next time!