Chapter 2 - The Fallout
"Not go?" Hermione's screech carried around the great hall, stopping conversation for just a moment before they picked up again. Hermione grasped her throat in pain and hoarsely coughed.
Ron patted her on the back and looked at Harry, "Mate, you have to go to detention."
"Why?" Harry asked and shrugged, "What happens if I don't? More detention? They expel me?"
Hermione nodded feverishly as she tried to cough and find her voice. Ron offered her some pumpkin juice.
"Well, yeah", he nodded, "And I don't think it would be safe if you were expelled right now. With You-Know-Who back and everything."
Harry took another bite and chewed for a moment, "Do you think that Dumbeldore would really expel me?"
Hermione spluttered into her pumpkin juice, spilling it all down her front. Ron gaped at him. Next to Hermione, Ginny stared at Harry, open-mouthed. Harry felt Neville slide away from him a few inches.
Before anyone could respond, Harry continued in a low voice, "Look, a few months ago I saw Voldemort come back. Since then I've been stuck, lied to, and kept in the dark."
Ron and Hermione looked guilty, Ginny bristled, and Neville looked confused, but Harry pushed forward, "I know you couldn't tell me anything and I shouldn't have yelled at you. But when I think about it, all I can think about is how many people have been meddling in my life. I'm getting tired of it."
Hermione finally cleared her throat and managed to croak out, "Harry, Dumbledore just wants what's best for you."
She broke into another coughing fit.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Sure, but it's not just Dumbledore. So many people either want the best for me or want the worst for me, and all of them that can do anything about it are trying to push me around. This", he jabbed a thumb in the direction of Umbridge at the staff table, "is just the final straw for me."
"So you're just going to bet Dumbeldore won't expel you?" Ron looked incredulous.
"I know it sounds like I have a plan but honestly", Harry shrugged again, "I'm just not thinking that far ahead. Umbridge wants to push me around and I don't like it. So I'm not going to let her."
Ginny leaned a little closer, "You know she won't put up with that, Harry."
Hermione, in the middle of a drink of pumpkin juice, pointed at Ginny as if agreeing with her.
"Probably. And when she does I'll deal with it. I have enough to worry about with Voldemort back. I don't need to spend all my time worrying about some pink toad."
"Then what are you going to worry about?"
"Voldemort, OWLs, and maybe getting a girlfriend."
Ginny's eyes widened and she blushed, Ron gaped at him, Hermione looked approving - though that probably had more to do with studying.
His answer seemed to end the topic and the rest of dinner passed in quiet conversation about their first days of classes - other than defense against the dark arts. When Harry finished eating and stood the others fell silent for a moment to watch him. Harry stuck his hands in his pockets and walked out of the great hall.
Ron and Hermione found Harry in the Gryffindor common room, sitting in an armchair next to the fire. He had his copy of Defensive Magical Theory open and was idly flipping through the pages. As Ron and Hermione plopped down on the nearest sofa he looked up.
"This really is a bunch of mush, isn't it?"
Hermione nodded, "That's what I thought. It looked like WIlliam Slinkhard had never so much as cast a Protego shield, let alone been in a duel. I doubt anyone will learn anything at all in that class."
Harry nodded, obviously distracted, "I wonder if there's a way to learn this year without Umbridge. Get a tutor or teach ourselves or something."
Ron stared at him, "You mean give ourselves homework? On top of everything the teachers are giving us already? Are you feeling alright, mate?"
Hermione made an annoyed sound but Harry spoke over her, "You're right, we should do it ourselves. That way no one can assign us fifteen inches on the use of the Bat Bogey Hex or anything."
Right on cue, Ginny burst through the portrait hole laughing so hard she had to lean on Neville's shoulder. Neville looked pale and anxious, but he was smiling. The two of them crossed the common room and Ginny managed to get herself under control. She glanced at the empty spot on the couch by Hermione, pushed Neville toward it, and perched on the arm of Harry's chair. Ron glared at her. Harry just moved his hand before she sat on it.
"You should have seen her!" Ginny started giggling again, shaking the whole chair, "The toad, I mean. She must have missed when you left the great hall, Harry, because all at once she jumped up and ran out. It looked like someone had taken her Christmas pudding away!"
Neville nodded, "I thought sure she would be up here to grab you by the ear."
Harry shook his head, "Haven't seen or heard from the toad since class today. I expect she's forgiven the whole thing."
They all stared at him for a moment. Then Harry broke into a grin that set the rest of them to laughing.
They stayed up late doing homework. One by one Ron, Neville, and then Ginny yawned, packed up their books, and went to bed. Until it was only Harry and Hermione sitting beside the fire. The rest of Gryffindor had gone up to the dormitories already and the common room was quiet. The sound of Hermione's quill scratching on parchment stopped and Harry looked up at her. She was staring into the smoldering fire.
"Time for bed?"
Hermione shook her head, "No, I was just thinking."
Harry shrugged and checked the time. It was past midnight. He sighed and started packing up his books but stopped when Hermione spoke again.
"I think I finally figured out why Fred and George do it."
"Do what? Talk like that? Pretend they're each other?"
Hermione shook her head but didn't look away from the fire, "No. Why they break the rules. Why they cause so much trouble. And not like us - when we break the rules it's usually for a really good reason. Like with Norbert or the Polyjuice Potion."
She paused, but Harry could tell she had more to say. He slipped the last of his things into his bag but stayed seated.
Finally, she spoke again, "Did you know, Harry, that in the last four years I have lost exactly 242 points for Gryffindor? Almost all of it to Snape. I've earned many more points than that, of course. But today in defense against the dark arts I lost points on purpose."
She finally looked away from the fire and her eyes practically glowed as she looked at him, "And it felt so good. Better than a cheering charm. Better than getting awarded purposefully do something that would lose me points without a really good reason."
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, closing her eyes, "It was… thrilling."
Harry stared at her, nonplussed, "You like losing points?"
She shook her head, eyes still closed, "No, not just losing them. Choosing to lose them. It was like I was being naughty…"
Her voice trailed away and she bit her lip. Harry's eyebrows shot up and he quietly stood.
"Oh-kay. Well, I'm going to try to get some sleep. See you in the morning."
Hermione didn't reply - or even seem to hear him. So Harry made his way up to his dormitory.
The next day Harry was late down to breakfast. He walked into the great hall and toward the Gryffindor table, but saw Umbridge jump to her feet at the staff table and start in his direction. He shifted direction and sat at the end of the table farthest from her - across from the Creevey brothers - so that Umbridge had to cross almost the entire hall with her short legs.
"Alright, Collin?" Harry asked while shuffling some toast onto his plate, "Dennis?"
They both nodded enthusiastically. Collin opened his mouth to respond just as Umbridge decided she was close enough to speak.
"Mr Potter?" Her voice was syrupy sweet, "Did you forget something last night?"
Conversation in the hall stuttered to a halt and the students' eyes turned toward them. Collin shut his mouth in the middle of a cheery "Good Morning". Harry glanced at Umbridge, a piece of toast halfway to his mouth.
"Forget something? I don't think so."
Umbridge took a few steps, closing the distance between them so she didn't have to raise her voice, "I spoke with Minerva - Professor McGonagall - this morning. She said that she made you aware of the time and location of your detention. So it seems to me that you must have forgotten to attend."
He glanced over her shoulder at the staff table. Professor McGonagall looked like she would rather not be a part of the scene. And that she would rather not be referred to by her first name.
Harry took a bite of his toast and shook his head. Through a mouthful of bread and jam he said, "Oh, that. I didn't forget, I just decided not to show up."
The great hall erupted in whispers. Umbridge stared at him with a sweet smile plastered across her face. But, by the way she was glaring at him, Harry thought she might be trying to set him on fire with her mind.
"Well. Then you will just have to make it up this Saturday, won't you? And we'll add detentions every night of the week for the whole month, I think. For disregarding the instructions of a teacher."
Harry shrugged and swallowed, then turned back to his plate and pointedly ignored the woman. Umbridge's smile faded slowly into a scowl and after a moment she snapped, "My office, directly after dinner. Do not be late."
She turned and walked back across the length of the great hall to resume her breakfast. The students went quiet as she approached them, but started whispering as soon as she had passed. It created a strange sort of moving bubble of silence between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables that followed her all the way up to the front of the hall.
Dennis looked at Harry in awe, "Did you really skip detention?"
Collin elbowed his younger brother, "Of course he did. He's Harry Potter. If he can stop Slytherin's monster then he can beat a great pink toad."
Harry chuckled, "Given the option, I think I prefer the monster. At least it wasn't as talkative."
Both their mouths dropped open in the middle of chewing. Harry focused on not looking at them as they each worked through their shock, one after the other, and managed to close their mouths.
Harry met up with Ron and Hermione as they walked out of breakfast. Hermione had her familiar "I told you so" expression on, though after their conversation the night before Harry wondered how much of it was an act. Ron just flashed him a grin, thumbs up, and muttered "Cool".
They made it about ten feet out of the great hall, fighting through the crowd to head toward their next class, before Harry heard someone shout his name. He turned to look and saw Cho Chang fighting through the other students to get close.
"Harry! Do you have a minute?"
He opened his mouth to respond, but someone grabbed his collar and yanked him backward into an empty classroom. Harry bent over and coughed, rubbing his neck where his school robes had choked him.
"Bloody hell, Ginny! What was that for?"
Ginny sniffed and crossed her arms. Behind her, Fred and George stood in the same pose and looked at him with somber faces. Ron and Hermione burst through the crowd and Ron kicked the door shut behind him.
"What is this? Some sort of Weasley Tribunal?" Harry stood up and glared at Ginny and the twins.
Ron shook his head, "No, the tribunal needs at least two days of warning. This looks like an informal Weasley trial."
Hermione looked at him in confusion. The other Weasleys didn't comment. Instead, Ginny took a seat on one of the desks and Fred - or George - spoke.
"Harry, I know this is really our fault. But we can't let you get away with it."
Harry opened his mouth to ask what they were talking about when the other twin cut him off, "You really are taking it a bit too far."
"What are you talking about?" Harry managed to get out before they kept going.
The first twin, probably Fred, rolled his eyes, "You do know that Fred and I are the pranksters, right? We get in trouble. Everyone loves us. It's our shtick."
The other twin nodded feverishly, "We know that you're practically a Weasley-"
"Not blood related", Ginny cut in quickly.
"-But that doesn't mean that you can just take our spotlight."
"Harry isn't trying to take anyone's spotlight", Hermione said angrily as she stepped up next to him, "He's got enough attention on him already."
Ginny muttered something to herself that Harry didn't hear. Hermione blushed and took a half step away from him. George - probably - pressed on.
"Now, Harry, it's obvious that this is really our fault-"
"-We gave you the map, after all-"
"-But we never thought it would turn you into competition."
Harry's neck hurt from his head bouncing back and forth between the twins. He ended up looking at… Fred? Definitely Fred.
"Fred-"
"I'm George, Harry."
"George, you do realize that I'm not playing a prank on Umbridge?"
The twins glared at him, Hermione was flushed and had a smug smirk on her face, Ron and Ginny had started a game of exploding snap on one desk.
"Then what exactly are you doing?"
Harry shrugged, "I just don't feel like going to these detentions. So I've decided not to."
There was a long pause. Hermione was breathing heavily next to him.
Fred and George looked at each other, then back at him, then spoke in unison, "You can do that?"
Nothing out of the ordinary happened for the rest of the day of classes on how to cast magical spells. Hermione kept slowing down whenever they walked past a broom cupboard. Ginny kept glaring at Hermione. Ron staunchly refused to answer Harry's questions about Weasley Tribunals.
Harry wondered idly what Cho had wanted to talk to him about, but he hadn't seen her since right after breakfast.
When dinner came around Harry walked into a great hall that was deathly quiet. As soon as he appeared the whispers started. He spotted Fred and George quietly making round to all four house tables and palming galleons as they spoke with certain people.
Harry plopped down next to Hermione. She scooted a bit closer to him. Across the table, Ginny glared at her while simultaneously saying in a cheery tone, "Hi, Harry!"
Ron smiled broadly and then half-turned in his seat and held out a hand. Fred dropped a small pile of sickles into it as he walked past.
"What's with that?" Harry asked, pointing.
Ron slid the coins into his pocket, "Fred and George offered good odds on you skipping dinner altogether. I just won some extra pocket money."
"They're betting on me?"
Hermione shook her head, "Oh, no. Everyone else is. They're just taking five percent off the top."
"Just on whether or not I show up to dinner? Did they expect me to starve?"
Ginny finally looked away from Hermione, "Oh, not just that. People bet on whether you would be here, whether you would hex Umbridge, whether you would end up going to that detention tonight, and whether Umbridge would send you a howler tomorrow morning if you don't."
"Did you bet for me or against me, Ginny?"
She grinned, "I can't tell you that. But if she does send you a howler, would you mind sending one to her as well? I could use a new broom servicing kit."
Just then Harry felt a looming presence behind him. A heavy hand fell on his shoulder and he heard an angry growl.
"Hello, Angelina. When's the first practice?"
Angelina Johnson, the Gryffindor quidditch captain, put her other hand on his other shoulder and began painfully massaging the corners of his neck. Ginny looked mortified.
"That's just what I was going to talk to you about, Potter. I was going to tell you that it's Saturday, but someone went and got himself detention. How are we supposed to practice without our seeker?"
Harry tried to shrug, but the chaser's hands were too strong for him to move his shoulders, "Don't worry. I'm not going to that one, either."
Angelina didn't stop, "We can't practice if our seeker gets expelled, either."
"Really, don't worry about it, Angelina. I'll be at practice, don't worry."
She gave his shoulders one last squeeze, then released him, "Well, in that case I need to go talk to the twins about something before it's too late."
The looming presence left and Harry's sore shoulders relaxed
Hermione whispered, "You know, if you need someone to rub bruise cream on your shoulders while you aren't in detention tonight-"
Ginny cleared her throat loudly. Hermione gulped and scooted a few inches away from Harry.
The rest of dinner was uncomfortable. Harry felt like every eye in the great hall was on him. Every time he so much as shifted in his seat there were gasps and surprised whispers that quieted as soon as it was obvious he wasn't leaving just yet.
As he finished a piece of treacle tart, Umbridge stood from her place at the staff table. With an imperious look at Harry from across the hall, she walked toward the side door and disappeared.
As soon as she was gone Professor McGonagall called George Weasley over and quietly slipped him a small pouch of coins.
A few moments later, Harry stood up. There was an audible intake of breath around the great hall. He glanced around him and gave a half-hearted wave to each of the tables - except Slytherin.
He waited a moment for his friends and then they walked out of the great hall. In front of the large doors he paused and glanced back. Every student in the hall and most of the teachers were straining their necks to see if he would turn right, toward Gryffindor tower, or left, toward Umbridge's office. Harry shrugged and turned to the right. Behind him the hall erupted in chaos.