Chapter 8
Professor Umbridge
The next morning, I got out of bed and smirked as I petted Hellion, remembering how I got there the previous night.
What a gentleman my boyfriend is. I said as I entered the bathroom to wash up.
I didn't wash my hair again that day (I already washed it twice in the previous two days.) in the shower, but I bathed, brushed my teeth and washed my face before changing into my robes.
There was a knock on the dormitory door and Millicent shouted "We're not decent, if it's Malfoy!"
I glared at her "You know Draco would wait downstairs for me, lest you forget first year?" I asked. "Who is it?" I called to the door.
"It's Willow." Willow's voice said from outside the door "Can I come in, Hannah?"
I smirked "Sure thing, Willow. We're all girls here." I said as the girls opened the door and started downstairs for breakfast (They got up earlier than I did to get ready. Like I said before, I love my sleep.)
Willow walked in, already wearing her Slytherin robes, but her tie was undone and her hair was a mess. "Hannah, I need help!" she said, padding into the room in socked feet "I'm having clothes issues."
I smiled and looked over her. "Well, come in. it's time to initiate Operation: Makeover." I announced, sitting her on my bed and digging through my trunk "What's your shoe size?" I asked.
Willow shrugged "Seven." she said simply.
I smirked and handed her a pair of Mary-Janes. "Here, you're my size. They're mine and I want them back." I said.
Willow beamed and put the Mary-Janes on over her knee socks "Thanks. But what are you gonna wear?" she asked.
I smirked and held up my dragon hide boots Monique gave me for my fourteenth birthday "I'll wear these." I said "I want those back because I have patrol tonight. And they're way more comfortable for endless walking." I said, slipping my boots on and turning to her "Ok," I said, getting my hairbrush "If you're going to be like my little sister, you need to brush your hair." I said, starting to pull the brush through her black hair and pulling it up into a high ponytail.
Willow beamed "Thanks, Hannah. I was never able to pull a ponytail up that high, I always had to have my mum do it for me." she said.
I smirked and pulled out my makeup bag "You wear makeup?" I asked.
Willow nodded "Sometimes." she said.
I handed her a few brushes "Go ahead." I said, nodding to the makeup "We'll do our makeup together. Hurry now, we don't want to be late."
Willow beamed "You're the best big sister ever!" she said, powdering her face. "Mum never lets me use her makeup! She always buys me crappy dollar store makeup that come with Barbie dolls."
I smirked and put on mascara. "Well, you're the best little sister ever. We've known each other two days and you didn't try to nose into my stuff." I said, laughing "My brother does that all the time." I said, finishing up my makeup and turning to her "Well, come on, we have breakfasts to eat." I said, grabbing my book bag as I headed downstairs, Hellion on my tail.
"Um, Hannah?" Willow said behind me "You forgot something!"
I turned around and saw that Willow was holding up my prefect's badge.
"Thanks, Will!" I said, holding up a hand "You can just lob it over, if you want."
And lob was just what Willow did. I snatched my badge and on the way downstairs put it on my robe under my house emblem.
Draco was leaning against the fireplace when Willow and I walked downstairs, and he smirked when he saw me.
"Well, good morning, Princess and Mini-Princess." he said, coming up to kiss my forehead.
"Mini-Princess?" Willow chirped "Are you talkin' 'bout me?" she asked.
I nodded "You look a lot like I did my first day of lessons." I explained. "Well, come on, it's ruddy well time to eat." I said to Draco.
Draco rolled his eyes "Shall I call the steed?" Draco asked.
I thought about it, then I smirked "Yes. Call my steed!" I ordered.
Draco rolled his eyes and bent down for me to jump on his back "Onward, Draco! To breakfast!" I said, pointing up in the air and making Willow laugh.
Draco rolled his eyes again and started out of the dungeon, Willow and Hellion following close behind, Willow jabbering all the way.
"You know what'd be cool?" she asked as Draco went up the stairs with me on his back.
"What'd be cool, James?" Draco asked.
"If you and Hannah got married!" Willow chirped, making me gap.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, Willow." I said, turning to her "Draco and I haven't been dating a year yet, and you've already came up with wedding plans?"
Willow nodded "I love weddings, so when I read of you and Malfoy here, I had to plan something. What do you think about when you think wedding dress, Hannah?" Willow asked.
I laughed "Willow, when and if Draco and I do get married, I'll tell you first and you can talk to me about it then, how's that sound?" I asked.
Willow nodded "Ok, but you promise to tell me first?"
I nodded and smiled "You have my word." I said.
Willow beamed as Draco entered the Great Hall and put me down in between him and Willow.
Snape went around the house table and handed everyone their timetables as we ate.
I smirked, but it faltered when I looked at my first class "Aw, man!" I moaned "We got History of Magic first!"
Willow shrugged "What's wrong with that?" she asked.
Draco turned to her "Because it's the most boring subject ever taught here." he looked to me and smirked "On the bright side, we have Potions after that. And it's a double." he said tantalizingly.
I groaned "Yes, but I wanted to have Potions first!" I said, putting my head down on the table "That's, like, my favourite subject!" I said.
Willow looked at me "What do you want to be, a Potioneer?"
I shook my head "No." I said, taking a sip of orange juice "I want to be an Auror!"
Draco gaped at me "What!?" he said.
I shrugged "I said I wanted to be an Auror. Why?"
Draco burst out laughing "Because…I thought you'd say something along the lines of Headmistress of Hogwarts or something! That, and they're the elite of the Ministry, I know you're good, Han, but nobody I know is Auror good!" he said before bursting into loud snickers.
I took my Defence Against the Dark Arts book from my book bag and belted him over the head with it "It's not bloody funny!" I snapped.
Draco winced and started to lower his laughing down to a snigger. "Sorry, love. Just, an odd career choice for you."
Willow tsked Draco. "Malfoy, I don't think you should be laughing at Hannah. For all she knows, you may want to pick the Minister for Magic's nose to earn your keep."
I snickered, then it was my turn to start laughing. "Oh my god!" I said in between giggles "Can I give points for nearly making a prefect piss themselves laughing?" I asked before being unable to say another word without giggling.
"It's not funny, Hannah!" Draco snapped.
I smirked "Now you know how I felt when you laughed at me when I said I wanted to be an Auror." I said, beaming and standing up.
Draco sighed "I'm sorry, love." he said, kissing my forehead. "Now come on, we're gonna be late for History of Magic." he added.
…
I suffered through fifteen minutes of Professor Binns, my ghost teacher's voice droning on and on over giant wars before I finally decided to make use of my time.
I slept in Draco's lap, making him do the note taking for me. (it was amazing what I could make him do with the threat of showing Hogwarts a video of him in red and gold polka-dot underwear singing "Slytherins Do It Better." But that's another story for another time.).
On the way out of the classroom, I saw Harry talking with Cho Chang and I nearly retched (I hated Chang as much as I hated Drosie, if not maybe a little more. Harry had a crush on her and in my opinion, she was playing him like a violin.)
I smirked when Ron started attacking Chang for wearing a Tornadoes badge and I applauded him on the way down to Snape's dungeon for making her uncomfortable.
I sat in the front row with Draco while Ivy worked with Blaise. Harry, Ron and Hermione also sat in the front row on the left of me, Ivy and Blaise on the right. Me and Draco were in the center (naturally, we were Snape's favourite students.)
"Settle down." Snape said when he walked into the classroom and slammed the door.
He really didn't need to. His very presence alone caused the quiet that was so thick, it could be cut with my dagger in the classroom.
Snape cleared his throat "Before we begin today's lesson," he said, sweeping his cloak over to the desk and staring at us all "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you shall sit a very important examination, during which you will prove how much you've learned about the composition and uses of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you all to scrape an 'Acceptable" in your OWL, or suffer my…displeasure."
His eyes swept over to Neville Longbottom, who gulped.
"After this year, of course, many of you will cease study with me," Snape went on. "I only take the very best," his eyes met mine and Draco's and he smirked "into my NEWT Potions class. Which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye."
Snape and Harry had a minor stare off before Snape went on.
"But we have one more year to go before that joyous moment of valediction." Snape said softly "So, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise you all concentrate on maintaining the high pass level that I have come to expect from my OWL students."
"Today we shall make a common potion that comes up during OWLs: The Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Who can tell me why you must be careful during brewing."
My hand shot in the air, narrowly hitting Draco in the face. Hermione and Ivy followed me, but Snape nodded to me and said "Ms Potter, or new Slytherin prefect."
I smirked at the attention and said "If one is too careless with the ingredients, upon consumption, the drinker will fall into a deep and sometimes irreversible sleep."
Snape smirked "Leave it to a prefect to attain ten points to Slytherin on the first class." Snape said "Take those well earned points for your house, Ms Potter."
I beamed and Draco kissed my temple "I'm dating the smart one." he muttered in my ear in a singsong voice.
I turned to face him and kissed the tip of his nose "And I'm dating the good-looking one." I said in the mirroring singsong voice.
A quick kiss and we were back to paying attention to Snape.
"The instructions are on the blackboard." Snape said, rapping the board sharply and making the instructions appear there. "You will find everything you need in the store cupboard." he added, waving his wand again and making the store cupboard door spring open. "You have an hour and a half. Start."
I turned to Draco "Who's going up?" I asked.
"I'll do it." Draco said, getting up. "Put your hair back so none of it falls into the Potion by accident."
I nodded and pulled out a black hair scrunchie, pulling my hair up into a high ponytail as I got the station prepared, including setting the fire under the cauldron and taking out my flasks.
…
With ten minutes to go, Draco and I were doing as well as Hermione and Lavender Brown and Ivy and Blaise. Silver vapour was coming from our cauldrons with ten minutes left to brew when Snape turned on my brother.
"What is that supposed to be, Potter?" Snape asked, sneering down at Harry's smoky grey steaming from his cauldron.
Draco sat on the edge of his seat, as did the other Slytherins. They all loved to see my brother being picked on by Snape,
"The Draught of Peace." Harry said tensely.
Snape's sneer widened "Tell me, Potter, can you read?"
Draco laughed and I gave him a death glare "You can stop your laughing right now, Draco, or I won't neck you later." I said sternly.
Draco gave me a pleading look, but I kept my glare until he muttered "Oh, fine!" and slumped in his seat saying "You're no fun!"
I smirked. "Damn straight." I said before Snape turned to me.
"Ms Potter, read the third line of the instructions for me." Snape ordered.
I nodded and read the board through the steam coming from mine and my sulking boyfriend's cauldron "Add powdered moonstone, stir thrice counter-clockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes and add two drops of syrup of hellebore."
Snape turned to Harry "Did you do everything in the third line, Potter?"
Harry hung his head. "No." he muttered.
"I beg your pardon?" Snape asked.
"No." said Harry louder "I forgot the hellebore."
Snape's lip curled "Then this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco."
Harry's cauldron was emptied immediately, and Draco was trying hard to suppress snickers of amusement.
"For those who were able to read the directions, put a sample of your potions into a named flask for testing." Snape directed the rest of the class.
I took out a flagon and filled it with mine and Draco's potion, marking my name in it.
Draco took my quill and marked his name under mine before handing it to me to hand in.
When I was sure Draco was looking, I sketched a little heart in between our two names before handing the flask to Snape.
…
Our next class was Divination, right after lunch where I lived up to my promise to Draco and necked him after we ate.
I climbed up the ladder, saying I was going to get a head start on our Potions homework and I'd save Draco a seat, but really knowing Harry left the Hall without eating because Ron and Hermione were arguing.
"Hey, Harry." I said, setting my bag down in an empty table and sitting with him. "You ok?" I asked.
Harry shook his head "Ron and Hermione are always fighting! It's-"
"Getting on your nerves?" I asked, fishing some food from my book bag and handing it to him.
"Thanks." Harry said, taking the sandwich and eating it. "And yeah, they're starting to piss me off."
I nodded "I know, they can piss me off, too. But you don't need to take your temper out on the two of them. They're your best friends." I said.
"I haven't been taking my anger out on-!" Harry started snapping.
"I know you don't think you are, but you've been acting like a bastard ever since Potions and Snape gave you a zero. And Ivy told me at lunch before I went…to do certain things that you and Seamus Finnegan had a row last night over what they were saying in the Prophet. So I can see why you're in a bad mood, I can understand, but-"
"Easy for you to say," Harry said coldly to me. "the bloody newspaper isn't saying anything about you, unless they're talking about your relationship with 'the one and only' Draco Malfoy!" Harry snapped.
"That's what I'm getting at!" I shouted to him "You're pissed over Seamus and Snape and you're taking it out on people who're trying to help you!" I said, handing him the rest of the food "Eat this." I said before returning to my seat "It'll probably make you a little less crabby." I said before sitting next to Draco, putting my head down on the table and sighing "Brothers."
"Do I want to know?" Draco asked, putting his arm around my shoulder.
"Not really." I said under my arms and Trelawney started the lesson.
We were dream interpreting that day. Everyone found partners and we interpreted our recent dreams.
I was too embarrassed to tell Draco the reoccurring dreams that I was having, so Draco went first.
"Just the other night, I dreamt that I was beating a house elf over the head with a baguette." Draco said, making me snicker "What d'you think that means?"
I shrugged "Probably that you want to beat a house elf over the head with a baguette. Or…" I said, biting my lip "you have a strange desire to learn to play the bagpipes." I said, bursting out laughing.
"No, thanks." Draco said, laughing with me "I already play the organ, piano and the guitar, that's enough for me! Your turn." he said, putting his arms over his head "I'm listening."
I smirked and blushed "I dreamt of my parents." I said quietly.
Draco gaped "What?" he asked.
I shrugged "I. Dreamt. Of. My. Parents." I said annoyed, enunciating every word. "Like, the past?"
Draco looked taken aback "That's something I saw, too." he said "But that was so long ago-"
"What d'you mean?" I asked.
"When I was around seven, I dreamt of going to a cottage in Godric's Hollow with my mother, and I saw a red haired woman with green eyes…she looked a lot like you, actually. She had a toddler hiding behind her legs. The girl didn't look more than a year old. Her hair was in a black braid and she was wearing denim jeans and a t-shirt with a flower on it. She was looking up at the redhead with metallic blue eyes wide in fear
Mother put down a little boy with blond hair…and I was pretty sure it was me. I saw all the baby pictures in the Manor, and I looked a lot like that child.
The girl peeked out from behind the red haired woman's legs and the woman laughed. 'What's the matter, Hellion?' the red haired woman said 'You know Narcissa.'
The girl looked up at my mother and waved shyly, saying 'Hi.' quietly.
My mother laughed 'Draco, say hello, don't be shy!' she said to me.
I looked at the girl and she hid behind her mother again and I said 'Hi.'"
I blinked "Anything else?" I asked.
Draco nodded "Yeah. Mother and I walked into the cottage and went into the sitting room, the girl taking a toy broom from a toy box and holding it.
'Hellion, maybe Draco would like to play with the broom Padfoot gave you.' the redhead said.
The girl looked at me and handed me the broom 'You pway Qwidditch?'
I nodded 'Yes.' and Mother laughed 'Aww! They're getting along!'
The girl handed me the broom and said 'Hew, den, you pway wit it fiwst.'
I smiled and took the broom and mounted it 'Tanks a wot.' I said starting to fly around. There was more, but I can't remember it. What did you dream about your parents?" Draco asked me.
I shrugged. "Well, I was at a park with my mum, dad and Harry when we were kids, and I saw a blonde woman with a little boy. I was playing in the sandbox with Harry and Mum went up to the blonde woman.
'Narcissa? Narcissa Black?' Mum said, beaming 'Is that you?'
The blonde woman turned to Mum 'Lily? Lily Evans?' she said.
'Lily Potter now, actually.' Mum said, holding up her wedding ring 'Married mother of twins. You?'
'I'm not Narcissa Black anymore, I'm Narcissa Malfoy. Married mother of one.' the woman said, holding up her left hand. 'In fact, this is my son…Drac-' oh my gosh!" I gasped "Could it be possible these weren't dreams…but they were memories?" I asked.
Draco paled "Does that mean…we knew each other…before we even knew each other?"
I blinked. I knew I had seen Draco before when I first met him in Diagon Alley when we were eleven. "Could be, Draco…could be."
…
Our last lesson was Defence Against the Dark Arts with that new Professor, Professor Umbridge (or Professor Toad-Lady as I called her.)
Draco and I walked into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom when Harry yelled my named.
"Han!" Harry shouted from another desk "HAN!"
I turned and kissed Draco quickly before walking over to Harry.
"Hi, sis." Harry said "I'm sorry for snapping at you."
I turned and looked at Harry "And I'm sorry that I put my nose in where it didn't belong." I said.
Harry and I smirked at each other "Awkward sibling hug?" Harry asked, holding out his arms.
I laughed "Awkward sibling hug." I agreed, hugging Harry.
After two seconds of the hug, we heard an annoying throat clearing sound and Harry and I said "Pat. Pat." before I went to my seat next to Draco.
Umbridge was facing the front of the room "Well, good afternoon, class!"
I rolled my eyes and muttered "Good afternoon." with other students that said it.
Umbridge tutted and said that in her class, she expected to be greeted in unison and altogether. (How old school could she get?) and made the rest of the class chorus "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge."
DADA turned out to be a total bust. She told us to put our wands away and to get out quills and parchment.
She made three things appear on the blackboard and she had the audacity to head them as our Course Aims, which were wrote down and made the blackboard look something like this:
Defence Against the Dark Arts:
A Return to Basic Principles
Course Aims:
1) Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic
2) Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used
3) Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use
After everyone finished copying down the course aims, Toad-Lady asked "Has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
Everyone muttered a yes, which Toad-Lady tutted at "When I ask you a question, I should like you all to reply 'Yes, Professor Umbridge' or 'No, Professor Umbridge'. Let's try that again, has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"
"Yes, Professor Umbridge." the class said in unison
I smirked and muttered under my breath "Yes, Professor Toad-Lady." and made Draco and Harry snicker.
Thankfully, Toad-Lady didn't hear me or the laughter. "Good." she said "I should like you to turn to page five and read 'Chapter 1: Basics for Beginners'. There won't be a need to talk."
I rolled my eyes and opened the book, turning to page five and started reading.
After five minutes, Draco decided to make the whole reading class thing more enjoyable by pulling my stool closer to his and wrapping an arm around me as we read.
After another five minutes, I looked up from the book and reread the course aims. I turned to Hermione, who hadn't opened the book yet (which I found odd, Hermione never said no to a book put in front of her.) and she mouthed "Are you as confused over the aims as I am?"
I blinked and nodded. "You wanna ask her?" I mouthed.
Hermione nodded and her and I put our hands up at the same time, making Ivy and Draco look up from their books.
After another ten minutes, everyone in the room was staring at Hermione and I as Toad-Lady ignored us. Then, she couldn't seem to be able to ignore us anymore, because everyone was distracted from the book.
"Do you have a question over the chapter, dears?" Umbridge asked Hermione and I as if she just noticed us.
"No." Hermione said "Not about the chapter."
Umbridge smiled, revealing her tiny vampire teeth "Well, we're reading just now." she said "If you and your friend have other queries we can deal with them at the end of the lesson."
"I have a query about your course aims." I said aloud, making Draco look at me with an 'Are you serious?' look.
Umbridge raised her eyebrows "And your names are?"
"Hermione Granger." Hermione said simply.
"Hannah Potter." I said.
"Well, Ms Granger and Ms Potter, I believe the course aims are perfectly clear, if you just read them carefully enough." Toad-Lady said to us with a sickly sweet voice.
"Well, I don't." I said, trying to keep my cool "Why is the third course aim about using defensive magic in context?"
Hermione nodded "Yes, and why isn't there an aim over using defensive magic?"
Those questions triggered a loud debate within the classroom. Toad-Lady versus the class. And somehow we got to the topic of Voldemort.
"Who do you imagine would want to attack children like yourselves?" Umbridge asked after Harry asked what good theory was going to do in the real world.
"Hmm…let's think…" Harry said in a mock thoughtful voice "Maybe…Lord Voldemort?"
I gasped and clapped both hands over my mouth (not because Harry said the name, I said it to, and I still say it.). Harry never talked to a teacher like that.
Lavender Brown let out a little scream, Ron gasped like I did and poor Neville Longbottom slipped off his stool and fell on his bum. Umbridge, however, looked at Harry without even batting an eye, a grimly satisfied expression on her face.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter." she said
Everyone went silent, everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry. Draco and I were split up with the staring. He was staring at Umbridge and I was staring at my brother.
Umbridge started telling the class that Voldemort's return from the "grave" was a lie and Harry fumed.
I turned to Harry and thought to him Quit while you're ahead!
But did Harry listen to me? Nope!
"It is NOT a lie!" Harry bellowed "I saw him! I fought him while my sister fought Death Eaters six to one!"
I glared at Harry "Don't bring me into this!" I snapped at him before regaining silence.
Umbridge gave Harry detention that Friday night at five in her office and went on telling us that Voldemort's return was a lie. Fearing the same fate as Harry, I held my silence.
It was an epic debate between Harry and Umbridge after she finished and said to return to reading.
Harry stood up and I looked at him "Harry, don't!" I hissed "Don't get yourself into more trouble!"
"So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked.
I gasped "Harry James Potter, stop trying to draw attention to yourself!" I said.
Umbridge turned to Harry and smiled a fake smile "Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident."
I took a deep breath and tried to keep from jumping up when I said "It wasn't. It was a murder." I said simply.
"Yeah!" Harry snapped "Voldemort killed him and you know it!"
I groaned and put my head down on the desk. "Brothers!" I groaned as Draco rubbed my back.
Umbridge then smiled sickly sweet and summoned Harry to her desk, handing him some pink parchment "Give this to Professor McGonagall, dear." she said.
Harry huffed and stormed out of the classroom without a word, but he gave me a grin in the back of the room before he left and thought to me using our Twin Telepathy.
Thanks for trying.
