Harry sighed as he looked around the common room and the gathered Gryffindors. While it was quite normal for many of the Gryffindors to be crowded into the main room on an evening night, sitting on any surface they could find from chairs to tables to stairs, it wasn't normal to have them all focused on one subject. Normally the common room was a quiet cacophony, with dozens of conversations going on at once, creating a great dull roar that at first made it hard for one to focus but after a few months was a comforting white noise. Yet on this night everyone was quiet, their focus and attention not on their assignments or chatting with friends and complaining about rivals. Even their Pokémon were quiet. No… everyone from Pokémon to students were focused on one thing: Harry.

He hadn't planned on this becoming a house-wide meeting and he certainly hadn't planned on being forced to take the lead once it had been. He'd just wanted to get his friends together and discuss their game plan for the next day but Ginny had mentioned one thing to her roommates ('little traitor is going to get Zubat boogeys in her sheets for this'). They had whispered to the 1st years ('stupid little gossips'). One of the firsties had brought it up to their brother who happened to be a Seventh Year ('I don't care if he has 50 pounds on me and nearly a foot in height, I will so beat him up for this!') and suddenly Harry's little meeting had become an unsanctioned Gryffindor House Meeting. The prefects, including Hermione and Neville (Harry knew he was never going to end up as a prefect due to his ties to the Sons and Ron had made it clear that he had ZERO desire to stop trouble when said trouble would most likely be his relatives) had gotten everything organized and not a single Gryffindor had ducked away.

Except that wasn't entirely true. The Leader of the Pride hadn't shown up. One of the prefects (who had seemed to want to replace Percy Weasley as the most law-abiding of all the prefects) had gone got get McGonagall to make sure that the meeting was okay with her only to report that she wasn't in her office. This was despite her claim the very first night, and in fact every first night since Harry had been at Hogwarts, that she would be available if needed during those hours.

'Big shock there,' Harry thought, a touch bitterly. During the summer he'd had the chance to talk to Jasmine and later Lance about how Olivine Pointe and Daggertooth Academy worked and the knowledge of just how much the professors worked to help out their students and see them thrive and grow had left Harry doubting very much his education at Hogwarts. At Olivine Pointe professors frequently took on apprentices and chaired study groups; even Jack, as the headmaster, had made himself available during the weekends for students to come and see him. Jasmine had spoken fondly of her old professors and that with her remaining in Olivine (though now living at her gym rather than at the school) she had a standing invite for coffee with her history professor, Aglets or something like that. At Daggertooth Lance had instituted a similar program as well as had student teachers, training to eventually take positions at smaller schools, available to help. He planned to continue such things now at Olivine Pointe, his position as the new co-headmaster alongside Jack having been confirmed. So very unlike Hogwarts.

Remus had argued that it was a cultural thing. That in Avalon culture the professors would actually be seen as TOO connected to their students and not aloof enough when compared to those that had come a hundred years before. He claimed that when he had been a student many of the older teachers had sneered at McGonagall for how she 'coddled her little growlithes'. Sirius had urged him to keep an open mind, that things may change, but so far the year had proved to be 'fifth verse, same as the first verse!'. His Head of House was too busy with other tasks to actually work with her House. The other professors did their part but at times it seemed like they did the bare minimum. He respected Snape (especially now that he understand his views on child education and realized that it was very likely his mother would have taught him the same way with his father being the light touch) but he was able to put aside family bonds and see that his uncle should be working with graduated students who were looking for apprentice programs and not teaching children who had never mixed berry juice before. He simply didn't have the patience to deal with younger children and Snape had all but admitted the only reason he'd originally taken the position was because Harry's mother had groomed by Flitwick to replace him; with her death Flitwick had been forced to stay on till he found a new heir and Snape had stayed on until, Harry wagered, he graduated. Dumbledore seemed to waffle from being too hands on and being aloof/unavailable. Some times Harry got the sense that Dumbledore wanted to mentor him… and other times Harry could go months only seeing the man at meals. And then there was the subject of their impromptu meeting.

Umbridge.

"The woman is a bloody menace!" Cormac McLaggen complained, throwing his hands in the air. The already violate Gryffindor was worked up into a royal snit. "She made us do the bloody Pledge of Allegiance before we even started class and when she felt we were stumbling over the words too much she made us repeat it!"

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Avalon doesn't even have a Pledge of Allegiance."

"She made one up for us! Felt that it was the proper way to show our respect for our region." McLaggen glowered, crossing his arms over his chest. "Bloody bint wonders why we're fumbling over the words... she just came up with it a week ago!"

"The Ravenclaws are, like, in a tizzy about what she's teaching them," Parvati stated with a shake of her head, petting a yawning Skitty that was on her lap. "My sister got detention with Umbridge for, like, arguing with her and stuff."

"I've heard the same thing," Angelina Johnson said, her dark eyes flashing with annoyance. "From what I hear some are wishing we had BINNIS back."

"I thought she was assisting the BINNIS program," A 2nd year called out.

Katie rolled her eyes. "If by 'assist' you mean she turned him off the first chance she got and basically took over the class then yes." The Gauntlet player scoffed. "The woman isn't teaching us practical stuff either. Certainly nothing we'll need for our M.U.K.S.."

"She isn't teaching us period," Fred complained, his Minun holding up a sign that read 'Splat the Politoed!'. "She's preaching her gospel and we're her captive audience."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

George answered with a scoff. "What brought about the great Industrial Revolution of 1820 that helped bring Avalon into a greater presence in the world?"

Hermione raised her hand and Harry, realizing he had to call on her, motioned for her to speak. "There were many things but the most commonly held reason was the improvement of Thomas Savery's steam engine that allowed for mass production of many items, including the Capacube, which eventually was displaced by the superior Silph Pokeball-"

"Right, right," George said, waving his hand dismissively. "But according to Umbridge the true thing that brought about the Industrial Revolution was Avalon's government."

"…how did she come to THAT conclusion?" Ginny complained, looking up from her dex (Harry didn't want to GUESS what she was hacking this time… he only prayed he didn't hear about it on the morning's holocaust).

Fred chimed in. "They didn't interfere with companies wishing to develop new business practices and that allowed them to grow and expand and make Avalon a better place. Rather than doing such foolish things like having Child/Pokemon labor laws or clean air regulations they allowed businesses to grow and thrive as they wish. All bless the Avalon Government. Hip hip hooray." He said the last part as blandly as he could

"She seriously made us cheer like that," Katie added. "There is something seriously wrong with that woman."

Luna tilted her head. "You mean how her shame over her mother's 'low birth' and her belief that her father could have been more successful despite it being his own fault for being lazy and thus given her a better life led her to seek out both ways to improve herself while also hiding her own lowly origins? And how she came to see the power that came with authority as a force that could allow her to become the woman she desired? But when she found herself unable to move farther up within the Avalon government due to her backstabbing ways creating enemies and her personal life was left in ruins as none wished to befriend her let alone become intimate with her, ensuring that her family tree will die with her and in turn all she has accomplished will never be given to another she decided that the only way to cope was to cling to the very job that had caused those problems? That she became a fanatic because doing anything else would mean admitting to her own failures? And thus now the government and her own self worth are forever linked and the only way she can make herself feel good about being a middle-level government employee who only has an empty house waiting for her is by making the government appear so grand and noble that she feels that in turn she is just as grand and noble? That the Ministry and Fudge having success is the only way, in her twisted little mind, to get revenge on her mother for not coming from a rich family?"

Everyone just stared at Luna.

"Oh, was that too much? I did a bit of research after the Opening Feast and then did an emptional reading of her. It was clear as day." Luna blinked and turned to Hermione. "Everyone is staring at me. Should I say something silly?"

"No no, that was brilliant!" Hermione declared. "I knew you were improving your Veela skills-"

"Great, we know why Umbridge is messed up," Ron complained. "How do we deal with her?"

"We blow up Parliament!" Luna declared.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, Luna, that's great! We blow up-wait, what now?" she turned to find that Luna was wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. "Gaaaa!"

"Remember remember the fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason and plot. I know of no reason why gunpowder, treason should ever be forgot." Luna intoned before standing up. Much to Harry's shock, and the shock over everyone else, Luna bent down in a bow and when she rose back up she was suddenly wearing a long black cloak and a black hat with a large brim. It had been between the flutter of his eyelids that Luna's clothing had changed and even weeks later, when he asked anyone about it, each person would claim they blinked at the exact same time. "Verily, my very valued and venerable 'visors, most vital of valiant valets, let us vacate this vaulted vestibule of viable visions and 'ventions and venture to the vaulted valleys of Avalon's vast and venaled government and vaporize it!"

"Here here!" Fred and George called, leaping to their feet and happily taking torches Luna had somehow gotten her hands on during her speech, their Plusle and Minun both wearing little masks and matching black hats.

"Harry…" Hermione said weakly. "Could you-?"

The young man sighed and nodded, pulling out a book Clair had prepared for him, based on one the Pack had used in the past to deal with Jack when he went off the deep end and needed to be distracted. Flipping through the pages he selected one at random and read, "Luna, why did LOST end in a church?"

The little blonde, pushing up her mask, opened her mouth only to stop, consider that, and then quietly sit down, muttering to herself. Fred and George, meanwhile, were forced back down by Angelina and Katie. Hermione nodded in thanks and Harry decided it was time to get things back on track.

"It isn't her teaching methods that I'm worried about," Harry said, not quite sure how he felt about the fact that every eye was now on him (except Luna who was still mumbling about flash-sideways scenes and 'Desmond's dreamy eyes'). "She's a bad teacher, we all expected that."

"I didn't," McLaggen complained.

"Everyone who matters expected that," someone called out and McLaggen turned beat red as the laughter rang out.

Harry, knowing that getting Cormac upset would only cause problems, pushed on. "We all knew that we'd end up with at least one shit teacher this year-"

"Is that really fair to say?" Lavender asked.

"Quirrell," someone called out.

"Lockehart!"

"Trelawney."

"Maybe the church is an allegory for the island and… no, that makes no sense."

"But we have had great teachers!" Dean Thomas pointed out. "Prof. Lupin! That Time Lord from last year!"

Neville groaned, putting his head in his hands. "Not you too!"

"Luna made pamphlets," Seamus said with a shrug. "They were really convincing. Not just about the Time Lord either. The one about how Draco Malfoy is really Doctor Alchemy and he's waging war against you Harry because you're forming the Justice League with Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, Jack Kenway, and Blue the Raptor."

"I like the one she made that proved that Prof. Snape was responsible for the robbery of the Nakatomi Plaza," Colin said with a nod.

"But that doesn't-" another second year began only for Lee to interrupt.

"Before Quirrell we had Prof. Ramtuk who kept losing our homework and by the end of the year just handed out stickers," Lee stated. "Before that was Dr. Light…" everyone glanced at Luna, who was still distracted, before Lee continued, "who kept confusing the type advantages and ended up electrocuting himself into a coma."

"Our brother Bill told us that every professor he had for Battle Class couldn't battle their way out of a paper bag except one."

"Well that's good," Angelina stated.

"She was fired when they caught her in a closet with her Kadabra."

"…doing what?" one firstie asked.

"No one say a word!" Harry barked, not wanting to scar the little ones. Frankly, he didn't want his own mind scarred. "The point is we all knew and expected Umbridge to be a crap teacher but that isn't the most dangerous thing about her."

"I think it's pretty dangerous," O'Malley, a seventh year, called out. "Unlike the prankster twins here I need a good score on my M.U.K.s."

"Hey!" Fred cried out, standing up and glaring at the other man. "Just because George and I think that all this education is foolish, and unnecessary, and that we plan to open a business where having good M.U.K. scores doesn't mean a thing, and…hey George, where was I going with this?"

Lee leaned over to Seamus and whispered, "Do all of us seem a bit more goofy this year?"

"I think Lovegood put something in the drinking water to make us like her."

Dean frowned and reached into his bookbag. "I think I have a pamphlet she made about that…"

"There are ways around Umbridge when it comes to what she is teaching," Harry stated, wanting to get back on topic. "We could, I don't know, make a study group or something. Get people who graduated the last few years to send us their old notes, go through the text books-"

"She wrote our textbooks," Katie pointed out, holding up their history book that had Umbridge's picture on the back, sitting at a writing desk with a smile on her face. "Didn't you notice that?"

"Didn't bother to look," Harry admitted. "Okay, so we get old text books. Maybe convince the Ravenclaws to assist. I'm sure they aren't happy with any of this either. Hufflepuff as well. And…" he paused, gathering himself, "…the Slytherins-" Harry shielded himself as his house booed and threw wads of paper at him. "Hey hey hey! Some of them aren't half bad!"

Hermione stood up. "Harry's right. Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis, Theo Nott, Blaise… they are all just stuck up and entitled."

"They are snakes!" George called out.

"But not all of them are half bad," Ron called out.

The room went deadly silent.

"What?"

"You don't mind working with Slytherins?" Ginny said in shock.

Ron shrugged, motioning for Emolga to come down so he could pet him. "Well… not Malfoy and his gang or the older ones that are giant assholes but like Harry said a few of them aren't utterly horrible."

"…it's the end of the world, George," Fred whispered.

"I'm scared, Fred." The two hugged each other and their Pokemon leapt back into their Pokeballs.

Harry clapped his hands together. "Fo-cus!" The crowd grew quiet once more; Harry didn't like taking command in such a way but he would. 'That's Jack and Lance talking,' he thought to himself. 'They drilled it into my head over the summer what a leader must be like. The best commanders… and kings though Jack never said the word… never crave power but take it only when there was no other choice and surrendered it when needed. If I can protect as many people from what I fear will come next by becoming the leader of Gryffindor I will.' Out loud he said, "We will work together to create study groups so that we get the education we need. And we'll see if there are people willing to help… no matter their house." When a few Gryffindors, like McLaggen, muttered at that Harry shot them a dark look. "We are the House of the Brave… that means we don't cower in front of Arboks but stand in front of them without fear." The muttering stopped but Harry could see that some of his Housemates weren't happy with his declaration. But with the backing of the Gauntlet team and, as he knew some called this friends within Gryffindor, his 'Pride' that meant that they wouldn't risk going against him on this. "Our main problem is how Umbridge will use her power."

"I thought we went over this," Katie said. "She's using it to teach us propaganda."

"And what will she do to those that don't bow?" Harry pressed. He looked at Hermione and sighed, hating that he had to single her out. "What will she do when one of us argues that what she is teaching is wrong? That every great thing that ever came about in Avalon wasn't because of the government? Remus told me and Tonks confirmed that Umbridge has a reputation in the Ministry: she has a long memory when it comes to slights, her revenge is always brutal, and she is a Nocturne Agent in all but name."

"Are you sure?" Lee asked.

"I'm sure," Harry stated firmly. "Tonks told me that Umbridge would commonly weigh how much respect to give to someone based first on their standing in the Ministry and then on their family tree. She had to be on security detail quite a few times and interacted with Umbridge. The first time she just sneered at her and Tonks' old partner, Shacklebolt." Harry remembered Tonks telling him that if he ever ran into trouble and needed help before any of the rest of the group could get to him (with Tonks now working for Jonas as a member of his personal guard, Sirius having to spend a few months dealing with Sevii, and Remus tasked by the Pack to help Cynthia and Diantha secure allies in other regions, that meant it would take time for all but Snape to get to him to help) that he should seek Shacklebolt. "Then, the next time she encountered her Umbridge was more polite. Not simpering and fawning like she is with the likes of the Malfoys or with Neville's gran but politer all the same… but only with Tonks. With Shacklebolt she was still rude and dismissive."

"Because Tonks is a Black on her mother's side," Ginny chimed in. "One of the oldest families in Avalon. Enough to earn Tonks some politeness… but because her mum married a man with no title to his name or grand estate she didn't earn the fawning that Sirius would get… and certainly not as much as Sirius' father would have gotten."

Harry nodded. "Shacklebolt, meanwhile, can only trace his family back a generation or two before they came to Avalon and that makes him someone utterly beneath Dolores Umbridge's notice." He shook his head in disgust. "Draco Malfoy could show up to History Class naked and she would give him points. If Hermione raises her hand to ask a question Umbridge will probably dock her points or give her detention."

Hermione screwed up her face in disgust. "Please don't mention Draco and Naked in the same breath as my name… ever."

"The point is that she isn't going to allow us to get away with anyway… and most likely she is going to bait some of us."

"Like you," Parvati said, proving that while her sister was in Ravenclaw that didn't mean she wasn't smart.

"Like me," Harry admitted. "But she will go after the rest of you as well. Try and find a way to punish some of you while rewarding others… to divide us. Because that is how her kind works. Pick us off, get us fighting amongst ourselves, betraying each other and backstabbing each other so that she can just sit back and watch us destroy each other from within."

"What are you suggesting then, Potter?" a seventh year asked.

"We play the role of perfect students… no matter what." The Gryffindors began to grumble and murmur at that, their mutterings becoming a dull roar that filled the air. Harry let them grumble, knowing that they needed to get it out of their system. "I wasn't happy with this when Remus suggested it but I now realize he's right!"

"We're the House of the Brave, Potter, not the House of Cowards!" McLaggen called out in disgust.

"Brave doesn't mean stupid, Cormac!" Harry snapped. "Brave means doing what is right but it doesn't mean needlessly throwing yourself to the Mightyenas just to show how much courage you have! We are the house of Godric Gryffindor! You think he went charging into battle without a plan or a strategy? He didn't needlessly open himself up to attack because it was the 'brave thing to do'! Use your head!"

"Watch your mouth, Potter!" McLaggen shouted, pulling out a Pokeball and summoning a Flareon that Harry hadn't known the older teen had; he must have gotten it during the summer. Harry could tell it was a new one from the way it shifted, still not completely used to its trainer. It was "No one calls me a coward!" Harry just stared at McLaggen and made no move to pull out a Pokeball. Hedwig was high up in the rafters of the common room, ready to fly down if needed, but Harry ever so subtly wagged a single finger back and forth without even glancing at her; she could rush in if McLaggen did something stupid but Harry wasn't going to escalate the situation any more. "Well? Come on coward!" He turned and waved his arms at the rest of the house. "See? Potter isn't even one of us! He cuddles up with forgeiners and Slytherins! He is Salazar's Heir… we all know it… and he commands the Beast that attacked OUR HOUSE! And now he has the nerve to make demands of us and act like he is Godric reborn? Gryffindor should follow a true Arcainine… not a snake in wolf-lion's clothing! He's proving exactly what he is right now!"

"Yeah," Alicia said with a roll of her eyes, "he is. And so are you." Even McLaggen couldn't pretend that she was being complimentary.

Harry shook his head, holding out his hand in a 'stop' gesture. "Cormac, I am trying to help you. Help everyone. Dolores Umbridge is going to go after all of us. You had class with her already… tell me you didn't notice her favoring the Slytherins over the Gryffindors, worse than Snape ever did." McLaggen's jaw clenched at that but he didn't say a word. "We can't go back talking her. We can't fight her. Not in class. We have to treat her with respect… even more than we show Snape."

"Snape at least knows his stuff!" McLaggen snarled. "He's a greasy bastard and if I had my way he'd be crushed under a Snorlax-" Harry forced himself not to motion for Hedwig to attack… with all the strength he had he forced his hand not to twitch and give the command, "-but at least he is actually teaching us! And you want us to roll over and let Umbridge abuse us without protest?! How can you-"

"Do you throw a rock at a charging Bouffalant?"

"What?" McLaggen said, confused by the sudden change. Many of the other Gryffindors were also confused though a few nodded slowly, keying in already on what Harry was hinting at.

"When a Bouffalant charges you… do you throw a rock at it and hope that it will knock it out?" Harry began to pace. "No. You leap out of the way, let it charge past… then you attack. When it's focus is no longer on you. That's how you defeat a Pokémon like that… and that is how we are going to defeat Umbridge. We can't take her on in class. She will be Queen of that classroom. But out of it?" Harry smirked. "That's where we can destroy her. We let her think we are playing her little chess game only to reveal that we were playing Poker the entire time. Now put your Flareon away and let me tell you what I have in mind."

McLaggen stared Harry down before letting out a huff and left. A couple other Gryffindors joined him but a vast majority stayed behind and waited for him to speak.

"Okay, so first-"

Luna stood up and thrust her fist into the air. "The church represents sanctuary, something all the castaways were seeking in their life! Ha!" She looked around, her smile falling. "Uh… did I miss something?"

~MC~MC~MC~

Author's Notes: So, if you are following my Twitter account (and if you aren't you really should!) then you'll know that originally the entirety of this chapter… was just an opening that would lead into Umbridge's first class. But as I wrote it the thing kept getting bigger and bigger until I realized that it would have to be its own chapter, focusing on how Harry has slowly become not just the alpha of the Pride (himself, Neville, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Luna) but the Leader of the House as well; that with McGonagall not doing enough and this Harry having not only more confidence but also more allies that the Gryffindors have begun to circle around him as their leader. Now, that isn't to say they will agree with him or rush to his side for a battle… but they are listening to him.

We also see in this chapter Luna's powers have grown. While she is still silly and longs to feel positive emotions (Luna is a bit of a drug addict when it comes to positive emotions) she can focus her powers so that she can read peoples emotions and, with proper research, understand them.

McLaggen got a Flareon to give him yet another similarity to Harry while it also is an attempt by him to one-up Harry. He is a year older, he has an Eevolution AND his House Pokemon all rolled into one… McLaggen wants to prove he is better than Harry.