- BY ORDER OF –

THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

All Student organisations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs are henceforth disbanded. An organisation, society, team, group, or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.

Permission to reform may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge_.

No student organisation, society, team, group, or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled,

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four.

Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge.

Teddie ripped the decree of the Slytherin notice board and folded it three times before stuffing it into her backpack. She was curious as to whether the others had seen it while they headed up to breakfast, the only reason she was seeing it now was because she had slept late.

As she zipped her backpack closed, Teddie couldn't help but wonder how Umbridge had found out about the defense group they were had been planning, or did she know? Was this Decree in relation to the defense group or just groups in general? What about Quidditch? Was that involved. Or Gobstones?

Teddie shook her head. She was certainly overreacting. Quidditch couldn't have been cancelled for a second year, besides, Dumbledore would have mentioned something at the Start of Term feast if the annual tournament was to be removed for another year. Plus, the Houses had pretty much done all their tryouts and chose their members.

She paused. Montague hadn't said anything about Quidditch position since last weeks tryouts, and Theo hadn't mentioned anything about retaining the position of Seeker, either. She wasn't sure if training had started, it should have done by now, seeing as the first game was approaching fast.

Hefting the backpack up onto her shoulders, Teddie scanned the notice board again. Several different signs littered the green velvet back, including and not limited to – a list of secondhand spell books for sale, the regular reminds of school rules from Filch, offers to barter Chocolate Frog cards, dates of Hogsmeade weekends, and –

Teddie touched the announcement labelled "Tryout Results' and pulled it down the list of positions, skimming over the names trying to find Theo's. Her brow furrowed as she reached the position of Seeker and glanced across, horrified to find Draco Malfoy scrawled next to it.

"No," Teddie murmured.

This couldn't be right, surely?

~X~

History of Magic passed in a whirr of sleepiness. Teddie, who hadn't slept much the previous evening due to reoccurring nightmares, removed her robe and used it as a pillow to nap on her desk. She had been hoping to talk to Theo about the Quidditch results, but every time she tried to bring it up, he would brush her off.

She knew that he wasn't intentionally trying to hurt her, and Teddie was also aware that Montague hadn't made the decision based on their friendship, but also couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she could've done something to help Theo keep his position. He really loved playing Quidditch, and after all the hell he had gone through in second year regarding the rumours on how he become seeker, he was protective of it.

Teddie couldn't blame him. For the first four years of their schooling, being friends with her had put her friends in a tight spot when it came to upholding family traditions; especially family members like Theo's father. Mr. Cyrus Nott was still in Azkaban, locked up on charges of domestic assault of his wife and son, and the murder of his wife.

His sentence had been life imprisonment, and Teddie knew that she was to blame for that. She had been the one that Mr. Nott had tried to attack, he had come barging into her home looking for his son, tried to attack her, and she – or rather Faye's shield had activated and knocked him flying.

After that, both Muggle police and Magical Aurors had been called. He had been arrested, detained and tried within a year.

But Theo had been thankful for that, Teddie thought. She hadn't seemed him more relaxed or relieved in the year leading up to the trial as was now after it. With his father out of his life, Theo was allowed to live the way he wanted, and be friends with who he chose.

Same for Blaise and Daphne.

Blaise's step-father had already shown that he didn't approve of Muggles or Muggleborns, and Daphne's grandmother had been disappointed when she had learned her granddaughters had been gallivanting around with a Muggleborn behind her back, but once she had learned the truth about Teddie, her mind had changed and she approved it.

Teddie sighed and opened her eyes. Despite being tired, and Professor Binns voice droning on and on from the front of the class, she found that sleep wasn't easy to come by, not with her mind racing with unanswered questions and scenarios that were enough to make her heart ache at the mere thought of them.

Soon, the bell rang, and Teddie put her robe back on before following her friends down to the Dungeons for Potions. She linked arms with Theo and smiled up at him, he offered her one back and she could see the anguish in his eyes. She squeezed his arm and lay her head against his shoulder as they walked.

But neither of them spoke.

~X~

The dungeons were growing colder and colder as the months wore on. There were in the first week of October, and the only thing Teddie had to look forward to this month was her birthday – she really hoped that's he could enjoy it like she had done both last year and the year before – even though Sirius Black had broken in during her third year, she still got to spend her birthday with her friends.

Last year's birthday was okay, except for Harry's name being called from the Goblet of Fire. Teddie hadn't seen her friend more terrified until she saw him rising from the Gryffindor table in that moment, the look of pure terror on his face was enough to make her want to jump from her seat and run over to hug him, but she had stayed where she was, watching as he disappeared out of the Hall.

The chatter had broken out then, everyone whispering, not so quietly about what they had just witnessed. Dumbledore called for order and sent everyone to bed, before disappearing with the rest of the Professors after the champions.

Speaking of Harry, he, and his friends, were descending the steps to the dungeons behind her. She glanced back and met his gaze, offering him a smile. Detangling herself from Theo, Teddie reached into her backpack and removed the decree and offered it to Harry.

"I don't know if you've seen this," Teddie said. "But I want you to know, that we didn't say anything."

"I know," said Harry. "It was hung up in the Gryffindor common room this morning. I didn't think you would've said anything."

"I knew you wouldn't think we had, but -" Teddie glanced at Ron.

Ron scoffed. "Don't worry, Green, you and your friends actually weren't my first thought this time," he said.

Teddie furrowed her brow. "Who do you think said anything then?" she asked.

"Zacharias Smith," said Ron. "But he didn't."

"Who else was there to say anything?" Teddie asked. "Do you think we were eavesdropped on?"

Hermione shook her head. "I chose the Hogs Head because I knew we wouldn't be overheard," she said. "And I know no one from the group said anything. I charmed the paper we all signed, if anyone had snitched, we'd have seen the results by now."

Teddie scoffed in amusement. "Mason said that he could sense something different with the parchment you passed around," she said.

"He did?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"That kid's senses go into overdrive when magic is around," said Teddie. "It's weird. He's seemed to have developed a sixth sense to it."

Hermione looked impressed.

"Oh, that reminds me," Teddie said, switching tactics as she stuffed the decree into her pocket. "If anyone asks, you didn't hear this from me. But there's been a change up in the Slytherin Quidditch team this year. I'm telling you this, Harry, because you'll need to watch yourself on the pitch."

Harry cocked his head to the side.

"Malfoy is the new Seeker," Teddie said. "And I know, for whatever reasons, he has an issue with you. I just thought I would give you a heads up."

"Thanks, Teddie," said Harry, nodding.

Teddie forced a smile and turned away. "Oh," she added, turning back, "Please don't say anything to Theo about the position. He's really upset, and he and I haven't talked about it yet. I don't want him thinking I am talking about him behind his back."

Harry nodded. "Promise," he said.

"Thanks," said Teddie. She turned away and hurried off after her friends. The trio following behind her.

Daphne looked back at Teddie with a sour expression.

"What?" Teddie asked. "What happened.

"Malfoy," said Blaise, nodding at the front of the queue.

Teddie hurried to the front of her friends and peered into the mass of Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Malfoy stood in the middle of them all, waving an important looking piece of parchment, and sprouting a massive gleeful grin on his pale face.

"Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway," Malfoy said. "As soon as I saw I been made Seeker, I went to ask her before breakfast. It was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry…"

Teddie rolled her eyes. "I wonder what would happen if your father couldn't bail you out of every difficult situation you encountered, Malfoy?" she asked, causing the students to part and give her unrestricted access to Malfoy.

"Is that jealousy I hear, Green?" Malfoy asked. "What's wrong? Your boyfriend upset that he lost to a better player?"

"We all know that Theo is the better player!"

Malfoy laughed. "Yeah, right," he said. "If he were that much better, he'd still have the position, wouldn't he?"

Teddie shrugged. "Maybe Montague was feeling charitable," she sneered.

Malfoy's face darkened and he lowered his arm. "You're hardly one to talk about charity," he hissed. "Has your Muggle parents income changed now that the truth as come out about you? Are they using the Sutherland inheritance to pay for that hovel you call a home?"

Teddie's hands tightened into fists. She hadn't told her parents the truth about her, and they didn't get the Daily Prophet, which meant they weren't up to date on the news in her world. Mason and Theo had also promised to not breathe a word about it, especially since Caroline and Professor Snape had said that Rose and Robert Green had no idea that they even had a daughter.

Reaching for Teddie's hand, Theo tugged her back beside him and glared at Malfoy. "We don't know what you did to get Montague to give you the position," he said. "But we're willing to bet that you didn't get it on skill alone. If that's what you could call what you showed during tryouts."

The Gryffindors snickered.

Many of them liked it when Malfoy and Teddie went head to head, but they particularly liked it when Teddie's friends got involved, too. Especially when one considered that Malfoy was usually alone in his verbal battles, preferring to hide behind Crabbe and Goyle than call on them, or anyone else, for assistance.

Teddie watched as Malfoy opened his mouth to respond, but then caught sight of something behind her. His face morphed into a malevolent grin, and he shrugged at Theo. "Maybe I did do something," he admitted. "We'll find out on game day. I don't know who we'll be playing, though. I mean, we were supposed to play Gryffindor, but the chances of Umbridge giving them permission to reform is next to none."

Teddie glanced over her shoulder and saw the reason for Malfoy's change in topic. Ron and Harry stood right behind her, well within Malfoy's line of sight. She sighed and rolled her eyes, realising that he was trying to get a rise out of them, and possibly get them into enough trouble that a detention would be given.

"I mean," Malfoy continued, "if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance. From what my father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years, and as for Potter, my father says it's a matter of time before the Ministry has him carted off to St. Mungo's."

Teddie furrowed her brow and turned to her friends. St. Mungo's, where was that? How many places in the Wizarding World did she still not know about? It seemed that she learned about new places every year.

"St. Mungo's is a hospital," Daphne said, lowering her voice.

"Why is that such a big –" Teddie cut off as someone slammed into her shoulder. She stumbled forward, cutting the palms of her hands as she hit the cold stone floor. She blinked in surprise and looked up, stunned to find Harry and Ron wrestling with Neville, seemingly trying to pull him away from Malfoy as he hid behind Crabbe and Goyle.

The dungeon door opened, and Snape appeared on the threshold. His black eyes swept over them all, stopping on Neville, Ron, and Harry before dropping to Teddie as Theo, Blaise, and Daphne helped her stand. He caught a glimpse of her hands, noting the red marks and specks of blood and grit.

"Fighting, Potter, Weasley, and Longbottom?" Snape sneered. "Ten points from Gryffindor. Release Longbottom, Potter, or it will be detention. Miss Green," his gaze flickered to Teddie. "What happened?"

"I saw it all, Professor," said Parkinson, speaking up. "Potter, Weasley, and Longbottom shoved her after she expressed happiness for the Slytherin Quidditch team getting permission to play in the upcoming game."

Teddie looked around, startled. "They did what now?" she asked, meeting Parkinson's gaze.

"It's okay, Faye," said Parkinson. "I've got your covered. Here, let me help with your hands."

Teddie dropped her hands, wincing slightly as they brushed against her robes. "Harry and his friends did not shove me," she said, looking up at Snape. "Malfoy was the one making trouble, trying to get them into trouble. He said something about St. Mungo's and then all hell broke loose. Why don't you take points from him?"

Snape looked around at the whole group. "Inside, all of you!" he ordered, stepping aside to allow them entry.

"Oh, I forgot," said Teddie, drawing Snape's attention to her. "You want Slytherin to stand united with the other houses, to not give them a chance to pick on us, for them to not see us as bullies. While you stand tall and mighty and bully them anyway."

"Enough, Miss Green," Snape said, icily. "Inside before you say something you'll regret."

Teddie shook her head. "I've kept quiet for far too long," she said. "Mostly because I respected you. But you're just as much of a bully has half of our house. I'm proud to be in Slytherin, but I'm not proud of the example you expect us to set when you can't even follow it yourself."

"Detention, Miss Green," said Snape. "My office. Tonight."

He swept away, disappearing back into his classroom and leaving Teddie to stare after him, unshed tears glistering in her eyes.