Harry groaned early in the morning as someone shook him by the shoulder gently. He groaned stretching under the quilt, the cold room making him want to stay under the warmth.

"Come now, Potter. You have to get ready for class."

"Five more minutes dad." Harry mumbled, as he often did when he had similar dreams. Wait a minute. Harry opened his eyes wide, suddenly much more alert. Horror filled his chest as he looked up at an equally horrified potions master. "Uh… sorry sir. I was half asleep." He said.

"I have no doubt." The potions master said slowly. Harry sat up. His face felt hot with embarrassment. "How is your back?" He asked.

Harry tried to forget about his embarrassing slip as he sat up straight and stretched, trying to test his back. "It's ok. Healed." He said.

"Alright, allow me to assess your back before you go off to Gryffindor tower."

Harry turned his back to Snape, without thinking twice about it. As the adult cut the bandages off, he remembered that Filch had ruined his clothes. "Um…"

"Your wounds have closed up… you do have some light scars but they will fade in time with some salve." Snape handed him a pot of salve for his back.

"Snape… Filch ruined my clothes." Harry mumbled.

"Yes… I managed to mend them, however it is quite obvious." He said handing him his shirt and robes. Harry received them and looked at them.

"You mended them?" He asked looking at the stitched up cut.

"Yes, well… magic, so it won't last forever, I'm not experience in that kind of magic." He said.

"Oh… this was my last robe." Harry mumbled absentmindedly.

"Order some more." Snape said.

"I don't know how that works by owl." He said shrugging as he put on the old shirt on.

"Do you know your measurements?" Snape asked.

"Yeah, why?" He hadn't grown much even though he was better fed most days of the year now that he came to Hogwarts. But a lifetime of irregular meals made it hard to build up the appetite expected of someone his age. Hence, when several of his classmates hit their first growth spurt, Harry was left behind. Still, he'd been glad he hadn't needed a new set of robes and kept last year's ones.

"Write them down."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I can get my own clothes."

"And I can re-stock my own potions ingredients."

Harry looked up surprised and glared at the ground in embarrassment. "I ruined something that wasn't mine, so I replaced it."

"I am not accepting a child's money. Especially that much money. Now give me your measurements." Harry fidgeted. Eventually he picked up the quill and scratched the measurements onto the parchment awkwardly. "Good, now shoo. Breakfast starts in fifteen minutes." He told him.

Harry nodded. "Ok, bye." He said and made it for the portrait. However the other stopped him and passed him the forgotten salve for his scars. "Thanks."

oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo

Ron was the first to see him coming in and nudged Hermione who looked up at him with alarm in her eyes. Harry motioned discretely for them to remain calm and don't come to him. Especially with Umbridge smiling maliciously at him.

He sat down in front of them. "Are you alright, Harry?" Hermione whispered, leaning forward for him to hear. Harry didn't look at the other members of the group and they didn't look at him. He simply smiled faintly and nodded to Hermione.

"I'm alright… we can talk later." He said.

"Mate... you didn't come back last night…" Ron whispered in his direction.

"I said later Ron…" Harry said softly looking at his food choices and picked the simplest option. He didn't want to waste perfectly good food when he was just going to push it around the plate.

When the Daily Prophet arrived he didn't even bother to ask for one. He knew what it would say. It would be a proud proclamation of Umbridge as headmistress. Ron seemed keen to avoid the paper as much as him and passed his own copy to Hermione who eagerly opened it. He saw Filch arrive then and storm toward Umbridge. Harry felt his back sting just seeing him. He watched, ready to get up and get out before Umbridge heard that his punishment had been cut short.

However, Umbridge screeched and ignored the caretaker entirely as she held the newspaper.

"Students! You will all immediately stop reading the Prophet!" She exclaimed. At that Harry reached for a copy as did everyone else who didn't have one.

'Dolores Umbridge, Senior undersecretary, headmistress and sister to a squib.'

Huh… Is that so? Was it truly such an insulting secret for that woman? He felt bad for her brother, having to put up with that monster. But then it turned out that her mother had been a muggle.

The whispering spread like wildfire even after the headmistress summoned all the newspapers and lit them on fire. Harry glanced at Snape who seemed to be content in continuing his breakfast while the whispering and giggles spread.

"So she never spoke of her family again? That's just cold."

"We all knew she was heartless anyway."

"Pretending to be a pureblood, that's just pathetic." The whispers kept coming and Harry couldn't help it. He smirked. He watched in glee as Umbridge looked around the great hall in a panic.

"A clearly made up article like this will not be discussed further. Anyone discussing such nonsense will be instantly punished!" The toad screeched and everyone fell silent but still eyed her with even more dislike than before.

Serves her right for trying to use the Dursleys against him. Though it just made him realise how morally twisted the vile woman was to find the mere association with her family a humiliating experience. Maybe his aunt Petunia and Umbridge were already best friends through the mail. They certainly had a lot in common.

Though, why would the Daily Prophet turn on someone as powerful as Umbridge? Especially so soon after becoming Headmistress. There was no way this was what Snape had planned.

As a couple of students got up to start making their way to classes several couldn't hold it and giggled. Whether it was because of Umbridge or another reason, he didn't know, but in seconds, Umbridge's amplified voice resounded in the great hall.

"Detention!"

It would be the first of many throughout the day. Harry managed to avoid the woman's wrath for the time being.

"So Harry, what happened last night?" Hermione asked finally once they had some free time and could talk on one of the corridors surrounding the cloister. Their voices drowned out slightly by the heavy rain going on outside.

Harry had dreaded this conversation and tried to focus on what he was going to tell them while taking in the soothing scents of the wet earth and stone. He avoided looking at them.

"Umbridge approved whipping. At least in my case." He said. Hermione gave a little gasp but he could see Ron stand up straighter, his face red with anger.

"Are you ok? Let me see your back Harry! Why didn't you tell me earlier!" Hermione whispered and Harry had to strain to hear her over the rain.

"I'm fine… that's where I was all night. In the hospital wing." He lied. Both relaxed as they realised that he was not currently in any pain.

"Corporal punishment hasn't been present in Hogwarts for about a hundred years… first the black quill and now… Harry… she's torturing you." Hermione whispered. "This isn't… healthy for you."

Harry gave a dry laugh that seemed to escape on its own. "Healthy? It's not like I'm asking for it Hermione."

Hermione glanced at Ron nervously and an unspoken conversation occurred between them because Ron took a deep breath as if preparing to say a set of difficult words.

"You have to lie, mate… the truth isn't worth it."

"Worth it? People need to know he's out there!"

"If everyone is too stupid to believe you by this point that is their mistake!" Ron yelled at him. "Crucio isn't the only form of torture that can drive wizards insane!"

"I'm not going to go insane!" Harry defended himself. How could they say that?

"We don't want to lose you Harry!" Hermione chimed in, a desperation as strong as Ron's present in her voice.

"You're not going to lose me! What have you two been getting into your heads?" He asked. Hermione opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out and soon the two of them looked down.

After a few seconds of silence she tried again. "You're just one person Harry. With the dreams you've had… and the year you've had since he came back…"

"What is it? What are you thinking?" Harry demanded.

"We don't want you going to his side. We don't want you to find his side appealing, or at the very least just as bad as here." Ron said finally.

"…Are you two out of your minds?" Harry yelled. He took a deep breath as he felt the anger writhing at the back of his mind. Anger that wasn't his.

"Harry…" Hermione tried reaching for him but Harry smacked her hand out of the way and she stepped back holding her hand back in shock. Ron now glared at him.

"I'm sorry! What the heck do you want me to do? Go back to the Dursleys?! They won't take me longer than necessary."

"That's not what we mean, Harry." Hermione said softly.

"Well then figure out what you mean! Because right now, the only alternative to Hogwarts is Voldemort!" He couldn't listen to them anymore.

He turned around and stormed away. Turning the corner he saw Malfoy sitting on one of the spiral stone steps, having eavesdropped on their conversation. Even though he'd been caught he didn't bother looking surprised. He didn't pretend he hadn't been listening. The anger melted away as he remembered how much Malfoy had helped the others in the DA out.

Harry stopped his retreat and instead sat down beside him on the steps. He soon realised that the corridor had an echo when it rained and heard Hermione and Ron's voices fairly clearly.

"Maybe we didn't handle that properly." Hermione said gently.

"He had no right to hit you!"

"No. If only he could just go to Sirius. At least… it could be something to feel positive about."

"Yeah, keeping him locked up in a different house is going to be great for Harry."

"Ronald, I'm trying to think of how to get him out of here."

"Harry's right. He doesn't have anywhere. With Dumbledore gone this is the safest place. No father figure or illusion of a family is going to change that."

That hit Harry hard. This was the first time he heard a full conversation about him from his friends' lips when he wasn't around. His vision became blurry and he wiped the tears away in frustration. 'Illusion of a family'

He knew the truth. He knew he didn't have anyone. But when his friends noticed his desperate and pathetic need for someone it just made the blow that much harder. He felt a hand on his shoulder but didn't turn to look at the blonde.

"Let's go." Harry stood and went with Draco. They didn't say anything, but it was comfortable just walking in silence beside him. Soon they managed to find an empty classroom and just sat for a while. Loud thunder rumbled every now and again outside.

"Was he pleased?" Harry asked.

"Yes… he wants me to try and alienate you from Weasel and Granger."

Harry chuckled. "You're better than I thought." Draco did smile, faintly amused but shook his head. "Thank you, for letting us know." He said.

"It's alright… sounds like you got everyone's share of the punishment though." Malfoy glanced at his back and Harry groaned.

"I'm fine… I'm healed." He said gently.

"You're not... really thinking of joining him are you?"

Harry shook his head, somehow not getting angry when it was the slytherin asking such a question. "Of course not."

"Good…" Both boys remained in silent companionship for the rest of the hour before making their way to dinner.

By then, he heard, almost half of Gryffindor and several other members of the other houses had gotten a detention, even from Slytherin. Harry didn't quite understand how he managed to avoid a detention that day.

As the days passed the newspapers kept on coming and a subdued anger could be felt through most of the school population. The slandering articles on the newspaper continued as did her anger. She'd tried to ban them as she did the Quibbler. But the minister himself sent her a howler demanding she reinstate the newspaper as it had very relevant speeches made by him that should not go ignored by the wizards of tomorrow.

Her anger raged and her punishments spread. Students almost every morning were rubbing the back of their sore hands. The heads of house did not look happy at all.

Finally one afternoon, as they were all having their lunches a loud explosion was heard. Everyone looked up from what they were doing. Another explosion followed, louder and closer.

Harry glanced up at the teacher's table, as did many others but the teachers seemed as confused as Umbridge. Another explosion.

The small woman huffed and got up, making her way to the great doors. Another explosion. She opened the door and colourful bursts of light exploded in her face making her screech as colourful and loud sets of fireworks quickly filled he great hall, the young and bright eyed first years cheering and everyone following their example. The entire student body got out of their chairs and chaos ensued.

Harry laughed as a set of crackers exploded in quick succession, chasing a screaming Umbridge. He looked at the teacher's table where they all sat very calm, watching the show with badly hidden amusement. Except Snape. He was very good at hiding his amusement.

Soon Fred and George flew in cheering and laughing as they set of even more fireworks, throwing fliers around about their new store and releasing a bright orange dragon loose on Umbridge who was engulphed by the display.

As Fred and George flew away everyone cheered and formed a revolt, throwing things around, casting spells, taking out forbidden items like fanged Frisbees and throwing them up, ignoring Umbridge's call for order.

Harry followed the entire student body to bid farewell to Fred and George and to carry on celebrating their chaos.

Suddenly, he stopped as the world distorted around him. He felt lightheaded and weak as he took a step back from the great doors. He faintly heard Umbridge coming over. He saw her about to strike him but horror filled her face as she stepped back away from him. Harry felt something wet trickling from his scar. He wiped it and saw red staining his hand.

"AAGHH!" A harsh jolting pain spread through his entire head and he dropped to his knees, screaming in pain.

The dark room was no longer empty. Sirius sat bound in the centre.

"AHH! Stop it!" He screamed. If he could bash his head against the stone floor to stop the pain he would, but strong hands seemed to be trying to control him. He faintly caught a glimpse of McGonagall and Snape.

"Crucio!" Voldemort called out. Sirius screamed in pain.

"No! Stop it!" He screamed again, the pain unending, the heartache real. Anguish coursed through his veins. He had him. He had Sirius. His blood mingled with tears as he was restrained by several teachers.

The black door appeared, telling him where they were. An image of the book Hermione showed them flashed before his eyes. The hall of prophecies.

The pain slowly ebbed away, his strength left him and he lay recovering in someone's arms. The scent of peppermint soothed him even before the first potion touched his lips. He managed to swallow the spicy potion and slowly he managed to open his eyes to see Snape with a look of utter desperation on his face.

It made him smile slightly to see how much the other cared. His eyes closed and he was instantly out.