A/N First off sorry for the major delay I've been having internet troubles for the last two weeks. Also due to a computer virus I had to wipe my computer's memory, which lead to me losing a lot of the notes I had saved up on this story. This might result in some plot holes so please let me know if you see any.
Indeed time decided to prove Harry correct the next afternoon. It had started off alright enough Umbridge seemed a bit strict, but after Snape a bit strict wasn't all that out of the ordinary.
"Good afternoon class," Umbridge said in the annoyingly sweet tone of voice that always accompanied that statement.
"Good afternoon Professor," Harry replied cheerfully, there's no point in being rude when you don't have to after all.
"That won't do at all," Umbridge deigned not to notice Harry, "good afternoon class."
"Good afternoon Professor," the classes response was even more subdued than the first time.
Umbridge probably decided that she wouldn't get anything better out of them and so made no further attempt. Instead she said, "wands out, quills away."
Most of the class groaned at that, Harry however took it with a philosophical shrug, 'wizards think with their wands too much,' he thought to himself.
"Now I know that your teaching on this subject has been… somewhat disjointed," began Umbridge. "And the constant switching of teachers couldn't have helped your learning process all that much either." Harry resisted the urge to nod at that, it was after all commonsense. "In addition it seems as if some of your teachers didn't even bother to follow Ministry Teaching Regulations. The victims of this atrocious lack of professionalism unfortunately seems to be you, the students, you have tested far below the expectations for students in their O.W.L Year."
"Do not worry, order has been restored. We will be following a well thought out and carefully planned Ministry-approved curriculum. The goal of this new plan will be to teach you not just how to use defensive magic but when to use it."
'Sounds like a horrible corporate training video,' Harry thought idly to himself as he doodled a dragon eating a hippogriff. 'I'll name you Nora,' he thought as he tied to capture the pattern of the Dragon's scales.
"Copy down the following please," Umbridge rapped the board lightly with her wand and a course aims list appeared.
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 into a context for practical use.
Harry wasn't exactly an unbiased mind, but to him it looked like something he had once seen in a karate dojo Dudley had once attended. It had been one of those flyby night ones set up to cheat suburban moms out of their money. 'Leave it to the Government to turn defending yourself against a homicidal manic into a boring class,' He thought derisively.
Harry looked to either side of him as he thought and saw both of his friends diligently copying from the board. Then he made the decision that his time was better spent fleshing out the dragon's face. After everyone, or rather everyone but Harry was done copying Umbridge set them to reading the first chapter.
Harry had started to draw a second dragon who he called 'Humphrey,' sneaking up on the first dragon in an attempt to mate. He looked around to see if anyone would notice him narrating the episode in his best Steve Irwin impression when he noticed Hermione's hand.
From the look on her face it had been up for quite awhile and even Ron staring blatantly at her chest wasn't enough to induce her to put it down. Indeed Harry noticed that close to have the class had noticed Hermione's hand and had decided that she was more interesting then their assignment. For his part Harry returned to doodling and idly wondered just how big he should draw Humphrey's penis?
Umbridge must have eventually noticed Hermione as Harry was snapped out of his drawing by Umbridge's voice.
"Yes dear?" she asked in one of those annoyingly sweet voices that made most self respecting men want to throw up.
"I couldn't help but notice ma'am that there isn't anything on practical use?" Hermione asked. Harry for his part hadn't noticed, but now that it was pointed out to him he found that he couldn't care less if he tried. Given the schools track record he hadn't really expected to learn anything anyway.
"And your name is?" she asked looking down at her class list.
"Hermione Granger, ma'am."
"Ah yes, Practical use?" Umbridge asked derisively, "you aren't really expecting to be attacked are you Miss Granger?"
"Well if we aren't going to be attacked this sort of seems like a waste of time," Dean muttered from his seat in front of Harry.
"If you wish to make a statement please raise your hand," Umbridge snapped.
"We Aren't going to be practicing spells?" Ron proved once again that he was a very observant fellow.
"What did I just say Mr. Weasley?"
"But with respect Professor," Hermione began, "aren't we expected to perform the spells during our exams?"
"If you are sufficiently versed in theory, you will be more then capable of performing the spell when called upon to do so," Umbridge answered as if that ended the matter.
"But Professor if we haven't practiced before how can we-" Hermione tried to say before Umbridge cut her off.
"Your hand is not up Miss Granger," Umbridge was clearly happy about having dodged the question. Now I understand that you have been taught by a motley mix of characters. The vast majority of which need to have their sanity examined rather closely, not to mention dangerous half-breeds-"
"If you're talking about Lupin, he was the best we ever had!" interject Dean.
"I have warned you before Mr. Thomas and I will not warn you again. If you wish to speak you must raise your hand. Now as I was saying you have been exposed to spells far above what you could reasonably be expected to need. And as a result you have been conditioned to think that danger is around every corner."
"That's not true," cried Hermione, "we've bee-"
"I have warned Mr. Thomas, about raising his hand Miss Granger, do you think that you are somehow an exception to that rule? Now as I was saying it is my understanding that my predecessor did not only perform illegal spells in front of you but on you."
"And he turned out to be a Death Eater didn't he," Ron interrupted.
"Hand! Weasley," Umbridge was clearly annoyed at the constant blurting but it was working in her favor, by allowing her to dodge the questions she didn't want to answer.
Parvarti began with her hand in the air, "how are we supposed to perform a spell if we've never practiced it before? I mean isn't a practical demonstration an important part of our O.?"
"If you are sufficiently versed in theory there is no reason why you could not perform the spell in a safe and stress free testing environment," answered Umbridge.
"But if we are attacked it won't be a safe, stress free testing environment!" Ron said remembering to put his hand up at the very last moment.
"Are you expecting to be attacked in the near future Mr. Weasley?"
"No but neither was Cedric," Ron was displaying one of his few moments of intelligence.
"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge answered severely.
"And who reached this decision?" Harry knew that if he had stayed silent while she questioned his story it would be seen as an admission of guilt by many. And from the looks of the students around him they had been hoping to hear him say something about that night. "The appropriate members of the Ministry, Mr. Potter, and you also did not raise your hand," Umbridge's smile was sickly sweet.
"My sincerest apologies Professor," Harry said sarcastically, "It's just that I was under the impression that as the only witness to the murder-"
"Accident! Mr. Potter," Umbridge snapped.
"Incident," Harry corrected while smiling at having gotten a rise out of the teacher, "I was under the impression that I should've been called to testify?"
"The evidence was thought to be sufficient to proceed without your testimony," she replied.
"Of course, I'm sure that was what the Inquiry 'reported,' but what did this panel find?"
"As I said they found his death to be a tragic accident."
"Yes but what sort of accident?" Harry asked, "did he crash into the ground well riding a broom, did he perhaps eat something he was allergic to?"
"The Inquest found that Mr. Diggory died from blood loss after sustaining a wound during the tournament."
"Did the Inquiry make any attempt to see how much blood he had lost, oh what's the scientific term," Harry said searching for the words he had heard on one of those annoying crime shows that Petunia watched. "Pre and postmortem," harry said with a satisfied smile, "because I know he didn't bleed enough before he died for that to be the cause. Did the Inquiry make any attempt to interview other tournament participants who claimed to have been placed under the Imperious Curse?"
"Tell me Mr. Potter, are you a medical expert?" Umbridge asked in a falsely sweet voice.
"No, are you?"
"Excuse me," Umbridge asked rearing up.
"You were the Head of the Inquiry, and yet you are neither a legal or medical expert, can you tell me why that is?"
"It is not the purpose of this class to discuss Ministry appointment procedures Mr. Potter," Umbridge tried to dodge the subject.
"Do you know what I think?" Harry asked with a smile.
"Ten points from Gryffindor," Umbridge snapped.
"I think that you were made head of the inquiry because Fudge knew he could trust you to come to the right conclusion, am I correct?" From the corner of his eye Harry knew that he was swaying a few people to his side. Though in his opinion anyone who hadn't already seen that was worse then useless.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor, and remember Mr. Potter I'm your teacher and you should treat me with the proper respect."
"Yes you are my teacher," interrupted Harry, "odd how you always seem to be falling into jobs that you aren't qualified for. Unless of course you learned something about Defense in the Ministry of Agriculture?"
"Mr. Potter, come here," she said slowly and deliberately.
A lesser man might have reacted angrily to such summons and kicked his chair out in a futile and petulant display of anger. Harry was far to smart and far to collected to even think about that, it would only lower people's opinion of him and perhaps even get him in more trouble. So instead he took exaggerated care in making no noise as he rose, he doubted it impressed anybody but he it satisfied him.
Harry walked to the desk with a sublime air of untroubled confidence as Umbridge began to scribble out a note. She took a minute or two as Harry stood over her making a show of not looking at what she was writing.
"Please take this to Professor McGonagall dear," she said handing him the rolled up scroll she had been writing on.
"Of course Professor, it would be my pleasure," part of Harry wanted to bow mockingly but he got the impression that it might have been over the top. Instead he made his way back to his desk and grabbed his books, "see you next period," he whispered to Ron.
"Are you sure about that?" Ron replied back with a grin, Harry might've been the first person ever kicked out of class but neither were really worried.
"Shut up you too!" Hermione snapped, "do you want to get into more trouble?"
"Do you wish to join your friend Miss Granger," Umbridge said from the front of the class.
"But I was just-" Hermione began clearly shocked at being in trouble for once. Well once where it didn't involve some sort of reasonable excuse.
"You were just talking out of turn Miss Granger and I will not have it in this class!" Umbridge had apparently lost all of her limited patience dealing with Harry. "10 points from Gryffindor and I'll see you in here tomorrow for detention!"
"But, but, professor!" she looked to be on the verge of tears, at the injustice of it all, even Snape had never given her a detention.
"But me no buts," Harry muttered before he could stop himself. The look Hermione gave him could have frozen the Great Lake in the middle of July.
"Why are you still here Mr. Potter!" Umbridge said getting out from behind her desk.
"So, sorry, ma'am," Harry answered before ducking out of the room in what he hoped was a dignified fashion. He had the oddest impression that it wasn't, though he was happy enough to get away from the woman that he didn't really care. He had come through the first real challenge to his story all year and he done too shabby. He doubted that he had convinced anyone he was telling the truth but he was sure that he had at least made one or two people suspicious of Fudge.
"Potter!" came McGonagall's voice from down the hall, "why aren't you in class?"
"I've been sent to see you ma'am," Harry had been in his own world and McGonagall's voice had startled him.
"sent what do you mean sent?"
"Umbridge kicked me out," Harry contrived to look embarrassed even though he honestly couldn't have cared less.
"In my Office, Potter," she replied taking the scroll he handed her. She broke open the scroll and her eyes began to zoom across the page at breakneck speed as they walked towards her office. "Is this true?" she asked as they entered and sat down.
"Is what true?" Harry asked doing his best to look innocent.
"That you questioned her competence?" McGonagall answered glaring at him.
"Well I thought it was high time somebody did," Harry replied defensively, he knew that what ever McGonagall might say in public she liked a student that stuck to his guns.
"Is it true that you shouted at her?"
"Well I wouldn't define it as a shout," Harry was being truthful, his voice may have been raised but he was sure he hadn't actually shouted.
"You called her a liar?"
"Now that I didn't do, I might have called her integrity into question but I never accused her of lying. How could she have lied? She didn't pay enough attention to the facts to be able to lie about them."
"And you said that Cedric Diggory was murdered?"
"I heavily implied it," Harry replied evenly.
"Have a biscuit," she said gesturing to the tin on her desk.
"Thank you," Harry dug around a bit before finding a Ginger Newt.
"Potter, you need to be careful," McGonagall said in vaguely motherly manner, "misbehaving in Dolores Umbridge's class will cost you much more then a detention."
"I don't think she can do that much worse," Harry replied evenly.
"Did you listen to Umbridge's speech at the start of term?"
"Yes and I read the newspaper and I know all about the little power trip Fudge is going on," Harry replied before taking a bite of his cookie and wishing he had milk.
"Then you know what is at stack?" she asked.
"A short term loss of power, that will be counteracted as soon as Voldemort reveals himself?"
"No Mr. Potter she can make all of our lives very unpleasant," McGonagall looked as if she wanted to say more but didn't.
"She's living on borrowed time," Harry replied, "we need to hold strong to what we know is the truth now. If we don't scream it from the rooftops people may very well question are version of events."
"Let them question, time will vindicate us," McGonagall answered with the confidence of zealot. "But until it does, Umbridge has the power, you and me… we don't have nearly enough to make resistance worth it."
"All things considered I sooner make an enemy of Umbridge then the students," logically Harry knew that she was right, but he was far to proud to say as much to her face.
Maybe she sensed that he had come around to her way of thinking or maybe she decided he was a lost cause but either way she didn't press him. "You're more then old enough to make your own decision's Potter," she said with a sigh. "But in any case you will be reporting to Professor Umbridge for detention every night this week, starting tomorrow."
"Couldn't you-" Harry began to protest, more for forms sake then anything else.
"No I couldn't, she's your teacher and therefore has every right to give a detention. And before you ask no I will not explain the situation to Miss Johnson, you got yourself into this Mr. Potter, it will be good for you to have to deal with it yourself as well."
"Thanks for your help," Harry a little more sarcastically then he intended, "Professor," he added quickly. McGonagall in a rare show of lenience deigned not to notice his sarcasm and instead merely nodded him towards the door.
That night at dinner Harry couldn't help but be impressed once again at just how quickly news flashed around Hogwarts. 'They don't even have cell phones,' he marveled as a cavalcade of whispers broke out at his entrance.
"Thinks he fought You-Know-Who, poor boy's over the hill," he heard on person say as he went past the Hufflepuff Table. This didn't bring down Harry's spirits though as he noticed that more people were looking at him with admiration then he could have reasonably expected.
"I can't believe you!" Hermione said angrily as he took his customary seat between her and Ron. "It's bad enough that you got yourself in trouble, but did you have to drag me into it?"
"Hey, it's not my fault, I didn't make you talk," Harry answered, knowing that it was the wrong answer as soon as it came out of his mouth. When Hermione wanted to blame someone for something she would, it was as simple as that. And indeed after one angry retort she spent the rest of dinner glaring at him and Ron. It seemed to really unnerve his friend but Harry was more then capable of brushing her off.
"Potter!" came an angry voice from his left just as Harry was about to dig into a piece of treacle tart.
"Angelia, what can I do for you today," Harry said with a mournful sigh as he put down his fork.
"What kind of fucking game are you playing Potter! I told you this morning that I wanted everyone on the pitch for tryouts but did you fucking listen? No you didn't you, you…"
"Good afternoon Angelia lovely to see you too," only luck had kept her outburst from reaching the head table. "Do keep your voice down by the way, it would be a horrible irony if you end up next to me in detention."
"Just shut up Potter alright," she replied this time keeping her voice down, "listen you have to get out alright."
"If I could get out of detention I would have already done it," He answered reasonably.
"I don't care how you do it, say you'll do two later, offer to sleep with her something," Angelia said as Hermione gasped scandalously.
"Well she does look like she needs a good ride, though I somehow doubt that it'll work," Harry replied easily.
"I don't care Potter, just do something," Angelia finished before storming out.
"She's cheerful," Ron remarked as he finished off a slice of the treacle tart Harry had wanted.
"Stress of leadership mate," Harry replied noncommittally as he dug back into his meal. Shortly after that he had to put down the fork as Dumbledore had left the Hall. He said his goodbyes to Ron and Hermione as he headed towards Dumbledore's Office. The appointment had been setup in the summer and Harry hadn't really paid it any mind since.
To him whatever Dumbledore said wouldn't change anything. At the end of the day he would still want to break free of the old man and Dumbledore would still want to protect him. Whatever Dumbledore might say in this meeting would really only be a confirmation or at best an explanation of things he already knew, and there was no way around that.
"Fluffernutter," Harry said self-consciously as he reached the door. 'Why does he do that,' he wondered to himself as he ascended the stairs. He was tempted to pause and collect himself at the top of the stairs, but knowing Dumbledore even this small sign of unease would be observed and possibly exploited. So he decided to stiffen his upper lip and plunge ahead.
"Ah Harry please sit down," Dumbledore said in a calmly, "I must confess part of me was hoping that we wouldn't have to have this meeting, but alas the time is here."
"Yes sir," Harry felt almost awkward around a man who would confess weakness like that. He probably shouldn't have been surprised considering the events of the summer but somehow he was.
"I won't make excuses for my actions tonight, Harry, no doubt you heard more then enough of them last time."
"What is it that you are going to tell me sir," Harry prompted.
"Do you remember in your first year when you asked me why Voldemort target your parents?"
"Yes sir."
"At the time I could not, or rather would not. tell you. I thought at the time that it was too big of a burden for an 11 year old to handle. I believe that it was the right choice to make at the time, and indeed I still feel that it is too big of a burden for a fifteen year old to bear. But you have shown time and time again that you are far more mature then your age would otherwise indicate."
Harry resisted the urge to tune the old man out, it seemed as if he was going to repeat the same thing he had said in Grimmauld Place.
"I am at a loss how to put this, Harry, there was a prophecy made before your birth. The record of which now resides in the Department of Mysteries. Under other circumstances I would have taken you there to show you, but are relations with the Ministry as they are, I don't think that would be a good idea," he said with a rye smile.
"Luckily however I happened to be present when this prophecy was made. As I remember it was a rather cold night, I was headed to the Hog's Head to interview and applicant for the Divination post. It was of course against my better judgment to continue the teaching of that particular profession. I've felt that it was something better suited to a booth in Diagon then for a Hog-"
He went on that long and rambling vane for a little while, Harry was beginning to think that it was a nervous tick of Dumbledore's. If so it would be the first one he had ever been able to find one in Dumbledore who had always been sublimely confident.
"And as I got up to leave," Dumbledore had been plowing on, and had apparently not noticed Harry's distraction, "her voice went hoarse and then she uttered it. Perhaps it would be best if I showed you," he said as he stood up and retrieved his pensieve from a cupboard. He set it on the desk and taped the surface with his wand; suddenly the distinctly ridiculous face of Professor Trelawney rose from out off the depths.
"THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES… BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES… AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL RECEIVE THE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT… AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES… THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES."
Slowly Trelawney sunk back into the depths in the Pensieve leaving Harry momentarily stunned. "Its…" Harry paused again to collect his thoughts, "it's interesting but I suppose in the end that it doesn't really change anything. I think everyone knows that he wouldn't let me live, and I know that I wont ever feel safe until he's dead."
"Your attitude is certainly admirable," Dumbledore answered genuinely impressed with how well Harry handled it. "But this means that you will have to kill him… not everyone is capable of murder. In my experience most people cannot bring themselves to kill anything larger then a deer much less a human. To actually have someone's blood on your hands… it isn't an experience I would wish on you." Harry could tell that Dumbledore was speaking from the heart and he felt a small surge of affection for the old man, which he did his best to stifle.
"I've had blood on my hands since first year," Harry answered truthfully, "and Voldemort stopped being human, a long time ago."
Dumbledore nodded sagely, and looked at Harry with a great deal of affection and pride. 'Here was a boy… no a man' he thought to himself, 'who had reached out to the timid Neville and brought him out of his shell. Here was a man who had suffered so much in his life but had never lost his innocence. Here was a man who bore his cross without a single complaint, and who never tired of helping others. Here was a man who was more then willing to throw away his life to protect others.' And as Dumbledore looked over his glasses at the man who he considered akin to a son he couldn't help but feel his heart glow just being in the same room as such a noble figure.
Oh how little poor Dumbledore knew.
A/n Well that was a long time in coming, and once again sorry about the delays. Now one last thing it seems that a lot of you have caught onto a mistake that I made in forgetting about Dobby's transportation abilities. That was my bad, I won't be changing anything about the affected chapters however as it is a relatively minor mistake. As always read and review.
Shameless Self Promoting
I expect to have a new chapter of the Potter Papers out soon so I advise you all to take a look at that story. The basic idea of it is what would a person with actual military training and experience do in a wizard war. I've researched the topic extensively both through reading and talking with former and active duty military personnel. Luckily enough I happened to be in a position of knowing a few who were happy to enlighten me on certain subjects. I like to think I'm pulling it off rather well, but you can be the judge.
P.S. Sorry about that, hopefully that's the last time I do it.