Chapter Twenty Six: The Evil DADA Professor Umbridge:
It was a cold September Day Harry headed back to school. Really it should have been expected, with the break out from Azkaban a few weeks earlier and the Dementors refusing to guard the prison it seemed England was under a dismal depression. Harry was reading the Quibbler on the train while Neville was reading the Daily Prophet. The story of the day was how an unknown witch or wizard had involved Christian priests to destroy the Dementors. There was lots of talk going around about a little known law that had been passed when the statute of secrecy had been put in place, that provided for the attack and destruction of dark forces to be allowed by religious authority and that the magical world would not interfere if the attack was clearly justified. The talk now was all about this being justified or not.
"So what do you think Harry?" Neville said. "You think this is legal?"
"Yes I do, we cannot destroy Dementors, but the Christian priests can." Harry said. "Call the Dementors what they really are, demons and there you have it."
"Harry is right, Dementors are evil and never should have been used to guard a prison." Luna said from where she was curled up near the window. "Whoever notified the priest should be given an award."
"Can the goblins handle the prisoners?" Neville asked.
"Better than the Dementors." Harry said. "There has not been a mass breakout from any of the prisons run by goblins. In fact my godfather is the only one in over two hundred years to escape from a goblin guarded prison."
"And the last." Came Draco's voice from the doorway.
He walked into the compartment clad in his school robes his prefect badge in full view. He took a seat and reached for a cauldron cake and Luna smacked his hand away. Ron and Hermione came in and Ron gave Draco a look of don't start with me. Draco looked a bit peaked and pale and Harry wondered if he had met his dear auntie as of yet. Harry cast a spell so that no-one could over hear what was said in their compartment and Draco looked a bit nervous.
"So you meet her?" Harry asked quietly.
"Who Potter?" Draco snapped at him.
"Your aunt." Harry said. "AKA the bitch?"
"Yea I met her, she is insane, if not for my mother I doubt I would have survived." Draco said. "I really hate her. When she found out I was dating Ginny she got a bit violent, I am going to have to break it off with Ginny, I hate to hurt her but it is to keep her safe."
"So are you going to join Voldemort?" Harry asked Draco.
"I don't think I have a choice do I?" Draco said angrily. "If I don't aunt bitch will kill, if she does not my father surely will."
"Maybe we can help." Harry said quietly.
"How Potter?" Draco snarled. "You know we don't stand a chance, the dark lord has his spies everywhere, he is going to win."
"No, no he is not." Ron said. "Let us help."
"You know my father has the minister believing the dark lord is not back?" Draco said. "Your uncle was forced out of his job on a technicality and now guess who is coming to teach?"
"We know, Deloris Umbridge." Hermione said. "Look let us help, we can you know you are not alone."
"He is too powerful." Draco said getting up. "You don't understand his power!"
Before anyone could respond to that he was gone and Harry knew that Draco was scared and did not really want to join Voldemort. He had hoped that the tentative friendship that had begun last year would continue but it seemed as if it was not to be. Voldemort was pure evil for what he was doing and Harry wanted him dead. Only the Quibbler seemed to even care about printing the truth about Voldemort, the Daily Prophet refused to and had even fired Rita Skeeter! Harry knew Fudge was on their side and knew the truth and had to act this way to draw Voldemort out and his followers but it was hard to deal with when he was treated like he was a liar and insane by quite a bit of the Wizarding world.
When the train finally pulled into the station Harry was not in a good mood at all. Yes he wanted to be at school and yes he loved learning but he was not looking forward to what he had to face this year. He walked to the carriage that would take him to the school and looked at the Theserals he could now see thanks to seeing Karkaroff die just a few months ago. He got in with Ron, Hermione and Luna and sat back still feeling a bit moody. He stayed that way through dinner and his mood did not get much better the next day when he had to go to his first defense against the dark arts class with out Remus teaching. He took a seat in the back and took out his books knowing he was going to hate this class with Deloris Umbridge teaching the class.
She entered the class and Harry thought, much as he had the night before how toad-like she was. She was clad in bright pink robes with a matching bow on her head and she looked so very ugly and when she spoke she had a high pitched voice that drove Harry crazy. He hoped to just keep his head down, do his school work and not attract her attention. That was not to be as she zeroed in on him as she took roll. Harry knew this was going to be a long year if he had to hold his tongue in her class. He knew if he talked back to her Moody would make him realize that was a very bad idea with a ruler across his backside. Still he wanted to curse this woman to a pile of ash.
"Well if it isn't Hogwarts own celebrity." She said in her high pitched girlish voice as she called his name. "Or is it the boy who wants all the attention?"
"No professor." Harry said imagining transfiguring Umbridge into a toad. "I just want to learn what you have to teach."
"Really?" Umbridge said walking to where he was sitting. "I thought you liked to spread lies in worthless little rags that dare call themselves papers."
"What?" Harry said as calmly as he could then realizing what she had said, "oh the Quibbler, I read the Daily Prophet professor."
"Not interested in what the Quibbler has to say are you?" Umbridge said.
"No ma'am." Harry lied, "not at all, I am however looking forward to Quidditch this year, I do hope you come and watch, Fred and George Weasley are amazing beaters and Angelina well she is the best chaser right now."
"I see, well school is more than Quidditch Mr. Potter,." Umbridge said still trying to rile him up so she could give him a detention.
"Yes professor, but it does make people happy." Harry replied calmly.
After that class it was a good thing Harry had a break as he needed it. He was so angry he was about to blow and it was a good thing Moody took him into his office. Harry was so mad he barely registered that Sirius was there as he had been talking to Moody. Never had Sirius seen Harry this mad, he was so mad magic was crackling around him in waves of pure energy. His green eyes were fairly glowing he was so mad and Moody was very concerned as Harry was going to blow. He set up some spells around the office and conjured up some crockery and put it before Harry. He nodded to Harry giving him permission to throw as much as he needed to vent his anger.
"I hate her!" Harry shouted grabbing a plate and throwing it causing Sirius to nearly jump. "She is evil and cruel and she doesn't know what it was like! I am not crazy or stupid or lying! Voldemort is back!"
"You sure it is wise to let him do this?" Sirius said as Harry threw a jug that nearly hit him. "Oi that was a bit close!"
"He needs to vent, he will be fine." Moody said calmly as Harry threw another plate.
"Until the elves find out you stole their dishes." Sirius said ducking as a plate crashed behind his head. "Now what is it with you throwing things in my direction?"
"I am going to, to do something to her!" Harry shouted.
He continued to throw things and finally he wore himself out and took a seat. Moody understood he would need to vent somehow, better here than in front of Umbridge, she would make Harry's life hell for that. Letting him throw things that broke would help vent his volatile temper Moody knew and it had. Harry was much calmer now as he sat before Moody's desk. Moody waved his wand to remove the broken dishes just as Snape entered the office to speak to Moody. Harry took that as his cue to leave the office and as he had calmed down it was safe for him to do so.
"Thank you sir for letting me talk with you." Harry said at the door.
"Anytime Harry." Moody replied. "You will stay out of trouble or find yourself over my knee."
"Yes sir." Harry said leaving the grown wizards to talk.
"What happened in here?" Snape asked looking at the remains of the dishes.
"Harry needed to vent." Moody said. "Better here than out there where Umbridge is."
"She is a horrible woman." Snape said. "I do not like her."
"None of us do, I feel sorry for Remus." Sirius said as Moody warded the door again. "You know where he is?"
"Trying to bring the werewolves over to our side." Snape said. "Grayback is cunning, from what I have heard he treats his werewolves very good and that is hard for Remus to go up against that."
"We can only hope he survives." Sirius said.
"Oh he will, if I know him." Moody replied. "Now ye need t' get back t' work both of ye."
"Yes sir." Sirius said. "Off to help protect the school! While Severus flies back to his dungeons the greasy bat!"
"I loath you." Snape snarled at Sirius.
"Same here mutt." Snape said and as he walked out the door Sirius watched him walk away in a bellow of black robes.
"Just how does he do that?" Sirius asked. "Perfectly billowing robes should be a crime!"
"Well it's his secret, all I know is he scares the first years. Now I recall I seem to as well." Moody said.
"That is because you both ugly." Sirius said and at a glare from Moody. "Right then, I am going back to work sir."
Sirius did go back to work while Harry went back to his classes. There was a ray of hope at least, at the end of the week Quidditch practice would began again starting with tryouts for keeper. Harry was looking forward to this as Fred and George had said Ron would be at the tryouts that very Saturday. Finally the week was over and Harry headed down to the Quidditch pitch to watch as Angelica picked the keeper for the team. Fred and George came down with Ron and Ginny, Ron looked a bit angry and Ginny looked excited. Harry went against Ginny for seeker and found she was really quite good so good that she ended up as the reserve seeker. Ron did so well he ended up as the keeper for the team.
"Way to go Ron!" Harry said as Ron came over to where he was sitting. "You were the best."
"I-I don't know." Ron stammered.
"You were the best, the most focused." Neville said looking up from a thick book on herbology. "Angelica knows how to pick a good team, after all she learned well from Oliver."
"Yea she did at that." Harry said. "Oh great Fred and George are playing catch with the bludger."
"Trust them to do that." Ron said. "They get hurt professor Snape will not be happy, they have work to do for him."
"Yea they do at that." Hermione said walking up to sit by Ron. "You really were brilliant Ron."
"Thank you Hermione." Ron said grinning.
By the end of the first game of the year everyone knew how good Ron was as keeper. It was Gryffindor against Slytherin and unfortunately Harry got hit hard in the first part of the game by a bludger. It cracked his skull and he ended up in the hospital wing and Ginny took over as seeker in his stead. Ron was focused on the game, he flew perfectly, blocking the quaffle time and again. Fred and George were enjoying sending the bludger at the Slytherins and Angelica scored several times against the Slytherin keeper. Most of the school knew of the relationship the two seekers had and wondered if this would effect the game. Up in the air they saw the snitch at the same time.
"See you later Ginny. Draco said going in for a dive after it. "Too bad Harry is not here."
"I am just as good as him!" Ginny shot back at him diving faster than him. "See you later Draco."
"No way!" He said.
They were neck and neck, the ground coming up faster and faster and they both reached for the snitch. Snape actually was on his feet watching as his godson was getting too close to the ground. Both seekers pulled up at the same time and Ginny held something up and she was mobbed at once by the Gryffindor team as she came in to land. The Slytherin team landed and walked over to them and Ginny turned to face them as Draco walked up.
"Good game you fly really well." Ginny said extending her hand.
"So did you." Draco said. "Good game, looks like your brother is a good keeper."
"Yea but Ginny won the game." Ron said walking up.
"Yea she did," Draco said. "See you around."
Harry woke slowly in the hospital wing his head feeling heavy. He opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of Moody and Sirius over him and at the foot of the bed the whole Gryffindor team. By the looks on their faces he knew they had won and he managed a weak grin. He tried to sit up but Moody would not let him and so all he could do was lay there and watch as Ginny came up and smiled shyly at him.
"She was brilliant Harry." Fred said.
"Yea she really can fly good." George replied.
"That is because she had Harry to teach her." Ron added.
"Okay that is enough!" Poppy said walking out. "All of you out, all but you two." This to Moody and Sirius. "You may stay."
The Gryffindor team left with promises to have another celebration later when he got out of the hospital wing. Harry grinned and Moody tucked him in while Sirius turned to his doggy from and lay down by Harry. He was asleep before Harry was and his snores once more filled the hospital wing. Moody left Harry and Sirius there as he had work to do and knew Harry was in good hands or rather paws at this time…
Oh yes Harry has a temper! Good thing Moody let him vent as he did, better there than against a teacher and get in real trouble. Having Ginny as backup seeker well that would be a great idea as she deserves to be part of the team and would play very well.
As always I want to thank all who have reviewed so far: Tumshie, The Geeky Quill, graypheonix, Lady Clark-Weasley of Books, JWOHPfan, AllMightyPen, DeliaDee, Rainbow2007, Charcoal Hunter Winston, danielle72679, HarrySirius Fan, Auralia Mortimer, world peace, kloette, excessivelyperky, Blueowl, Tristan Cartier, Frost Merry Darkness Luver, miss sophie potter, Black Dragin, jabarber69, murdrax, panther73110, tlfsjs, Novice91, 808Gansta-bookworm, cyiusblack, kahpfan, MULAN-IFUWEREGAY, hug-me, spacemonkey1129…