Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The train ride to Hogwarts was largely uneventful. Evangeline and Ron ate their weight in sweets, and Baldrick stood on his hind legs, paws on the window and staring out at the world as it whipped by. Evangeline so loved the train ride to Hogwarts, and didn't mind the time it took at all. The hills were so beautiful during August.
She was glad to finally sit down at the dinner table with her friends, having left Baldrick to be taken up to her dormitory.
"I hope Dumbledore's speech isn't long, I'm starving." Evangeline said, tapping the wood of the table.
"You ate so many sweets on the train." Hermione commented. Evangeline and Ron raised their eyebrows at her.
"But that's sweets..." She said, as if it were obvious. Hermione raised her eyebrows.
"So?"
"Sweets don't count as proper food... They're just sweets." Ron said, looking at Hermione as if she were mental.
Hermione opened her mouth to reply to the contrary, but Harry spoke:
"Hagrid's not there..." He said, eyeing the head table. "It's that Grubbly-Plank woman."
Evangeline, Hermione and Ron scanned the table too. It would've been difficult to miss Hagrid sitting at the table, due to his great size.
"You don't think he's: hurt, or anything, do you?" said Hermione uneasily.
"No." Said Harry and Evangeline instantly.
"Maybe he's not back yet. You know - from his mission - the thing he was doing over the summer for Dumbledore." Harry said quietly, so no one else hear but them.
''Yeah: yeah, that'll be it," said Ron, sounding reassured, but Hermione bit her lip, looking up and down the staff table as though hoping for some conclusive explanation of Hagrid's absence.
"Who's that?" she said sharply, pointing towards the middle of the staff table. Their eyes followed hers. Dumbledore's head was inclined towards a woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear. She looked wholly unpleasant; was Evangeline's first instinct; squat, with short, perfectly styled hair she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes.
"She looks like a squeezed toad." Evangeline commented, eyebrow raised. Ron scoffed.
"It's that Umbridge woman!" Harry said quickly.
'"Who?" said Hermione. '
"She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge!"
''Nice cardigan," said Ron, smirking, making Evangeline laugh slightly.
"She works for Fudge!" Hermione repeated, frowning.
"That can't be good..." Said Evangeline darkly, shaking her head.
A few seconds later, the doors from the Entrance Hall opened. A long line of scared-looking first-years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard's hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim. Evangeline remembered how scared she'd been right before the sorting, hoping that she would get put in Gryffindor with the Weasley's.
Once the hat was set down, it came out with a monumentally long song about the founding of Hogwarts and the different houses.
"Bloody hell... Went for it this year didn't he?" Evangeline said once the hat had finally finished.
"Too right it has." Harry said.
After that, the sorting seemed to go on, forever. Evangeline could hear Ron's stomach rumble during any quiet, and both eventually gave up on clapping after every person, growing impatient.
Dumbledore stood eventually; the way he held himself and exuberated power putting the whole room at ease.
"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.
Evangeline let out a delighted groan, and along with Ron, began piling food onto her plate in appreciation.
During the meal, Evangeline noticed Seamus looking at Harry occasionally, and not very pleasantly. She had half a mind to tell him to bugger off and get back to his dinner.
"I dunt fink dat Harids goin tshow u' tonigh'." Evangeline said through a mouthful of potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. Ron nodded in agreement, and Harry and Hermione looked at her with confusion.
"I really can't understand you when you talk with your mouth full." Hermione said, shaking her head. While Evangeline tried to swallow with some pumpkin juice, Ron translated.
"She said she doesn't think Hagrid's going to show up tonight." He said.
"Thank you Doctor Doolittle." Harry said with a smirk at Evangeline, who stuck two fingers up at him while Ron looked confused at the reference.
After plates were cleared, and drinks were consumed, Dumbledore stood again, and prepared to make his speech.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons, while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave;" the four looked at each other with relief. We are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a round of punctured applauge, during which Harry, Ron, Evangeline and Hermione exchanged slightly panicked looks; Dumbledore had not said for how long Grubbly-Plank would be teaching.
Dumbledore continued,
"Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the-"
He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as they had ever seen it.
No one ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.
"McGonagall looks annoyed." Evangeline whispered to Ron; who smirked when he looked at her.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome." Her voice was high pitched and sickly sweet; an irritating assault on the ear in Evangeline's opinion.
"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!" No one in the room looked happy at all. Theyall looked surprised at being addressed as though they were five years old. "I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.
"That's likely." The twins grumbled.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ('hem, hem'), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever."
Hermione and Evangeline exchanged frowns at her words.
Umbridge's speech seemed to go on forever, and students began to lean on their arms boredly, eyes glassing over.
"...Let us preserve what must be preserves, perfect what can be perfected, and prohibit practices that ought to be prohibited." She gave a slight giggle, and smiled at the room, before walking back to her seat.
Dumbledore applauded first, and soon some of the room did.
"What a load of waffle..." Ron said.
"What's it mean?" Asked Harry.
Evangeline and Hermione gave each other a dark look.
"It means the Ministry is Interfering at Hogwarts." She said, looking stony faced.
...
The common room was abuzz when Harry, Hermione and Evangeline arrived. But the noise dissipated into whispers at the sight of him, and people shamelessly broke from conversation as they looked round to see him. Harry noticed, there was no way he couldn't.
They tried to go on like normal, Evangeline walked over to Neville, who was sitting by himself tending to his Mimblus Mimlbetonia; all the while keeping an eye on Harry.
"Good holiday Nev?" Evangeline smiled, leaning on the wall beside him.
"Yeah, glad to be back though, you?"
"Same, same." She grinned, although looking at Harry.
"Dean, Seamus." Harry said, addressing them both who were sitting at a table, trying to stay casual. "Good holiday?"
"Alright." Said Dean. "Better than Seamus's, anyway."
At this Seamus threw down his paper and stood, Evangeline clenched her fist behind her reactively.
"Me mam didn't want me to come back this year." He said, with an accusatory tone to his voice.
"Why?" Asked Harry, looking slightly annoyed.
"Well, let me see, because of you... The Daily Prophet's been saying a lot of things about you Harry, and about Dumbledore as well."
"What? And your mum believes them?" Harry's voice rose slightly.
"Well, no one was there the night Cedric died."
"Well I guess you should read the Prophet then like your stupid mother, it'll tell you everything you need to know."
"Don't you dare talk about my mother like that!"
"I'll have a go at anyone that calls me a liar."
The whole room was watching this play out by now.
Evangeline went to walk forward and stop them both, but Ron got there first, emerging from the portrait hole having been sending an owl.
"What's going on?" He asked, walking to stand beside Harry.
"Do you believe the rubbish he's coming out with about You-Know-Who?" Seamus said to Ron harshly.
"Yeah, I do." Ron said firmly, and Evangeline felt a surge pride at him sticking up for Harry. "Has anyone else got a problem with Harry?" He looked around the room challengingly, and no one spoke up. Harry turned on his heel and made his way upstairs, Ron gave Seamus a harsh look, before following him.
"Back to your knitting everyone." Evangeline said loudly to the room; who were still looking nosily at where the row had happened. Talk commenced again, and Evangeline let out a sigh and sat herself on the couch, enjoying the heat of the great fireplace, and the soft material of the couch.
Ron joined her a few minutes later, looking slightly put out.
"What's up?" Evangeline asked tiredly, looking at the fire.
"Asked Harry if he was okay and he just jumped down my throat." He grumbled.
"I wouldn't take it to heart. He's been very wound up lately." She yawned. "It was very good of you to stand up to everyone today. You're such a good friend, Ron." She rested her small hand over his larger one between them on the couch, and stayed like that a moment. It was strange how something so simple caused his heart to pound in his ears. "Bed for me I think. I expect Baldrick's waiting for me." She broke the contact and stood and bent down to give Ron a small hug. "Night night." She smiled.
"Night night." He smiled back. She left him again with the smell of honey in his nostrils.
...
The enchanted ceiling was miserable and grey when they arrived for breakfast the next morning. Hagrid was once again absent from the head table, much to the quartet's dismay.
Angelina came over and told them she'd been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, and that she wanted to whole team present for tryouts.
"I'd forgotten Wood had left," said Hermione vaguely as she sat down beside Ron and pulled a plate of toast towards her. "Missing him Evey?" She sent a sly grin to her, and Evangeline rolled her eyes. Ron's ears pricked up at this.
"All I ever said was that he's a very good looking boy." She said, smiling slightly. It was true, Oliver was very attractive. Ron's ears felt hot and he squeezed his fork a little tighter. "It'll make a bit of difference to the team won't it?" She said, putting a few slices of toast onto her plate.
"I's'pose," said Harry, taking the bench opposite. "He was a good Keeper."
"Still, it won't hurt to have some new blood, will it?' said Ron, casting a look at Evangeline, who smiled at him. She knew he was planning to try out.
Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table handing out timetables. "
"Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defence Against the Dark Arts: Binns, Snape, Trelawney and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted."
"You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like." Fred and George appeared behind them.
"Why's it cheap?" said Ron suspiciously.
"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," said George, helping himself to a kipper.
"Cheers," said Ron moodily, pocketing his timetable, "but I think I'll take the lessons."
"I dunno..." Evangeline took a mouthful of her scrambled egg. "I'm starting to think death'd be better than listening to Umbridge's bloody voice for an hour."
"D'you reckon it's true this year's going to be really tough? Because of the exams?'' Harry asked.
"Oh, yeah," said Ron. "Bound to be, isn't it? OWLs are really important, affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice, too, later this year, Bill told me. So you can choose what NEWTs you want to do next year."
"Can't do much worse than Fred an George though." Evangeline laughed, and promptly earned a ball of paper to the head, care of George.
"D'you know what you want to do after Hogwarts?" Harry asked, as they left the Great Hall shortly afterwards and set off towards their History of Magic classroom.
"Not really," said Ron slowly. "Except; well." He looked slightly sheepish.
"What?" Harry urged him.
"Well, it'd be cool to be an Auror." He said quickly. "But they're like, brilliant wizards."
"Like you then." Evangeline grinned, not liking when Ron undersold himself; Ron went pink, and smiled to himself, making Hermione and Harry shake their heads at each other.
History of Magic could definitely be used as a form of torture in Evangeline's opinion. Hermione seemed to be the only one listening as Binns droned on and on, and Evangeline, Ron and Harry wrote notes to each other on a scrap piece of parchment, and played hangman. Evangeline didn't even bother putting on her glasses.
'Exciting first day, eh?'
Evangeline wrote, her writing rather slanted, but scratchy. Ron and Harry smirked.
'Do you reckon that he even noticed that he died? He was just mid lesson and continued droning on as a ghost...'
Ron and Harry hunched over in silent laughter, and Hermione looked at them with disapproval.
"How would it be," she asked them coldly, as they left the classroom for break, "if I refused to lend you my notes this year?"
"We'd fail our OWL," said Ron. "If you want that on your conscience, Hermione."
"Well, you'd deserve it," she snapped. "You don't even try to listen to him, do you?"
"We do try." Said Evangeline, putting an arm around Hermione's shoulder. "We just haven't got your brains or your memory or your concentration – you're just a lot cleverer than us Hermione... Brilliant really."
"Oh, don't give me that rubbish," said Hermione, although unable to fight off a smile.
It was drizzling outside, the sky a dark grey as the rain fell finely on them. The four turned the collars of there robes up against the September chilled, and found cover under a dripping balcony, where Evangeline and Ron sat themselves on a stone bench.
"Double Potions is going to be a nightmare." Evangeline said, running a hand through her hair.
Ron groaned. "Ugh, I almost forgot about that. I bet he makes it really difficult, just to catch us out on our first day."
"That is the kind of thing he'd do."
Cho Chang came over a moment later to speak to Harry, and he went visibly pink.
"Someone has a little crush." Evangeline leaned over and said to Ron quietly. Ron breathed in deeply.
"You can say that again..." He thought.
The conversation went on awkwardly, and Ron grumbled about her Tornados badge, and she left, leaving Harry pink and embarrassed. They set off to the Dungeons not long after, and got in line for outside Snape's door with Neville.
"Looking forward to this lesson Neville?" Evangeline nudged him teasingly, and he let out a nervous laugh, going a bit pink. Ron noticed, and narrowed his eyes a little.
"Potions isn't really my thing..." He said.
"Nah, but you're a Herbology genius. I might even need a hand with that this year." She said, and Neville swallowed and nodded.
"I'll help you with that." He shyly smiled.
"Thanks Neville." She smiled back brightly, as they entered the Potions classroom.
Harry, Ron, Evangeline and Hermione made their way to their usual table at the back. Evangeline sat with Ron on her right, Harry on her left and Hermione at the end.
Ron found himself glaring at the back of Neville's head like he wanted it to explode.
"Settle down," said Snape coldly, shutting the door behind him. Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure a class's silence. "Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an "Acceptable" in your OWL, or suffer my: displeasure."
His gaze lingered this time on Neville, who gulped. "After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye."
"With any luck." Evangeline whispered to Harry.
"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students. Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing."
On Harry's left, Hermione sat up a little straighter, her expression one of utmost attention. "The ingredients and method-" Snape flicked his wand "- are on the blackboard-" (they appeared there) "- you will find everything you need –" he flicked his wand again "- in the store cupboard-" (the door of said cupboard sprang open)- "you have an hour and a half: start."
Just as they had predicted, Snape could hardly have set them a more difficult, fiddly potion. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in anti-clockwise directions; the heat of the flames on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.
"Oh for fuck's sake." Evangeline groaned through her teeth after messing up slightly. Hermione looked at her scoldingly. "I swear to God he's pre-punishing us or some shit."
"Evangeline, stop swearing." Hermione warned.
"Sorry..." She let out a long breath. There was no doubt she was a frustration swearer. "SHIT." She hissed, a few seconds later, having dipped her robe sleeve in the mixture. She took it off down to her shirt, and rolled up the sleeves.
She managed to get it back on track eventually, as with Hermione, although her silver vapor seemed slightly more perfect.
"Nice, if you get it right it smells like what calms you down." Evangeline breathed it in. "What is it for you?" She asked Hermione, who sniffed in slowly.
"Fresh parchment, clean clothes... My mum's perfume." She smiled gently. "You?"
Evangeline sniffed in hers. "Treacle tart, and fish and chips, seawater and..." She breathed in again. "Molly's apron." '
"And Ron's jumper."
Ron smiled over at her, which made him add another wrong ingredient.
"C'mere Ron, try this." She tugged on his robe sleeve, and pulled him over gently. He leaned over her potion and breathed it in.
"Butterbeer, freshly made bread, grass and..." Ron licked his lips and glanced at Evangeline, she looked lovely with her glasses on.
"Honey."
"Nothing." He bustled off back to his potion.
...
After lunch, Divination was the order of the day, and Harry, Ron and Evangeline made their way there, up the spiral staircase before climbing the ladder.
"No looking up my skirt Ron." Evangeline teased, making his ears go pink, as she so tended to do. She found them a good table at the back, where they sat at either side of her. Evangeline couldn't help but enjoy Divination, even though it was a load of old rubbish, it was entertaining to watch Trelawney go off on one about someone's mortality. Evangeline leaned forward and poised her hands above the crystal ball that rested on the velvet- covered table.
"Oooooh, I am seeing dark things in your future Harry Potter." Evangeline closed her eyes, doing a pretty spot on impression of Professor Trelawney. "I see great trouble in your future..." She said; Ron and Harry smirked. "You- You will have to sit through an entirely pointless and boring lesson and... OH! You will have your untimely death predicted, and OH! There will be no apple pie left at dinner!" Her voice became gradually more dramatic and grave, so Harry and Ron laughed.
"Good-day," said Professor Trelawney in her usual misty, dreamy voice, and Evangeline shut up. "And welcome back to Divination. I have, of course, been following your fortunes most carefully over the holidays, and am delighted to see that you have all returned to Hogwarts safely - as, of course, I knew you would."
Evangeline grinned to herself, thoroughly entertained.
"You will find on the tables before you copies of The Dream Oracle, by Inigo Imago. Dream interpretation is a most important means of divining the future and one that may very probably be tested in your OWL. Turn, please, to the introduction and read what Imago has to say on the matter of dream interpretation. Then, divide into pairs. Use The Dream Oracle to interpret each others most recent dreams. Carry on."
"We'll work as a three." Ron said immediately, turning back to Harry and Evangeline, who nodded.
Reading the introduction to the Dream Oracle took the best part of the lesson, leaving not much time to talk about their dreams.
"I never remember my dreams," said Ron, "you say one."
"You must remember one of them," said Harry impatiently. "What about you Evey?"
Evangeline thought back to the last dream she had:
She was standing in the room full of old furniture at the Black House. Having just had a frustrated rage about Harry's hearing at the Ministry.
"Er... Evangeline..." The door creaked open slowly, and a slightly fearful looking Ron's head poked round. Evangeline straightened her t-shirt and let out breath before turning to him, her face slightly sullen. "Are you alright?" He asked tentatively, stepping into the room entirely.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She sighed, and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry just... Y'know..." She shrugged.
"Yeah," Ron suddenly crossed the room and took her head into his hands, kissing her fervently. She kissed back with equal vigor, tangling her fingers into his scruffy locks, and punching their bodies together as closely as she could. He backed her up into one of the dusty old table until she was in a sitting position, and her legs were at either side of his hips. He tugged her t-shirt over her head roughly, ruffling her hair, before bringing his lips to hers again...
"Evey." Harry clicked his fingers in front of her eyes, and she came out of her daydream.
"Uh..." She cleared her throat, her voice croaky. "Just... Something about going to the seaside with Hagrid in a Hawaiian shirt..." She lied.
When the bell went, he and Ron led the way back down the ladder, Ron grumbling loudly.
"D'you realise how much homework we've got already? Binns set us a foot-and-a-half-long essay on giant wars, Snape wants a foot on the use of moonstones, and now we've got a month's dream diary from Trelawney! Fred and George weren't wrong about OWL year, were they? That Umbridge woman had better not give us any."
When they entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom they found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher's desk, adorned entirely in pink once more, hands clasped in front of her, and smiling oh so sweetly.
Evangeline didn't trust her.
"Well, good afternoon!" she said, when the class was seated. No one replied. "Tut tut, that won't do now will it? I should like you, please, to reply, 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge.' One more time, please. Good afternoon class."
"Good afternoon Professor Umbridge." They monotonously chanted back. Evangeline cast a glance at Harry and Ron, who were sitting behind her and Hermione.
"Now, Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations." She swished her wand, and the chalk wrote on the board. "Study hard, and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe."
She waved her wand, and a two piles of books floated down between the desks, and two books were dropped on each.
"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly, uneven." She went on. "But you will be pleased to know that from now on you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry approved course of defensive magic. Yes?" She looked at Hermione, who had raised her hand.
"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells." She said inquiringly.
"Using spells?" Umbridge giggled. "Why, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."
"Because it's Defence Against the Dark Arts... Not Defence Against Poor Literature." Evangeline said, slightly testily, and a few snickers were heard. Umbridge gave Evangeline a pointed look, although her smile didn't faded; and admittedly, it frightened her a bit.
"It would be prudent, Miss Brown, to blunt a sharp tongue in my classroom."
Evangeline pursed her lips, and squeezed her thumb under the table.
"You will learn about using defensive spells, in a secure, risk free way." She went on.
"But if we're going to be attacked then it won't be risk free." Harry spoke up, Umbridge had turned back to walk back to her desk.
"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." Her voice was harsh, but when she turned back, her smile was etched onto her face.
"It is the view, of the Ministry, that a theoretical knowledge will be enough to get you through you examinations, which after all, are what school is all about.
"And how's theory going to protect us against what's out there?" Harry's voice was rising again.
"There is nothing out there, dear. Who do you imagine would want to attack children, like yourself?" Umbridge clasped her hands together.
"I don't know, maybe, Lord Voldemort." Harry said firmly. Someone dropped their pencil, people flinched, and murmurs spread throughout the classroom. Umbridge did not flinch, she merely stared at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face.
"Ten points from Gyffindor, Mr Potter." She said, before addressing the whole class again. Evangeline's anger slowly rose, and she found herself hurting her own thumb. "You have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."
"It is NOT a lie!" said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him!"
"Detention, Mr Potter!" said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners.'"
Professor Umbridge sat down behind her desk. Harry, however, stood up.
"Harry, no!" Hermione whispered urgently, tugging at his sleeve.
"She's right Harry." Evangeline hissed; he just jerked out of reach.
"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.
"Cedric Diggory's death, was a tragic accident."
"Voldemort killed him and you know it." Harry was shaking.
Professor Umbridge's face was quite blank. Evangeline thought she was about to go off on a mad rage. Then she said, in her softest, most sweetly girlish voice,
"Come here, Mr Potter, dear." He kicked his chair aside, and strode to the teacher's desk, Evangeline, Ron and Hermione watched him closely; everyone seemed to hold their breath.
Professor Umbridge pulled a small roll of pink parchment out of her handbag, stretched it out on the desk, dipped her quill into a bottle of ink and started scribbling, hunched over so that Harry could not see what she was writing. Nobody spoke. "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear," said Professor Umbridge, holding out the note to him. He took it from her without saying a word, turned on his heel and left the room, not even looking back at Evangeline, Ron and Hermione, slamming the classroom door shut behind him.
Evangeline looked at Hermione, who was stony faced.
They didn't like Professor Umbridge, not at all.
...
Dinner that evening wasn't particularly pleasant. Word had spread fast about Harry shouting at Umbridge, and people were not too quiet about talking about him, obviously trying to provoke another outburst.
"Piss off you little midget." Evangeline had snapped at one tiny Hufflepuff who had come to sit at their table just to talk about Harry so he could hear.
"Oh, let's get out of here." Hermione slammed down her own knife and fork; Ron looked longingly at his half-finished apple pie but followed suit. People stared at them all the way out of the Hall.
Rain pounded on the windowpanes as they strode along the empty corridors back to Gryffindor Tower. Evangeline felt as though the first day couldn't have gone by any worse, and she would have much loved to take Baldrick for a little walk and get in bed. But alas, she had a ton of homework to do.
They arrived at the Fat Lady and Hermione said the password quickly, the portrait swung open to reveal the hole behind it and the four of them scrambled through it. The common room was almost empty; nearly everyone was still down at dinner. Baldrick bounded over to meet Evangeline, and she grinned and picked him up. His two bowls sat in the corner, which filled up with food and water when he needed it throughout the day. Evangeline sat in one of the armchairs, and Baldrick curled himself up in her crossed legs.
"How can Dumbledore have let this happen?" Hermione cried suddenly, making them jump; Crookshanks leapt off her, looking affronted. She pounded the arms of her chair in fury, so that bits of stuffing leaked out of the holes.
"How can he let that terrible woman teach us? And in our OWL year, too!"
"Well, we've never had great Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, have we?" said Harry.
"Yeah, like Hagrid says though, everyone reckons it's jinxed." Evangeline said, scratching Baldrick's ears.
"Yes, but to employ someone who's actually refusing to let us do magic! What's Dumbledore playing at?" Hermione grumbled.
"And she's trying to get people to spy for her," said Ron darkly. "Remember when she said she wanted us to come and tell her if we hear anyone saying You-Know-Who's back?"
"I think we expected that though Ron, I mean, I'm starting to think that Fudge is a bit off his rocker lately." Evangeline said, frowning.
"Can't we just-let's just do that homework, get it out of the way." Harry said, the subject clearly bringing them down. They collected their schoolbags from a corner and returned to the chairs by the fire. People were coming back from dinner now, and still staring at Harry shamelessly.
"Shall we do Snape's stuff first?" said Ron, dipping his quill into his ink. "The properties of moonstone and its uses: in potion-making." he muttered, writing the words across the top of his parchment as he spoke them. "There." He underlined the title, then looked up expectantly at Hermione. "So, what are the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making?"
Evangeline, Harry and Ron looked at her expectantly.
...
Evangeline was in her element the next day with lessons. Charms and Transfiguration. She could do that; she'd always been far more practically skilled than theoretically. If only Umbridge let them use their wands in lessons, she could have really shone; she always did in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Flitwick and McGonagall both spoke at length about the importance of studying for their owls, before they practiced a Summoning Charm in Flitwick's, and a Vanishing Spell in McGonagall's. Evangeline managed both on the first attempt.
Care of Magical Creatures came in the afternoon, and it was a cool and breezy day, they felt a few raindrops on their faces on their way down to near Hagrid's cabin where Grubbly-Plank's lesson was taking place.
When Evangeline, Harry, Ron and Hermione reached her, a loud shout of laughter sounded behind them; turning, they saw Draco Malfoy striding towards them, surrounded by his usual gang of Slytherin cronies. He had clearly just said something highly amusing, because Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and the rest continued to snigger heartily as they gathered around the trestle table and, judging by the way they all kept looking over at Harry, the subject of the joke wasn't hard to guess.
Evangeline glared daggers at Pansy Parkinson. She hated them all, but Pansy bloody Parkinson was one of the worst. Just the sight of her stupid sour face made her blood boil, and the way she sneered at them all was enough to make her want to put her wandless magic into practice.
"Let's crack on then. Who can tell me what these things are called?" Grubbly-Plank indicated the heap of twigs in front of her. Hermione's hand shot into the air. Behind her back, Malfoy did a buck-toothed imitation of her jumping up and down in eagerness to answer a question, and Pansy shrieked with laughter.
Evangeline went for them fists clenched, but Ron gripped her lower arm tightly.
"Don't bother." He whispered, although glaring angrily at them. The lesson went on, and they were asked to sketch the Bowtruckles and their body parts. Evangeline noticed Harry headed to stand near Grubbly-Plank while he worked, Evangeline followed him.
"Where's Hagrid?" he asked her, while everyone else was choosing Bowtruckles.
"Never you mind," said Professor Grubbly-Plank stiffly.
Smirking, Draco Malfoy leaned across Harry and seized the largest Bowtruckle.
"Maybe," said Malfoy in an undertone, so that only the group could hear him. "The stupid great oaf's got himself badly injured." Evangeline felt anger surge through her.
"Maybe, you'll end up with a Bowtruckle lodged up your ar-" Evangeline icily began.
"On with your sketch please Brown!" Grubbly-Plank ordered quickly. Evangeline looked Malfoy dead in the eye, slipped passed him, never breaking eye contact and picked one up. He looked back just as challengingly, before walking away.
"Ugh, I hate him."
"'Bowtruckle lodged up your arse'?" Harry laughed slightly; Evangeline chuckled.
The walked to Ron and Hermione who were squatting on the crass, encouraging a Bowtruckle to stay still so they could sketch it.
"Here, hold this down so I can draw its face." Hermione said, Harry did so, and Hermione began to sketch. She was kneeling beside Ron, so he could smell her hair and perfume again, she shivered slightly, and he almost offered her his robe, when:
"Yes," came Malfoy's clear drawl from the group nearest them, "Father was talking to the Minister just a couple of days ago, you know, and it sounds as though the Ministry's really determined to crack down on sub-standard teaching in this place. So even if that overgrown moron does show up again, he'll probably be sent packing straightaway."
Evangeline bit her lip so hard she almost broke the skin, but just about managed to tune him out. Apparently Harry squeezed his Bowtruckle in his fingers, causing them to bleed.
Crabbe and Goyle, who had already been guffawing at the idea of Hagrid being sacked, laughed still harder as the Bowtruckle set off at full tilt towards the Forest, a little moving stick-man soon swallowed up among the tree roots.
When the bell rang across the ground, the four stood hastily, handed in their pictures and set off toward Herbology.
...
Friday rolled around soon enough, the time of the Keeper trials. Angelina didn't want anyone watching who wasn't on the team, and Harry was at his last detention, leaving Hermione and Evangeline waiting around the fire for Ron to return.
"I hope he gets it." Evangeline was sitting on the edge of her armchair, playing with the end of her tie. Hermione was finishing off some homework leisurely.
"It's adorable how much you worry about him." She smiled to herself. Evangeline felt her cheeks heat up.
"I- I don't worry about him..." She weakly defended. Hermione put down her quill and looked up at Evangeline, whom avoided her eye.
"Really?" She raised her eyebrow skeptically.
"Really." Evangeline said, but her voice cracked badly. "I just... I want him to do well."
"Of course Evey..." Hermione smiled to herself, and went back to her homework. Evangeline loved her best friend, but truly hated how she was always right sometimes.
The portrait swung open, and Ron could be seen emerging from the hole. Evangeline stood hastily, and everyone else in the common room looked on eagerly, wanting to see who would be the new addition to their team.
"Well?" Evangeline said, expectantly.
Ron grinned. "I'm Keeper!" There was a cheer heard around the room, and Evangeline grinned.
"I'm so proud of you!" She said excitedly, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He hugged her back, smiling widely and thoroughly pleased with himself. He'd been happy when he won the place, but having Evangeline pressed against him so he had a nose-full of her perfume, and could feel her breasts against his chest made him feel even better.
"I could just kiss her, right now... She might not stop me..."
They finally pulled apart from their long hug, she was beaming at him happily.
"Evey..." He said softly, stepping a little closer to her.
"Party time!" Fred's voice rang through the common room, and George promptly turned on some music to everyone's cheers.
"Yaay!" Evangeline grinned, clapping her hands together delightedly. Ron felt a slightly blow, but forced a smile, and went back to thinking about his triumph.
Butterbeers were passed around soon after, and the mood in the common room was merry. Angelina and Katie got Ron to try on Oliver's old uniform, and when he returned she was sitting on the couch between Fred and George, laughing heartily at their jokes, occasionally clutching her stomach.
She'd loosened her tie and undone a few buttons on her shirt, her curls had become flyaway, and her cheeks were pink from laughter.
Ron found himself unsure of how long he'd be able to keep looking at her the way he did, without doing something about it.
The weekend couldn't have arrived quickly enough. After a strenuous week of lessons, and Harry's terrible detentions with Umbridge, the four were in desperate need of a break. Evangeline woke up first, for a change, and stretched out her shoulder blades, feeling far more alert than usual in the mornings. She allowed Baldrick to nest himself in her sheets once she stood, and skipped over to Hermione's bed, which was beside hers.
"Hermione." She said in a sing-song voice, shaking her shoulder. "Hermione Grangerrr."
"What?" She asked quietly, putting her hands over her eyes. "It's Saturday isn't it?"
"Yes, it's Saturday my dear. Which means that it's time for us to go and watch Ron and Harry at Quidditch Practice."
"Oh, alright." Hermione yawned and sat up, before a dawning expression crossed her face. "Ugh, I can't, I have a huge Ancient Runes essay to write."
"Oh damn. Alright then mate. I'll see you at lunch." Evangeline smiled, before dressing for the cold, and heading out.
The team was early practicing, so she decided to grab a few slices of toast from the breakfast table and head out, where she guessed they were in the changing rooms. She made her way up to the stands before stopping dead. The Slytherin Quidditch team was sitting in the stands, along with other assorted hangers on. Evangeline screwed up her face in annoyance, and ignored their jeers a she passed, and seating herself alone, a few rows behind them. She bit into her toast and hugged herself against the cold. September was just getting cooler and cooler.
The team emerged not long later, and Evangeline grinned and resisted the urge to stand and applaud. Ron looked undeniably lovely in his uniform.
He looked up and spotted her in the stands, and she gave him a smile and an enthusiastic wave.
"Oh, I forgot that you and Weaselbee were in love." Malfoy taunted looking back at her. Evangeline clenched her jaw, and resisted to urge to reply, Malfoy smirked and turned back.
"What's that Weasley's riding?" Malfoy called in his sneering drawl. "Why would anyone put a flying charm on a mouldy old log like that?" Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson guffawed and shrieked with laughter. Evangeline finished off her toast, and put her hand in her pocket where her wand lay.
Ron clearly ignored this as he kicked off from the ground and soared into the air, along with the rest of the team.
"Hey, Johnson, what's with that hairstyle, anyway?" shrieked Pansy Parkinson. "Why would anyone want to look like they've got worms coming out of their head?"
Evangeline felt her anger boil, but Angelina just flipped her braids out of her face and carried on. Angelina was a very pretty girl, and Pansy was just ugly, inside and out, and made herself feel better by being a bully.
Ron fell back towards the opposite goal. Angelina raised the Quaffle with one hand and threw it hard to Fred, who passed to George, who passed to Harry, who passed to Ron, who dropped it. The Slytherins, led by Malfoy, roared and screamed with laughter. Ron, who had pelted towards the ground to catch the Quaffle before it landed, pulled out of the dive untidily, so that he slipped sideways on his broom, and returned to playing height, blushing.
Evangeline felt angry at the Slytherin's for laughing, and sorry for Ron at his embarrassment. It was them who were putting him off anyway.
"Hey, Potter, how's your scar feeling?" called Malfoy. "Sure you don't need a lie down? It must be, what, a whole week since you were in the hospital wing, that's a record for you, isn't it?"
He was looking for a reaction, and if he wasn't careful, he would get one.
Evangeline didn't like to admit it, but Ron wasn't playing his best. Either miss-throwing or not quite catching the Quaffle. Evangeline found herself willing him to do better, just so that the Slytherin's would stop laughing at him.
"Your boyfriend's not doing very well is he Brown?" Pansy sneered, turning in her seat to face her.
"At least my boyfriend doesn't look like a fucking ferret." She snapped back, and Pansy huffed and turned back in her seat.
It took a moment for her to notice what she had seen.
"Did I just say that Ron's my boyfriend?"
It was only when Katie Bell's nose started profusely bleeding that Angelina blew her whistle, and practice ended. Evangeline let out a sigh and stood, straightening out her deep red coat as she did so.
"I don't think we have much to worry about at our first match." Malfoy said loudly as she walked down the steps passed them, Evangeline rolled her eyes. "I think the Weasel's sorted that out for us..." He continued, as the group followed Evangeline down the stairs and she became steadily more and more angry. "I expect he's been distracted by stuff at home. I hear his parents have started picking food out of bins."
The Slytherin's laughter was cut short by Evangeline whipping round and pointing her wand at Malfoy. Insulting her and Ron was one thing, but insulting Molly and Arthur was another.
"You want to learn to keep your mouth shut Malfoy." She said harshly, eyes burning.
"You won't do anything to me." Malfoy challenged, although obvious fear flickered in his eyes. Evangeline's nostrils flared, but he was right, she wouldn't. She didn't need to get herself in trouble so early in the year.
"No." She tucked her wand back into her pocket. "You're right."
She turned on her heel and continued down the stairs, and the group began to snicker again. Evangeline channeled all her thought toward a Binding curse, and closed her eyes tightly, imagining it wrapping round Crabbe's ankles.
"Agh!"
Evangeline grinned to herself when she heard him tumble down behind her, dragging Goyle with him.
...