AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, I got a lot of grief over The Umbridge detention scene, and I'd like to point out some things. First of, at fifteen, Harry has no proof, nor any inkling that Umbridge can't back up what she says. He's not as worldly as apparently many of you were at fifteen. Even Hermione, who's supposed to be uber intelligent has no way of knowing.

Second, Even if Harry managed to tell someone, It would be her word against his, as it's quite likely that she has some kind of protective concealment charm on her Blood quill. With as fanatical as Umbridge is, Do you really think she'd allow for the use of Veritaserum, and Pensieves are supposed to be rare.

I deeply sorry thy Harry isn't as smart or strong as you want him to be. So to those of you who don't like it, there are plenty of mutant Harry stories out there. To the rest I say, thank you for reading, You're the best! Sorry for the rant.

Transfiguration started with what was now the typical start of term speech regarding the OWL exams. Harry listened to Professor McGonagall as she told them what they might expect during the exams, and what she planned for them this year. Finally she hand out snails for them to practice vanishing spells on.

Harry Ron and Hermione sat together. Ron had joined his two friends at breakfast, where he explained his change of heart.

"After Umbridge's class, I got really angry." Ron said between huge forkfuls on pancakes. "All I could think of the rest of the day was how the whole world is against you, and I should be by your side. You're my friend Harry, and I wasn't being a very good one. I'm supposed to have your back, no matter what."

Harry had truly appreciated the sentiment, and hoped that Ron would remember that as he explored his growing relationship with Daphne and Tracey. Harry was finding it more difficult to not think about the brunette. He knew why, of course. Thanks to Daphne's little sister, and Hermione, he now knew that Daphne fancied him, and that was the reason for her trying to befriend him. If Harry was honest, he did find her attractive. The problem was that he didn't know her, something that apparently Daphne herself had considered. She anted to take the time and get to know the real Harry, and that in itself spoke volumes to him.

Harry couldn't really think of any good reason not to try things out with Daphne. Other than, of course, the threat of Voldemort, but every time he thought of that, he heard two voices chastising him for it, Sirius, and Dumbledore.

"You should not let anything stand in your way of happiness." Dumbledore would say.

"We're all on Voldemort's hit list, whether we associate with you or not." Sirius voice would say. "He'll want to kill us only because we oppose him, so stop being a imbecile."

So, while he was trying to vanish his snail for Professor McGonagall, Harry decided that he should spend more time with Daphne Greengrass. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain, so what was the point in trying to keep her, or anyone else away?

"Very good Mister Potter. You've nearly got it." Professor McGonagall said startling him back to reality. Harry saw that his snail was very nearly transparent, and was amazed to see that he'd nearly mastered the spell while thinking of Daphne.

"Give it another try, please." McGonagall had been sweeping through the class checking on their progress. She couldn't remember any time when Harry had grasped a spell so quickly, and thought he was quite close to having it perfected.

Harry nodded, waved his wand and spoke the incantation, tapping the snail's shell and smiled as the snail nearly disappeared. There was only the faintest traces of the invertebrate's shell still visible. He cancelled the spell so he could try again, but Professor McGonagall grabbed his hand.

"What is this?" She asked, looking upset. Harry pulled his hand away and shook his head.

"Nothing Professor. It's fine, really." Harry said softly. He was a bit angry at his Head of House, as it was her that had all but forced him to go to his detentions.

Professor McGonagall looked as if she wanted to press the issue, but Harry gave her a meaningful look, and she decided it was best to let the subject to drop. As she began walking away, she glanced back and saw Hermione giving a look of intense displeasure. Professor McGonagall made a mental not to speak with the headmaster on the matter as soon as possible.

After lunch, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed out to the grounds for the first Care of Magical Creatures class. They were joined in the Entrance hall by the Slytherins, and Harry paused so Daphne and Tracey could catch up.

"Good afternoon." Daphne smiled.

"Good afternoon." Hermione responded.

"Hey." Harry smiled.

None of them noticed the murderous looks being given to them by Draco and his pack of rabid wolves.

The five of them gathered down by Hagrid's hut, where Professor Grubbly-Plank had set out a small table with what looked to be moving twigs crawling about. Professor Grubbly-Plank spread a handful of what appeared to be grains of rice on the table, which the moving twigs fell upon greedily.

It turned out the creature were called Bowtruckles, and the class was split into groups of three, and were allowed to observe a bowtruckle between them. Harry partnered with Daphne and Tracey, while Hermione, Ron and Neville picked out a tree guardian together. Ron looked rather upset that Harry had chosen to study with the two Slytherin girls.

He wasn't the only one. Draco Malfoy looked ready to murder as he watched Harry and his housemates working together, occasionally laughing at the antics of the little creature.

As Ron seemed more interested in what Harry was doing, Hermione was able to talk to Neville, who appeared very nervous.

"He's kind of cute, don't you think?" She said, not really sure how to begin a conversation. Neville only nodded, avoiding her eyes all together. Hermione silently cursed Ginny for blurting out Neville's secret. He was already incredibly shy, and now it was worse because she knew that he liked her.

She asked Neville to hold the bow truckle show she could sketch it's face. Neville held up the creature, and Hermione took those few moments to really look at Neville. She noticed that he was starting to lose his baby fat. His face wasn't so rounded anymore, and he also looked as if he were gaining a bit of muscle. Hermione imagined the lugging heavy bags of fertilizer my be the cause of it.

She also noticed how gently he handled the tiny creature in his hands. Hermione remembered listening to Ginny talk about the Yule Ball last year, and how well Neville had treated her that evening. How, even though he wasn't a great dancer, he'd not sat out unless she had wanted to. He'd been a great escort, and, Ginny admitted, that if she hadn't like Harry so much, she would have tried to date Neville.

But Hermione needed more that a decent dancer. She needed someone who could stimulate her mind as well as her hormones. The truth was, she knew Neville to be smart, though he had difficulty in remembering things. Hermione had a theory that Neville was something akin to a beaten dog. She had heard Neville talk about the way his grandmother would constantly compare him to his father. Hermione doubted anyone would have self confidence if they were subjected to that all their life.

"Could you take him now?" Neville asked, in a very soft voice. "I need to try and draw him."

Hermione smiled and offered her hands to accept the little creature. As Neville placed the bow truckle into Hermione's open hands, he brushed against her, which sent little shivers down her spine. Shaking her head, Hermione passed it off as her thinking about the two of them, and not something of significance. Still, the moment lingered in her brain the rest of class.

Daphne could not remember a more fun and interesting Care of Magical Creatures class. She, Tracey and Harry had a lot a fun passing the little twig like critter between them, offering it wood lice to eat. It seemed the bow truckle like Harry the most, and seemed to want to stay near him, which made it difficult for Harry to sketch the creature.

"You'd better check your pockets when you leave to make sure he doesn't try and hitch a ride with you, Harry." Daphne smiled. When Harry smiled back at her, a real, relaxed smile, she felt her stomach roll over. His eyes shone brilliantly in the late morning sunshine, and it made her brain get a bit fuzzy.

"We heard you met Astoria yesterday." Tracey grinned, which made Daphne glare at her.

"Yeah, she's uh…forward." Harry smiled.

"She's also nosy and annoying." Daphne huffed.

"Nah, she's alright." Harry chuckled.

"You don't live with her."

"She's got a point." Tracey smiled, trying to take the bow truckle, which had dug it's sharp little claws into Harry's cloak. The three of them had to work together to gently release the fidgeting little creature.

"I'm sorry for whatever she said to you. She thinks things are very simple and can be solved easily. She doesn't really understand sometimes."

"It's no problem. It's not the worst thing to ever happen to me."

"There he goes again." Tracey grinned as the little bowtruckle leapt from her hands and scurried up Harry's sleeve to sit on his shoulder.

"You're being quite difficult." Daphne scolded the bowtruckle which gave a sharp chirp. The three laughed at the creature.

"Guess he told you." Tracey laughed.

"Father was talking to the Minister not long before we got back," They heard Draco suddenly say from next to them. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle had apparently moved closer to Harry and the girls. "The Ministry really wants to crack down on substandard teaching around here. It's probably why that great oaf isn't here anymore. He likely got handed his walking papers. About time if you ask me. First that crazed hippogriff, then those…whatever they were last year."

"You didn't want a blast-ended Skrewt as a pet, Malfoy? I thought for sure you would've tried to smuggle one home. You know how they say pets resemble their owners." Harry remarked without turning to look at Malfoy, who raised his head, staring coldly at Harry.

"He might have been worried his mother would confuse the two of them." Tracey said, which made Daphne and Harry laugh out loud.

Draco's face colored and his eyes narrowed at Tracey. "You should be careful, Davis. I won't put up with your cheek. I can…

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, tell daddy, we know. Merlin, we've heard it so often, I can almost repeat your speech word for word. Draco, as a fellow Slytherin, no one cares. It's pathetic.

"Pathetic is it?" Draco's voice rose, and every head rose to see what was happening. Before Draco could utter another word however, Professor Grubbly-Plank came over and suggested they all get back to work. Harry and his new friends kept casting glances to a obviously incensed Malfoy, and chuckling lightly.

When class ended, Harry and the girls were joined by Ron and Hermione as they all started heading back towards the castle.

"Would you all like to join us in the library after dinner?" Daphne asked, a bit hopefully. "We can all work on homework together."

"Sure." Hermione smiled, but Harry frowned.

"I have detention the rest of the week. Maybe this weekend, as I'm sure I'll be quite backed up on my work."

"What is she making you do?" Daphne asked. She saw Hermione frown, but Harry just shrugged and made a noise of indifference.

"Lines."

"That's not so bad." Tracey said, her voice somewhat chipper.

Daphne watched Hermione's frown deepen, but refrained from commenting. She knew the bushy haired bookworm wanted to say something, and Daphne suspected that it wasn't going to be pleasant. She made a mental note to bring the topic up later.

"What about you Weasley? Will you be joining us? Daphne asked, not really sure why she was extending the offer. Ron had been very open about how he felt about her and Tracey. Still, she felt the need to make the effort. She truly did not want to come between Harry and his friend, and hoped that Ron might at least learn to accept her.

Ron only shrugged, and Daphne felt it was better than she could hope for at this juncture. They said goodbye, as the three Gryffindors had to get to the Greenhouses for Herbology, while Daphne and Tracey and the rest of the Slytherins made their way to Charms.

"Did you see Hermione's face when I asked about Harry's detention?" Daphne asked.

"No. Why?"

"She looked like she had just swallowed stink sap or something. Something's going on."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, but I intend to find out tonight."

"Well, I impressed with how things went today. I never suspected he would have asked us to be his partners. I thought Weasley was going to bust a vein or something. I don't even know if he got any work done with as much as he was staring at Harry."

"I really wonder what his problem is. I can understand his dislike of Malfoy, but he doesn't even know us. He acts like we're going to tear Harry's heart out and feed on it."

"I don't think that's really the organ you have in mind." Tracey smirked.

"Oh my gods!" Daphne shrieked looking horrorstruck. "Could you be anymore crass?"

"Possibly."

After dinner that evening, the trio broke up, each heading off for different destinations. Harry grumbled as he went off to Professor Umbridge's office. He'd been asked by Angelina Johnson, the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team about trying to get Friday evening off so he could attend the Quidditch tryouts. Harry was more than a little sure that would not fly, but he had promised to try.

Hermione was going to meet the Slytherin girls in the library, while Ron was going to who knew where to do who knew what, though Hermione was sure that it would not involve homework. She was seriously considering not allowing him access to her notes, or helping him with any of his work, hoping to teach him a lesson.

Hermione found her favorite table empty, and set her bag upon it, before disappearing into the stacks to find the books she would need to complete her work. She had finished her potions essay the night before, but had intended of double checking some facts. There was also her rune translations, and that very pathetic set of questions assigned by Umbridge.

When she returned to her table she found that both Daphne and Tracey had arrived, and were just getting out their own work.

"Just couldn't wait for us, eh Hermione?" Daphne smiled. Hermione could only shrug, but she smiled all the same.

"I'm not big on procrastination." she said, and the other two just shook their heads. Daphne took a moment to check out the books Hermione had collected, and sighed heavily.

"I'll be back in a moment." She said, getting up from the table and disappearing around a corner.

"Good, she's gone." Tracey grinned. "Has Harry talked about her at all?"

Hermione sighed, and shook her head. "Only when he's defending his friendship with her. He knows she likes him now, thanks to Astoria, and me, but I'm not sure how he feels about it at the moment."

"Damn." Tracey said. Hermione looked up from her book, looking curious.

"Do you know why she likes him?"

"Who can say?" Tracey shrugged. "I do know that she'd do right by him. It's just in her nature to be loyal to the people she cares for. And she'd be a lot better for him tan half those slags who lust after him."

"That's true." Hermione agreed.

"The thing is, she's so determined to take things slow with him, like she's only got one shot to do things right. I don't know. Maybe if they could actually spend some real time alone together that would make things go faster."

"Maybe." Hermione said. "I've known him four years, and I still don't know everything there is to know about him."

"Ok." Daphne said as she returned to the table with the book she needed for her Potions essay. She opened the book and flipped a few pages until she found what she was looking for. Opening her ink bottle and dipping her quill, she began writing some notes.

"Hermione?" Daphne said softly, hoping to sound non-plussed. "What happened during Harry's detention?"

There was silence, and Daphne looked up to see Hermione sitting as if frozen. Her quill was over her parchment and her hand was trembling fro anger.

"That-That horrid woman." Hermione said between clenched teeth. "She made him…S-she…"

"What?" Both Daphne and Tracey asked together, both leaning towards the bushy haired girl.

"She made him cut into his own hand. He had to write lines in his own blood." Hermione hissed angrily, her face turning red with her rage.

"What are you talking about?' Tracey asked.

"Hermione, calm down and tell us what you know." Daphne urged.

Hermione took several minutes to calm down. She took great gulps of air and let them slowly. Finally, after her color returned to normal she was able to tell them everything she had learned.

"He came back with words scratched into the back of his hand. When I pressed him, he admitted that she had made him use a strange quill that wrote in his own blood and cut up the back of his had."

"A Blood Quill?" Daphne looked horrified. "That's illegal. Why didn't he tell someone?"

"He tried." Hermione replied. "He grabbed the quill and started heading towards McGonagall's office when she put him in a body bind curse. She told him that he could do the detention or she could expel him. She told him she had the entire Ministry behind her and he could do nothing"

Both Daphne and Tracey looked as angry as Hermione felt now.

"That absolute hag." Daphne snarled. "Blood Quills are illegal, what is she even doing with one?"

"Why are we sitting here?' Tracey asked. "We should tell someone."

"We can't" Hermione said. "First, I promised I wouldn't say anything. I shouldn't have even told you. But secondly, if we tell, she'll know Harry said something, and then who knows what she'll do. She's here because of the Minister of Magic, and he's determined to shut Harry up. I'm almost certain that those Dementors were sent to his home just so he would do magic, and they could get rid of him."

Daphne now looked pale. "I could rite my father, maybe he could help us somehow. At the least he might be able to get someone in here to investigate her."

"But she's working for fudge. He'd give her a warning, and she could hide it, and then it would be Harry's word against hers, and after everything they said about him in the papers this summer, he doesn't have a leg to stand on." Tracey said bitterly.

"There has to be something we can do." Daphne pounded her fist.

"All I can think of is to get him to control his temper. She's going to be ruthless on him this year, doing everything she can to provoke him." Hermione suggested. "I bet she wants to pin Cedric Diggory's death on Harry, and then throw him in Azkaban without trial."

"We thought the same thing." Tracey said. So how do we get him to control his temper?"

"By giving him a distraction." Hermione smiled at Daphne, who suddenly blushed.

"What do you mean?" Daphne asked suspiciously.

"I mean that if Harry's mind is focused on something else, or rather someone else, maybe he won't rise to her challenges." Hermione grinned.

"I think I understand." Tracey smirked, looking at Daphne as well.

"Whoa." Daphne said, holding up her hands defensively. "We barely know each other. It's too early to even think about…"

"Snogging?" Tracey asked helpfully.

"I didn't…That's not what I…" Daphne stuttered, but Hermione simply looked pleased.

"Look, I'm only suggesting getting you two together to spend some time alone, and get to know each other. What happens then is completely up to you. I just think it might be good for Harry if he could keep his head down and his mouth shut." Hermione smiled lightly.

"Unless he's kissing you, of course." Tracey grinned at Daphne, who slammed her head on the table , Tracey and Hermione giggly softly on either side of her.

"I tell you Albus, there was no mistaking it. She's forcing him to use a blood quill." Professor McGonagall said firmly. She had come to his office as soon as curfew went into effect. She knew of course that there would of course be one or two students who ventured out, but it was likely they'd be sniffed out by Filch and his filthy feline. She had sat on her discovery all day, knowing that she had to wait to speak to the headmaster about what the new Defense Teacher was making Harry Potter endure.

When she arrived, she found that the headmaster was not alone, as Severus Snape was also there.

"The trouble will be in proving the matter." Dumbledore sighed wearily. "Harry's word will not be enough, and I sincerely doubt we will be able to get our hands on the quill."

"Something must be done, this can not stand." McGonagall said indignantly.

"Our hands on this matter are tied." Dumbledore confessed. "Surely the Minister has taken steps to assure his spy's success. He has already tried once to have Harry expelled. He do not think he will fail a second time."

"She asked me to brew Veritaserum." Snape said coolly.

"Whatever for?" McGonagall asked gob smacked.

"I would theorize that she will wish to question the staff about me. It's likely that she'll invite you to join her for tea, and then deliver a dosage to you. As a Ministry official, anything she is able to get out of you would of course be admissible in court. I already understand that the school governors have been leaned on for my removal."

"They can't let you go." McGonagall said, her hand flying to her mouth in horror.

"And so far they have not, but the more threatened Cornelius feels, the more he will push. I believe that we have only seen a little of what is to come. If my sources are correct, there will be some very interesting changes made here at Hogwarts." Dumbledore sighed, steepling his fingers as he looked at his to teachers.

McGonagall sat down heavily. "Is there no way to help the boy?"

"I am afraid that at the moment, there is none. However, I think that he may find help through his friends. If what I hear is true, young Harry is expanding his circle of friends."

"I don't see how that will help him." McGonagall said.

"My dear Minerva, I believe that Harry may find new strength and wisdom as he opens his life to new people, and this school may very well be able to stand united."

"I think you're reading too much into it all, Albus." Snape remarked curtly, but the Headmaster was unfazed by the potions master's sour outlook. Instead he simply smiled up at the greasy haired man and shrugged.

Harry's hand throbbed as he climbed the stairs after his detention. By the end of it, his hand had been bleeding. He had cringed when she had taken his hand in her stubby fingers to examine it.

He had been correct in his assumption that she would not let him out of his detention for the Quidditch tryouts on Friday. She had laughed at him, and told him that he was being punished, and that maybe missing out on something he wanted to do would help to teach him the lesson she wished to teach him.

He'd spent another exhausting four hours in her company cutting into the back of his hand with that wretched implement of torture. He had managed to keep quiet all throughout his time with Umbridge, but now his jaw really hurt from clenching it for so long.

And he was tired. He felt drained somehow. It really took a lot out of him to sit there mutilating himself and trying to appear as if it didn't bother him at all.

He was just starting to imagine a thousand different ways the toad could meet her demise when he reached the portrait hole, and saw to his surprise…

"Ron?"

Ron turned around, looking as if he'd just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Oh, Hey Harry, What are you doing out here?"

"Just finished detention, you?"

"Oh, I was, um…"

"Why do you have your broom? Were you out flying?" Harry asked. Ron seemed to slump, and he looked dejected.

"I was practicing. I thought I might try out for the Quidditch team now that I've got a decent broom."

"Are you any good?" Harry asked brightly.

"I'm… I'm alright. Fred and George always made me keep for them at home."

"I wish I could be there to see you try out." Harry sighed.

"Umbridge didn't let you off?"

"Nope. I'm being punished." Harry grimaced. He gave the password and he and Ron entered the common room. They saw Hermione on the sofa with Neville and were about to join her when Harry saw the almost imperceptible shake of her head. Harry quickly took Ron's arm and lead him up to the Dorms.

"What's going on? Why didn't we go see Hermione?" Ron asked in bewilderment.

"She's…She was busy." Harry tried lamely.

"She was only talking to Neville." Ron said oblivious.

"Just let it drop, mate. For Hermione's sake." Harry pressed, and Ron stared blankly for a few moments before shrugging and getting changed for bed. Harry watched him, wondering what Ron's reaction would be to learning Neville fancied Hermione. Harry had his suspicions that Ron had feelings for Hermione as well, but knew that Hermione did not share those feelings. She'd even confessed that were it not for Harry, she thought it unlikely the two would have become friends at all.

This train of thought led Harry to begin thinking how Ron would react to Harry dating Daphne. He'd been less than civil to her that day, but Ron had not started fling accusations at her, which Harry felt was an improvement. He'd even noted that Daphne had tried to include Ron in her study group.

So far as Harry could tell, Ron was the only one who seemed to be against Harry and Daphne. Even the twins, who were generally anti Slytherin had perked up at Daphne's name. Well, there had been that weird incident with Ginny, but Harry hadn't given it much thought.

Harry just wished he could spend some time with her. It was one thing to speak during class or as they passed in the halls, but he would never get to know her if that was all they did. He knew that she liked him. Hermione had been good enough to point it out, and Daphne's sister had nearly shouted it across the Great Hall yesterday. The problem was he wasn't sure how he felt about her. Sure she was pretty, and very smart, but other than that….

Ron began snoring in the bed next to Harry's, and he decided to try and get some sleep. His homework was piling up, and he knew he had to do something about it before it got worse. Perhaps he would skip breakfast and try and make a dent in it. Maybe lunch as well.