Despite his plan to 'keep a closer eye' on Professor Kirkland, Harry soon found himself weighed down by school work and the latest on his list of people-to-hate (below Voldemort, Wormtail and a few other Death Eaters but on a tie with Snape), Professor Umbridge.

The woman was out to get him. There was no doubt about it. Ever since that first class, he'd known. This detention just proved it.

Harry rubbed his palm, wincing at the still lingering pain. What sort of detention was that, anyway? Was that even legal to physically harm a student?

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry glanced up and inwardly sighed.

Proffesor Kirkland.

"You alright there lad?" the other man asked, raising one of his creepily-large eyebrows in concern. Harry nodded his head, not completely intent on starting a conversation with someone he was still suspicious of.

"Yeah" he said. "I'm fine."

"You just had a detention with Professor Umbridge, am I right?"

Harry's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Yeah" he said. "How did you know?"

Professor Kirkland raised one eyebrow and Harry quickly smoothed out his expression, feeling embarrassed by the fact that the Professor had probably seen it on his face.

"She's been bragging about it to anyone who will listen" the Professor replied. "And since no one other than Professor Snape cares, she's now evolved into telling everyone in the vicinity. The Professor's have begun to go out of their way to avoid the 'Toad from Hell' as they call her" he paused and shook his head. "Although I probably shouldn't be telling you that."

Harry laughed.

The Professor's face darkened slightly. "Sweet Lord, the 'Toad from Hell' he muttered, shaking his head. "Much to close to...'Frog.'" He shuddered slightly. "Now thats much to close to home for my liking. That Bloody Frog..."

Harry stared at him. The Professor caught seemed to suddenly remember that he was still in the room and shook his head, looking embarrassed,

"Sorry, Mr. Potter" he apologized. "Just thinking about...someone who I am unfortunate enough to know. If you ever hear a sinister French laugh, I'd run if I were you." He let out a small laugh, although something told Harry that he wasn't completely joking.

"Well then" the Professor gave him another smile. "I must be going now. I still haven't planned tomorrow's lesson. Ta-ta."

"Uhh..."

"Oh" Professor Kirkland abruptly stopped and turned around. "By the way, you can stop staring at me suspiciously all of the time. Despite what you may think, I am not a Death Eater in disguise, out to get you. I don't understand why anyone would want to be. A bit of a waste of time, don't you think?"

Harry stared. "I...I never thought..." he stammered, his eyes wide.

The Professor waved a hand dismissivly. "Well of course you did" he replied. "I'm not blind, you know. Well then - have a nice day Mr. Potter" he gave him another brief smile before walking off down the corridor and disappearing around the corner.

Harry continued to stare at him, his mouth agape.

Rather than going straight to his room to plan his next lesson like he had told Harry, England walked in the opposite direction towards Dumbledore's office.

He was pleased when he caught site of his old friend standing in the corridor outside. It would save him the time of threatening the gargoyles to let him inside.

He was less pleased to see the 'Toad from Hell' standing there as well.

"I'm just saying -" the sound of the woman's sickly sweet voice felt like a knife being pressed into his ear. England brushed past her, ignoring her indignant cry, and turned towards Dumbledore.

"I saw Mr. Potter in the corridor on my way here" England said. "He was rubbing his hand. Albus, I was just wondering if you knew that Professor Umbridge was using a blood quill in her detentions."

Umbridge let out yet another little cry and stamped her foot on the floor. "I don't know what you're implying here!"

"I'm not implying anything" England said, calmly. "I think I made myself quite clear. You've been harming students in your detentions."

"You have no proof!" she yelled, angrilly.

England stared at her as if she were a complete idiot. "You were telling Professor Snape about it the other day."

"He told you -" she stopped abruptly and shook her head. "Lies!"

"Oh for crying out loud" he shook her head. "Never go undercover, your lying skills are completely rubbish. You'd get yourself killed faster than that idiot Ame - Alfred would."

"I won't stand for this!" Umbridge stuck her nose into the air, glowering furiously. "I work for the Minster, you will treat me with respect or...or..." the women pushed past and stormed down the corridor.

England stared after her, shaking his head. "What a bitch."

Dumbledore coughed, trying to disguise a chuckle. "You shouldn't have pushed her so far" he said, as if repremanding a child. "We are in a rough spot with the Ministry as it is."

"Did you know?" England stared at the older (at least in appearance) man. "Did you know what she had planned for Potter's detention?"

"Even if I did, there would be nothing I could do about it."

"But did you?" England pressed. The old man gave him a sad smile and turned towards the gargoyles on the wall.

"Lemon drops" he said. The doorway opened. He turned towards the nation. "I suppose I'll be seeing you later then, hmm?"

England shook his head. "We can't just ignore this" he said. "Is there nothing you can do?"

"What could I do. Fire her?" Dumbledore shook his head. "The Minister would just bring her right back. For now, we can only sit back and watch."

"That's what I've been doing" sighed England. "I've been watching Potter. I've been watching the Slytherin's. I've been watching any suspicious students from other houses. I've been watching Snape. All this watching is driving me insane."

"Don't waste your time watching Severus" Dumbledore said. "He has my trust."

"Yes" England nodded his head. "Which is why I'll keep watching him for the time being."

Dumbledore let out a small laugh. He nodded goodbye to his friend, before disappearing into his office.

Hermione, unlike Harry, was having a brilliant day.

Classes, as usual, had gone swell, and now she was curled up in bed, reading the book that Professor Kirkland had allowed her to borrow. And what a brilliant book it was! With ever line she read, she felt herself becoming more and more entranced by it. The pages were old and the only thing keeping them from falling apart was probably some type of spell. She didn't mind. It just made it all the more interesting, knowing that this book was over a century old.

The cover was made out of a type of odd material and felt rough in her hands. The inside of the cover had even been signed by the author himself! It was just a brief message but Hermione had still read it anyway.

Dear Arthur,

Brilliant knowing you. Hope you like the book, this is my original copy. It's the least I can do to repay you for helping me out of my...situation last week.

Oh, the original copy. Professor Kirkland was such a privilaged, lucky, beautiful man...

...privlilaged and lucky. She meant, he was privilaged and lucky.

If Hermione wasn't so completely blinded by her excitement, then she might have realised that there was no way a man, who was only a few years older than herself, could have a message addressed to him that had been written over a century ago.

But, unfortunately for her (and fortunately for the Nation/Professor) she didn't realise.

"So he really said that to you?" Ron asked, inbetween a mouthful of food. He, along with Harry and Hermione, were seated at the Gryffindor table for dinner that day. Ron was quickly gobbling down the mountain of food he had served for himself, while Hermione reprimanded him for talking with his mouth full.

"Yes" Harry said. "Can you believe it?"

"Um..." Ron frowned. "Are you sure this really happened? I mean" he quickly backtracked at the look Harry gave him. "Of course it happened but...did it happen, you know...outside of your dreams?"

"Ron!" Harry said, angrilly. "I do not dream about Professor Kirkland!"

Nearby, Lavender and Parvati paused their conversation to stare at him.

"Well, you know, mate, you kinda talk about the bloke a lot" Ron said, defensively. "Plus, you've been looking for things to prove that there's something wrong with the guy, so..."

"Look, it really happened okay!" Harry said. "He really said that. I mean don't you think its weird?"

"That he told you to stop looking at him?" Ron frowned. "No not really. I mean, maybe he thought you were a stalker."

"Ron!" Hermione said, giving the red-head a stern look.

"Alright, alright" Ron sighed. "Mate, it doesn't matter what he said. The guy's not a creep, he's a great teacher and to hear that coming from me is a big compliment. So can we stop talking about him now?"

Harry's shoulder's slumped. "Yeah" he sighed. "I am going a bit overboard with this, aren't I?"

Ron snorted. "A bit?"

Hermione shoved him with her shoulder.

"So" she said, quickly changing the topic. "How is everything going with school? Keeping up with your studies, I hope?"

"Yes" Harry said, shooting his friend an amused look.

"Geez" Harry looked up. It was the twins. "Umbridge looks like she's about to explode."

"Yeah" Ron said. "Bu then, when doesn't she."

"But she actually looks like she's going to, well...explode" Goerge shook his head. "Right here, right now. I wonder who pushed her that far."

She leapt out of her seat, her face full of fury.

"I guess we're about to find out" Hermione murmured.

Umbridge gave Professor Kirkland a long, scathing look. "You!" she spat. "You better start treating me with respect. I work for the Ministry."

Professor Kirkland stared at her. "Yes" he said, after a moment. "You do."

Umbridge let out a loud, spluttering sound and stormed out of the Great Hall.

"...Huh" Ron said. "Did I mention how much I like the guy?"

"You know how I said I was going to 'keep an eye on him'?" America said, sitting up in his chair suddenly.

"What?" Canada blinked owlishly."Who are you talking about?"

"Russia, duh!" America said.

"Oh" Canada sank into his chair. "Right. I forgot."

"Well, I'm going to do just that! I swear, I've seen the guy leave the room at least five times to talk on that phone of his. Suspiciooooooooooous."

"We're countries" Canada sighed. "We talk on the phone a lot. It's really not that suspicous."

"I know, right? So suspiciooooooooooooooous."

Canada sighed. "I don't know why I try..." he muttered.

"So" America continued. "I'm going to follow him and listen to his side of the conversation and get proof of his plan to start World War III! Then I'm going to tell everyone via heroic-little-slide-show and the Commie-Bastard's plan will be exposed! And I'll be the hero!"

"...Please don't" Canada said. "This is going to end badly. I just know it. And then he's going to come after you."

"Awww" America beamed. "Don't be worried about me! Like I said, I'm the hero!"

"I'm not" Canada sighed. "I'm worried about the fact that I look like you."

"Dude, Russia's leaving the room again!" America jumped out of his seat. "I'm going to go follow him! Cover for me, okay?"

Canada looked around the meeting, taking in the ruckus that was going on in the room. Countries chatting, arguing, sexually harassing (in France's case).

"I don't think anyone would notice" he said.

"Great!" America beamed. "I'd tell you to wish me luck but hero's don't need luck!"

He bolted out of the room.

"He's doomed" Canada sighed.

America exited the room, trying to be as inconspicious as he possibly could. He quietly shut the door behind him and glanced down the empty corridior. Russia was no where in sight but he could hear the sound of the other nation's voice coming from somewhere nearby.

He snuck down the corridor, making sure not to make any noise as he walked. His heart was beating in his chest but not because he was scared (hero's didn't get scared!) but because he was...excited. Yup, he was very excited.

A hand clamped down on his shoulder and he whirled around, biting back a scream.

"You have been following me" Russia observed.

"W-w-what?" America stuttered. "Are you crazy, why would I be following you; you must be crazy, it's the only explanation!"

Russia smiled. "Da. You have been following me."

AN:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here's another chapter. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, you are all amazing.

:D