Hello everyone. I hope you are having a lovely weekend. Here is this weeks chapter. I hope you enjoy and thank you to everyone who has favorited and followed.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter

Chapter 9: A Talk with Umbridge

I knew people hated Umbridge and I could see why, but it didn't bother me as much. Her teaching styles that had caused so many problems helped me because I didn't really need to demonstrate what I knew or how good (or bad) I was at magic. Instead I could just read and get Professor Snape show it to me later. I stayed safe this way. When people started to complain, I had to join in just to seem normal and blend in. I mean I did hate the class for the fact that I wasn't able to communicate at all with anyone who without being put in detention, already I had a scar on my hand that read: Focus is key.

I also learned the reason there weren't as many students in the Three Broomsticks was partially due to the fact they were all meeting at the Hogs Head, discussing a group they titled Dumbledore's Army. The group gave students an opportunity to learn key spells to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, something Umbridge had taken away from us. Hermione had invited me and I had to refuse; I said it was the fact I was swamped with tutoring and work, but in reality it was because I was afraid I wouldn't keep up with them or worse, they would see what a freak I truly was. Instead I spent that time hanging out with Zach more.

Zach turned out to be the best friend anyone could ask for. Even after our awkward kiss on the cheek, we got along better than ever, which was good because seeing Fred always with Zara left me in a bad mood. Zach may have made the experience more enjoyable, but my roommates did not. Sarah got dragged in with the rest of them, and I hope it was because she was being threatened and not for the fact she was truly a mean person. Pansy didn't only like rubbing that in my face, but also took he sweet free time to make Zach feel embarrassed to be around me or constantly call us a couple. Although Zach has a pretty good poker face because he never seems bothered by it at all. I think that's why she's slowed down on that attack, but continued to be relentless with ones that were directly related to me. For example, her weekly midnight interventions, where she talks about a fake problem I have and solves it with the worst advice ever. There is no getting away from it either. She stays awake until I get into the room and if I go to sleep before her, who knows what she would do to me. I might wake up one morning with no hair or something like that.

Those are just the things I think about when in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, reading a book that is of no help whatsoever. I fight every urge in my body to glance over at the guy next to me, but I know she would see me and I would get another scar on my hand that said something like boys are bad or eyes on your own paper. And the relief comes when she announces it's time to go. I couldn't get out of there faster as I did a big swipe of all my things into my bag and headed straight for the door.

"Ms. Pendergast, I would like to see you." Professor Umbridge called from the front of her room with her typical high, girly voice that squeaks as the cuts through the air. "Now, please."

I turn around slowly and walk to the front of the room where she sits behind her desk, a quill quickly writing in big, loopy cursive. I stand stiffly for a while as she finishes up what she is writing and by this time everyone else is heading down the hall to lunch, but I was stuck here talking to Umbridge.

"I hear you have tutoring for my class." She said eventually, continuing to write.

"Yes, since the beginning of the year." I said. "I am improving though, I'm almost up to date."

"Great." Umbridge said. It sounded faker then her usual tone. "You aren't performing any of the spells, correct?"

I didn't know how to answer, lying could be worse for the future but I could already feel the aching in my hand and the thought of Snape being fired just because of me was unbearable. "Yeah, no magic, just theory." I lied.

"Good, good." Professor Umbridge said. "So you understand everything you are reading?"

"Yeah." I lied again. I should write all these down so I don't forget. "But it's the concepts from the earlier year I'm still struggling with."

"Then maybe you need a different tutor, I'm available most days after school." She offered.

"No, it's okay. I'm making good progress with Professor Snape." I said, relieved that I didn't have to lie.

"Very well then." I started to turn, but then she stopped me. "Wait, I have one more question." So I turned and waited patiently to hear what else she had to say. "Have you heard about any groups that have been practicing magic after school in secret?"

"No, why?" I lied again, but this time my problem was not with the lie; it was the question she asked. She was suspicious about Dumbledore's army and even though I didn't talk to them much, they were still my friends and I had to protect them.

"No reason, just rumor about a few Gryffindor students starting a kind of club behind my back." She replied in her bubbly, irritating tone. "But, I assume, if you here anything you will let me know, right?"

"Of course." I said. "But me and the Gryffindors aren't very close."

"I thought you spent the summer with the Weasely's and some of their friends."

"It was only a week, besides they hate me now that I'm a Slytherin." I said.

"Well, if you do happen to hear anything, I will be sure you will receive a very good mark this year." She said. "You may go."

"Thank you." I turned and made my way out of the classroom as quickly as possible.

I waited for Snape like I did every Wednesday. He would walk into the room, command me to stand up and get ready for practice. Instead this time I wanted to talk to him about my chat with Professor Umbridge and the questions she asked. I was too afraid to tell Zach or anyone apart of Dumbledore's army about what happened with Umbridge because it might look suspicious. Instead I listened to Zach telling me about his terrible time in Charms because of the Pop Quiz they were handed and he didn't understand the material at all.

"Stand up." I heard the familiar monotone voice command me as he made his way down one of the isles between desks, his robes flowing behind him.

"I need to tell you something." I said following his command.

"Talking about things is what you do with your friends outside of our lessons, we need to make the best use of our time here."

"No, this is important." I insisted, blocking the first spell he casted to me.

"You forgot to say the words again." This time he casted 3 spells and I blocked them silently then immediately casted one and Snape flew back, hitting the wall behind him.

"Listen to me." I said. "Umbridge kept me after class to ask me questions and one of them was about our tutoring sessions. She wants to make sure I'm not doing magic in here."

"Hm." He said, now interested but he wouldn't say so himself, he is too proud. "Is that all?"

"In a way, yes. But what should we do? You could get fired if we get caught, I could get detention. And I really don't want another scar on my hand." I showed Snape the words I normally covered up with the foundation I got when I went to Diagon Alley before the school year, but I had taken it off before our session to show him why this was a problem.

"I can't get fired, Dumbledore is the headmaster and he makes those decisions." Snape insisted. "But she can't find out because then she has the power to end our meetings and you need this."

"So what are we going to do?" I asked him.

"I'll talk to Dumbledore, but for today our little lesson is dismissed." He said then quickly exited the room.

I packed my things and made my way to the divination classroom to meet Parvati for more tutoring, but this time I had a different agenda, to alert he about the other half of Umbridge's questions. I was lucky Snape cancelled because Parvati had to change our normal time to later because of "other plans", which I assume was a code word for a Dumbledore's Army meeting. Even so, when I entered the classroom, she was sitting there working on the other homework but looked up as soon as I entered the room.

"Great, you made it." She smiled and put her things away.

I went through the entire session so I didn't have to deal with another walk out and make it up later, but at the end I told her about Umbridge.

"Oh my gosh." She said. "You didn't tell her, right?"

"Yeah, I didn't tell her, but she knows something is going on and make sure Harry knows to be extra cautious." I said and Parvati carried the message.